OK, so this particular piece clearly does NOT qualify as “timely”. Hey, they can’t all be “time critical, table-pounding, you must act now” missives. In any event, as part of a larger project regarding trends and seasonality in the market, I figured something out – we “quantitative analyst types” refer to this as “progress.”
So here goes.
The Month of October in the Stock Market
The month of October in the stock market is something of a paradox. Many investors refer to it as “Crash Month” – which is understandable given the action in 1929, 1978, 1979, 1987, 1997, 2008 and 2018. Yet others refer to it as the “Bear Killer” month since a number of bear market declines have bottomed out and/r reversed during October. Further complicating matters is that October has showed:
*A gain 61% of the time
*An average monthly gain of +0.95%
*A median monthly gain of +1.18%
Figure 1 displays the monthly price return for the S&P 500 Index during every October starting in 1945.
Figure 1 – S&P 500 Index October Monthly % +(-)
Figure 2 displays the cumulative % price gain achieved by holding the S&P 500 Index ONLY during the month of October every year starting in 1945.
Figure 2 – S&P 500 Index Cumulative October % +(-)
So, you see the paradox. To simply sit out the market every October means giving up a fair amount of return over time (not to mention the logistical and tax implications of “selling everything” on Sep 30 and buying back in on Oct 31). At the same time, October can be a helluva scary place to be from time to time.
One Possible Solution – The Decennial Pattern
In my book “Seasonal Stock Market Trends” I have a section that talks about the action of the stock market across the average decade. The first year (ex., 2010) is Year “0”, the second year (ex., 2011) is Year “1”, etc.
In a nutshell, there tends to be:
The Early Lull: Often there is weakness starting in Year “0” into mid Year “2”
The Mid-Decade Rally: Particularly strong during late Year “4” into early Year “6”
The 7-8-9 Decline: Often there is a significant pullback somewhere in the during Years “7” or “8” or “9”
The Late Rally: Decades often end with great strength
Figures 3 and 4 display this pattern over the past two decades.
Figure 3 – Decennial Pattern: 2010-2019
Figure 4 – Decennial Pattern: 2000-2009
Focusing on October
So now let’s look at October performance based on the Year of the Decade. The results appear in Figure 5. To be clear, Year 0 cumulates the October % +(-) for the S&P 500 Index during 1950, 1960, 1970, etc. Year 9 cumulates the October % +(-) for the S&P 500 index during 1949, 1959, 1969, 1979, etc.
Figure 5 – October S&P 500 Index cumulative % +(-) by Year of Decade
What we see is that – apparently – much of the “7-8-9 Decline” takes place in October, as Years “7” and “8” of the decade are the only ones that show a net loss for October.
Let’s highlight this another way. Figure 6 displays the cumulative % return for the S&P 500 Index during October during all years EXCEPT those ending “7” or “8” versus the cumulative % return for the S&P 500 Index during October during ONLY years ending in “7” or “8”.
Figure 6 – S&P 500 cumulative October % +(-); Years 7 and 8 of decade versus All Other Years of Decade
For the record:
*October during Years “7” and “8” lost -39%
*October during all other Years gained +196%
Summary
So, does this mean that October is now “green-lighted” as bullish until 2027? Not necessarily. As always, that pesky “past performance is no guarantee of future results” phrase looms large.
But for an investor looking to maximize long-term profits while also attempting to avoid potential pain along the way, the October 7-8 pattern is something to file away for future reference.
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.
On my last Bartometer I stated that we were #1 On Buy signal, #2 the Dow Jones and the stock market had Bullish Ascending triangles patterns, #3. Money flow and On Balance Volume were breaking out to NEW HIGHS when the stock market wasn’t. This shows demand for stocks over and above the price. These 3 indicators were telling me and I was telling you that I thought the market would breakout to new highs, AND IT DID. The stock market broke out of the bullish ascending triangle, (see index on the next page about ascending triangles)*. On the S&P I said that it had to breakout of 3030 and it did. It is now 3093. I said the Dow Jones had to breakout of the 27400, and it did. It is now 27681.
Where does is go from here and could we get a little pull back?
See chart below for an explanation.
An excerpt from Fundamental Economist Dr. Robert Genetski: from Classical Principles.com:
Stocks benefited from encouraging news of a potential trade agreement between the US and China as well as some good news on the economy. Markets seldom move in only one direction. The S&P500 is now within 3% of its fundamental value. A pause or even a slight correction is overdue, particularly if there is any negative news. Even so, with stronger fundamentals and the Fed purchasing securities, any correction should be fairly mild. Stay bullish on stocks.
Adding to Bob’s his Comment:
Signs of strength in the economy combined with gains in stock prices led to a sharp jump in intermediate and longer-term interest rates. This week the interest rate on 10-year T-Notes moved 25 basis points higher. The latest moves turned the yield curve to a more normal shape. As with stocks, interest rates have spiked higher and are overdue for some correction. However, after more than a decade of interest rates declining and being well below their fundamental levels, rates remain 200 basis points below fundamental levels. While the Fed’s low target places a limit on how high interest rates will go, there is still a lot of upward potential for longer-term rates. Fixed-income portfolios should remain defensive.
On the Technical Side:
Over the last almost 22 months, the Dow Jones FINALLY broke out to new highs from the old highs set on Jan 31, 2018 at 26,714. That is a POSITIVE. Money Flow and On Balance Volume are still at a new high, but the markets are again becoming overbought. So, could the market comes down a little now? YES, the markets are now overbought and there could easily be a slight decline to 27191 to 27298, a decline of around 2%, and the S&P to decline to 3029 area, a decline of 2% or so, BUT no more than that, because if the markets GO BACK BELOW THE BREAKOUT it can cause traders to start selling in mass. So look for a possible test of the breakout, but IF the markets close below the breakout of 27300 to 27384 on the Dow Jones or 3030 on the S&P convincingly, then I will be getting Very Cautious. If that doesn’t happen then I am still moderately bullish. But I realize the market are now OVERBOUGHT and in my opinion, it is not a time to go out and invest a lot of money in the markets. Dollar cost averaging is fine. I stated in my January Bartometer that I thought the S&P could reach 3130 to 3180+ this year. At 3093 currently, that is about 1-3% from here.
Some of the INDEXES of the markets both equities and interest rates are below. The source is Morningstar.com up until November 9th, 2019. These are passive indexes. *Dow Jones +20% S&P 500 +24% NASDAQ Aggressive growth +31% I Shares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) Small cap +19% International Index (MSCI – EAFE ex USA) +16% Moderate Mutual Fund +14% Investment Grade Bonds (AAA) +13% High Yield Merrill Lynch High Yield Index +11% Floating Rate Bond Index +4.0% Short Term Bond +4.0% Fixed Bond Yields (10 year) +1.75.% Yield
The average Moderate Fund is up 14% this year fully invested as a 60% in stocks and 40% in bonds and nothing in the money market.
S&P 500
Ascending Triangle is above, and is Bullish as long as it stays above the breakout of 3027-3030
The S&P 500 is above. The S&P 500 contains 500 of the largest companies in the US. The 2 top companies by market value are Microsoft and Apple. But there are 498 other stocks in it. If you can see above the ASCENDING TRIANGLE that is BOLDED. Notice the clear breakout to new highs. This is clearly BULLISH like I thought would happen last month. And it did. Now that it has risen 2% ABOVE the breakout, a BREAKDOWN below the 3030 convincingly would get me VERY Cautious. It is normal to come back down to test the breakout, but not to break down below it. So if you see the S&P close below 3030 convincingly on heavy volume, I will be getting Cautious to Very Cautious depending on the reason. But the market is now at fair value to me and there may be another 1-4% more for the year in my opinion, but not much more unless there is incredible news from the Political or Tariff front. It is not a great time to go out and buy a lot in the stock market in my opinion as well.
The Middle graph is called the SK-SD Stochastics model. It shows the markets as being overbought when the indicator is above 88 where it is above the 88 horizontal line. Notice every time the indicator was above 88 it seemed to peak out and sell off. This is not guaranteed but it is good indicator.
The 3rd indicator is MACD or Momentum this indicator is still bullish until the pink line breaks down below the blue line. As of right now, momentum is still higher, but the markets are over bought, so be careful.
An ascending triangle is a chart pattern used in technical analysis. It is created by price moves that allow for a horizontal line to be drawn along the swing highs, and a rising trend line to be drawn along the swing lows. The two lines form a triangle. Traders often watch for breakouts from triangle patterns.
See the pattern above? It’s an Ascending triangle. Ascending triangles are BULLISH as long as they don’t go back below the breakout. If this is a successful Ascending triangle the S&P can rise to 3130-3180 first and possibly higher IF the breakout isn’t broken convincingly on the downside or breaking and closing below 3030.
On-balance volume (OBV) is a technical analysis indicator intended to relate price and volume in the stock market. OBV is based on a cumulative total volume.
Money flow is calculated by averaging the high, low and closing prices, and multiplying by the daily volume. Comparing that result with the number for the previous day tells traders whether money flow was positive or negative for the current day. Positive money flow indicates that prices are likely to move higher, while negative money flow suggests prices are about to fall.
A Support or support level is the level at which buyers tend to purchase or into a stock or index. It refers to the stock share price that a company or index should hold and start to rise. When the price of the stock falls towards its support level, the support level holds and is confirmed, or the stock continues to decline, and the support level must change.
Support levels on the S&P 500 area are 3027-3030, 3017, 2952, 2922, and 2812. These might be BUY areas.
Support levels on the NASDAQ are 8251, 8144, 8080 and 7771.
On the Dow Jones support is at 26,285, 25,763, and 25,458
These may be safer areas to get into the equity markets on support levels slowly.
RESISTANCE LEVEL ON THE S&P 500 IS 3130 and the Dow Jones breakout is 27,400. If there is a favorable tariff settlement, the market should rise short term.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
The Dow, the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ are at new highs after rallying over the last 3 weeks. Normally the markets after reaching new highs become overbought and may come back down towards the breakout areas to see if the breakouts area holds. lf breakout of 3030 are holds then the markets tend to drift back towards the old high to see if it can break out again. If it does then 3130 to 3180 could be the next target. If 3030 doesn’t hold on the S&P and starts to break down below 3030 then I will be getting cautious or very cautious.. I WILL CONTINUE TO ANALYZE THE TECHNICALS OF THE MARKET. The seasonal patterns of the markets are bullish towards the end of the year. Last year the markets fell in December. It looks like the market still wants to go up, but with tweets coming out hourly, market timing will be more difficult.
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, 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.
As usual, you can pretty much see whatever you want to see in today’s stock market. Consider the major indexes in Figure 1, displayed along with their respective 200-day moving averages.
If you “want to” be bullish, you can focus on the fact that all 4 of these major indexes are presently above their respective 200-day moving averages. This essentially defines an “uptrend”; hence you can make a bullish argument.
If you want to be “bearish”, you can focus on the “choppy” nature of the market’s performance and the fact that very little headway has been made since the highs in early 2018. This “looks like” a classic “topping pattern” (i.e., a lot of “churning”), hence you can make a bearish argument.
To add more intrigue, consider the 4 “market bellwethers” displayed in Figure 2.
(NOTE: Previously I had Sotheby’s Holdings – ticker BID – as one my bellwethers. As they are being bought out, I have replaced it with the Value Line Arithmetic Index, which has a history of topping and bottoming prior to the major indexes)
The action here is much more mixed and muddled.
*SMH – for any “early warning” sign keep a close eye on the semiconductors. If they breakout to a new high they could lead the overall market higher. If they breakdown from a double top the market will likely be spooked.
*TRAN – The Dow Transports topped out over a year ago and have been flopping around aimlessly in a narrowing range. Not exactly a bullish sign, but deemed OK as long as price holds above the 200-day moving average.
*ZIV – Inverse VIX is presently below it’s 200-day moving average, so this one qualifies as “bearish” at the moment.
*VAL-I – The Value Line Index is comprised of 1,675 stocks and gives each stock equal weight, so is a good measure of the “overall” market. It presently sits right at its 200-day moving average, however – as you can see in Figure 3 – it is presently telling a different story than the S&P 500 Index.
Figure 3 – S&P 500 trending slightly higher, Value Line unweighted index trending lower (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)
The Bottom Line
OK, now here is where a skilled market analyst would launch into an argument regarding which side will actually “win”, accompanied by roughly 5 to 50 “compelling charts” that “clearly show” why the analysts’ said opinion was sure to work out correctly. Alas, there is no one here like that.
If the question is, “will the stock market break out to the upside and run to sharply higher new highs or will it break down without breaking out to new highs?”, I sadly must default to my standard answer of, “It beats me.”
Here is what I can tell you though. Instead of relying on “somebody’s opinion or prediction” a much better bet is to formulate and follow an investment plan that spells out:
*What you will (and will not) invest in?
*How much capital you will allocate to each position?
*How much risk you are willing to take with each position?
*What will cause you to exit with a profit?
*What will cause you to exit with a loss?
*Will you have some overarching “trigger” to cause you to reduce overall exposure?
*And so on and so forth
If you have specific answers for the questions above (you DO have specific answers, don’t you?) then the correct thing to do is to go ahead and follow your plan and ignore the myriad prognostications that attempt to sway you one way or the other.
Jay Kaeppel
Disclaimer: The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources. While I believe the data 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. The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute and should not be construed as investment advice, an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.
Over the last month the S&P 500 has risen 3% and is about 2/3rds of 1% below its high it reached in July. Last month on the Bartometer I stated that my computer models were on a Short term Buy signal and the S&P needed to break out of 2944- 2954 for me to be more bullish. I also said that if the S&P stayed above 2954 for 2 days it should head back to the old high of 3025 or there about and it did. Now that the markets are near their old high, where do I think the markets will go? Well, the answer isn’t so easy to answer. Technically the markets are overbought again but two of the technical indicators that show continuation on are On Balance Volume and Money Flow. Both of these indicators are currently at a New High, when the markets are not. These indicators while not always indicative of further advancement are still positive for a continuation to the upside. See the charts below.
My fundamental economist Dr. Robert Genetski, from ClassicalPrinciples.com said last week’s move by the European Central Bank (ECB) to ease policy is good news for the period immediately ahead. The ECB cut its target interest rate and will indefinitely purchase $20 billion of securities each month beginning in November. The move pressures the Fed and other central banks to also ease policy. Negotiations with China also appear to be moving in a positive direction. China is suffering much more than the US from Trump’s tariffs. China is anxious to reach a deal to avoid further problems. On Wednesday the Fed will follow the ECB and the Bank of Japan (BOJ) by cutting interest rates. Unlike the ECB and BOJ, the Fed will not resume purchases of securities. Hence, the Fed will not be easing policy. However, the perception of a period of global easing is likely to provide a short-term tailwind for boosting stocks and interest rates. Over the past 2 weeks there has been a 30 basis point increase in the yield on 10-year T-Notes. This has narrowed the inversion with 3-month Treasury bills from 50 basis points to 20. The spike in rates means financial markets reflect the view that monetary policy is less restrictive. This view is reinforced by the actions of the EC.
On the Technical Side
My computer models went on a very short term BUY signal 5 weeks ago when the S&P was 2844 and has not gone to a Sell signal, but there needs to now be a push through the 3027 level on the S&P and stay there or there could be a sell off here. Two of my favorite indicators Money Flow and On Balance Volume are at a new high while the index is not. This is a positive indication for continuation on the upside. But remember, we still need to watch all of the information that is coming out of the mouth of all political figures and the global markets, but currently I am still moderately bullish. I never put my guard down. See chart below
Interest Outlook
I see the Federal Reserve reducing interest rates ¼% in December.
Some of the INDEXES of the markets both equities and interest rates are below. The source is Morningstar.com up until September 13th, 2019.
These are passive indexes.
*Dow Jones +18%
S&P 500 +21%
NASDAQ Aggressive growth +25%
I Shares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) Small cap +18%
International Index (MSCI – EAFE ex USA) +13%
Moderate Mutual Fund +12%
Investment Grade Bonds (AAA) +11% +2.64%
High Yield Merrill Lynch High Yield Index +9% +4.26%
Floating Rate Bond Index +5% +2.60%
Short Term Bond +3%
Fixed Bond Yields (10 year) +1.82.% +2.63%
The average Moderate Fund is up 12% this year fully invested as a 60% in stocks and 40% in bonds. And nothing in the money market
*Explanation of each below
The Dow Jones Index is above. As it contains 30 of the largest industrial and American stocks. You will notice that the Dow above and to the right is approaching its old high achieved in July. It has rallied 5% since the Buy signal my computer models gave last month. But now it has to break out to new highs or it puts in a double top. There are 3 indicators above that are important. The first one is SK-SD Stochastics and it is back to the 88 level and that shows the market is overbought. The 2nd and third are Money Flow and On Balance Volume. Both of those indicators are very important for me to determine confirmation and continuation of the rally. Notice that both of them are at a new high while the Dow Jones is not. This is a positive divergence and hopefully the markets will continue its upward movement. I like the USA markets more than the International markets. The Dow Jones looks better than the S&P and the NASDAQ technically at this time. Remember, volatility will still be present so I would still be somewhat cautious.
Source: AIQ Systems on graphs
*On-balance volume (OBV) is a technical analysis indicator intended to relate price and volume in the stock market. OBV is based on a cumulative total volume.[1] *Money flow is calculated by averaging the high, low and closing prices, and multiplying by the daily volume. Comparing that result with the number for the previous day tells traders whether money flow was positive or negative for the current day. Positive money flow indicates that prices are likely to move higher, while negative money flow suggests prices are about to fall.
Source: Investopedia
*A Support or support level is the level at which buyers tend to purchase or into a stock or index. It refers to the stock share price that a company or index should hold and start to rise. When a price of the stock falls towards its support level, the support level holds and is confirmed, or the stock continues to decline, and the support level must change.
Support levels on the S&P 500 area are 2954.71, 2950, 2944, and 2931. These might be BUY areas.
Support levels on the NASDAQ are 8024, 7969, and 7777 (200 Day Moving Average.
On the Dow Jones support is at 26,766, 26,595, and 26,368
These may be safer areas to get into the equity markets on support levels slowly.
RESISTANCE LEVEL ON THE S&P 500 IS 3028. If there is a favorable tariff settlement, the market should rise short term.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
The Dow, the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ are all near new highs. 5 weeks ago on the Bartometer my computer models went to a Buy signal. Since then, the markets have rallied near their old highs. There are technical patterns that show the markets could breakout to new highs but IF THE MARKETS DON’T BREAKOUT OUT SOON, THE MARKETS COULD TOP OUT. I WILL CONTINUE TO ANALYZE THE TECHNICALs OF THE MARKET. There are seasonal patterns that are usually week. September and October ARE NOT SEASONALLY GOOD MONTHS. It looks like the market wants to goes up but with tweets coming out hourly, market timing will be more difficult. If things come in as Trump expects, watch for a solid rally possibly to the old highs. But there are headwinds currently short term.
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 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 indifferent 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.
Let’s face it, many investors have a problem with riding a trend. When things are going well they fret and worry about every blip in interest rates, housing starts, earnings estimates and the price of tea in China, which often keeps them from maximizing their profitability. Alternatively, when things really do fall apart they suddenly become “long-term investors” (in this case “long-term” is defined roughly as the time between the current time and the time they “puke” their portfolio – just before the bottom).
Which reminds me to invoke:
Jay’s Trading Maxim #6: Human nature is a detriment to investment success and should be avoided as much as, well, humanly possible.
So, it can help to have a few “go to” indicators, to help one objectively tilt to the bullish or bearish side. And we are NOT talking about “pinpoint precision timing” types of things here. Just simple, objective clues. Like this one.
Monthly MACD
Figure 1 displays the S&P 500 index monthly chart with the monthly MACD Indicator at the bottom.Figure 1 – Monthly S&P 500 Index with MACD (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)
The “trading rules” we will use are pretty simple:
*If the Monthly MACD closes a month above 0, then hold the S&P 500 Index the next month
*If the Monthly MACD closes a month below 0, then hold the Barclays Treasury Intermediate Index the next month
*We start our test on 11/30/1970.
*For the record, data for the Barclays Treasury Intermediate Index begins in January 1973 so prior to that we simply used an annual interest rate of 1% as a proxy.
Figure 2 displays the equity curves for:
*The strategy just explained (blue line)
*Buying and holding the S&P 500 Index (orange) line
Figure 2 – Growth of $1,000 using MACD System versus Buy-and-Hold
Figure 3 displays some “Facts and Figure” regarding relative performance.
Figures 3 – Comparative Results
For the record:
*$1,000 invested using the “System” grew to $143,739 by 6/30/2019
*$1,000 invested using buy-and-hold grew to $102,569 by 6/30/2019
*The “System” experienced a maximum drawdown (month-end) of -23.3% and the Worst 5-year % return was +7.3% (versus a maximum drawdown of -50.9% and a Worst 5-year % return of -29.1% for Buy-and-Hold)
So, from the chart in Figure 2 and the data in Figure 3 it is “obvious” that using MACD to decide when to be in or out of the market is clearly “better” than buy-and-hold. Right? Here is where it “gets interesting” for a couple of reasons.
First off, the MACD Method outperforms in the long run by virtue of missing a large part of severe bear markets every now and then. It also gets “whipsawed” more often than it “saves your sorry assets” during a big bear market. So, in reality it requires ALOT of discipline (and self-awareness) to actually follow over time.
Consider this: if you were actually using just this one method to decide when to be in or out of the market (which is NOT what I am recommending by the way) you would have gotten out at the end of October 2018 with the S&P 500 Index at 2,711.74. Now nine months later you would be sitting here with the S&P 500 Index flirting with 3,000 going “what the heck was I thinking about!?!?!?” In other words, while you would have missed the December 2018 meltdown, you also would have been sitting in treasuries throughout the entire 2019 rally to date.
Like I said, human nature, it’s a pain.
To fully appreciate what makes this strategy “tick”, consider Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 displays the growth of equity when MACD is > 0 (during these times the S&P 500 Index is held).
Figure 4 – Growth of $1,000 invested in S&P 500 Index when MACD > 0.
Sort of the “When things are swell, things are great” scenario.
Figure 5 displays the growth of $1,000 for both intermediate-term treasuries AND the S&P 500 Index during those times when MACD > 0.
Figure 5 – Growth of $1,000 invested in Intermediate-term treasuries (blue) and the S&P 500 (orange) when MACD < 0.
Essentially a “Tortoise and the Hare” type of scenario.
Summary
Simple trend-following methods – whether they involve moving average using price, trend lines drawn on charts or the MACD type of approach detailed herein – can be very useful over time.
*They can help an investor to reduce that “Is this the top?” angst and sort of force them to just go with the flowing while the flowing is good.
*They can also help an investor avoid riding a major bear market all the way to the bottom – which is a good thing both financially and emotionally.
But everything comes with a cost. Trend-following methods will never get you in at the bottom nor out at the top, and you WILL experience whipsaws – i.e., times when you sell at one price and then are later forced to buy back at a higher price.
Consider it a “cost of doing business.”
Jay Kaeppel
Disclaimer: The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources. While I believe the data 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. The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute and should not be construed as investment advice, an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.
