S&P 500 Update: Is This Rally Leg Over?

The September 5, 2016 Profit Radar Report published the chart below along with the following commentary:

“The chart below shows the long-term up side target purely based on projected symmetry. Based on the 1997 – 2013 trading range, the measured up side target is S&P 2,330 – 2,485, which is in the general vicinity of the 2,290 – 2,342 Fibonacci levels mentioned in the 2016 S&P 500 Forecast. Higher targets are possible, but we’ll reassess once we get there.”

Barron’s rates iSPYETF as “trader with a good track record” and Investor’s Bussines Daily says “When Simon says, the market listens.” Find out why Barron’s and IBD endorse Simon Maierhofer’s Profit Radar Report.

The second chart shows the trading activity over the past year along with short-term bars and trend lines we used to narrow down the up side target (the latest up side target was 2,494).

Short-term X-Ray

A special August 7 Profit Radar Report update featured this potent warning:

“The S&P 500 ETF (SPY) closed at a new all-time high at the lowest volume of the year. For the first time in a while, there is a bearish divergence between the S&P 500 and the NY Composite a/d lines. The ideal scenario (and tempting setup to go short) would be a spike to 2,495+ followed by an intraday reversal.”

This is almost exactly what happened. The S&P 500 spiked as high as 2,490.87 before falling 52 points.

However, this drop quickly caused an oversold condition.

A special August 10 Profit Radar Report update featured this chart and stated that:

“The CBOE equity putt call ratio (last chart) spiked to the highest reading (0.88) since April. The VIX is overbought. The VIX/VXV ratio jumped and contango fell. Both are near levels that have been seen at VIX highs. Stocks are oversold and ready to bounce. Based on the wave structure, we anticipate this bounce to be brief (2-6 days) and stay below the prior all-time highs (although the extent of the oversold condition would allow for a stronger bounce).”

Conclusion

The August 28, 2016 Profit Radar Report featured a bullish Elliott Wave Theory count with a projected up side target around S&P 2,500 (more details here: S&P 500 Update – Expect the Abnormal).

One of the images featured was a conceptual “We are here” chart (shown below). The green dots mark where we were in August 2016 (along with probability scores).

The red circles highlight where we are at today. The upcoming correction should be a choppy and frustrating wave 4 decline to be followed by another rally to new all-time highs. It then remains to be seen whether that high will be a major top or not.

Since the S&P did not quite reach our up side target, there is an alternate interpretation, which allows for continued gains almost immediately. However, that remains only an alternate unless the market tells us otherwise.

Continued analysis, with down side targets and buy/sell signals are provided via the Profit Radar Report.

Simon Maierhofer is the founder of iSPYETF and the publisher of the Profit Radar Report. Barron’s rated iSPYETF as a “trader with a good track record” (click here for Barron’s profile of the Profit Radar Report). The Profit Radar Report presents complex market analysis (S&P 500, Dow Jones, gold, silver, euro and bonds) in an easy format. Technical analysis, sentiment indicators, seasonal patterns and common sense are all wrapped up into two or more easy-to-read weekly updates. All Profit Radar Report recommendations resulted in a 59.51% net gain in 2013, 17.59% in 2014, and 24.52% in 2015.

Follow Simon on Twitter @ iSPYETF or sign up for the FREE iSPYETF Newsletter to get actionable ETF trade ideas delivered for free.

 

Transports are Fueling Dow Theory Woes

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is at all-time highs, while the Dow Jones Transportation Average (DJT) just lost 6.6% and briefly dipped below its 200-day SMA.

The July 16 Profit Radar Report featured the follow DJT chart and commentary:

“The Dow Jones Transportation Average (DJT) just recently confirmed the new DJIA highs. According to Dow Theory, its good news when industrials (DJIA) and transports (DJT) fire on all cylinders (because goods produced by factories are moving off the shelves instead of accumulating as inventory).

However, the chart for DJT is looking dangerous. Fibonacci resistance (going back to 2002) is at 9,951, the center line of trend channel resistance is at 9,850, the rally since the May low is looking like a (eventually) bearish rising wedge, there is a glaring bearish RSI divergence, and it is possible to count a complete 5-wave move according to Elliott Wave Theory.

DJT 10,000 is about 2.5% away, and the odds of DJT running into serious trouble between now and 10,000 are highly elevated.

It is quite possible (even likely) that the DJT will start to head lower in the coming weeks/month while the DJIA will set a new high later on in 2017, setting up a bearish divergence between the DJIA and DJT.”

Barron’s rates iSPYETF as “trader with a good track record” and Investor’s Bussines Daily says “When Simon says, the market listens.” Find out why Barron’s and IBD endorse Simon Maierhofer’s Profit Radar Report.

Below is an updated version of the same chart.

The DJT is now at trend channel support (and the 200-day SMA). In addition, the decline appears to have unfolded in 5 waves. This means:

1) A bounce is next

2) The bounce will be followed by further losses

Fast-forwarding to late 2017 or early 2018, any new DJIA all-time highs are unlikely to be confirmed by DJT, setting up a bearish Dow Theory divergence.

The iShares Transportation Average ETF (IYT) is the only ETF linked to the DJT. There is no short DJT ETF. IYT put options are one of few ways to bet on a falling DJT (once this bounce is complete).

Continued stock market analysis along with up-and down side targets and trading recommendations are available via the Profit Radar Report.

Simon Maierhofer is the founder of iSPYETF and the publisher of the Profit Radar Report. Barron’s rated iSPYETF as a “trader with a good track record” (click here for Barron’s profile of the Profit Radar Report). The Profit Radar Report presents complex market analysis (S&P 500, Dow Jones, gold, silver, euro and bonds) in an easy format. Technical analysis, sentiment indicators, seasonal patterns and common sense are all wrapped up into two or more easy-to-read weekly updates. All Profit Radar Report recommendations resulted in a 59.51% net gain in 2013, 17.59% in 2014, and 24.52% in 2015.

Follow Simon on Twitter @ iSPYETF or sign up for the FREE iSPYETF Newsletter to get actionable ETF trade ideas delivered for free.

 

S&P 500 Update: End of Growth Spurt?

Since the presidential election (November, 2016), the S&P 500 enjoyed three distinctive ‘growth spurts’ (chart below, green arrows).

The first one ended on December 12, 2016, the second one ended on March 1. What about the third one?

End of Growth Spurt?

The December 14, 2016 PRR and the March 5, 2017 Profit Radar Reports stated that: “Stocks rarely ever top at peak momentum. Any pullback should be temporary in nature. The question is how temporary.”

Barron’s rates iSPYETF as “trader with a good track record” and Investor’s Bussines Daily says “When Simon says, the market listens.”

The December 14 and March 5 peak momentum highs were followed by sideways corrections and eventually new highs.

The latest all-time high (July 27), however, did not occur on peak momentum. RSI-35 (momentum indicator) is now obviously lagging. The reverse conclusion is that risk of a top is higher today than it was in December and March.

However, our ‘secret sauce’ liquidity indicator (more details about ‘secret sauce’ is available here) is at new all-time highs.

Several times since the 2016 low, the Profit Radar Report stated that: “Our liquidity indicator is already at new all-time highs, it’s just a matter of time until the S&P 500 will follow.”

Short-term vs Long-term

In general, RSI divergences tend to be more short-term (weeks) in nature, while ‘secret sauce’ is longer-term (months). This would translate into shorter-term risk, but longer-term gains.

Up Side Target

For the past year, the Profit Radar Report’s S&P 500 up side target has been around 2,500 (more details here), and a ‘melt up alert’ was issued in 2016.

Now that the S&P 500 as good as reached our up side target, we are using (ascending) short-term trend lines/channels to help narrow down the final squiggles.

So far, the low end of our target was missed by one point. This may have been enough, but for now we are allowing for another stab higher.

Continued analysis along with up-and down side targets and trading recommendations are available via the Profit Radar Report.

Simon Maierhofer is the founder of iSPYETF and the publisher of the Profit Radar Report. Barron’s rated iSPYETF as a “trader with a good track record” (click here for Barron’s profile of the Profit Radar Report). The Profit Radar Report presents complex market analysis (S&P 500, Dow Jones, gold, silver, euro and bonds) in an easy format. Technical analysis, sentiment indicators, seasonal patterns and common sense are all wrapped up into two or more easy-to-read weekly updates. All Profit Radar Report recommendations resulted in a 59.51% net gain in 2013, 17.59% in 2014, and 24.52% in 2015.

Follow Simon on Twitter @ iSPYETF or sign up for the FREE iSPYETF Newsletter to get actionable ETF trade ideas delivered for free.