Analysis Archives (>6 months old)
Breadth Stays Strong, TLT Flags, Gold Breaks a Wedge Line, Dollar Backs off Resistance, Oil Challenges Channel (Premium)
Breadth remains bullish overall. Some 80% of S&P 500 stocks are above their 200-day SMAs and High-Low Percent expanded to +17.82% this week. This means some 18% of stocks in the S&P 500 recorded 52-week highs this week. While the percentage of stocks above the 200, 150 and 100 day SMAs is not as high as it was in April, far more stocks are above their respective SMAs than below and this is enough to support a bull market. Large-caps
ETF Trends, Patterns and Setups – New Trend Signals, RSI(14) versus the Momentum Composite, Failed Breakouts Lead to Bigger Consolidations (Premium)
There were several new uptrend signals this past week and these signals suggest a stronger risk appetite in the stock market. Today’s report will review the StochClose indicator and some of these new trend-following signals. We will also show these signals on the revamped Ranking and Trend Table. Today’s charts also
Weekend Video – Large/Small Divide, Successful Breakouts vs Failed Breakouts (Premium)
Large-caps are doing it again with SPY, QQQ and the S&P 500 EW ETF hitting new highs. The small and micro-cap ETFs bounced, but this bounce may be too late as they already triggered downtrend signals. Overall, there are
Breadth is Just Bullish Enough, TLT Flags, Oil Bounces within Correction, Dollar Hits Resistance (Premium)
The Composite Breadth Model remains bullish, which means the market regime is bullish. Breadth is not as strong as it was in April, but this has yet to affect the S&P 500. Over 90% of S&P 500 stocks were above their 100-day SMAs in April and now
ETF Trends, Patterns and Setups – A Choppy Affair, More Uptrends than Downtrends, Breakouts Holding and Failing (Premium)
Chop is the name of the game for a large part of the market. Some ETFs are grinding higher with tight and steady uptrends (SPY, XLC) and some are in more volatile uptrends (QQQ, IHI). Several of these are quite extended too. We saw a number of
Weekend Video – Large-caps Continue to Lead, TLT Perks Up, Some Breakouts Holding and Some are Failing (Premium)
Large-caps remain in bull mode with SPY, QQQ and the S&P 500 EW ETF leading. Small-caps and micro-caps tell another story with downtrend signals based on StochClose. We have yet to see a flight to safety that could trigger a correction in SPY, but I am watching TLT as it forms a bull
Bonds Threaten to Derail Rotation, Dollar Goes for Breakout, Oil Tests Support Zone (Premium)
The Composite Breadth Model remains bullish, which means the market regime is bullish. However, we are seeing more deterioration under the surface and also some strength in Treasuries, which are risk off assets. We were seeing a rotation into ETFs relate to finance, industrials, and materials as the 10-yr yield surged above its 200-day SMA last week. This surge/breakout failed and this failure is threatening to derail the rotation seen in early August. Large-caps are still holding up fine (SPY,
ETF Trends, Patterns and Setups – Large-cap Breadth, StochClose Downtrends, Failing Breakouts, Extended Uptrends (Premium)
ETF Ranking, Signals and Setups Table Watch out for rising correlation in the stock market. Selling pressure was concentrated in large-caps on Wednesday as S&P 500 Advance-Decline Percent (-78.2%) plunged to its lowest level since June 18th. I view the plus and minus 80% levels as significant because they represent 90% up/down days. Plus/Minus 80% means 450 or more of S&P 500 stocks advanced/declined (450/500 = 90%). Advance-Decline Percent is advances less declines divided by total issues (450 – 50
Junk Bond Spreads Widen, Small and Micro Caps Underperform, Energy Related ETFs Fail to Bounce (Premium)
Today’s commentary will look at the recent widening in Junk bond spreads because this widening shows less confidence in corporate bonds with the highest risk. We are also seeing some risk aversion in the stock market because small-caps are lagging large-caps. Small-caps represent higher
Weekend Video – Stock/Bond Seasonality, Staples and Utes Lead, Old Economy ETFs Break Out (Premium)
The stock market remains in bull mode overall with some 84% of S&P 500 stocks above their 200-day SMAs. Recent breakouts in equal-weights and mid-caps bode well, but short-term bearish patterns in small-caps
Stock/Bond Ratio Turns, Gold Follows TLT Lower, Oil Hits Support with a Bang and the Dollar Remains Rangebound (Premium)
The stock market environment is bullish and we are seeing a rotation within the stock market. Yield spreads are edging up, but so is the Fed balance sheet. Elsewhere, we are seeing more risk appetite when looking at the stock/bond ratio. The recent breakdown in bonds appears
ETF Trends, Patterns and Setups – Signs of Rotation, Old Economy ETFs Start to Lead, Prior Leaders Start to Lag, SPY Doesn’t Care (Premium)
Signs of rotation kicked in with a big surge in the 10-yr yield and the rotations continued over the past week. We are seeing leadership from the groups that lagged from May to July. These are ETFs related to finance, industrials, materials and housing. ETFs related to tech and healthcare led the market from May to July and these groups could be poised
Weekend Video – Big Moves in Bonds, Gold and the Dollar trigger Signs of Rotation within Stock Market (Premium)
Signs of rotation suddenly appeared in the markets with the Treasury bond ETFs falling sharply and the 10-yr yield surging. The Dollar followed yields higher, while the Gold SPDR followed bonds lower. Within the stock market, we saw strength in banks lift small-caps and weakness in XLY and XLK weigh on the S&P 500 SPDR. Elsewhere, the S&P 500 EW
Online Gambling ETF and Stocks (Premium)
As its name suggests, the Sports Betting iGaming ETF (BETZ) is designed to capture the rise in online gambling. Online gambling has been around for a while, especially in Europe, but it is relatively new in the US because more state legislatures are making it legal. I am not here to argue the fundamentals
Treasury bond ETFs, Gold and Dollar Battle 200-day SMAs – Oil and SPY Remain Firmly Above Rising 200-day SMAs (Premium)
This report covers the intermarket arena: oil, bonds, gold and the Dollar. In particular, the 200-day SMAs are in play for the Treasury Bond ETFs, the 10-yr Treasury Yield, the Gold SPDR and the Dollar Bullish ETF. The Treasury bond ETFs and Dollar are just above their FALLING 200-day SMAs, and the Gold
ETF Trends, Patterns and Setups – S&P 500 Continue to Lead, Finance and Industrial SPDRs Battle for Breakouts, EV ETFs Take the Lead Again (Premium)
Tech, Healthcare, Communication Services, REITs and Water are leading the market since mid May. ETFs related to Finance, Industrials, Materials and Energy corrected in June and July. Some made bids to end these corrections (Housing, Copper, Steel) and some are struggling to get above resistance (XLI, XLF). Downtrends in the Regional Bank ETF
Weekend Video – Correction Concerns vs Signals, Materials Related ETFs Break Out, XLI and XLF Stall at Resistance (Premium)
SPY and QQQ eked out new highs this week and IWM even bounced. However, IWM is still down over 5% the last twenty weeks and seriously lagging the other two, which are up double digits. Despite continued strength in SPY, there are some concerns brewing under the surface. Yield spreads edged up, S&P 500 breadth is
3 Breadth Indicators to Watch for a Correction Signal (Premium)
As noted on Thursday, the S&P 500 SPDR (SPY) is in a clear uptrend and price action remains bullish. The concerns start when we look under the surface and move down in market cap. The S&P 500 hit a new high this week and yet less than 60% of SPX stocks
ETF Trends, Patterns and Setups – Another Rotation, Groups with Corrective Patterns, IWM Bounces off Support (Premium)
Is the market poised for another rotation? I posed this question last Friday with analysis of the 10-yr Treasury yield, which fell sharply from mid May to mid July (1.7 to 1.2 percent). During this time, SPY continued its grind higher and tech-related ETFs surged with double digit advances.
Weekend Video – SPY and QQQ Lead as IWM Holds Support, Lots of Wedge/Channel Corrections and a Couple of Breakouts (Premium)
Today’s video starts with new highs in SPY and QQQ, and the extended trading range in IWM. Large-caps, large-cap techs and healthcare are leading the market, while small-caps, industrials, finance and others are lagging. Even though several groups are lagging because they declined the last one to three months, many formed falling wedge
Gold Hits Make or Break Level, TLT Retraces Half of Prior Decline and Bank ETFs Follow the 10-yr Yield (Premium)
The Gold SPDR (GLD) bounced in July and hit a make or break resistance zone. Overall, the long-term trend is down for GLD. Price is below the 200-day, the 200-day is falling and StochClose is bearish. Price is also moving from the upper left to the lower right of the chart. Shorter term, GLD bounced off the 67% retracement line and broken resistance in July
ETF Trends, Patterns and Setups – A Divided Market Since May, Tech and Healthcare Extended, Others Still Correcting (Premium)
The rodeo is in town as the S&P 500 SPDR fell 2.25% on Friday-Monday and surged 2.25% on Tuesday-Wednesday. Despite the same percentage moves, a 2.25% advance is not enough to completely erase a 2.25% decline and SPY remains below last Thursday’s close. The gray lines on the chart below show when a two-day 2% advance follows a two-day
Major index ETFs Become Short-term Oversold, Three Medium-term Issues to Watch going Forward (Premium)
Stocks were hit pretty hard the last few weeks with small-caps leading the way. The recent outsized declines created short-term oversold conditions that could lead to a mean-reversion bounce in the coming days. However, there are some medium-term issues that point to a corrective period in the coming weeks. Namely
ETF Trends, Patterns and Setups -Big Tech Gets Extended, Small-Growth Breaks Out, Copper ETFs Set Up, Telecom Pops (Premium)
SPY remains in a steady uptrend, QQQ is leading with a surge to new highs and the S&P SmallCap 600 SPDR (IJR) remains stuck in a consolidation. The deterioration in breadth is affecting mid-caps and small-caps, but not large-cap tech driven ETFs, such as SPY and QQQ. Small-caps, however, got a big bounce on Friday. I am not quite ready to call for a small-cap revival, but I am watching
Weekend Video – SPY and QQQ Continue to Lead, Gold Pops, Commodity-Related ETFs form Bullish Setups (Premium)
Today’s video starts with SPY and its grind higher. Large-cap techs are leading QQQ higher and these stocks are also contributing to the gains in SPY. Mid-caps and small-caps continue to stall as medium-term breadth indicators deteriorate. The big tech-related ETFs are strong, but extended.
QQQ and Techs Lift SPY, Mid-caps and Small-caps Continue Correction, Breadth Deteriorates to September-October Levels (Premium)
The big trends remain up, but medium-term breadth and price action suggest that we are currently in a corrective period. The equal-weight S&P 500 ETF, mid-caps and small-caps got the correction memo, but large-cap techs, SPY and QQQ did not. Healthcare stocks are also holding up well and contributing to strength in SPY.
Weekend Video – Large vs Small, XLK Accelerates Higher, Gold/Silver Firm, Oversold Conditions in Commodity-related ETFs (Premium)
Stocks finished on a high note yet again with large-caps leading the way as SPY and QQQ hit new highs. IWM was down, but remains with a triangle breakout. The yield curves narrowed even further in late June and this was accompanied by new highs in oil. Short-term breadth is dragging, but
Cannabis Attempts to Turn, Gold Finds Support, Timber Gets Very Oversold, Telecom Forms Bullish Setup (Premium)
Today we start with an up and coming industry group ETF (cannabis) and then turn to some commodity-related ETFs. Gold and silver were clobbered in June, but both are firming in potential reversals zones and warrant a watch going forward. The timber and copper ETFs were hit hard, but they are quite oversold within bigger uptrends. And finally, the water ETF broke out and the telecom ETF has a similar pattern at work. Cannabis Tries to Turn the Corner In
ETF Trends, Patterns and Setups – Large-caps Alone at the Top, Long List of ETFs with Corrections (Premium)
The overall picture is bullish for stocks, but there are some “less strong” pockets. Large-caps are leading with SPY and QQQ hitting new highs in late June. Meanwhile, the Russell 2000 ETF remains below its March high, the S&P MidCap 400 SPDR peaked in late April and the S&P 500 EW ETF has been stuck in a triangle since mid May. The market is not firing on all cylinders, but the BIG cylinders are firing and this is why large-caps are leading.
Weekend Video – Large-caps Lead, Bearish Continuation Pattern in IEF, Asian ETFs with Breakouts (Premium)
Stocks finished on a high note with SPY and QQQ hitting new highs. Mid-caps, small-caps and micro-caps are still short of new highs and lagging large-caps overall. Treasury yields look poised to move higher, which means bonds look poised to move lower. Gold is very oversold, but still has a rather
Short and Long Term Yields Diverge, Junk Bonds Break Out, Water Holds Strong, MJ Tries to Bottom, Emerging Markets ETF Goes for Breakout (Premium)
Today’s commentary starts with Treasury yields by highlighting the divergence between short-term and long-term yields. We then look at the yield curve and its correlation with the Regional Bank ETF. Even though KRE has underperformed the last three months, it became quite oversold last week and got a bounce. We then turn to the breakout in the
ETF Trends, Patterns and Setups – SPY Grinds, Techs Lead, Banks and Small-caps Drag, Clean Energy Perks Up (Premium)
The S&P 500 SPDR remains in a steady uptrend with a grind higher, but we are seeing less strength as we move down in market cap. The S&P 500 EW ETF has been flat since May, while small-caps and mid-caps have been flat since March. SPY is caught up in rotations within the market that generally favor
Weekend Video – Small-caps Fail to Hold Breakout, SPY Takes a Hit, QQQ holds Up, TLT Surges, Gold Breaks Down (Premium)
It was quite an eventful week with the 10-yr yield falling sharply, the 5-yr yield surging, gold reversing its upswing and stocks taking a hard hit the last three days. Tech and Healthcare are holding up relatively well as Industrials, Finance, Materials and Consumer Staples led the decline
SPY Grinds Higher, Short-term Breadth Wanes, QQQ Turns Up, IWM Holds Breakout (Premium)
The Dollar, gold, bonds and high-growth stocks were covered on Thursday morning because of big moves and a signal for gold. This was perhaps a knee jerk reaction so I will continue to watch and monitor price action next week, which is when the market could show its true colors. Today’s note will cover the big three: SPY, QQQ and IWM. I will also look at two short-term breadth indicators that are not keeping pace here in June. SPY Continues
ETF Trends, Patterns and Setups – Short-term Breakouts Failing, Tech-ETFs Get Extended, Housing Leads Lower (Premium)
Among the ETFs, there are still several holding above their breakouts and near new highs (Energy, 5G, Autos, Defense). These are still the leaders. We are, however, seeing a lot of short-term breakouts fail (Industrials, Materials, Metals, Agriculture). In addition, a few key groups are seriously underperforming
Dollar Surges, Gold and Treasuries Buckle, 10-yr Yield Goes for Breakout, QQQJ Hits Resistance (Premium)
There is nothing like a Fed meeting to shake up the market. Thus, I am going to cover the intermarket ETFs a day early because there are some reversals and patterns we should be aware of. There appears to be a change in thinking at the Fed and the Fed is still the elephant in the room when it comes to
Weekend Video – Techs Follow Bonds Higher, Old Economy ETFs Sag, Gold and Silver Consolidate (Premium)
Tech stocks led the market again this week and the tech-related ETFs are the top performers over the last four to five weeks. The old economy ETFs, such as industrials, housing,
Market Remains Mixed, Oil Extends on Breakout, GLD and SLV Up Upswings, Bonds Surge (Premium)
The stock market does not get any more mixed than it did on Thursday. The S&P 500 SPDR closed with a .50% gain, the S&P SmallCap 600 SPDR closed with a 1.6% loss and the Nasdaq 100 ETF advanced 1%. This was not a value-growth split, but rather a large-small split. Small-cap growth (IJT) and small-cap value (IJS) were both down over 1%.
ETF Trends, Patterns and Setups – Failing Pennants and Flags, REITs Get Extended, XLU and XLV Set Up (Premium)
There are still plenty of short-term setups out there. These include one to three week pennants, flags and falling wedges. There were even some short-term breakout attempts in late May and early June. Several of these breakouts are under pressure as prices fell back. A short-term consolidation within an uptrend is typically a bullish continuation pattern, but
Seesaw Market, Techs Align with Treasuries, Consolidation Breakouts in FIVG, ITA and UFO (Premium)
Tech stocks were hit with selling pressure on Thursday and then rebounded along with Treasury bonds on Friday. The narrative seems to be that rising bonds and falling yields are bullish for tech stocks. Regardless of the narrative, several tech related ETFs are holding their breakouts within larger
S&P 500 Seasonal Patterns, Oil Breaks Out, an Outsized Decline in Gold, and the Dollar Tests Prior Lows (Premium)
SPY stalled the last seven weeks, but remains in a clear uptrend. Despite some concerns with seasonal patterns in June, August and September, the price chart for SPY remains strong and the Composite Breadth Model is fully bullish. The Fed balance sheet expanded this week and hit a new record
ETF Trends, Patterns and Setups – REITs and Energy Lead, XLK Hits Retracement, COPX Holds Breakout (Premium)
REIT and energy ETFs are leading the market right now as ETFs in these groups surged to new highs. Some old economy ETFs are not far behind with the Finance SPDR, the Metals & Mining SPDR and the Global Auto ETF also hitting new highs.
Weekend Video – A Record Run, BBB Spreads, Bull Market Turns 1, Oversold Bounces in ITB and COPX, Upswings in CARZ and BETZ (Premium)
May was a volatile month for SPY with five swings of two percent or more, but the month ended slightly positive after a 3% upswing the last eight trading days. May is finished and now we head to June, which has a slightly negative seasonal bias. We will look at this seasonal pattern in today’s video and put the current
S&P 500 Makes History – Plus Oil, Gold, Silver, Bonds and the Dollar (Premium)
This commentary will look at this historic advance in the S&P 500, and them some less historic charts for oil, gold, silver, bonds and the Dollar. The 14-month gain in the S&P 500 is the largest in over 70 years. Oil is still challenging resistance as a bullish cup-with-handle forms. Gold remains in the midst of a strong advance as silver forms a bullish pennant. Treasury bonds are best avoided because they are tainted and the Dollar is in a
ETF Trends, Patterns and Setups – Healthcare and REITs Lead, Small-caps Remain Stuck, Tech-Related ETFs Hold their Short-term Breakouts (Premium)
There is a rotational or rolling correction underway in the stock market. Tech-related ETFs and high flyers peaked in mid February and corrected into May. During this period, the old economy ETFs picked up the slack and moved to new highs (industrials, materials, steel, copper, energy, banking, housing).
Signals and Expectations for Gold and Silver
(Part 2 with Video – Premium)
This article is the second of a two part series where we put gold and silver to the test. The first article showed test results for crosses of the 200-day SMA and EMA. This article tests the Trend Composite signals
Weekend Video – SPY Stalls in Gap Zone, Tech ETFs Break Short-term Resistance, Down Gaps in XLI, XLE, XLB and XRT (Premium)
It was another week full of gaps. Tech-related ETFs rebounded and gapped up on Thursday. The old economy ETFs gapped down on Wednesday and did not partake in the tech rebound. Thus, we have up-gaps and short-term breakouts in tech competing with
Oil, Gold, Silver, Bonds and the Dollar (Premium)
This commentary will look at oil, gold, silver, bonds and the Dollar. I am sure that there are some intermarket narratives at work here, but I will try to stick with the price charts for a pure assessment. Oil is backing off of a massive resistance zone. Gold broke above the 200-day SMA as it extended its run and silver is challenging
ETF Trends, Patterns and Setups – Big 3 with Different Uptrends, EV ETFs Tests Support, Tech ETFs Consolidate near March Low (Premium)
The ETF universe is also split. We are still seeing plenty of strength in the old economy ETFs as several recorded new highs in May. The highest of the high flyers remain weak with ETFs related to clean energy, cannabis, cloud, ARK and biotech forging lower lows here in May (below their March lows). Most eyes are on some tech-related ETFs
Peak Parade, Seasonal Patterns, Small-cap Breadth Lags, A 90% Down Day, SPY Fails in Gap Zone, QQQ Continues to Struggle (Premium)
Stocks closed weak on Tuesday and are set to open lower on Wednesday, which means the corrective process is set to continue. It is still a bull market according to the Composite Breadth Model and the weight of the evidence, but the near-term picture is looking shaky with QQQ struggling