The S&P 500 has retraced to test short-term support at 5050, accompanied by a retreat in the Equal-Weighted Index and Russell 2000 Small Caps. The outlook remains bullish, however, with Trend Index troughs high above zero signaling extraordinary buying pressure.
Bond market anticipation of June rate cuts is growing. 10-Year Treasury yields broke support at 4.20%, signaling a decline to test support at 3.80%.
Gold is at a new high of $2129 per ounce. We expect retracement to test support at $2080 but respect would offer a ST target of $2180 per ounce.
Economic Activity
ISM Services PMI recorded its 14th month of expansion in February, retreating to 52.6% from 53.4% in January. The decline suggests continued but slower growth.
Crude & Commodities
Nymex WTI light crude continues to respect resistance at $80 per barrel. Breach of $78 would suggest a correction to the ascending trendline at $75.
Copper continues to test resistance at $8500 per metric ton, indicating some resilience in the Chinese economy — by far the biggest buyer of industrial metals.
In China, Caixin Services PMI eased to 52.5 in February, from 52.7 in January — maintaining the expansion since January last year.
Earlier, Caixin Manufacturing PMI edged up to 50.9, compared to 50.8 in January. But whipsawing around 50 indicates poor and erratic growth which is affecting metals prices.
Iron ore continues to test support at $114 per metric ton. Breach would warn of another test of $100. The Chinese government is likely to do enough to keep the economy from collapse but does not have the means to stimulate on a large scale.
Conclusion
The 10-year treasury yield is expected to test support at 3.80%, offering further upside for Gold.
Our short-term target is $2180 per ounce and our long-term target is $2450.
Acknowledgements
- CN Wire: Caixin Services PMI & Caixin Manufacturing PMI
- ISM: Services PMI, February 2024
- Luke Gromen, FFTT: Gold-Tips Divergence
Colin Twiggs is a former investment banker with almost 40 years of experience in financial markets. He founded PVT Capital (AFSL number 546090), which provides income and growth strategies to wholesale clients.
Colin also co-founded Incredible Charts and writes the popular Patient Investor newsletter.
Using a top-down approach, Colin identifies macro trends in the global economy and then combines fundamental and technical analysis to evaluate opportunities in sectors that stand to benefit.
Focusing on interest rates and financial market liquidity as primary drivers of the economic cycle, he warned of the 2008/2009 and 2020 bear markets well ahead of actual events.