Monday, January 12, 2026

Monday Morning Chartology

 

 

The Morning Call

.

 

1/12/26

 

The Market

 

         Technical

 

The S&P closed back above its all time high. If it remains there through the close this Wednesday, the break will be confirmed. In the meantime, it remains above all three DMAs and in uptrends across all time frames. As you can see, resistance in the form of the upper boundary of its very short term uptrend exists at ~7173.

 

I remain of the opinion that this a Market to be traded not invested in---and I am sticking to it until there is some follow through (in either direction).

https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/breakout-or-bull-trap-valuation-hubris-means-no-room-mistakes

 

Market breadth is expanding.

https://trendlabs.com/jan-brady-just-made-a-new-all-time-high/

 

Part 2.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/process-broadening-leadership-remains-intact-top-goldman-trader

 

 


 

Despite all the happy talk about lower rates/inflation, bond investors don’t seem to be buying it. The long bond is below all three DMAs and in downtrends across all timeframes. I continue to believe that the only circumstance I can see pushing rates meaningfully lower would be a recession.

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

This is a twenty year picture of gold. As you can see, it is quite extended on a short and intermediate trem basis but has a ways to go to test the high of its long term uptrend. I continue to hold my trading position in GDX. Emphasis on ‘trading’ given its short term geometric rise.

 

 

 


 

The dollar has bounced off the lower boundary of its short term trading range for the third time---hopefully, that is a charm. Nonetheless, it remains below all three DMAs; so, it still has a lot of work to do in order to be anything but an ugly chart.

 

 


 

 

 

 

            Friday in the charts.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/stocks-oil-gold-soar-catalyst-heavy-week-sparks-rate-cut-odds-rout

 

 

           

Friday in the technical stats.

https://www.barchart.com/stocks/momentum

https://www.barchart.com/stocks/sectors/rankings

https://www.barchart.com/stocks/signals/new-recommendations

 

           

 

    Fundamental

 

       Headlines

 

              The Economy

 

  The US stats last week were mixed, though the primary indicators were upbeat (two plus, no neutral, no minus) and no inflation measures. Overseas, the data was slightly downbeat with two positive and two negative price indicators.

 

               

Nothing in this data set to warrant a change in my economic growth forecast (muddle through) though certainly Friday’s nonfarm payroll number as well as the Atlanta Fed’s upward revision of Q4 GDP point to continued growth in the economy.

 

However, contrary to Street (and my above comment), this analysts sees the payrolls number as a recession warning.

https://bonddad.blogspot.com/2026/01/december-jobs-report-ringing-alarm.html

 

My ‘inflation is as good as it is going to get’ prediction is not quite as solid---with many Street pundits suggesting otherwise. While I have yet to see any solid data substantially confirming that outlook, I nonetheless have to respect the degree of disagreement and keep the yellow light flashing on this part of my forecast.

 

                        US

 

                        International

 

                        Other

 

                          Household net worth increased $6 trillion in Q3.

                          https://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2026/01/feds-flow-of-funds-household-net-worth.html

 

                          The economy is Gen-shaped not K-shaped.

                          DEEP DIVE: US Economy Is Gen-Shaped, Not K-Shaped

 

            Overnight News

 

DOJ launched criminal probe of Powell. News accounts reckon that Trump’s poor ratings are due to ‘affordability’. I would argue that it is due to his persistent erratic behavior (not that I disagree with some of his policies) and childish name calling. This one seems over the top and unless there is real substance to these charges, I think that he just nailed the mid-terms for the dems. And unfortunately, he has provided a precedent for future progressive presidents.

 

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday said the goal of the Trump administration's launch of mortgage-backed securities purchases is to roughly match the rate at which those bonds are rolling off the Federal Reserve's balance sheet.

 

Credit card and bank shares fell premarket after Trump doubled down on a demand that issuers lower rates to 10% by Jan. 20 and keep them there for a year. Capital One was down nearly 9%.

 

A group of countries led by the UK and Germany is discussing plans for a military presence on Greenland to appease Trump and show that Europe is committed to Arctic security, people familiar said.

 

President Trump is scheduled to be briefed Tuesday on options to respond to the protests in Iran, according to U.S. officials, a sign the president is considering reprimanding the regime for its crackdown on demonstrators as he has repeatedly threatened.

 

Iran warns it will hit American bases in the Middle East if the Pentagon launches strikes, along with Israel and regional shipping lanes.

 

Israel and Hamas are preparing for renewed fighting as the Palestinian militant group is refusing to disarm, a requirement that is holding up progress on President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. Israel’s military has drawn up plans for a new ground operation inside Hamas-controlled territory in Gaza.

 

Exxon CEO Darren Woods offered the starkest assessment, telling Trump in the live-streamed meeting in the East Room that Venezuela is “uninvestable” under current conditions. He said major changes were needed before his company would return to the country, and that big questions remain about what return Exxon could expect from any investments.

 

            Fiscal Policy

 

              G3 fiscal policy will be expansive in 2026.

              https://www.apolloacademy.com/g3-fiscal-policy-very-expansionary-in-2026/

 

              Goldman on Trump’s bond buying bonanza.

              https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/signal-matters-more-flow-what-goldman-thinks-about-trumps-big-bond-buying-bonanza

 

What is confusing to me about Trump wanting to increase Venesuelan oil production, it is direct opposition to his rationale for imposing tariffs, i.e., to help/protect American producers.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/betrayal-shale-producers-furious-over-trumps-venezuela-plan-lower-crude-prices

 

            Inflation

 

              Here is how tariffs are being passed on the US consumer.

              https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5985094

 

            Greenland

 

              Why Trump wants Greenland.

              https://unherd.com/2026/01/the-space-war-will-be-won-in-greenland/

 

     Investing   

           

            The latest from Citadel.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/life-fast-lane-citadel-macro-guru-says-markets-are-underpricing-us-growth

 

            The latest from B of A.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/hartnett-normally-would-be-time-sell-not-time

 

            The outlook for this earnings season.

            MARKET CALL: Earnings Powering The Bull Market

 

    News on Stocks in Our Portfolios

 

What I am reading today

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