Stocks on Monday achieved a bit less than a third of the gains we had unenthusiastically projected for the week, with the Dow Industrials settling exactly 100 points above Friday’s close. We say we were unenthusiastic in forecasting a 350-point rally because share buyers themselves have shown little enthusiasm for the task.  Even so, they’ve continued to lift offers more or less steadily, producing a rising trendline with a pitch of about 12 degrees. We’ve seen steeper grades driving through Nebraska, but that’s not the point. In fact, the lukewarm, steady buying that has persisted in July is exactly the kind of buying that typically accounts for most of the stock market’s gains most of the time.  This summer’s rally has been punctuated by short squeezes and gap-up openings » Read the full article