ColinTwiggs, Author at the patient investor

September 18, 2013

Gold eases as bond yields rise

Spot gold encountered short-term support at $1300/ounce, but the correction is far from over. A rally would be likely to encounter resistance at $1350, while failure would test $1275. Respect of $1275 would be bullish, but the primary trend is downward and another test of support at $1200 remains likely. Declining 13-week Twiggs Momentum, while below zero, strengthens the signal.

Spot Gold

Rising Treasury yields increase the opportunity cost of holding precious metals, driving gold prices down. The yield on ten-year notes is testing support at 2.70 percent, but respect is likely, offering a medium-term target of 3.30 percent.

10-Year Treasury Yields

* Target calculation: 3.00 + ( 3.00 – 2.70 ) = 3.30

Crude Oil

Nymex and Brent crude are easing as prospect of US intervention in Syria fades. Breach of support at $103/barrel — and the rising trendline — is unlikely, but would test medium-term support at $98/barrel.

Brent Crude and Nymex Crude

* Target calculation: 108 + ( 108 – 98 ) = 118

Commodities

A retreating Shanghai Composite Index followed commodity prices lower, with another test of primary support at 124 by Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index more likely. 13-Week Twiggs Momentum below zero continues to indicate a (primary) down-trend and another peak below the line would strengthen the signal. Recovery above 130, however, would confirm the earlier double-bottom reversal and a primary up-trend.

Dow Jones UBS Commodities Index

* Target calculation: 130 + ( 130 – 125 ) = 135

September 18, 2013

APRA: Australian banking system ‘more sound’

Interesting choice of words:

[Australian Prudential Regulation Authority chairman John Laker] said the Australian banking system was more sound than it was five or six years ago.

“We know that because we managed to negotiate the financial crisis without the fallout for our financial systems,” he said.

“The banking sector is holding more capital, it’s holding higher quality capital, it is holding more liquid assets.”

What he did not say is that Australian banks are financially sound and holding enough capital — and we are unlikely to hear that before banks double their current “improved” capital and leverage ratios.

September 17, 2013

Forex: Euro, Sterling and Aussie Dollar strengthen

The Euro found support at $1.31, the short retracement suggesting a breakout above resistance at $1.34/$1.3450. Breakout would offer a target of $1.40*. Rising 13-week Twiggs Momentum indicates a healthy primary up-trend.

Euro/USD

* Target calculation: 1.34 + ( 1.34 – 1.28 ) = 1.40

Sterling is doing even better, breaking through resistance at €1.19 after piercing the descending trendline. Breakout completes a double bottom reversal with a target of €1.24*. Recovery of 13-week Twiggs Momentum above zero also suggests a primary up-trend. Reversal below €1.16 would warn of a bull trap, but is most unlikely.

Sterling/Euro

* Target calculation: 1.19 + ( 1.19 – 1.14 ) = 1.24

The greenback is stabilizing against the Yen after losing momentum over the last 3 months. The recent rally respected resistance at ¥100/101 and another test of ¥96 is likely. Breakout above ¥101 would offer a target of ¥106*, but failure of support at ¥96 remains as likely, and would warn of a primary down-trend.

USD/JPY

* Target calculation: 101 + ( 101 – 96 ) = 106

Canada’s Loonie is headed for a test of the descending trendline and resistance at $0.9750. Bullish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Momentum favors a breakout, while recovery above zero would suggest a primary up-trend. Breakout would also complete a double-bottom reversal, with a target of parity*. Reversal below $0.96 is unlikely, but would warn of another test of primary support at $0.9450.

Canadian Loonie

* Target calculation: 97.5 + ( 97.5 – 94.5 ) = 100.5

The Aussie Dollar also completed a double-bottom reversal against the greenback — this time on a daily chart — offering a target of $0.95*. Follow-through above $0.93 confirms the signal. Reversal below $0.92 is unlikely, but would warn of another test of primary support at $0.89.

Aussie Dollar

* Target calculations: 0.92 + ( 0.92 – 0.89 ) = 0.95

The Aussie continues to weaken against its Kiwi neighbour. Respect of primary support at $1.12 and recovery above the descending trendline, however, would warn that a bottom is forming. Breakout above $1.16 would confirm, offering a target of $1.20*.

Kiwi Dollar

* Target calculations: 1.16 + ( 1.16 – 1.12 ) = 1.20

September 17, 2013

Higher Bank Capital Requirements are Necessary but not Sufficient to Prevent the Next Crisis | naked capitalism

Bill Black explains why higher capital requirements for banks is only part of the solution. Capital is simply an accounting measure of Assets minus Liabilities and bankers are not above gaming this to their advantage.

….There were hundreds of Office of Thrift Supervision examiners whose opinions repeatedly proved vastly superior to the economists’ predictions during the S&L debacle. Akerlof and Romer concluded their 1993 article with these sentences in order to emphasize this message to their peers.

The S&L crisis, however, was also caused by misunderstanding. Neither the public nor economists foresaw that the [deregulation] of the 1980s were bound to produce looting. Nor, unaware of the concept, could they have known how serious it would be. Thus the regulators in the field who understood what was happening from the beginning found lukewarm support, at best, for their cause. Now we know better. If we learn from experience, history need not repeat itself. (Akerlof and Romer 1993: 60)

Larry and Janet: please listen to the regulators in the field. Please end Ben Bernanke’s practice of placing economists in charge of Fed supervision. The Fed’s economists are a major source of the Fed’s problems….. the solution needs to come from the people in the field. That is particularly true with regard to detecting systemic risks.

September 16, 2013

The Mysterious Disappearance of James Duesenberry | New York Times

Any successful consumption theory must accommodate three basic patterns: the rich save at higher rates than the poor; national savings rates remain roughly constant as income grows; and national consumption is more stable than national income over short periods.

The first two patterns appear contradictory: If the rich save at higher rates, savings rates should rise over time as everyone becomes richer. Yet this does not happen.

Mr. Duesenberry’s explanation of the discrepancy is that poverty is relative. The poor save at lower rates, he argued, because the higher spending of others kindles aspirations they find difficult to meet. This difficulty persists no matter how much national income grows, and hence the failure of national savings rates to rise over time…..

By ROBERT H. FRANK
Published: June 9, 2005

September 16, 2013

Asian markets and ASX cautious

Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index broke its descending trendline, indicating the correction is over. Breakout above 15000 would signal a primary advance to 18000*. Recovery of 13-week Twiggs Money Flow above 30% would support this. Reversal below 13000 is now unlikely.

Nikkei 225 Index

China’s Shanghai Composite breached its descending trendline at 2200, indicating the down-trend is over. A long wick (or shadow) on last week’s candle, however, suggests resistance — and reversal below 2150 and the rising trendline would warn of a bull trap. But rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow continues to signal medium-term buying pressure. Follow-through above 2350 is likely, and would indicate a test of 2450.

Shanghai Composite Index

India’s Sensex also displays a long wick on last week’s candle. Expect strong resistance at 20500. Respect would indicate another test of primary support at 18000. Rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicates medium-term buying pressure, but long-term direction is unclear.

BSE Sensex Index

The ASX 200 is cautiously testing long-term resistance at 5250. Europe is bullish and Asian markets are rising, but the Dow and S&P 500 remain mildly bearish. Respect of resistance at 5250, indicated by reversal below 5150 and the rising trendline, would present another bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow, indicating long-term selling pressure. Breakout above 5250, however, would signal another primary advance, with a long-term target of 5750*.

ASX 200 Index

* Target calculation: 5250 + ( 5250 – 4750 ) = 5750

September 16, 2013

TSX finds stubborn resistance

Canada’s TSX Composite retreated from stubborn resistance at 12900 on the weekly chart. 13-Week Twiggs Money Flow turned down, indicating medium-term selling pressure. Another trough above zero, however, would suggest a primary up-trend. Breakout above 12900 would offer a long-term target of 14000*, but breach of support at 12400 remains as likely — and would signal a decline to 11750.

TSX Composite Index

* Target calculation: 12900 + ( 12900 – 11800 ) = 14000

September 16, 2013

Europe: Unleash the bulls

Spain’s Madrid General Index broke resistance at 900, indicating a long-term advance to 1050* (960* in the medium-term). Rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicates buying pressure. Reversal below 840 is unlikely, but would warn of a bull trap.

* Target calculation: 900 + ( 900 – 750 ) = 1050; 900 + ( 900 – 840 ) = 960

Germany’s DAX is similarly testing resistance at 8500. Breakout would offer a medium-term target of 9000* and a long-term target of 9500*. Recovery of 13-week Twiggs Momentum above 10% would also signal continuation of the primary up-trend.
DAX Index

* Target calculation: 8500 + ( 8500 – 8000 ) = 9000; 8500 + ( 8500 – 7500 ) = 9500

France’s CAC-40 is testing resistance at 4120. Breakout would offer a medium-term target of 4300*, but follow-through above its 2011 high at 4200 would also confirm a long-term advance to 4500*. Reversal below 3900 is unlikely but would warn of a bull trap.
CAC-40 Index

* Target calculation: 4100 + ( 4100 – 3900 ) = 4300; 4050 + ( 4050 – 3600 ) = 4500

Italy’s MIB Index is also testing resistance, at 17700. Money Flow indicates strong buying pressure and breakout above 18000 would signal a long-term advance to 20000*. Reversal below 16500 is most unlikely, but would again warn of a bull trap.

* Target calculation: 17500 + ( 17500 – 15000 ) = 20000

The FTSE 100 is far more subdued, encountering resistance at 6600 after an end to the recent correction. Follow-through above 6700 would signal a medium-term advance to the 1999 high of 7000*, but reversal below 6500 would warn of another test of medium-term support at 6400. Failure of 6400, while unlikely, would test primary support at 6000.
FTSE 100 Index

September 16, 2013

Imbalances in the Australian housing market | Chris Joye

Chris Joye from the Financial Review warns on Radio National that imbalances that may be developing in the Australian housing market:

Hat tip to Leith van Onselen at Macrobusiness.com.au who comments:

“My only observation is that governments of all persuasions have for too long abrogated their responsibilities for housing policy to the RBA – allowing affordability concerns to be addressed via continuous lowering of interest rates, rather than addressing the underlying causes of poor affordability through supply-side and taxation reform.”

September 15, 2013

Dow, S&P 500 selling pressure but VIX bullish

Dow Jones Industrial Average put in a strong blue candle last week, but 13-week Twiggs Money Flow bearish divergence continues to warn of a reversal. Exercise caution until there is a breakout above the August high of 37% on TMF following an index breakout above 15660. Failure of primary support at 14500 would confirm a reversal, but continuation of the up-trend now seems as likely.

Dow Jones Industrial Average

The S&P 500 displays a similar bearish divergence on the daily chart, indicating selling pressure. 21-Day Twiggs Money Flow is now rising and follow-through above the July high at 23% would negate the warning. As would breakout above 1710 on the index chart, signaling a long-term advance to 1900*. Respect of resistance remains as likely, however, and reversal below 1670 would test the then primary support level at 1630.

S&P 500 Index

* Target calculation: 1710 + ( 1710 – 1630 ) = 1890

Despite the bearish divergences, VIX below 20 continues to suggest a bull market.
VIX Index