Wednesday, August 19, 2026

The Morning Call--The decoupling of price and breadth

 

The Morning Call

 

8/19/26

 

The Market

         

    Technical

 

            Tuesday in the charts.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/bonds-bid-bad-data-hormuz-open-tech-credit-sinks-stocks-goldman-reveals-one-rate-matters?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTIyMDAwIiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4NzA4Mzk3NCwiZXhwIjoxNzg5Njc1OTc0LCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.NaqcmCCTLd3usJbX-RrnSd91tjpOFZ13qFOb9sTbU44

 

            Tuesday in the technical stats.

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

            https://www.barchart.com/stocks/market-performance

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

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

 

            The latest from Goldman.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/amid-global-bond-bloodbath-goldman-delta-one-desk-warns-fed-may-be-forced-hike?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTIxOTUwIiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4NzA4Mjc2MiwiZXhwIjoxNzg5Njc0NzYyLCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.X6eJLxEdRNOKxtaVVLP7v2vOJwpdSFexo4hsFGEq1As

 

The decoupling of price and breadth.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/factor-musical-chairs-we-have-never-seen-such-decoupling-between-price-and-breadth?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTIyMDMzIiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4NzE0NDQyMCwiZXhwIjoxNzg5NzM2NDIwLCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.fBqgHVH3DuEDNy1jpa3Qw5EjZcVOYIfObofjt0zYy0s

 

Wednesday morning setup. Futures are flat but off their lows as Tech gets a boost from a huge Hynix buyback, which erased ~8% decline to trade up as much as 2% and reversed a 5.8% drop in the Nikkei; the ADRs are +5.6% pre-mkt boosting both Memory and Korea ETFs. As of 8:15am ET, S&P futures are fractionally in the green, with Nasdaq futures down 0.1% even as momentum looks to retrace some of yesterday’s losses. In premarket trading, Semis, Memory, and Mag7 are higher with Software and Low Profitable Tech weaker. Cyclicals and Defensives are both mixed as the market has not yet decided on direction. Bond yields are flat to down 1bp, following from yesterday with USD weaker. Commodities are bid with all 3 complexes moving higher. Brent crude rose 0.8% and briefly topped $92 barrel for the first time since July with little evidence of progress toward a resolution of the US-Iran war. Today’s macro focus is on the 20Y bond auction, which is likely to need a concession, and on the Fed Minutes where investors seek clarity on the Fed’s reaction function in a tape that lacks significant catalysts. NVDA and Jackson Hole loom large.

 

 

    Fundamental

 

       Headlines

 

              The Economy

 

                        US

 

Weekly mortgage applications declined 0.4% while purchase applications were down 2.0%.

 

Month to date retail chain store sales were up 7.6% versus +8.3% in the prior week.

 

July industrial production rose 0.2% versus forecasts of +0.3%; capacity utilization was 76.3%, in line.

https://bonddad.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-positive-trend-in-manufacturing.html

 

July pending home sales fell 2.3% versus projections of +0.3%.

 

                        International

 

                          June Japanese machinery orders were up 9.7% versus estimates of +7.8%.

 

                          July UK CPI came in at +0.3%, in line; core CPI was +0.2% versus +0.1%.

 

                          July EU CPI was up 0.2%, in line.

 

                        Other

 

                          The conundrum in today’s economy.

                          https://allisonschrager.substack.com/p/no-warm-nuts-for-you

 

            Iran

 

              Overnight news.

                          https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/uae-cuts-ties-iran-warns-gulf-states-against-helping-washington-kpler-says-us-navy

 

            Monetary Policy

 

The price of Fed silence. (I am not sure I agree with the author; but include the article for the sake of the argument.)

https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/the-price-of-fed-silence/

 

            Fiscal Policy

 

              The national debt is already a disaster.

              https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2026/08/18/national_debt_disaster_is_the_most_priced_narrative_in_markets_1200400.html

 

            Inflation

 

              Construction cost inflation of nonresidential building soars amid AI mania.

              https://wolfstreet.com/2026/08/17/construction-inflation-for-nonresidential-buildings-soars-amid-ai-investment-mania/

 

                AI

 

              Markets are saying the AI slop has little value.

              https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/economy-ai-generated-value

 

 

            Tariffs

 

              Global supply chains and the limits to US decoupling.

              https://www.piie.com/publications/policy-briefs/2026/made-china-global-supply-chains-and-limits-us-decoupling

 

            The Financial System

 

              Lending money to people who don’t have it.

              (4) Buying Bullshit In “4 Easy Payments” - by Quoth the Raven

 

     Investing

 

            Bond hell is breaking loose.

                        https://quoththeraven.substack.com/p/bond-hell-is-breaking-loose-on-or?r=1ng8jx&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

 

            Treasury yields spike as fiscal drift and global risks pile up.

            https://www.capitalspectator.com/treasury-yields-spike-as-fiscal-drift-and-global-risks-pile-up/

           

            Impossible to answer questions about the future.

            https://alhambrapartners.com/weekly-market-pulse-situational-awareness/?src=news

 

            The case for owning TIPS especially if you are a senior.

            https://www.advisorperspectives.com/articles/2026/08/13/long-tips-yield-time-to-buy

 

            August outlook for S&P dividends.

            https://politicalcalculations.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-outlook-for-s-500-dividends-in.html

 

            Think like an investor, not a speculator.

            https://www.advisorperspectives.com/commentaries/2026/08/18/think-like-investor-not-speculator

 

            Passive investing is driving the decline in active fund alpha.

            https://www.morningstar.com/financial-advisors/passive-investing-is-driving-decline-active-fund-alpha-heres-what-that-means-investors

 

            The changing economics of the gold miners.

            https://talkmarkets.com/article/miners-have-quietly-become-the-best-businesses-in-the-market-1787069584

 gol

    News on Stocks in Our Portfolios

 

 

 

What I am reading today

 

           

 

 

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