How I learned to stop worrying and love the bond 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...

Assessing “Big Short” Michael Burry’s crash warning

A number of readers asked me to comment on Michael Burry's forecast of a crash, according to a report from Business Insider. Doomsday is finally here, he hinted in a since-deleted tweet this week.   The fund manager of "The Big Short" fame shared a screenshot of a S&P 500 chart, showing the benchmark stock-market...

Saved by Fibonacci

Mid-week market update: I suggested on the weekend that the stock market was oversold and poised for a short-term rally (see How to trade the failed breadth thrust). The rally seems to have arrived.   The weakness in the S&P 500 has been stunning as it sliced through multiple levels of support like a hot...

How to trade the failed breadth thrust

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 a financial crisis could be the bulls’ best hope

I pointed out two weeks ago the strong disagreement between technical analysts, who were bullish because of strong price momentum, and macro investors, who were bearish because of concerns over hawkish central bank policy and a slowing growth outlook (see "Price leads fundamentals", or "Don't fight the Fed"?). In the wake of the market reaction...

Six reasons why this was just a bear market rally

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...

Will Europe drag us into a global recession?

It's finally happened, the euro fell below par against the US Dollar. The weakness can be attributable to a combination of Fed hawkishness and European economic weakness.     Europe is almost certainly in a recession. Consumer confidence has skidded to levels last seen during the Eurozone Crisis of 2011-2012. The questions are whether the...

A Jackson Hole preview: Are expectations finally rational?

The Federal Reserve's annual Jackson Hole symposium is being held this week on August 25-27. Fed officials have fanned out across the land to deliver the message that market expectations of a dovish pivot are misplaced. The question for investors is, "Are market expectations finally rational?"   The CME's Fedwatch tool shows the market expects...

Just a flesh wound, or a deeper cut?

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...

“Price leads fundamentals”, or “Don’t fight the Fed”?

Wall Street is full of adages. Technical analysts are fond of, "Price leads fundaments" as a way of dismissing macro and fundamental analysis. But traders are also warned, "Don't fight the Fed".    A vast gulf is appearing between bullish technicals and macro concerns. The bulls, who are mainly technicians, point to strong price momentum,...

Overhead resistance test = Possible weakness ahead

Mid-week market update; The S&P 500 has undergone a powerful rally off June's bottom, but it's now approaching technical resistance in the form of a 200 dma and a falling trend line. In addition, the market is overbought as measured by the 5 and 14-day RSIs, much in the manner of early November 2021.  ...

A warning from a market leadership 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...

Lessons from a study of past major market bottoms

The mood has changed on Wall Street. The WSJ declared last week that the NASDAQ is back in a bull market.     The number of "new bull market" stories have skyrocketed in recent days. Suddenly, chartists on my social media feed are full of "if this index rises to X, or this indicator gets...

A useful step, but where`s the clear and convincing evidence?

Mid-week market update: The markets took on a risk-on tone in the wake of the softer than expected CPI report. It was a useful first step and a possible sign that inflation is peaking, but I am still waiting for the "clear and convincing evidence" that inflation is under control before getting overly excited about...

The overlooked reason why the market is so strong

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 this isn’t your father’s recession (and how to profit from it)

There is a growing acceptance among investors that the global economy is sliding into recession. S&P Global, which was formerly known as IHS Markit, reported:   The global manufacturing PMI survey's Output Index, which acts as a reliable advance indicator of actual worldwide output trends several months ahead of comparable official data (see chart 2),...

How a war of conquest has become a contest of pain

I received considerable feedback from readers in response to my publication, Bearishness, begone!. They expressed concern over the terrifying spike in European natural gas prices. In response to the EU's support for Ukraine, Russia has weaponized its energy exports. Gazprom has already reduced Nord Stream 1 gas flows to 20% of capacity. What happens this...