On the verge of a long-term buy signal

Preface: Explaining our market timing models  We maintain several market timing models, each with differing time horizons. The "Ultimate Market Timing Model" is a long-term market timing model based on the research outlined in our post, Building the ultimate market timing model. This model tends to generate only a handful of signals each decade.   The...

Could a credit event derail the equity bull?

Is the soft landing here? Wall Street strategists have been racing to reduce their recession odds in the last week. More importantly, Fed Chair Powell revealed during the post-FOMC meeting press conference that Fed staff had upgraded its forecast from a mild recession in H2 2023 to no recession.   In the past few weeks,...

A new cyclical bull?

Preface: Explaining our market timing models  We maintain several market timing models, each with differing time horizons. The "Ultimate Market Timing Model" is a long-term market timing model based on the research outlined in our post, Building the ultimate market timing model. This model tends to generate only a handful of signals each decade.   The Trend...

The risks to the disinflation and soft-landing bull case

Ever since the softer-than-expected June CPI report, the Wall Street narrative has pivoted toward disinflation and a soft landing. The disinflationary trend had been building for some time and inflation has been surprising to the downside around the world.      As a consequence, the markets have taken a risk-on tone in anticipation of less...

The soft landing vs. slowdown debate

Preface: Explaining our market timing models  We maintain several market timing models, each with differing time horizons. The "Ultimate Market Timing Model" is a long-term market timing model based on the research outlined in our post, Building the ultimate market timing model. This model tends to generate only a handful of signals each decade.   The Trend...

What to watch for in a pivotal earnings season

The Q2 earnings reporting season could be a pivotal one. Earnings reports and subsequent corporate guidance are likely to give investors greater clarity on whether the economy is softening into a slowdown or undergoing a soft landing and recovery. The preliminary picture is a fragile recovery. Forward guidance for Q2 has improved from Q1. Negative...

Tech leadership stumbles, what will pick up the pace?

 Mid-week market update: It finally happened. The NASDAQ 100 is being re-weighted in order to address “concentration risk” (full details here). It was a belated decision in response to narrow market leadership, but the problem seems to have moderated on its own. Large-cap technology stocks, which had been on a tear, stalled against the S&P...

The mystery in the NFP report

 I’ve been thinking about the nonfarm payroll report that was reported on Friday. Employment has been gradually slipping from a 5 and 8 handle to about 200K today. The June headline payroll report came in at 209K, which was under consensus expectations. The big surprise was the decline in the unemployment rate.      ...

Bond rout = Stock rout?

Preface: Explaining our market timing models  We maintain several market timing models, each with differing time horizons. The "Ultimate Market Timing Model" is a long-term market timing model based on the research outlined in our post, Building the ultimate market timing model. This model tends to generate only a handful of signals each decade.   The Trend...

Why our Ultimate Market Timing Model is cautious

 I recently had a discussion with a reader about my Ultimate Market Timing Model (UMTM). The UMTM is an extremely low turnover model that flashes signals once every few years and is designed to limit the extremes of the downside tail-risk of owning equities. When extreme downside risk is minimized, investors can afford to take...

A geopolitical stress test?

Mid-week market update: Geopolitical risks are rising and it remains to be seen how the market reacts to geopolitical stress. On the weekend, I made the following tweet.     Those fears are becoming more real. Ukrainian President Zelensky stated in a tweet, "Now we have information from our intelligence that the Russian military has placed...

A Q2 global market review

Preface: Explaining our market timing models  We maintain several market timing models, each with differing time horizons. The "Ultimate Market Timing Model" is a long-term market timing model based on the research outlined in our post, Building the ultimate market timing model. This model tends to generate only a handful of signals each decade.   The Trend...

Is the Bidenomics electoral focus a contrarian economic indicator?

In many ways, politicians are worse than magazine covers as contrarian indicators. Magazine editors focus on an economic issue when it moves from page 20 to page 1 in the public’s mind. By that time, it’s been largely discounted by the market. Politicians are worse. They follow the trends raised by magazine editors and are...

A test of support at S&P 4320

 Mid-week market update: The S&P 500 daily stochastic recycled from overbought to neutral last week and stock prices pulled back. Initial support can be found at about 4320, with secondary support at about 4200, which is also the approximate level of the 50 dma. Can 4320 hold?     Signs of weakness I am seeing...

A focus on AI and technology stocks

Preface: Explaining our market timing models  We maintain several market timing models, each with differing time horizons. The "Ultimate Market Timing Model" is a long-term market timing model based on the research outlined in our post, Building the ultimate market timing model. This model tends to generate only a handful of signals each decade.   The Trend...

An overdue pullback?

Mid-week market update: The S&P 500 reached an overbought extreme on the 5-week RSI after nearing the top of an ascending channel and it appears to be in the process of pulling back. In the past, such extreme RSI conditions has seen the market rally stall. There is a strong support zone at about 4200,...

How to trade a split personality market

Preface: Explaining our market timing models  We maintain several market timing models, each with differing time horizons. The "Ultimate Market Timing Model" is a long-term market timing model based on the research outlined in our post, Building the ultimate market timing model. This model tends to generate only a handful of signals each decade.   The Trend...