Countries & Regions Archives - Page 187 of 383

February 10, 2014April 18, 2024

DAX finds support

The Euro retraced from resistance at $1.39 but appears unlikely to penetrate the rising trendline (having recently signaled a primary advance). Breach would warn of of trend weakness, but recovery above $1.39 is more likely and would signal an advance to $1.46*.

Euro

* Target calculation: 1.37 + ( 1.37 – 1.28 ) = 1.46

The dragonfly candlestick on Germany’s DAX indicates strong support at 9000. Recovery above 9400 would suggest the correction is over and breakout above 9800 would signal a fresh advance with a target of 10600*. Reversal below 9000 is unlikely, but would warn of a correction to the primary trendline. Completion of another 13-week Twiggs Money Flow trough high above zero would signal strong long-term buying pressure.

DAX

* Target calculation: 9800 + ( 9800 – 9000 ) = 10600

Retreat of DAX Volatility below 20 suggests low risk indicative of a bull market.

DAX

February 9, 2014April 18, 2024

S&P 500 finds support

The S&P 500 hammer candlestick on the weekly chart indicates support at 1750 and the secondary trendline. Follow-through above 1800 would strengthen the signal, suggesting an advance to 2000*. Breakout above 1850 would confirm. Recovery of 13-week Twiggs Money Flow above 40% (the most recent high) would indicate that the correction is over. Breach of 1750 seems unlikely, but would warn of a test of the primary trendline, around 1700.

S&P 500

* Target calculation: 1850 + ( 1850 – 1700 ) = 2000

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) retreated below 20, suggesting low risk typical of a bull market.

VIX Index

February 5, 2014

Crude: Nymex WTI down-trend

Nymex Light Crude is headed for another test of resistance at $100/barrel. Respect of resistance is likely, given the primary down-trend, and would suggest another test of primary support at $92/barrel. Breach of primary support would offer a target of $84/barrel*. Recovery above $100 is unlikely and another 13-week Twiggs Momentum peak below zero would strengthen the bear signal. Brent crude is headed for another test of support at $104/barrel. Breach would join Nymex crude in a primary down-trend.

Brent Crude and Nymex Crude

* Target calculation: 92 – ( 100 – 92 ) = 84

February 5, 2014

Taxes and corporate profits

A secondary element — when compared to wages, raw materials and interest rates — is the impact of a lower effective tax rate [blue line] on US corporate profits (CP/GDP). Part of the post-GFC fall in the effective corporate tax rate can be attributed to tax losses, incurred during the GFC and used to shield current income. Tax savings are likely to be short-lived, with effective tax rates returning to pre-GFC levels around 24%.

Effective Corporate Tax Rate

February 5, 2014

Interest Rates and the Dollar: Not much change

The yield on ten-year Treasury Notes is headed for a test of primary support at 2.50 percent after penetrating the rising trendline. Bearish divergence on 13-week twiggs Momentum strengthens the signal and reversal below zero would warn of a primary down-trend. Breach of 2.50 remains unlikely, but would offer a target of 2.00 percent*.

10-Year Treasury Yields

* Target calculation: 2.50 – ( 3.00 – 2.50 ) = 2.00

Despite falling yields, the Dollar Index is testing resistance at 81.50. Breakout would signal a primary advance to 83.00*. Recovery of 13-week Twiggs Momentum above zero would strengthen the signal. Reversal below 79.70 is less likely, but would warn of another test of support at 79.00.

Dollar Index

* Target calculation: 81.5 + ( 81.5 – 80 ) = 83

February 5, 2014

Wages and corporate profits

Employee Compensation as a percentage of Net Value Added (by US Corporate Business) has fallen sharply since the GFC, boosting corporate profits. Again we can observe an inverse relationship, with corporate profits spiking when compensation rates fall, and vice versa.

Employee Compensation compared to Net Value Added

A sharp fall in unemployment would send wage rates soaring, as employers bid for scarce labor. But that is not yet on the horizon and we are likely to experience soft wage rates until the economy recovers.

February 5, 2014

Interest rates and corporate profits

Low interest rates clearly boost corporate profits. The inverse relationship is evident from the strong profits recorded in the 1950s, when corporate bond rates were lower than at present, and also the big hole in profits in the 1980s, when interest rates spiked dramatically during Paul Volcker’s reign at the Fed.

Corporate Profits and AAA Bond Yields

The outlook for inflation is muted and the rise in interest rates likely to be gradual over several years, rather than a sharp spike, if the Fed has its way.

February 5, 2014

Commodity prices effect on corporate profits

Sharp spikes in the US Industrial Commodities PPI (producer price index) often precede a drop in Corporate Profits (expressed below as a ratio to GDP). And sharp falls in the PPI tend to precipitate a surge in profits.

US Corporate Profits/GDP compared to Industrial Commodities PPI - 5 Years

The 5-year chart above shows PPI growth close to zero since 2012. With wages, raw material costs and interest rates near long-term lows, there is little wonder that corporate profits have surged. The question is: how long will the three remain low? That depends on how fast the global economy recovers. And how long rising demand (from the recovery) is able to withstand rising input costs.

For the chartists: A Long-term View

A long-term view of Corporate Profits/GDP compared to Industrial Commodities PPI shows the relationship is not a perfect inverse, but profits clearly tend to run counter to the rate of PPI growth.

US Corporate Profits/GDP compared to Industrial Commodities PPI

February 5, 2014

A Mis-Leading Labor Market Indicator | Liberty Street Economics

From a paper by Samuel Kapon and Joseph Tracy at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York:

As the economy recovered and growth resumed, the unemployment rate has fallen to 6.7 percent. …..The employment-population (E/P) ratio frequently is used as an additional labor market measure. The E/P ratio is defined as the number of employed divided by the size of the working-age, noninstitutionalized population. An advantage of the E/P ratio over the unemployment rate is that it is not impacted by discouraged workers who stop looking for employment.

Employment-population (E/P) ratio

Since the end of the recession, the E/P ratio has largely remained constant—that is, virtually none of the decline in the E/P ratio from the Great Recession has been recovered to date. An implication is that the 7.6 million jobs added since the trough of employment in February 2010 has essentially just kept pace with growth in the working-age population. In its failure to recover, the E/P ratio would seem to depict a much weaker labor market than indicated by the unemployment rate. An important question is whether this is a correct or a misleading characterization of the degree of the labor market recovery…….

Hat tip to Barry Ritholz.

February 4, 2014

ASX 200 at risk

The ASX 200 is at far greater risk of reverting to a primary down-trend. Retreat of 13-week Twiggs Money Flow below zero, after a bearish divergence, warns of strong selling pressure. Failure of support at 5050 would strengthen the signal, while breach of 5000 would confirm. Respect of the rising trendline is unlikely, but would continue the up-trend.

ASX 200

Breach of support at 5000 would suggest a fall to the long-term trendline, around 4600. Reversal of 13-week Twiggs Momentum below zero again suggests a primary down-trend.

ASX 200

The ASX 200 VIX is rising, but below 20 still reflects low market risk.

ASX 200

Also, none of our macro-economic/volatility indicators indicate elevated risk, but you can’t argue with the tape.