Category Archives for "Intraday Analysis"

What Happens Next?

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at end of day

End of Day Update:

The market closed short of all-time highs for a second day. Depending on your outlook, this is either pausing or stalling. Volume is finally making a comeback. Yesterday’s up-day occurred in enthusiastic trade while today’s modest dip hit the average mark, something that’s been hard to do recently. This shows traders are finally starting to pay attention.

This week’s AAII investor sentiment survey mirrored the market’s gains and inched modestly in the bullish direction. The most interesting thing remains the heavy overweighting of neutrals. The historic average is 30%, yet we find ourselves over 45%. That tells us both bulls and bears are growing fatigued by this zigzagging trading range and giving up the fight. They’re not willing to change sides yet, but are far less confident in their outlook.

Technically we find ourselves near the upper end of the trading range. Two previous attempts to break 2,120 failed. Will the third time be the charm? We should know in coming days. Either way this is an important turning point for the market. If we cannot break through, bulls will likely give up and it will be a rough summer. If we smash through resistance, the nearly four months of sideways trade this year built a solid foundation to launch the next leg of the rally.

While many pundits and gurus claim to know what the market is going to do next, at this juncture it could go either way and we are best served following its lead. Buy the breakout or short the stumble.

Jani

Is it Time to Buy the Dip Yet?

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at end of day

End of Day Update:

The bloodbath continued as the S&P500 smashed through all kinds of technical support. 2,060, 2,050 and the 50dma could do nothing to slow this selloff. But as ugly as it looks on a daily chart, the intraday price-action wasn’t all that dramatic. We gapped lower at the open, but quickly settled into a sideways trading range between 2,050 and 2,060 for most of the day. Those that held through the early weakness were not unduly pressured by an extended intraday slide. The lack of pain showed up in volume that failed to exceed Friday’s totals and barely finished above average. It is hard to claim the crowd panicked and rushed for the exits on such benign volume.

There are two ways to interpret this. Either the tidal wave of selling hasn’t hit yet. Or we’re running out of sellers and this thing is about to bounce on tight supply. While we can logically rationalize the latter, recent history says bottoms form on the day with largest volume of the entire move. Using that pattern as a guide, today’s lower volume selloff is likely not the end of this.

The financial press is trying to convince us the market is melting down because the Fed is moving their planned rate hikes forward a few weeks. Really? When phrased that way, it sounds just as absurd as it really is. So if this isn’t rate hikes, what is it? My money is on the surging US dollar since it pressures multinational companies’ overseas income. But while that is true, the one thing we cannot discount is the US dollar is exploding higher because we have the only global economy worth investing in. As long as global investors continue to throw money at our markets, rates will stay low and equities will keep going higher.

While we will likely see more red before this is done, I suspect we are getting close to a near-term bottom. A morning plunge followed by an afternoon bounce on tremendous volume would be the best buying invitation we could ask for.

Jani

Third Time’s a Charm?

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at end of day

End of Day Update:

Stocks bounced decisively from yesterday’s lows, reclaiming 2,000 support and the 50dma. The 2% move was the largest gain since 2013 and came on the highest volume we’ve seen since the pullback started.

The headline catalyst was continued accommodative language from the Fed and Janet Yellen. While they didn’t specifically say recent global turmoil would delay interest rate hikes, that is the way many traders took it.

A gain is always better than a loss, but it is usually safer and more sustainable to see the market grind higher in more measured steps. Huge moves often result in equally dramatic moves in the opposite direction. That’s clearly been the case over the last three days. Will we see more of the same tomorrow? Only time will tell.

The last time we saw an equally impressive up-day was October 10th, 2013 as the market also rebounded from a dip under the 50-dma. While the market held those gains and eventually climbed another 100-points over the next two months, the moves immediately after the 2% gain were much slower. If that situation plays out again, there will be plenty of time for traders to jump on board the rebound.

The risk is if the selling isn’t over and we see another equally dramatic move lower tomorrow. Markets typically rebound quickly from oversold levels. It’s taken four days for us to reclaim 2,000 support after a couple failed rebound attempts. That shows traders previously refused to embrace the bounces. Is the third time the charm? We will find out on Thursday.

While it is okay to buy the dip, keep the trade on a short leash and don’t allow these gains to retreat into losses. Failure to continue this momentum higher is very bearish and says we haven’t found the bottom yet.

Jani

Where’s the Faith

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at end of day

End of Day Analysis:

Stocks shrugged off early weakness and finished a smidge higher, but that is all it took to mark another record close. Overnight we learned Japan unexpectedly slipped into a recession. While that sent their stocks crashing 3%, our market barely noticed, down just a fraction at the open.

The S&P500 has been unable to move past 2,040 resistance. Many traders feel this is stalling and foretells of an imminent collapse. Even though the market keeps making record highs, the Stocktwit’s SPY sentiment gauge keeps making new lows. That shows a material divergence between price and trader’s expectations.

While traders are growing suspicious of this market, it is dangerous to argue with a market that holds strong in the face of bearish news. The headlines out of Japan were more than enough to send a vulnerable market into a tailspin. Fears over global growth triggered October’s 10% selloff. But this time it barely registered as the market clearly shifted from a half-empty outlook on the global economy to one that is half-full.

Source: Stocktwits 11/17/2014

The talking heads have a million reasons why the market is acting this way, but it really comes down to simply supply and demand. October’s selloff shook free most of the available supply. Now when the market runs into bearish economic headlines, there is no one left to sell the news and the market proves amazingly resilient. When no one sells, supply becomes tight, and prices go up. People can invent all the justifications they want, but this market’s strength comes from tight supply.

Increasing cynicism bodes well for continued gains. Even though we are at record highs, traders are selling and shorting this consolidation. Unfortunately for them, they will be the next round of buyers forced to chase the breakout above 2,050. Markets fall from unsustainable levels quickly. Holding near 2,040 for nearly over a week shows these new highs are not unsustainable. Owners can continue holding and shorts need to be very careful.

Jani

A little giveback

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at end of day

End of Day Update:

Stocks snapped a powerful, three-day win streak, giving back nearly 25-points from the intraday high. Under normal circumstances this would qualify as a wild ride, but given recent volatility, this was a fairly benign pullback. And we shouldn’t be surprised to see the market run into some headwind as traders lock-in a 130-point bounce off recent lows.

1,950 has been a meaningful technical level going all the way back to June, and it was again today. We rallied up to this level early in the day, but couldn’t break through and that is when the liquidation began. There was no real headline driving either buying or the selling, meaning most traders are still reacting to last week’s emotional rollercoaster.

Right now we find ourselves stuck between the 200dma and the 50dma and will likely remain here for a bit longer. Today’s weakness will rekindle anxiety in those that regretfully held through the dip to 1,820, compelling them to sell proactively before they risk going through that pain again. That doubt and fear could easily push us back to the 200dma, but the real test comes next. Does the market panic and plunge through the 200dma on its way to undercutting the 1,820 lows. Or will calmer and more confident value investors shrug off the volatility and take advantage of emotional selling to buy their favorite companies at a discount?

While the bounce remains fragile, a dip to the 200dma and 1,900 is a normal and healthy part of building a sustainable rebound. The time to worry is if we fail to hold support so soon after reclaiming it.

Jani

Holding 2k

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at end of day

End of Day Update

A lot of nothing as the market barely moved intraday, ultimately finishing flat on unusually low volume.  But sometimes no news is good news.  This is the third day we held the 2k level.  This is significant because markets typically stumble from unsustainable levels fairly quickly.  Holding here for another couple days shows we haven’t stretched the rubber band too far yet.  This isn’t a justification to buy record highs with reckless abandon, but simply suggests the next few points will likely be higher.  And even bears can get behind a few point rally because double-tops and head-and-shoulder patterns by definition exceed the previous high before breaking lower.

As for what traders are thinking, those that own are comfortable owning and those that are afraid of the risks continue staying away.  When no one changes their mind, we don’t have waves of buying or selling that drive market moves and is why the we are pausing at 2k.

It is noteworthy this technical milestone didn’t set off a wave of breakout buying or short covering.  That shows many traders anticipated this move and took their positions ahead of time.  It also indicates few owners think we’ve come too far and are taking profits by selling into the strength.  The one concern I have is how many people assume our next stop is 2,100.  If the average trader thinks we are headed to 2,100, that means they already bought in.  But if they already bought in, that means there are fewer left to continue buying the market and pushing us higher.

While the final few weeks of low-volume summer trade is interesting to watch, nothing really matters until big institutions start maneuvering their portfolios for year-end following the Labor Day holiday.  The million dollar question is if big money wants to continue accumulating stock because they still see bargains, or if they are more inclined to lock-in gains because everything appears fully valued.  It seems highly unlikely the market will finish the year at 2k and either we continue marching higher, or we crash through the August lows.  At this point I’m fairly agnostic and will simply wait for the market to tell me which way it wants to go and seeing how we trade through the first few weeks of September will go a long way to telling us how the market wants to finish the year.

Jani

What bad news?

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at 1:55 EDT

Intraday Update

MARKET BEHAVIOR
Stocks are holding the recent breakout following a modest test of 1,925 support last week.  Volume remains light in the traditionally slow summer vacation months.

MARKET SENTIMENT
We are holding record highs in spite of negative headlines coming out of Iran and the potential for more political gridlock in DC.  With multiple days to digest these headlines, they are largely priced in and we shouldn’t expect further selling based on what we already know.  Markets crashes typically arrive with a sell first, ask questions later reaction to spooky headlines and the fact we held 1,925 support for a 4th day suggests this market is indifferent toward these concerning headlines.  Barring an unexpected deterioration in the situation, we should expect the uptrend to continue.

These headlines rattled nerves, but didn’t cause many people to hit the sell button.  Five-years into this bull market and nearly three-years since we’ve seen anything resemble market panic, investors have become very complacent.  While we all know this cannot last, in the near-term complacency is bullish because it means most owners are unwilling to sell no matter what is going on around them.  Their confidence keeps supply tight and makes this death-defying really possible.

TRADING OPPORTUNITIES
Expected Outcome: Higher in the near-term
Confounding the skeptics and finding support tells us there is little that will rattle this market.  While history reminds us this cannot last forever, in the near-term this “hold no matter what” attitude among stock owners keeps pushing us higher.  At this point it doesn’t seem like we will find a headline that sends owners running for the exits and instead this market will only top when we run out of optimistic buyers.

Alternate Outcome:
Markets rarely get things right the first time and this leads to over and undershooting.  Fears of Sequester and Fiscal Cliffs were clearly overblown.  This time we are largely ignoring civil war in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.  Under appreciating the risks involved in these situations leaves us vulnerable to a worse than expected outcome.  The higher we go, the harder we fall.

Trading Plan:
Anyone sitting on profits should have an exit plan.  Maybe that is proactive selling into strength or it is a trailing stop, but don’t let complacency cause you to let these profits evaporate when the market rolls over.  Bears waiting for this market to crack need to be patient.  These headlines out of the Middle East were the perfect catalyst, but since the weakness already bounced back, admit defeat and wait for something bigger.

Plan you trade; trade your plan

Holding support

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at 3:32 EDT

Intraday Update

MARKET BEHAVIOR
Stocks are bouncing around today as they digest overseas headlines.  We are one percent from recent highs and nearly 50-points above the 50dma.  Prior resistance near 1,925 is acting as support and we are holding this technical level for a 3rd day.  Volume has been below average every day for nearly a month, but this is typical of light summer vacation trade.

MARKET SENTIMENT
Without big money’s steady hand, summer can be volatile as smaller traders have more influence.  This is especially true when the market is trying to digest worrisome headlines coming out of Iraq and a potential flare up of political discord in DC.  While we are only a few points from all-time highs, the market is anything but relaxed.

Ignore the headlines and buy the dip has been the rally call of last couple years and many are sticking to that game plan here.  Buyers showed up to defend 1,925 and so far are preventing any further selling.  Their cause is aided by confident owners unwilling to sell fearful headlines, keeping supply tight.  Last year the market jumped at the sight of its own shadow as we had temporary selloffs on headlines of sequester, fiscal cliffs, Arab spring, and taper to name a few.  This year prospects of war in Ukraine and Iraq are met with cautious optimism.

While it is encouraging to see the market hold up in the face of these headlines, the best profit opportunities come from irrational market moves.  While participants are nervous over these geopolitical headlines, no one is fearful enough to sell their stock at a discount.  After nearly two years of watching every dip bounce back to new highs has trained owners to hold no matter what.  With so few sellers, the future of this market rests on the buy side.  As long as buyers keep soaking up what little selling we have, the market will continue higher.  But every rally reaches a point where everyone who wants stock already has all they can hold and the market stalls on a lack of new money.

TRADING OPPORTUNITIES
Expected Outcome:
The longer we hold up in the face of these headlines, the less likely they will take us down.  Markets tend to roll over quickly and avoiding a precipitous drop as these headlines break means they are well on their way to being priced in.

Alternate Outcome:
Owners are demonstrating comfort with the risk/reward at these levels.  With such a little discount being offered to hold this risk, the market is telling us it doesn’t expect these events to deteriorate in any appreciable way.  That leaves buyers vulnerable to a worse than expected outcome that is clearly not priced in.

Trading Plan:
The best profit opportunities arise from emotional and irrational moves in the market.  Since no one is offering us a discount to hold this risk, there is little reason for us to own these headlines.  The same goes for shorting the market.  We had the scary headlines and the market didn’t flinch, meaning it will take something larger to crack this market.  At this point it seems we are in no-man’s land and where the market goes from here is a coin-flip.  If I were forced to pick sides, holding these levels suggests we will continue higher, but any degradation of the situation in Iraq could set of a mad rush for the exits.  With such a poor risk/reward, the best trade is to wait and see what comes next.

Plan your trade; trade your plan

Consolidating Gains

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at 2:54 EDT

Intraday Update

MARKET BEHAVIOR
Stocks slipped modestly as they consolidate near the 1,950 level.  Early weakness brought us down to the low 1,940s, but dip buyers propped up the market and are defending these levels.

MARKET SENTIMENT
Unsustainable breakouts tend to rollover quickly when follow-on buying fails to materialize.  If we continue holding 1,940 for a fourth day, that suggests buyers still see value at these levels.  Of course we need to be extra cautious during the summer’s low-volume since smaller trades have a larger impact and we often see increased volatility.

Recent strength defies the skeptics but from a sentiment POV it makes perfect sense.  We’ve transitioned from a fearful market in 2013 to a greedy one in 2014.  While this rarely ends well, these moves go higher than anyone expects before breaking down.  By itself complacency is bullish because it means most owners are unwilling to sell no matter what the headline or price action.  They refuse to sell because they are confident any dip will bounce and so far they have been proven right.  In a self-fulfilling prophecy, lack of selling keeps supply tight and makes it easy for the rally to continue.

TRADING OPPORTUNITIES
Expected Outcome:
Markets move in waves and the risk of a pullback are highest following a strong move higher.  At best we digest these gains and trade sideways, at worst we retest recent support back near 1,900.  Either way the risk/reward to initiating a new position here is stacked against us.  Give the market a couple more days before rushing in.

Alternate Outcome:
Anything can happen during summer’s light volumes.  The pain trade has clearly been higher as everyone expecting near-term weakness is either out of the market or short.  These bears and cynics are scrambling to buy a piece of this market before it gets away from them and that reactive buying keeps pushing us higher.

Trading Plan:
We trade when the odds are in our favor and buying up here is little more than chasing performance. While this move could easily run toward 2,000 over the next few weeks, the market needs to catch its breath and we will have the opportunity to buy in a few days after the risk of a pullback fades.  If we cannot hold 1,940, then things get interesting.

Plan your trade; trade your plan

Holding gains

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at 1:14 EDT

Intraday Update

MARKET BEHAVIOR
Stocks are mostly flat in midday trade following yesterday’s breakout.

MARKET SENTIMENT
Those with cash aren’t buying and those with stock aren’t selling.  Contrary to popular opinion, complacency is bullish because confident owners don’t sell and that keeps supply tight.  It only becomes a problem when we run out of buyers needed to sustain these levels.  So far this year market participants have been unwilling to chase stocks above 1,900 and we drifted sideways the first five months of the year.  Here we are again at the top of the trading range and asking ourselves if this is finally the real breakout, or yet another stall near the highs.

Last year’s relentless rally forced fund managers to buy a market they didn’t trust because they were more afraid of being left behind.  This year the market is only up 3% over the first five months and there is very little pressure on managers to chase performance.  In fact we are seeing the opposite in speculative names as everyone is trying to get them off their books.  But while tech stocks stumbled, the S&P500 and Dow are making new highs.  The biggest reason for the disconnect is few of these new issues are old or large enough to have been added to these broad indexes, so their selloffs doesn’t affect them.  But are these canaries in the coal mine and foretell doom and gloom for the rest of us?

It is easy to find bulls and bears in this market.  Depending on who you talk to, things are either great or about to implode.  The most scarce opinion is indifference toward this market.  In 2014, both bulls and bears have been wrong at every turn and the traditional summer doldrums are an unlikely place to break this logjam.

TRADING OPPORTUNITIES
Expected Outcome: At the upper end of an extended trading range
Buying weakness and selling strength has been the trade of the year and there are no signals this will change as we move into summer’s traditionally slow trade.  With the markets largely flat for the year, there is little pressure on managers to buy record highs and this gives them time to wait and see what happens.  Without big money getting behind this breakout, it is hard to see what else will propel us higher.

Alternate Outcome:
If this market continues rallying, that will pressure managers to chase.  While this is a more likely outcome this fall, it could happen earlier if we keep making new highs.

Trading Plan:
Buy weakness and sell strength.

Plan your trade; trade your plan

Anxiety flares up

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at 12:59 EDT

Intraday Update

MARKET BEHAVIOR
Stocks sliced through 1,870 support and tumbled all the way to the low 1,760s by midday.  The market is still above the 50dma, but this level is in danger if the selling keeps up.

MARKET SENTIMENT
The media claims this weakness is due to tensions in Ukraine and disappointing earnings out of AMZN and F.  I guess that excuse is as good as any, but for all the anxiety this weakness is causing, we have only given up 20-points of a 70-point rebound.  When taken in that context, this move appears more normal and healthy than scary.

The more closely a person follows their positions, the bigger deal these gyrations appear.  For the vast majority of 401k investors, a 15-point decline doesn’t even register, but for the guy who follows tick-by-tick, this is a huge move.  If we pullback from the 5-minute chart and look at the daily, today’s “plunge” hardly shows up.  But markets function by convincing people to overreact.  Every dip feels like the start of a larger selloff because if it didn’t, no one would sell, and without selling we wouldn’t have the dip.

Sometimes markets under appreciate the risk involved.  This happened during the financial crisis when no one had a clue about the huge house of cards Wall Street built.  Is that happening with the Ukrainian crisis?  We’ve known about this unfolding event for a couple of months and the market largely brushed it off.  Was it being naive?  Are things deteriorating?   Last time we went through this, Russian troops invaded Crimea and the market actually rallied.  Now we have Russian troops amassing outside eastern Ukraine.  Is this significantly worse than last time, or is it more of the same?

If we learned anything from the first round, it’s that Europe needs Russia, and Russia needs Europe.  Most of the words exchanged are little more than political grandstanding and it is highly unlikely we’ll see meaningful sanctions put on Russian energy exports or Russia withholding energy from Europe.    The threat of a civil war is escalating, but the market’s proven time and time again over the years that revolutions and civil wars are not a big deal even when they involve oil exporting countries.

For the most part, this Ukraine story is recycled news and anyone who owns the market here either held through the Crimea crisis, or they bought during it.  Anyone afraid of these kind of headlines sold months ago.  The main thrust of this mornings weakness is to punish late dip buyers.  While it felt safe to buy after four or five up-days, today’s price action is proving otherwise.

TRADING OPPORTUNITIES
Expected Outcome: Rebound to the upper end of the trading range.
Today’s weakness is cathartic for the market and clearing the way for a move higher.  The fearful and pessimistic are selling to the confident and opportunistic.  The fewer weak owners we have in the market, the more likely it will rally simply because we run out of sellers.  Confident dip-buyers willing to hold through weakness makes it less likely we will encounter that weakness simply because there are fewer people willing to sell.  Tight supply almost always equals strong prices.  While this weakness could go a little further before it is done, selling off on recycled headlines is typically far more shallow than if the market was blindsided by something new and unexpected.

Alternate Outcome:
Markets go up and markets go down.  If anyone could figure out why, they would be extraordinarily rich.  Sometimes they behave as they should, other times they do the opposite of what we expect.  Last time we rallied on the takeover of Crimea, maybe this time we crash on the takeover of eastern Ukraine.  This game would be too easy if the market were predictable.

Trading Plan:
Buying on the fifth consecutive up-day, when everyone felt good, didn’t turn out to be such a good idea and selling here when everyone is freaked out probably isn’t the right move either.  The trade of the year has been buying weakness and selling strength and that pattern likely remains intact.  Maybe we haven’t found the bottom of this move yet, but it is safer to buy todays weakness than it was after a six-day rally pushed us up to 1,885.

Plan your trade; trade your plan

One Step Back

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at 1:54 EDT

Intraday Update

MARKET BEHAVIOR
Stocks are down fractionally in midday trade.  So far the market is holding 1,875, but struggling with former resistance at 1,880 that stretches back to early March.

MARKET SENTIMENT
The bears identified a mountain of reasons this market should breakdown, but instead it holds within 1% of all-time highs.  There are times the market does what we think it should, and there are times we are wrong.  When the market doesn’t behave as expected, it means our analysis is flawed and there is something big we overlooked.

This morning bears are pounding the table over Ukrainian tensions, earnings, weakness in momentum stocks, head-and-shoulders tops, low-volume up-days, among many other things.  So why isn’t the market cracking wide open?  The short answer is supply and demand.  Most of the problems bears are promoting have been around for a while.  Anyone who fears these issues already sold in the dip to 1,815.  That means everyone left holding isn’t worried about these fears and they are priced in.  While there are scary things abound, we cannot forget markets only move on supply and demand.  When everyone already sold these headlines, there is no one left to sell and the market firms up on the resulting tight supply.

But supply is only half the equation.  For this strength to continue, we need fresh demand.  The last time we were at these levels, buyers refused to step up and is why we slipped to the low 1,800s.  Will this time be any different?  The most obvious near-term buyers are shorts, momentum chasers, and breakout buyers.  All three of these groups react to prices moves, not underlying fundamentals.  The higher we go, the more these guys buy the market.  Until we clear old highs, expect these traders to keep buying this strength.

TRADING OPPORTUNITIES
Expected Outcome: Pushing toward the upper end of a trading range.
All the Chicken Littles running around because of a 5-point selloff need to tone it down a notch.  Two-steps forward, ones-step back.  Everyone knows that, so why do they overreact to the smallest gyrations?  While buying here is late in the game, we most likely still have upside and a shot at cracking 1,900 in coming day.  But at the same time I expect we are still in an extended trading range and this strength will not trigger the next rally leg.  Instead we will drift back into the 1,800/1,900 trading range and stay there through the summer

Alternate Outcome:
Bears might be right.  This could simply be a false bottom and we have a date with the 200-dma in May.  While I’m not a big believer in “Sell in May”, it only matters what other people think.  If they start selling head of summer vacation, that will push us lower.  Once we break recent lows, people start selling for no other reason than everyone else is selling and we continue lower in a downward spiral.

Trading Plan:
It is too late to buy the dip after six-consecutive up days that recovered 60-plus points.  While we still have some upside left in this move, the risk/reward does not favor new positions.  At the same time, it is early to short the market and bears should wait for that last surge higher before trading against this strength.  For those with long positions, start looking for an exit and either sell proactively or use a trailing stop to protect recent profits.

Plan your trade; trade your plan

Holding the rebound

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at 2:31 EDT

Intraday Update

MARKET BEHAVIOR
Not a lot happening following the three-day weekend.  The market is up 0.3% in late-day trade and continues holding the recent rebound.  We remain above the 1,850 support and are 1.5% from all-time highs set a few weeks ago.

MARKET SENTIMENT
While the market appears quiet, that speaks volumes since few are fading this bounce.  Anyone who doesn’t believe in this market sold or shorted recent weakness, meaning there are few left to sell.  Those sellers were replaced by more confident buyers willing to own the volatility and downside risk.  The more confident owners are, the less likely they are to sell headlines and dips.  This churn in ownership is what set the stage for the bounce from 1,815.  Now that dip buyers are sitting on profits and owners who held the weakness are breathing a sigh of relief, the current group of owners is less likely to sell because their decisions to hold this market was reaffirmed.  Under most circumstances, confident owners means few sellers and tight supply.

TRADING PLAN
Expected Outcome: Pushing toward upper end of trading range.
If we close in the green today, that will be the 5th consecutive up-day and we all know even the strongest markets have down-days sprinkled in.  Currently we are running into resistance near 1,870, but no doubt many shorts placed their stops just above this level and we will likely see another short-squeeze when we move above this level.  From there the next big resistance level is 1,900.  But we are slipping into the summer trading session and are more likely to see sideways trade than the next rally leg.

Alternate Outcome:
If this market stalls at 1,870 and falls under recent 1,815 lows over the next few weeks, then we are on our way to the 200dma.

Trading Plan:
The best profit opportunities come from the seemingly riskiest trades.  This is buying when everyone else is selling at a discount and selling when everyone is buying at a premium.  While there is a little more upside as we approach the upper end of the trading range, it is far riskier buying the dip on the 5th consecutive up-day.  Swing traders are better served looking for opportunities to harvest profits than adding to their positions.  Bears should wait for a little more upside before fighting this market.  Stalling near 1,900 could be the next good shorting opportunity.

Plan your trade; trade your plan

Reclaiming support

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at 2:11 EDT

Intraday Update

MARKET BEHAVIOR
We broke through the 50dma and 1,850 barrier as this rebound continues.  This puts us back above key technical levels and gives this move credibility.

MARKET SENTIMENT
Last week many were convinced we were on the verge of a larger correction, but this week we’ve done nothing but go up.  And that is how the market works.  Everyone who expected a prolong selloff dumped shares reactively, but as soon as they finished selling, supply dried up and we bounced.  No matter what the headlines or traders’ expectations, market prices only respond to supply and demand.  Even when the crowd is pessimistic, we rally when we run out of sellers.

Volatility like we’ve seen over recent weeks churns ownership in the market.  The dip forced many weak hands to sell reactively and tempted aggressive bears to go short.  While all this aggressive selling continued the move lower, what is going on under the surface is these sellers are transferring ownership to more confident buyers willing to hold the risk and volatility.  They confidently buy the discount and patiently wait for the market to bounce.  Since they willing stepped into this uncertainty, they are more comfortable holding a declining market.    But the paradox is the more willing these new owners are to hold weakness, the less likely it is we will see that weakness.  When they confidently hold, then we run out of sellers and the market finds a bottom.

TRADING OPPORTUNITIES
Expected Outcome:  Look for the bounce to continue into next week.
This rebound should continue at least until we recover April 10th’s selloff.  From there we will have to see what traders think and how the market responds before we decide if this move continues to all-time highs or stalls out.

Alternate Outcome:
Last week we saw a painful false bottom that caught many dip-buyers off guard and the same could happen here.  Short covering pushed us back above technical support, but we need wider buying for this strength to continue.  If demand dries up, we could easily stumble back to the lows.  Undercutting 1,810 in coming days means this selloff is going to get a lot worse and the 200dma is in play.

Trading Plan:
It is getting a little late to buy the dip since we are near the middle of a move back to 1,900.  The best opportunities arise from the most difficult trades.  Buying the third consecutive up-day is late to the party and exposes a trader to greater risks of an intermediate dip.  As for bears, it is still early to short the bounce and the next shorting opportunity would be if the market stalls near 1,870.

Plan your trade; trade your plan

Market bounces

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at end of day

End of Day Update

MARKET BEHAVIOR
Stocks closed higher and recovered most of Friday’s losses, but it was a wild ride getting there.  After an opening gap higher, the market slipped to break even before staging a late-day rally back to the early highs.  Volume was well under average on the first day of this holiday-shortened week and the S&P500 remains under the widely followed 50dma.

MARKET SENTIMENT
Sometimes markets are overwhelmed by surges in supply and demand, other times they move because no one is buying or selling.  Today’s low-volume rally had selling take a break as we floated higher on tight supply.  This strength took pressure off nervous owners, but it didn’t do much to tempt reluctant dip-buyers that were burned by last week’s false bottom.  While there were few buyers, there were even fewer sellers and is why we ended the day higher.

With the S&P500 down over 4% and the NASDAQ 8%, many are claiming this is the 10% correction that is long overdue.  These people point to similar corrections in years past, but to me there isn’t much similarity because the examples they hold up were driven by some fundamental change that altered investor’s outlook on the future.  Euro Contagion and the downgrade of US debt were the two biggest selloffs of this 5-year old bull.  While the technical setup might be similar, we still lack the fundamental catalyst that changes confident investors outlook on the future.  Without those fear mongering headlines, this dip will likely be little more than the normal back-and-forth.

TRADING OPPORTUNITIES
Expected Outcome: Without a fundamental reason to sell off, we will remain range bound.
While I don’t see any reason for the market to implode here, there also isn’t much reason for it to race off to the moon either.  We trade sideways more often than directionally, so why are so many people taking sides, predicting a launch higher or collapse lower?  Why can’t we simply hang out in a 100-point trading range through summer?

Alternate Outcome:
Sometimes we don’t know why markets selloff until after the damage is done.  Maybe there are people far smarter and connected than we are and they are liquidating positions ahead of the imminent market collapse.

Trading Plan:
While it is fun to predict market collapses, smart money bets on a continuation of the previous trend.  That’s because a trend will continue countless times, but only reverses once.  It’s a numbers game.  While it is hard to get excited about the upside, the market is in a better position to bounce than continue lower.

Plan your trade; trade your plan

Pausing

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 Daily at 1:13 EDT

Intraday Update

MARKET BEHAVIOR
Stocks bounced off the 50dma in early trade and are holding near 1,850 as they search for direction.  So far today’s move is more like a pause than decisive rebound since we are only up a few points from Monday’s close.

MARKET SENTIMENT
For as much drama as two-days of selling caused, we are only 2.5% from all-time highs.  This can be taken one of two ways.  Either this dip is no big deal and we shouldn’t be obsessing about it, or this is the start of something that still has a long way to go.  Of course the truth most likely lies between these two extremes.

Today’s pause marks the end of two-days of emotion fueled selling.  Those with a weak hand were flushed out in the rush for the exits, but confident owners continued holding and that limited new supply.  As soon as the emotional finished selling, the market found a floor and this is taking pressure off any remaining anxious holders.  But the fate of this move is no longer in the hands of holders.  Instead buyers will be the ones to save us.  Traditionally this is a mix of value investors and dip buyers.  Today’s pause is tempting dip buyers, but it is hard to claim a 2.5% discount from all-time highs represents a great buy for the stingy value investor.  Sometimes dip buyers can do this on their own, but if we need the value investor’s help, we probably need to slip a little further before they come to the rescue.

TRADING OPPORTUNITIES
Expected Outcome:
If the marked doesn’t end this dip in a decisive v-bottom today, we will likely hold near for 1,850 over coming days.  This leaves us vulnerable to one last emotion filled selloff as those barely hanging on get flushed out.  That last dip will likely be the end of the selloff and clears the way for a continuation higher.  We saw a similar move in late January.

Alternate Outcome:
While big selloffs usually need a reason, sometimes we only come up with one after the fact.  While this is behaving like a vanilla pullback, it could devolve into bigger waves of emotional selling if dip buyers and value investors don’t have sufficient numbers to prop up the market.  Every dip is buyable until the one that isn’t.

Trading Plan:
There is not a lot to do here as we wait for the next trade.  We will likely see one last dip lower before bottoming.  This means shorts can continue holding and dip buyers can wait for a better entry.

Plan your trade; trade your plan

Selling begets selling

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at 1:23 EDT

Intraday Update

MARKET BEHAVIOR
We slipped over 25-points from record highs as buyers failed to embrace these new levels.   The market opened strong following a decent employment report, but we waterfalled lower as the market undercut recent technical levels at 1,890 and 1,880.

MARKET SENTIMENT
This reaction was not driven by fearful headlines and is primarily the result of traders trying to game each other.  We often see volatility surrounding the monthly employment data, but it is typically short-lived and over the last few years it hasn’t had a lasting impact on trading.  Good report or bad, the market continued its relentless march higher from the 2009 lows.  It seems unlikely today’s decent employment report that fell in line with expectations will derail this rally.

We have seen periodic selloffs during this 5-year-old bull market, but each was following some spooky headline that threatened the solvency of the global financial system, giving traders flashbacks of 2008.  We’ve seen more modest weakness recently due to political gridlock or the impending Taper, but so far we don’t have any of that headline fear mongering going on today.  That means this is not the “crash” bears have been waiting for and this move is simply a rebalancing of supply and demand.

TRADING OPPORTUNITIES
Expected Outcome:
The market is in the middle of an emotion driven selloff.  We are undercutting recent support levels as autopilot stop-losses are kicking are adding fuel to the fire, but so far there is little headline fear to shatter the confidence of bulls that have been conditioned to buy every dip.  Once the selling frenzy slows, expect the market to find a floor as supply dries up.

Alternate Outcome:
There are bullish and bearish headlines every single day.  If the market wants to sell off, it will be easy to find a justification.  Nothing shatters confidence like screens filled with red.

Trading Plan:
Long-term investors should ignore these daily moves, but shorter-term traders should be treading lightly here.  Bears shouldn’t expect the market collapse without a dramatic headline and bulls need to be careful about buying the dip so close to the upper end of the recent trading range.  Sometimes the best trade is no trade.

Plan your trade; trade your plan

Bulls love complacency

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at 1:43 EDT

Intraday Update

MARKET BEHAVIOR
Stocks dipped under 1,890 after setting record highs earlier in the session.  Following four-consecutive up-days, it is not alarming to have a modest down day.

MARKET SENTIMENT
So far this weakness has not opened the floodgates of selling and we gently drift lower as most owners show little concern and resist selling.  If recent headlines didn’t spook them, an 8-point dip from record highs is unlikely to either.

I’ve been waiting for a short-squeeze to launch us to new heights, but so far we haven’t seen bears rush for cover.  We are only a few points above previous highs, so many might be holding on in the hopes this move will reverse lower.  If a person believes in the “pain trade”, we haven’t seen real pain yet and both bulls and bears are confidently sitting on their positions.

There are few upside catalysts left for this market since it has largely priced in any and all good news on the horizon.  While there are risks out there, few owners are willing to sell at a discount because they have been conditioned to expect higher prices in the near-term.  Every time they sold scary headlines or weakness in the last 18-months was a mistake and they are determined not to do it again.  While many claim complacency leads to a top, it is actually a bullish catalyst.  When owners refuse to sell for any reason, that keeps supply tight and makes it very easy for the market to rally.  Markets don’t top on owners’ complacency, but lack of demand from buyers.  To figure out where this market is headed, we need to spend more time focusing on the opinion of those sitting in cash than those owning stocks.  Given how far we are away from levels that value investors find attractive makes us vulnerable to slipping on light demand once the momentum crowd catches up to this market and becomes fully invested.

TRADING OPPORTUNITIES
Expected Outcome: At the upper end of an extended consolidation and trading range.
While we might see a short squeeze in the near-term, with so few upside catalysts remaining, we will likely continue trading sideways for the remainder of the quarter.  Unfortunately for many recent buyers, trading sideways means holding within the recent trading range that goes as low as 1,750.  We don’t get paid for owning sideways markets and this is a better place to be locking in recent gains than initiating new positions.

Alternate Outcome:
Momentum is a powerful thing and carries us far higher and longer than anyone expects.  There is enough money sitting on the sidelines following the 2008 market collapse that is finally warming up to the market.  While that is a long-term bullish catalyst and will likely lead to a decade-long secular bull market, we will see periodic selloffs and even bear markets along the way.  While we can easily continue higher, stay vigilant.

Trading Plan:
Long-term investors should ignore these intermediate fluctuations, but they should hold off making new purchases since the patient will likely see lower prices over the next 6-months.  Short-term traders should consider locking in profits or using a trailing stop to protect recent profits.  Bears should be rooting for a strong short-squeeze that ultimately fizzles after sucking in the last of the demand.  Failure to hold those gains is the signal to go short.

Plan your trade; trade your plan

Challenging 1,890

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at 3:04 EDT

Intraday Update

MARKET BEHAVIOR
The S&P500 is flirting with 1,890, setting record highs in midday trade before pulling back a few points.  In the absence of prior levels to reference, traders are naturally drawn to round numbers and today 1,890 is providing overhead resistance.

MARKET SENTIMENT
Defying skeptics, this market is off and running yet again.  So far it is only poking its head into new territory and shorts are not scrambling to cover their positions.  Either they are sitting on their bearish positions, hoping this upward move stalls, or there are so few pessimists left to cover we are not seeing the typical short-squeeze.

But here is the thing, bears should be hoping for a swift surge higher.  Trading sideways is constructive and supports a continuation.  Exploding higher on one last dying gasp is the most bearish thing this market could do.  There are no such things as triple-tops, so bears needs us to race to new highs if they want the market breakdown.  And the opposite is true for bulls, they should root for modest and sustainable gains.

There is little headline fear left in this market, meaning we are not weighed down by some overhyped risk.  This negates the profitable upside of something coming in less bad than feared.  Taper, Crimea, interest rate hikes, the market is taking it all in stride and owners are unwilling to dump shares at a discount no matter what the headlines are screaming.  Price moves often overreact on both the high and low side.  Over reacting to uncertainty creates buying opportunities, but just as often we get too high and fall under their own weight when everyone is holding on for higher prices.

Then we complicate the situation by throwing timeframe in the mix.  Sometimes the market is short-term bullish, medium-term bearish, and long-term bullish.  We can go up for two-weeks, slip to 1,700 by mid-summer, and close next year above 2,100.  Timeframe is what lets both bulls and bears be right at the same time (or both wrong if they impulsively react to the inevitable head fakes).

TRADING OPPORTUNITIES
Expected Outcome: One last surge higher before stalling into the summer doldrums.
While this rebound could stall at any time, that would be a little too easy for bears.  Often the market convinces us we are wrong just before proving us right.  Once last short-squeeze would send bears running for cover, but the market would rollover not long after if buyers fail to rush in and buy record highs.  Markets trade sideways around 60% of the time and being near the upper end of the trading range suggests we should be cautious since typical odds suggest we are more likely to fall back into the trading than race to 2,000.

Alternate Outcome:
Trading flat for the first quarter of the year took some froth out of last year’s hot market and allowed us to catch our breath.  Sideways is an important part of moving higher and sometimes three months of consolidation is all we need.

Trading Plan:
This has been a “buy weakness, sell strength” market and there is no reason to think it has changed.  As we break above old highs, we should be more inclined to sell the strength than chase the breakout.  Longer viewed holders should keep holding, but the patient will likely find better prices in coming months if they are looking to add to their favorite positions.

Plan your trade; trade your plan

Challenging old highs

By Jani Ziedins | Intraday Analysis

S&P500 daily at end of day

Intraday Update

MARKET BEHAVIOR
Stocks are higher on the first day of the second quarter and the S&P500 set a new intraday record.  We are at the upper end of the 1,840/1,885 range that stretches back to early February.

MARKET SENTIMENT
Early highs did not set off an avalanche of short-covering, but we only poked above the old record by less than one-point.  Either shorts are sitting tight, or there are few shorts left to cover.  While not a scientific sample, Stocktwits’ SPY sentiment gauge reads 57% bearish, not a level suggesting we are running out of shorts.  The most likely scenario is shorts who were previously shaken out in the last month of whipsaws moved their stops a little further out.  This means we need to push closer toward 1,890 for a short squeeze to begin in earnest.

But short-squeeze or not, the future of this move to new highs depends on the appetite of the masses sitting on piles of cash.  Will they embrace the breakout, or continue waiting for lower prices?  While short-term traders on Stocktwits are wary of this market, most owners are content sitting on their profits and are reluctant to sell regardless of scary headlines like political and military conflict with Russia.  If that doesn’t spook owners into selling, I’m not sure what will.

TRADING OPPORTUNITIES
Expected Outcome: Push to new highs before stalling on lack of follow-up buying.
There is no such thing as a triple top, so it seems likely we are destined to bust through 1,885 in the near-term.  Markets typically collapse from unsustainable levels in quickly, so holding these levels for multiple weeks suggests we are not yet at unsustainable levels.  We will push toward 1,900 in coming days, but unless those with cash embrace this breakout, expect it to stall and fall back under 1,850 on weak demand.

Alternate Outcome:
The S&P500 was up a trivial 1% in the first quarter of the year and this sideways trade helped consolidate recent gains and cool a hot market off.  This pause makes it easier for the market to resume the previous uptrend.  If we break above 1,900 and hold those levels, this bull is ready to rip.

Trading Plan:
The best trade of 2014 has been buying weakness and selling strength and it is unlikely to be any different here.  We will likely challenge 1,900, but that creates a better selling/shorting opportunity than buying one.

Plan your trade; trade your plan