Author: Colin Twiggs

Colin Twiggs is a former investment banker with almost 40 years of experience in financial markets. He founded PVT Capital (AFSL number 546090), which provides income and growth strategies to wholesale clients. Colin also co-founded Incredible Charts and writes the popular Patient Investor newsletter. Using a top-down approach, Colin identifies macro trends in the global economy and then combines fundamental and technical analysis to evaluate opportunities in sectors that stand to benefit. 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.
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ASX Weekly Market Indicators

Bull-Bear Market Indicator
Stock Market Pricing Indicator

The gauge on the left indicates bull or bear market status, while the right reflects stock market drawdown risk.

Bull/Bear Market

The ASX Bull-Bear Market indicator remains at 54%, signaling a mild bear market.

Indicators from Australia and China (our largest trading partner) were unchanged, with three of the six signaling risk-off. These have a 60% weighting with the US bull-bear indicator making up the other 40%.

Bull-Bear Market Indicator

Private dwelling approvals declined to a seasonally adjusted 14.9 thousand in March. However, the 3-month moving average above the 20-year moving average continues to signal risk-on.

Australia: Private Dwelling Approvals

Stock Pricing

ASX stock pricing increased to 78.41 percent, compared to 67.85 four weeks ago and a high of 85.83 in February.

Stock Market Value Indicator

We use z-scores to measure each indicator’s current position relative to its history, with the result expressed in standard deviations from the mean. We then calculate an average for the five readings and convert that to a percentile. The higher that stock market pricing is relative to its historical mean, the greater the risk of a sharp drawdown.

Conclusion

The ASX bull-bear indicator signals a mild bear market, while the risk of a significant drawdown remains high.

Australian private dwelling approvals are weakening, and China’s NBS manufacturing PMI is a hair’s breadth away from a recession warning; so the bull-bear indicator is on negative watch1.

Acknowledgments

Notes

  1. When a credit-rating agency places a company on negative watch, it indicates an increased likelihood of downgrading its credit rating in the near future.
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US Weekly Market Indicators

Bull/Bear Market Indicator
Stock Market Pricing Indicator

The gauge on the left indicates bull or bear market status, while the right reflects stock market drawdown risk.

Bull/Bear Market

Our Bull/Bear Market indicator remained at 60% this week, with two of the five leading indicators signaling risk-off:

Bull-Bear Market Indicator

We have revised our Heavy Truck Sales indicator to use a 12-month moving average of unadjusted data from the BEA. Recent data revisions were due to adjustments to seasonal factors provided by the Fed. Switching to a 12-month MA eliminates the need for seasonal adjustments.

The graph below compares a buy-and-hold strategy for the S&P 500 (green) to an active strategy (purple) that switches to AA corporate bonds when the Heavy Truck Sales indicator signals risk-off (white bars).

Heavy Truck Sales

The graph below shows an active strategy (blue) that switches to gold when the Heavy Truck Sales indicator signals risk-off (white bars).

Heavy Truck Sales

Stock Pricing

Stock pricing eased to 96.03, compared to 95.04 three weeks ago and a high of 97.79 percent in February. The extreme reading warns that stocks are at risk of a significant drawdown.

Stock Market Value Indicator

We use z-scores to measure each indicator’s current position relative to its history, with the result expressed in standard deviations from the mean. We then calculate an average for the five readings and convert that to a percentile. The higher that stock market pricing is relative to its historical mean, the greater the risk of a sharp drawdown.

Conclusion

We remain on the cusp of a bear market, with the bull-bear indicator at 60%. Stock pricing remains extreme, warning of the risk of a significant drawdown.

Acknowledgments

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ASX Weekly Market Indicators

Bull-Bear Market Indicator
Stock Market Pricing Indicator

The dial on the left indicates bull or bear market status, while the one on the right reflects stock market drawdown risk.

Bull/Bear Market

The ASX Bull-Bear Market indicator is at 46%, signaling a bear market. Three of the six leading indicators signal risk-off, while the US bull-bear index remains at 40% (with a 40% weighting).

Bull-Bear Market Indicator

The ASX 200 Financials Index (XFJ) rallied to above its 50-week weighted moving average, but remains in a downtrend unless there is a breakout above the recent high at 9250.
ASX 200 Financials Index

Stock Pricing

ASX stock pricing rose to 73.86 percent, compared to 67.85 two weeks ago and a high of 85.83 in February.

Stock Market Value Indicator

The Stock Pricing indicator compares stock prices to long-term sales, earnings, and economic output to gauge market risk. We use z-scores to measure each indicator’s current position relative to its history, with the result expressed in standard deviations from the mean. We then calculate an average for the five readings and convert that to a percentile. The higher that stock market pricing is relative to its historical mean, the greater the risk of a sharp drawdown.

Conclusion

The ASX bull-bear indicator signals a bear market, while the risk of a significant drawdown remains high.

Acknowledgments

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Blow-off or buy the dip?

President Charles de Gaulle once equated being an ally of the United States to sharing a lifeboat with an elephant. The last month has been like sharing a lifeboat with an elephant on ketamine.

Gold epitomizes recent volatility in financial markets. It spiked up to $3,500 per ounce on President Trump’s threat to fire Fed chair Jerome Powell and then plunged when Treasury Secretary Bessent and later Trump moved to placate markets.

Spot Gold

Wall Street flipped to buy mode on Tuesday, without any fresh criticism of U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell or flip-flops on tariffs from President Donald Trump to disquiet markets again. Indexes reversed Monday’s tumble, hitting session highs following a report that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had said a tariff standoff with China was unsustainable and he expected the situation to de-escalate, raising hopes a bit on U.S. trade negotiations. (Reuters)

Is this a blow-off?

No. The Trend Index shows a sharp rise in volatility since April 9, but these are short-term moves rather than the culmination of a long-term acceleration.

Blow-offs typically occur after a feedback loop in which rising prices attract more buyers, who drive up prices, attracting more buyers. The cycle repeats, with the trend growing increasingly steeper until the market reaches saturation point, when new buyers dry up and the market reverses in a sharp blow-off top.

Similar feedback loops occur in nature–from bushfires and housefires to locust swarms and cyclones–where they start slowly and accelerate into a massive culmination. A bushfire runs out of dry brush, a fire in a room runs out of oxygen, a locust swarm runs out of food, and a cyclone runs out of moist air when it reaches land. All end similarly: expanding rapidly until they consume all available fuel, then suddenly dying.

The weekly chart below shows a typical stock blow-off, experienced by vaccine specialist Moderna (MRNA) during the 2020-2021 COVID pandemic.

Moderna (MRNA)

MRNA gained 2500% in less than two years before the accelerating uptrend ended suddenly, with a shooting star reversal at $500. The stock had more than doubled in the preceding four weeks, with the weekly Trend Index spiking to a high of 5.

In comparison, gold gained 75% over the past 14 months, accelerating to a 16% gain in the past five weeks, with the Trend Index peaking at a high of 1.

Weekly Gold Chart

Conclusion

There is no evidence that rising demand for gold is approaching a culmination. Private demand is growing, and central banks are rapidly converting reserves to gold. Demand is fueled by global uncertainty, and there is no end in sight.

The current pull-back is a much-needed correction after a steep advance. We expect strong support around $3,150 per ounce and will buy the dip. Our long-term target remains $4,000 within the next six months.

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Gold bear trap

Gold briefly broke support at $3,000 per ounce, threatening a correction to test the support band between $2,800 and $2,850. However, strong buying drove the precious metal above the support level, displaying a long tail on today’s candlestick. A breakout above $3,050 would complete a bear trap reversal, signaling a rally to $3,150.

Spot Gold

According to the IMF, gold increased to 21% of official currency reserves. However, gold reserves are far below the 60% to 70% required for a viable gold-backed financial system, as in the 1960s.

Official Gold Reserves

China’s and Saudi Arabia’s gold reserves are climbing steeply, while Western central bank holdings remain below 22,000 tonnes.

Increase in Rest-of-World (China) Gold Reserves

China’s actual reserves are likely higher than the official IMF figures. Jan Nieuwenhuijs at The Gold Observer estimates that China purchased 570 tonnes of gold through unofficial channels last year, with their total holdings close to 5,000 tonnes compared to the 2,280 tonnes in official figures.

Conclusion

We are long-term bullish on gold while the dollar-based global financial system weakens due to excessive government debt and steep fiscal deficits.

The false break below $3,000 warns of a bear trap. Recovery above $3,050 per ounce would confirm a short-term target of $3,150.

Acknowledgments

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ASX Weekly Market Snapshot

Bull-Bear Market Indicator
Stock Market Pricing Indicator

The dial on the left indicates bull or bear market status, while the one on the right reflects stock market drawdown risk.

Bull/Bear Market

The ASX Bull-Bear Market indicator fell to 46%. Three of the six leading indicators continue to signal risk-off, but the US bull-bear index (a 40% weighting) declined to 40%.

Bull-Bear Market Indicator

Stock Pricing

ASX stock pricing declined to the 69.61 percentile from a high of 85.83 in February.

Stock Market Value Indicator

The Stock Pricing indicator compares stock prices to long-term sales, earnings, and economic output to gauge market risk. We use z-scores to measure each indicator’s current position relative to its history, with the result expressed in standard deviations from the mean. We then calculate an average for the five readings and convert that to a percentile. The higher that stock market pricing is relative to its historical mean, the greater the risk of a sharp drawdown.

Conclusion

The ASX bull-bear indicator declined to 46%, warning of a bear market, while the risk of a significant drawdown remains high.

Acknowledgments

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US Weekly Market Snapshot

Bull/Bear Market Indicator
Stock Market Pricing Indicator

The dial on the left indicates bull or bear market status, while the one on the right reflects stock market drawdown risk.

Bull/Bear Market

Our Bull/Bear Market indicator has fallen to 40%, with three of the five leading indicators now signaling risk-off:

Bull-Bear Market Indicator

Heavy truck sales fell to 33.6K units in March, with the 3-month moving average declining more than 15% from its July 2023 high, warning of a recession.

Heavy Truck Sales (Units)

Stock Pricing

Stock pricing eased slightly to 95.09 from a high of the 97.79 percentile six weeks ago. The extreme reading warns that stocks are at risk of a significant drawdown.

Stock Market Value Indicator

The Stock Pricing indicator compares stock prices to long-term sales, earnings, and economic output to gauge market risk. We use z-scores to measure each indicator’s current position relative to its history, with the result expressed in standard deviations from the mean. We then calculate an average for the five readings and convert that to a percentile. The higher that stock market pricing is relative to its historical mean, the greater the risk of a sharp drawdown.

Conclusion

We are now in a bear market, with the bull-bear indicator falling to 40%. Stock pricing remains extreme, warning of the risk of a significant drawdown.

Acknowledgments

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Give War a Chance | Edward Luttwak

UN Peacekeepers in Bosnia

UN soldiers at a NATO base near Brcko, Bosnia, March 1998 | Juergen Schwarz, Reuters

This 1999 opinion in Foreign Affairs magazine, by Edward N. Luttwak, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, is relevant to today’s conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza:

An unpleasant truth often overlooked is that although war is a great evil, it does have a great virtue: it can resolve political conflicts and lead to peace. This can happen when all belligerents become exhausted or when one wins decisively….

A cease-fire tends to arrest war-induced exhaustion and lets belligerents reconstitute and rearm their forces. It intensifies and prolongs the struggle once the cease-fire ends—and it does usually end….

Read more at Foreign Affairs

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ASX Weekly Market Snapshot

Bull-Bear Market Indicator
Stock Market Pricing Indicator

The dial on the left indicates bull or bear market status, while the one on the right reflects stock market drawdown risk.

Bull/Bear Market

The ASX Bull-Bear Market indicator remains at 54%, with three of six leading indicators signaling risk-off, while the US bull-bear index (a 40% weighting) is at 60%:

Bull-Bear Market Indicator

The ASX 200 continues in a strong downtrend relative to the gold price in Australian Dollars.

ASX 200 Index Relative to Gold in AUD

The ASX 200 Financials Index (XFJ) is retracing to test resistance at 8500, but remains in a primary downtrend.

ASX 200 Financials Index

Stock Pricing

ASX stock pricing increased to the 76.18 percentile compared to 74.05 two weeks ago, and a high of 85.83 in February.

Stock Market Value Indicator

The Stock Pricing indicator compares stock prices to long-term sales, earnings, and economic output to gauge market risk. We use z-scores to measure each indicator’s current position relative to its history, with the result expressed in standard deviations from the mean. We then calculate an average for the five readings and convert that to a percentile. The higher that stock market pricing is relative to its historical mean, the greater the risk of a sharp drawdown.

Conclusion

The ASX bull-bear indicator at 54% indicates a mild bear market.

We are entering a bear market, and the risk of a significant drawdown is high.

Acknowledgments

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US Weekly Market Snapshot

Bull/Bear Market Indicator
Stock Market Pricing Indicator

The dial on the left indicates bull or bear market status, while the one on the right reflects stock market drawdown risk.

Bull/Bear Market

Our Bull/Bear Market indicator is unchanged at 60%, with two of the five leading indicators signaling risk-off:

Bull-Bear Market Indicator

We replaced the Coincident Economic Activity Index with Current Economic Conditions from the University of Michigan’s monthly consumer survey. The UOM index offers earlier recession warnings—when the 3-month moving average crosses below 100—and more timely updates.

University of Michigan: Current Economic Conditions

The current reading of 68.20 is a strong bear signal. The Fed Funds target rate is also in a bear cycle, but the two require confirmation from one of the following two indicators:

If the Chicago Fed Financial National Conditions Index rises above -0.40.

Chicago Fed National Financial Conditions Index

Or the S&P 500 30-week Smoothed Momentum crosses below zero.

S&P 500

Stock Pricing

Stock pricing eased slightly to the 95.67th percentile from a high of 97.79 six weeks ago. However, the extreme reading still warns that stocks are at risk of a significant drawdown.

Stock Market Value Indicator

The Stock Pricing indicator compares stock prices to long-term sales, earnings, and economic output to gauge market risk. We use z-scores to measure each indicator’s current position relative to its history, with the result expressed in standard deviations from the mean. We then calculate an average for the five readings and convert that to a percentile. The higher that stock market pricing is relative to its historical mean, the greater the risk of a sharp drawdown.

 

Conclusion

There’s little change this week. We are close to a bear market, with the bull-bear indicator at 60%. Stock pricing is still extreme, highlighting the risk of a significant drawdown.

Acknowledgments

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