Relax, it’s just a mid-cycle expansion

The market adopted a risk-off tone when headline Q1 GDP came in lower than expected at 1.6%, compared to an expected 2.5%. More importantly, core PCE rose at an annualized rate of 3.4%, which was hotter than expectations and led to stagflation fears. Upon closer inspection, nominal GDP growth was dragged down by the combination...

A V-shaped rebound, or dead cat bounce?

Mid-week market update: I presented this chart on the weekend and rhetorically asked if the inevitable market bounce would be durable. Since then, the S&P 500 rallied strongly off last Friday's oversold condition. In addition, the stochastic recycled from oversold to neutral, which is a tactical buy signal.     Does this mean the relief...

What’s bothering the stock 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...

Are we in for a 1970’s style inflation revival?

When Fed Chair Jerome Powell spoke at a moderated Q&A last Tuesday, he confirmed the higher-for-longer message of virtually all other Fed speakers: “The recent data have clearly not given us greater confidence and instead indicate that it is likely to take longer than expected to achieve that confidence [to reduce rates]”.   As a...

Oversold enough for a bottom?

Mid-week market update: I wrote on the weekend that conditions were setting up for a panic bottom (see Here comes the sentiment flush), but one final flush may be necessary to spark a relief rally. The S&P 500 has now achieved the milestones for a panic bottom. The stochastic is sufficiently oversold. The index violated...