The Europeans have “agreed to” another stability pact during another summit. But like most of their recent summits, they were high on rhetoric and short on details; they hope to have the details in place by March of next year.
As we noted on December 2, the entire concept of a new fiscal union, budget constraints, and penalties addressing the pressing issues is somewhat misguided. Does it help an over-indebted rule breaker to be hit with more liabilities in the form of EU budget penalties? Will tacking on fines increase the confidence of bond investors? How many “exceptions” do you think will be granted in the next five years? How does a fiscal & stability pact impact Italy’s ability to refinance mountains of maturing debt in the next year? Many of these questions remain unanswered. A Reuters editorial does a good job summarizing what just took place in Europe.
The euro zone has agreed to take a big leap forward in economic integration, but failed to deliver a convincing answer to investors worried about its ability to tackle threatening debt crises in Italy and Spain.
One of the great things about looking at charts is "they are what they are and they show what they show." When you examine the weekly chart below of the S&P 500 going back to 2007, ask yourself "does this look like a bull market or a bear market?" or "does this look like a strong market or a weak market?".
The indicator (Williams %R) at the top of the chart measures momentum. Markets need momentum to continue to trend higher. The green arrow shows the thrust of momentum that occurred off the March 2009 low. Compare the area near the green arrow to the present day; they do not look similar. The blue arrow shows near market turning points, the slope of the 22-week moving average flattens out and then turns up, which does not appear to be happening in the present day. In fact, point A shows what can happen to market rallies that occur in the context of a downward-sloping 22-week moving average. Market action near point A and point B look similar; stocks did not perform well after point A.
Until (a) Williams %R shows an improvement in momentum, and (b) the slope of the 22-week begins to flatten out/turn up, the odds will continue to favor bearish outcomes. Could both (a) and (b) occur in the coming weeks? Sure, but presently they do not point to sustained gains in risk assets. As we mentioned earlier this week, the S&P 500 could make another push toward 1,285 to 1,340, but knowing what we know today, the gains will most likely be given back within a matter of weeks.
We continue to believe long-term investors face unfavorable odds owning stocks and commodities (DBC). The S&P 500 (SPY) and NASDAQ (QQQ) will most likely be lower in three months. Money printing by the Fed and/or ECB remains the most significant bullish wildcard for investors. If they print, it can change the market's dynamics. The Fed releases a statement on December 13, which could be the push stocks need to make another run at the S&P 500’s 200-day moving average.
The video below, originally released on November 30, uses daily charts and moving averages to address the bull/bear debate. As outlined in the video, on a daily chart of the S&P 500 the following are in place:
After you click play, use the button in the lower-right corner of the video player to view in full-screen mode. Hit Esc to exit full-screen mode.
new TWTR.Widget({ version: 2, type: 'profile', rpp: 4, interval: 6000, width: 200, height: 300, theme: { shell: { background: '#2644bd', color: '#ffffff' }, tweets: { background: '#000000', color: '#ffffff', links: '#e6e61e' } }, features: { scrollbar: false, loop: false, live: false, hashtags: true, timestamp: true, avatars: false, behavior: 'all' } }).render().setUser('CiovaccoCapital').start();
var a2a_config = a2a_config || {}; a2a_config.linkname = "Short Takes - Financial Markets"; a2a_config.linkurl = "http://ciovaccocapital.com/wordpress/";
var a2a_config = a2a_config || {}; a2a_config.linkname = "Short Takes - Financial Markets"; a2a_config.linkurl = "http://ciovaccocapital.com/wordpress/";
Entries (RSS) Atom Feed
Copyright © 2010 Ciovacco Capital Management, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Chris Ciovacco is the Chief Investment Officer for Ciovacco Capital Management, LLC (CCM). .Terms of Use. This article contains the current opinions of the author but not necessarily those of CCM. The opinions are subject to change without notice. This article is distributed for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. The charts and comments are not recommendations to buy or sell any security. Market sectors and related ETFs are selected based on his opinion as to their importance in providing the viewer a comprehensive summary of market conditions for the featured period. Chart annotations are not predictive of any future market action rather they only demonstrate the opinion of the author as to a range of possibilities going forward. All material presented herein is believed to be reliable but we cannot attest to its accuracy. The information contained herein (including historical prices or values) has been obtained from sources that Ciovacco Capital Management (CCM) considers to be reliable; however, CCM makes no representation as to, or accepts any responsibility or liability for, the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein or any decision made or action taken by you or any third party in reliance upon the data. Some results are derived using historical estimations from available data. Investment recommendations may change and readers are urged to check with tax and investment advisors before making any investment decisions. Opinions expressed in these reports may change without prior notice. This memorandum is based on information available to the public. No representation is made that it is accurate or complete. This memorandum is not an offer to buy or sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned. The investments discussed in this report may be unsuitable for investors depending on their specific investment objectives and financial position. Past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance. The price or value of the investments to which this report relates, either directly or indirectly, may fall or rise against the interest of investors. All prices and yields contained in this report are subject to change without notice. This information is based on hypothetical assumptions and is intended for illustrative purposes only. PAST PERFORMANCE DOES NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. CCM would like to thank StockCharts.com for helping Short Takes create great looking charts Short Takes is proudly powered by WordPress . Entries (RSS)
var a2a_config = a2a_config || {}; a2a_config.linkname = "Short Takes - Financial Markets"; a2a_config.linkurl = "http://ciovaccocapital.com/wordpress/";
Entries (RSS) Atom Feed
Copyright © 2010 Ciovacco Capital Management, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Chris Ciovacco is the Chief Investment Officer for Ciovacco Capital Management, LLC (CCM). .Terms of Use. This article contains the current opinions of the author but not necessarily those of CCM. The opinions are subject to change without notice. This article is distributed for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. The charts and comments are not recommendations to buy or sell any security. Market sectors and related ETFs are selected based on his opinion as to their importance in providing the viewer a comprehensive summary of market conditions for the featured period. Chart annotations are not predictive of any future market action rather they only demonstrate the opinion of the author as to a range of possibilities going forward. All material presented herein is believed to be reliable but we cannot attest to its accuracy. The information contained herein (including historical prices or values) has been obtained from sources that Ciovacco Capital Management (CCM) considers to be reliable; however, CCM makes no representation as to, or accepts any responsibility or liability for, the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein or any decision made or action taken by you or any third party in reliance upon the data. Some results are derived using historical estimations from available data. Investment recommendations may change and readers are urged to check with tax and investment advisors before making any investment decisions. Opinions expressed in these reports may change without prior notice. This memorandum is based on information available to the public. No representation is made that it is accurate or complete. This memorandum is not an offer to buy or sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned. The investments discussed in this report may be unsuitable for investors depending on their specific investment objectives and financial position. Past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance. The price or value of the investments to which this report relates, either directly or indirectly, may fall or rise against the interest of investors. All prices and yields contained in this report are subject to change without notice. This information is based on hypothetical assumptions and is intended for illustrative purposes only. PAST PERFORMANCE DOES NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. CCM would like to thank StockCharts.com for helping Short Takes create great looking charts Short Takes is proudly powered by WordPress . Entries (RSS)
Read Full Article »