MODEST WEEKLY GAINS... Stock indexes gained some ground this week, but not enough to reverse major downtrends. And they remain below overhead resistance levels. The daily bars in Chart 1 show the Dow Industrials rising to the highest level in six weeks and clearing their 50-day moving average. While... READ MORE
Due to its sensitivity to interest rates, housing has the greatest average lead time going into recessions than any other economic (as opposed to financial) indicator. For that reason alone, it is worth examining amid the constant talk of recession. The HMI vs. Housing Starts Earlier this week, two important... READ MORE
TEN YEAR - TWO YEAR YIELD CURVE INVERTS... Chart 1 shows the spread between the ten year and two year Treasury yields falling below the zero line which signals an inverted yield curve. That means that the shorter two-year yield is now higher than the longer maturity ten-year yield.... READ MORE
In late April, I wrote that bond yields had run into resistance and a pause in the on-going uptrend was likely. Yields on longer-dated maturities initially moved slightly higher, but are now at approximately the same level as that April article. However, more corrective activity appears likely, as... READ MORE
MAJOR STOCK INDEXES GAIN ON THE WEEK... Stocks saw modest gains on the week but not enough to disturb their major downtrend. Chart 1 shows the Dow Industrials gaining .77% for the week but remaining well below overhead resistance levels and moving average lines. Chart 2 shows the S&... READ MORE
Waterfall declines leading to capitulation are easy to observe and understand when we have the benefit of hindsight. However, they are almost impossible to identify ahead of time. One characteristic often associated with such uncomfortable price moves is an unexpected weakening of economic activity, where confidence literally falls off a... READ MORE
STOCKS REMAIN UNDER PRESSURE...Stocks are ending the quarter with more selling. The weekly bars in Chart 1 show the S&P 500 down more than 3% on the week with a monthly loss of more than 8%. For the year, the S&P 500 is down 20%... READ MORE
Long-term indicators, such as the KST and the S&P relative to its 12-month MA, remain in a bearish mode, but, that said, it would certainly be unusual to see them turn bullish immediately after the final low. Indeed, Chart 1 shows that the Index is currently... READ MORE
BEAR MARKET BOUNCE...Major stock indexes had their first gain in three weeks and made up for the previous week's big losses. But any rebound still has to be viewed as a bear market bounce. The weekly bars in the first three charts below paint a similar picture.... READ MORE
Commodities have been on a tear since their lows set in the spring of 2020, but every news outlet you tune into these days is talking about inflation, gasoline in particular. That does not mean that prices cannot go higher. Over the long-term, that's probably a realistic... READ MORE
RISING RATES HURT HOMEBUILDERS... Weakness in homebuilding stocks is another sign that the U.S. economy is weakening. Rising mortgage rates which are closely tied to bond yields have a lot to do with that. The brown weekly bars in Chart 1 show the U.S. Home Construction iShares (ITB)... READ MORE
Prices often move in the opposite direction to the expectations of most investors and traders. In many cases, that happens because the latest news has already been factored into prices and market participants have already begun to anticipate the next development. For example, a group of institutions might like the... READ MORE
HOT CPI REPORT SIGNALS LOWER STOCK PRICES... Friday's report that the May Consumer Price Index gained 8.6% from the previous year was the highest inflation rate in more than forty years and pushed stock prices sharply lower for the day and week. Going into the report, expectations... READ MORE
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the fact that the technical position of gold was extremely finely balanced, and that it was "Either in a Hard Place or a Sweet Spot". My conclusion was that its short-term position was improving and that the sweet spot... READ MORE
It is possible for prices of individual asset classes to move in a linear up or down trend for an extended period. However, this rarely happens with inter-asset relationships, which rotate around the business cycle. As a result, it is helpful to monitor inter-asset relationships and their momentum... READ MORE
NOT MUCH OF REBOUND...This time last week it seemed clear that stocks had put in a short-term bottom marking the start of a potential bear market rally. So far at least, that rally hasn't gone very far. The three charts shown below show the same overhead... READ MORE
The long-term technical position of gold is extremely finely balanced and could easily tip into a full-fledged bear market, or start a new secular up leg to the bull trend that began in the opening years of this century. Chart 1 really says it all. First, it expresses... READ MORE
Larry is back and ready to weigh in with his forecast of where stocks—and the economy—are headed in this new StockCharts TV special. He takes a look at some of the "Fallen Angels" of the market and discusses the ongoing situation with inflation. Afterwards, he focuses... READ MORE
WEEKLY S&P CHART SHOWS OVERSOLD CONDITION... Stocks are having their best week in two months which suggests that a short-term bottom may be in place. Before looking at daily charts, however, it's worth checking a weekly chart to keep things in perspective. The weekly bars... READ MORE
The stock market's recent sell-off has made the front pages and top headlines in TV broadcasts, and CNN's famous Fear and Greed Index has fallen to an extreme level of fear. My contrarian bones say it's time for a rally. Is that right?... READ MORE
S&P 500 REMAINS IN DOWNTREND...Stock prices continue to weaken with no sign of a bottom. The daily bars in Chart 1 show the S&P 500 having fallen to the lowest level in more than a year and nearing a 20% loss which signals a bear... READ MORE
Chart 1 shows that the Invesco DB Commodity Tracking Fund could be on the verge of breaking out from a 3-month consolidation pattern. It also points out that the number of commodities participating in the rally has been narrowing of late. That's because the indicator monitoring a... READ MORE
INFLATION REMAINS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO MARKETS... It was reported this morning that April's Producer Price Index for the past year came in at 11%. That followed yesterday's report that the Consumer Price Index was 8.3%. Both reports confirm that inflation remains dangerously high with... READ MORE
I have written two articles about Bitcoin in recent months. The first,last December, concluded that "there are definitely some cracks appearing (in the technical structure), but a shrinking consensus of evidence continues to point to an uptrend." Thesecond, entitled "Has the Bitcoin Bubble Burst", noted... READ MORE
STOCK SELLING RESUMES... Stocks are being sold heavily today and are totally reversing yesterday's Fed relief rally. Stocks have given back all of Wednesday's price gains and look poised to fall further. Chart 1 shows the Dow Industrials falling sharply today after meeting resistance at their... READ MORE
I'll get to the Fed element later, but, first, a few words on the Dow Jones Global Stock Index. Chart 1 shows that it has been experiencing a series of declining peaks and troughs since last November. That's not a bullish sign. Neither is the fact... READ MORE
A BAD APRIL ENDS UNDER PRESSURE... Stocks fell sharply on Friday to end one of the weakest months in recent memory. The Nasdaq market lost -13.2% to register its worst month since 2008. The S&P 500 and Dow lost -8.8% and -4,9 % and experienced the... READ MORE
A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece entitled "The Fed Raises Rates; What if it's Already Priced into the Market?". The idea was to point out that the Fed is a lagging indicator and that multiple bond yields had already reached mega resistance in the... READ MORE
50-BASIS POINT HIKE ON THE TABLE FOR FED MAY MEETING... Today's statement by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell that a 50-basis point rate hike was on the table for May, combined with other hawkish comments, pushed stocks sharply lower today. And their technical condition continues to weaken.... READ MORE
I've been reading and hearing a lot about an impending recession, which reminds me of the saying that, when everyone thinks alike, everyone is usually wrong. That's not to say everyone is expecting a recession, but we may have reached a point where there is sufficient... READ MORE
Larry is back in this new StockCharts TV special! There's a lot of opinions out there about what the curve means and talking heads are flapping all over about inflation. In this video, Larry shows the actual history of what this means so you can make informed decisions.... READ MORE
STOCKS CONTINUE TO WEAKEN... The technical condition of major U.S. stock indexes continues to weaken. All three shown below lost more ground during the week. Chart 1 shows the Dow Industrials meeting overhead resistance near their red 200-day moving average. Chart 2 shows the S&P 500... READ MORE
In early December of last year, I wrote an article on whether Bitcoin had reached the tipping point in terms of signaling a peak in the crypto bubble. Some may disagree about the "bubble" label; however, it seems to me that a financial category coming out of nowhere... READ MORE
WEEKLY SECTOR RANKING... A rebound on Friday leaves the major stock indexes either flat or with minor losses for the week. The weekly sector rankings in Chart 1, however, show a lot of movement beneath the surface. One factor that stands out is that defensive stock groups continue to show... READ MORE
At the turn of the century, this ETF achieved a ten-timer, rallying from $4 in 2002 to $40 in 2008. It's been consolidating for the last 12 years and looks set to embark on a move to new all-time highs. It's not a tech... READ MORE
STOCKS HAVE WORST QUARTER IN TWO YEARS...The month of March has seen a rebound in stocks. Even with that rebound, however, the first quarter of this year has been the weakest in two years. Which raises the bigger question of whether or not the recent rebound is the start... READ MORE
Markets discount the future, so if the Fed tells the market it's going to raise rates, it goes ahead and raises them anyway. Why wait on the railroad tracks when you know a train is coming? Ironically, the widely-telegraphed rate rise has arrived at a time when... READ MORE
STOCKS ADVANCE FOR A SECOND WEEK...Major U.S. stock indexes gained ground for the second week in a row building the case for a short-term bottom having been formed. And one of them has cleared an important resistance line. Chart 1 shows the S&P 500 moving... READ MORE
Changing relationships between differing asset classes and markets do not speak that often. When they do, strong evidence that important changes may be afoot is often provided. One of the characteristics that has caught my attention since the beginning of the year is that, on one side, stocks been reacting... READ MORE
STOCKS HAVE VERY STRONG WEEK... Major U.S. stock indexes registered their strongest week since November 2020. And they also broke through some initial resistance levels. The week's strong action signals that stocks have put in a short-term bottom and may continue to gain some ground. Their... READ MORE