Category: Countries & Regions

Posted on

S&P 500 support but TSX bearish

The S&P 500 ran into resistance at 1700, but long tails on the last two days indicate support at 1675. Follow-through above 1700 would offer a target of 1800*. The 21-day Twiggs Money Flow trough above zero indicates a healthy up-trend, but a lower peak than May would warn of selling pressure. Reversal below support at 1650 is unlikely, warning of another test of primary support at 1560.

S&P 500 Index

* Target calculation: 1680 + ( 1680 – 1560 ) = 1800

The VIX below 15 indicates historically low market risk.

VIX Index

Canada’s TSX 60 VIX is similarly bullish.

TSX 60 VIX Index

The TSX Composite Index encountered resistance below 12900, however, and declining 13-week Twiggs Money Flow warns of continued selling pressure. Respect of 12900 would indicate another test of 11750. Breakout above 12900 is less likely, but would offer a long-term target of 14000*.
TSX Composite Index

* Target calculation: 13000 + ( 13000 – 12000 ) = 14000

Posted on

Forex: Euro strengthens, Loonie and Aussie weaken

The Euro continues to test medium-term resistance at $1.32. Respect of primary support at $1.27 is likely, following bullish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Momentum. Breakout above $1.32 would strengthen the signal, while follow-through above $1.37 would confirm a fresh advance, offering a target of $1.50. Reversal below $1.27 is unlikely, but would warn of a primary down-trend.

Euro/USD

* Target calculation: 1.37 + ( 1.37 – 1.27 ) = 1.47

The greenback continues to test resistance at ¥100 against the Yen. Follow-through above ¥101.50 would suggest a new advance, while breakout above ¥104 would confirm, offering a target of ¥114*. Reversal below ¥98.50 is unlikely, but would warn of a test primary support at ¥94.

USD/JPY

* Target calculation: 104 + ( 104 – 94 ) = 114

Canada’s Loonie respected support at $0.94, suggesting a rally to test resistance at parity against the greenback. The monthly chart displays long-term selling pressure, however, and another test of primary support at $0.94 is likely. Breakout would warn offer a target of $0.84*. Declining 13-week Twiggs Momentum already suggests a primary down-trend.

Canadian Loonie

* Target calculation: 0.94 – ( 1.04 – 0.94 ) = 0.84

A monthly chart of the Aussie Dollar displays a similar pattern against the greenback, with a broad top followed by breakout below primary support at $0.95. Support at $0.90 provides temporary respite, but the long-term target is $0.80*. Again, declining 13-week Twiggs Momentum indicates a primary down-trend.

Aussie Dollar

* Target calculation: 0.95 – ( 1.10 – 0.95 ) = 0.80

The Aussie/Kiwi cross has exceeded its target of $1.15*, steady decline on the weekly chart reflecting the impact of falling commodity prices. Breakout above the descending trendline would indicate a rally to test resistance at $1.21, but that seems a way off with the decline in 13-week Twiggs Momentum accelerating.

Aussie/Kiwi Dollar

* Target calculation: 1.21 – ( 1.27 – 1.21 ) = 1.15

Posted on

EconoMonitor » Beijing’s New Leaders Are Right to Hold Back

Michael Pettis argues that China cannot stimulate its economy out of trouble:

There are still bulls out there who insist that China is out of the woods and making a strong recovery, for example former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Stephen Grenville, who argues in his article strangely titled China doomsayers run out of arguments:

“The missing element from the low growth narrative is that unemployment would rise, provoking a stimulatory policy response. China would extend the transition and put up with low-return investment recall that when unemployment was the issue, Keynes was prepared to put people to work digging holes and filling them in rather than have unemployment rise sharply. To be convincing, the low-growth scenario needs to explain why this policy response will not be effective.”

It seems to me that the reason why simply “provoking a stimulatory policy response” won’t help China has been explained many times, even recently by former China bulls. Of course more stimulus will indeed cause GDP growth to pick up, as Grenville notes, but it will do so by exacerbating the gap between the growth in debt and the growth in debt-servicing capacity. Because too much debt and a huge amount of overvalued assets is precisely the problem facing China, it is hard to believe that spending more borrowed money on increasing already excessive capacity can possibly be a useful resolution of slower Chinese growth.

Read more at EconoMonitor : EconoMonitor » Beijing’s New Leaders Are Right to Hold Back.

Posted on

ASX 200 finds resistance, China tests support

China’s Shanghai Composite Index continues to test long-term support at 1950. Breakout would signal a primary decline, with a target of the 2008 low at 1660. Reversal of 13-week Twiggs Money Flow below zero warns of rising selling pressure. Respect of 1950 is unlikely, but would indicate a rally to 2150.

Shanghai Composite Index

Japan’s Nikkei 225 found resistance at 15000, but the primary trend is upward and retracement that respects the rising trendline would suggest another advance. Declining peaks on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow would indicate selling pressure.  Follow-through above 15000 would test the earlier high at 16000.

Nikkei 225 Index

India’s Sensex is testing resistance at 20200. Breakout would signal an advance to 22000*. Recovery of 13-week Twiggs Money Flow above its May peak indicates buying pressure. Respect of resistance at 20200 is unlikely, but would re-test the rising trendline.

BSE Sensex Index

* Target calculation: 20000 + ( 20000 – 18000 ) = 22000

The ASX 200 is consolidating in a narrow band below resistance at 5000 — a bullish sign suggesting a test of the May peak at 5250. Highs of 5000 in 2010 and 2011 give this level additional significance and breakout would indicate an advance to 5850*. Follow-through above 5250 would confirm. Reversal of 21-day Twiggs Money Flow below zero merely indicates short-term selling pressure. Reversal below 4850 is unlikely, but would warn of another test of primary support at 4650.

ASX 200 Index

* Target calculation: 5250 + ( 5250 – 4650 ) = 5850

Posted on

Europe: DAX and FTSE 100 recovery

Germany’s DAX recovered above its 2007/2008 high at 8200, signaling a primary advance with a long-term target of 9500*. Breach of resistance at 8500 would confirm. 13-Week Twiggs Money Flow is above zero, but remains weak, warning of further retracement to test support at 8000. Reversal below 8000 is unlikely, but would warn of another test of the rising trendline around 7700.
DAX Index

* Target calculation: 8500 + ( 8500 – 7500 ) = 9500

The FTSE 100 is testing resistance at the 2008 high of 6750. Breakout would signal an advance to 7500*. Follow-through above the 1999/2000 high at 7000 would confirm. Respect of 6750 would indicate further consolidation above primary support at 6000.
FTSE 100 Index

* Target calculation: 6750 + ( 6750 – 6000 ) = 7500

Italy’s MIB Index respected primary support at 15000. Breakout above resistance at 16000 indicates another test of 17500. Repeated troughs above zero on 13-Week Twiggs Money Flow suggest a healthy up-trend.
MIB Index

Spain’s Madrid General Index displays a weaker retracement above long-term support at 760, while 13-Week Twiggs Money Flow below zero indicates selling pressure. Breakout below 760 would warn of a test of the 2012 low at 600. Respect of support, however, would indicate another rally to 880* — especially if accompanied by breakout above 820 or 13-week TMF recovery above zero.
Madrid General Index

* Target calculation: 820 + ( 820 – 760 ) = 880

Posted on

S&P 500 breakout

Short candles on the S&P 500 indicate some opposition, but breakout above resistance at 1675 indicates an advance to 1800*. Follow-through above 1700 would strengthen the signal. The 21-day Twiggs Money Flow trough above zero indicates medium-term buying pressure — and a healthy up-trend. Reversal below 1650 is unlikely, but would warn of another test of primary support at 1560.

S&P 500 Index

* Target calculation: 1680 + ( 1680 – 1560 ) = 1800

The VIX below 15 suggests low market risk.

VIX Index

The TSX Composite Index is advancing towards resistance at 12900. Breakout would signal a primary advance, with a long-term target of 14000*. Follow-through above 13000 would strengthen the signal. Breach of the declining trendline on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow would also suggest improving buying pressure. Respect of 12900, however, and reversal of 13-week TMF below zero, would warn of another test of 11750.

TSX Composite Index

* Target calculation: 13000 + ( 13000 – 12000 ) = 14000

Posted on

Finally, Bank Regulators Have Had Enough | ProPublica

Jesse Eisinger observes US bank reactions to efforts to raise their minimum capital requirements. Many argue that the new rules will harm their competiveness.

Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan, raised the ominous specter that global rules are out of “harmonization” and that United States banks are now held to a higher standard.

“We have one part of the world at two times what the other part of the world is talking about,” he said. “And I don’t think there’s any industry out there that would be comfortable with something like that in a long run.”

To rebut that, I bring in a banking expert: Jamie Dimon. This side of Mr. Dimon’s mouth has repeatedly boasted about what a competitive advantage JPMorgan’s “fortress balance sheet” is, how the bank was a port in the 2008 storm…….

By raising capital standards and installing tougher derivatives rules, regulators are helping banks that are too foolish (or rather, the top executives who are too narrowly self-interested in increasing their own compensation in the short term) to recognize their own interests.

Increasing bank capital requirements would lower their perceived risk and decrease their cost of capital, giving them an advantage over international rivals with less stringent standards.

Read more at Finally, Bank Regulators Have Had Enough – ProPublica.

Posted on

Forex: Euro rallies, Yen weakens, Aussie consolidates

The Euro continues to test medium-term resistance at $1.32 on the weekly chart. Breakout above $1.32 would suggest a primary advance, with a target of $1.40* — confirmed if resistance at $1.34 is broken. But oscillation of 63-day Twiggs Momentum around zero does not indicate a strong trend and respect of resistance remains as likely.

Euro/USD

* Target calculation: 1.34 + ( 1.34 – 1.28 ) = 1.40

The greenback recovered above long-term support at ¥100 against the Yen, indicating continuation of the advance, with a target of ¥114*. Follow-through above ¥101.50 would confirm. Reversal below ¥100 is unlikely, but would warn of a test primary support at ¥94; confirmed if support at ¥98.50 is broken.

USD/JPY

* Target calculation: 104 + ( 104 – 94 ) = 114

Canada’s Loonie broke resistance at $0.96, suggesting a rally to the descending trendline and resistance at $0.98 against the greenback. Reversal below $0.96, however, would warn of another test of support at $0.9450. 63-Day Twiggs Momentum declining while below zero reflects a healthy primary down-trend.

Canadian Loonie

The Aussie Dollar is consolidating below medium-term resistance at $0.93 against the greenback. Breakout would signal a rally to the primary trendline at $0.96. But the primary trend remains downward and respect of $0.93 would re-test $0.90. The long-term target remains at $0.80* against the greenback. The RBA favors a softer dollar to cushion the impact of falling commodity prices.

Aussie Dollar

* Target calculation: 0.95 – ( 1.10 – 0.95 ) = 0.80

The impact of the declining resources sector is reflected in the primary down-trend on the Aussie/New Zealand Dollar cross. AUDNZD is approaching its target of $1.15 and breakout above the descending trendline would indicate a rally to test resistance at $1.21. But respect of $1.21 would be likely, suggesting another downward leg on the Aussie/Kiwi cross.

Aussie Dollar

* Target calculation: 1.21 – ( 1.27 – 1.21 ) = 1.15

Posted on

Canadian housing bubble looks ripe for popping | Toronto Star

Adam Peterson writes the Canadian housing bubble is headed for a “slow-motion” crash:

My gravest concern is that Canada is fast approaching a 5:1 home-price-to-income ratio, a benchmark achieved by the U.S. at the peak in 2006. Since the correction, the U.S. ratio now hovers at approximately 3:1.

To compound the problem, household debt in Canada has breached 150 per cent of income and continues in the wrong direction; households are not cushioned against a blow.

Australian household debt is also hovering around 150% of disposable income.

Australian household debt to disposable income

While the price-to-income ratio varies between 4 and more than 6 depending on whether you use national averages or median data.
Australian house price-to-income ratio

Read more at Canadian housing bubble looks ripe for popping | Toronto Star.

Powered by WordPress / WordPress Maintenance Service By Website Helper