Bullish lead-in to the New Year

The S&P 500 broke resistance at 1810, signaling an advance to 1910*. Troughs high above zero on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicate strong buying pressure.

S&P 500

* Target calculation: 1810 + ( 1810 – 1710 ) = 1910

The FTSE 100 completed its correction with a break above the descending trendline. Troughs above zero on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicate buying pressure. Breakout above 6800 would offer a target of 7200*, but expect strong resistance at the 1999 high of 6950/7000.

FTSE 100

* Target calculation: 6800 + ( 6800 – 6400 ) = 7200

The Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50 broke resistance at 3100, signaling an advance to 3350*. Troughs above zero on 13-week Twiggs Momentum indicate a healthy up-trend. Retracement to test the new support level is likely; respect would strengthen the bull signal.

Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50

* Target calculation: 3100 + ( 3100 – 2850 ) = 3350

Germany’s DAX similarly broke resistance at 9400, offering a target of 10200*. Troughs high above zero on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicate strong buying pressure.

DAX

* Target calculation: 9400 + ( 9400 – 8600 ) = 10200

India’s SENSEX is testing resistance at 21200 after a correction that respected support at 20200. Breakout would signal an advance to 22200*. A 13-week Twiggs Money Flow trough above zero would indicate buying pressure and a healthy up-trend.

BSE Sensex

* Target calculation: 21200 + ( 21200 – 20200 ) = 22200

Japan’s Nikkei 225 broke resistance at 16000, supported by a strong rise in the Dollar/Yen exchange rate. Breakout signals a primary advance with a long-term target of 19000*. Completion of a 13-week Twiggs Money Flow trough above zero suggests buying pressure and a healthy up-trend.

Nikkei 225

* Target calculation: 16000 + ( 16000- 13000 ) = 19000

A single cloud on the horizon, the Shanghai Composite Index is testing primary support at 2080. Failure of support would signal a primary down-trend with an immediate target of 1900*. Bearish divergence on 21-day Twiggs Money Flow indicates medium-term selling pressure, but recovery above zero would suggest support.

Shanghai Composite

* Target calculation: 2080 – ( 2260 – 2080 ) = 1900

The ASX 200 is lagging other markets because of negative influence from China. Bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicates selling pressure. Respect of resistance at 5450 would be cause for concern if followed by reversal below 5300. Breakout above 5450 and completion of a trough above zero on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow, however, would signal another primary advance, with a target of 5900*.

ASX 200

* Target calculation: 5450 + ( 5450 – 5000 ) = 5900

Strong recovery in 2014

The S&P 500 followed through above 1810, signaling another primary advance. Troughs high above zero on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicate strong long-term buying pressure. Short corrections such as the recent retracement are normally followed by strong gains, but there is no reliable method calculating targets in an accelerating up-trend. The target of 1910* calculated by the conventional method may well underestimate the advance.

S&P 500

* Target calculation: 1810 + ( 1810 – 1710 ) = 1910

My favorite bellwether, transport stock Fedex, is surging ahead on the monthly chart, suggesting a strong recovery for the US economy in the year ahead.

Fedex

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) readings below 20 also suggest a bull market.

VIX Index

What Happens When Unemployment Benefits Are Cut? North Carolina Offers a Clue | WSJ

Cutting out benefits can reduce the jobless rate in two ways, says Mr. Feroli [Michael Feroli, chief U.S. economist at J.P. Morgan], pointing to past economic literature. Under the employment effect, people will take jobs even if the work pays less than the job seekers want. In the participation effect, people will drop out of the measured workforce since actively seeking a job (a criterion for being labeled officially unemployed) no longer carries an advantage of receiving jobless benefits.

Read more at What Happens When Unemployment Benefits Are Cut? North Carolina Offers a Clue – Real Time Economics – WSJ.

Canada: TSX 60 finds support

Canada’s TSX 60 found support at 750. Recovery above 780 would signal an advance to 810*. Another 13-week Twiggs Money Flow trough above zero would confirm strong buying pressure. Reversal below 740 remains unlikely, but would warn of a test of primary support at 675/680.

TSX 60

* Target calculation: 780 + ( 780 – 750 ) = 810

Low TSX 60 VIX readings suggest a bull market.

TSX 60 VIX

S&P 500 correction over?

The S&P 500 found support at 1775, but declining 21-day Twiggs Money Flow warns the correction is not yet over. Breach of 1775 would indicate a test of the ascending trendline and medium-term support at 1730. Recovery above 1810 is less likely, but would suggest an accelerating up-trend — with sharper gains and shorter retracements.

S&P 500

* Target calculation: 1725 + ( 1725 – 1650 ) = 1800

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) readings below 20 are indicative of a bull market.

VIX Index

S&P 500 threatens correction

The S&P 500 is again testing support at 1780; breakout would warn of a correction. Initial support is at 1710, with primary support and the long-term trendline at 1630. Bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicates medium-term selling pressure. Recovery above 1810 is now unlikely.

S&P 500

* Target calculation: 1725 + ( 1725 – 1650 ) = 1800

The ASX 200 is already undergoing a correction after breaking support at 5300. Failure of support between 4900 and 5000 would warn of a test of primary support at 4650. Bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicates far more severe selling pressure. A fall below zero would suggest reversal to a primary down-trend, but only breach of 4650 would confirm.

ASX 200

S&P 500: No sign of a correction

The S&P 500 has reached its target of 1800 for the current advance, suggesting the market is due for a correction. But there is no sign of selling pressure on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow. Follow-through above 1820 would suggest an accelerating up-trend — with sharper gains and shorter retracements. Reversal below short-term support at 1780 is less likely, but would warn of a correction.

S&P 500

* Target calculation: 1725 + ( 1725 – 1650 ) = 1800

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) continues to indicate a bull market, with readings below 15.

VIX Index

Forex: Dollar and Sterling strengthen

The Euro is rallying for another test of resistance at $1.37 after finding support at $1.3350 against the greenback. Troughs above zero on 13-week Twiggs Momentum suggest a healthy up-trend. Breakout above $1.37 would signal an advance to $1.40*. Respect of resistance, indicated by reversal below the secondary rising trendline, would, however, warn of a correction to the primary trendline at $1.31.

Euro/USD

* Target calculation: 1.37 + ( 1.37 – 1.34 ) = 1.40

Sterling breakout above resistance at €1.20 signals a primary up-trend. Recovery of 13-week Twiggs Momentum above zero strengthens the signal. Target for the advance is €1.23*. Reversal below €1.19 is unlikely, but would warn of another test of €1.1650.

Sterling/Euro

* Target calculation: 1.20 + ( 1.20 – 1.17 ) = 1.23

The Greenback is likely to retrace to test the new support level at ¥101 Japanese Yen. Respect would confirm an advance with a target of ¥108*. The trough above zero on 13-week Twiggs Momentum strengthens the signal. Reversal below ¥101 is unlikely, penetration of the rising trendline warning of trend weakness.

USD/JPY

* Target calculation: 1.01 + ( 1.01 – 0.94 ) = 1.08

Canada’s Loonie broke primary support at $0.94, signaling another decline with a target of $0.915*. A peak below zero on 13-week Twiggs Momentum strengthens the signal. Recovery above $0.945 is unlikely, but would warn of a bear trap.

Canadian Loonie

* Target calculation: 0.945 – ( 0.975 – 0.945 ) = 0.915

The Aussie Dollar is heading for a test of primary support at $0.89. The peak below zero on 13-week Twiggs Momentum signals continuation of the down-trend. Breakout below $0.89 would offer a long-term target of $0.81*, while respect of support would suggest a rally to $0.93. The RBA needs a weaker Aussie Dollar, without lowering interest rates, and will do all it can to assist the decline.

Aussie Dollar

* Target calculation: 0.89 – ( 0.97 – 0.89 ) = 0.81

TSX tests resistance

Canada’s TSX 60 is testing resistance at 780 on the monthly chart. Breakout would signal an advance to 800* — and possibly the 2011 high of 820. Rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicates buying pressure. Respect of resistance is unlikely, but would warn of a correction to 740.

TSX 60

* Target calculation: 740 + ( 740 – 680 ) = 800

Bullish outlook despite retracement

Dow Jones Industrial Average retraced to test short-term support at 16000. Breach would suggest a correction to test the rising trendline at 15500. Mild bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow warns of medium-term selling pressure. Target for the advance is 16600* and respect of support at 15500 would suggest another advance.

Dow Jones Industrial Average

* Target calculation: 15700 + ( 15700 – 14800 ) = 16600

The S&P 500 is also testing short-term support, but at 1800*. Bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow warns of medium-term selling pressure. Breach of support would signal a correction to the rising trendline around 1730. Respect of the trendline would indicate a healthy up-trend.

S&P 500

* Target calculation: 1725 + ( 1725 – 1650 ) = 1800

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) below 15 continues to indicate low market risk.

VIX Index

Bellwether transport stock Fedex displays a huge surge on the monthly chart, with rising Twiggs Money Flow indicating strong buying pressure. A bullish sign for the US economy.

Fedex

* Target calculation: 100 + ( 100 – 70 ) = 130

The Nasdaq 100 continues its accelerating up-trend. Rising Twiggs Money Flow, with higher troughs above the zero line, indicates strong buying pressure. Target for the advance is 3550*. Reversal below 3350 would warn of a correction. Short corrections and narrow consolidations are typical of an accelerating trend. Unsustainable in the long-term, accelerating trends almost inevitably lead to a sharp correction.

Nasdaq 100

* Target calculation: 3400 + ( 3400 – 3250 ) = 3550

Overall, I am bullish on the US market. Attempting to time entries and exits from secondary movements is expensive and our strategy at Research & Investment is to remain in the market unless risks become elevated.