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China Starts A Currency War, Part 1

china concrete

To fully understand what China is doing and why, we must first understand the scope of the problem or what they are trying to contain. But as is the case with any bubble, Chinese bubble is uncontainable. The problem is, we have never seen the extent of such a miss allocation before. Here is what China is dealing with…..

  • Massive stock market bubble.
  • Collapsing trade data.
  • Chinese corporate borrowers owed $14.2 trillion at the end of 2013 Vs $13.1 trillion owed by U.S. corporations.
  • This means that as much as 10 percent of global corporate debt is exposed to the risk of a contraction in China’s informal banking sector.
  • Cash flows and leverage at Chinese corporations are the worst among global peers, having deteriorated from being the best in 2009.

As I have mentioned in the past, most of China’s economic growth over the last 5-6 years has been financed by massive credit expansion. The likes of which we have never seen before. The result? 

  • $21 Trillion Debt Mountain. Roughly the same size as the entire US Banking Sector. It took the US 220 years to get to that number, it took China just 5 years of explosive credit growth.
  • $6 Trillion In Shadow Banking. Actually, no one knows how large this number is. I have read good data/reports putting this number at $10-15 Trillion range.
  • Empty cities, shopping centers, massive speculative bubble in real estate, built out infrastructure, rising cost of labor and export driven economy.

How much longer can this go on? Well, that’s a Trillion dollar question…..or a $40 Trillion dollar question. Apparently, it is already unraveling. Either way, one thing is for sure, this will not end well nor will it end in an orderly fashion.

Part 2 Tomorrow…..

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China Starts A Currency War, Part 1 Google

China, Deflation….Are We In A Bear Market Already?

Daily Chart August 11 2015

8/11/2015 – A big down day with the Dow Jones down 210 points (-1.19%)  and the Nasdaq down 62 points (1.22%) 

Today’s sell-off and subsequent market adjustments were caused by China’s “unexpected” Yuan devaluation. In simple terms, most nations are now in a full blown currency war. Trying to devalue their way to prosperity at the expense of someone else.

A more complex view incorporates understanding that China’s move opens up a door to future fundamental adjustments throughout the world. From interest hikes in the US to the price of oil. He is a very simplistic view for the time being. Q&A: What yuan devaluation means for China, other countries I will attempt to cover this subject in greater detail over the next few weeks.

Now, Gross Sees Global Economy Dangerously Close to Deflation

Once there is a “whiff of deflation, things tend to reverse and go badly,” Gross said Friday in a Bloomberg Radio interview with Tom Keene. Gross pointed to how the CRB Commodity Index isn’t just at a cyclical low, but lower than in 2008 when Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. went bankrupt.

I have held this premise for a number of years now. Most people believe we escaped deflation in 2008/2009 by the skin on our teeth. End of story. Well, WE DIDN’T. Deflation was simply covered up for the time being by zero interest rates, QE and massive amount of stimulus flowing through our financial system. Now that the stimulus is gone, deflation will become more prominent once again.

When the global economy has as much debt as we do now, estimated to be at around $230 Trillion, there could be no other outcome. Either deflation, outright default or hyperinflation.

Finally, MarketWatch asks Has the bear market in stocks already begun?

We have asked this exact question about 10 days ago. Let’s take a closer look at both sides of the argument.

Bearish Case: 

It’s nothing that we haven’t talked about on this blog before. Think about it in the following fashion. The NYSE (largest index by capitalization) is already down 4-6% from its trading range initiation 13.5 months ago. The Dow set an important top on March 2nd, only to set in a double top on May 19th. The Dow Transports are flashing a major bearish reversal sign.

All of the above suggests that the market has been distributing for close to a year and once this distribution period ends, a new bear market leg will kick in. In fact, considering where the indices are today, it might have already started.

Bullish Case:

The primary argument on the bullish side is as follows.

  1. The market has been consolidating after a big 5.5 year run up: It is resting before the next leg up — Fair enough. I will give them this one. That is technically possible.
  2. The market is not too expensive: I am seeing this over and over again. This time is different, this sector, that sector, accounting, statistics, etc…. People try to twist their numbers in a million different ways to justify today’s valuations.  At the end of the day it is rather simple. Shiller’s S&P P/E is at 27, the third highest level in history (behind 1929 and 2000). It is never different…..case closed
  3. We are in a secular bull market that has another 10 years to go. Wrong. If you study history you will see that bull/bear markets alternate in clearly defined 17-18 year cycles. The 2009 bottom was a mid cycle bottom, not a terminal point of 2000-2017 bear market. Meaning, we still in a secular bear market that will only complete in 2017-18. You can learn more about it here Market Cycles 

Who is right? 

I will let you come to your own conclusion. From my vantage point, the market has been in distribution for over a year now.

This conclusion is further supported by my mathematical and timing work. It clearly shows a severe bear market between 2015-2017. In fact, when it starts it will very quickly retrace most of the gains accrued over the last few years.  If you would be interested in learning when the bear market of 2015-2017 will start (to the day) and its internal composition, please CLICK HERE.

(***Please NoteA bear market might have started already, I am simply not disclosing this information. Due to my obligations to my Subscribers I am unable to provide you with more exact forecasts. In fact, I am being “Wishy Washy” at best with my FREE daily updates here. If you would be interested in exact forecasts, dates, times and precise daily coverage, please Click Here). Daily Stock Market Update. August 11th, 2015  InvestWithAlex.com

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China, Deflation….Are We In A Bear Market Already?  Google

Epic Bull Vs. Bear Battle

If you participate in financial markets the video below is a must watch.

Carl Icahn and Larry Fink, BlackRock Chairman and CEO discuss the state of today’s financial market.  As a quick summary…..

Carl Icahn: High-yield market is about to blow up (he indicated previously that he has a large short position there or building one). Just as it did in 2007-2009. This will have a net negative impact on the stock market. Just as it did in 2008.

Larry Fink: No way in hell, we don’t have the leverage we had in 2007.

My Comments: I believe Carl Icahn is on the right side of the trade here. The massive amount of leverage Larry Fink dismisses is still there. Its just that a large chunk of it got shifted onto the FED’s balance sheet and the stock market.

Here is what I believe the trigger point will be: As soon as investors lose “net faith” in the FED you will see this whole thing fall apart. Fast. As far as I am concerned they have already lost the window of opportunity to raise interest rates. They will now be stuck in the worst case scenario…..zero interest rates, no way to stimulate as another round of QE can backfire and collapsing capital markets. As soon as investors come to this realization, the jig will be up. And that should happen much sooner than most people anticipate.

Anyway, watch this video. It is definitely worth 5 minutes of your time.

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Epic Bull Vs. Bear Battle  Google

Why You Should NOT Follow Warren Buffett’s Investment Advice

Daily Chart August 10 2015

8/10/2015 – A positive day with the Dow Jones up 241 points (+1.39%) and the Nasdaq up 58 points (+1.16%)

Warren Buffett believes you should be fully invested. WARREN BUFFETT: Stocks are going ‘a lot higher’

Buffett reiterated that he was a long-term investor, saying he expected prices to be “a lot higher” 10 years or 20 years from now.

No one is questioning Mr. Buffett’s investment acumen here and I would have to agree with his analysis. My own mathematical and timing work shows that the stock market will be much higher 10 years from now. That is not the question. The question is, are you able and/or are you willing to take a 30-50% haircut over the next 2-3 years?

If your answer is NO, understand the following two points.

  1. Mr. Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway are “The Stock Market”. Meaning, even if he was inclined to get out, he wouldn’t be able to. As a result, there is no point in being bearish or telling others to get out.  Instead, consider this WSJ ‘Buffett Indicator’ Flashes Warning for Stocks
  2. The difference between Mr. Buffett and most investors is so vast that people should be very careful when listening to a simple “buy and  hold” investment advice, even from the man himself. As far as I know, no one has been able to fully replicate his success.

That is to say, Mr. Buffett’s advice is right on the money, but only if you are willing to take a massive beating over the next 2-3 years.

This conclusion is further supported by my mathematical and timing work. It clearly shows a severe bear market between 2015-2017. In fact, when it starts it will very quickly retrace most of the gains accrued over the last few years.  If you would be interested in learning when the bear market of 2015-2017 will start (to the day) and its internal composition, please CLICK HERE.

(***Please Note: A bear market might have started already, I am simply not disclosing this information. Due to my obligations to my Subscribers I am unable to provide you with more exact forecasts. In fact, I am being “Wishy Washy” at best with my FREE daily updates here. If you would be interested in exact forecasts, dates, times and precise daily coverage, please Click Here). Daily Stock Market Update. August 10th, 2015  InvestWithAlex.com

Did you enjoy this article? If so, please share our blog with your friends as we try to get traction. Gratitude!!!

Why You Should NOT Follow Warren Buffett’s Investment Advice  Google

Facebook (FB) Is Cooking “Likes”

Facebook FB - InvestWithAlex

This is the last time I will bring up Facebook (FB) for a while. I promise. At this time, I continue to maintain my view that Facebook is one of the best SHORT opportunities in the market. You can learn more about it here. Why Short Sellers Should Drool All Over Facebook

Here is why I am bring up Facebook again. I have noticed something since about July 1st or the start of this recent quarter. And, I have also noticed this trend accelerate.

I have two old business pages on Facebook that I haven’t really used in about two years. When they were active,  I have probably spent a grand total of around $500 advertising both pages on FB. Just testing things out. Since stopping, those pages went dead.

Until about July of this year. Just over the weekend one of the pages got 5 likes while the other got 7. Plus, around 20 people followed the pages in question over the last few weeks. Curiously, these pages got no action, literally ZERO, in both respects over the last two years.  The content is old and whatever content is there is marginal at best. Point being, they shouldn’t be attracting attention.

The question is…..why or what is going on?

While the story above is anecdotal at best and even though I cannot prove this, I believe Facebook is turning to artificial “click or like farming” to squeeze more revenue growth out of their business. Not a good sign at a P/E ratio of 95.

Point being, Facebook growth is slowing down. If they are indeed doing “Click Farming”, it must be slowing down substantially. And soon as investors get a whiff of that, they will send this thing down to $20 a share, as my previous analysis suggests. You can thank me later.

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Facebook (FB) Is Cooking “Likes” Google

The Real Reason Behind Stock Market’s Decline & What’s Next – Summer Hiatus

Daily Chart August 21 20158/21/2015 – Another massive down day with the Dow Jones down 530 points (-3.12%) and the Nasdaq down 171 points (-3.52%). 

I AM TAKING A LITTLE BREAK FROM BLOGGING.  BACK AFTER LABOR DAY OR SEPT – 8TH. OUR PREMIUM SERVICE REMAINS FULLY FUNCTIONAL. 

This has not been a good week for the market. The Dow, Russell, NYSE and S&P  are now firmly in the negative territory for the year. The Nasdaq is at a break even point, but barely so. And while we are likely to get some sort of a bounce, sometime soon, this SHOULD cause some concern. Perhaps the analysis below can clear things up.

Below is a comprehensive longer-term review of the stock market and what the next few years hold. 

In the early January of 2000, the US Economy wa s booming. The Dow was fast approaching 11,800 and the Nasdaq was a stone throws away from its improbable benchmark of 5,000. Everyone was making a ton of money and as far as most people were concerned, the future looked very bright.  So much so, that very few people predicted a bear market of 2000-2002, let alone a secular 2000-2017 bear market that was about to begin.

The only way to do so was to know and to understand the cyclical TIME structure oscillating within the stock market.  For instance, an analyst working with such time cycles would know that the stock market’s 17-18 year cycle was topping out in conjunction with the 5 year cycle that started at 1994 bottom.  The bull market that started at the bottom in August of 1982 was coming to a conclusion. In fact, it would top out exactly 17.5 years after it had started or on January 14th, 2000 at 11,800. The 5 year cycle that started in December of 1994 would top out at exactly the same time; 5 years and 35 trading days after it had started.

What does this have to do with predicting a severe bear market of 2014/15-2017?

Everything.  Based on my work the stock market is a mathematically precise entity. And while there are hundreds of TIME cycles oscillating within the stock market at any one time, I will concentrate on only two to prove my point.  The 17-18 cycle and the 5 year cycles. We will look at these cycles over the last 100+ years and I will prove to you, without a shadow of a doubt, they work.

THE 17-18 YEAR CYCLE IN THE STOCK MARKET:

Long Term Dow Structure3

Long-term cycles within the stock market tend to oscillate going all the way back to the first day of trading, in May of 1790.  If you would be inclined, I would encourage you to verify that information for yourself. For our purposes we will start our analysis a little bit later or exactly 100 years ago. As the chart above indicates, the stock market tends to oscillate in clearly defined 17-18 year alternating Bull/Bear market cycles.

  • 17.5 Year Bull Market (1914 bottom to 1932 bottom): The previous bear market terminated in July of 1914. At that time the US stock market shut down for World War 1. The stock market remained closed between August of 1914 and December of 1914 (a very rare occurrence). When the market finally reopened in December of 1914 it immediately began a rally that would not terminate until October of 1929. Followed by a now famous 1929 stock market crash and a massive 90% 3 year decline. The cycle terminated at the bottom in 1932, completing the 17.5 year bull market cycle at that time.

*Note: It is important to address the 1929-1932 bear market and its impact on the overall 1914-1932 Bull Market cycle. It is a complex matter to discuss without sufficient background or understanding, but the final (short-term) structural composition of this Bull Cycle inverted over the last 3 years (1929-1932). Mostly due to a massive rally between 1924-1929 and a number of down cycles converging on this time period at the same time.  Regardless, the overall cycle lasted 17.5 years.

  • 17 Year BEAR Market (1932 bottom to 1949 bottom): The cycle originated at the bottom in July of 1932 and lasted until June of 1949. During this period of time we had a post great depression bounce, 1937 crash and World War 2. Yet, despite the overall upward trajectory, this clearly defined 1949 bottom remained 60% below its 1929 top and well below both its 1937 and 1942 tops.
  • 17 Year BULL Market (1949 bottom to 1966 top): The market surged higher between 1949 bottom and 1966 top. This was the so called “Golden Age” of post war reconstruction and the American industrial boom. During this time the Dow appreciated over 500% in a clearly defined bull market cycle.
  • 16.5 Year BEAR Market (1966 top to 1982 bottom): The market stayed relatively flat during this period of time with a few notable declines of 30-50%. With the 1972-1974 mid cycle decline of 54% being the largest one.  This clearly defined bear market completed in August of 1982. Approximately 25% below its 1966 top.
  • 17.5 Year BULL Market (1982 bottom to 2000 top): A very well known period and a clearly defined bull market. The market surged higher from its August of 1982 bottom to reach its historic top in January of 2000. During this time the Dow appreciated over 1,400% in one of the strongest bull markets in history.
  • 17 Year BEAR Market (2000 top to 2017 bottom): Even though the market is sitting near all time highs (as of this writing in January of 2014) and even though most people have assumed that the new bull market has started, in relative terms the market hasn’t appreciated very much since its top in 2000. The Nasdaq is still down. Plus, with the final down leg of this bear market being ahead of us (based on my mathematical and timing work), the BEAR market of 2000-2017 should complete itself in a negative territory or below its 2000 top.

It is important to note that the small variation (of +/- 1 year) in duration of these cycles is caused by smaller or larger cycles arriving at the same time. As such and based on the cycles above, we are no longer working in an arbitrary fashion when it comes to predicting the stock market.  In other words, if the stock market repeats a clearly defined 17-18 year Bull/Bear cycle over a 220 year period of time (since 1790) and does so without interruption,  it is safe to assume that the future is predictable and not random.

THE 5 YEAR CYCLE IN THE STOCK MARKET

One other easily identifiable cycle within the stock market is the 5 year cycle. These 5 year cycles represent one completed growth pattern or one completed Bull or Bear cycle. Typically, they tend to appear for 5 years, disappear and then reappear at a certain point in the future. While they are not sequential as the 17-18 year cycle above, once their place within the overall stock market is understood, they show up at exactly the right time.  For instance,

  • 1914 -1920: Bull Market
  • 1924-1929: Bull Market (followed by a 1929 crash)
  • 1932-1937: Bull Market (followed by a 1937 crash)
  • 1937-1942: Bear Market
  • 1966-1971: Bear Market
  • 1982-1987: Bull Market (followed by a 1987 crash)
  • 1994-2000: Bull Market (followed by a 2000 crash)
  • 2002-2007: Bull Market (followed by a 2007 crash)
  • 2009- July of 2014: Bull Market

One thing to understand about these 5 Year cycles is that they are exact. They have much lower level variance as compared to their longer counterparts. Essentially, we are NOT talking about 5 years +/- 6 months. We are talking about 5 years +/- a few days. For instance, the 2002-2007cycle started on October 10th, 2002 (at 2002 bottom) and terminated on October 11th, 2007. If you are counting, that is exactly 5 Years and 1 day or scary accurate. I encourage you to study the other cycles outlined above in order to prove to yourself how shockingly accurate they all are.

 CONCLUSION: 

In summary, predicting a bear market of 2015-2017 is rather simple.  All 17-18 year bear cycles end with a 2-3 year bear market. For instance, 1912-1914, 1946-1949 and 1979-1982. And while most believe that the secular bear market ended at 2009 bottom, that is not the case. The secular bear market of 2000-2017 is still in effect and will terminate only when the year 2017 is reached. Although the final price bottom will be higher than the mid-cycle bottom reached in March of 2009.

Further, the 5-Year cycle that started on March 6th, 2009 bottom terminated on July 16th, 2014 (Look at NYSE for confirmation). Suggesting that the stock market is now ready to initiate its bear leg (despite recent higher highs). When I combine this cyclical analysis with the rest of my mathematical and timing work, the outcome is crystal clear. A severe bear market of 2015-2017 is just around the corner.

This conclusion is further supported by my mathematical and timing work. It clearly shows a severe bear market between 2015-2017. In fact, when it starts it will very quickly retrace most of the gains accrued over the last few years.  If you would be interested in learning when the bear market of 2015-2017 will start (to the day) and its internal composition, please CLICK HERE.

(***Please NoteA bear market might have started already, I am simply not disclosing this information. Due to my obligations to my Subscribers I am unable to provide you with more exact forecasts. In fact, I am being “Wishy Washy” at best with my FREE daily updates here. If you would be interested in exact forecasts, dates, times and precise daily coverage, please Click Here). Daily Stock Market Update. August 7th, 2015  InvestWithAlex.com

Did you enjoy this article? If so, please share our blog with your friends as we try to get traction. Gratitude!!!

Shocking: The Real Reason Behind Stock Market’s Decline & What’s Next Google

COT Reports & Weekly Market Calendar – August 7th, 2015

COT Reports: If you are not familiar, the Commitments of Traders (COT) reports provide a breakdown of each Tuesday’s open interest for markets in which 20 or more traders hold positions. In other words, it gives us a preview of what commercial interests are buying or selling. As the theory goes, we want to be on the same side of the trade as the big guys.

While not a good timing tool, currencies, commodities and the stock market (to a lesser extent) tend to move in the direction of the bets made by the commercial players. Not always, but often enough.

Latest data, as of August 4th, 2015

Currencies: 

  • USD:  3K Long Vs. 82K Short – Significant short interest remains. No major changes.
  • Canadian Dollar: 88K Long Vs. 4K Short – Net increase in commercials net long position.
  • British Pound: 46K Long Vs. 37K Short – Remains neutral.
  • Japanese Yen: 134K Long Vs. 16K Short – Net decrease in short interest. A large long position in Yen remains.
  • Euro: 133K Long Vs. 17K Short – Significant long position remains. No changes.
  • Australian Dollar: 135K Long Vs. 1K Short- Significant long position. Slight increase in long position. Massive long position remains.

Conclusion: Based on the information above, commercial interests expect the US Dollar to decline while Canadian Dollar, Euro, Yen and Australian Dollar rally. British pound is neutral. 

Markets/Commodities/Volatility: 

  • E-Mini S&P 500: 279K Long Vs. 538K Short – Few changes. A substantial short position remains.
  • VIX: 74K Long Vs. 18K Short – No changes. A substantial long position suggests market turbulence ahead.
  • Gold: 86K Long Vs. 57K Short – Slight increase in net long exposure. Still neutral.

Conclusion: Based on the information above, commercial interests expect the stock market to decline as volatility surges higher. Gold is likely to remain within its trading range. 

Next Week’s Market Calendar: 

  • Q-2 Earnings.
  • Thursday – Retail Sales

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COT Reports & Weekly Market Calendar – August 7th, 2015 Google