This category can only be viewed by members. To view this category, sign up by purchasing Monthly subscription.

A Rate Cut Buying Stampede

Mid-week market update: Yesterday’s July CPI report came in roughly in line with market expectations. Headline CPI was a hair below consensus, while core CPI was a hair above consensus. Even as the bond market greeted the report with caution, the stock market responded with a risk-on stampede in the expectation of a September rate cut....

Poised fir a Volatilty Spike

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...

Another View of American Exceptionalism

Last week, I outlined the case for fiscal dominance (see Will the Next Fed Chair Matter Much to Policy?). U.S. debt to GDP is rising and not stabilizing. In all likelihood, the Fed will follow the path of the BoJ of cutting short rates, restarting quantitative easing and yield curve control to suppress long rates,...

Why I am Sitting Out This Buy Signal

Mid-week market update: Two components of my Bottom Spotting Model flashed buy signals last Friday. The VIX Index spiked over its upper Bollinger Band, and the NYSE McClellan Oscillator reached an oversold condition.     In the past, the triggers of two or more component buy signals were signs of tactical bottoms. This time, my inner...

This Will Not End Well, But When?

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 the Next Fed Chair Matter Much to Policy?

As reporters tried to elicit the Fed’s reaction function from Jerome Powell during the July post-FOMC press conference, Bloomberg’s Michael McKee asked a very different question relating to the juxtaposition of fiscal and monetary policy in the years ahead: McKEE: Do you have concerns about the cost to the government of keeping rates elevated for...

Fresh Highs = Bullish Tape

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...

Tariffs: Bark Worse Than Bite?

Q2 earnings season was supposed to be a key test of how the Trump tariffs would affect corporate earnings and margins. The coming week will see the bulk of the S&P 500 by weight report results. So far, the preliminary verdict has been relatively benign. Negative effects from tariffs seem to be the exception rather...

A (Tentative) Upside Breakout

Mid-week market update: One key development that I had been monitoring is the upside or downside resolution of the sideways consolidation that often occurs after the market ends an upper Bollinger Band ride. Investors may have a tentative answer. It’s an upside breakout.   The S&P 500 and equal-weighted S&P 500 finally staged an upside breakout...

The Dog that Didn’t Bark

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...