How far can this rally run?

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...

Assessing economic risk through the Biden-Xi meeting lens

The markets took a risk-on tone in the wake of a softer-than-expected CPI report, followed by a tame PPI report and strong retail sales print. Even before these reports, Mohamed El-Erian issued a warning about the goldilocks scenario of lower oil prices and falling bond yields.     Is market psychology in a “bad news...

Too many people are fighting this rally

Mid-week market update: Until yesterday’s market melt-up, it seemed that individual investors were fighting the rally, which is a contrarian bullish sign. I noticed it on the weekend when the level of engagement on my bearish tweets were an order of magnitude higher than my bullish ones. In addition, the New York Fed’s recent consumer...

Will narrow leadership unravel the ZBT buy signal?

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...

Time for a ZBT price reset?

Mid-week market update: I have written extensively about the Zweig Breadth Thrust and its bullish implications in the past few days. In case you haven’t seen the numerous historical return studies floating around on the internet, here is one from Ryan Detrick of Carson Group.     In almost instance, the market cools off for...

Nine reason why this rally has legs

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 the U.S. could be in both a bull and bear market

There was some consternation among equity bulls when the S&P 500 violated its 200 dma as it could have been the signal of a major bearish episode.   Technical analysts offered some relief when they pointed out that it’s the slope of the 200 dma that matters. The historical evidence shows violations of the 200...

The anticipation can be worse than the pain

Mid-week market update: I told you so. As I recently pointed out, psychology had become too stressed to the downside, which opened the door to a relief rally. The NAAIM Exposure Index, which measures the sentiment of RIAs who manage individual investors’ funds, fell sharply last week and below its 26-week Bollinger Band. Historically, theses...

Could this be the start of a major bearish episode?

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 better tone from the Treasury market

Mid-week market update: There was a lot of angst last week about how Treasury market, whose yields had been rising steadily, was the main driver of risk appetite. When I saw this cartoon circulating, I thought that it marked the top in yields as a contrarian indicator. Indeed, the bond market rallied when Bill Ackman...

Stocks want to go to the party, but bonds won’t go in the car

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...

3 reasons why stocks should rally into year-end

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...

Time for a pause in the rally

Mid-week market update: This relief rally from last week’s lows has been stunning. The stock market shrugged off a hot employment report, a Middle East war that could set off an oil price surge, and a hot PPI print this morning to rise 3.5% off last week’s lows. But it may be time for a...

The out-of-the-box-way to play a relief 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...

Time to buy? 1987 comparisons are crawling out of the woodwork

Mid-week market update: You know things are bad when 1987 parallels come out of the woodwork. The key difference is the Fed and the USD. In 1987, the Fed implemented a series of inter-meeting rate hikes to support the USD. The USD needs no support today.     During these times of market stress, it’s...

Comparing the S&P 500 today to the October bottom

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...

Time to reconsider the equity bull case?

I highlighted a long-term buy signal in late July and early August when the monthly MACD of the NYSE Composite turned positive (see On the verge of a long-term buy signal and Trust (the bull), but verify (there’s no recession)). Historically, such buy signals have resolved in a bullish fashion with no bearish episodes and...