Asian stocks fall but ASX 200 resilient

The Asia-Pacific region reacted to Friday’s sell-off in US markets, with the Nikkei and Hang Seng currently down 1.5% and 1.2% respectively. The Shanghai exchange is closed for a public holiday, while India’s DJ15 is down 0.67%. The ASX 200, however, rallied towards the close, losing only 0.17%.

The monthly chart of Japan’s Nikkei 225 continues to display a large bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow, warning of long-term selling pressure. Reversal below 14000 would signal a primary down-trend. Recovery above 15000 is as likely, however, and would indicate another advance.

Nikkei 225

* Target calculation: 15000 + ( 15000 – 14000 ) = 16000

A monthly chart shows the Shanghai Composite Index on the flight path for a soft landing. Successive falls over the past 5 years have all exceeded the previous trough by roughly 200 points and this seems unlikely to change for the foreseeable future. The problem with a managed descent is that it is likely to endure for a lot longer than a short sharp crash. Breach of primary support at 1950 would therefore offer a target of 1800.

Shanghai Composite Index

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index on the other hand displays a large bullish ascending triangle. A 13-week Twiggs Money Flow trough at zero indicates buying pressure Breakout above 24000 would signal a primary advance. Reversal below the rising trendline is unlikely, but would warn of reversal to a primary down-trend.

Hang Seng Index

* Long-term target calculation: 24000 + ( 24000 – 17000 ) = 31000

India’s Sensex encountered resistance at 22500 and is likely to retrace to test 22000. Respect would signal an advance to 23000*. Bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow, however, warns of short/medium-term selling pressure. Reversal below 21500 is unlikely, but would indicate another correction.

Sensex

* Target calculation: 21500 + ( 21500 – 20000 ) = 23000

The ASX 200 proved surprisingly resilient, rallying toward the close. Rising 21-day Twiggs Money Flow indicates medium-term buying pressure, but expect strong resistance at 5450/5460. Breakout above 5450/5460 would signal an advance to 5600*. Respect of resistance or a false break, however, would warn of another test of support at 5300 and possibly a stronger correction. Primary support at 5050 does not at this stage appear threatened and the index remains in an up-trend.

ASX 200

* Target calculation: 5450 + ( 5450 – 5300 ) = 5600

ASX 200 VIX below 12 continues to indicate low risk typical of a bull market.

ASX 200

China: Shanghai falters

China’s Shanghai Composite Index encountered resistance at 2100 last week. Reversal below long-term support at 1950 would signal a decline to the 2009 low of 1650*. 13-week Twiggs Money Flow below zero indicates selling pressure. Recovery above 2180 is unlikely, but would complete a double-bottom reversal.

Shanghai Composite Index

* Target calculation: 1950 – ( 2250 – 1950 ) = 1650

China rebound boosts ASX

China’s Shanghai Composite Index found strong support at 1990/2000. Breakout above 2080 would suggest a rally to 2150. Rising 21-day Twiggs Money Flow indicates medium-term buying pressure. Breach of 1990 is now unlikely, but would warn of a decline to 1850.

Shanghai Composite Index

* Target calculation: 2000 – ( 2150 – 2000 ) = 1850

The ASX 200 responded with buying support, signaled by two long tails, at 5290. Recovery above 5380 would suggest another advance (confirmed by breakout above 5460), while failure of 5290 would signal continuation of the correction towards primary support at 5050.

ASX 200

* Target calculation: 5400 + ( 5400 – 5000 ) = 5800

ASX 200 VIX below 13 indicates low market risk.

Shanghai threatens primary support

China’s Shanghai Composite Index is again testing primary support at 1990/2000. The triangle formation on 21-day Twiggs Money Flow indicates uncertainty. Breach of 1990 would warn of a primary decline to 1850. Respect is less likely, but would suggest a (bear) rally to 2080.

Shanghai Composite Index

* Target calculation: 2000 – ( 2150 – 2000 ) = 1850

Dr Copper: China weakening

Falling copper prices reflect a weakening Chinese economy. Follow-through below $6600/tonne, after breaching primary support at $6800, signals a primary down-trend.

Copper

Asia: India bullish while China finds support

India’s Sensex retraced after encountering sellers at 22000, but Monday’s engulfing candle indicates support. Breakout above 22000 would signal an advance to 23000*. Reversal below 21300 is unlikely, but would warn of another correction. Momentum troughs above zero suggest a healthy primary up-trend.

Sensex

* Target calculation: 21500 + ( 21500 – 20000 ) = 23000

Japan’s Nikkei 225 is headed for another test of 14000 after a false break above 15000. Breach of support would signal a primary down-trend. Bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow continues to warn of selling pressure; reversal below zero would also indicate a primary down-trend.

Nikkei 225

* Target calculation: 14000 – ( 15000 – 14000 ) = 13000

China’s Shanghai Composite Index found support at 1990/2000. Follow-through above the rising trendline would indicate another bear rally. Bullish divergence on 21-day Twiggs Money Flow suggests medium-term buying pressure. Reversal below 1990 is unlikely at present, but would warn of a decline to 1850.

Shanghai Composite Index

* Target calculation: 2000 – ( 2150 – 2000 ) = 1850

China threatens decline

China’s Shanghai Composite Index is testing primary support at 2000. Breach would warn of a decline to 1850*. Follow-through below 1990 would confirm. Reversal of 21-day Twiggs Money Flow below zero would also warn of a primary down-trend. Recovery above 2080 is unlikely, but would indicate another test of 2150.

Shanghai Composite Index

* Target calculation: 2000 – ( 2150 – 2000 ) = 1850

China will never support Putin on Crimea

Offering the people of Crimea a referendum — on whether to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation — may appeal to Vladimir Putin but he should not expect support from China. For two very simple reasons: Hong Kong and Taiwan. China claims these two territories as part of China, but there are no prizes for guessing the outcome if a similar referendum (to secede) were held in either territory.

Shanghai remains bearish

China’s Shanghai Composite Index is testing short-term resistance at 2080. Breach would suggest another test of 2180. But the primary trend is downward and follow-through below 1990 would signal a decline to 1850*.

Shanghai Composite Index

* Target calculation: 2000 – ( 2150 – 2000 ) = 1850

China Sides With Russia on Ukraine | The Diplomat

Shannon Tiezzi writes:

China’s ambiguous position reveals its dilemma. Beijing’s instinct is to back Moscow, both to uphold the fruitful cooperation between these two nations and to stand firm against pressure from the West. However, vocally supporting Russia would violate China’s principle of non-interference. More importantly, it could arguably set a precedent of Chinese support for military intervention to protect separatists unhappy with their government—which goes against all China’s instincts, given its own issues with Tibet and Xinjiang provinces. Yet as the Global Times put it, at the end of the day power calculations mean more than principles. China’s geopolitical strategy requires Beijing to at least tacitly support Russia, and at the end of the day that argument outweighs more abstract philosophical concerns.

Read more at China Backs Russia on Ukraine | The Diplomat.