As usual, you can pretty much see whatever you want to see in today’s stock market. Consider the major indexes in Figure 1, displayed along with their respective 200-day moving averages.
Figure 1 – Major Indexes (Courtesy WinWayCharts.com)
If you “want to” be bullish, you can focus on the fact that all 4 of these major indexes are presently above their respective 200-day moving averages. This essentially defines an “uptrend”; hence you can make a bullish argument.
If you want to be “bearish”, you can focus on the “choppy” nature of the market’s performance and the fact that very little headway has been made since the highs in early 2018. This “looks like” a classic “topping pattern” (i.e., a lot of “churning”), hence you can make a bearish argument.
To add more intrigue, consider the 4 “market bellwethers” displayed in Figure 2.
Figure 2 – Jay’s Market Bellwethers (Courtesy WinWayCharts.com)
(NOTE: Previously I had Sotheby’s Holdings – ticker BID – as one my bellwethers. As they are being bought out, I have replaced it with the Value Line Arithmetic Index, which has a history of topping and bottoming prior to the major indexes)
The action here is much more mixed and muddled.
*SMH – for any “early warning” sign keep a close eye on the semiconductors. If they breakout to a new high they could lead the overall market higher. If they breakdown from a double top the market will likely be spooked.
*TRAN – The Dow Transports topped out over a year ago and have been flopping around aimlessly in a narrowing range. Not exactly a bullish sign, but deemed OK as long as price holds above the 200-day moving average.
*ZIV – Inverse VIX is presently below it’s 200-day moving average, so this one qualifies as “bearish” at the moment.
*VAL-I – The Value Line Index is comprised of 1,675 stocks and gives each stock equal weight, so is a good measure of the “overall” market. It presently sits right at its 200-day moving average, however – as you can see in Figure 3 – it is presently telling a different story than the S&P 500 Index.
Figure 3 – S&P 500 trending slightly higher, Value Line unweighted index trending lower (Courtesy WinWayCharts.com)
The Bottom Line
OK, now here is where a skilled market analyst would launch into an argument regarding which side will actually “win”, accompanied by roughly 5 to 50 “compelling charts” that “clearly show” why the analysts’ said opinion was sure to work out correctly. Alas, there is no one here like that.
If the question is, “will the stock market break out to the upside and run to sharply higher new highs or will it break down without breaking out to new highs?”, I sadly must default to my standard answer of, “It beats me.”
Here is what I can tell you though. Instead of relying on “somebody’s opinion or prediction” a much better bet is to formulate and follow an investment plan that spells out:
*What you will (and will not) invest in?
*How much capital you will allocate to each position?
*How much risk you are willing to take with each position?
*What will cause you to exit with a profit?
*What will cause you to exit with a loss?
*Will you have some overarching “trigger” to cause you to reduce overall exposure?
*And so on and so forth
If you have specific answers for the questions above (you DO have specific answers, don’t you?) then the correct thing to do is to go ahead and follow your plan and ignore the myriad prognostications that attempt to sway you one way or the other.
Jay Kaeppel
Disclaimer: The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources. While I believe the data to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information. The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute and should not be construed as investment advice, an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.
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