US & Canada Archives - Page 92 of 172

September 23, 2013

Dow warns of reversal but VIX refutes

Dow Jones Industrial Average tall shadow (or wick) on last week’s candle warns of short-term selling pressure — echoing the long-term bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow. Reversal below 14800 would confirm a primary down-trend. Breakout above 15660 is unlikely, but would signal a fresh advance.

Dow Jones Industrial Average

However, VIX below 15 continues to suggest a bull market.

VIX Index

I have more faith in the calculation of the S&P 500 index — which displays a milder bearish divergence. While reversal below 1630 would signal a reversal, it would not penetrate the long-term rising trendline; only breach of 1530 would be cause for serious alarm. Respect of support at 1630, on the other hand, would be bullish, suggesting an advance to 1850.

S&P 500

* Target calculation: 1700 + ( 1700 – 1550 ) = 1850

September 22, 2013

Emperors of Banking Have No Clothes | Bloomberg

The too-big-to-fail problem for banks is greater today than it was in 2008. Since then, the largest U.S. banks have become much larger. On March 31, 2012, the debt of JPMorgan Chase was valued at $2.13 trillion and that of Bank of America Corp. at $1.95 trillion, more than three times the debt of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. The debt of the five largest U.S. banks totals about $8 trillion. These figures would be even larger under European accounting rules.

By Anat Admati & Martin Hellwig

September 19, 2013

Companies Unplug From the Electric Grid, Delivering a Jolt to Utilities | WSJ.com

On a hill overlooking the Susquehanna River, two big wind turbines crank out electricity for Kroger Co.’s KR +0.02% Turkey Hill Dairy in rural Lancaster County, Pa., allowing it to save 25% on its power bill for the past two years.

….From big-box retailers to high-tech manufacturers, more companies across the country are producing their own power. Since 2006, the number of electricity-generation units at commercial and industrial sites has more than quadrupled to roughly 40,000 from about 10,000, according to federal statistics.

By REBECCA SMITH and CASSANDRA SWEET

September 17, 2013

Forex: Euro, Sterling and Aussie Dollar strengthen

The Euro found support at $1.31, the short retracement suggesting a breakout above resistance at $1.34/$1.3450. Breakout would offer a target of $1.40*. Rising 13-week Twiggs Momentum indicates a healthy primary up-trend.

Euro/USD

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

Sterling is doing even better, breaking through resistance at €1.19 after piercing the descending trendline. Breakout completes a double bottom reversal with a target of €1.24*. Recovery of 13-week Twiggs Momentum above zero also suggests a primary up-trend. Reversal below €1.16 would warn of a bull trap, but is most unlikely.

Sterling/Euro

* Target calculation: 1.19 + ( 1.19 – 1.14 ) = 1.24

The greenback is stabilizing against the Yen after losing momentum over the last 3 months. The recent rally respected resistance at ¥100/101 and another test of ¥96 is likely. Breakout above ¥101 would offer a target of ¥106*, but failure of support at ¥96 remains as likely, and would warn of a primary down-trend.

USD/JPY

* Target calculation: 101 + ( 101 – 96 ) = 106

Canada’s Loonie is headed for a test of the descending trendline and resistance at $0.9750. Bullish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Momentum favors a breakout, while recovery above zero would suggest a primary up-trend. Breakout would also complete a double-bottom reversal, with a target of parity*. Reversal below $0.96 is unlikely, but would warn of another test of primary support at $0.9450.

Canadian Loonie

* Target calculation: 97.5 + ( 97.5 – 94.5 ) = 100.5

The Aussie Dollar also completed a double-bottom reversal against the greenback — this time on a daily chart — offering a target of $0.95*. Follow-through above $0.93 confirms the signal. Reversal below $0.92 is unlikely, but would warn of another test of primary support at $0.89.

Aussie Dollar

* Target calculations: 0.92 + ( 0.92 – 0.89 ) = 0.95

The Aussie continues to weaken against its Kiwi neighbour. Respect of primary support at $1.12 and recovery above the descending trendline, however, would warn that a bottom is forming. Breakout above $1.16 would confirm, offering a target of $1.20*.

Kiwi Dollar

* Target calculations: 1.16 + ( 1.16 – 1.12 ) = 1.20

September 17, 2013

Higher Bank Capital Requirements are Necessary but not Sufficient to Prevent the Next Crisis | naked capitalism

Bill Black explains why higher capital requirements for banks is only part of the solution. Capital is simply an accounting measure of Assets minus Liabilities and bankers are not above gaming this to their advantage.

….There were hundreds of Office of Thrift Supervision examiners whose opinions repeatedly proved vastly superior to the economists’ predictions during the S&L debacle. Akerlof and Romer concluded their 1993 article with these sentences in order to emphasize this message to their peers.

The S&L crisis, however, was also caused by misunderstanding. Neither the public nor economists foresaw that the [deregulation] of the 1980s were bound to produce looting. Nor, unaware of the concept, could they have known how serious it would be. Thus the regulators in the field who understood what was happening from the beginning found lukewarm support, at best, for their cause. Now we know better. If we learn from experience, history need not repeat itself. (Akerlof and Romer 1993: 60)

Larry and Janet: please listen to the regulators in the field. Please end Ben Bernanke’s practice of placing economists in charge of Fed supervision. The Fed’s economists are a major source of the Fed’s problems….. the solution needs to come from the people in the field. That is particularly true with regard to detecting systemic risks.

September 16, 2013

TSX finds stubborn resistance

Canada’s TSX Composite retreated from stubborn resistance at 12900 on the weekly chart. 13-Week Twiggs Money Flow turned down, indicating medium-term selling pressure. Another trough above zero, however, would suggest a primary up-trend. Breakout above 12900 would offer a long-term target of 14000*, but breach of support at 12400 remains as likely — and would signal a decline to 11750.

TSX Composite Index

* Target calculation: 12900 + ( 12900 – 11800 ) = 14000

September 15, 2013

Dow, S&P 500 selling pressure but VIX bullish

Dow Jones Industrial Average put in a strong blue candle last week, but 13-week Twiggs Money Flow bearish divergence continues to warn of a reversal. Exercise caution until there is a breakout above the August high of 37% on TMF following an index breakout above 15660. Failure of primary support at 14500 would confirm a reversal, but continuation of the up-trend now seems as likely.

Dow Jones Industrial Average

The S&P 500 displays a similar bearish divergence on the daily chart, indicating selling pressure. 21-Day Twiggs Money Flow is now rising and follow-through above the July high at 23% would negate the warning. As would breakout above 1710 on the index chart, signaling a long-term advance to 1900*. Respect of resistance remains as likely, however, and reversal below 1670 would test the then primary support level at 1630.

S&P 500 Index

* Target calculation: 1710 + ( 1710 – 1630 ) = 1890

Despite the bearish divergences, VIX below 20 continues to suggest a bull market.
VIX Index

September 12, 2013

US & China lift ASX

The S&P 500 rallied strongly this week despite a weak bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow warning of selling pressure. Recovery above 1700 would indicate another advance, while a new August high on Twiggs Money Flow would further strengthen the signal, offering a target of 1850*. Reversal below 1630 is unlikely, but would re-test primary support at 1560.

S&P 500 Index

* Target calculation: 1700 + ( 1700 – 1550 ) = 1850

Dow Jones Industrial Average displayed a stronger bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow, increasing the likelihood of reversal below 14800. But positive sentiment is growing and recovery above 15650 now seems as likely.
S&P 500 Index

China’s Shanghai Composite penetrated resistance at 2200 and the descending trendline, suggesting that the down-trend is ending. Reversal below the rising trendline would warn of another correction to test primary support at 1950, but breach of support is now less likely. Rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicates medium-term buying pressure; a trough above zero would strengthen the signal.

Shanghai Composite Index

The ASX 200 is testing resistance at 5250, buoyed by positive sentiment in China and the US. Breakout would suggest a primary advance, but a lower peak on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow would continue to warn of selling pressure. Reversal below 5150 remains as likely, and would test medium-term support at 4900/5000.

ASX 200 Index

* Target calculation: 5250 + ( 5250 – 4750 ) = 5750

September 9, 2013

Canada: TSX buying pressure

Canada’s TSX Composite is testing resistance at 12900 on the weekly chart. Rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicates medium-term buying pressure. Breakout (above 12900) would signal a primary advance, with a long-term target of 14000*. Respect of resistance is unlikely, but would test support at 12400. The wild card is the Dow Industrial Average: if it signals a reversal, all bets are off.

TSX Composite Index

* Target calculation: 12900 + ( 12900 – 11800 ) = 14000

September 9, 2013

Dow warns of reversal but S&P 500 hesitates

Dow Jones Industrial Average bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow warns of a reversal. Failure of primary support at 14500/14600 would confirm. Recovery above 15000 would defer the test of primary support, but strong selling pressure should not be ignored.

Dow Jones Industrial Average

Friday’s long-legged doji candle on the S&P 500 (daily chart) indicates hesitancy. Follow-through above the descending trendline would suggest that the correction is over, while a fall below the longer-term rising trendline would warn that momentum is slowing and another test of primary support at 1560 is likely. Bearish divergence on 21-day Twiggs Money Flow indicates selling pressure. In the long-term, failure of primary support would offer a target of 1400*.

S&P 500 Index

* Target calculation: 1550 – ( 1700 – 1550 ) = 1400

VIX below 20, however, continues to suggest a bull market.
VIX Index

Rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow and consolidation above the preceding peak at 3040/3050 on the Nasdaq 100 also favors continuation of the primary up-trend.

Nasdaq 100 Index

Signals are mixed at present, but a stronger bear signal on the Dow, or an upward spike on the VIX, would tilt probabilities towards a reversal.