Author: 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.
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Europe: Italy tests support while UK and Germany surge

Italy’s MIB index retreated from resistance at 18000 to re-test the key support level of 17000. Respect would confirm the primary up-trend with an initial target of 19000*. Rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicates long-term buying pressure.

DAX Index

* Target calculation: 17000 + ( 17000 – 15000 ) = 19000

Germany’s DAX primary advance is approaching the 2007 high at 8000/8200.  Resistance is evident, with shorter candles over the last two months and 13-week Twiggs Money Flow declining from its 2012 peak. Expect a correction, but long-term buying pressure (signaled by rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow) should see continuation of the primary up-trend.

DAX Index

* Target calculation: 7500 + ( 7500 – 7000 ) = 8000

The FTSE 100 broke through resistance at 6000 and is advancing toward its 2007 high of 6750*. Rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicates long-term buying pressure, while the recent spike should see strong gains in February.

FTSE 100 Index

* Target calculation: 6000 + ( 6000 – 5250 ) = 6750

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Canada: TSX bull trap?

The TSX Composite retreated below 12800, indicating hesitancy on the part of investors. Expect retracement to test support at 12500. Failure of support would signal a bull trap. Long-term buying pressure remains strong, with rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow; another trough above zero would confirm the primary up-trend. Recovery above 12800 would signal an advance to the 2011 high at 14300*.

TSX Composite Index

* Target calculation: 12800 + ( 12800 – 11300 ) = 14300

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S&P 500 buying pressure

The S&P 500 displays evidence of buying pressure on the daily chart, with brief retracement to test support at 1500 followed by a surge to a new 5-year high. Expect a test of the 2000/2007 highs at 1550/1565.

S&P 500 Index

Troughs above the zero line on 13-week  Twiggs Money Flow indicate longer-term buying pressure. Breakout is likely and would signal an advance to 1750*. Reversal below 1500, however, would warn of a widely predicted correction.
S&P 500 Index

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

Declining 63-day Twiggs Momentum on the Nasdaq 100, however, warns of a reversal. Respect of resistance at 2800 would strengthen the warning, while retreat below 2500 would complete a head and shoulders reversal. Follow-through above 2900 is less likely, but would confirm a bull market signal from the Dow/S&P 500.
S&P 500 Index

These are times for cautious optimism. Central banks are flooding markets with freshly printed money, driving up stock prices, but this could create a bull trap if corporate earnings, capital investment and employment fail to respond.

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China’s trade data for November disappoint

Zarathustra writes:

China’s export and import growth on a year-on-year basis were both worse than expected for November.

Export rose 2.9% in November compared with the same month last year, down from 11.6% yoy growth in October, and well below consensus estimate of 9.0% yoy, while import was flat compared to a year ago…..

See YOY chart at China’s trade data for November disappoint.

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The Global Leadership Vacuum: Europe Incapable, America Unwilling | SPIEGEL ONLINE

Gregor Peter Schmitz writes:

In 1998, then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called America the “indispensable nation.” But now, 15 years later, it is primarily an exhausted one, a global power in decline that has its gaze turned toward the domestic front rather than Afghanistan or the Middle East.

Read more at The Global Leadership Vacuum: Europe Incapable, America Unwilling – SPIEGEL ONLINE.

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A Putrid Smell Is Suddenly Emanating From European Banks | Business Insider

Wolf Richter writes:

A nauseating whiff came from Barclays Friday, when it leaked out that it has been under investigation by the Financial Services Authority and the Serious Fraud Office in Britain for illegal fundraising in 2008. Allegedly, the bank secretly loaned £5.3 billion (US $8.4 billion) to one of Qatar’s sovereign wealth funds, which then turned around and with great public fanfare pumped that money back into Barclays — a scheme to raise capital on paper to escape a government takeover during the financial crisis…..

Read more at A Putrid Smell Is Suddenly Emanating From European Banks – Business Insider.

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Federal Reserve FOMC statement | Press Release

…..Although strains in global financial markets have eased somewhat, the Committee continues to see downside risks to the economic outlook. The Committee also anticipates that inflation over the medium term likely will run at or below its 2 percent objective.

To support a stronger economic recovery and to help ensure that inflation, over time, is at the rate most consistent with its dual mandate, the Committee will continue purchasing additional agency mortgage-backed securities at a pace of $40 billion per month and longer-term Treasury securities at a pace of $45 billion per month……

To support continued progress toward maximum employment and price stability, the Committee expects that a highly accommodative stance of monetary policy will remain appropriate for a considerable time after the asset purchase program ends and the economic recovery strengthens. In particular, the Committee decided to keep the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent and currently anticipates that this exceptionally low range for the federal funds rate will be appropriate at least as long as the unemployment rate remains above 6-1/2 percent, inflation between one and two years ahead is projected to be no more than a half percentage point above the Committee’s 2 percent longer-run goal……

Read the complete statement at FRB: Press Release–Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement–January 30, 2013.

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History Of Federal Reserve Tightening | Business Insider

Matthew Boesler writes:

Deutsche Bank Chief U.S. Equity Strategist David Bianco says, “Don’t fear interest rate normalization.” That’s the title of one of his recent research notes, which takes a deep dive into what happened to markets each of the 15 times the Fed has embarked on policy tightening since 1965. Bianco writes, “DB economists and rate strategists forecast an unchanged Fed Funds rate until 2014. However, they forecast a 3.0% 10yr Treasury yield at 2013 end. When QE ends it will likely be akin to early-cycle Fed tightening and the uptick in long-term yields will represent a cyclical rise in rates, both of which are bullish.”

Chart analysis of previous tightening cycles at History Of Federal Reserve Tightening – Business Insider.

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Is gold really undervalued?

I agree with James Turk that gold is a currency. It does not generate income and is simply a store of value. Demand for gold will rise in times of uncertainty and when fiat currencies, against which it is traded, are being debased by central bank balance sheet expansion. Now central banks have been printing money since the global financial crisis in 2008, so why is gold not soaring into the stratosphere as Turk predicts?

Spot Gold

The answer lies with global deleveraging. Central banks are attempting to counter the strong deflationary effect of private sector debt repayment. The inflationary effect of their activities is largely offset by deflationary forces emanating from the GFC. If we compare the performance of gold to the CRB and DJ-UBS Commodity Indices it is clear that most commodities have not risen in tandem with gold and there is little evidence of inflation.

US Dollar Index

Copper recovered after the GFC but also seems to have hit a ceiling.

US Dollar Index

Only Brent Crude shows similar price escalation to gold. Nymex WTI Crude is far more subdued.

US Dollar Index

Without strong inflation, gold is unlikely to continue its meteoric rise. More so if there is a down-turn in crude oil and copper. Watch closely.

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For Stocks, Are Record Highs Warranted? | WSJ

Steven Russolillo at WSJ writes on the latest morning note from Nicholas Colas, chief market strategist at ConvergEx Group:

Colas says he believe stocks are “clearly setup for a pullback” over the next month, given the strong complacency that has engulfed investors of all stripes. That said, he says stocks still look attractive over a longer-term time horizon.

via For Stocks, Are Record Highs Warranted? – MarketBeat – WSJ.

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