ColinTwiggs, Author at the patient investor

August 27, 2014

The Unintended Consequences of Risk Avoidance | Pragmatic Capitalism

Cullen Roche on risk avoidance:

Many investors have learned the hard way that trying to beat the market over shorter time frames can be more trouble than it’s worth. A singular mission to outperform can actually lead to underperformance. The same logic applies when trying to minimize losses. A sole focus on downside protection usually leads to the opportunity cost of no upside participation.

An illusion of safety in the short-term can lead to problems in the long-term. Judging your portfolio or your financial advisor over a six month period is a recipe for failure. No strategy can be assessed over that short of a time frame.

Also, while fees are important over the long haul, investor behavior is much more important. Investors need to make sure they aren’t sacrificing other areas of portfolio management in a push to only reduce fees. Lower investment fees are only one of the many risk management techniques needed for a successful portfolio.

August 26, 2014

ASX finds support

The ASX 200 found short-term support at 5630 and continuation of the US rally would see a breakout above resistance at 5650. Follow-through above 5680 would confirm the advance, offering a target of 5850*. Completion of another 21-day Twiggs Money Flow trough above zero would strengthen the signal. Reversal below 5550 is unlikely, but would warn of a test of primary support at 5360/5380.

ASX 200

* Target calculation: 5650 + ( 5650 – 5450 ) = 5850

Retreat of the ASX 200 VIX below 12 indicates low risk typical of a bull market.

ASX 200

August 26, 2014

Hang Seng leads Asian recovery

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index broke its 2010 high at 25000, confirming a primary advance and offering a target of 27000*. Rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow signals continued buying pressure. Reversal below 24000 is unlikely, but would warn of a correction to the rising trendline.

Hang Seng Index

* Long-term target calculation: 24000 + ( 24000 – 21000 ) = 27000

China’s Shanghai Composite Index continues to test resistance at 2250. Breakout would confirm a primary up-trend. Rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicates medium-term buying pressure. Reversal below 2150 is unlikely, but would warn of another test of primary support at 1990/2000.

Shanghai Composite Index

* Target calculation: 2250 + ( 2250 – 2000 ) = 2500

India’s Sensex is retracing to test support at 26000. Respect would confirm the target of 27000*. Declining 13-week Twiggs Money Flow continues to warn of selling pressure. Respect of the zero line would indicate that buyers have taken control, while a fall below zero would warn of a correction. Penetration of the secondary trendline is unlikely, but would indicate a correction to the primary trendline.

Sensex

* Target calculation: 21000 + ( 21000 – 15000 ) = 27000

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index recovered above 15500, suggesting continuation of the advance. Expect resistance between 16000 and 16300. Declining 13-week Twiggs Money Flow warns of medium-term selling pressure, but respect of the zero line would indicate that buyers have taken control. Reversal below 14800 is unlikely, but would warn of a test of primary support at 14000.

Nikkei 225

* Target calculation: 16000 + ( 16000 – 14000 ) = 18000

August 26, 2014

DAX surges

Germany’s DAX surged after a brief test of support at 9250/9300. Recovery of 21-Day Twiggs Money Flow above zero indicates short-term buying pressure. A trough above the zero line would reflect medium-term buying pressure. Expect resistance at 9700/9800.

DAX

* Target calculation: 9750 + ( 9750 – 9000 ) = 10500

Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50 also surged, indicating a test of 3250 on the weekly chart. Completion of a 13-week Twiggs Money Flow trough above zero would indicate long-term buying pressure. Reversal below 3100 is unlikely, but would warn of another test of primary support.

Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50

* Target calculation: 3150 + ( 3150 – 3000 ) = 3300

The Footsie faces strong resistance between 6750 and 7000, as illustrated on the quarterly chart. 13-Week Twiggs Money Flow oscillating above zero indicates a healthy up-trend, but this is a major psychological barrier to overcome. Breach of support at 6400/6500 is unlikely, but would warn of a reversal.

FTSE 100

* Target calculation: 700 + ( 7000 – 6000 ) = 8000

August 26, 2014

Dow signals fresh advance

Dow Jones Industrial Average recovered above 17000, signaling a fresh advance. Follow-through above 17150 would confirm a target of 17500*. Leveling off of 21-day Twiggs Money Flow in recent days, however, indicates (short-term) resistance. Reversal below 16950 is unlikely, but would warn of a test of 16750.

Dow Jones Industrial Average

* Target calculation: 16500 + ( 16500 – 15500 ) = 17500

The S&P 500 is again testing resistance at 2000. Breakout would offer a target of 2250*. Recovery of 13-week Twiggs Money Flow above its recent (July 2014) high would confirm buying pressure. Reversal below 1950 is unlikely, but would warn of another test of (primary) support at 1900.

S&P 500

* Target calculation: 1500 + ( 1500 – 750 ) = 2250

Declining CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) readings suggest continuation of the bull market.

VIX Index

The Nasdaq 100 broke through the psychological level of 4000. Expect retracement to test the new support level. Respect is likely and would confirm another advance. Recovery of 13-week Twiggs Money Flow above its recent (July 2014) high would confirm buying pressure. Reversal below 4000 is unlikely but would warn of a test of support and the rising trendline at 3750.

NASDAQ 100

* Target calculation: 4000 + ( 4000 – 3750 ) = 4250

August 26, 2014

Scottish Independence | Cato @ Liberty

From David Boaz:

Some scholars argue that the Act of Union in 1707 made the Scots part of a larger and more advanced nation and opened the way to the Scottish Enlightenment of David Hume, Adam Smith, and other scholars. And perhaps those modern ideas and the connection with England made possible the achievements of the inventor James Watt, the architect Robert Adam, the road builder John MacAdam, the bridge builder Thomas Telford and later Scots such as Alexander Graham Bell and Andrew Carnegie.

But whatever the benefits of union might have been in 1707, surely they have been realized by now. And alas, the land of Adam Smith has become one of the poorest and most socialist parts of Great Britain…

August 25, 2014

Margaret Thatcher: Russia

She’s ruled by a dictatorship of patient, far-sighted determined men who are rapidly making their country the foremost naval and military power in the world. They are not doing this solely for the sake of self-defence. A huge, largely land-locked country like Russia does not need to build the most powerful navy in the world just to guard its own frontiers. No. The Russians are bent on world dominance, and they are rapidly acquiring the means to become the most powerful imperial nation the world has seen. The men in the Soviet politburo don’t have to worry about the ebb and flow of public opinion. They put guns before butter, while we put just about everything before guns. They know that they are a super power in only one sense — the military sense. They are a failure in human and economic terms.

~ Margaret Thatcher (1976)

In response to this speech, the Soviet Army newspaper Red Star labelled Thatcher “the Iron Lady”. Intended as an insult, Thatcher welcomed the moniker that would stick for the remainder of her political career.

August 25, 2014

Margaret Thatcher: Power

Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.
~ Margaret Thatcher

August 25, 2014

Winston Churchill: Bolshevism

My hatred of Bolshevism and Bolsheviks is not founded on their silly system of economics, or their absurd doctrine of an impossible equality. It arises from the bloody and devastating terrorism which they practice in every land into which they have broken, and by which alone their criminal regime can be maintained.
~ Winston Churchill (1920)

August 25, 2014

Euro, Yen plunge against Dollar

The Euro broke support at $1.33, signaling a further decline against the Dollar with a target of $1.30*. Falling 13-week Twiggs Momentum, below zero, warns of a strong down-trend. Recovery above $1.35 is most unlikely, but would suggest that the down-trend is slowing.

Euro/USD

* Target calculation: 1.35 – ( 1.40 – 1.35 ) = 1.30

The recent rally of the Euro against the Russian ruble has faltered. An economic contraction and rising tensions over Eastern Ukraine both contributed. The Euro remains in an up-trend and recovery above RUB 49 would suggest another attempt at the previous high of RUB 51. But failure of support at RUB 46 would signal a primary down-trend. 13-Week Twiggs Momentum oscillating close to zero reflects current uncertainty.

Euro/Rouble

Vladimir Putin is attempting to exploit fault lines in the US/European alliance, targeting the powerful European farming and motor industry lobbies. Unauthorized incursions into Ukrainian territory by his white-painted “aid convoy” are another example, where the infringement is so apparently inoffensive that Angela Merkel will find it difficult to convince her European allies to escalate sanctions further. Failure to react will merely embolden Putin to conduct further minor infringements in defiance of the EU, confident in their response, until the Ukraine suffers “death by a thousand cuts”.

Putin

Only if the US/EU adopt an aggressive escalation, as suggested here on Defence & Freedom, are they likely to contain Russian aggression.

“…a defensive and reactionary game plan makes one predictable. The very existence of a crisis should be understood as a hint that someone used this predictability to predict the outcome of a produced crisis — and arrived at the conclusion that it’s a good idea. Aka failure of deterrence.”

Japan

As with the Euro, the Japanese Yen is also weakening against the Dollar. The Greenback broke resistance at ¥103.50, signaling a rally to test the 2013 high. Follow-through above ¥104 would confirm. Rising 13-week Twiggs Momentum above zero strengthens the signal. Reversal below ¥103 is unlikely, but would warn of another test of primary support at ¥101.

USD/JPY

Australia

The Aussie Dollar, however, is holding its own — ranging between $0.92 and $0.95 against the US Dollar. The narrow band and 13-week Twiggs Momentum holding above zero both suggest continuation of the up-trend. Breakout above $0.95 would suggest a target of $0.97. Reversal below $0.92 is unlikely at present, but would warn of a decline to the band of support between $0.87 and $0.89.

Aussie Dollar

The ASX 200, retracing slightly from resistance at 5650, is also influenced by strong foreign investment flows. Indications are predominantly bullish, including 21-day Twiggs Money Flow forming troughs above zero. Follow-through above 5660 would signal another advance, with a medium-term target of 5850. Reversal above 5550 is unlikely, but would warn of another test of primary support.

ASX 200

* Target calculation: 5650 + ( 5650 – 5450 ) = 5850