On the 2 hour charts I’ve spotted several small H&S bottoms building out on some of the stock market indexes. It wasn’t until Monday of this week that they began to show themselves when several broke out above their necklines. Some of these small H&S bottoms are part of a bigger pattern that has been building out for most of this year. At a minimum their price objectives should get some of the stock market indexes back up to the top of their 2016 uptrend channels.

Lets start with a 2 hour chart for the SPX which shows it gapped above its neckline on Monday of this week and closed at a new all time high today. A backtest to the neckline would come in around the 2482 area.

At the close of trading last Friday there wasn’t a H&S bottom to be seen until the SPX opened higher on Monday with the breakout gap.

Several weeks ago I posted this chart which was showing how the original rising wedge, blue dashed trendiness, was morphing into a bigger pattern as shown by the red circles with a symmetry false breakout of the top and bottom blue dashed rails. It’s getting pretty busy in the apex, but you can see how the small H&S bottom fits into the bigger pattern that began building out back in February of this year. If that little H&S bottom plays out it strongly suggests the SPX is going to breakout topside from that 7 month morphing rising wedge in a new impulse leg up.

Below is a 2 year daily chart for the SPX which just shows its 2016 uptrend channel. On many of the stock market indexes the 200 day moving average does a good job of showing you the angle of the uptrend channel.

Perspective is everything when you discover what may be an important chart pattern. The weekly chart below shows the 2 year H&S consolidation pattern that corrected the last impulse move up. Now you can see how the blue morphing rising wedge fits into the very big picture. Keep in mind the rising wedge hasn’t broken out yet so the pattern isn’t complete. The reason I think the rising wedge is going to breakout topside is because we are in a bull market and patterns like this tend to form in strong bull markets. If we do get the upside breakout from the rising wedge I would view it as a halfway pattern that would have formed between the neckline and the ultimate price objective.

As I mentioned earlier perspective is everything. Below is a 20 year monthly chart for the SPX which we’ve been following before the top rail of the 13 year expanding flat top triangle consolidation pattern was broken. On this chart I’m showing the 2014 and 2015 consolidation period as a bullish expanding falling wedge halfway pattern. I have to tell you that it has been pretty lonely being a long term bull, but it has even been harder over the last several months as the rising wedge has been developing on the daily charts above. It’s these long term charts that take out all the noise that give me the confidence to hang in there when most say the bull market can’t keep going up. This chart shows you the wall of worry since the breakout from the blue bullish expanding falling wedge.

Again perspective is everything when you look at this 75 year quarterly chart for the SPX. The blue expanding falling wedge on the chart above is the small red consolidation pattern at the top of this chart. This chart along with the Jaws of Life on the INDU has given us a look into the future that few want to believe. For whatever reason investors love to hear bad news or that the markets are going to crash. Fear sells where bullish scenarios go by the wayside. For all the reasons this bull market that began in March of 2009 can’t keep going up, it keeps going up regardless of all the reasons it can’t, and there are a millions reasons why it can’t keep going up. The price action above all else has the final say when everything else is boiled away.

Next I would like to show you some charts for the RUT which has been consolidating longer than the other stock market indexes. Yesterday it broke out above the neckline of its small H&S bottom on the 2 hour look.

The daily chart below shows how the RUT has been consolidating a 10 month flat bottom expanding triangle. The H&S bottom on the 2 hour chart above is forming at the 8th reversal point which suggests the top rail should be reached at a minimum with the possibility of a total breakout.

Below is a long term weekly chart which shows the RUT built out a beautiful and symmetrical H&S consolidation pattern which launched the next leg up. Again, because we are in a bull market the odds favor that the 8 point expanding flat bottom triangle is going to breakout topside. The price objective of the big H&S consolidation pattern is strongly suggesting the expanding flat bottom triangle is going to breakout topside also.

I’m going to go over the charts for the INDU quickly as there is so much to look at tonight. Below is a daily chart which shows the 2016 uptrend channel which looks like a new all time high was made today.

This weekly chart shows the INDU’s H&S consolidation pattern with the breakout and impulse move higher.

The monthly line chart for the Jaws of Life.

Below is the 75 year chart for the INDU which shows the Jaws of Life and a glimpse into the future.

The most hated bull market in history chart for the INDU.

Below is a long term daily chart for the NDX which I call, Just Another Brick in the Wall. The NDX built out a bullish rising wedge as its 2015 and 2016 consolidation pattern. Note all the small blue consolidation patterns that formed during the previous impulse leg up from 2013 to 2015. The 200 day simple moving average did a good job of showing the angle of the uptrend.

Below is a 25 year look at the NDX which shows some beautiful Chartology. Note the bullish rising wedge which formed just below the all time highs that gave the NDX the energy it needed to finally move on to all time highs. Classic Chartology.

Below is a weekly chart for the Transportation Average which has a lot of investors concerned about the bull market in equites. As you can see transports built out a beautiful H&S bottom with the head forming at the 2016 low. The Transportation Average has been building out a nearly one year expanding triangle which is not to far from new all time highs. The bull market strongly suggests the expanding triangle should breakout through the top.

The 20 year monthly chart shows the expanding triangle as a high level consolidation pattern.

Below is the 100 year quarterly chart for the Transports. I wonder what this chart will look like in another 100 years?

This next chart is for our many long term holders that don’t like to trade every little wiggle a stock makes and are looking for something to hold on to. This was one of the big leaders during the first leg up and then built out the blue triangle consolidation pattern to consolidate that impulse move up.

The long term monthly line chart. Think of the blue triangle as a halfway pattern.

Undoubtedly my favorite sector is the $BTK, biotechnology. The daily chart.

BTK weekly:

Below is the $BTK monthly.

I had planed on showing you some charts on oil, but I’ve run out of time. The bottom line is that until something changes the bull market, it is what it is and all the negativity about the economy or fundamentals or whatever one uses to gauge the health of the stock markets is not going to make you a dime. Trying to short a bull market is one of the hardest things to do as many have found out. It’s much easier to go with the price action and what it’s telling you to do than to fight it. Maybe we crash into October like so many are predicting, but on the other hand what if we don’t? All the best…Rambus

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tonight I would like to show you some short and long term charts for some of the PM stock indexes. In the very short term they have had a good run and are getting overbought and need to work off some of the bullishness. This is perfectly normal and should be expected. What we need to focus in on now is where we should look for support to keep the uptrend intact.

This first chart is a daily look at the HUI which shows us a one year support and resistance line. Two weeks ago already, the HUI broke above that very important S&R line telling us the bulls were in charge after the bears held resistance keeping the bull in check. Now we should look for that S&R line to reverse its role to what had been resistance, to now support. Critical support comes in around the 207 area which would be the backtest. The green circle shows where the 20 day ema crossed above the 50 day ema back in August for a buy signal.

This next chart is one we’ve been following for many years and gave us one of the biggest clues the bear market may be ending in January of 2016. This chart is the 35 year ratio chart which compares gold to the XAU. For our many new members that might not be familiar with this chart I’ll give you a quick rundown. The first thing to know is that if the price action is rising, gold is out performing the XAU. For many many years this ratio let you know when it was time to buy or sell the XAU or your precious metals stocks. When the ratio would get up to the horizontal blue line it was time to look for an entry point and when the ratio traded down to the red line it was time to sell those positions you bought at the blue line.

As they say, all good things must come to an end. The end came during the crash in 2008 when the ratio burst above the blue horizontal buy line which had never happened before in history. I labeled that massive failure with the green circle on the XAU chart on the bottom. For years that area suggested it was a great time to buy your favorite PM stocks. That breakout above the horizontal blue dashed line represented a paradigm shift where gold was going to massively outperform the PM stocks.

That major shift actually began all the way back in 1996 when the ratio made its all time low. From that point the ratio began a 20 year parabolic run outperforming the XAU. Even thou the XAU had a decent bull market run into the 2011 high it failed in comparison to gold.

Now lets fast forward to the January 2016 high where the ratio finally topped out at 24.23 and created the small double top. At the time I suggested we could see a strong impulse move down based on two things. The first thing that suggested a strong move lower was the breaking of the 20 year parabolic arc. When a parabolic move ends it can get pretty ugly.  The other thing that suggested we could see a strong move lower was what I call, reverse symmetry. Note how vertical the move was into the double top high. Reverse symmetry suggested we should see a similar move down over the same area on the way up, which we got.

The brown shaded area is where I was looking for initial support to come into play, but the ratio fell a little further down to the 12.50 area. Long term members know we’ve been watching the right shoulder building out for close to a year now. The last time I posted this chart the ratio was strongly testing the 15.75 area which needed to hold resistance in order to have a shot at the right shoulder of a 4 year H&S top. As you can see the ratio is starting to roll over right where we needed it to. A break below the neckline at 12.50 will complete a very large H&S top that was needed to reverse the outperformance of gold to the XAU for over 20 years.

Note how the XAU bottomed in 2016 at the same time the ratio topped out. Now compare the ratio chart on top to the XAU chart on the bottom. It looks like when the ratio chart breaks below its neckline the XAU will do the same thing, which will be just as neat as when the ratio broke down from the double top in January of 2016. Years from now when we look back on this chart it will be interesting to see where the ratio finally bottoms out. Since the January 2016 high is where the XAU finally began to outperform gold after 20 years of underperformance.

This next chart is a weekly line combo chart which has the gold to XAU ratio chart on top with the XAU on the bottom showing you a close up view of the H&S top we just looked at on the combo chart above. When I first built this combo chart I added the black arrows to show how the possible right shoulder may build out based on the symmetry of the left shoulder. The ratio chart on top is showing a possible blue triangle building out as the right shoulder. A break below the bottom rail of the blue triangle will be very good confirmation that the neckline will be the next important bit of support to go.

The XAU on the bottom chart has just completed a breakout and backtest to the top rail of its right shoulder triangle. Also what this weekly line chart for the XAU is showing us is how we should look for reverse symmetry up, once the neckline is decisively broken as shown by the red arrows. One last thing about the XAU before we move on. Note how the neckline symmetry line has been holding support for the bottom of the right shoulder. We are currently close to the second best buying opportunity since the January 2016 low.

Keep in mind that this potential massive H&S bottom is reversing the 2011 bear market. By the time the neckline is finally broken to the upside this H&S bottom will be about 5 years in the making which is big enough to launch a multi year bull market.

Next I would like to show you the GDXJ which is showing some very nice symmetry. Earlier this week I showed you the black triangle on the daily chart which the price action was attempting to breakout above the top rail of its one year triangle. Previous to the current breakout we looked at the breakout from the smaller blue triangle which was the 4th reversal point in the black triangle.

 

This next chart is a weekly look at the GDXJ which shows the one year triangle forming on top of the black flat top expanding triangle as the backtest. Now we wait for the backtest to the top rail of the blue triangle for the next bit of confirmation the bull market is back.

Below is a longer term weekly look at the GDXJ which brings everything into focus. As we saw with the XAU weekly chart, which is building out a potential very large H&S bottom, so too is the GDXJ. The triangle we just looked at on the chart above looks like it will be the right shoulder of a very large H&S bottom.

This last chart for tonight is a long term monthly chart which is painting a very beautiful 5 year H&S bottom by the time the neckline is finally broken to the upside. This H&S bottom is much bigger than the one that formed at the 2011 bull market top.

There are no guarantees when it comes to the markets, but if these H&S bottoms we looked at tonight on the XAU and the GDXJ play out as expected there will be a multi year bull market in the precious metals complex. Keep in mind we are still building out the reversal pattern with the impulse move yet to come. When we first opened the Doors here at Rambus Chartology in November 2011, we watched and traded for a year and a half for the development of the bull market top which had a beautiful H&S top to aptly crown it off.

Beauty is in the Eye of the beholder .

https://rambus1.com/2013/02/15/friday-night-chart-what-do-you-see/

This present developing pattern we are seeing is no different except it’s forming at the bottom of the 6 year bear market. All the best…Rambus

NXS.V 9-13-17 Update. I was stopped out today at .14…

I’ve been waiting patiently for NXS.V to breakout above the top rail of a falling wedge formation. I’m going to take an initial position and buy 15,000 shares at the market at .19 with the sell/stop at .14.

NXS.V daily:

Below is a daily chart for the SPX which shows you a good example of a morphing rising wedge. As you can see there was a false breakout above the top rail and then an equal false breakout below the bottom rail, symmetry false breakouts, red circles.

When that occurs we need to adjust the top and bottom trendliness to the new high and low to get the new pattern. The original rising wedge is now shown by the blue dashed trendlines with the new rising wedge the solid blue trendlines.

If the price action breaks out above the new top rail we’ll have a bullish rising wedge that has been in consolidation mode going back to February which is a nice amount of time for a consolidation pattern to develop for this type of move. On the other hand if the price action breaks below the bottom rail then we’ll have a bearish rising wedge. My experience has been that the original pattern is the correct pattern with the morphing process just making the pattern a little bit bigger.

Also keep in mind this rising wedge could be a halfway pattern to the upside if we get the breakout above the top rail. Also these types of patterns that slope up in the direction of the trend tells us the impulse move is very strong. So we wait for confirmation one way or the other.

 

Below is a short term daily chart for GLD which shows it breaking out above the top rail of the blue expanding triangle today.

The longer term 2 year daily chart shows GLD breaking out and backtesting the top rail of the triangle consolidation pattern. It looks like all the work is now finished with the breaking out and backtesting process.

Below is the 5 year weekly chart for perspective.

This first chart for SLV is a daily chart which shows the original H&S bottom with a breakout gap and then a strong backtest. I have shown you in the past that it can be a bullish setup when you see a small consolidation pattern form just below, just above or right on an important trend line, in this case the neckline. With today’s spike down and subsequent rally SLV could be forming a small triangle right on the neckline with the price action overlapping on both sides of the neckline. The 200 day ma is still holding resistance at the top of the potential blue triangle. The volume looks like it’s expanding today which would help for a bullish setup.

Below is a 2 year daily chart for SLV which is showing a potential one year bullish falling wedge building out with the H&S bottom we just looked at on the daily chart above forming at the 4th reversal point. If our current H&S bottom plays out it will ensure a breakout of the top rail of the bullish falling wedge. The 20 day ema has crossed above the 50 day ema which is giving a buy signal.

The long term weekly chart below shows how the potential bullish falling wedge fits into the big picture. Because it’s forming above the 2016 low it only needs 4 reversal points to be a consolidation pattern to the upside. Note the previous falling wedge had 5 reversal points that may have reversed the bear market. When one looks at this chart you can see why the bear market has been so painful. Most of the time some type of consolidation pattern was building out. If our current falling wedge breaks out to the upside you can begin to see a large rounding bottom forming starting all the way back at the April 2013 low.

This last chart for SLV shows the last major hurdle that stands in the way of a possible new  bull market. Putting all the pieces of the puzzle together if the bullish falling wedge, we looked at on the charts above plays out, then the top rail of the 2011 bear market downtrend channel will be broken to the upside. We can’t have one without the other.

Years ago I built this 40 year chart for the $COMPQ which I call the, “HISTORY CHART OF THE END OF THE WORLD.” One day I thought about all the events that I’ve experienced as a trader and decided to put them on a chart to see what it looked like. In hindsight I wish I had put the end of the world events on the INDU or the SPX, but I put them on the COMPQ which still gives you a feel for what happened in the past.

Some of you veterans who were trading, I hate to say it, in the old days, will remember some of these events which felt like the end of the world when you experienced them in real time. Starting at the 1987 crash, it is still the biggest one day percentage move down in history which totally felt like the end of the world, but as you can see the world didn’t end.

In 1991 there were 2 events that felt like the end of the world which were the saving and loans crisis and the start of the first Gulf war. What the 1987 crash, the saving and loans and the 1991 Gulf war created was the green massive bullish rising channel or flag which launched the biggest stock market rally in history.

Some of you may remember in 1998 the LTCM, Long Term Capital Management debacle, which led to a hard 3 month shakeout which felt like the end of the world, No one knew at the time what would happen, but as you can see the COMPQ broke out of the red expanding triangle with the last consolidation pattern of the 90’s tech bubble, the red bullish rising flag, forming on the top rail the expanding triangle.

It took 10 years for the COMPQ to consolidate the tech bubble forming the blue triangle halfway pattern. Big patterns lead to big moves.

The last annotation on this chart is the BREXIT vote low which was not nearly as bad as most of the previous end of the world events, but many were very bearish if you recall.

Keep in mind when you look at the price action starting at the beginning of this chart into the 2000 top that each high was a brand new all time high. Also note how the bull market created a series of higher highs and higher lows except for the red expanding triangle that formed in 1998. Now compare our current bull market that began in 2009 to the 1980’s and 1990’s bull market which is showing higher highs and higher lows as well.

I can tell you that none of those end of the world events were any fun to be in the markets, but what they showed me was that they always led to new highs during the bull market years with our current bull market no exception so far. Corrections or consolidation periods are inevitable any bull market, so as long as the bull market is making new highs and higher lows the trend is your friend. Have a great weekend. All the best…Rambus

PS: One last observation. Note how the price action accelerated beginning in 1995 into the 2000 top. That happened once the dashed mid line gave way.

Today I am going to lay out the case of a major market top and how it fits into the geopolitical backdrop of today. We then profile the trade set-up to look for and finally I will forcefully remove your Rose Colored Glasses you have been wearing since January 2017.

In Barbara Tuchman’s “The Guns of August” she argues that August 1914 was when the Gilded Age died and the modern era actually began. The book opens with the famous depiction of Edward VII’s funeral in 1910 attended peacefully by all the kings of Europe. Never again would the body of world leaders be unified and cut from a similar cloth. The war ushered in a new world, not recognizable from the past. Not since that time have we witnessed such diplomatic folly as in the month of August 1914. Today we wonder are we witnessing a similar conflict between a super power and the client state of China which is an emerging super power?  Could it unfold in a similar fashion?

Since May I have chronicled the topping process associated with a post bubble contraction. We have witnessed the following sequence:

1 The Gold-Silver ratio initially warning of an upcoming credit contraction in the future.

2. European stocks putting in a top in the traditional time window of May-June

3. USA stocks embarking on a final run for the roses, one last hurrah over the summer.

4. The Gold-Silver ratio signaling a confirmation of its original signal.

5. Yield curve flattening and credit spreads widening

6. Investor psychology embracing market top behaviors.

7. An initial crack in the US indexes in the time window of August or September.

The Topping Process

Over the summer we have watched the indexes relentlessly rise despite narrower breath. The FAANGs drove the NASDAQ and Boeing drove the Dow over the past 6 weeks. The DOW being a price weighted index, was inordinately influenced by Boeing, now a $240 stock. Boeing’s rise accounted for 75% of the DOW’s gain since the beginning of July. Strip Boeing out of the DOW and the index barely even rose… Same with the FAANG’s effect on the NASDAQ.

This of course is classic topping action. It masks the underlying exhaustion which has been occurring in individual issues. The exhaustion expressed itself in a lack of volatility. On August 8th the S&P 500 had gone 13 days in a row with less than a 0.3% fluctuation. This has never occurred since records have been kept since 1927.  This compression then expressed itself with the VIX exploding over 80% in a raucous 3 day move.

Bearish market signals have been evident to the few who cared to interpret the charts. Let’s take a look at some of the flashing red flags available to all who care to see:

S&P 500 Orthodox Broadening Top

Pull out your copy of the bible of technical analysis: Edwards and Magee. Look under the index for “The Orthodox Broadening Top”. The example they use is Air Reduction Co. from 1929. I will scan and post below:

E&M remind us this type of top comes from low volume markets (check) and it is precisely defined on the chart (check). It’s definition is:

“It has three peaks at successfully higher levels and, between them, two bottoms with the second bottom lower than the first. The assumption has been that it has been completed and an in effect as an important reversal indication just as soon as the reaction from its third peak carries below the level of its second bottom”

 

Knights, I believe in making charts as simple and uncluttered as possible. Clean charts deliver the most powerful messages. This chart above should make you sit up and take notice. It is classic, right out of the pages of the Edwards and Magee reference book.

My analysis of this chart actually shows weak exhausted action. E&M state that 4 out of 5 examples of this pattern have a re-test of high #3 (point #5). This re-test often exceeds the high by up to 3%. We see this re-test in the above example in Air Reduction Co labeled as 5b.  In our present day case we see the S&P spike high in a prairie dog top with no ability to rally for a re-test. This is a case of exhaustion and in my analysis is quite foreboding.

I emphasize that E&M characterize this pattern as “extremely bearish” and it depicts the last stages of a Primary Uptrend. That’s right,- PRIMARY. This was the principle pattern that exhibited itself in numerous individual issues in the 2 months leading into the crash of 1929.

Within this current broadening top formation we can also see two loosely formed H&S tops as well.  Bottom line: This is a treacherous reversal pattern.

S&P 500 Bearish Rising Wedge

If we step further away and look at a daily chart over the past 8 months we see the S&P 500 forming a presumedly bearish rising wedge.  I will cover the investment set-up later on at the end of this section.

Red Flags Everywhere

The FAANG stocks have risen relentlessly all year long, however recently have been broadcasting major trouble ahead. Let’s take a look at some of the red flags:

Google

Google of course is widely owned and at $900 can no longer generate much upside volume as it’s hard for the little guy to move the needle with his low order size. Therefore, it is very significant when we see 3 Outside-Downside reversals with one being a KEY reversal (reversing new highs) all within an 8 week span!  If Google breaks $900 on a weekly closing basis it has the potential to trigger a trap door as one can see there is no support until it reaches $855.

Facebook

Here we have a very high risk stock. If you own this do you feel lucky? It opened July 27 with great fan fare and put in a black candle inside day. This is a sign of exhaustion. Note the following attempt to rally failed with a red doji, change of trend, candle.  Since the black candle top, down days have exhibited more volume than up days. This stock is at high risk of triggering a very bearish Island Reversal if it jumps the creek below the red line.

Amazon

Weekly: Outside Reversal with a high volume weekly shooting star top. What else do you want folks.

Daily: High Volume Key reversal off the top with a gap down the next day. Checkmate!

Netflix

Standard Island Reversal off the top. This is high risk.

There are many other examples of technical failures right off their tops, but these are the highest profile. The point is there are many charts showing profound technical signs of failed tops. The DOW Transports have also been displaying a divergence with the Dow for the past month which occurs typically at market tops:

Bull Markets Don’t Die of Old Age

Really?  Well that’s the Wall Street narrative at least, however all rules have limits. This bull market began in March of 2009 making it one of the longest in history. In a recent study of the 32 longest bull markets throughout the world over the past 100 years to include Europe and Asia the current NASDAQ bull market is the second longest bull market over the past 100 years of all markets!

The Dow has now eclipsed all previous bull market durations in the DJIA in all of its history. The second longest was the bull of the 1920’s which lasted 419 weeks. Today our bull is at 440 weeks. One of the indisputable facts in the study of bull markets is that the longer a bull market lasts the higher the probability the ensuing bear market develops into a deeper bear market.

Years which end in 7 have historically had a tough go of it during the 3rd and 4th quarters. 1907, 1937, 1987 had major crashes in the 4th quarter. Other years had strong sell offs as well, such as 1917,1957 and 1977. 2007 was the precursor to the financial crisis of 2008. There clearly is a 10 year cycle in the markets and it often bottoms in the later part of the 7th year.

We have all seen numerous measures of extreme valuation of today’s market, but we also know that markets can’t be timed using valuation.  Excessive valuation however, will always be corrected. Many would say this cycle wont end until the little guy comes  back into the market.  Guess what, he already has!  Here is a quote from Charles Schwab Brokerage:

“In Q2 after years of avoiding equities, Schwab clients opened the highest number of brokerage accounts in the first half of 2017 since 2000. This was the biggest first half increase in 17 years. Total client assets rose 16% to $3.04 Trillion.”

In summary: The little guy is in.

Again, there are so many anecdotal signs of an imminent top I cannot begin to chronicle them all here. Recently Warren Buffet passed the $100 million mark in cash. You of course know he does not sit on cash at market bottoms.

Thursday afternoon I was watching Bloomberg financial TV with the Dow trading down almost 250 points when a market strategist from a Wall Street brokerage house was confidently stating this was a buy the dip opportunity. He seemed so sure of himself and smug, having been conditioned to do so over the past 8 years. So if you think the market can’t drop because so many people are looking for it to drop, you are just not thinking…it can, and conditions are ripe.

The Trade Set-up

Of course anything can happen. If North Korea announces this weekend they are going to suspend future missile tests I am sure the S&P would rip upward through the entire Broadening Top formation to new highs. There are no guarantees about anything and a myriad of different outcomes are possible, but this is what I would look for in rough fashion: I expect an aggressive backtest up to at least the bottom S&R line of the broadening top formation around the S&P 2460 level.  Why?  Because the ingrained buy the dip mentality has programed Wall Street to buy it. They simply can’t help themselves. Any hint of good news should spark a rally.  I think the only reason it didn’t occur on Friday was because of weekend uncertainty.

Also from a technical perspective we are set up to rally right now. Look at the NDX Down vs Up Volume. It has been a great indicator of past bottoms. It shows when the market is washed out at the lows. Thursday’s big down day shows the market is now washed out and ready to rally. Any positive news should cause a bounce. But I am not playing it. My trade is to find an entry point for the short side.

I prefer to sit and watch and stalk the market. I want to see how the SPX chart at the beginning of this report and the QQQ chart below resolve themselves and to look for a short entry.

S&P Big Picture

The message of the below chart to me is this entire bull market, since 2009 has been engineered and is phony.  I understand that goes against the grain for many.  But I ask where is the volume?  Real bull markets ride along a tide of increasing volume.  This “bull market” has had progressively decreasing volume.  If I had to guess…and we are allowed to, I would think that when the inevitable bear market comes along it will be fast and furious as illiquidity will lock up the market.

The Market’s Cycle of Emotions

The below chart shows where we are in the emotional market cycle. We are just now leaving the euphoria stage and approaching the anxiety stage. It was only a week ago where mass Trump rallies celebrated how great everyones 401Ks were and the Dow’s string of advances seemed to never cease. How fast things change. By late October we may already be to the fear stage.

It’s Time to Remove Your Rose Colored Glasses- The Currency Deflator. 

Since Jan 3, 2017 the USD has been in a decline with plenty of debate as to its future path. The overriding question: Is the USD now in a Primary Bear market?  I do not believe it is, instead I interpret its move as a secondary reaction in an ongoing Primary Bull market. That said, since Jan of this year the USD has been in a downtrend. Therefore if you are a Dollar centric person everything we buy or sell has been affected by the decline of the USD.

The weaker USD has assisted commodity and gold prices. Simply stated a weak USD has elevated the price of financial and real assets. If the USD is your currency you have been viewing the markets through Rose Colored glasses. Well I am now going to remove those glasses so you can see how the world really looks. I warn you it’s not pretty.

I received this inspiration while sipping on a scotch in Edinburgh Scotland two weeks ago. It was one of those Ah-Ha moments.  As USD people we see everything through the USD lens, and I wondered what would it look like if we were to see it from a different, yet equally valid perspective.

Below is a chart of the Yen, Euro, Canadian & Aussie Dollar. Since January they have squiggled around a lot, but have ended up pretty close relative to each other.  So I am going to use the Euro as a proxy for all currencies to correct asset prices for the weakness in the USD we have seen this year. This is called a currency deflater. We correct the effects of a declining currency by dividing assets by the Euro.

Here is a view of the USD since January.  Above we have currencies going from bottom left to top right and below we have the USD going from top left to bottom right.  Significant indeed!

But before I show you the currency deflator I will post the most recent PM composite by Rambus so you can see what these indexes look like in their home currency:

GDX

It is important to compare this chart with the GDX chart Rambus depicted above in his Composite PM chart. In his depiction the GDX seems to have a fighting chance to establish a bottom by putting in an inverted H&S and seems poised for a possible break upward over its NL.  However if we strip out the currency tailwinds it reveals a pathetic collapse in the making.

Note how the rallies are progressively weaker each time there is an attempt to make a bounce.  After the the urgent decline in late April which fell out of the triangle, it has been capped by the 200 & 150 EMA. Overall it appears to have a one-way ticket to an eventual capitulation washout.

GDXJ- It get’s worse

Below we deflate the currency effects out of the GDXJ and we see a chart of grim liquidation. Up until mid April the GDXJ had enough energy to at least coil within the bounds of a horizontal triangle, however after the urgent gapping decline from the triangle its next consolidation became a descending triangle. Keep in mind this formation depicts supply coming in at progressively lower levels each time price rises. Ultimately it most likely is bearish with a probable resolution to the down side. Again we see all movements capped by the 200 and 150 EMA. It is becoming so week that the 50 EMA is now acting as resistance, whereas it didn’t before.

Silver Miners (SIL)

This depicts a slowly accelerating downward parabola bounded by an 8 point (?) descending wedge. Again, it is increasingly unable to generate enough upward power to penetrate any moving averages.

This type of pattern has the potential to drop out of such a long authoritative structure in catastrophic fashion. Kind of like this:

Keep in mind Silver Majestic is regarded as one of the leaders of the group. In Rambus’ PM composite you may have wondered why the two bottom charts, the XGD and HGU have been perennial weak sisters? The reason is because these two indexes are in Canadian Dollars. That’s right they don’t have the declining USD propping them up hence their bearish patterns building out. Currently they each are bounded within a bear flag.

The Currency Deflater and the S&P

Now let’s turn our little currency deflator towards the S&P 500. The results are shocking! You may have thought you have been in a bull market all year. Well if you were not from the US you most certainly were not. This chart is devastatingly classic.

A well formed broad duration H&S with an urgent break below its NL. The break is followed up with a prolonged back test repelled at the NL.  A violent gap down from its BT followed by a classic ping pong move between the 200 & 150 EMA followed by a final “give it up” drop and fall away.  This is an incredibly bearish chart!

You can continue this exercise with other indexes to see how it has been the weak USD that has given us the perception that the markets have been healthy. Take off your Rose Colored glasses and you quickly see the deterioration that lies within going on all year. In fact, deflation has been eating away the markets like termites in an abandoned house. Eventually the winds blow and the collapse ensues.

Coming back to the point of the currency deflator, we can see that it’s the weak USD dollar that has maintained the appearance of healthy markets. So what happens if the USD resumes its primary upward trend?  It’s pretty simple really, a rebounding USD would crush commodities and anything related to the precious metals. It most likely would have the same effect on the general stock indexes.

Eventually however, in a post bubble contraction (PBC) both gold and the reserve currency should catch a safe haven bid and can climb together. When this occurs it should be the start of the initial phase of the bull market in precious metals which lies ahead.

Gold- How it fits in

How gold fits into all this is very tricky.  If we take out the USD tailwind gold has a decidedly bearish look.  But the geopolitical aspect could very well give gold a pop going forward.  It’s really hard to analyze, however just the fact that it is right now peaking above its 6 year downtrend line should be enough to get enough gold bugs lathered up to give it a bump higher.

It’s always hard to forecast a false breakout in anything,  but that’s what I will be looking for if gold pops above its down trend line.   Most assuredly a major conflict in Korea will rally the metal, but I don’t see it as sustainable.

Gold and Silver Stocks- The Question on Everyones Mind

The universal question is what happens to the PM stocks if the market tanks in the fall?  The PBC model allows for the PM stocks to fall in sympathy with the market, after all they are stocks also.  But here is the thing, historically the PM stocks are the first to recover after the initial wave of selling.  We saw this play out in the 2008 crisis.

Traders Review

Im my last report I outlined the bullish opportunity in the electric metals. This is a long term investment thesis which will play out over time, however in the short term a bear market in the general stock market is likely to cause the price of metals and the mining companies to decline. As a value investor one must be willing to buy opportunity whenever it appears. This is exactly what occurred this week with Nevsun.

Recall in the last report I stated:

“There is a risk of a significant drop when next quarters earnings are released due to continuing metallurgical issues with the Bisha mine in Eritrea related with their zinc extraction.”

This is exactly what happened this week when the stock got knocked down due to the company announcing an earnings miss. It was expected. The drawdown was particularly steep (-20%) due to announcing a reduction in the life of the Bisha mine in Africa plus pushing back the PFS into next year. After discussions with my broker it is our view that the company wanted to clear the decks and get out all the bad news in one announcement and start out with a clean slate.

As a result, I doubled down on my investment near the lows and now have a large position in NSU.  Keep in mind that the Investment thesis for this company is NOT based on the Bisha mine, but instead the copper assets in Serbia. Therefore I see this as a great opportunity to buy a world class copper asset for absolute firesafe prices. Also keep in mind that this is a potential likely takeover by Lundin Mining.

Knights if you are going to be in this business of resource investing and speculation, one must be able to act on the fly and recognize a deal when it presents itself. These prices may not last long.

Novo Resources

Another comment from my last report:

“I am clearing the decks and finding cash to buy more of Novo, be brave knights… Oh, and I am not waiting for a pull back.”

“But once you buy, one has to hold on with all your might.  Don’t trade it, don’t “register” your profits,  Be brave and just hold on.”

At the time of this report Novo’s price had closed over the weekend at 2.67. Upon opening Monday morning after my recommendation anyone wanting in received a gift as it immediately dropped to 2.22. This past Friday Novo reached a high of 3.85, in all an increase of 73% over the optimal buy point immediately after the report.

Here is the point: I have listened to a lot of commentary on Novo and virtually everyone has stressed the stock is way ahead of itself and one should stalk the stock and buy it on a pullback. I argued otherwise. That technique leaves you standing at the station wishing you were on board.  The best course has been as I stated, gird your loins and pay up then hold on for all you are worth.  I have seen enough of these to know this is the best way to conquer this one….Rambus Chartology- Value added indeed!

I continue to add to my Novo position, buying another 25,000 shares at the opening  this past Thursday. I am not done buying as I believe the potential for this stock could prove to be life changing

Plunger’s Big Trade- The Oil Short

This has been on the back burner since early July allowing the recent BMR to run its course. It appears time to start moving it back up front as it may be approaching prime time once again.

Recall my big picture analogy of the kinetic energy super ball bouncing down the staircase adding energy and amplitude with each successive bounce. With that picture in mind it appears this bounce is about to run out of gas. Plus stochastics are now turning down. As a result I started shorting oil again this week, however only an entry position since it still has the potential to surprise and rally into the 50’s. No one ever said this game was easy and the current red triangle buildout at the down sloping blue dashed resistance line could go either way. I am starting to build a position based on it going down.

The outcome is still in question however, if the bulls are still in control there remains the chance the current horizontal triangle could be a half-way pattern with the ultimate PO around the extended dashed apex line in the first chart.  If this were to occur, obviously one should cover ones short position.

Here is an interesting Fib guide to the extent of previous retracements.  It’s at previous max retracements now!

The long term linear chart shows the two bearish formations forming on both sides of the S&R line.   Resolution soon to come.

And the proprietary big picture chart shows we are still locked in a secular bear market for oil.  The last one lasted 18 years (1980-1998) and we are currently 9 years into this one.

Ultimately with the onset of the next bear market and recession the forecast is for much lower oil prices.

Market Shorts- IBM and CLI

IBM has been a barn burner short, it has been my second largest winner this year.  The chartology has been so clean and classic and still has further to fall. IBM is a victim of the Amazon juggernaut. Two-thirds of IBM’s revenue is exposed to competition from the most brutal competitor in the history of commerce- Amazon. Recall what Bezo’s likes to say “Your margins are my opportunity”.  IBM is a has-been company, soon to be sent to the slaughter house by the new price structure reality.

IBM still has broad institutional ownership who haven’t yet figured this out. Institutions act like lemmings, when they have their ah-ha moment its going to be a deluge. They will all exit together in one cathartic capitulation. That’s the message of the IBM chart… you can see it coming and why I have such a large position.

One warning however, as we all know Mr. Market would like to make this drop lower without any shorts profiting from it. So at some point prior to this event expect a short squeeze to drive out the shorts. I have noticed an early stage positive divergence in momentum on the daily chart and I stand ready to cover my short at a moments notice…you should be ready too…

Mack-Cali Realty Corporation (CLI)

This is a classic Weinstein short set-up and this week turned out to be a nice little surprise. Lately it has been trying my patience as I have been short for a few months, but the chartology finally came through. Note the beauty of this set-up. Rounding arching top with the 30 EMA finally bending over and providing overhead resistance. Very broad H&S with lot’s of unoccupied airspace to fill on the downside. They don’t get much prettier than this one.

Ivanhoe

Last report I mentioned:

“Well, I think there may be a chance that it may be somewhat exhausted.  Maybe, maybe not.  Therefore the chart below gives me pause.  Maybe we will get a pullback corrective move.”

This was mentioned with the stock above the NL.  The caution was warranted, and yes indeed it was a bull trap. One wants to own this stock, however I plan on waiting to get a much better entry position…patience.

European Stocks

Recall the PBC thesis called for European stocks peaking in May-June followed by a USA peak in Aug-Sept. This appears to be occurring according to script. We now have the Euro stocks following through IAW the model. It’s actually an amazing progression which began with a H&S reversal top spanning over 3 months thus establishing its broad authority. This was followed up by a break of its NL with ensuing back test over a 3-week period. Next we see a break of the 150 EMA (30 W EMA proxy) with a classic ping pong indecisive move for two weeks. Finally we see an urgent “give it up” move with a running gap to the downside.  The STOXX50 index represents the largest super-sector leaders in the Eurozone in terms of free-float market capitalization. The index captures about 60% of the free-float market capitalization of the EURO STOXX Total Market Index.  It is the most comprehensive measure of Euro stock markets.

Think back to late May when this model was proposed. The markets seemed so strong, but the model provided guidance going forward….trust the model.

Clearly, the above chart is a bearish looking set-up which is a bit of a conundrum because European economic and trade numbers have actually been improving significantly.  Again, we defer to the charts as discounting future conditions.

China- At a Critical Juncture

I am bullish on the Chinese stock market over the long term. It actually has not gotten over priced as our market has since it has spent the past 10 years digesting its previous gains.  However it appears to be ready to trend downward after being in a flat bearish rising wedge for the past 2 years.  I am avoiding virtually all stocks at this time

India is in a strong rally, but again I prefer to sit on my war chest at least until the fall season.

Inflation- Not out of the woods yet

In an Orwellian world inflation equals growth. That’s pretty much what the FED has told you. The narrative is the FED is succeeding in their inflation campaign, but the charts are not yet confirming this story. Let’s take a look.

Our long term CRB index is what I like to call the scariest chart on the planet. Since breaking its 40 year support line it has been unable to rise up above it after 2 years of trying. It still appears in back test mode and I shouldn’t have to tell you there is NO SUPPORT below these levels. Simply stated if price falls to early 1970’s levels it’s monetary Armageddon. We have been assured by the money printers that they have “got this”. It’s all under control… but is it?

Let’s zoom in and look at the action over the past two years. It’s pretty obvious what’s been going on here knights. This has been a back-test retracement rally just like we saw in the oil market from 2009 to 2014. Follow the action here: In April a bearish rising wedge failed at the 150 EMA then fell through its NL.  It then followed up with a bounce back to be repelled by the same 150 EMA. Note its life above the NL was then short lived. It now dropped in a deep dive below the NL with another BT failing below the NL. This is all eerily similar to the way oil broke down in late summer of 2014 to crash from $100 down to $27. Sit up and pay attention knights.

Currency Deflater again revealing the true story

Again, this failing pattern has occurred despite the USD providing a wind at the back of commodities all-year-long!  So let’s take out the currency advantage and see how it looks.

 

All I can say is OMG look out below. What a violent breakdown!  And what happens when or if the USD resumes a primary up trend? The current red bear flag has just been violated and could be a half way pattern to the down side. This chart is telling us its time to head to the chopper.

Copper- Also not out of the woods yet.

Despite the great long term prospects for this metal its chart indicates it too, may not be ready for prime time. It has had a great move and this may be indicative of future leadership, however it needs more follow through to get itself out of the woods.

Bonds

Bonds seem to be delivering the same message. I have noted in the past that part of my war chest sits in the Hoisington LT Treasury Fund. These are reserve funds standing at the ready for the opportunities I see coming this fall. The bonds look prepared to embark on an advance if deflationary conditions break out.

Conclusion

I take no pleasure on raining on anyones parade. I am just here to call it like I see it. We have covered a lot of ground here and shown perspectives backed up with hard hitting chart analysis that you will not see anywhere else in the world. I have approached this entire year as a campaign towards an objective. Reading the tea leaves we have watched the individual bricks of a market top fall into place from market charts to investor psychology. Few people cared to observe or listen, but our payday is fast approaching. Girt your loins knights and prepare your war chest because as Churchill once said:

For this is our finest hour.

 

There was some important price action in the Precious Metals Complex this past week as both gold and silver each tested important overhead resistance again. Always keep in mind that time is relative when it comes to the size of big patterns vs smaller patterns. When a multi year trendline is in place the breaking out and backtesting process can seem like it takes forever before you see some type of resolution to the pattern or trendline which has been the case with gold and silver recently.

Lets start with the long term weekly chart for gold we’ve been following for a long time now which shows its 2011 bear market downtrend channel. Almost exactly one year ago this month gold touched the top rail of its 2011 bear market downtrend channel at 1305 which held resistance. After a small decline gold once again rallied back up to the top rail of the 2011 bear market downtrend channel and failed once again. After another small decline gold has rallied back up to the top rail of the 2011 bear market downtrend channel which now comes in around the 1280 area.

I can count 9 touches now of the top rail so we know it’s very hot and to be respected. As I’ve mentioned on each of the previous hits to the top rail that it was up to the bulls to show us they were ready to take control away from the bears if they could take out that 6 year downtrend line. As you can see on this weekly chart for gold, now is the time for the bulls to step up to the plate and let the bears know they mean business. They can’t do it with talk, they need to show their strength.

Another weekly view:

I can’t remember if I’ve ever have shown you this long term monthly chart for gold which shows three fanlines. The rule of thumb for fanlines is, when the 3rd fanline is broken to the downside, in this case for gold, it confirms the downtrend. Another thing you see with fanlines is that when they’re broken to the downside you will generally see a backtest to the underside before the next decline begins.

If the price action can trade below fanline #3 that will be another piece of the puzzle that the bear market is still in progress. It’s not always the case, but we should see a backtest to the underside of fanline #3 before we really see the impulse move down begin in earnest. As this is a long term monthly chart it’s going to take time for all the moving parts to become properly aligned to really gets things moving to the downside if in fact the bear market continues. If gold can take out the top rail of its 2011 bear market downtrend channel then the 3 fanline principal will be negated.

This next chart for gold is another chart I haven’t shown you in a very long time which compares gold to the CRB index. I know there are a lot of doubters out there in regards to very big multi year consolidation patterns. This ratio charts shows a 25 year bullish falling wedge which I labeled as a halfway pattern to the upside. For the past 7 years or so this ratio has been building out an expanding rising wedge which completed the 6th reversal point in early 2016 that technically makes the pattern a consolidation pattern if the price action can take out the top rail. On the other hand a break below the bottom rail would complete 7 reversal points and the expanding rising wedge would be a reversal pattern. Since this ratio has favored gold for such a long time maybe it’s time to the commodities complex to have a go at it for awhile which would show up as a falling ratio.

This next long term chart for gold shows a potential bullish setup, but it won’t happen until the 4th reversal point is reached at the bottom rail of a potential bullish rising wedge.

The still potential bearish case for gold. The breakout point is now up to the 1185 area.

Which trendline is going to fail?

Next I would like to update the 2 1/2 year diamond we’ve been following on the weekly silver chart. The last time we looked at this chart I showed you how the red circles were showing a symmetry failure of the top and bottom rails at reversal point #7 and reversal point #8. If you take the distance of the failure of the red circle below the bottom rail and add that distance, red circle on top, to the failure of the price action to reach the top rail, you would have a perfectly completed 7th and 8th reversal point to complete the diamond.

As you can see the backtest this week to the bottom rail came within a whisker of a complete backtest which I was looking for at the 17.05 area. We now have a very clean line in the sand as far as resistance goes. If silver can do an end around the apex move, above the 2 1/2 year diamond, the silver bulls will have something to cheer about , but until that happens the bears are still in control.

Below is just a simple monthly chart for silver which shows its uncluttered 2011 bear market downtrend channel.

Putting all the pieces of the big picture together this 20 year monthly chart shows a massive H&S top with the blue diamond forming just below the neckline as the backtest. Keep in mind we’ve been following that massive H&S top for several years now. Until something breaks the character of that H&S top, it is there for everyone to see who have an open mind. This is a similar situation we saw back in 2011 when the massive H&S tops  formed on the PM complex, which no one wanted to believe what the out come could be. Silver could rally $5.00 dollar tomorrow and knock this scenario to the ground, but until it does I have to respect what this chart is strongly suggesting.

This last chart for silver is a 45 year monthly look we’ve been following for years which shows its massive 20 year H&S bottom which led to the rally that ended in April of 2011. This long term chart also came in handy during the bull market years by showing the breakout above the neckline in late 2005 and the backtest in 2008 when everything was  crashing. Some may view the long tail on last months bar as a reversal, but until the price action can takeout the apex of the blue diamond the benefit of a doubt goes to the bears for now.

This chart below is actually one of the very first charts I ever posted in public back in the old days when Gold Eagle was the place to be. Man have times changed.

Before we look at a combo chart for the HUI I would like to go back to 2011 when the PM complex was topping out. One of the things that struck me back then was how PM complex topped out which for me was frustrating holding precious metals stocks.

After the crash in 2008 the PM complex had a very big rally into the 2011 top. I can still remember silver going vertical to its 1980 high at 50. What was frustrating was the PM stocks had a mediocre rally as silver basically wen parabolic. I’ve seen this type of behavior during the bull market years where gold and silver would rally and the PM stocks would hardly budge. This also happened the other way as well when gold and silver would hardly move and the PM stocks would have a very strong rally.

I thought at the time that when gold made its move the PM stocks would respond and blast off in a near parabolic fashion like silver. After a small correction in the summer of 2011 it was gold’s turn to rally into its parabolic top which ended in September of 2011 a full 6 months later than silver. Even though the HUI made its all time high along with gold the rally was pitiful compared to what silver and gold did. That was one of the most frustrating times for me being invested in the PM stocks.

That brings us up to our current situation with the PM complex. As you well know the US dollar has collapsed in a near parabolic move down to the bottom of its 2 1/2 year side ways trading range. What has the PM complex done over that same period of time? Even though I haven’t be long the PM complex since the January 2016 low, if I was long I would have the same feeling I had back in 2011 when gold and silver went nearly parabolic with the PM complex not responding in a likely fashion.

Maybe it will be different this time which we will only know in hindsight. If you’re feeling frustrated as a PM stock investor take note of why you’re feeling this way so when things finally resolve one way or the other you can look back at this period of time to know if your feelings today are right or wrong.

Below is an old combo chart I built out during the 2011 highs in the PM complex. Note how slv, on the bottom chart, topped out a full 6 months ahead of gld and the HUI. Also you can see how gld had a strong rally into its 2011 top while the HUI barley made a higher high above its shoulder when it put in its head. Back then I was showing these three building out a double H&S top.

It’s hard to feel the pain when one looks at a chart, but I can assure you that for me there was some serious pain when SLV topped out without the PM stocks hardly participating with even more pain after gold topped and the PM stocks hardly moving higher. Is there a lesson to be learned from the 2011 experience? As always we’ll know in the fullness of time. All the best…Rambus