Celebrate the Season of Saturnalia

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...

High Conviction Idea: My Most Reliable Timing Models

It’s that time of year again to offer my readers the highest conviction idea for the coming year. Last year, my bullish call on gold worked out extremely well (see 2025 High Conviction Idea: Gold). Gold prices soared in all currencies and was one of the best-performing asset classes for the year.     This...

A Less Hawkish Than Expected Rate Cut

Mid-week market update: Coming into the December FOMC decision, I was worried that the market might react negatively on the prospect of a hawkish rate cut. Ahead of the meeting, the Committee was highly divided and the potential for a divided decision was extremely high.     As it turns out, the level of hawkishness had...

A Healing 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...

A Probable Failed Zweig Breadth Thrust

Mid-week market update: I noticed on the weekend that there was a lot of excitement over the possibility of a Zweig Breadth Thrust buy signal, probably because of the strong advance last week. The stock market consolidated this week, and while the ZBT window closes Friday, the degree of breadth strength to achieve a ZBT...

At A Crossroad

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...

How to Trade the AI Panic

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 it all over for growth stocks?

Is it all over for artificial intelligence-related plays? AI market leader NVIDIA reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, and CEO Jensen Huang characterized demand for its Blackwell chip as “off the charts”. The stock staged a brief reflex rally but the price faded the next day to close in the red. Even as the market adopted a...

Why I am hoping for an NVIDIA wipeout

Mid-week market update: I am publishing the mid-week market update early for two reason. I wanted to respond to the recent market turmoil. And I have a dental appointment just after the market close so this will be in your inbox early.   The markets have taken a sudden risk-off tone in the last few days....

Buy the Dip For the Year-end 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...

Can the Bulls Survive a “Let Them Eat Cake” Economy?

There has been increasing concern about the K-shaped economy. Fed Chair Powell specifically addressed this issue at the last post-FOMC press conference: To start with the layoffs, you’re right, you see a significant number of companies either announcing that they are not going to be doing much hiring, or actually doing layoffs, and much of...

With flying colours?

Mid-week market update: My market analysis publication published on the weekend ended with the following:   The S&P 500 ended an upper Bollinger Band ride last week and weakened to the 50 dma support level. Past pullbacks in the most recent bull trend have ended when the 5-day RSI became oversold. Next week’s market action...

The Challenges of Narrow Breadth

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...

Peering into 2026: Prepare for Momentum Tailwinds

My former colleague Fred Meissner revealed a disturbing contrarian warning in a recent weekly commentary: “The most concerning story: recently I was on a panel for the CFA Society of San Francisco. All three analysts had the same outlook, which is my base case – a yearend rally followed by problems in the first part...

The Real Reason the Market Skidded Yesterday

Mid-week market update: I noted on the weekend that the S&P 500 was at the end of a upper Bollinger Band ride, and such instances usually resolve in consolidation or pullbacks. In the past, the pullback usually ended at the 20 dma, which is roughly where the market is today. In other cases, market weakness continued...

Prepare for the Year-End 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...

One Down, Two to Go

Mid-week market update: My former Merrill Lynch colleague Fred Meissner of The Fred Report wrote on the weekend that "the yearend rally has started, and a trend following indicator...we primarily use for risk management to show that trends have turned positive on key indexes". From a purely technical perspective, I agree. The S&P 500 has begun...

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 Trend...

Drawing Lines in the Sand

Mid-week market update: As the bulls and bears battle it out during this phase of consolidation, it's time to set out some lines in the sand to see which side has the upper hand. The accompanying chart shows the S&P 500, the equal-weighted S&P 500, and the Russell 2000, along with their respective rising trend lines...

A Fragile Bull

While I am intermediate-term bullish on stocks, I am also increasingly concerned about the narrowness of market leadership. Market leadership continues to be concentrated in the Magnificent Seven, as the equal-weighted S&P 500, which represents the average stock, lags the index.     Here is what this means from top-down macro and a chartist’s viewpoints....