ASX: Following China into a down-trend

The S&P 500 is testing resistance at 1650, but declining 21-day Twiggs Money Flow warns of continued selling pressure. Breakout would signal an advance to the upper trend channel, around 1700. Reversal below 1600, however, remains likely and would indicate a correction to 1500.
S&P 500 Index

China’s Shanghai Composite Index broke primary support at 2170 on Thursday. Follow-through below 2150 would signal a decline to the 2012 low of 1950*.
Shanghai Composite Index

* Target calculation: 2150 – ( 2350 – 2150 ) = 1950

The ASX 200 is retracing to test its new resistance level at 4900. Respect would confirm the primary down-trend — as would a peak below zero on 21-day Twiggs Money Flow.

ASX 200 Index

The ASX Small Ordinaries Index, reflecting retail investor interest in the market, continues its primary down-trend. Breach of the 2012 low at 2040 warns of a decline to 1700*.

ASX Small Ords Index

* Target calculation: 2050 – ( 2400 – 2050 ) = 1700

Europe: Broad selling pressure

The FTSE 100 encountered selling pressure at 6750, indicated by bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow, and is correcting towards the rising trendline and support at 6000 on the monthly chart. Respect would signal a healthy primary up-trend.

FTSE 100 Index

Germany’s DAX is experiencing strong selling pressure. Medium-term support at 8000 is unlikely to hold, but respect of support at 7500, and the rising trendline, would still signal a healthy up-trend.
DAX Index

Spain’s Madrid General Index also displays selling pressure, with bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow. Reversal below 800 would warn of another test of the 2012 low at 600, confirmed if 750 is broken.
FTSE 100 Index
Italy’s MIB Index found support at 16000 on the daily chart and there is an absence of selling pressure, but the weight of other European markets may drag the index lower. Penetration of the rising trendline would signal a test of primary support at 15000. Recovery above 17000, however, would suggest another primary advance.
FTSE 100 Index

Canada: TSX threatens down-trend

Canada’s TSX Composite is testing primary support at 11900 on the weekly chart. Breakout would signal reversal to a primary down-trend, confirming the warning from a bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow. Respect of support is unlikely, but would indicate another attempt at 13000.

TSX Composite Index

S&P500 up-trend despite test of support at 1600

A monthly chart shows 10-year Treasury yields continue to respect support at 2.00%, confirming the primary up-trend. Expect resistance at 2.50%, but the long-term (multi-year) target is 4.00%, where the 2009 high coincides with a descending trendline from the 31-year secular bear-trend. Rising yields reflect market expectations that the economy is recovering and the Fed will curtail further quantitative easing.

10-Year Treasury Yields

The S&P 500 is headed for a re-test of support at 1600, but recovery above 1650 would signal another advance — testing the upper channel around 1700. Declining 21-day Twiggs Money Flow continues to signal selling pressure.

S&P 500 Index
Breach of support at 1600 would warn of a correction to test the long-term rising trendline at 1500, but that would not alter the healthy primary up-trend.
S&P 500 Index
The VIX is rising, but remains in the green zone, below 20, suggesting a healthy up-trend.

S&P 500 Index

Europe & Asia: Widespread selling pressure

Germany’s DAX respected support at 8000 on its recent retracement. Follow-through above 8500 would confirm a fresh primary advance. Bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow, however, warns of strong selling pressure. Retreat below 8000 would test the rising trendline around 7500.
DAX Index

The FTSE 100 also encountered resistance at its 2007 high, bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow signaling selling pressure. Expect a test of support at 6000. Recovery above 6750 is unlikely but would signal a fresh primary advance.

DJ Europe Index

The Nikkei 225 found support at 12500. Reversal below this level would warn of a decline to 10000. Bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow warns of strong selling pressure. I was interested to read that George Soros was buying Japanese stocks. To me it seems premature.

Nikkei 225 Index

India’s Sensex is headed for a test of medium-term support at 19000. Breach would test primary support at 18000. Respect would indicate another advance, but bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow continues to warn of reversal to a primary down-trend. Failure of primary support at 18000 would confirm.

BSE Sensex Index

Singapore’s Straits Times Index reversed below its new support level at 3300, warning of a bull trap. Follow-through below last week’s low would indicate a test of the long-term trendline around 3000.

Straits Times Index

The Shanghai Composite Index retreated sharply last week and is headed for another test of support at 2150. Breach would signal a fall to 1950. Declining 13-week Twiggs Money Flow warns of selling pressure. A weakening Shanghai Index is bearish for Australian resources stocks.

Shanghai Composite Index

The ASX 200 found support at 4750, while bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow warns of strong selling pressure. The falling Aussie Dollar is forcing a retreat of offshore investors from the market, but the eventual boost to export earnings is likely to present a buying opportunity later. Expect a weak rally followed by decline to 4500.

ASX 200 Index

S&P500 recovers as bond yields rise, but TSX weakens

10-Year Treasury yields respected support at 2.00%, confirming the primary up-trend. Only breakout above 4.00% would end the 31-year secular bear-trend, but a rise to there would result in an almost 50% loss for bondholders. Rising yields reflect market expectations that the economy will recover and the Fed will curtail further quantitative easing.

10-Year Treasury Yields

The S&P 500 respected support at 1600 and is headed for a test of the upper channel around 1700. Reversal below support at 1600 is now unlikely, but would warn of a correction.

S&P 500 Index
The VIX is rising, but remains in the green zone, below 20.

S&P 500 Index

The TSX Composite reversed below support at 12500, indicating weakness. Follow-through below last week’s low would suggest a test of primary support at 11900/12000. Bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow warns of selling pressure.

Nikkei 225 Index

ASX 200: The last straw

The ASX Small Ordinaries Index is already in a primary down-trend, but breach of the 2012 low at 2050 warns of a decline to 1700*.

ASX Small Ords Index

* Target calculation: 2050 – ( 2400 – 2050 ) = 1700

The ASX 200 was in a strong up-trend until its recent breach of support at 4900, following bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow. Penetration of the the rising trendline would be the last straw, confirming reversal to a primary down-trend.

ASX 200 Index

Follow-through below 4750 would test support at 4400/4500.

Nikkei, ASX find support but India & China weaken

Dow Jones Japan index found support at its long-term rising trendline.  Follow-through above 77 would indicate the correction is over, suggesting an advance to 100*. Breach of the trendline, however would warn that the primary trend is weakening.

Nikkei 225 Index

* Target calculation: 85 + ( 85 – 70 ) = 100

The ASX 200 also encountered buying pressure, with a hammer candlestick at the primary support level of 4900. Recovery above 5000 would indicate the correction is over, but breach remains as likely and would confirm the primary down-trend suggested by bearish divergence on 21-day Twiggs Money Flow.

ASX 200 Index

India’s Sensex is testing medium-term support at 19600. Breach would signal a correction to test primary support at 18000. Bearish divergence on 21-day Twiggs Money Flow warns of selling pressure. Recovery above 20000 is unlikely, but would suggest an advance to 22000*.

BSE Sensex Index

* Target calculation: 20 + ( 20 – 18 ) = 22

Dow Jones Shanghai Index broke its rising trendline, warning that the rally is running out of steam. Failure of support at 294 would signal another test of primary support at 275. Respect of support is unlikely, but would indicate a test of primary resistance at 314.

Shanghai Composite Index

The overall outlook for Asia remains bearish apart from Japan.

Bearish signs for stocks

10-Year Treasury yields respected support at 2.05/2.10% with a key reversal (or outside reversal) on Friday, signaling a primary up-trend and possible test of 4.00% in the next few years. The tall shadow on Friday’s candle, however, warns of another test of the new support level before the trend gets under way. Only breakout above 4.00% would end the 31-year secular bear-trend.

10-Year Treasury Yields

The S&P 500 is headed for a test of the lower trend channel at 1600,  declining 21-day Twiggs Money Flow indicating medium-term selling pressure. Breach of support at 1600 would warn of a correction.

S&P 500 Index
The VIX is rising, but only breakout above 20 would indicate something is amiss.

S&P 500 Index

Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index ran into huge selling pressure, falling to 13400 by midday Monday. Expect a test of support at 11500, but the primary trend remains upward. Rising industrial production indicates that Abenomics is starting to take effect.

Nikkei 225 Index

The UK’s FTSE 100 also ran into selling pressure — at its 2007 high of 6750 — with bearish divergence on 13-week Twiggs Money Flow. Expect a correction to test 6000, but the primary trend remains upward.
FTSE 100 Index

Bearish divergence on the Shanghai Composite Index (21-day Twiggs Money Flow) indicates medium-term selling pressure. Expect another test of primary support at 2170. Penetration of the rising trendline would confirm. Breakout above 2460 would complete an inverted head and shoulders reversal (as indicated by orange + green arrows), signaling a primary up-trend, but that appears some way off.

Shanghai Composite Index

Half a million investors have walked away from stocks, ASX finds | The Australian

Andrew Main at The Australian writes (May 21st) that the number of Australians who own stocks decreased by more than half a million between 2010 and 2012. According to an ASX survey, total share ownership (including managed funds) peaked at 55 per cent in 2004 before dropping to 38 per cent by 2012.

One of the biggest losers in the survey was the managed funds industry, which copped a shellacking through the GFC for the fact that its charges were in many cases out of line with the indifferent performance provided by fund managers. The percentage of investors who had equities exposure through managed funds fell from 32 per cent in 2004 to only 12 per cent in 2012. The survey concluded that a lot of investors had decided that they may be able to do better as investors by going direct and not paying a manager.

Read more at Half a million investors have walked away from stocks, ASX finds | The Australian.