Setting up to climb a Wall of Worry?

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...

A clash of sentiment

Mid-week market update: What should one make of sentiment readings? Credit Suisse reported that long/short hedge funds are now in a crowded long position: One result of April’s latter month short covering is an all-time high net long exposure among equity long/short managers globally, albeit on a historically low gross exposure.   That's contrarian bearish,...

Buy the dip, or sell the rip?

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...

Looking through the FOMC meeting noise

Mid-week market update: It is always to discern short-term market direction on the day of an FOMC meeting, but a number of trends have developed that can support a short-term risk-on tone. The most notable is the possible change in leadership. For quite some time, the trends of US over global stocks, growth over value,...

Factor review: Narrow leadership and its implications

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...

Why this volatility isn’t unprecedented

I have heard comments from veteran technical analysts who have become bewildered by the market's action. The word "unprecedented" is often used. I beg to differ. The violence of the sell-off, and subsequent rebound is not an unprecedented event. Recall the NASDAQ top of 2000. The NASDAQ 100 fell -39.8% from its March 2000 high,...

Back to normal?

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...

Don’t forget about the recession

Mid-week market update: Back on March 9, 2020, which seems like a lifetime ago, I declared a recession (see OK, I'm calling it). The call was based on the combination of a coronavirus epidemic in China that disrupted supply chains that began to spread to other countries, and tanking oil prices due to a Saudi-Russia...

Time to sound the all-clear?

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...

For traders: 3 bullish, and 1 cautionary signs

The following note is addressed to short-term traders with time horizons of a week or less. I would like to highlight some three bullish, and one cautionary data points. First, the latest update of the Citi Panic/Euphoria Model is solidly in panic territory. This is contrarian bullish, but recognize that the bullish call is based...

The makings of a primary low

Mid-week market update: Did the Economist do it again with another contrarian magazine cover indicator? At the top of the market, their issue cover was entitled "Big tech's $2trn bull run". Last weekend, their cover featured a "closed" sign on the earth. The market staged an upside breakout through a falling trend line yesterday, and...

This is insane! Where’s the 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...

So bad, it’s good?

Mid-week market update: This bear market has astonishing in its ferocity, but we may be reaching the it's so bad things are good point. Here are some "green shoots" that are starting to show up. Baron Rothchild was famously quoted as saying, "The time to buy is when blood is running in the streets, even...

2020 bounce = 1987, or 1929?

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...

OK, I’m calling it…

While I may be jumping the gun on my model readings, I'm calling a recession. Remember when oil prices tanked in the second half of 2014? The economy experienced a shallow industrial recession in 2015.     While history doesn't repeat but rhymes, the price war that erupted over the weekend between Russia and OPEC...

A stock market roller coaster

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...

Waiting for the re-test

Mid-week market update: The hourly SPX chart shows that the index rallied strongly on Monday. The rally filled two downside gaps and it is testing the 50% retracement level..     While many of the short-term models are screaming "buy", there are contrary indicators and models that suggest caution. Even though my inner trader has largely...

Panic City!

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...

In search of a market bottom

Mid-week market update: After two consecutive days where the market was down over 3%, I am seeing numerous statistical studies that suggest either an imminent oversold bounce, or a sentiment washout. One example is this analysis from Nomura, as published by Marketwatch.     Has the sell-off bottomed?   The short-term outlook There are two...

A panic bottom?

I should thank my lucky starts. i turned bearish last Wednesday (see Why this time is (sort of) different) and tactically shorted the market just as equities topped out, followed by today's -3% downdraft. As today proceeded, I fielded several inquiries from readers with versions of the same question, "Nice call last week. Is it...