Category Archives: educational newsletters

Bartometer

educational newsletters, market timing, stock market, Stock trading

April 10, 2021

Hello Everyone,

The stock markets continue to rise over the last month with the Value sector leading the way. The energy, financial, airlines, cruise ship sector and more have followed right along the last few months as well. Over the short term the Value sector still looks good going forward with the recovery of the economy and the realization that the Covid 19 virus will soon subside. I still like the growth sector involving technology over the longer term, but the sector that should outperform shorter term as the economy is recovering is the value sector. On the Bartometer at the end of last year I thought the S&P 500 would hit 4200-4400. As of Friday the S&P was 4094. My AIQ Trading Expert and my other technical computer algorithms are still at a BUY-HOLD signal. Remember that this market is very overvalued and is selling at 24 times earnings, and is currently 21% overvalued based on earnings and interest rates.. Earnings growth has to be great for this market to continue higher.

Interest rates have climbed to the 1.7% level on the 10-year government bond. Bonds, in general, have fallen this year from 0-to 13%, with Floating rate bonds actually rising 2% in 2021. Floating rate bonds and variable interest rate bonds both pay a higher rate as interest rates rise. The interest rate rise over the short term should be more subdued based on Federal Chairman Reserve Powell’s testimony that he is dovish on interest rate rises. I believe over the longer term with the deficit continuing to rise that the market will push interest rates higher. I also believe that inflationary pressures will also push the need for interest rates to rise over the next year or two. Allocations for bonds in your portfolio should be more concentrated in shorter duration, and in the floating rate bond sector/ Treasury inflation-protected Strips or TIPS. Please call me to strategize your portfolio holistically.

Some of the INDEXES of the markets both equities and interest rates are below. The source is Morningstar.com up until April 09, 2021.

Dow Jones +10.97%
S&P 500 +10.0%
EQUAL WEIGHTED S&P 500 +14%
NASDAQ Aggressive growth +7.58%
Large Cap Value +9.68%
I Shares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) Small cap +13.34%
Midcap stock funds +14.0%
International Index (MSCI – EAFE ex USA +9%
International Emerging Markets +3.6%
Financial stocks +13%
Energy stocks +28%
Healthcare Stocks +.9% Moderate Mutual Fund Investment Grade Bonds (AAA) Long duration +5.1%
High Yield Merrill Lynch High Yield Index +1.4% Floating Rate Bond Funds +1.7%
Short Term Bond +.0%
Multi sector bond funds +.3% Gold -8.43% Long Term 20 year Bond fund -12% 10 year Bond Yield 1.62%

Classicalprinciples.com and Robert Genetskis Excerpts

Market Outlook

Stocks turned in a mixed performance this past week. The Nasdaq and QQQs had the biggest gains while the S&P500 and Dow rose to new all-time highs. In contrast, small-cap stocks fell ½%. Weekly moves show stocks rotating into and out of different areas, while the overall market trend continues to be positive.

The main force behind the upward move is a highly expansive Fed policy. Monetary stimulus creates a surplus of liquidity for stocks and ignited gains in business activity. This week’s sharp reversal in longer-term interest rates provided another spark for sending prices higher

The Biden Administration tried to discourage investors by proposing more destructive policies. Investors were not discouraged. Cautious statements by some Democrats are viewed as a possible barrier to the more these destructive policy proposals. The Fed continues to add kindling to the inflationary fire and promises it will continue to do so. Although longer-term interest rates moved lower this past week, implied inflation expectations remain high. The implied inflation expectation is currently 2.3%. It is measured by subtracting the inflation-adjusted 10-year T-bond yield from the actual 10-year T-bond yield.

Although core inflation rates remain very low, the bond market expects higher inflation. The market is more reliable. As for stocks, the gains in the S&P500 move the index to 21% above fundamental value.

Stocks are overextended and the risks of a reversal, or at least a leveling off, are rising. In spite of the heightened risks and the likelihood for some temporary setback, ongoing monetary stimulus has the potential to continue to drive stock prices higher.

Stock Valuation: S&P 500 21% Overvalued
Economic Fundamentals: Positive
Monetary Policy; Highly Expansive
.
Source: Classical Principles.com

S & P 500

The market weighted S&P 500 which weights the largest companies like Apple, Microsoft, Google and more. This index is up 10% in 2021. 500 of the largest stocks in the USA are in this index. If you look to thchart above you will see an ASCENDING CHANNEL. An ascending channel is Bullish and if it breaks out above the top of the channel it can signal a Continuation of the move higher. Many times the market will top out at the top of the channel, right where it is now. If it breaks down below the channel then it can signal a possible trend change. There is a definite channel trend here HIGHER. But could have a short term setback here.

The indicator below the price chart is the MACD, or momentum indicator has turned to the upside, See the pink line breaking out of the blue line, another Bullish signal

The bottom indicator is SD-SK Stochastics is now above the 88 line and clearing shows an overbought situation in the stock market. Even though the market indicators are BULLISH, and 21% overvalued, we have to be wondering when all of this upside will stop. I thought 4200 to 4400 on the S&P 500. That is a 2-7% move from here. It can go higher than that, we will see. Earnings are coming out and if they show a clear cut blowout in earnings then the market should continue higher, but we have to keep aware of the overvalued nature of the market.

Chart Source: AIQsystems.com

Support levels

S&P 500 4040, 3919, 3870, 3655.
NASDAQ 13,611, 13,472, 13012.
Dow Jones 33280, 29280
These may be safer areas to get into the equity markets on support levels slowly on the accumulation areas.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

The market continues to look ok albeit very overvalued based on earnings and interest rates. I still think the market could reach my 4200-4400 or higher before the end of the year or higher and the economy should be higher than where we are today. I am worried that interest rates over the next year or so will be higher than 2% on the ten-year bond. Markets usually have a more serious correction if the 10-year bond goes above 2.75% to 3%. We are far from that point. I still like Value stocks for the short term and growth for the mid to long term as growth stocks is where the real growth in the economy should be. The NASDAQ stocks have underperformed for the year but, if you are longer-term investors then have a mix of growth and Value stocks or funds. I have been suggesting a higher percentage of small and midcap value and growth funds over the last 5 months and now the smaller stocks are overvalued and a reduction of smaller stocks may be in order. In addition, the Price to Earnings in the market is over 24 times earnings, this indicates a much-overvalued market. If you are within a year of retirement you may want to take some profits if you made money and wait for a better entry. It all depends on your goals and risk tolerance.

Best to all of you,

Joe Bartosiewicz, CFP®
Investment Advisor Representative

Securities and advisory services offered through SagePoint Financial, Inc. (SPF), member FINRA/SIPC. SPF is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of SPF. 800-552-3319 20 East Thomas Road Ste 2000 Phoenix AZ 85012

If you have any questions, please call me at 860-940-7020.
Joe Bartosiewicz, CFP®
92 High Street
Thomaston, CT 06787 and
7501 East MCDowell RD #2172 Scottsdale, AZ 85257

Disclaimer: The views expressed are not necessarily the view of Sage Point Financial, Inc. and should not be interpreted directly or indirectly as an offer to buy or sell any securities mentioned herein. Securities and Advisory services offered through Sage Point Financial Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, an SEC-registered investment advisor.
Past performance cannot guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. Please note that individual situations can vary. Therefore, the information presented in this letter should only be relied upon when coordinated with individual professional advice. *There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will outperform a non-diversified portfolio in any given market environment. No investment strategy, such as asset allocation, can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.
It is our goal to help investors by identifying changing market conditions. However, investors should be aware that no investment advisor can accurately predict all of the changes that may occur in the market.

The price of commodities is subject to substantial price fluctuations of short periods and may be affected by unpredictable international monetary and political policies. The market for commodities is widely unregulated, and concentrated investing may lead to Sector investing may involve a greater degree of risk than investments with broader diversification.
Indexes cannot be invested indirectly, are unmanaged, and do not incur management fees, costs, and expenses.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: A weighted price average of 30 significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ.
S&P 500: The S&P 500 is an unmanaged indexed comprised of 500 widely held securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general.
NASDAQ: the NASDAQ Composite Index is an unmanaged, market-weighted index of all over the counter common stocks traded on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System
(IWM) I Shares Russell 2000 ETF: Which tracks the Russell 2000 index: which measures the performance of the small capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market.
A Moderate Mutual Fund risk mutual has approximately 50-70% of its portfolio in different equities, from growth, income stocks, international and emerging markets stocks to 30-50% of its portfolio in different categories of bonds and cash. It seeks capital appreciation with a low to moderate level of current income.
The Merrill Lynch High Yield Master Index: A broad-based measure of the performance of non-investment grade US Bonds
MSCI EAFE: the MSCI EAFE Index (Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe, Australia, and Far East Index) is a widely recognized benchmark of non-US markets. It is an unmanaged index composed of a sample of companies’ representative of the market structure of 20 European and Pacific Basin countries and includes reinvestment of all dividends.
Investment grade bond index: The S&P 500 Investment-grade corporate bond index, a sub-index of the S&P 500 Bond Index, seeks to measure the performance of the US corporate debt issued by constituents in the S&P 500 with an investment-grade rating. The S&P 500 Bond index is designed to be a corporate-bond counterpart to the S&P 500, which is widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap US equities.
Floating Rate Bond Index is a rule-based, market-value weighted index engineered to measure the performance and characteristics of floating-rate coupon U.S. Treasuries, which have a maturity greater than 12 months.

Keeping a Wary Eye on the “Scary Stuff”

educational newsletters, indexes, jay kaeppel, market timing, seasonal

In many ways the markets imitate life.  For example, the trend is your friend.  You may enjoy your friendship with the trend for an indefinite length of time.  But the moment you ignore it – or just simply take it for granted that this friendship is permanent, with no additional effort required on your part – that’s when the trouble starts.

For the stock market right now, the bullish trend is our friend.  Figure 1 displays the 4 major indexes all above their respective – and rising – long-term moving averages.  This is essentially the definition of a “bull market.” 

Figure 1 – 4 Major Indexes in Bullish Trends (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

In addition, a number of indicators that I follow have given bullish signals in the last 1 to 8 months.  These often remain bullish for up to a year.  So, for the record, with my trusted trend-following, oversold/thrust and seasonal indicators mostly all bullish I really have no choice but to be in the bullish camp.

Not that I am complaining mind you.  But like everyone else, I try to keep my eyes open for potential signs of trouble.  And of course, there are always some.  One of the keys to long-term success in the stock market is determining when is the proper time to actually pay attention to the “scary stuff.”  Because scary stuff can be way early or in other cases can turn out to be not that scary at all when you look a little closer. 

So, let’s take a closer look at some of the scary stuff.

Valuations

Figure 2 displays an aggregate model of four separate measures of valuation.  The intent is to gain some perspective as to whether stocks are overvalued, undervalued or somewhere in between.

Figure 2 – Stock Market valuation at 2nd highest level ever (Courtesy: www.advisorperspectives.com)

Clearly the stock market is “overvalued” if looked at from a historical perspective.  The only two higher readings preceded the tops in 1929 (the Dow subsequently lost -89% of its value during the Great Depression) and 2000 (the Nasdaq 100 subsequently lost -83% of its value). 

Does this one matter?  Absolutely.  But here is what you need to know:

*Valuation IS NOT a timing indicator.  Since breaking out to a new high in 1995 the stock market has spent most of the past 25 years in “overvalued” territory.  During this time the Dow Industrials have increased 700%.  So, the proper response at the first sign of overvaluation should NOT be “SELL.”

*However, ultimately valuation DOES matter. 

Which leads directly to:

Jay’s Trading Maxim #44: If you are walking down the street and you trip and fall that’s one thing.  If you are climbing a mountain and you trip and fall that is something else.  And if you are gazing at the stars and don’t even realize that you are climbing a mountain and trip and fall – the only applicable phrase is “Look Out Below”.

So, the proper response is this: instead of walking along and staring at the stars, keep a close eye on the terrain directly in front of you.  And watch out for cliffs.

Top 5 companies as a % of S&P 500 Index

At times through history certain stocks or groups of stocks catch “lightning in a bottle.”  And when they do the advances are spectacular, enriching anyone who gets on board – unless they happen to get on board too late.  Figure 3 displays the percentage of the S&P 500 Index market capitalization made up by JUST the 5 largest cap companies in the index at any given point in time. 

Figure 3 – Top 5 stocks as a % of S&P 500 Index market cap (Courtesy: www.Bloomberg.com)

The anecdotal suggestion is pretty obvious.  Following the market peak in 2000, the five stocks listed each took a pretty significant whack as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4 – Top Stocks after the 2000 Peak

Then when we look at how far the line in Figure 3 has soared in 2020 the obvious inference is that the 5 stocks listed for 2020 are due to take a similar hit.  And here is where it gets interesting.  Are MSFT, AAPL, AMZN, GOOGL and FB due to lose a significant portion of their value in the years directly ahead?

Two thoughts:

*There is no way to know for sure until it happens

*That being said, my own personal option is “yes, of course they are”

But here is where the rubber meets the road: Am I presently playing the bearish side of these stocks?  Nope.  The trend is still bullish.  Conversely, am I keeping a close eye and am I willing to play the bearish side of these stocks?  Yup.  But not until they – and the overall market – actually starts showing some actual cracks.

One Perspective on AAPL

Apple has been a dominant company for many years, since its inception really.  Will it continue to be?  I certainly would not bet against the ability of the company to innovate and grow its earnings and sales in the years ahead. Still timing – as they say – is everything.  For what it is worth, Figure 5 displays the price-to-book value ratio for AAPL since January 1990.

Figure 5 – AAPL price-to-book value ratio (Data courtesy of Sentimentrader.com)

Anything jump out at you?

Now one can argue pretty compellingly that price-to-book value is not the way to value a leading technology company.  And I probably agree – to a point.  But I can’t help but look at Figure 5 and wonder if that point has possibly been exceeded.

Summary

Nothing in this piece is meant to make you “bearish” or feel compelled to sell stocks.  For the record, I am still in the bullish camp.  But while this information DOES NOT constitute a “call to action”, IT DOES constitute a “call to pay close attention.” 

Bottom line: enjoy the bull market but DO NOT fall in love with it. 

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented represents the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

The Bartometer

educational newsletters, indexes, market timing, stock market

November 14, 2020

Hello Everyone,

Well, the election is over and and if Trump doesn’t win the contested vote then Biden is President. My biggest concern going forward is the race in Georgia that could switch the control of the senate to the Democrats enabling them unchecked control in the government. If this happens, and Democrats get rid of the filibuster rule there could be volatily in the stock and bond markets because: It could increase taxes on corporations, raise capital gains taxes and estate taxes by reducing the couple estate tax exclusion from $11 million to $3.5 milllion.

If the Democrats don’t win then there will be gridlock, and gridlock meaning that many of the tax increases may not pass. We will see what happens on January 5th 2021. Currently my Technical Analysis computer is still on a Buy-Hold as of about a week to 2 weeks ago, but it changes daily.

The increases in the Covid 19 virus is again causing Governors in many states to restrict access to non-essential business. This will reduce earnings of many corporations but increase the earnings of technology companies that are benefitting by people using their goods and services from home. Once a safe and effective vaccine is created by either Pfizer or Moderna, and when people feel safe to travel/use the goods and services of non essential companies will they prevail. then the Value stocks, eg., the cruise lines, airlines, resorts, restaurants, retail, manufacturing, telecommunications and more should rise. Until that time, the market will be volatile.

We are now in a seasonally strong time for the stock markets, but with the overhang of the senate election in Georgia, and the increase in Covid 19 coupled with the upcoming Flu season, caution is still somewhat appropriate. For people who are more Cautious in general, but over the next 1-2 years I still think the market could go higher even though the market is about 6% overvalued mostly because of the technology stocks. When the pandemic is even close to nearing its conclusion, the Value sector should continue its rise. So, small, mid and large value stocks could be the bigger winner, and if we get a selloff because of Covid 19, I will be buying those sectors.

Some of the INDEXES of the markets both equities and interest rates are below. The source is Morningstar.com up until Novemeber 14, 2020. These are passive indexes.

Dow Jones +5.1%
S&P 500 +12.2%
EQUAL WEIGHTED S&P 500 +3.1%
NASDAQ Aggressive growth +29%
Large Cap Value -3.0%
I Shares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) Small cap +5.2%
Midcap stock funds -4.66
International Index (MSCI – EAFE ex USA +2%
Financial stocks -10%
Energy stocks -36%
Healthcare Stocks +11%

Moderate Mutual Fund Investment Grade Bonds (AAA) Long duration +6.5%
igh Yield Merrill Lynch High Yield Index +1.9%

Floating Rate Bond Funds -.60%
Short Term Bond +1.6%
Mutli sector bond funds +2.3%

I do expect potential major volatility over the next few months if the Republicans lose the Senate.

Classicalprinicples.com and Robert Genetskis Excerpts

Market Outlook

Stocks were mixed this past week. The previously out-of-favor small caps rose 3%-4%, when the Nasdaq and QQQs fell 2%-3%. The Dow and S&P500 gained 1%-2%. I expect stocks to continue to consolidate within the range of the past five months. Biden’s choice of advisors is interesting. His Chief of Staff was the one in charge of fighting Ebola. He admitted they had made every mistake imaginable in that fight. Another medical advisor says the country should lock down for 4-6 weeks and can simply pay workers and businesses for lost income. Just what Biden needs… another advisor with no concept of economics feeding him mush. It’s important to pay attention to Biden’s advisors. Their ideas can provide a clue to just how crazy things can get. Hopefully, cooler heads will prevent the chaos that would result from such complete nonsense.

A Look Back

The latest weekly data show the labor market continues to improve in spite of Covid. Initial unemployment claims fell to 709,000 in the first week of this month. This is down about 140,000 from the previous month. For the final week in October, the insured unemployment rate fell to 4.6%, down from 7.5% from the previous month. The number of people receiving insured unemployment payments fell to 6.8 million. There were close to 11 million a month ago.

What to expect this coming week

Look for the economic numbers to continue to show the economy performing well. Tuesday’s report for manufacturing in October should be a strong one. Business surveys show manufacturing production increasing dramatically in October. Hence, the Fed’s manufacturing number should be up substantially.

Source: Classical Principles.com

S&P 500 Chart Source: AIQsystems.com

The S&P 500 is above. As you can see my computer models gave a BUY signal on 10/30/20 and another one a couple days later. Another Bullish sign is when it broke above the middle of the W pattern. This is BULLISH unless it breaks down below that breakout. Now it has to breakout from the old high of 3648. If it does with conviction volume watch the 3750 area for some resistance. But it has to breakout from 3648 with a lot of volume first.

We are now in a bullish seasonal pattern for the market. One year from now I think the economy will do much better than it is now and the markets should be higher as well.

MACD or Momentum is still Bullish as the pink line has broken out of the blue line showing positive momentum.

Support levels on the S&P 500 area are 3546, 3392-3405, 3306 and 3244. 3143 is 200 Day Moving average
NASDAQ Support, 11621, 11300-11360, 11062. Resistance is 12075
These may be safer areas to get into the equity markets on support levels slowly on the accumulation areas.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

The market has rebounded nicely over the last month mainly because of earnings of companies beating expectations. The NASDAQ has done the best this year and should continue to do well IF the market continues higher. Now that the vaccine is a reality the value stocks should start to rise. You may want to call me to review everything including your 401(k) to determine the best allocation going forward. I like the USA market better than the international market.

Best to all of you,

Joe Bartosiewicz, CFP®
Investment Advisor Representative

92 High Street
Thomaston, CT 06787
860-940-7020

Securities and advisory services offered through SagePoint Financial, Inc. (SPF), member FINRA/SIPC. SPF is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of SPF. 800-552-3319 20 East Thomas Road Ste 2000 Phoenix AZ 85012

Charts provided by AIQ Systems:

Technical Analysis is based on a study of historical price movements and past trend patterns. There is no assurance that these market changes or trends can or will be duplicated shortly. It logically follows that historical precedent does not guarantee future results. Conclusions expressed in the Technical Analysis section are personal opinions: and may not be construed as recommendations to buy or sell anything.

Disclaimer: The views expressed are not necessarily the view of Sage Point Financial, Inc. and should not be interpreted directly or indirectly as an offer to buy or sell any securities mentioned herein. Securities and Advisory services offered through Sage Point Financial Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, an SEC-registered investment advisor.

Past performance cannot guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. Please note that individual situations can vary. Therefore, the information presented in this letter should only be relied upon when coordinated with individual professional advice. *There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will outperform a non-diversified portfolio in any given market environment. No investment strategy, such as asset allocation, can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.
It is our goal to help investors by identifying changing market conditions. However, investors should be aware that no investment advisor can accurately predict all of the changes that may occur in the market.

The price of commodities is subject to substantial price fluctuations of short periods and may be affected by unpredictable international monetary and political policies. The market for commodities is widely unregulated, and concentrated investing may lead to Sector investing may involve a greater degree of risk than investments with broader diversification.

Indexes cannot be invested indirectly, are unmanaged, and do not incur management fees, costs, and expenses.

Dow Jones Industrial Average: A weighted price average of 30 significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ.

S&P 500: The S&P 500 is an unmanaged indexed comprised of 500 widely held securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general.

NASDAQ: the NASDAQ Composite Index is an unmanaged, market-weighted index of all over the counter common stocks traded on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System

(IWM) I Shares Russell 2000 ETF: Which tracks the Russell 2000 index: which measures the performance of the small capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market.

A Moderate Mutual Fund risk mutual has approximately 50-70% of its portfolio in different equities, from growth, income stocks, international and emerging markets stocks to 30-50% of its portfolio in different categories of bonds and cash. It seeks capital appreciation with a low to moderate level of current income.

The Merrill Lynch High Yield Master Index: A broad-based measure of the performance of non-investment grade US Bonds

MSCI EAFE: the MSCI EAFE Index (Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe, Australia, and Far East Index) is a widely recognized benchmark of non-US markets. It is an unmanaged index composed of a sample of companies’ representative of the market structure of 20 European and Pacific Basin countries and includes reinvestment of all dividends.

Investment grade bond index: The S&P 500 Investment-grade corporate bond index, a sub-index of the S&P 500 Bond Index, seeks to measure the performance of the US corporate debt issued by constituents in the S&P 500 with an investment-grade rating. The S&P 500 Bond index is designed to be a corporate-bond counterpart to the S&P 500, which is widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap US equities.

Floating Rate Bond Index is a rule-based, market-value weighted index engineered to measure the performance and characteristics of floating-rate coupon U.S. Treasuries, which have a maturity greater than 12 months.



Good for Japan, Bad for US (Bonds)?

chart patterns, educational newsletters, ETFS, jay kaeppel

In the late 1980’s, Japan seemed destined to “rule the financial world”.  But when it comes to the financial markets – things don’t always pan out as they appear destined to.  The Nikkei Index topped out in late 1989, didn’t bottom out until February 2009 and has yet to return to its 1989 peak.

But it sure is trying.  This past week the Nikkei reached its highest level 1991.  So, hooray for the Japanese.  Back here in the US of A there may be a slightly different take.  For as we will discuss in a moment, what is good for Japanese stocks is (apparently) bad for US bonds.

Ticker EWJ

As our proxy for Japanese stocks we will use ticker EWJ (iShares Japan).  In Figure 1 you can the monthly action since the ETF started trading in 1996. 

Figure 1- Ticker EWJ monthly (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Since 1996 EWJ has broken in the $60 a share range on 5 previous occasions, only to be rebuffed.  You can see the latest upward thrust at the far right.  Will this be the time it breaks through?  It beats me and in fact that is not really the focus of this article.  The real question posed here is “what about U.S. treasury bonds?”  Huh?  Consider Figure 2. 

The top clip of Figure 2 displays a weekly chart of EWJ with a 5-week and 30-week moving average drawn.  The bottom clip displays a weekly chart of ticker TLT – the iShares ETF that tracks the long-term U.S. treasury bond. 

Note that – using highly technical terms – when one “zigs”, the other “zags.”

Figure 2 – EWJ vs. TLT (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

The thing to note is the inverse correlation between the two – i.e., when Japanese stocks advance, US treasuries tend to decline and vice versa.  For the record (and for you fellow numbers geeks out there) the correlation coefficient in the last 2 years is -0.45 (1 means they trade exactly the same, -1 means they trade exactly inversely).

For my purposes:

*EWJ 5-week MA < EWJ 3-week MA = BULLISH for US treasuries

*EWJ 5-week MA > EWJ 3-week MA = BEARISH for US treasuries

Any real merit to this? 

*The blue line in Figure 3 displays the cumulative $ +(-) achieved by holding a long position in t-bond futures ($1,000 a point) when the EWJ indicator is BULLISH (for U.S. bonds)

*The orange line in Figure 3 displays the cumulative $ +(-) achieved by holding a long position in t-bond futures ($1,000 a point) when the EWJ indicator is BEARISH (for U.S. bonds)

Figure 3 – $ + (-) for Treasury Bond Futures when EWJ indicator is BULLISH for bonds (blue) or BEARISH for bonds (orange)

Summary

Bond investors might keep a close eye on Japanese stocks for a while.  If the latest thrust higher follows through and becomes the move that finally breaks out to the upside, the implication would appear to be negative for U.S. long-term treasury bonds.  On the flip side, if Japanese stocks fail once again to break through and reverse to the downside, then things might look a whole lot better for the 30-year US treasury.

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented represents the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

Looking for Ideas “Off the Beaten Path”

educational newsletters, indexes, jay kaeppel

For the record, I am an avowed “trend-follower.”  But I also know that no trend lasts forever.  So, while I have gotten pretty good at “riding along”, I do – like most people – like to “look ahead” since I do know that the landscape will forever be changing.

So, with the caveat that none of what follows should be considered a “call to action”, only as a “call to pay attention”, let’s venture out “into the weeds.”

AIROIL

Here is an ugly pairing – airline stocks and traditional energy stocks – yikes!  In Figure 1 you see an index that I created and followed call AIROIL comprised of three airline stocks and five “Big Oil” stocks.  During the pandemic meltdown this index fell to a level not seen since 2007 before “bouncing”. 

Editors Note: 

Jay's AIROIL Index is built using the AIQ Data Manager by creating a list andcreating a group ticker (in this case AIROIL).  Stocks are inserted under the ticker and the index is then computed using  Compute Group/Sector indices.

Figure 1 – Jay’s AIROIL Index (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

In the bottom clip you see an indicator I call VFAA.  Note that when VFAA tops out and rolls over, meaningful advances in the index tend to follow.  In addition, VFAA is at a high level seen only once before in 2009. Following that reversal, the index rose almost 500% over the next 9 years.

So, is now a great time to pile into airlines and big oil?  One would have to be a pretty hard-core contrarian to pound the table on this one.  The airlines are in terrible shape due to the pandemic and vast uncertainty remains regarding when things might improve.  And “Big Oil” is about as unloved as any sector has ever been. 

So, am I suggesting anyone “load up” on airlines and oil?  Nope.  What I am saying is that I am watching this closely and that if and when VFAA “rolls over” I may look to commit some money to these sectors on a longer-term contrarian basis.

International/Commodities/Value

Also known of late as “the barking dogs”.  If you have had money committed to any or all of these asset classes in recent years you are shaking your head right about now.  These areas have VASTLY underperformed a simple “buy-and-hold the S&P 500 Index” approach for a number of years.

Is this state of affairs going to change anytime soon?  Regarding “anytime soon” – it beats me.  However, I am on the record as arguing that at some point this WILL change.  History makes one thing very clear – no asset class has a permanent edge.  So, given that the S&P 500 Index has beaten these above mentioned by such a wide margin for such a long time (roughly a decade or more) I am confident that one day in the next x years, the “worm will turn.”

Figure 2 displays an index that I created and follow that tracks an international ETF, a commodity ETF and a value ETF.  The VFAA indicator appears in the bottom clip. 

Figure 2 – Jay’s INTCOMVAL Index (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Now if history is a guide, then the recent “rollover” by VFAA suggests that this particular grouping of asset classes should perform well in the coming years.  Two things to note:

1. There is no guarantee

2. There is absolutely no sign yet that “the turn” – relative to the S&P 500 – is occurring

Figure 3, 4 and 5 are “relative strength” charts from www.StockCharts.com.  They DO NOT display the price of any security; they display the performance of the first ETF list compared to the second ETF listed.  So, Figure 3 displays the performance of ticker EFA (iShares MSCI EAFE ETF which tracks a broad index of stocks from around the globe, excluding the U.S.) relative to the S&P 500 Index.

When the bars are trending lower it means EFA is underperforming SPY and vice versa.  The trend in Figure 3 is fairly obvious – international stocks continue to lose ground to U.S. large-cap stocks. 

Figure 3 – Ticker EFA relative to ticker SPY (Courtesy: www.StockCharts.com)

If your goal is to pick a bottom, have at it.  As for me, I am waiting for some “signs of life” in international stocks relative to U.S. stocks before doing anything.

Figure 4 displays ticker DBC (a commodity-based ETF) versus SPY and Figure 5 displays ticker VTV (Vanguard Value ETF) versus ticker VUG (Vanguard Growth ETF). Both tell the same tale as Figure 3 – unless you are an avowed bottom-picker there is no actionable intelligence.  Still, both these trends are now extremely overdone, so a significant opportunity may be forming. 

Figure 4 – Ticker DBC relative to ticker SPY (Courtesy: www.StockCharts.com)

Figure 5 – Ticker VTV relative to ticker VUG (Courtesy: www.StockCharts.com)

Summary

Two key points as succinctly as possible:

*Nothing is happening at the moment with everything displayed above…

*…But something will (at least in my market-addled opinion) – so pay close attention.

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented represents the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

The RS4r: Tracking Relative Strength In Four Dimensions

EDS, educational newsletters, Stocks & Commodities traders tips, technical indicator

Relative strength has more information embedded within it than meets the eye. Here is a way to identify and compress several dimensions of relative strength into one single scalable value, the RS4r, which allows you to compare and then rank securities for robustness across timeframes and shifting market conditions…

The importable AIQ EDS file based on James Garofallou’s article in
Stocks & Commodities magazine September 2020 issue, “The RS4r: Tracking Relative Strength In Four Dimensions,” can be obtained on request via email to info@TradersEdgeSystems.com. The code is also available here:

! The RS4r: Tracking Relative Strength in Four Dimensions
! Author: James Garofallou, PhD, TASC Sept 2020
! Coded by: Richard Denning, 7/18/2020

!INPUTS
C is [close].
len1 is 10.
len2 is 15.
NumIndx is 4.
BuyLvl is 80.

!FORMULAS
SPYc is TickerUDF("SPY",C).      !SP500
QQQc is TickerUDF("QQQ",C).     !NASDAQ100
MDYc is TickerUDF("MDY",C).     !SP400
IWMc is TickerUDF("IWM",C).      !Russel2000

RS1spy is C/SPYc.
RS1qqq is C/QQQc.
RS1mdy is C/MDYc.
RS1iwm is C/IWMc.

FastSPY is Expavg(RS1spy,len1).
MedSPY is Simpleavg(FastSPY,7).
SlowSPY is Simpleavg(FastSPY,15).
VSlowSPY is Simpleavg(SlowSPY,30).

FastQQQ is Expavg(RS1qqq,Len1).
MedQQQ is Simpleavg(FastQQQ,7).
SlowQQQ is Simpleavg(FastQQQ,15).
VSlowQQQ is Simpleavg(SlowQQQ,30).

FastMDY is Expavg(RS1mdy,Len1).
MedMDY is Simpleavg(FastMDY,7).
SlowMDY is Simpleavg(FastMDY,15).
VSlowMDY is Simpleavg(SlowMDY,30).

FastIWM is Expavg(RS1iwm,Len1).
MedIWM is Simpleavg(FastIWM,7).
SlowIWM is Simpleavg(FastIWM,15).
VSlowIWM is Simpleavg(SlowIWM,30).

Tier1spy is iff(FastSPY>=MedSPY and MedSPY>=SlowSPY and SlowSPY>=VslowSPY,10,0).
Tier1qqq is iff(FastQQQ>=MedQQQ and MedQQQ>=SlowQQQ and SlowQQQ>=VslowQQQ,10,0).
Tier1mdy is iff(FastMDY>=MedMDY and MedMDY>=SlowMDY and SlowMDY>=VslowMDY,10,0).
Tier1iwm is iff(FastIWM>=MedIWM and MedIWM>=SlowIWM and SlowIWM>=VslowIWM,10,0).

Tier2spy is iff(FastSPY>=MedSPY and MedSPY>=SlowSPY and SlowSPY<VslowSPY,9,0).
Tier2qqq is iff(FastQQQ>=MedQQQ and MedQQQ>=SlowQQQ and SlowQQQ<VslowQQQ,9,0).
Tier2mdy is iff(FastMDY>=MedMDY and MedMDY>=SlowMDY and SlowMDY<VslowMDY,9,0).
Tier2iwm is iff(FastIWM>=MedIWM and MedIWM>=SlowIWM and SlowIWM<VslowIWM,9,0).

Tier3spy is iff(FastSPY<MedSPY and MedSPY>=SlowSPY and SlowSPY>=VslowSPY,9,0).
Tier3qqq is iff(FastQQQ<MedQQQ and MedQQQ>=SlowQQQ and SlowQQQ>=VslowQQQ,9,0).
Tier3mdy is iff(FastMDY<MedMDY and MedMDY>=SlowMDY and SlowMDY>=VslowMDY,9,0).
Tier3iwm is iff(FastIWM<MedIWM and MedIWM>=SlowIWM and SlowIWM>=VslowIWM,9,0).

Tier4spy is iff(FastSPY<MedSPY and MedSPY>=SlowSPY and SlowSPY<VslowSPY,5,0).
Tier4qqq is iff(FastQQQ<MedQQQ and MedQQQ>=SlowQQQ and SlowQQQ<VslowQQQ,5,0).
Tier4mdy is iff(FastMDY<MedMDY and MedMDY>=SlowMDY and SlowMDY<VslowMDY,5,0).
Tier4iwm is iff(FastIWM<MedIWM and MedIWM>=SlowIWM and SlowIWM<VslowIWM,5,0).

RS2spy is Tier1spy + Tier2spy + Tier3spy + Tier4spy.
RS2qqq is Tier1qqq + Tier2qqq + Tier3qqq + Tier4qqq.
RS2mdy is Tier1mdy + Tier2mdy + Tier3mdy + Tier4mdy.
RS2iwm is Tier1iwm + Tier2iwm + Tier3iwm + Tier4iwm.


RS3x is  (RS2spy+RS2qqq+RS2mdy+RS2iwm).

RS4 is (RS3x/NumIndx)*10.
RS4osc is simpleavg(RS4,3).
mvSig is simpleavg(RS4osc,5).
RS4r is round(RS4).

mvRS4 is expavg(RS4r,4).
RS4up is iff(RS4r >= 80 or RS4r > mvRS4,1,0).

X is iff(RS4 >= 80,1,0).
R5 is iff(RS4up =1,round(simpleavg(X,len2)*100),0).

Buy if R5 >= BuyLvl.
ExitBuy if R5 < BuyLvl.

ShowValues if 1.

Code for the RS4r is included in the EDS file. I also coded a system that uses the RS4r (R5). I used four independent ETFs as indexes rather than the 11 mutual funds that the author used. I used SPY, QQQQ, MDY, and IWM. The trading system buys (long only) when the R5 >= 80 and exits the long position when RS4r < 80. The summary EDS backtest report for trading this system on the Nasdaq 100 stocks (commission & slippage not subtracted) is shown in Figure 13 and a sample trade on DISH with the R5 indicator is shown in Figure 12.

Sample Chart

FIGURE 12: AIQ. Chart of DISH with R5 indicator and sample trade using R5 indicator >= 80 to buy.

Sample Chart

FIGURE 13: AIQ. Summary EDS backtest report for the R5 system that trades the Nasdaq 100 stocks over the last 4 years.

—Richard Denning
info@TradersEdgeSystems.com
for AIQ Systems

The Calm Before the Bond Storm?

back testing, EDS, educational newsletters, jay kaeppel

The bond market was very quiet in the 3rd quarter.  Figure 1 displays ticker IEF (7-10 year treasuries ETF) in the to clip and ticker AGG (Aggregate Bond Index ETF) in the bottom clip. 

Figure 1 – Tickers IEF and AGG in narrow ranges (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Essentially the entire bond market has been flat since early June.  The market seems to be assuming that “the Fed will take of everything” and keep interest rates low and stable for the foreseeable future so…..ZZZZZZZZ.

But this type of activity often breeds complacency.  I am not making any predictions here but I do want to raise a question that investors might wish to ponder, i.e., “what would be more shocking that a spike in interest rates?”  OK, yes, I realize it is 2020 and it is pretty much hard to be shocked by anything anymore.  But still, on a relative basis how many investors are even thinking about the potential risk of higher interest rates at the moment?

Could it Happen?

The Bond Market VIX (ticker MOVE) recently fell to its lowest level ever (before spiking sharply higher on 10/5/20).  As you can see in Figure 2 this type of “quietness” often precedes a significant move in the bond market.  For the record, low readings in MOVE can be followed by large up moves in price as easily as large down moves in price.  So, a low MOVE reading is not “bearish” per se, but rather merely suggests that we are experiencing the “calm before the storm.”

Figure 2 – Bond Market VIX hit an all-time low (Courtesy Sentimentrader.com)

So why is my “Spidey sense” tingling?  Figure 3 displays the yield on 30-year treasuries (ticker TYX) on the bottom and an indicator I refer to as VFAA on the bottom (the calculation appears at the end of this piece).  VFAA is a derivative on a Larry William’s indicator he calls VixFix.

Figure 3 – 30-year treasury yields with VFAA suggesting a potential bottoming area (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

As you can see in Figure 3, peaks in the VFAA indicator often occur near intermediate term lows in bond yields (reminder: bond prices move inversely to yield, so a bottom in interest rates indicates a top in bond prices).  As you can also see on the far-right hand side, the stage clearly appears to be set for “the next go round.”

Why does this matter?  If interest rates do rise in the months ahead bond prices – particularly long-term bond prices can get hit hard.  To illustrate the potential risks, Figure 4 displays the action of treasury security ETFs of various maturity during a 5-month rise in rates back in 2016.

Figure 4 – Bond ETF action during rate rise in 2016

Summary

It is possible for long and short-term bonds to “de-couple”.  In other words, the possibilities are:

*Short-term rates remain stable (as the Fed keeps pumping) while long-term rates rise (as inflation fears arise as a result of all the Fed pumping)

*Short-term rates remain stable while long-term rates plummet (if the economy appears to be weakening).  This would result in gains for long-term bonds only

*None of the above

The bottom line: Bonds have fallen asleep – but DO NOT fall asleep on bonds. 

VFAA Formula

Below is the code for VFAA

VixFix is an indicator developed many years ago by Larry Williams which essentially compares the latest low to the highest close in the latest 22 periods (then divides the difference by the highest close in the latest 22 periods).  I then multiply this result by 100 and add 50 to get VixFix.

*Next is a 3-period exponential average of VixFix

*Then VFAA is arrived at by calculating a 7-period exponential average of the previous result (essentially, we are “double-smoothing” VixFix)

Are we having fun yet?  See code below:

hivalclose is hival([close],22).

vixfix is (((hivalclose-[low])/hivalclose)*100)+50.

vixfixaverage is Expavg(vixfix,3).

vixfixaverageave is Expavg(vixfixaverage,7).

VFAA = vixfixaverageave

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented represents the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

Whither Apple?

back testing, educational newsletters, jay kaeppel

OK, first off a true confession.  I hate it when some wise acre analyst acts like they are so smart and that everyone else is an idiot.  Its offensive and off-putting – not to mention arrogant.  And still in this case, all I can say is “Hi, my name is Jay.”

A lot of attention has been paid lately to the fact that AAPL is essentially swallowing up the whole world in terms of market capitalization.  As you can see in Figure 1, no single S&P 500 Index stock has ever had a higher market cap relative to the market cap of the entire Russell 2000 small-cap index. 

Figure 1 – Largest S&P 500 Index stock as a % of entire Russell 200 Index (Courtesy Sentimentrader.com)

So of course, the easiest thing in the world to do is to be an offensive, off-putting and arrogant wise acre and say “Well, this can’t last.”  There, I said it.  With the caveat that I have no idea how far AAPL can run “before the deluge”, as a student of (more) market history (than I care to admit) I cannot ignore this gnawing feeling that this eventually “ends badly.”  Of course, I have been wrong plenty of times before and maybe things (Offensive, Off-Putting and Arrogant Trigger Warning!) “really will be different this time around.”  To get a sense of why I bring this all up, please keep reading.

In Figure 1 we also see some previous instances of a stock becoming “really large” in terms of market cap.  Let’s take a closer look at these instances.

IBM – 1979

Figure 2 – IBM (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

MSFT – 1999

Figure 3 – MSFT (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

XOM – 2008

Figure 4 – XOM (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

AAPL – 2012

Figure 5 – AAPL (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

AAPL – 2020

Figure 6 – AAPL (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Summary

Small sample size? Yes.

Could AAPL continue to run to much higher levels? Absolutely

Do I still have that offensive, off-putting and slightly arrogant gut feeling that somewhere along the way AAPL takes a huge whack?

Sorry.  It’s just my nature.

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented represents the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

The Rally in “Stuff” Rolls On

back testing, commodities, educational newsletters, ETFS, jay kaeppel

In this article, dated 7/10/2020, I noted that my “Stuff” Index was coming on strong and that its performance may be a “shot across the bow” that some changes may be coming to the financial markets.  Since then, the trend has accelerated.

STUFF vs. FANG vs. QQQ

Figure 1 displays the performance of STUFF components since 7/10

Figure 2 displays the performance of FANG components since 7/10

Figure 1 – Price performance of Jay’s STUFF Index components since 7/10

Figure 2 – Price performance of FANG stocks since 7/10

For the record, the “high-flying” Nasdaq 100 Index (using ticker QQQ as a proxy investment) is up +4.0% during the same time.

Is this a trend – or a blip?  Unfortunately, I can’t answer that question. But it certainly appears that there is something afoot in “Stuff”, particularly the metals.  Figure 3 displays the weekly charts for ETFs tracking Silver, Gold, Palladium and Platinum (clockwise from upper left). 

Figure 3 – The metals components of the Stuff Index (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

When it comes bull markets in metals, the typical pattern historically goes something like this:

*Gold leads the way (check)

*Eventually silver comes on strong and often ends up outperforming gold (check)

*The other metals rise significantly “under the radar” as everyone focus on – literally in this case, ironically – the “shiny objects” (gold and silver)

Again, while I had inklings that a bull market in metals was forming (and have held positions in them for several years, and still hold them), I certainly did not “predict” the recent explosion in gold and silver prices. 

Two things to note:

*Gold and silver are obviously very “overbought”, so buying a large position here entails significant risk

*Still it should be noted that both SLV and PPLT would have to double in price from their current levels just to get back to their previous all-time highs of 2011

So, don’t be surprised if “Stuff” enjoys a continued resurgence.  Note in Figure 4 that a number of commodity related ETFs are way, way beaten down and could have a lot of upside potential if a resurgence actually does unfold.

Figure 4 – Four commodity ETFs weekly (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

What is interesting – and almost not visible to the naked eye – is the action in the lower right hand corner of these four charts. To highlight what is “hiding in plain sight”, Figure 5 “zooms in” on the recent action of same four tickers as Figure 4, but in a daily price format rather than a monthly price format.

Figure 5 – Four commodity ETFs daily (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Despite the ugly pictures painted in Figure 4, it is interesting to note in Figure 5 that all four of these commodity related ETFs have rallied sharply of late.  There is of course, no guarantee this will continue.  But if the rally in “Stuff” – currently led by metals – spreads to the commodity sector as a whole, another glance in Figures 3 and 4 reveals a lot of potential upside opportunity.

Time will tell.  In the meantime, keep an eye on the “shiny objects” (gold and silver) for clues as to whether or not the rally in “Stuff” has staying power.

See also Jay Kaeppel Interviewin July 2020 issue of Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities magazine

See also Jay’s “A Strategy You Probably Haven’t Considered” Video

See also Video – The Long-Term…Now More Important Than Ever

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented represents the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

When “Perfection” Meets “The Real World”

educational newsletters, indexes, jay kaeppel, market timing

In this article I wrote about a signal called “Bull Market Thrust”.  The upshot is that since 1991 it has identified 8 “bullish periods”.  The start and end dates of those periods – and the price performance of several indexes during each period – appear in Figure 1.

Figure 1 – “Bull Market Thrust” bullish periods

One key thing to note is that – focusing solely on the Nasdaq 100 Index – 100% of the “bullish periods” witnessed a gain, i.e., “perfection.”  The average gain was +40%.

So that looks pretty good and pretty darned encouraging going forward since there was a new buy signal on June 8th of this year.  And indeed, if history is a guide the outlook for the Nasdaq (and the stock market as a whole) is favorable in the next year.  But there is one thing to keep in mind….

Jay’s Trading Maxim #33: When you have actual money on the line, the chasm between theory and reality can be a mile wide.

The bottom line is that even during “bullish periods” the market fluctuates.  And if one is focused on “news” there is plenty of opportunity to feel angst no matter how strong the market “should be.”  So, in an effort to “mange expectations”, the charts below display the price action of the Nasdaq 100 during each “bullish period” displayed in Figure 1.

Nasdaq 100 during “Bullish Periods” based on Bull Market Thrust signals

*All charts below are (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

*Each chart displays one of the “Bullish Periods” from Figure 1. 

*Each chart contains one or more red boxes highlighting a period of “market trouble”

THE POINT: the key thing to ponder is how easily it would be to allow yourself to get “shaken out” if you were focused on what the “news of the day” is telling you, rather than what the market itself is telling you.

Figure 2 – NDX: 1/29/91 – 2/28/93

Figure 3 – NDX: 6/5/2003-6/4/2004

Figure 4 – NDX: 3/23/2009-3/1/2011

Figure 5 – NDX: 7/7/2011-7/6/2012

Figure 6 – NDX: 7/9/13-7/15/2014

Figure 7 – NDX: 2/26/2016-11/17/2017

Figure 8 – NDX: 1/8/2019-1/17/2020

Figure 9 – 6/8/2020-?

The bottom line is that:

*Sometimes the market “took off” after the signal

*Sometime the market sold off shortly after the signal (see 2011 signal)

*In every case there was a drawdown of some significant somewhere along the way

The purpose of paying attention to things like “Bull Market Thrust” buy signals is not to “pick bottoms with uncanny accuracy.” 

In the real word, the purpose is to help strengthen our resolve in riding the exceptional opportunities.

See also Jay Kaeppel Interview in July 2020 issue of Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities magazine

See also Jay’s “A Strategy You Probably Haven’t Considered” Video

See also Video – The Long-Term…Now More Important Than Ever

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented represents the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

How to Know When to Worry About Inflation

commodities, educational newsletters, jay kaeppel

Inflation was a big deal – back in the late 70’s and early 80’s.  Since then it has been the subject of a whole lot of “the boy crying wolf” scenarios.  Take a look at Figure 1.  The red line displays the 12-month rate-of-change in the Consumer Price Index (i.e., the annual rate of inflation) since 1913.

Figure 1 – The Consumer Price Index (1913-2020)

Things to note, focusing on 1930 forward to the present:

*In the 1930’s we had deflation (actually much worse than inflation as the economy essentially spirals lower and slower) with the CPI reaching almost -10%

*There were peaks in the 15% range in the late 1940’s and late 70’s/early 80’s

*As you can see in the black box to the right hand side, inflation has been less than 5% annually for most of the last 35 years

As a result, most investors have been conditioned to not fret too much about inflation.  And any time spent actually worrying about inflation in the past several decades has been a waste of good anxiety.

But nothing lasts forever.  Especially in the financial markets, where things tend to move in a cyclical nature over long periods of time.  To illustrate this point with a random, yet related example, consider Figure 2 which displays the yield on 30-year treasury bonds since 1942.

Figure 2 – 30-year treasury bond yield (1942-2020) (Courtesy: www.StockCharts.com)

Since the early 1980’s, investors have been nicely rewarded for holding bonds – especially long-term bonds.  But from the mid 1950’s into 1980 the experience was much different (rising yields equate to lower bond prices).  Presumably someday rates will rise again and an entire generation of bond investors will have no idea what is happening to their investments (see here, here, here and here).  But for now, we are focusing on inflation.

How to Know When to Worry About Inflation

I’ll give you three things to follow. 

#1. Gold

In a recent paper co-authored by legendary trader Paul Tudor Jones (see here) the authors laid out the case for higher inflation in the years ahead and suggested gold bullion could reach $2,400 an ounce.  Is this a possibility?  Absolutely. 

Figure 3 displays from 2005 through 2012:

*ticker GLD (an ETF that tracks the price of gold bullion)

*my own index called ANTIGLD3 (components highlighted on right) with a Front Weighted Moving Average and a 55-week exponential moving average)

The ANTIGLD3 Index is a contrarian trend-following tool, i.e., when this index is in a downtrend it is bullish for gold and vice versa.

Figure 3 – Ticker GLD versus Jay’s ANTIGLD3 Index (2005-2012) (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Figure 4 displays the same tickers from 2012 into 2020

Figure 4 – Ticker GLD versus Jay’s ANTIGLD3 Index (2012-2020) (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

The key thing to note in Figure 4 is that after several years of whipsaws the two trend-following indicators applied to ANTIGLD3 are in a clear downtrend (since this is a contrarian index that means it is purportedly bullish for gold). 

So, is it off to the races for gold?  I can’t say for sure. But it appears to be trying. Also note that gold can rally significantly in price for reasons other than inflation (see 2005-2011 rally)

I have positions in gold and gold stocks but not huge ones.  For whatever reason, so far, I am “not feeling it.”  As you will see in a moment, some inflation trend-following “things” that I watch have yet to confirm that inflation is an imminent threat at this exact moment.

But I am holding my positions just in case gold itself is the actual “leading indicator” in this story.

#2. The Aussie Dollar versus its 24-month moving average

I covered this in detail here so will not get too in-depth here.  But you can get the gist of it pretty simply from Figure 5. The top chart is ticker FXA with a 24-month exponential moving average and the bottom chart is ticker GSG which tracks the Goldman Sachs Commodity Index.

Figure 5 – Ticker FXA (top) and ticker GSG (bottom) (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Long story short, commodities – or “hard assets”, are typically a good place to be during a period of sharply rising and/or high inflation – perform better when FXA is in an uptrend (i.e., above the 24-month EMA) than when below.  As of early July FXA has just moved above its 24-month EMA.  For the record, I usually only consider this at month-end.  So, check back after 7/31. 

If FXA establishes an uptrend, the likelihood of higher prices for commodities – including gold – rises. Thus, an uptrend for FXA would be another potential warning sign of impending inflation.

#3. TIPs versus Long-Term Treasuries

TIPs bonds are Treasury Inflation Protected securities, i.e., the principal can rise as inflation (based on the Consumer Price Index) rises (see here).  In other words, a TIP bond can gain value as inflation rises. Long-term treasuries on the other hand are the securities most likely to get hurt by a rise in inflation (as the rate of return is fixed once you buy the bond and a rise in inflation can reduce the future value and/or purchasing power of that fixed return). 

So, in a low inflationary period we typically see TIPs fall relative to long-term treasuries and during rising inflation we would expect to see TIPS rise relative to long-term bonds. 

Figure 6 displays the chart of ticker TIP relative to ticker TLT on a weekly basis (with a 200-wekk moving average) from www.StockCharts.com.

Figure 6 – Ticker TIP relative to ticker TLT (weekly) still trending lower (Courtesy: www.StockCharts.com)

The bottom line: While gold itself is attempting to breakout to the upside and the Aussie Dollar is trying to establish an uptrend, the TIP:TLT relationship is not presently indicating any meaningful inflationary concerns. 

Summary

Inflation has been low for about 35 years.  But as they say, “don’t go to sleep on it.” 

If you want to be objectively prepared, keep an eye on:

*Gold bullion (in an uptrend, confirmed by a downtrend in my “anti-gold index”)

*The Aussie Dollar (No trend at the moment, but trying to establish an uptrend)

*Ticker TIP versus ticker TLT (Nowhere close to an uptrend right now)

So one up, one down and one sideways.  But pay close attention going forward.

If and when all three establish uptrends, the game we’ve all been playing for several decades will likely change dramatically.

See also Jay Kaeppel Interview in July 2020 issue of Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities magazine

See also Jay’s “A Strategy You Probably Haven’t Considered” Video

See also Video – The Long-Term…Now More Important Than Ever

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented represents the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

The Ridiculous Seasonality of AMD

educational newsletters, jay kaeppel, seasonal

Don’t you hate it when some analyst analyzes historical data and then purports to find some “order” in the historical chaos?  Hi, my name is Jay.  And…it’s just kind of what I do.  Sorry, it’s just my nature.  Take for instance the ridiculous case of AMD.

Advanced Micro Devices – Ticker AMD

According to “Adjusted Close” price data from www.finance.yahoo.com ticker AMD advanced from $3.15 a share in March of 1980 to $56.39 by May 20, 2020.  Given that the stock has risen +1,693% on a buy-and-hold basis, it is not exactly a revelation that – particularly with the huge benefit of perfect hindsight – there was some money to be made by holding the stock.

But that is only part of the story.  For as it turns out, AMD is one of the most consistently “cyclical” stocks you may ever find.  Figure 1 displays the average annual price trend for AMD from 3/17/1980 through 12/31/1999.  In other words, period 1 along the bottom of the chart is January Trading Day #1, and so on, through the last trading day of December.

Figure 1 – Annual Seasonal Price Trend for AMD (1980-1999)

As you can see, the stock tended to rally sharply through the end of May, from mid-July through about late August, and from late October through the end of the year (or more accurately, through the end of the next May).

Declines typically occurred between about June 1st and late July and again during September into late October.

Ah, sweet hindsight.

But what are the odds that any of this was meaningful after 1999?  I’m glad you asked.  Because that’s where the ridiculous part comes in. 

2000-2020

Figure 2 plots the same 1980-1999 annual seasonal price trend for AMD along with the annual seasonal trend for AMD from 2000-2019.  Notice any similarities? 

Figure 2 – Annual Seasonal Price Trend for AMD; 1980-1999 and 2000-2020

So, let’s make the ridiculous (there’s that word again) assumption that some (lucky) investor had started trading in and out of AMD on an annual basis the following seasonal calendar

Figure 3 – Annual Seasonal Bullish and Bearish Periods

Some how did the “walk forward” period of 2000 into late May-2020 compare to the “hindsight” period of 1980-1999?  Well there is good news and bad news.

The bad news is that results for each period was not quite as good during 2000-2020 as they were during 1980-1999.  The good news is that the 2000-2020 results were still pretty darn compelling.

Figure 4 – AMD performance during Bullish and Bearish Periods

The bottom line: The “bullish” periods have to continued to be quite bullish and the “bearish” periods continue to be quite bearish.

For the record, between March 1980 and May 2020:

*$1,000 in AMD on a buy-and-hold basis grew to $17,925

*$1,000 in AMD ONLY during the two “bullish” period discussed grew to $587,558,351

Let’s face it, these are – here I go again – ridiculous numbers.  And it should be pointed out that an investor holding AMD only during the “Bullish” periods would have suffered 4 separate drawdowns in excess of -50%, including a -79%(!) drawdown in 2008-2009.  See Figure 5.  So, don’t anybody get “stars in their eyes.”

Figure 5 – Drawdowns during Bullish Periods

At the same time, it is still better than the drawdown racked up during the “bearish” periods, which checks in at a cool -99.9867%.  See Figure 6.

Figure 6 – Drawdowns during Bearish Periods

Where We Are

AMD has been in a “bullish” period since the 19th trading day of October 2019, and this period will last until the close on 5/29/2020.  Through 5/20/2020 AMD is up +73% during the current bullish period (i.e., pandemic, schmandemic).  See Figure 7.

Figure 7 – AMD during recent “Bullish” period (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

The next “bearish” period will last from the close on 5/29/2020 through the close on 7/23/2020.

Summary

So, in hindsight, the annual seasonal pattern for AMD tracked very closely with the annual seasonal pattern for the previous 20 years.  But what about the next 20 years?  Ah, there’s the rub. Despite the fact that the annual seasonal trend for the past 20 years very closely mirrored the annual seasonal trend for the prior 20 years, it is not possible to state with any certainty what the next 20 years hold. 

Still, if I decide to trade AMD I will probably consult my calendar first.

See also Jay’s “A Strategy You Probably Haven’t Considered” Video

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented represents the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

The Bartometer

educational newsletters, ETFS, indexes, market timing, Mutual funds, portfolio management

May 8, 2020

Hello Everyone,

I hope all of you are keeping healthy in this pandemic. Some of you may have had the COVID-19 virus or have a family member who may have contracted it, but for the most part as a whole, we are working together to get through this and doing okay.

RECAP:

Last month I illustrated the previous time we have a virus that was similar to the Coronavirus, and that was the Spanish Flu back in 1918. It was a horrible time where more than 51 million and some estimates are up to 100 million people died. More than 675,000 people died from the Spanish flu in the U.S. It infected more than 50 million people worldwide and was a disaster. There was very little anyone could do during that time, and there was little medicinal relief. The Spanish Flu is called the most significant
medical holocaust in history. And yet the stock markets in this country fell 34% from the beginning of the flu to the lowest part in the stock market. A year later, it went up 80% approximately from its low to its high. Am I saying this will happen again? No, I’m not planning on it, but if the world recovered from a 50 million person loss and a massive pandemic it had when the world population was much smaller, then we should recover and move beyond this as well.

Over the last month, the stock and bond markets, especially the NASDAQ, have soared with the NASDAQ now up 1.66% for the year. The reason is that with most people confined to their homes, stocks like Amazon, Google, Netflix, Facebook, Microsoft, Zoom, DocuSign, and more are being used, contributing to their earnings and revenues dramatically. Stocks like Airlines, cruise ships, restaurants, manufacturing, and many more are not doing well. That is why you will see below that the sectors in terms of which areas are declining and which are growing are very different.

CURRENT TRENDS:

The growth sector has done relatively well, but only a few large companies have contributed. These few large companies are why the Equal Weighted S&P 500 is -16.2% but the regular S&P is down 9%. I continue to like the large tech and health care companies, the NASDAQ is nearing the end of its game, and it is not much below its high it hit in February. The Midcaps are down 18-23% this year, and particular issues have more of a potential move upward, in my opinion. A year or two out from this point, I think this sector and the markets should be nicely higher. Can it go down from here into the fall and winter if we have a second wave down? Absolutely, but it is an excellent time to add money to your equity side in a diversified portfolio over the next 6 months. Many people are doubling up their contributions on a monthly basis. If you are more than five years before retirement, you may want to think about doing something similar. If stocks are cheap then isn’t it smart to buy when they are reasonably priced if over the long term the market should be higher?

Have we gone down this much over the last 50 years? Yes, many times. Has it recovered each time? Yes. Because capitalism works and good companies over the long term make money, we are all in this together.

Some of the INDEXES of the markets both equities and interest rates are below. The source is Morningstar.com up until May 8, 2020. These are passive indexes.
Dow Jones -14.0%
S&P 500 -9.0%
EQUAL WEIGHTED S&P 500 -16.1%
NASDAQ Aggressive growth +1.66%
I Shares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) Small cap -20%
Midcap stock funds -18-23%
International Index (MSCI – EAFE ex USA -19.0%
Financial stocks -27%
Energy stocks -34%
Healthcare Stocks -.50%

Moderate Mutual Fund Investment Grade Bonds (AAA) Long duration -8.5%
High Yield Merrill Lynch High Yield Index -9.4% Floating Rate Bond Funds -7.3%
Short Term Bond -3.52%
Fixed Bond Yields (10 year) .68% Yield
As you see above, the only index doing well is Large tech. You should have this sector, but most everything else is starting to recover.

Classicalprinicples.com and Robert Genetskis Excerpts:

After soaring a week ago, stock prices turned mixed. The Nasdaq and Nasdaq 100 were up 1% and 4%, while the S&P 500 and Dow fell 1%, and small caps were down 2% to 4%.

The economic collapse in April has led forecasters to revise downward estimates of the decline in output, employment, and profits. Last week I expected the economy would begin to recover in May. It will. Unfortunately, ongoing restrictions from Governors and the stimulus bill will limit the initial stage of the recovery. Due to these current restrictions, means the economy will not show signs of a meaningful recovery until June at the earliest.

As a result, the financial damage to the economy in terms of lost output, jobs, wages and salaries, profits and debt will continue for another month

While several technology companies are holding up well, non-tech companies are suffering. And few companies are willing to guide earnings.

The 800-pound gorilla continues to be the outlook for the virus. Containing the spread of the virus remains a crucial problem.

Some countries and states succeed without a lockdown, while others are less successful. Due to the differing results, it raises the near-term uncertainties over how quickly the economy can recover. If setbacks occur, stocks will be vulnerable.

Despite a 15%+ unemployment rate in April and probably higher in May, the stock prices continue to anticipate better times and a recovery in the markets. I am optimistic longer term for the stock markets, although the short term could be more volatile.

Dr. Genetski’s opinion is that every person and circumstance is different. There are no guarantees expressed or implied in any part of this correspondence.
Source: Classical Principles.com

DOW JONES

As you can see the Dow went down to the 18,300 level and has risen to the 50% Fibonacci Level at 23,901. In other words when markets decline, they tend to retrace much of the decline at the 23.8%, the 50% the 61.8% and the 78.6% level and stall and reverse. Notice at the 23901 level the Dow tended to hang around there for a couple of weeks and tried to go up to the next level at the 25236 level. This is the next level where the Dow Jones could stall if it keeps rising. The Dow Jones is made up of a lot of large industrial, and value stocks that have really not participating in the rally as much as the NASDAQ tech stocks seen on the next page. Watch for a trend line break of 23901 to confirm another down leg to the 22565 if it is on big volume. This is short term. Long term I am still positive over the next 2 years or so, when we get a vaccine and a treatment, and more herd immunity.

The SK-SD stochastics model. If it is above the 88 level like it is now the market is a little over bought and this means don’t buy now short term.
Volume over the last month or so the market has been rising on low volume. This means people are afraid to commit and there may not be a lot of conviction on the rally.

NASDAQ QQQ

The true Champ this year again has been the NASDAQ. These stocks include, Facebook, Amazon, Docusign, Paypal, Mcrosoft, Netflix, etc. All of the stocks that benefit by you and your businesses being home. This QQQ are the top 100 NASDAQ stocks and is now up 3% plus for the year while everything else in the normal world is down 16-38%. The QQQ is now getting a little OVERBOUGHT so I would not go out and buy a bunch of tech stocks here. In fact, the QQQ is approaching a pretty substantial resistance level. The first is a gap fill and could bring the QQQ to 230.55 and reverse or it could reach its old high of 237 and reverse. Longer term I think it will break through the old high, but we are now getting to a point I think the QQQ has gone up as far as it should. So watch the 230.55 to fill the gap and reverses or the old high of 237 area.

The SK-SD Stochastics is overbought just like it was in the Dow Jones.
The Momentum indicator gave a Buy signal at the blue arrow as it as the pink crossed the blue line, if it crosses the blue lien going down it is a SELL. This large tech area is still long term bullish, but short term I would take a few chips off the table as an index. The midcap, small cap and large cap value sector has a lot more to recover.

If the QQQ falls or closes below 216.8 or breaks the trend line I am getting Cautious to very Cautious.

SUPPORT LEVELS:

 Support levels on the S&P 500 area are 2882, 2796, 2649, and 2500. These might be accumulation levels, especially 2649, or 2500. 2936 and 3015 is resistance.
 Support levels on the NASDAQ are 9036, 8612, and 7856 Topping areas 9323 to 9573.
 On the Dow Jones support is at 23,901, 22,569, and 20912. Topping areas 25,236 and 27,077.
 These may be safer areas to get into the equity markets on support levels slowly on the accumulation areas.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

The market has rebounded nicely over the last month mainly on the NASDAQ tech stocks that benefit from people staying at home and using all of the tech companies to their benefits. This stay “at home” policy has increased demand for technology, and why the internet stocks have done so well. The other part of the markets from the financial to energy and other value stocks are still down from 18-33%. It is all about the growth sector that is benefiting the most. Over the long term, I am very bullish on the market, but over a short time, I can see a topping or sideways to down on the large growth companies as they are now reasonably priced. If the market continues to do well, I would expect the Midcaps to start to outperform. But there is a caveat. There are trend-line right below the markets, and if they are broken and close below those areas, then the markets could start a correction again. Trend-lines are essential to hold. If they don’t hold, then there could be a setback to support the levels stated above. I still like the USA market better than the international one.

Best to all of you,

Joe Bartosiewicz, CFP®
Investment Advisor Representative
5 Colby Way
Avon, CT 06001
860-940-7020 or 860-404-0408



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Charts provided by AIQ Systems:

Technical Analysis is based on a study of historical price movements and past trend patterns. There is no assurance that these market changes or trends can or will be duplicated shortly. It logically follows that historical precedent does not guarantee future results. Conclusions expressed in the Technical Analysis section are personal opinions: and may not be construed as recommendations to buy or sell anything.

Disclaimer: The views expressed are not necessarily the view of Sage Point Financial, Inc. and should not be interpreted directly or indirectly as an offer to buy or sell any securities mentioned herein. Securities and Advisory services offered through Sage Point Financial Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, and an SEC-registered investment advisor.

Past performance cannot guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. Please note that individual situations can vary. Therefore, the information presented in this letter should only be relied upon when coordinated with individual professional advice. *There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will outperform a non-diversified portfolio in any given market environment. No investment strategy, such as asset allocation, can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.
It is our goal to help investors by identifying changing market conditions. However, investors should be aware that no investment advisor can accurately predict all of the changes that may occur in the market.
The price of commodities is subject to substantial price fluctuations of short periods and may be affected by unpredictable international monetary and political policies. The market for commodities is widely unregulated, and concentrated investing may lead to Sector investing may involve a greater degree of risk than investments with broader diversification.
Indexes cannot be invested indirectly, are unmanaged, and do not incur management fees, costs, and expenses.

Dow Jones Industrial Average: A weighted price average of 30 significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ.
S&P 500: The S&P 500 is an unmanaged indexed comprised of 500 widely held securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general.

NASDAQ: the NASDAQ Composite Index is an unmanaged, market-weighted index of all over the counter common stocks traded on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System
(IWM) I Shares Russell 2000 ETF: Which tracks the Russell 2000 index: which measures the performance of the small capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market.

A Moderate Mutual Fund risk mutual has approximately 50-70% of its portfolio in different equities, from growth, income stocks, international and emerging markets stocks to 30-50% of its portfolio in different categories of bonds and cash. It seeks capital appreciation with a low to moderate level of current income.

The Merrill Lynch High Yield Master Index: A broad-based measure of the performance of non-investment grade US Bonds

MSCI EAFE: the MSCI EAFE Index (Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe, Australia, and Far East Index) is a widely recognized benchmark of non-US markets. It is an unmanaged index composed of a sample of companies’ representative of the market structure of 20 European and Pacific Basin countries and includes reinvestment of all dividends.
Investment grade bond index: The S&P 500 Investment-grade corporate bond index, a sub-index of the S&P 500 Bond Index, seeks to measure the performance of the US corporate debt issued by constituents in the S&P 500 with an investment-grade rating. The S&P 500 Bond index is designed to be a corporate-bond counterpart to the S&P 500, which is widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap US equities.

Floating Rate Bond Index is a rule-based, market-value weighted index engineered to measure the performance and characteristics of floating-rate coupon U.S. Treasuries, which have a maturity greater than 12 months.

Money Flow; The Money Flow Index (MFI) is a momentum indicator that measures the flow of money into and out of a security over a specified period. It is related to the Relative Strength Index (RSI) but incorporates volume, whereas the RSI only considers SK-SD Stochastics. When an oversold stochastic moves up through its MA, a buy signal is produced. Furthermore, Lane recommends that the stochastic line be smoothed twice with three-period simple moving averages: SK is the three-period simple moving average of K, and SD is the three-period simple moving average of SK

Rising Wedge; A rising wedge is a technical indicator, suggesting a reversal pattern frequently seen in bear markets. This pattern shows up in charts when the price moves upward with pivot highs and lows converging toward a single point known as the apex

Financials – Danger or Opportunity? Or Both?

EDS, educational newsletters, jay kaeppel, Mutual funds

To say that there is has been and remains a great deal of angst in the financial markets is a bit of an understatement. This is especially true when it comes to the financial sector.  The financial sector has a fairly high correlation to treasury yields (ticker FSRBX – Fidelity Select Banking Portfolio has a 0.52 correlation to ticker TNX – which tracks 10-year treasury yields).  As yields have plummeted so has the financial sector.  During the recent decline, FSRBX plunged -51% from its December 2019 peak.  With little expectation of higher rates anytime soon a lot of investors are understandably wary of diving into this sector.

But much like with the energy sector, the old adage that the time to buy is when there is “blood in the streets”, should give one pause before they turn their back completely on the financial sector.  For the time being I am keeping my eye on a little-known indicator called “Vixfixaverageave” (yes, I agree it is a really bad name).  The calculations for this indicator appear at the end of this article.  The reason I am watching it right now is that it recently reached a very oversold level that has helped to highlight some useful buying opportunities for financials in the past.

Ticker FSRBX

Figure 1 displays a monthly chart for FSRBX in the top clip and the Vixfixaverageave indicator in the bottom clip.  Note that the indicator rose above 72 at the end of April 2020.  As you can see there have been four previous occasions when this indicator, a) exceeded 72 and then b) reversed lower for one month.  For arguments sake we will call that a buy signal.

Figure 1 – Ticker FSRBX with indicator Vixfixaverageave (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Figure 2 displays the 1 to 5 year % + (-) for FSRBX following the four previous signals.  As you can see, they all proved to be exceptional buying opportunities.

Figure 2 – FSRBX returns 1 to 5 years after signal

Now for the disappointing news: if you are thinking that all we have to do is wait for this indicator to finally top out and that big profits are “guaranteed” to roll in, you are making a mistake.  As they say, “past performance is no guarantee of future results.”  (Sorry, I don’t make the rules).  So, when the Vixfixaverageave monthly reading for FSRBX does finally roll over, the proper course of action would be to:

*Decide if you really want to act based on the signal

*Decide how much capital you are willing to commit

*Decide how much of that capital you are actually willing to risk – i.e. will you stop out if a loss exceeds x%, or do you plan to simply hold it for 1 to 5 years regardless?

Summary

There are a million and one ways to trigger an entry signal.  The one discussed herein is just one more.  What really separates the winners from the losers is the answers to the three questions just posed.

Vixfixaverageave Calculations 

EDITTORS NOTE: The code sections can be copied and pasted into AIQ EDS or you can download the indicator code in an EDS file from here and save it to your /wintes32/EDS Strategies folder.

This indicator is based on another indicator called VixFix which was developed many years ago by Larry Williams.

hivalclose is hival([close],22).  <<<<<The high closing price in that last 22 periods

vixfix is (((hivalclose-[low])/hivalclose)*100)+50. <<<(highest closing price in last 22 periods minus current period low) divided by highest closing price in last 22 periods (then multiplied by 100 and 50 added to arrive at vixfix value)

vixfixaverage is Expavg(vixfix,3). <<< 3-period exponential average of vixfix

vixfixaverageave is Expavg(vixfixaverage,7). <<<7-period exponential average of vixfixaverage

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented represents the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

The Bartometer

educational newsletters, ETFS, indexes, market timing, Mutual funds, portfolio management

April 7, 2020

Hello Everyone,

The 2020 COVID-19 Virus has adversely affected the entire world, and this will go down as one of the most volatile years in the stock and bond market in generations and even more volatile than the 2008 Bear Market.

CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS:

This reason is that the declines came over eight days and not like the 2007-2009 decline which took a year and one half. The great recession of 2008 was a humanmade financial problem and this is a virus where very few are working. In the Recession of 2008, people were at least going to work and going out and spending money to support the economy. Now we are all destined to stay in the house unless we have an essential business. But the U.S. Government is doing everything it can to give grants and forgivable loans so that the economy doesn’t totally crash. That is better than in 2008. It is still serial to be confined to your house or go for a walk.

When we get our statement of our investments from our 401(k) s or from these accounts, you will see pretty large drops in values in the investment account and you will wonder if this is all worth it to stay in it or are we all destined just to make 1-3% in a savings account or a 3% fixed annuity with me. Right now getting 3% with no fees looks pretty good.

If you believe that good stocks and funds from successful growing businesses do well over the long term and this sell-off in the markets are BUYING opportunities over the next few months you may want to dollar cost average into the markets. If you believe that this COVID-19 virus will soon be over within months and that 1 to 3 years from now the markets will be higher than they are now is it worth holding on OR Buying more when markets are lower? The question is if you are buying or investing for the next 1-20 years. Do you like suitable stock and bond investments that are cheap now or more expensive? If your answer is yes, than you may want to average into the markets over the next few months as it is down during this pandemic.

MARKET RECAP:

On my last 3 Bartometers I was getting and got Very Cautious about the stock and bond markets, but did I expect this? Not really. I said if the NASDAQ broke 9200, I will get very Cautious but a 25 to 35% decline I did not expect. The markets had rallied 20%+ from the low hit a couple of weeks ago but still, the markets are down 17-20% into 2020. Are we in a recession now? I’d say yes, but it is forced because of COVID-19, but it will be one just because of the number of people laid off.

In the following pages are discussions of the long term of the markets, what do in a Bear market and my technicals of the markets going forward. But above I would like to say that even though American Capitalism is under fire, and also though the market got hurt as well as our portfolios, we will rise to the COVID-19 challenge like any other war or attack on the United States of America going back to the Revolutionary War to WW1, WW2, and all the other wars we had in our history. This country and its citizens will find a vaccine to this virus and I believe in my heart that 1 to 2 years from now this market should be nicely higher. Dollar-cost averaging currently buying a lower priced shares of good companies should, with no guarantees expressed or implied, be a good deal higher over the next few years. What do you think? Have we gone down this much over the last 50 years? Yes, many times. Has it recovered each time? Yes. Because capitalism works and good companies over the long term make money.

Some of the INDEXES of the markets both equities and interest rates are below. The source is Morningstar.com up until April 7, 2020. These are passive indexes.
*Dow Jones -20%
S&P 500 -17%
NASDAQ Aggressive growth -9%
I Shares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) Small cap -31%
Midcap stock funds -29%
International Index (MSCI – EAFE ex USA -22%
Investment Grade Bond -4%
High Yield Bond -13%
Government bond +4%
The average Moderate Fund is down -16% this year fully invested as a 65% in stocks and 35% in bonds and nothing in the money market.

WANT TO SHOW YOU THE YEAR BY YEAR RETURNS OF THE S&P 500 TOTAL RETURNS BY YEAR

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MARKETS DURING THE PANDEMIC AND SPANISH FLU IN 1917-1918:

The stock market today is looking a lot like it did a century ago, and if Great Hill Capital’s Thomas Hayes’s interpretation of the trendlines is on point, the bottom could be approaching.

“Just as the market started discounting the worst-case scenario in 1917,” he wrote, “it was already discounting a recovery months before the worst-case scenario occurred in 1918.”

What was going on in 1917? The Spanish Flu was just starting to bubble up, with the deadliest month of the whole pandemic not hitting until October 1918 — by then, as you can see from this chart, the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -1.68% had already begun to heal.


Hayes then posted this chart of the modern-day market plunge, noting that the nasty drawdowns amid the early stages of both pandemics were virtually the same.

More than 51 million people died globally in the Spanish Flu Pandemic, and the market rebounded more than 80% in the following two years from its bottom to top. This is no guarantee the market will rally that much or at all, but the USA is now better equipped to handle a massive Pandemic then in 1918 to 1919. Also, many companies are internet companies that could do well as people shop and do business over the internet; in addition, it is much more diversified and global than it was in 1918. For these reasons and more, I believe that the long term is more promising now for a recovery over the next 1 to 2 years.

There is one caveat; the Commodity index is right near its low of 2009, where it found it at a 29-year support level. If that breaks through that level, then we can go into a deeper recession for a more extended period.
The market rebound depends on how quickly the government fixes this problem and people go back to work. I am optimistic over the next two years; but understand a recession should happen at least for a few quarters. I think the Recession should be relatively short term.

Since this graph was made a week ago, look at the next page and it is up to date. COMPARE the next graph to the Pandemic of 1918 and it is starting to look more like it. There is no guarantee expressed or implied, but look at the Pandemic and then the updated Dow on the next page.

The Dow Jones is above. This is the Daily Chart. As you can see, the decline of the Dow Jones Average was relatively very quick. Current is sitting at 22653 right BELOW THE 50% Fibonacci retracement level. A normal BEAR market usually tops on a countertrend rally right at a 50% or 61.8% Fibonacci level and declines or puts in a short top. So if this is true in this case there could be resistance at 23,901 or 25,236 area. There is also some resistance at the 200 day moving average at 26,660 and sloping downward. My AIQ models gave a BUY on 3/24/2020, but only a short term Buy not a longer term Weekly Buy. So even though the market is somewhat short term Bullish, there could be a short term top at 23,901, 25,236 or the 26,660 areas.

Momentum is good but can change quickly on the downside after earnings come out that will be bad. A buy signal is giving when the lavender line crosses blue line and Sell signal when it does it on the downside

One thing I don’t like is the On Balance Volume Line. Notice as the market is going up it is going up on low relative volume. This is somewhat negative. Over all I think the market should be higher when this is all done and when there is a vaccine and people go on living their normal lives it should be better. This market will be volatile. The market may continue on the upside but over the short term I think the rally is limited to the levels I said above on the Fibonacci levels and the 200 day moving average. In addition, the market may not like the earnings numbers over the next couple of weeks and the market could drop again towards 20000 or below again.

Key investor Points to remember in a Bear Market:

  • Stay calm and keep a long-term perspective.
  • Maintain a balanced and broadly diversified portfolio.
  • Balance equity portfolios with a mix of dividend-paying companies and growth stocks.
  • Choose funds with a strong history of weathering market declines.
  • Use high-quality bonds to help offset equity volatility.
  • Advisors can help investors navigate periods of market volatility

THE BOTTOM LINE:

The market has had its worst decline in 10 years. It has recovered about 35% of the loss over the last week. It is not a time to sell during this decline in my opinion but for some of you it would a great time to start to nibble in your mutual funds on setbacks because the COV19 virus should be controlled over the next year and if you look at all of the virus pandemics we have had, it has been a good time to Buy if your goals are longer term. It is not a time to throw caution to the wind but call me to make selective dollar-cost average buys. In addition, when EARNINGS come out in the next 2 weeks the stock market could go back down again. Remember you buy when there is blood in the streets. Bonds should be more in the investment-grade or short- term investment grade side. If you are a long-term investor and have 20 years+ towards retirement use sell-offs to add through dollar-cost averaging. Diversification is essential but portfolios should be somewhat safer.

Best to all of you,

Joe Bartosiewicz, CFP®
Investment Advisor Representative
5 Colby Way
Avon, CT 06001
860-940-7020 or 860-404-0408



SECURITIES AND ADVISORY SERVICES OFFERED THROUGH SAGE POINT FINANCIAL INC., MEMBER FINRA/SIPC, AND SEC-REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISOR.

Charts provided by AIQ Systems:

Technical Analysis is based on a study of historical price movements and past trend patterns. There is no assurance that these market changes or trends can or will be duplicated shortly. It logically follows that historical precedent does not guarantee future results. Conclusions expressed in the Technical Analysis section are personal opinions: and may not be construed as recommendations to buy or sell anything.

Disclaimer: The views expressed are not necessarily the view of Sage Point Financial, Inc. and should not be interpreted directly or indirectly as an offer to buy or sell any securities mentioned herein. Securities and Advisory services offered through Sage Point Financial Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, and an SEC-registered investment advisor.

Past performance cannot guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. Please note that individual situations can vary. Therefore, the information presented in this letter should only be relied upon when coordinated with individual professional advice. *There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will outperform a non-diversified portfolio in any given market environment. No investment strategy, such as asset allocation, can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.
It is our goal to help investors by identifying changing market conditions. However, investors should be aware that no investment advisor can accurately predict all of the changes that may occur in the market.
The price of commodities is subject to substantial price fluctuations of short periods and may be affected by unpredictable international monetary and political policies. The market for commodities is widely unregulated, and concentrated investing may lead to Sector investing may involve a greater degree of risk than investments with broader diversification.
Indexes cannot be invested indirectly, are unmanaged, and do not incur management fees, costs, and expenses.

Dow Jones Industrial Average: A weighted price average of 30 significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ.
S&P 500: The S&P 500 is an unmanaged indexed comprised of 500 widely held securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general.

NASDAQ: the NASDAQ Composite Index is an unmanaged, market-weighted index of all over the counter common stocks traded on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System
(IWM) I Shares Russell 2000 ETF: Which tracks the Russell 2000 index: which measures the performance of the small capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market.

A Moderate Mutual Fund risk mutual has approximately 50-70% of its portfolio in different equities, from growth, income stocks, international and emerging markets stocks to 30-50% of its portfolio in different categories of bonds and cash. It seeks capital appreciation with a low to moderate level of current income.

The Merrill Lynch High Yield Master Index: A broad-based measure of the performance of non-investment grade US Bonds

MSCI EAFE: the MSCI EAFE Index (Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe, Australia, and Far East Index) is a widely recognized benchmark of non-US markets. It is an unmanaged index composed of a sample of companies’ representative of the market structure of 20 European and Pacific Basin countries and includes reinvestment of all dividends.
Investment grade bond index: The S&P 500 Investment-grade corporate bond index, a sub-index of the S&P 500 Bond Index, seeks to measure the performance of the US corporate debt issued by constituents in the S&P 500 with an investment-grade rating. The S&P 500 Bond index is designed to be a corporate-bond counterpart to the S&P 500, which is widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap US equities.

Floating Rate Bond Index is a rule-based, market-value weighted index engineered to measure the performance and characteristics of floating-rate coupon U.S. Treasuries, which have a maturity greater than 12 months.

Money Flow; The Money Flow Index (MFI) is a momentum indicator that measures the flow of money into and out of a security over a specified period. It is related to the Relative Strength Index (RSI) but incorporates volume, whereas the RSI only considers SK-SD Stochastics. When an oversold stochastic moves up through its MA, a buy signal is produced. Furthermore, Lane recommends that the stochastic line be smoothed twice with three-period simple moving averages: SK is the three-period simple moving average of K, and SD is the three-period simple moving average of SK

Rising Wedge; A rising wedge is a technical indicator, suggesting a reversal pattern frequently seen in bear markets. This pattern shows up in charts when the price moves upward with pivot highs and lows converging toward a single point known as the apex

The Ultimate Ugly Contrarian Play

commodities, educational newsletters, jay kaeppel, technical indicator

They always say you should buy when there is “blood in the street.”  They also say, “buy them when nobody wants them.”  So, let’s consider today what could be the most unloved, bombed out, everybody hates it “thing” in the world – coal.

Ugh, just the mention of the word coal elicits a recoiling response.  “Dirty energy!”  “Climate change inducing filth!” “Ban coal!”.  And so and so forth.  And maybe they have a point.  But “they” also say “facts are stubborn things” (OK, for the record, I think it’s a different “they” who says that but never mind about that right now).

So here is a stubborn fact: coal supplies about a quarter of the world’s primary energy and two-fifths of its electricity.  As I write, two of the fastest growing economies (at least they were as of a few months ago) – China and India – are not only heavily reliant upon coal for energy, but are still building more and more coal-fired plants.  Now I am making no comment on whether this is a good thing or a bad thing but the point is, it most definitely is a “thing.”

So however one feels about coal, the reality is that it is not going to go away anytime soon.  Does this mean it will “soar in value” anytime soon – or even ever for that matter?  Not necessarily.  But as an unloved commodity it’s sure is hard to beat coal.  And as “they” (they sure are a bunch of know it all’s they?) say, “opportunity is where you find it.” 

Ticker KOL is an ETF that invests in coal industry related companies.  And what a dog it has been.  Figure 1 displays a monthly chart of price action.  Since peaking in June 2008 at $60.80 a share, it now stands at a measly $6.29 a share, a cool -89.6% below its peak.  And like a lot of things it has been in a freefall of late.

Figure 1 – Ticker KOL Monthly chart (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

So, is this a great time to buy KOL?  That’s not for me to say.  But for argument’s sake, Figure 2 displays a weekly chart of KOL with an indicator I call Vixfixaverageave (I know, I know), which is a version of an indicator developed a number of years ago by Larry Williams (Indicator code is at the end of the article).

Figure 2 – KOL weekly chart with Vixfixaverageave indicator (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Note that Vixfixaverageave is presently above 90 on the weekly chart.  This level has been reached twice before – once in 2008 and once in 2016.  Following these two previous instances, once the indicator actually peaked and ticked lower for one week, KOL enjoyed some pretty spectacular moves. 

To wit:

*Following the 12/19/08 Vixfixaverageave peak and reversal KOL advanced +252% over the next 27.5 months

*Following the 2/19/16 Vixfixaverageave peak and reversal KOL advanced +182% over the next 23.5 months

When will Vixfixaverageave peak and reverse on the weekly KOL chart?  There is no way to know.  One must just wait for it to happen.  And will it be time to buy KOL when this happens?  Again, that is not for me to say.  None of this is meant to imply that the bottom for KOL is an hand nor that a massive rally is imminent.

Still, if there is anything at all to contrarian investing, its hard to envision anything more contrarian that KOL.

Vixfixaverageave Calculations

hivalclose is hival([close],22).  <<<<<The high closing price in that last 22 periods

vixfix is (((hivalclose-[low])/hivalclose)*100)+50. <<<(highest closing price in last 22 periods minus current period low) divided by highest closing price in last 22 periods (then multiplied by 100 and 50 added to arrive at vixfix value)

vixfixaverage is Expavg(vixfix,3). <<< 3-period exponential average of vixfix

vixfixaverageave is Expavg(vixfixaverage,7). <<<7-period exponential average of vixfixaverage

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented does not represent the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

Thoughts on the Energy Sector (just in case we ever leave our homes again)

educational newsletters, ETFS, jay kaeppel

In a few recent articles (for example here) I suggested that one day we would look back on this period as a terrific buying opportunity for energy related issues.  At the same time, I still have yet to become comfortable “pulling the trigger”.  Thank goodness for small favors.

Anyway, the overall sentiment still holds.  Energy is dirt cheap as are shares of most energy related stocks/ETFs etc.  Again, that doesn’t necessarily mean that now is the exact moment to “load up”.  To say that there is a wee bit of uncertainty regarding the future would be about the greatest understatement one could presently make.  Still, it is important to plan ahead and to be prepared when the time comes.  So, what follows should be considered “food for thought” and not “an immediate call to action.”

A Few Things Energy

Ticker TAN

According to conventional wisdom, the future is “green”.  I’ll be candid – I am all for green energy, as long as when I flip the switch the lights come on AND when I look at my energy bill I don’t faint.  So, let’s start with a “green” play.

Turth be told, ticker TAN (Invesco Solar Energy ETF) has never been much of a performer.  Still, its in the solar business which people keep telling me is “the future.”  In reality the primary thing it has going for it is that it hasn’t completely cratered to the same degree as just about every other stock in the energy sector.  As you can see in Figure 1, TAN actually bottomed out at $12.60 in 2012 and – despite a near 50% decline during the recent panic – is presently trading around $26 a share.  Not necessarily a screaming buy signal, but a nice relative performance as we will see in a moment.

Figure 1 – Ticker TAN (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Ticker UGA

In a sure “Sign of the Times”, the Good News is that gasoline prices are at their lowest levels in year, while the Bad News is that we don’t have anywhere to drive to except the grocery store.  Figure 2 displays the chart for ticker UGA – the United States Gasoline Fund, and ETF that tracks the price of gasoline.

While attempting to “pick a bottom” is a fool’s errand, the primary point is that it is not that hard to envision the price of this ETF being significantly higher at some point in the years ahead.  Whether an investor has the fortitude to weather whatever the short-term uncertainty and the patience to see how the long-term plays out are the primary issues associated with contemplating this ticker at the moment.

Figure 2 – Ticker UGA (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Ticker XLE

Ticker XLE is a play on the broad (mostly fossil fuel related) energy sector.  As you can see in Figure 3, XLE has plunged to price levels not since 2004. In addition, it presently yields roughly 8.8%.  That being said, an investor has to realistically expect that dividend payments in the hard-hit energy sector will see some significant cuts as things play out in the months ahead. 

With an oil price war in full swing, not to mention a sharp decline in demand for the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus pandemic, the fundamentals for this sector are unlikely to improve soon.  Nevertheless, the reality is that – at least for the time being – the world runs on crude oil.  As a result, the current price range may one day be looked back upon as a once-in-a-generation buying opportunity.

Figure 3 – XLE (Courtesy ProfitSource by HUBB)

Ticker PAGP

OK, let’s throw in one obscure, totally speculative – yet fundamentally intriguing – thought for consideration.  Ticker PAGP (Plains GP Holdings, L.P.).  Here is what they do (straight from their website):

“Plains engages in the transportation, storage, terminalling, and marketing of crude oil and refined products, as well as in the storage of natural gas, and the processing, transportation, fractionation, storage, and marketing of natural gas liquids.

Assets include:

*17,965 miles of active crude oil and NGL pipelines and gathering systems (emphasis mine as these things will continue to function as long as crude and NG need to be moved – which they do)

*50 barges and 20 transport tugs

*109 million barrels of storage capacity

*1,600+ trucks and trailers

*9,100 rail cars”

The bottom line is that as long as crude oil and natural gas needs to be moved, PAGP has a niche in which to operate.  For the record, at $6.35 a share the stock’s present dividend comes to a yield of 22.7%.  Certainly, the prospect of a significant dividend cut is a Signiant risk associated with this stock.  But for the moment anyway the price is near an all-time low and the dividend yield is attractive.

Figure 4 – Ticker PAGP (Courtesy ProfitSource by HUBB)

Summary

As allows, DO NOT look upon what I have written as “recommendations.”  Particularly in the current environment.  They are simply “food for thought.”

Given current fundamentals:

*An ongoing oil price war (making drilling and refining unprofitable for many companies)

*An economy on shutdown (which cripples demand)

*An existential struggle between “green” energy and “traditional” fossil fuel-based sources (which creates uncertainty about future expectations)

All combine to make the energy sector a giant question mark at the present time.  But if the old adage that the time to buy is when there is “blood in the streets”, than investors might be well served in the long run to start thinking now about how much capital they might be willing to commit to energy, and what type of catalyst might prompt them to actually “take the plunge.”

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented does not represent the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

Houston, We Have a Parabola

educational newsletters, indexes, jay kaeppel, stock market

Everybody likes it when an asset that they hold goes up in price.  In fact, the more the better.  But only to a point as it turns out.  When price gets carried away to the upside – we trader types typically refer to it as a “going parabolic”, i.e., a situation when prices are essentially rising straight up – it almost invariably ends very badly.  We have seen a couple of examples recently.

Palladium

Palladium is a metal that according to Bloomberg’s “About 85% of palladium ends up in the exhaust systems in cars, where it helps turn toxic pollutants into less-harmful carbon dioxide and water vapor. It is also used in electronics, dentistry, medicine, hydrogen purification, chemical applications, groundwater treatment, and jewelry. Palladium is a key component of fuel cells, which react hydrogen with oxygen to produce electricity, heat, and water.”

And it was pretty hot stuff for some time.  At least until it wasn’t.  As a proxy we will look at the ETF ticker symbol PALL, which attempts to track the price of palladium. 

*From January 2016 into January 2018, PALL rose +139%

*In the next 7 months it declined by -26%

*And then the fun really began – Between August 2018 and February 2020 PALL rose +245%, with a +110% gain occurring in the final 5+ months of the advance

What a time it was.  Until it wasn’t anymore.

Since peaking at $273.16 a share on 2/27/2020, PALL plunged -50% in just 12 trading days.  To put it another way, it gave back an entire year’s worth of gains in just 12 trading days.

Was there any way to see this coming?  Maybe. In Figure 1 we see a monthly chart with an indicator called “RSI32” in the bottom clip.  This indicator is derived by taking the 2-month average of the standard 3-month Relative Strength Index (RSI). 

Figure 1 – PALL with RSI32 (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Notice that historically when the RSI32 indicator gets above 96, trouble tends to follow pretty quickly.  See Figure 2

Figure 2 – PALL: Peaks in RSI32 and the subsequent maximum drawdown (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

T-Bonds

During the panic sell-off in the stock market in recent weeks, treasury bonds became very popular as a “safe haven” as investors piled out of stocks and into the “safety” of U.S. Treasuries.  What too many investors appeared to forget in their haste was that long-term treasury can be extremely volatile (for the record, short and intermediate term treasuries are much less volatile than long-term bonds and are much better suited to act as a safe haven).  Likewise – just an opinion – buying a 30-year bond paying 1% per year is not entirely unlike buying a stock index fund when the market P/E Ratio is over 30 – there just isn’t a lot of underlying value there. So you are essentially betting on a continuation of the current trend and NOT on the ultimate realization of the underlying value – because there really isn’t any.

Anyway, Figure 3 displays a monthly chart of ticker TLT – an ETF that tracks the long-term treasury – with the RSI32 indicator in the bottom clip. 

Figure 3 – TLT with RSI32 (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Bond price movement is typically not as extreme and volatile as Palladium, so for bonds a RSI32 reading above 80 typically indicates that potential trouble may lie ahead. 

As of the close of 3/17/20, TLT was almost -15% off of its high in just 6 trading days. We’ll see where it goes from here.

Tesla (Ticker TSLA)

Anytime you see what is essentially a manufacturing company – no matter how “hot”, “hip”, or “cool” the product they build – go up 200% in 2 months’ time, the proper response is NOT giddy delight.  The proper response is:

*If you DO own the stock, either set a trailing stop or take some profits immediately and set a trailing stop for the rest

*If you DO NOT own the stock, DO NOT allow yourself to get sucked in

Take TSLA in Figure 4 for instance. By February 2020 TSLA was up almost 200% in 2 months and almost 450% in 8 months.  The RSI32 indicator was above 96 – a stark warning sign. 

19 trading days after making its closing high, TSLA is down -59%.

Figure 4 – TSLA with RSI32 (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Summary

Simply remember this.  Parabolic price moves are:

*Exciting while they are unfolding

*Disastrous when they end

Typically, the security in question gives back months – or in some case, years – worth of gains in a shockingly short period of time.

Beware the parabola.

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented does not represent the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

Bartometer March 8, 2020

educational newsletters, indexes, portfolio management, stock market, Uncategorized

Hello Everyone,

Over the last month the stock market has had one of its worst declines over the shortest periods of time in history. Not even did the 2008 declines beat the velocity of the declines we saw over the last month. In 2 days the NASDAQ fell over almost 11% because of the rightfully so, Corona Virus and its potential to not only kill people but mainly do disrupt the business process of selling and the supply lines to get product. Two things I do want to say is

1. You don’t base your long term financial goals based on a short term flu. 5 years from now this will be just another flu we had. People will have forgotten about it.

2. Over the last two months I have be saying to take profits as we were overvalued, I was getting Cautious with the Rising Wedge pattern and thought the S&P 500 would go to the 3280-3380 and top out. The S&P 500 topped at 3386 and fell through the trend lines to the 2900 area, down 13% from the 3380 level. As of this point I am still very Cautious, but looking for a bottom soon over the next 2 months.

This is why I do technical analysis. People can say that the Corona Virus did it, and it did contribute, but the market was positioning itself for a fall. I think the market will continue to be volatile and potentially fall more. With the outbreak just beginning the USA, the S&P should test the 2855 level it hit a week ago and either bounce from there but I feel it will probably break down below that and hit the 2600 to the 2750 level. There have only been less than 500 people who have gotten the tests. Once the US government opens the tests up to many more people there should be many many more people who have the virus. This will scare people to stop going out at restaurants, coffee shops, theatres, cruise ships, travel and more. It will take out a percentage out of the Gross Domestic Product, (GDP). It will probably cause the markets to fall another 5 to 10%+, but it will not kill Capitalism. It should only be a short term. Remember, if this is a flu where less than 1% of the people who contract it dies, then who are dying? The elderly and the sick who have immune problems. So protect yourself. Get the N95 masks on Amazon, get myricetin as a supplement people are recommending to build up your immune system. Talk to your doctor first. Call me to rearrange your portfolios with me and your 401(k). Remember too, this will pass, but I think we have more on the downside.

This is what’s happened over the last 20 years:

2000 Y2k is going to kill us all.

2001 Anthrax is going to kill us all.

2002 West Nile Virus is going to kill us all.

2003 SARS is going to kill us all.

2005 The Bird Flu is going to kill us all. 2008 The Great Recession is going to kill us all.

2010 BP Oil is going to kill us all.

2012 The Mayan Calendar is going to kill us all.

2013 North Korea is going to kill us all.

2014 Ebola is going to kill us all.

2015 Disney Measles and ISIS is going to kill us all.

2016 Zika virus is going to kill us all.

2020 Corona Virus is going to kill us all.

Now granted this is worse because it is a pandemic and it is worse than most of the others, not in life as we lose 30-60 thousand every year to the regular flu, but there is no vaccine yet, and it is creating FEAR. But mostly the FEAR is stopping people from spending money, this will cause the markets to fall. So FEAR is killing you. Protect yourself. Be smart. Use FEAR in the markets as an advantage. Over the last few months, go to the old Bartometers, I have been saying to take profits, the markets are too overbought, that we had a Rising Wedge formation that is a reversal pattern and I thought we could go down. Well now that that has happened, is the market a BUY yet? No, because I feel it will go down more, but it may bottom over the next month or two.

There may be buying opportunities that only come once every 10 years or so. With no guarantees, if the market goes below the 2855 level down to the 2600 level to the 2750 level you may want to call me for potential buying opportunities. Remember what Warren Buffet says, “ Buy when there is BLOOD in the STREETS” That’s when most make money over the long term, When Florida houses were plummeting in the 2008 recession, were there great BUYS? In the great recession, did stocks go so low that if you bought in early 2009 did you get unbelievable deals on stocks and funds? Yes… You make money in the bull markets by buying in the BEAR MARKETS. I am not saying to buy now but get your GREED hats on. You all need to contact me to discuss strategy now. Remember, can we go down more? YES and probably will. Can we go into a Recession because of this situation? Maybe and most likely, economists are giving it a 50-50% chance. Should you reduce equities more, possibly depending on your situation and how close you are to retirement? Last month I said to take money off the table because the markets were too high. Now it’s more of a shift between funds and change some of the bonds as if Oil keeps falling, you don’t want to have much in the High Yield Bond sector or Floating rate bond area. I am concerned, however, about the corporations continue to buy back their own shares while they are issuing debt to do it. This buying back of stock is building the asset bubble. This is one concern I have in addition Corona Virus.

An excerpt from Fundamental Economist Dr. Robert Genetski: from Classical Principles.com:
Stock Market Volatile as the Virus Gains

Investors switched from euphoria to fear and back several times this past week. When the dust settled, the Nasdaq, Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 rose 1%-3% while small cap stocks fell 1%-2%.

The reason I recommend caution is related to the expectation of a sharp increase in the virus in the US. The US conducted only 473 tests through March 1. The number of tests will increase dramatically in the period ahead. More testing means more confirmed cases. The latest figures for the US show 226 cases.

Outside the US infections are growing at a rate of 20% a day. The rate of increase has slowed in Korea, but has increased dramatically in Italy and throughout Europe.

There is some good news. The daily rate of increase in China has slowed to less than 0.2% for the four days ending March 5th. Flexport, a global freight logistics company, reports that 60% of China’s manufacturing capacity is now back on line. Since US companies depend on China for critical supplies and medicines, the threat of shortages should soon be less pressing.
There was more good news this past week as surveys of business activity show the US economy remained remarkably strong in February. While various international companies are suffering greatly, recent indications show the US is weathering the storm well, at least through February. Amid the uncertainty over the spread of the virus in the US, it continues to make sense to be cautious about owning stocks.

Returns in 2020 Some of the INDEXES of the markets both equities and interest rates are below. The source is Morningstar.com up until March 7, 2020. These are passive indexes.

*Dow Jones -8.9%
S&P 500 -8.2%
NASDAQ Aggressive growth -4.4%
I Shares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) Small cap -12.84%
Midcap stock funds -12.54%
International Index (MSCI – EAFE ex USA -10.4% Moderate Mutual Fund Investment Grade Bonds (AAA) Long duration -4.70%
High Yield Merrill Lynch High Yield Index -3.7%

Floating Rate Bond Funds -2.4%
Short Term Bond +1.3%
Fixed Bond Yields (10 year) .76% Yield

The average Moderate Fund is down -4.70% this year fully invested as a 65% in stocks and 35% in bonds and nothing in the money market.

Interest rates look stable going forward over the next 6 months

The S&P 500 is above. I used a weekly chart as I think the S&P will fall below 2855 and possibly hit the following support levels for support.
2822, 2721-2747, 2600-2630, and 2340.

These are points that investors are looking at as a support levels. I think we have more to go on the downside. The Blue arrows are areas that listed to the left I think the S&P can go too.

The middle graph is the SK-SD stochastics. This shows a breakdown, Last month I said anything over the 88 level is overbought. It’s 21 to 48 on the Daily, now it’s getting OVERSOLD but can go down more.

The third graph is the Stochastics chart. Anything below 20 is showing the market is very oversold. But can still trend lower.

The Dow Jones is above. I drew the last three years and notice the that the 23576 is support right at the red line , but I believe the low will breakdown as it could test and breakdown and test its 200 week moving average at 23,587. If that doesn’t hold then the old lows of 21,734 are next.

This could be the capitulation investors are looking at to starting getting back into the markets. If this happens then there is a much greater chance that a Recession will occur. Please call me to Strategize your portfolio at 860-940-7020.

 Support levels on the S&P 500 area are 2822, 2721-2747, 2600-2630 and 2340. These might be accumulation areas if you are a Long term investor.
 Support levels on the NASDAQ are 7658 to 7715, 7303, and 6861.
 On the Dow Jones support is at 23,587 (200 week moving average), 21,734, 19,794 and 17,863
 These may be safer areas to get into the equity markets on support levels slowly.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Now that the markets have broken down the trend line I explained last month. I am more Cautious on the markets. The Corona Flu will scare people and they will pull in their horns towards traveling, going out and this act alone can cause a Recession. The market is starting to become somewhat oversold but I still would no Buy here, but wait until the Corona Virus Fear is nearing the worst it could get. That could be over the next 2 months or so. I think the S&P 500 and the markets could continue to fall as energy is also going down.


Best to all of you,

Joe Bartosiewicz, CFP®
Investment Advisor Representative
Contact information:

5 Colby Way
Avon, CT 06001
860-940-7020 or 860-404-0408

SECURITIES AND ADVISORY SERVICES OFFERED THROUGH SAGE POINT FINANCIAL INC., MEMBER FINRA/SIPC, AND SEC-REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISOR.


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Past performance cannot guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. Please note that individual situations can vary. Therefore, the information presented in this letter should only be relied upon when coordinated with individual professional advice. *There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will outperform a non-diversified portfolio in any given market environment. No investment strategy, such as asset allocation, can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.
It is our goal to help investors by identifying changing market conditions. However, investors should be aware that no investment advisor can accurately predict all of the changes that may occur in the market.
The price of commodities is subject to substantial price fluctuations of short periods and may be affected by unpredictable international monetary and political policies. The market for commodities is widely unregulated, and concentrated investing may lead to Sector investing may involve a greater degree of risk than investments with broader diversification.
Indexes cannot be invested indirectly, are unmanaged, and do not incur management fees, costs, and expenses.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: A weighted price average of 30 significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ.
S&P 500: The S&P 500 is an unmanaged indexed comprised of 500 widely held securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general.
NASDAQ: the NASDAQ Composite Index is an unmanaged, market-weighted index of all over the counter common stocks traded on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System
(IWM) I Shares Russell 2000 ETF: Which tracks the Russell 2000 index: which measures the performance of the small capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market.
A Moderate Mutual Fund risk mutual has approximately 50-70% of its portfolio in different equities, from growth, income stocks, international and emerging markets stocks to 30-50% of its portfolio in different categories of bonds and cash. It seeks capital appreciation with a low to moderate level of current income.
The Merrill Lynch High Yield Master Index: A broad-based measure of the performance of non-investment grade US Bonds
MSCI EAFE: the MSCI EAFE Index (Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe, Australia, and Far East Index) is a widely recognized benchmark of non-US markets. It is an unmanaged index composed of a sample of companies’ representative of the market structure of 20 European and Pacific Basin countries and includes reinvestment of all dividends.
Investment grade bond index: The S&P 500 Investment-grade corporate bond index, a sub-index of the S&P 500 Bond Index, seeks to measure the performance of the US corporate debt issued by constituents in the S&P 500 with an investment-grade rating. The S&P 500 Bond index is designed to be a corporate-bond counterpart to the S&P 500, which is widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap US equities.
Floating Rate Bond Index is a rule-based, market-value weighted index engineered to measure the performance and characteristics of floating-rate coupon U.S. Treasuries, which have a maturity greater than 12 months.
Money Flow; The Money Flow Index (MFI) is a momentum indicator that measures the flow of money into and out of a security over a specified period. It is related to the Relative Strength Index (RSI) but incorporates volume, whereas the RSI only considers
SK-SD Stochastics. When an oversold stochastic moves up through its MA, a buy signal is produced. Furthermore, Lane recommends that the stochastic line be smoothed twice with three-period simple moving averages: SK is the three-period simple moving average of K, and SD is the three-period simple moving average of SK
Rising Wedge; A rising wedge is a technical indicator, suggesting a reversal pattern frequently seen in bear markets. This pattern shows up in charts when the price moves upward with pivot highs and lows converging toward a single point known as the apex

March and April to the Rescue?

educational newsletters, jay kaeppel, market timing, seasonal, stock market, Uncategorized

Well that got ugly quick.  For the record, if you have been in the markets for any length of time you have seen this kind of action plenty of times.  An index, or stock, or commodity or whatever, trends and trends and trend steadily and relentlessly higher over a period of time.  And just when it seems like its going to last forever – BAM.  It gives back all or much of its recent rally gains very quickly.  Welcome to the exciting world of investing.

I make no claims of “calling the top” – because I never have actually (correctly) called one and I don’t expect that I ever will.  But having written Part I and Part II of articles titled “Please Take a Moment to Locate the Nearest Exit” in the last week, I was probably one of the least surprised people at what transpired in the stock market in the last few sessions. 

Of course the question on everyone’s lips – as always in this type of panic or near panic situation – is, “where to from here?”  And folks if I knew the answer, I swear I would tell you.  But like everyone else, I can only assess the situation, formulate a plan of action – or inaction, as the case may be – and act accordingly.  But some random thoughts:

*Long periods of relative calm followed by extreme drops are more often than not followed by periods of volatility.  So, look for a sharp rebound for at least a few days followed by another downdraft and so on and so forth, until either:

a) The market bottoms out and resumes an uptrend

b) The major indexes (think Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, Russell 2000) drop below their 200-day moving averages.  As of the close on 2/25 both the Dow and the Russell 2000 were below their 200-day moving average.  That would set up another a) or b) scenario.

If the major indexes break below their long-term moving averages it will either:

a) End up being a whipsaw – i.e., the market reverses quickly to the upside

b) Or will be a sign of more serious trouble

The main point is that you should be paying close attention in the days and weeks ahead to the indexes in Figure 1.

Figure 1 – Major indexes with 200-day moving averages (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

One Possible Bullish Hope

One reason for potential optimism is that the two-month period of March and April has historically been one of the more favorable two-month periods on an annual basis.  Figure 2 displays the cumulative price gain achieved by the S&P 500 Index ONLY during March and April every year since 1945.  The long-term trend is unmistakable, but year-to-year results can of course, vary greatly.

Figure 2 – S&P 500 cumulative price gain March-April ONLY (1945-2019)

For the record:

S&P 500 March-AprilResult
Number of times UP55 (73%)
Number of times DOWN20 (27%)
Average UP%+5.0%
Average DOWN%(-3.4%)

Figure 3 – Facts and Figures

Will March and April bail us out?  Here’s hoping.

As an aside, this strategy is having a great week so far.

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented does not represent the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.