Category: Stock Markets

Analysis of major stock markets around the world.

Posted on

ASX 200 hurt by banks, miners and politics

After a false break above 8100 the ASX 300 Banks index completed a bull trap with reversal below 7900. Expect a test of primary support at 7300.

ASX 300 Banks Index

Resources stocks continued their correction, with the ASX 300 Metals & Mining index finding short-term support at 3600. Follow-through is likely and would test primary support at 3400, with fears of a US-China trade war undermining commodity prices.

ASX 300 Metals & Mining

The ASX 200 retreated below its new support level at 6300. Political upheaval may have contributed but penetration of the rising trendline would warn of a correction (already signaled by bearish Divergence on the Trend Index).

ASX 200

I remain wary of banks because of higher funding costs, falling credit growth and rising default risk and cautious on Australian stocks, holding over 30% cash in the Australian Growth portfolio.

Posted on

S&P 500 volatility falls

The Philadelphia Fed Leading Index at 1.42 for June 2018 maintains a healthy margin above the 1% level that would warn of a potential slow-down.

Philadelphia Fed Leading Index

The picture reinforces a steeply-climbing Freight Transportation Index, indicating strong economic activity.

Freight Transportation Index

Concerns that the economy may over-heat, spiking inflation, are not reflected in strong growth in average hourly earnings. The Fed has done a good job of containing money supply growth, with growth in the broad money supply (MZM plus time deposits) closely tracking nominal GDP.

Nominal GDP and Money Supply Growth

Credit and money supply expansion at faster rates than nominal GDP have in the past flagged an overheating economy and higher inflation, leading to a recession when the Fed attempts to curb inflation.

We are in stage 3 of a bull market but there are few signs that the economy will slow or earnings will fall.

The S&P 500 respected its new support level at 2800, confirming an advance to 3000. Declining Twiggs Volatility (21-day) signals that market risk is low and we can expect business as usual.

S&P 500

The NASDAQ 100 continues to warn of a correction, with bearish divergence on Twiggs Money Flow. This is secondary in nature, because of the indicator’s position relative to the zero line, but could test support at 7000.

Nasdaq 100

Posted on

China threatened by loss of US trade

The threat of a US-China trade war has rattled investors, with the Shanghai Composite Index breaking primary support at 2700 to signal another decline. Trend Index peaks below zero warn of strong selling pressure. Long-term target is the 2012 to 2014 lows at 2000.

Shanghai Composite Index

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index is also under the pump, breaking support at 28,000 to warn of another decline.

Hang Seng Index

Copper prices, a good barometer of the Chinese economy, are also falling. Breach of $6,000 offers a target of $5,500/tonne.

Copper S1

The Yuan has fallen almost 10 percent, testing support at 14.5 US cents. Failure of the PBOC to support the Yuan (by selling some of their $3 trillion of foreign reserves) may cushion the economic impact in the short-term but only invites further escalation from the Trump administration.

Chinese Yuan/USD

There is no easy way out. Trump clearly has the upper hand in trade negotiations.

Posted on

ASX 200 breakout

Strong earnings reports and continued interest in major banks lifted the ASX 200. Rising Trend Index troughs signal buying pressure. Breakout above 6300 offers a short-term target of 6500.

ASX 200

The ASX 300 Banks index followed through above 8100, indicating another rally with a medium-term target of 8500 (long-term 8750).

ASX 300 Banks Index

But the ASX 300 Metals & Mining index broke support at 3750, warning of a test of primary support at 3400. Fears of a US-China trade war are likely to undermine commodity prices.

ASX 300 Metals & Mining

I am also wary of banks because of higher funding costs, falling credit growth and rising default risk .

So the primary trend on the ASX 200 is up but I remain cautious, holding over 30% cash in the Australian Growth portfolio.

Posted on

S&P 500 earnings surge

Of companies in the S&P 500 index, 90.2% have reported their results for the quarter. According to S&P Dow Jones Indices:

  • Sales growth at 11.0% year-on-year (Y/Y) is close to a potential record.
  • The earnings beat rate of 78% is also historically high, compared to an average of 67%.
  • Operating margins are at a record 11.58%, compared to an average of 8.08% over the last 20 years.

Forward earnings estimates are climbing, driving the forward Price-Earnings ratio to a more comfortable 17.6 compared to its March 2015 high of 23.9.

S&P 500 Forward Earnings Estimates

Valuations based on historic earnings remain high, but P/E multiples have fallen to 22.02 from 24.16 in the last quarter. The long-term chart below compares the index price to previous highest annual EPS, to eliminate distortions caused by sudden falls in earnings.

S&P 500 Price-earnings based on Maximum Previous Earnngs

The current earnings multiple is still significantly higher than the 18.86 reached prior to the 1929 Wall Street crash and 18.69 in October 1987. But high valuations don’t cause market crashes. Sudden falls in earnings do. And there is little sign of that at present.

The S&P 500 is retracing for another test of its new support level at 2800. Respect would signal an advance to 3000. Declining Money Flow warns of selling pressure but this appears secondary in nature, with the indicator still well above the zero line.

S&P 500

The Nasdaq 100 also warns of a correction, with bearish divergence on Twiggs Money Flow. Again this appears secondary in nature because of the indicator’s position relative to the zero line. Expect a test of support at 7000.

Nasdaq 100

Posted on

ASX 200 buying pressure

The ASX 300 Metals & Mining index continues to test support at 3750. Breach of support and the rising trendline would warn of a correction to 3400.

ASX 300 Metals & Mining

The ASX 300 Banks index recovered above 8000, the false break suggesting another rally, targeting 8500.

ASX 300 Banks Index

I remain wary of banks, however, because of higher funding costs, falling credit growth and rising default risk .

The ASX 200 continues to test resistance at 6300. Rising Twiggs Money Flow troughs signal buying pressure. Breakout above 6300 would present a short-term target of 6500.

ASX 200

The primary trend is upward but economic indicators and the potential impact of a US-China trade war make me cautious. I hold more than 30% cash in the Australian Growth portfolio.

Posted on

S&P 500 rallies while inflation subdued

Average hourly earnings growth came in at 2.7% (All Employees) for the 12 months ended July 2018. Growth in average hourly earnings is an excellent gauge of underlying inflationary pressures in the economy, which remain subdued.

Average Hourly Wages Growth

Consumer price index (CPI) growth is slightly higher, at 2.8% for June 2018, but lower core CPI (2.2%) suggests that food and energy prices are partly to blame.

Consumer Price Index and Core CPI

The S&P 500 respected support at 2800, signaling an advance to 3000. Declining 21-day Volatility suggests that market risk is declining and the market is returning to business as usual.

S&P 500

The Nasdaq 100 shook off recent Facebook (FB) and Netflix (NFLX) tremors and is testing resistance at 7400. Breakout is likely and would offer a target of 7800.

Nasdaq 100

Posted on

ASX 200 retreats

The two largest sectors in the ASX 200 are both retreating from recent highs.

The ASX 300 Metals & Mining index is testing support at 3750. Breach of support and the rising trendline would warn of a test of primary support at 3400.

ASX 300 Metals & Mining

The ASX 300 Banks index reversed below its short-term support level at 8000, warning of a test of primary support at 7300.

ASX 300 Banks Index

The banking sector faces the prospect of higher funding costs, falling credit growth and rising default risk and I remain cautious despite penetration of the descending trendline which suggests that a bottom is forming.

The ASX 200 retreated from resistance at 6300. Breach of short-term support at 6200 would warn of a correction.

ASX 200

The primary trend is upward but economic indicators warn of rising headwinds and a potential bear market. I remain cautious, with more than 30% cash in the Australian Growth portfolio.

Posted on

Bears in the East, Bulls in the West

Market fears of a trade war appear to be easing but investors in China and South Korea remain cautious.

The Shanghai Composite Index is retracing to test resistance at the former primary support level at 3000.

Shanghai Composite Index

Dow Jones – UBS Commodity Index shows a similar retracement in commodity prices.

DJ-UBS Commodity Index

While crude oil prices have found support at the LT rising trendline.

Nymex Light Crude

South Korea’s Seoul Composite Index is in a primary down-trend but retracement to test the former primary support level at 2350 is likely.

Seoul Composite Index

Japan is more isolated and the Nikkei 225 is testing resistance at 23,000. A rising Trend Index suggests that breakout is likely, which would test the January high at 24,000.

Nikkei 225 Index

India is stronger, with the Nifty breaking resistance at its January high of 11,100 to signal a primary advance with a target of 12,000. But first, expect retracement to test the new support level.

Nifty Index

Europe

Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 600 was boosted by news that the EU-US trade dispute is settled. A Trend Index trough above zero signals strong buying pressure. and another test of 400 is likely.

DJ Euro Stoxx 600 Index

A bullish saucer pattern on the Footsie suggest further gains. The Trend Index trough above zero indicates buying pressure. Breakout of the index above 7800 would signal another advance, with a target of 8200.

FTSE 100 Index

North America

The Nasdaq 100 retreated when Facebook (FB) and Twitter (TWTR) reported disappointing growth for the quarter. Bearish divergence on the Trend Index warns of selling pressure but this appears secondary and support at 7000 is likely to hold. Respect would confirm another advance.

Nasdaq 100

Friday’s retreat is also evident on the S&P 500 daily chart. Expect retracement to test new support at 2800. A strong GDP result should strengthen support.

S&P 500

Canada’s TSX 60 retraced to test the new support level at 970. Respect would signal a test of 1000 but breach is as likely, testing support at 940.

TSX 60 Index

Powered by WordPress / WordPress Maintenance Service By Website Helper