S&P 500 break below 1520, levels to watch

The index is trading close to the lows heading into the final half-hour of trading, and is just above the 10-day moving average at 1514.17. The lows were hit on a leaked memo from Wal-Mart (WMT) concerning February sales which helped take down the retailers. The fact that the low was at the 10-day suggests traders are tempering concerns, or we might well be below it at this stage. For now, the 10-day remains a key support level as it has since the November and January lows. Resistance is at 1519.43. On a sector basis only the Utilities are higher, a traditional "risk off" sector play. Energy, Financials, and Materials are weakest, followed by Consumer Discretionary.