Climbing a wall of worry
Updated
After breaking above the resistance near $4,200, SPX continued to grind higher for nearly two weeks. Currently, it trades close to the $4,350 price tag. Despite tomorrow’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, the market is exceptionally complacent. That is reflected in the low value of the VIX that returned to levels unseen since February 2020. Technicals like MACD and RSI continue to support the rally on the daily time frame, with RSI being just slightly away from breaking above 70 points; if RSI manages to break above this level, it will be very bullish for the short term. We expect this occurrence to be accompanied by a test of resistance at $4,400. However, if RSI fails to perform a crossover and MACD starts to flatten, it will raise our suspicion about the potential trend reversal. In addition to that, we are paying close attention to the support near $4,325. If the price drops below this level, it will be slightly bearish.
As for tomorrow’s FOMC meeting, general expectations are that the Federal Reserve will pause a hiking cycle and wait for more economic data to determine a further path for the monetary policy. That is because of the lagging effect of interest rates, which still have not hit the economy at full power. This decision might be viewed as an initial phase of pivoting and could act as another catalyst for the rally in the short term. The same positive effect can have today’s release of inflation data if it comes in cooler than expected. Overall, we think the short-term direction continues to favor bulls. In defiance of that, our view beyond the short-term/medium-term remains still inclined toward the notion that the U.S. economy is likely headed for a recession in the second half of 2023.
Illustration 1.01
Illustration 1.01 shows the daily chart of the VIX index. Interestingly, despite SPX hitting new 52-week highs, the volatility index rose in the past two trading sessions.
Illustration 1.02
Illustration 1.02 portrays the daily chart of RSI.
Technical analysis gauge
Daily time frame = Bullish
Weekly time frame = Slightly bullish
*The gauge does not necessarily indicate where the market will head. Instead, it reflects the constellation of RSI, MACD, Stochastic, DM+-, ADX, and moving averages.
Please feel free to express your ideas and thoughts in the comment section.
DISCLAIMER: This analysis is not intended to encourage any buying or selling of any particular securities. Furthermore, it should not be a basis for taking any trade action by an individual investor. Therefore, your own due diligence is highly advised before entering a trade.
As for tomorrow’s FOMC meeting, general expectations are that the Federal Reserve will pause a hiking cycle and wait for more economic data to determine a further path for the monetary policy. That is because of the lagging effect of interest rates, which still have not hit the economy at full power. This decision might be viewed as an initial phase of pivoting and could act as another catalyst for the rally in the short term. The same positive effect can have today’s release of inflation data if it comes in cooler than expected. Overall, we think the short-term direction continues to favor bulls. In defiance of that, our view beyond the short-term/medium-term remains still inclined toward the notion that the U.S. economy is likely headed for a recession in the second half of 2023.
Illustration 1.01
Illustration 1.01 shows the daily chart of the VIX index. Interestingly, despite SPX hitting new 52-week highs, the volatility index rose in the past two trading sessions.
Illustration 1.02
Illustration 1.02 portrays the daily chart of RSI.
Technical analysis gauge
Daily time frame = Bullish
Weekly time frame = Slightly bullish
*The gauge does not necessarily indicate where the market will head. Instead, it reflects the constellation of RSI, MACD, Stochastic, DM+-, ADX, and moving averages.
Please feel free to express your ideas and thoughts in the comment section.
DISCLAIMER: This analysis is not intended to encourage any buying or selling of any particular securities. Furthermore, it should not be a basis for taking any trade action by an individual investor. Therefore, your own due diligence is highly advised before entering a trade.
Note
Recently, we discussed how only a handful of companies participated in the rally and that if more SPX stocks started to rise above 200-day SMA, it would be bullish and represent a broader recovery; since then, the percentage of SPX stocks above the 200-day SMA rose from around 40% to 56%. 
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