IXIC Overvaluation Analysis and Subsequent Hedging StrategyIXIC Overvaluation Analysis and Subsequent Hedging Strategy
This is a bit late, but I wrote it on 2/25. Perhaps it will still be helpful.
*Background: To prevent repetition: all analysis presented is based on the monthly view of IXIC and all data given will be therefore based on that chart unless otherwise specified.
Prior to the 2000 “Dotcom Crash”, the IXIC had a brief correction of roughly 20% lasting roughly 92 days or 3 bars. After this correction the IXIC rallied in a spectacular bull market gaining 220% in valuation over a period of roughly 547 days or 18 bars. After this subsequent peak, during the 2000 “Dotcom Crash,” the value of IXIC initially corrected its valuation by 27.8% over 61 days or 2 bars. Immediately prior to this valuation correction, the RSI rose 73% to a peak value of 85.5. The IXIC then stabilized, as is supported by the RSI stabilization, and it can be reasonably assumed that this temporary stabilization is due to adequate volume support (the reports of which are unavailable), for a further 151 days or 5 bars. Then the IXIC further corrected its valuation 65%+ over 732 days or 24 bars, which was accompanied by a drop in RSI to a low of 33.
Our current bull run has been similarly preceded by a relatively minor and short lived correction related to the economic impact of SARS-CoV-19. This “Covid Correction” has been followed by a IXIC valuation increase of 76% from the bottom of the previous correction. Based on this most reasonably similar event, the 2000 "Dotcom Crash," the current IXIC market has a further upside potential of between 45% if the final valuation increase is 150%, 65% if the final valuation increase is 200%, and 80% if the final valuation increase is 230%, based on overall IXIC valuation. Based on the same comparison between the peak of the RSI prior to the initial correction in 1999, the IXIC has a further RSI upside of roughly 11% to 85 from its current value of 76.
Based on valuation and current IXIC trends there are possible tops around 6/21 with a 19450 IXIC valuation (150% final market valuation increase or MVI); 9/21 with possible IXIC valuations of 19587 and 22283 (150-200% final MVI); 1/22 with a possible IXIC valuation of 22283 (200% final MVI). On the outside, with a final MVI of 230%, we see possible tops at 11/21, and 4/22 with a 24300 market valuation. It seems unlikely that because of the proximity of the RSI to peak RSI values (11%) that a further 80% market valuation will occur. The key deciding factor in the final IXIC valuation, I believe, will be the timing of the peak RSI of 85 with the current IXIC market valuation. It seems reasonable to act on an RSI of 85 given current market conditions and past corrections occurring with an RSI of 85.
Theory: when peak market valuations are met with a peak RSI of 86.28, which represents a 13% increase from current RSI of 74.89, the market will be compelled to revise the valuation of the tech sector specifically. This RSI/market valuation link seems, based on past corrections, to be key. If the IXIC reaches valuations stated above without correlating RSI values of 85+, the chance of a major market correction is lower as a correction without an RSI of 85+ is unsupported by past examples. Based on previous samples (the 2000 "Dotcom Crash," the 2008 "Housing Market Bubble," and the 2018 "Banking Crisis"), the initial downside potential is at or around 30-40% with SPX and DJI following the downside trend and momentum with similar results. This initial correction will most likely take place over a range of 45-90 trading sessions or 2-6 months.
After the initial market correction, the bulls will most likely step in and secure a volume support which will sustain the market in a flat trajectory for a likely period of 6 to 8 weeks, after which there could be further downside potential based on the market valuation at the peak of the valuation prior to the initial correction. A further hypothetical correction based on the 2000 crash has the potential to bring the total IXIC correction to 70%, however unlikely. A more likely scenario is a further correction of 30% followed by a volume support stabilization taking place over a time frame of up to 2 years. These corrections, after the 1999 crash, took 13 years to be reclaimed after their final bottom. This brings the total event to roughly 15 years. The 13 years following the 2000 correction traded as a modest bull market which would present opportunities to earn back some lost capital.
Keys:
Watch for large downside market movements at:
-6/21 with a market valuation of 19450 and RSI of 85+
-9/21 with a market valuation between 19450 and 22283 and an RSI of 85+
-11/21 with a market valuation of 24300 and an RSI of 85+
-1/22 with a market valuation at 22283 and an RSI of 85+
-4/22 with a market valuation of 24300 and an RSI of 85+
-**RSI is historically a key metric**
Strategy:
-Hedge all positions with a maximum loss goal of 10% over the entire course of the correction
->Hedging strategy can consist of a buy/write covered call strategy while purchasing a put against the held shares with a net credit
->Limited upside gain caused by the covered calls can be alleviated by going long with a call on the same position with a strike above the sold covered call
-If the metrics outlined above are met and the market begins to act as if a correction is iminent, i.e. increasing prices with decreasing MACD, RSI, or volume consider:
->Purchasing additional put contracts out of the money but within the projected downside percentage within the projected timeline
->>i.e. QQQ put at a strike with a $6-10 price and a exp of 6 weeks
->>> A subsequent downside of 30% within that timeframe will net a 8.5x return at maximum downside, therefore, every $1000 purchased would net a $8260 profit
-Continuing reevaluation of market conditions are necessary
Possible outcome example:
-With an investment of $20000 into puts against QQQ; on 30% downside of QQQ: Gross profit =$147700 at 8.5x return. This can then be reinvested in PMI earning blocks (100 shares) within the lots (divisions of investable income based on stock holdings) already established to further compound returns. This gross profit will offset any losses occurring during the market downturns, which will be around 10% with proper hedging vs the market correction of 30-70%.
My personal strategy will be to hedge all positions using covered call premiums to purchase puts with a net credit, and ensuring these hedges are in place when the RSI is above or trending strongly towards 80. I will be minimally hedging all tech positions regardless of RSI value in relation to the volatility of the current market and the high probability of short term 20% corrections because of outside socioeconomic factors and the internal behavior of the market.
Strategy for second move downwards:
The second devaluation of the 2000 crash took 2 years to reach the bottom. This happened as the market behaves: unpredictably and incrementally.
-Continue to purchase puts against QQQ considering reinvesting a portion of the capital gained from the initial put purchase to continue to either hedge against continued losses, or to generate income
-Continue to hedge individual stocks by selling covered calls and hedging the position by purchasing puts with a net credit
-> This will either limit losses in large downward moves or provide income to offset the losses and bring the cost bias of the shares held down to further future upside potential
-> Continue to attempt to enact the PMI (passive monthly income) strategy with a goal rate of 10% yearly ATPI (after taxes, premiums, and inflation)
-Use the capital gained to purchase blocks of high growth/high IV companies and value companies to continue to generate PMI at a goal rate of 10% ATPI
**Watch for a lower market valuation than mentioned above paired with an RSI of 85+ as this may indicate a preemptive market correction. As always, the market is unpredictable**
Post full correction:
Any capital gained from the purchase and sale of puts should be reinvested into the strategy of choice based on previously established plan, i.e. reinvesting into PMI value stocks and high growth, high IV (implied volatility) stocks at a 3:1 ratio where high IV stocks will be able to fetch higher covered call premiums thus maximizing consistent, repeatable returns.
-PMI value stocks mentioned above are a set of stocks of criteria I have created to establish that a company is worth investing in, is priced well, and can generate 1.5% passive monthly income (PMI) through the sale of covered calls and yearly dividends. This is based on my personal goal of a minimum 10% yearly return after taxes and inflation. This strategy will increase the likelihood of positive yearly returns in a bear market scenario if one should arise.
Disclaimer:
These analyses are based on the monthly chart comparing the current IXIC trends with past market corrections which were also analyzed in the monthly chart view. There were no obvious correlations between MACD and Stochastic and no data was available for On Balance Volume. There was, however, a correlation between the market trend vs Bollinger Bands, wherein the candles rode the very upper limit of the Bollinger Bands, with the last candle at the peak of the 1999 bull market breaking the upper limit of the Bollinger Bands completely. However, this breakout is not repeated for the 2008, 2018, or 2020 corrections and all trends rode the very upper limit of the Bollinger Bands prior to correction. For these reasons I found no meaningful data to convince me to include Bollinger Bands in the analysis or preemptive planning for a future market correction. This is stated to illustrate that the analysis given in this article is A: not comprehensive, and B: should not be taken as a sole factor in your decision to act on current and future market conditions. As always, it is best to do your own research and draw your own conclusions. Good luck and hedge up.
IXIC trade ideas
The development of the market for the next few months - Nasdaq NASDAQ:IXIC Just sharing my thoughts guys.
If the drop has finally ended on friday, then the correction during (feb to march) is around 12.51% and which is quite similar to last year 2020 Sep correction which is around 12.58%. If the market did not further drop next week, I am thinking that the market might be trading side ways for the few months which is quite similar to the development of the market last year after September correction?
What do you guys think? just curious will the market develop the way as i thought.
Daily Market Update for 3/5Trend lines drawn from the 2/16 ATH (14d), 3/1 (5d) and today 3/5 (1d).
Ideas always welcome in the comments. Errors will be amended as comments on TradingView or corrected inline in my blog.
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Friday, March 5, 2021
Facts: +1.55%, Volume lower, Closing range: 96%, Body: 11%
Good: Morning selling turned into afternoon buying, high closing range
Bad: Shrinking volume into afternoon, lower high, lower low
Highs/Lows: Lower high, lower low
Candle: The long lower wick shows the morning selling was bought back for a rally into afternoon
Advance/Decline: About three advancing stocks for every two declining stocks
Indexes: SPX (+1.95%), DJI (+1.85%), RUT (+2.11%), VIX (-13.69%)
Sectors: Energy (XLE +3.74%) and Industrials (XLI +2.37%) were the top sectors. Real Estate (XLRE +1.15%) and Consumer Discretionary (XLY +0.64%) were bottom.
Expectation: Sideways or Higher
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Market Overview
The week ended with some positive market gains to take into the weekend. It's a start, but there are still several tests for the indexes to pass and prove investors are here to stay and rally next week.
The Nasdaq closed the day with a +1.55% on slightly lower volume than the previous day, but higher than average. The closing range was a high 96% with a thin body of 11% that rests above a very long lower wick. There were three advancing stocks for every two declining stocks.
The major indexes all did well with the S&P 500 (SPX) gaining +1.95% and the Dow Jones Industrial average (DJI) gaining +1.85%. The Russell 2000 (RUT) had the best day with a +2.11% as small caps recovered from yesterday's sell-off.
The VIX volatility index retreated -13.69%.
All sectors ended the day with gains. Energy (XLE +3.74%) and Industrials (XLI +2.37%) led the sectors with the biggest gains, driven by a positive outlook for the economic recovery as job numbers came in higher than expected. At the bottom of the list were Real Estate (XLRE +1.15%) and Consumer Discretionary (XLY +0.64%).
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Economic Indicators
The US Dollar (DXY) continues to advance with a +0.38% gain today.
Yields on the US 30y and 10y treasury bonds remained about the same. The 2y yields declined for the day as short term bonds continue to trade with high volatility.
High Yield Corporate Bonds (HYG) prices rose while Investment Grade Corporate Bond (LQD) prices dropped slightly.
Silver (SILVER) declined while Gold (GOLD) advanced, both making small moves. Crude Oil (CRUDEOIL1!) futures made another big advance. Timber (WOOD) advanced. Copper (COPPER1!) and Aluminum (ALI1!) both advanced.
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Investor Sentiment
The put/call ratio rose to 0.816, remaining high compared to the past few months of overly bullish sentiment. The put/call ratio (PCCE) is a contrarian indicator that shows overly bullish or overly bearish investor behavior. The 0.7 level is considered normal. As it approaches 0.60 (overly bullish) and below, watch for a possible pullback in the market.
The CNN Fear & Greed index is neutral.
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Market Leaders
All four big mega-caps advanced for the day. Alphabet (GOOGL) had the biggest move with a +3.10%, not needing to content with resistance at moving average lines. Microsoft (MSFT) moved back above its 50d MA with a +2.15% gain. Apple (AAPL) and Amazon (AMZN) also had gains, but are still trading well below their 21d EMA and 50d MA lines.
Most mega-caps gained for the day, with Oracle (ORCL), Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM), Chevron (CVX) and Intel (INTC) leading the list with greater than 4% gains. Tesla (TSLA) did not find its way back into positive territory after the morning selling, closing the day with a -3.78% loss.
Growth stocks were mixed. Paycom software gained +7.70%, likely benefiting from the strong employment data. FUTU Holdings (FUTU) and Dr Horton (DHI) also had big days with over 5% gains. Not all growth stocks recovered from the morning selling. Digital Turbine (APPS) closed with a -6.12% loss after dipping more than 16% in the morning. It was a similar story for CrowdStrike (CRWD), Chewy (CHWY) and MongoDB (MDB).
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Looking ahead
There is not much scheduled economic news to kick-off the week on Monday. We might have an update on the stimulus bill over the weekend that could impact markets.
Earnings reports on Monday will include Livongo (LVGO), Niu Tech (NIU), Gohealth (GOCO).
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Trends, Support and Resistance
If today's afternoon rally continues into Monday, the one-day trend line points to a +3.05% gain on Monday that would take the index back to just below the 50d MA.
The trend-line from the 2/16 ATH is pointing to a -1.10% decline for Monday. The five-day trend line points to a -3.98% loss.
The index dipped below the 12,550 support area today before rallying and falling short of 13,000. We could count 12,400 as support which is where the index dipped to today.
This week, we've been keeping an eye on a head and shoulders pattern. This pattern represents an attempt to move back to new highs that was rejected at a previous resistance point. Typically the height of the head is measured to determine the potential move downward that will occur as the price breaks below the neck line. The index is still below the neck line, so the pattern is still worth watching.
I've also been cautioning that the drop would not happen in a straight line. Today's bounce back from the intraday low could be a temporary one.
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Looking Deeper at the Rebound
I want to take a deeper look at today's rally from the morning dip. The timing didn't make much sense as I couldn't find any discernable catalyst to reverse the morning selling. The reverse happened around 11:30, two hours after the positive employment data hit the market. The reversal was also at a very odd round 12,400 for the Nasdaq.
The below chart is the intraday 15m chart and the thing that sticks out is the contrast of volume in the morning selling vs the volume as investors came in to buy the dip. This would indicate that larger institutions were distributing in the morning, but a smaller number of investors were accumulating in the afternoon. In fact, the Volume Weighted Average Price for the day did not regain positive territory.
The response is to not get overly optimistic about the afternoon rally. Keep a cautious eye on what's happening below the surface.
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Wrap-up
It's always nice to see a positive gain in the market. But there are still several tests that I'd like to see the index pass before getting more optimistic about a continued rally. First, I want to see higher volume during accumulation than I see during distribution. Second, the index needs to climb back above the 21d EMA to show its moving toward higher prices. Finally, I'd like the see the index make a higher weekly high and a higher weekly low to show a solid uptrend.
Based on the daily chart, I'll set an expectation for sideways or higher on Monday. I think there is reason for caution here, but also don't want to be overly bearish or overly bullish and miss what's going on.
I'll include this quote again from @MichaelGLamothe on twitter as its a good reminder to me:
"I think it’s good to have a thesis about which way the market is going to move. The problem comes when we become too attached to it and want to be proven right.
There’s tons of great reasons why the market will collapse & why it’ll blast off.
Be open/ready for anything."
Keep watching how stocks in your watchlist are performing compared to the movements in the market. The ones that have good relative strength are likely to be the ones to rally the most once the market resumes an uptrend.
Stay healthy and trade safe!
position in the same direction as the market55 days moving average is support but then it beats to 26 days moving average resistance and the slide will continue to 99 days moving average. the best point for a long position is on the 99 days moving average. after that 55 days moving average acts like resistance.
Daily Market Update for 3/4Trend lines drawn from the 2/16 ATH (13d), 2/26 (5d) and today 3/4 (1d).
Ideas always welcome in the comments. Errors will be amended as comments on TradingView or corrected inline in my blog.
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Thursday, March 4, 2021
Facts: -2.11%, Volume higher, Closing range: 33%, Body: 45%
Good: Support at 12,550 area
Bad: Rejected at 13,000, new low for year
Highs/Lows: Lower high, lower low
Candle: Red body in center of candle with upper and lower wicks from choppy session
Advance/Decline: Over seven declining stocks for every advancing stock
Indexes: SPX (-1.34%), DJI (-1.11%), RUT (-2.76%), VIX (+7.12%)
Sectors: Energy (XLE +2.39%) was the only sector with gains. Consumer Discretionary (XLY -2.12%) and Technology (XLK -2.21%) were bottom.
Expectation: Lower
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Market Overview
The sky is not falling. But the market is! It can be confusing to see the news of reopening of economies around the US and world, positive signs of economic recovery, and yet to have the market be correcting at the same time. Thursday continued the market slide, caused by investor's fears that the economy will recover too fast and inflation will take off beyond the desired 2% that the fed targets, impacting negatively the valuations of mega-caps and growth stocks.
The Nasdaq closed down another -2.11% on much more volume than the previous two sessions. The closing range was a little better at 33%, but still not great. The 45% red body sits in the middle of the candle with an upper wick created by a morning rally to 13,000 and a lower wick created by the afternoon dip to 12,550. The support at 12,550 was expected, but may be temporary. There were over seven declining stocks for every advancing stock.
The Russell 2000 (RUT) had the worst day as small cap stocks were sold off heavily. Relative to the other indexes, the small caps had not been impacted as much until today. The reckoning came as investors looked for more places to reduce exposure. The S&P 500 (SPX) and Dow Jones Industrial average (DJI) also ended the day with declines as almost every segment and sector was hit with losses except Energy.
The VIX volatility index continues to rise with a 7.12% gain today.
Energy (XLE +2.39%) was the only sector with gains as OPEC decided to keep production steady, causing crude oil prices to advance. Consumer Discretionary (XLY -2.12%) and Technology (XLK -2.21%) were bottom for another day.
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Economic Indicators
The US Dollar (DXY) advanced another +0.75%. That’s the highest level since November and is another factor on the valuations of large multi-national companies that dominate the indexes and are impacted by a stronger dollar. The stronger dollar makes exports more expensive and also devalues foreign subsidiary revenues as it's repatriated for reporting.
Yields spikes again as US 30y and 10y treasury bonds. The 2y are also gained for the day. Comments by Jerome Powell were not enough to convince investors that inflation would remain under control, causing another sell-off in the bond market.
High Yield Corporate Bonds (HYG) and Investment Grade Corporate Bond (LQD) prices both dropped for another day.
Silver (SILVER) and Gold (GOLD) both declined. Crude Oil (CRUDEOIL1!) advanced on news that OPEC would keep production at current levels. Timber (WOOD) declined. Copper (COPPER1!) and Aluminum (ALI1!) both declined.
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Investor Sentiment
The put/call ratio rose to 0.803. The put/call ratio (PCCE) is a contrarian indicator that shows overly bullish or overly bearish investor behavior. The 0.7 level is considered normal. As it approaches 0.60 (overly bullish) and below, watch for a possible pullback in the market.
The CNN Fear & Greed index moved slightly into the fear level.
The NAAIM Exposure Index dropped to 65.37 as money managers reduce positions in the market.
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Market Leaders
Of the four big mega-caps, only Alphabet (GOOGL) ended the day with gains, advancing +1.12% and closing back above the 21d EMA. Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon (AMZN) all declined for the day and are trading below both the 21d EMA and the 50d MA. The decline of these mega-caps will continue to pull the indexes down and influence overall market sentiment.
Exxon Mobile (XOM), Alphabet, Chevron (CVX) and Facebook (FB) were the top performing mega-caps. Tesla (TSLA), Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM), ASML Holding (ASML) and PayPal (PYPL) were at the bottom of the list. The energy stocks had a good day on the OPEC news. It's not clear to me why mega-caps in the Communication sector did well today.
Only a few of the growth stocks tracked by the daily update had gains. Palantir (PLTR) gained 4.83%, possibly driven by retail trading. Moderna (MRNA) and Zoom Video (ZM) also ended the day with gains. Ehang Holdings dropped another -15.22% and is now almost 75% off its high set on 2/12.
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Looking ahead
More employment data will be released in the morning. Today's data was slightly on the positive side but did not seem to impress investors.
Big Lots (BIG) will report earnings before the market opens in the morning.
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Trends, Support and Resistance
The trend-line from the 2/16 ATH is pointing to a +1.53% gain for tomorrow. The five-day trend line points to a +0.86% gain.
The last three days have seen a fairly consistent angle of descent in prices. If the one-day trend continues, that will mean a -3.26% decline tomorrow.
The index broke through the 13,000 support area and tested the 12,550 area that also held in an early January dip. If it passes that area, the next support area is 12,250.
Yesterday, I showed the head and shoulders pattern on the Nasdaq chart. This pattern represents an attempt to move back to new highs that was rejected at a previous resistance point. Typically the height of the head is measured to determine the potential move downward that will occur as the price breaks below the neck line. The neck line was broken today and the measured move points to a previous support area around 11,800 - 12,000.
That likely would not happen in a straight line. The reason to watch for it is not to overreact to bounces along the way. For example, it would not be unexpected for tomorrow to have gains in the index and then have a further downward move on Monday. Wait for your market rules to kick in, such as regaining the 21d EMA on higher volume.
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Wrap-up
The Nasdaq is in official correction territory now with the close being 10% below the all-time high. The other major indexes have a bit to go for the official mark, but are also reacting to an overwhelming amount of selling pressure. There is a general sense that this is not over and selling could continue into next week or longer.
However, I'll quote @MichaelGLamothe on twitter:
"I think it’s good to have a thesis about which way the market is going to move. The problem comes when we become too attached to it and want to be proven right.
There’s tons of great reasons why the market will collapse & why it’ll blast off.
Be open/ready for anything."
Keep engaged. Work on your watchlist, filling it with stocks that are doing better relative to other stocks, even in a decline. Many of those stocks will be the best opportunities when the market finds a bottom and moves up again.
Stay healthy and trade safe!
Reversal target in sight? The current bull run is still valid but based on a few technical indicators we may see some more price action to the downside before a continuation. There are several technical catalysts that may converge near or at the reversal target. Previous daily support, median line support, EMA convergence, and RSI hitting oversold (30).
Momentum – While price makes a higher high from Jan to Feb, a bearish divergence occurs as the RSI makes a lower high, indicating a change in momentum foreshadowing the current pullback. As the RSI falls we see it break through the first key support level, tries to correct, and gets rejected by the midline (50) to then continue the downtrend. As RSI breaks the second key level it tries to break back through to the upside and fails. Judging by the EOD price action on Friday we can assume price rejection was successful and will continue to the downside. RSI is approaching oversold which is a prime area for a reversal in momentum.
Trend – During the current bull run, we see the 12EMA converge on the 50EMA twice but never cross, indicating a strong uptrend. Despite the current price action, the uptrend remains intact as the 12EMA is converging on the 50EMA again but has not crossed. The 12EMA still has more room to the downside before finding support near the 50EMA. The current spread between the EMAs is approx. 2.3%, which is the distance from Friday's low to the lower median line.
Chart Pattern – Price is trading in an ascending channel and attempted to test the upper median line, but was rejected initiating the current downtrend. Price is approaching the lower median line where support was confirmed by Sept, Oct, and Nov lows. Price holding the lower median line and breaking back out of the demand zone may be confirmation of a reversal back towards Jan and Feb highs.
Support and Resistance – Price is approaching the upper part of the demand zone set by Dec highs and Jan Lows. If price can hold in or above the demand zone, that is a strong indicator bears are losing steam, and bulls may regain control soon.
What do you think about this target for a potential reversal?
Any comments or critiques would be appreciated!
This idea is for discussion purposes only and is not financial advice.
Daily Market Update for 3/3Trend lines drawn from the 2/16 ATH (12d), 2/25 (5d) and today 3/3 (1d).
Ideas always welcome in the comments. Errors will be amended as comments on TradingView or corrected inline in my blog.
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Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Facts: -2.7%, Volume higher, Closing range: 1%, Body: 90%
Good: 13,000 just barely holding on
Bad: Higher volume selling day shows institutional distribution
Highs/Lows: Lower high, lower low
Candle: Tiny upper wick created at open, thick red body with no lower wick
Advance/Decline: More than two declining stocks for every advancing stock
Indexes: SPX (-1.31%), DJI (-0.39%), RUT (-1.06%), VIX (+10.66%)
Sectors: Energy (XLE +1.47%) and Financials (XLF +0.78%) were the top sectors. Consumer Discretionary (XLY -2.35%) and Technology (XLK -2.52%) were bottom.
Expectation: Sideways or Lower
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Market Overview
The market continued its retreat on Wednesday with another session of selling that was shared broadly across the indexes. Only a few cyclical sectors were able to hang onto gains for the day as investors moved from high priced big tech and consumer discretionary stocks to recovery stocks expected to benefit from the economic recovery.
The Nasdaq closed the day with a -2.70% loss on higher volume, marking a clear distribution day for the index. For a second day in a row, the index sold off for most of the day, producing a thick red body with no visible lower wick. The closing range was 1% and the red body covers 90% of the candle. Over two stocks declined for every advancing stock.
The Dow Jones Industrial average (DJI) faired the best for the day, declining only -0.39%. It was held up by strong performances in Energy, Finance and Industrials. The S&P 500 (SPX) dropped -1.31% and the Russell 2000 (RUT) declined -1.06%.
The VIX volatility index rose +10.66%.
Energy (XLE +1.47%) and Financials (XLF +0.78%) were the top sectors. Industrials (XLI +0.11%) was the only other sector with gains. Consumer Discretionary (XLY -2.35%) and Technology (XLK -2.52%) were bottom. Communications (XLC -1.43%) also lost more than the overall index. These sectors have heavy weight mega-cap players that are leading the way down for the indexes.
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Economic Indicators
The US Dollar (DXY) advanced +0.22%.
Yields for the US 30y, 10y and 2y all rose for the day, returning fears to investors' minds on the impact of higher interest rates to big tech and growth companies.
High Yield Corporate Bonds (HYG) and Investment Grade Corporate Bond (LQD) prices both dropped for the day.
Silver (SILVER) and Gold (GOLD) both declined. Crude Oil (CRUDEOIL1!) advanced despite inventories being higher than expected. Timber (WOOD) advanced. Copper (COPPER1!) and Aluminum (ALI1!) both declined. Copper gave back nearly all of its gains from yesterday. Aluminum declined just slightly compared to yesterday's huge gain.
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Investor Sentiment
The put/call ratio rose to 0.719. The put/call ratio (PCCE) is a contrarian indicator that shows overly bullish or overly bearish investor behavior. The 0.7 level is considered normal. As it approaches 0.60 (overly bullish) and below, watch for a possible pullback in the market.
The CNN Fear & Greed index moved back to the neutral level.
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Market Leaders
All of the big four mega-caps had losses for a second day. Alphabet (GOOGL) was the only of the big four above the 21d EMA, but moved below the line today. Microsoft (MSFT) also hit a significant level, moving below its 40d MA. Apple (AAPL) and Amazon (AMZN) have both been trading below the two levels for the past two weeks.
Bank of America (BAC) and JP Morgan Chase (JPM) led the mega-caps with +2.50% and 1.93% gains. These big banks are expected to benefit from the higher bond yields driving higher interest rates. PayPal (PYPL), Netflix (NFLX), Tesla (TSLA) and Nvidia (NVDA) were at the bottom of the mega-cap list.
The only growth stock tracked by this daily update to end the day in the positive was Alibaba with a +0.79% advance. The hardest hit were Fiverr (FVRR), Esty (ETSY), Grow Generation (GRWG) and Moderna (MRNA), all with greater than 10% losses for the day.
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Looking ahead
Initial Jobless Games, Unit Labor Costs and Nonfarm Productivity data released tomorrow before market open will add to today's narrative around the slowing recovery. Either it will boost confidence or add to worries that maybe the economic recovery is slowing. Fed Chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to speak in early afternoon.
Thursday's earnings reports will include Broadcom (AVGO), Costco (COST), Kroger (KR), Burlington Stores (BURL), Gap (GPS).
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Trends, Support and Resistance
The five-day trend line is pointing to a +2.36% gain for tomorrow. The index is at the lower line of the five-day regression trend channel. The trend-lien from the 2/16 ATH is pointing to a +0.60% gain for tomorrow.
If the one-day and two-day trends continue, then another -1.60% decline can be expected tomorrow.
The index is sitting just a hair below 13,000 right now. If there is further downside, the 12,550 area also held in an early January dip. If it passes that area, the next support area is 12,250.
There is a head and shoulders pattern on the Nasdaq chart. This pattern represents an attempt to move back to new highs that was rejected at a previous resistance point. Generally speaking, the height of the head is measured to determine the potential move downward that will occur as the price breaks below the neck line. That points to a previous support area around 11,800 - 12,000. That likely would not happen in a straight line. The reason to watch for it is not to overreact to bounces along the way. Wait for your market rules to kick in, such as regaining the 21d EMA on higher volume.
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Wrap-up
It's tough to watch the market retreat and worry about where it might find the bottom. It's important for my daily homework to not try to predict the movements. Rather we look at the chart and set some expectations so we can act following the set of trading rules that work for me. You should also have a set of rules that work for your trading style and risk tolerance.
The market followed thru with the expectation we set yesterday of lower. Today, the expectation is still set for sideways or lower. We'll look for an expectation breaker as a positive development, especially if the 13,000 area support holds.
Stay healthy and trade safe!
Head and shoulders, anyone??Gotta hold this neckline or it gets ugly very quickly. It's not only tech, the entire risk on trade will unwind fast. My guess is stimulus gets us back above if we do happen to peak below.
Needless to say, it's slippery so act accordingly. Taking all PTP Trend Trader shorts all week. Will look to take the long trades after liquidity injection.