Colin Twiggs, Author at the patient investor

February 24, 2013

S&P 500 finds support but Nasdaq warns caution

The S&P 500 found support at 1500 and is headed for a re-test of resistance at 1525/1530. Bearish divergence on 21-day Twiggs Money Flow warns of mild selling pressure. Breakout above resistance would negate this, while reversal below 1500 and the rising trendline would warn of a correction.

S&P 500 Index

Breach of the secondary trendline (above) would indicate a correction to test primary support at 1350. Recovery of 63-day Twiggs Momentum above 10% would increase likelihood of an upward breakout — with a target of 1750* — while retreat below zero would suggest a primary reversal.
S&P 500 Index

* Target calculation: 1550 + ( 1550 – 1350 ) = 1750

The Nasdaq 100 is weaker, with bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow warning of a primary trend reversal. Breakout below primary support at 2500 would confirm, offering a target of 2100*.
Nasdaq 100 Index

* Target calculation: 2500 + ( 2900 – 2500 ) = 2100

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.

February 24, 2013

Scott Minerd: The Keynesian Depression | John Mauldin

Scott Minerd, Chief Investment Officer at Guggenheim Funds, writes:

Though some may be cheered by the relative policy successes this time around, at the current trajectory it will still take almost as long for total employment to fully recover as it did in the 1930s. While job loss was not as severe this time, the recovery in job creation has been much slower. Although nominal and real gross domestic production have returned to new highs on a per capita basis, we are still below 2007 levels. In the same way the Great Depression and the depressions before it lasted eight to 10 years, we will likely continue to see constrained economic growth until 2015-2016 roughly nine years after U.S. home prices began to slide.

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.

February 24, 2013

Bernard Connolly: Why the Euro Crisis Isn't Over | WSJ.com

From Brian Carney’s weekend interview with Bernard Connolly:

…But even if the Greeks were undisciplined, he says, “both the sovereign-debt crisis and the banking crisis are symptoms, not causes. And the underlying problem has been that there was a massive bubble generated in the world as a whole by monetary policy—but particularly in the euro zone” by European Central Bank policy.

The bubble formed like this: When countries such as Ireland, Greece and Spain joined the euro, their interest rates immediately dropped to near-German levels, in some cases from double-digit territory. “The optimism created by these countries’ suddenly finding that they could have low interest rates without their currencies collapsing, which had been their previous experience, led people to think that there was a genuine rate-of-return revolution going on,” he says.

There had been an increase in the rates of return in Ireland “and to some extent in Spain” in the run-up to euro membership, thanks to structural reforms in those countries in the pre-euro period. But by the time the euro rolled around, money was flowing into these countries out of all proportion to the opportunities available…..

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.

February 24, 2013

The final verdict on George Osborne as Chancellor | Mainly Macro

Simon Wren-Lewis, economics professor at Oxford University, writes:

What George Osborne did with his austerity programme was the equivalent of putting a sick patient on a starvation diet accompanied by cold showers. The UK economy without accelerated austerity would still have been in poor shape, but under George Osborne it has been a disaster.

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.

February 23, 2013

China: Hang Seng & Shanghai retreat

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index retreated below 23000. Breach of the rising trendline warns of a correction. Respect of support at 22000 would confirm a strong primary up-trend, while breach of 21000 — and the primary trendline — would warn of a reversal. Another 13-week Twiggs Money Flow trough above zero would also confirm the primary up-trend. Recovery above 24000 is unlikely at present but would test the 2010 high of 25000.

Hang Seng Index

The Shanghai Composite Index respected primary resistance at 2500. Breach of the secondary trendline warns of a correction. A higher trough — above 2000 — would establish a solid foundation for a primary advance. As would a 63-day Twiggs Momentum trough above zero.

Shanghai Composite 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.

February 21, 2013

China Property Bubble by Gillem Tulloch [video]

Quick summary of the Chinese property bubble by Gillem Tulloch of Forensic Asia Limited.

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.

February 21, 2013

Euro retraces

The Euro retraced to test support and the rising trendline at $1.32. Respect would indicate a primary advance with a target of $1.42*. 63-Day Twiggs Momentum well above zero suggests continuation of the primary up-trend. Failure of support at $1.32, however, would indicate a bull trap — with a target of $1.26.

Euro/USD

* Target calculation: 1.37 + ( 1.37 – 1.32 ) = 1.42

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.

February 20, 2013

Aussie Dollar weakens

The Aussie Dollar is headed for a test of primary support at $1.015 on the weekly chart. Failure of support would offer a target of $0.96, while respect would signal another attempt at $1.06. Reversal of 63-day Twiggs Momentum below zero suggests a downward breakout.

Aussie Dollar/USD

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.

February 20, 2013

Sterling breaks support

The pound broke support at €1.15 against the euro, signaling a test of the 2011 low at €1.10.
Pound Sterling/USD

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.

February 20, 2013

Dollar Index rallies

The Dollar Index rallied to test medium-term resistance at 81. Breakout above 81.50 would test the 2012 high at 84*. Recovery of 63-day Twiggs Momentum above zero suggests a primary up-trend.

US Dollar Index

* Target calculation: 81.5 + ( 81.5 – 79 ) = 84

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.