The ASX 200 has been buoyed by a temporary spike in iron ore prices. Materials (comprising 18.5% of the main index) broke through resistance at 12500, signaling a primary advance. A higher trough on Twiggs Money Flow indicates buying pressure.
The ASX 200 encountered resistance at 6100 but the rally could go so far as to test the 2018 high of 6350. We remain in a bear market. Only a correction that successfully forms a higher trough would reverse that. Expect another test of the former primary support level at 5650.
Financials, the largest ASX 200 sector (31.4%), remains in a primary down-trend. Declining house prices are likely to drag the index lower. Respect of resistance at 5900 would strengthen the bear signal, while breach of 5300 would signal another decline.
I have been cautious on Australian stocks, especially banks, for a while, and hold more than 40% in cash and fixed interest investments in the Australian Growth portfolio.

Colin Twiggs is a former investment banker with almost 40 years of experience in financial markets. He co-founded Incredible Charts and writes the popular Trading Diary and Patient Investor newsletters.
Using a top-down approach, Colin identifies key macro trends in the global economy before evaluating selected opportunities using a combination of fundamental and technical analysis.
Focusing on interest rates and financial market liquidity as primary drivers of the economic cycle, he warned of the 2008/2009 and 2020 bear markets well ahead of actual events.
He founded PVT Capital (AFSL No. 546090) in May 2023, which offers investment strategy and advice to wholesale clients.