Analysis of major stock markets around the world.
Sterling continues to test primary support at 1.13 against the Euro. Twiggs Trend Index peaking below zero warns of selling pressure. Breach of support is likely and would signal a test of the 2016 low at €1.10.
The FTSE 100 breached medium-term support at 7400 and the long-term rising trendline, warning that momentum is slowing. Bearish divergence on Twiggs Trend Index warns of rising selling pressure. Test of primary support at 7100 is likely.
* Target: 7400 + ( 7400 – 7100 ) = 7700
The TSX 60 followed-through below 890, after breaking primary support at 900, to signal a bear market. Decline of Twiggs Trend Index below zero would strengthen the signal. Immediate target for the decline is 865*.
* Target calculation: 900 – ( 935 – 900 ) = 865
Iron ore peaked at $60. Expect a sharp fall to test support between $50 and $52, typical of a bear market. Chinese housing price growth — a key driver of iron ore prices as illustrated last week — is slowing and likely to drag ore prices lower.
The ASX 300 Metals & Mining index is still on the up but likely to respect resistance at 3000, given the reversal in iron ore. Breach of 2750 would confirm a primary down-trend.
The ASX 300 Banks index ran into strong resistance at 8500. Declining Twiggs Money Flow highlights selling pressure. Breach of 8000 is likely and would confirm the primary down-trend.
The ASX 200 displays strong selling pressure, with tall shadows on the last two weekly candles. Twiggs Money Flow dipping below zero for the second time warns of a primary down-trend. Follow-through below 5700 would test primary support at 5600. Breach of 5600 would complete a broad head and shoulders reversal, confirming a primary down-trend.
From Patrick Hatch at The Age:
A surprise jump in retail sales statistics lit a fire under Australia’s beleaguered discretionary retail stocks on Tuesday, making them some of the best performing companies on the ASX’s best day of the year so far.
Gain[s] were enjoyed across the sector as JB Hi-Fi shares closed up 5.29 per cent at $24.48 and Harvey Norman rose 5 per cent to $3.99…..
Apparel and accessory sales grew 1.3 per cent, but Australian Retailers Association chief executive Russell Zimmerman said that was likely driven by heavy discounting. Department stores still took a hit in May, with turnover falling 0.7 per cent.
“We think retailers have done it very tough in clothing and footwear. So to see it rise year-on-year we think that’s retailers discounting heavily to get consumers to buy,” Mr Zimmerman said.
Source: Surprise retail sales figures light fire under consumer stocks
Iron ore roared back, breaking resistance at $60. But this is a bear market. Also port inventories are climbing, while housing price growth is slowing. Expect another test of support at $50 is likely. Breach would signal another decline.
The ASX 300 Metals & Mining index rallied off support at 2750 but is likely to respect resistance at 3000. Breach of 2750 would signal a primary down-trend.
The ASX 300 Banks index also rallied but is likely to respect 8500. Breach of 8000 would confirm the primary down-trend.
The ASX 200 displays strong selling pressure, with Twiggs Money Flow dipping below zero for the second time. Follow-through below 5700 would test primary support at 5600. Breach of 5600, while not yet a high probability, would complete a broad head and shoulders reversal.
The S&P 500 is experiencing warns of medium-term selling pressure, signaled by bearish divergence on Twiggs Money Flow. The last correction was shallow, typical of stage III in a bull market, and this one is likely to be too. Respect of support at 2400 would signal another primary advance. A correction to test primary support at 2300 is unlikely, but would warn that investors are jumpy and taking profits. This would signal stage III is closer to a top.
Interesting review of Bob Doll’s ten predictions for the year. They highlight the hazards of making predictions: you can be right for the wrong reasons or wrong for the right reasons.
1 ❓ U.S. and global economic growth improves modestly as the dollar strengthens and reaches parity with the euro.
First quarter U.S. gross domestic product growth was relatively slow at 1.2%, but we think second quarter growth could approach 3%. We are on the wrong side of this second prediction, as the euro has advanced against the dollar.
2 ✔ Unemployment drops to its lowest level in 17 years as wages increase at the fastest pace since the Great Recession.
The first half of this prediction came true in May, when unemployment hit 4.3%, lower than the 4.4% reached in May 2007. Wage growth has remained stubbornly slow, but we expect wages will rise.
[Unemployment fell as expected but I would rate this a “?” as wage growth impacts on inflation and is an important part of the overall scenario.]
3 ❓ Treasury yields move higher for a third consecutive year for the first time in 36 years as the Fed raises rates at least twice.
In June, the Fed raised interest rates for the second time this year. Treasury yields, however, are lower now than at the start of the year.
[“X” IMO. A disconnect between long-term and short-term rates, as in 2004-2005, limits the Fed’s ability to control asset bubbles and inflation.]
4 ❓ Stocks hit their 2017 highs in the first half of the year as earnings rise but price/earnings multiples fall.
Equity markets hover close to their all-time highs, but the momentum that dominated the first part of the year has faded. Earnings have improved dramatically: S&P 500 earnings were up almost 14% in the first quarter, although multiples have risen.
[Stocks rising faster than earnings is typical of a stage III bull market]
5 ❓ Stocks outperform bonds for the sixth year in a row for the first time in 20 years while volatility rises.
Stocks are currently comfortably ahead of bonds. While volatility has actually fallen this year, we expect it to pick up in the coming months.
[Volatility is close to record lows and likely to stay there if no major geo-political surprises.]
6 ❌ Small caps, cyclical sectors and value styles beat large caps, defensive and growth areas.
We are on the wrong side of all three components of this prediction. We expect economic growth to rebound this year, which should lead investors to bid up cyclical and value sectors.
[Large caps and defensive stocks are overpriced because of low yields. Growth stocks are typical of stage III but normally joined by small caps.]
7 ✔ The financials, health care and information technology sectors outperform energy, utilities and materials.
A basket of our favored sectors (up 14.0%) is comfortably outperforming a basket of our least-favored ones (up 2.5%).
[Good call.]
8 ✔ Active managers’ performance improves as flows into equities rise.
Last year, only 19% of U.S. large cap active equity managers beat their benchmarks. As of May, 52% are ahead. The pace of equity fund outflows has also slowed this year.
[I would rate this a “?”.]
9 ✔ Nationalist and protectionist trends rise as pro-domestic policies are pursued globally.
President Trump announced a withdrawal from the Paris climate change accords, has reconsidered trade deals and questioned fellow NATO member states. In Europe, Brexit negotiations are ongoing, although the French presidential election provided a nod back toward globalization.
[Nationalism still dominates.]
10 ✔ Initial optimism about the Trump agenda fades in light of slow legislative progress.
It is almost hard to remember the high level of political optimism when we made this prediction six months ago. Now the pendulum may have swung too far in the opposite direction.
[Good call. Little has been achieved on infrastructure and tax reform.]
[Conclusion: Secular trends, as in #7, make the most reliable predictions, while it’s hard to beat a 50% success rate with shorter cycles.]
The S&P 500 hesitated at 2450, short of its target of 2500*. Bearish divergence on Twiggs Money Flow warns of medium-term selling pressure. Expect stronger resistance at 2500.
Tech stocks are advancing at a rapid pace, with the Nasdaq 100 approaching 6000 after only breaking 5000 in January. Rising troughs on Twiggs Money Flow signal strong buying pressure. No signs of a ‘blow-off’ yet.
Stage III of a bull market can last several years.
Iron ore rallied slightly during the week. But this is a bear market. Expect resistance at $60 to hold and breach of support at $50 is likely, signaling another decline.
The ASX 300 Metals & Mining index is testing support at 2750. Breach is likely and would signal a primary down-trend.
Banks are also under pressure, with the ASX 300 Banks index consolidating between 8000 and 8500. Breach of 8000 is likely and would confirm the primary down-trend.
The ASX 200 displays a broadening wedge consolidation. A failed down-swing, recovering above 5800 without reaching the lower border, would be a bullish sign. But this seems unlikely with a bearish outlook for the two largest sectors.
Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50 is undergoing a correction to test medium-term support at 3500. Declining Twiggs Money Flow indicates moderate selling pressure but long-term troughs above zero suggest a bull market. Respect of support is likely and would signal an advance to the 2015 high at 3800*.
* Target calculation: 3650 + ( 3650 – 3500 ) = 3800
