Monday, January 24, 2022

Monday Morning Chartology

The Morning Call

 

1/24/22

 

 

 

The Market

         

    Technical

           

            Not a pretty picture. Last week, the S&P reset its short term trend to a trading range, reset its 100 DMA to resistance and began a challenge of its 200 DMA (now support; if it remains there through the close on Wednesday, it will revert to resistance). Clearly, the assumption that the bias is to the upside is under attack. As you know, I have believed (for too long) that stocks in general were too generously valued and that a reversion to the mean was the likely outcome. That may be occurring now. Or it may just be another one of those hair raising ‘buy the dip’ moments. Whatever, the good news is that (1) I have plenty of cash from selling a portion of my positions in stocks that traded into their Sell Half zone and (2) some stocks are already entering the Buy Value zone---which I alerted you to late last week. The best course in trying moments like the present is to stick with your strategy and not panic. All that said, the Market is oversold, so some sort of bounce is likely.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/when-wild-bull-stumbles-hibernating-bear

 

The current risk profile of the S&P.

https://www.capitalspectator.com/sp-500-risk-profile-21-january-2022/

 

But doom and gloom from BofA.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/bank-america-if-nasdaq-closes-below-14000-all-hell-breaks-loose

 

Liquidity---never there when you need it.

https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/c9rfl7go0

 

The Buffett indicator.

https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/cn3i24ayuz

 


 


This is not the chart that I would expect to see at a time when stocks are plunging over fear of a tightening monetary policy. To be sure, TLT is off its recent high and has traded down through both MA’s. But I don’t see the same panic in this pin action as in equities. So, while bond investors may be concerned about a more hawkish Fed, they may also be factoring some geopolitical risk (Ukraine) and/or worried about my own thesis that ‘Powell waited too late to get hawkish and now the Fed will be tightening into a weaker economy---thereby making it even weaker.’

             

              Ed Yardini on the Fed and the bond market.

              https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-yardeni/detail/recent-activity/

 



 

            GLD had another up week but like the long bond didn’t show much sign on anxiety. It remained within the narrowing pennant formation [two straight red lines]---the technical assumption being that until it breaks out of that formation, it will be directionless and, hence, nothing fundamental.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/oldsafe

 

 


 

 

The dollar had good week. Technically, it bounced off both the lower boundary of its short term uptrend and its 100 DMA---leaving both in positive trends. I continue to believe that investors are buying the dollar on the thesis that whatever happens---inflation, recession, military conflict---the dollar will be the safe haven.

https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/cj4f679cyx

 





            Friday in the charts.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/market-screams-panic-powell-tech-wrecks-worst-over-30-years

 

            What the Markets are currently discounting.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/how-much-market-stress-enough

 

    Fundamental

 

       Headlines

 

              The Economy

 

                        Review of last Week

 

The economic stats were evenly divided last week as were the primary indicators---nothing to suggest a reversal in the current negative trend. Overseas, the numbers were slightly upbeat, sustaining a now three week trend in positive data. Another week or so of similar stats and I will have to consider a change in trend---which would clearly be a plus for the US.

 

In the meantime, my outlook remains unchanged---the economy is struggling to grow, hampered by irresponsible monetary and fiscal policies, getting no support from the global economy and threatened by (1) seemingly mounting inflationary forces and (2) a more severe than anticipated retreat in economic activity.

                       

 

                        US

 

                          The December leading economic indicators were reported at +0.8, in line.

                          https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2022/01/21/cb-lei-rising-trajectory-continues-in-december

 

The December Chicago Fed national activity index came in at -.15 versus projections of +.49.

 

                        International

 

The January Japanese flash manufacturing PMI was 54.6 versus estimates of 54.0; the flash services PMI was 46.6 versus 52.0; the flash composite PMI was 48.8 versus 52.1.

 

The January German flash manufacturing PMI was 60.0 versus predictions of 57.0; the flash services PMI was 42.2 versus 48.0; the flash composite PMI was 54.3 versus 49.2.

 

The January EU flash manufacturing PMI was 59.0 versus forecasts of 57.5; the flash services PMI was 51.2 versus 52.2;  the flash composite PMI was 52.4 versus 52.6.

 

The January UK flash manufacturing PMI was 56.9 versus consensus of 57.9; the flash services PMI was 53.3 versus 54.8; the flash composite PMI was 53.4 versus 55.0.

                         

                        Other

 

                          Current Q4 GDP forecasts.

                          https://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2022/01/q4-gdp-forecasts-5-to-6.html

 

            The Fed

 

              The Fed and bitcoin (must read).

              https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/revolution

 

            Geopolitics

 

While I am not a huge fan of the French, Macron’s suggestion that the EU should be included in the US/Russia negotiations over Ukraine does not seem out of line. After all, if a hot war breaks out, the EU is a lot closer to the action than the US. In addition, the EU needs to be taking more responsibility for its own defense---both financial as well as boots on the ground.

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/01/macron-suggests-eu-russia-talks-meltdown-among-eu-us-apparatchiks-follows.html

 

     Bottom line.

 

            Jack Bogles’ rules for investing.

            https://ritholtz.com/2022/01/jack-bogles-rules-for-investing/

                         

    News on Stocks in Our Portfolios

                 

 

What I am reading today

 

            Death by paperwork.

            https://www.kiteandkeymedia.com/videos/why-a-complex-and-overly-bureaucratic-government-is-an-ineffective-and-expensive/

 

            Is old music killing new music?

            https://tedgioia.substack.com/p/is-old-music-killing-new-music?

 

 

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