Colin Twiggs, Author at the patient investor

July 24, 2012

Free steak knives with your boom! | | MacroBusiness

Houses and Holes: Thermal coal is already at a price that is uneconomic for many mines and if iron ore were to settle in the $110 region, which is my call, then the margins for many an iron ore hopeful are looking suddenly thin too. If this keeps up for a few months then the next phase of the boom for Australia is pulled capex.

via Free steak knives with your boom! | | MacroBusiness.

Colin Twiggs

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.

July 23, 2012

7-23 – The Housing “Supply” I See | Hanson Advisers

Bottom line: In order to permanently de-lever this housing market something must be done to address the 20 to 30 million homeowners in a negative or “effective” (lacking the equity to pay a Realtor 6% and put 20% down on a new house) negative equity position; with 2nd liens; and without the credit needed to qualify for a new vintage loan. That’s because repeat buyers are the “durable” demand cohort; not first-timer buyers and “investors” who come and go with the stimulus wind like we saw in 2010 and will again in the second half of this year.

via 7-23 – The Housing “Supply” I See | Hanson Advisers.

Hat tip to Barry Ritholz

Colin Twiggs

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.

July 23, 2012

Hong Kong & China

The Hang Seng dropped 3 percent Monday, testing medium-term support at 19000. Failure of support would warn of a decline to 16000*. 63-Day Twiggs Momentum below zero already suggests a primary down-trend. Breach of primary support at 18000 would confirm.

Hang Seng Index

* Target calculation: 18000 – ( 20000 – 18000 ) = 16000

With the Shanghai Composite in a primary down-trend, all we need is for the Shenzhen Index to break support at 880 to complete the trifecta. A peak below zero on 63-day Twiggs Momentum already warns of a primary down-trend.

Shenzhen Composite Index

* Target calculation: 900 – ( 1000 – 900 ) = 800

Colin Twiggs

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.

July 23, 2012

Australia: ASX 200 in retreat

The ASX 200 index retreated sharply Monday, following bearish performance in the US on Friday. Downward breakout from the rising channel would indicate another primary down-swing, with a target of 3800*. Reversal below 3990 would confirm.

ASX 200 Index

* Target calculation: 4000 – ( 4200 – 4000 ) = 3800

Colin Twiggs

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.

July 23, 2012

Asia: China, Japan bearish

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index is headed for another test of long-term support at 8000/8200 on the monthly chart. The latest peak below zero on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow warns of strong selling pressure. Failure of support would signal another test of the 2008/2009 lows at 7000.

Nikkei 225 Index

China’s Shanghai Composite Index is testing its 2011 low at 2150 on the weekly chart. Failure would indicate a decline to 1800*. 63-Day Twiggs Momentum below zero continues to warn of a primary down-trend. Recovery above 2250 remains unlikely, but would suggest another rally to 2500.

Shanghai Composite Index

* Target calculation: 2150 – ( 2500 – 2150 ) = 1800

India’s Sensex is retracing to test support on the weekly chart. Respect of 17000 would indicate a rally to 18500, but 63-day Twiggs Momentum oscillating in a narrow range around zero suggests a ranging market and another test of primary support at 15800/16000 remains as likely.

Sensex Index

Singapore’s Straits Times Index is testing resistance at 3040. Recovery of 63-day Twiggs Momentum above zero suggests that the primary up-trend is intact, and breakout would signal an advance to 3300*, but a ranging market is more likely.

Singapore Straits Times Index

* Target calculation: 3000 + ( 3000 – 2700 ) = 3300

Colin Twiggs

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.

July 23, 2012

Europe: Selling pressure

Dow Jones Europe Index is testing the long-term descending trendline at 240 but 13-week Twiggs Money Flow failure to cross above zero warns of strong selling pressure. Breakout below primary support at 210 would indicate a decline to 180*.

Dow Jones Europe Index

* Target calculation: 210 – ( 240 – 210 ) = 180

Narrowing 63-Day Twiggs Momentum (around zero) on the FTSE 100 suggests a ranging market. Respect of resistance at 5750 would test primary support at 5250, while breakout would indicate an advance to 6000.

FTSE 100 Index

Colin Twiggs

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.

July 23, 2012

Canada: TSX 60 hesitancy

Short, overlapping candles indicate hesitancy on Canada’s TSX 60 index. Reversal below the lower channel at 650 would warn of another primary down-swing — confirmed if primary support at 640 is broken. Respect of the lower channel, however, would indicate a rally to the upper channel border. 21-Day Twiggs Money Flow is rising but breach of the trendline would warn that buying pressure is easing.

TSX 60 Index

* Target calculation: 640 – ( 680 – 640 ) = 600

Colin Twiggs

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.

July 23, 2012

S&P 500 and Nasdaq remain bearish

The S&P 500 remains in a slow up-trend as indicated by narrow oscillation of 63-day Twiggs Momentum above zero. A fall below zero, or downward breakout from the trend channel would warn of another correction. In the long term, breakout above 1420 is unlikely, but would signal an advance to 1570*.

S&P 500 Index Weekly Chart

* Target calculation: 1420 + ( 1420 – 1270 ) = 1570

The Nasdaq 100 is in a similar trend channel on the weekly chart. Respect of resistance at 2660 would suggest another test of primary support at 2440. Reversal of 13-week Twiggs Money Flow below zero would warn of a primary down-trend.

Nasdaq 100 Index

Bellwether transport stock Fedex also displays an upward trend channel on the weekly chart but remains bearish after completion of an earlier double top formation. Reversal below the former neckline at 88.00 would strengthen the bear signal, while failure of primary support at 84.00 would confirm.

Fedex

Colin Twiggs

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.

July 23, 2012

Why Your Brain is Killing Your Portfolio – WSJ.com

All the participants [in a study by researchers from California Institute of Technology, New York University and the University of Iowa] played a game in which they sampled four slot machines. They were free to play whichever machine they thought would give the biggest payoff. What they didn’t know was that the payoffs from each machine varied unpredictably.

The neuroscientists found that the two control groups tended to make their next bet based largely on how much a slot machine had paid off on the two most recent bets….

via Why Your Brain is Killing Your Portfolio – WSJ.com.

Colin Twiggs

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.

July 19, 2012

Falling Interest Rates Destroy Capital | Keith Weiner | Safehaven.com

The guiding principle of accounting is that it must paint an accurate and conservative picture of the current state of one’s finances. It is not the consideration of the accountant that things may improve. If things improve, then in the future the financial statement will look better! In the meantime, the standard in accounting (notwithstanding the outrageous FASB decision in 2009 to suspend “mark to market”) is to mark assets at the lower of: (A) the original acquisition price, or (B) the current market price.

There ought to be a corresponding rule for liabilities: mark liabilities at the higher of (A) original sale price, or (B) current market price. Unfortunately, the field of accounting developed its principles in an era where a fall in the rate of interest from 16% to 1.6% [1981 to 2012] would have been inconceivable. And so today, liabilities are not marked up as the rate of interest falls down.

via Falling Interest Rates Destroy Capital | Keith Weiner | Safehaven.com.
Comment:~ Keith Weiner makes an interesting point. Consider two companies. Both have liabilities of $500, but one pays interest at 5% and the other at 10% a year. The balance sheet of the company paying 10% would reflect a greater liability if valued at current interest rates. The counter-argument is that balance sheets often reflect historic costs and companies are more often valued using earnings/cash flow that would recognize the difference in interest charges.

Colin Twiggs

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.