Has the market reached escape velocity?

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...

Beware of the initial reaction on FOMC days

Mid-week market update: The stock market reacted with a risk-on tone to the FOMC decision. The S&P 500 has staged an upside breakout through the 4100 level. While I am cautiously intermediate-term bullish, be warned that the initial reaction to FOMC decisions are often reversed the following day.     Keep in mind that this...

What I am watching during Q4 earnings season

Mid-week market update: As we enter Q4 earnings season, the macro backdrop looks grim. The Economic Surprise Index, which measures whether economic releases are beating or missing expectations, is weakening.       Weak fundamentals From a bottom-up perspective, FactSet reported that the market entered Q4 earnings season with a trend of falling net margins....

Is the dip a gift from the breadth thrust gods?

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 Asset...

Will the soft landing green shoots be trampled?

The stock market began 2023 with a rally based on the "green shoots" narrative of a Fed pivot and optimism about the effects of China reopening its economy. Since then, the S&P 500 rose to test resistance as defined by its falling trend line and pulled back. Similarly, the equal-weighted S&P 500, the mid-cap S&P...

The hidden schism in the BoA Fund Manager Survey

Mid-week market update: BoA published its monthly Global Fund Manager Survey (FMS) this week and the results were not a big surprise. In the last few months, the FMS had increasingly become a price momentum indicator whose readings were fairly predictable based on recent market trends. Respondent risk appetite was turning up after bottoming out...

Key tests at resistance ahead of earnings season

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...

The bulls cross their fingers for January

Mid-week market update: The bulls are nervously getting ready for a party. Jeff Hirsch of Almanac Trader pointed out that two of his January indicators are positive. When all three are positive, the rest of the year tends to lean bullish.    This year, the market has eked out a 0.8% gain for its Santa...

New Year, New Fears

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...

If Santa should fail to call…

Mid-week market update: Wall Street has many adages. One concern is the Santa Claus rally: "If Santa should fail to call, bears may come to Broad and Wall". The Santa Claus rally window began the day after Christmas and ended today, two days into the new year. The S&P 500 has been range-bound since mid-December....

What to expect when you’re expecting (a recession)

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...

In praise of 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...

Mr. Bond, I expected you to die

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...

The stealth change in market leadership you may have missed

It's time to conduct one of my periodic market leadership reviews. The review will be done through different viewpoints, starting from the top from an asset lens, a global equity lens, and finally through a factor, or style, lens.   The primary tool for my analysis is the Relative Rotation Graph, or RRG chart, which...

Second time lucky, or Fooled me once?

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...

“50 bps in December”, or “Stay the course until the job is done”

Mid-week market update: In the long awaited Powell speech, the Fed Chair signaled, "It makes sense to moderate the pace of our rate increases...[and] the time for moderating the pace of rate increases may come as soon as the December meeting". The market reacted with a risk-on tone and began to discount a series of...

Waiting for clarity from the Nov 30 Powell speech

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...