GMI: 0; Disastrous day; Hindenburg Omen; Recession? 4 year cycle

We didn’t have a lot of warning, but I did say yesterday that I should be on the sidelines, after Tuesday’s action.  Wednesday, the GMI went to zero. Gmi1005_3 There were only 54 successful 10 day new highs–stocks that hit a new high 10 days ago and closed higher Wednesday than 10 days earlier.  In other words, only 35% of the stocks that hit new highs 10 days ago closed higher Wednesday than the day they hit their new high.  Many of the gurus cited in the books to the right have observed that failed break-outs are a sign of impending market weakness.  In addition, there were more (99) "successful" 10 day new lows, suggesting that shorting stocks at new lows has been profitable.  There were only 41 new yearly highs but 148 new lows.  I mentioned last post that having a lot of new highs AND new lows suggested a troubled market.  Well, I read today that this phenomenon is known as the "Hindenburg Omen."  Only 8% of the Nasdaq 100 stocks and the S&P 500 stocks advanced on Wednesday along with 3% (1) of the Dow 30 stocks.  The last time we saw numbers like this was on August 16, a day when the averages also first closed below their 30 day averages.  Yes, the DIA, SPY and QQQQ are now all below their 30 day averages and the DIA and SPY are below their 30 week averages, suggesting longer term weakness.  Only 36% of the stocks in my universe of 4,000 are above their 10 week average, the lowest number since I began tabulating this statistic on June 17.    Note that there are almost as many stocks within 5% of their yearly lows (12%) as there are close to their yearly highs (14%).  Only 59%  (down 14%) of the strongest stocks that have doubled this year remain above their 30 day averages.  This is day one (D-1) of the new QQQQ down-trend……….

As I said yesterday, this is not the time to be a hero–I am mainly on the sideline.  The crack in the housing stocks is finally upon us and their demise may signal dire consequences for the economy.  If we get a bounce during earnings season the next few days, it might be a good time to unload losers and raise cash.  With the GMI at zero, I remain very cautious. Jim Rogers, a very successful trader with George Soros, opined this week on "Cavuto on Business," that we will be in a recession next year.  In addition, I have written before that the 4 year stock cycle of bear/weak markets 62, 66, 70, 74, 78, 82, 87 (late one year and crashed) 90, 94, 98, 02…..  also suggests that we are due for a bad market in 06.  Is the Fed destined to over-tighten and bring on a recession……..

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GMI: +5; Signs of weakness; on sidelines

Things turned weak on Tuesday, and the GMI declined one, to +5.  While there were 300 new yearly highs in my universe of 4,000 stocks, only 32% of the Nasdaq 100 stocks, 24% of the S&P 500 stocks and 17% of the Dow 30 stocks advanced. Gmi1004_1 Significantly, the DIA and SPY indexes closed below their 30 day averages.  The QQQQ held.  Even worse, the DIA closed below its 30 week average, a major sign of weakness.  The market is not exhibiting any sustained trend, with the indexes closing above, then below their key moving averages.  Housing stocks remain in a down-trend, with interest rates rising.  With earnings season approaching, selected stocks are rising, hinting at good earnings to come.  Nevertheless, this is probably a good time to be mainly in cash on the sidelines. 

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GMI: +6; Strongest/weakest sectors

The GMI remains at +6, as the market continues to strengthen.  There were 332 new highs on Monday, the most since September 9.  Gmi1003 There were 183 stocks that hit a new high 10 days ago and closed higher Monday than 10 days earlier. Buying stocks at new highs 10 days ago has therefore been likely (69%) to have been profitable. The IBD Mutual Fund Index is now well above its 50 day average, indicating that growth stocks are rising.  More than one half  (52%) of the 4,000 stocks in my universe of stocks closed above their 10 week averages, and 32% are now in a short term up-trend.  29% of these stocks are now within 5% of their yearly highs and only 8% are near new lows.  The Dow 30 stocks remain the weakest stocks, with only 33% rising on Monday, compared with 58% of the Nasdaq 100 stocks and 48% of the S&P 500 stocks.  Monday was day two (U-2) of the QQQQ up-trend………………..

While there were 332 new highs yesterday, there was also a relatively large number (129) of new lows.  This suggests considerable variability in performance.  What sectors are  strong vs. weak?  Between 9/21-10/3 (since the QQQQ bottomed out) the following sectors rose the most:  Semiconductor-memory chips (+8.9%), Internet software and services (+8.4%), Apparel stores (+8.1%), General contractors (+7.6%) and copper (+7.3%).  The weakest were: Aluminum (-3.5%), Mortgage Investment (-3.3%), Nonmetallic Mineral Mining (-2.1%), Electronic Equipment (-1.9%), and Beverages-Brewers (-1.9%).  The strongest stocks in the strongest sector, semiconductor-memory chips, in descending order were:  LEXR, FLSH, MU, RMBS, ALSC, which were up 10%-32% during this 8 day period when the QQQQ rose 2.8%……………..

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