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Shocking: The Real Reason Behind January Sell-Off & What Happens Next

Daily Chart AJanuary 29 InvestWithAlex1/29/2016 – A positive day with the Dow Jones up 392 points (+2.42%) and the Nasdaq up 107 points (+2.38%) 

After a scary August and September of 2015, bulls have been able to declare a victory of sorts in October/November. Erasing most of the earlier losses and leading the market to one of the best performing months in years (October). So much so that most investors believed, wrongly I might add, that the Dow 20K was once again just around the corner.

Unfortunately, the Dow topped out on November 3rd and then proceeded to oscillate violently for close to two months before initiating a massive sell-off on December 29th. The speed of the subsequent sell-off into January 20th bottom caught many people by surprise. Not us. We were expecting it all along. And if you are wondering why and/or what happens once today’s bounce plays itself out, I encourage you to check our long-term analysis below.

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. January 29th  InvestWithAlex.com

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Shocking: The Real Reason Behind January Sell-Off & What Happens Next  Google

COT Reports & Weekly Market Calendar – January 29th, 2016

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 January 26th, 2016

Currencies: 

  • USD:  1K Long Vs. 57K Short – No changes. Substantial short interest remains.
  • Canadian Dollar: 81K Long Vs. 3K Short – No changes. Significant long interest remains.
  • British Pound: 190K Long Vs. 5K Short – Slight increase in net long exposure. British pound remains bullish.
  • Japanese Yen: 63K Long Vs. 94K Short – Neutral.
  • Euro: 134K Long Vs. 37K Short – Slight increase in net short exposure. Euro remain bullish.
  • Australian Dollar: 85K Long Vs. 1K Short – Slight decrease in net long exposure. Significant long position remains.

Conclusion: Based on the information above, commercial interests expect the US Dollar to decline while Canadian Dollar, British Pound, Euro  and Australian Dollar rally. Japanese Yen is neutral. This is consistent with our view that the FED won’t raise rates by much. 

Markets/Commodities/Volatility: 

  • E-Mini S&P 500: 387K Long Vs. 353K Short – Net neutral position remains.
  • Nasdaq 100-Mini: 38K Long Vs. 128K Short – Sizable short position. Slight decrease in net short position.
  • VIX: 23K Long Vs. 69K Short –  Significant decrease in net long exposure. VIX is now bearish.
  • Gold: 43 Long Vs. 60K Short – Gold remains neutral.

Conclusion: Based on the information above, commercial interests are now net neutral the S&P and gold. At the same time, commercials now have a very large short position on the Nasdaq. That is important. VIX turned bearish. 

Next Week’s Market Calendar: 

  • Q-4 Earnings. 
  • Friday, February 5th: Payroll/Unemployment

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COT Reports & Weekly Market Calendar – January 22nd, 2016 Google

Facebook Shorts Should Thank Their Lucky Stars

Facebook Chart2

Let me tell you a quick story first. As most indices pushed to their respective all time highs in April and May of 2015, I was building a heavy short position. Most investors thought I was crazy. Even perma bears like Marc Faber were throwing in the towel at the time, suggesting the markets might never go down again due to the FED’s intervention.

At one point I got so excited that I published this Why Short Sellers Should Be Thanking GOD At least one of my readers didn’t have a sense of humor, sending me a few choice words in return.

Nevertheless, it was a great call. The higher the market pushed the better of an opportunity it was to short.

I feel the same way about the Facebook (FB) today. I continue to maintain that this is one of the best short opportunities out there. And the higher the stock goes…. the better. I have outlined my reasoning for shorting Facebook (FB) here What You Ought To Know About Shorting Facebook & Getting Rich

And with Thursday’s massive $10 gap higher, it’s nearly a certainty that Facebook will have to close this gap and push below $90 a share. Perhaps on the way to another massive gap it left behind. At $20 a share.

Now,  the only remaining question is WHEN? If you are long-term investor, willing to ride this short position out, anytime would be a good opportunity. If you want more exact timing, when the market completes today’s bounce and reverses again. If you would like to know when that happens, please Click Here. 

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Facebook Shorts Should Thank Their Lucky Stars Google

Should Bears Expect A Massive Rally…

Daily Chart AJanuary 28 InvestWithAlex

1/28/2016 – A positive day with the Dow Jones up 125 points (+0.78%) and the Nasdaq up 38 points (+0.86%)

….perhaps to new all time highs?

That is certainly possible and it would make sense to explore this notion further. Here is a good take on a subject matter.

First, investor sentiment is definitely point towards a reversal.

investor sentiment

As I have mentioned here over the last few weeks, most sentiment indicators are oversold and point to some sort of a rally. As the chart above suggests. Some of these indicators are at extreme levels. Perplexing some of the bulls/bears, including yours truly, as to why the bounce thus far has been so weak.

Opposing View: While sentiment indicators point towards a reversal, it is not set in stone. At certain times markets can decline substantially while sentiment indicators stay relatively flat. Most of the crashes or bear market acceleration points have started under oversold conditions. If it was as easy as going long now, well, everyone would be making money hand over fist.

Second, the structural sell-off off of November 3rd, 2015 top is riddled with massive down gaps. So much so that the Dow in particular looks like a pound of Swiss cheese. With gaps all the way up to 17,500. Actually, the Dow still has an unfilled gap as high as 18,100 from June of last year.

Why is that important?

Markets tend to close their gaps. That in itself suggests a massive rally ahead. But that doesn’t guarantee a rally either. While most of these gaps will have to be closed, there is no written rule on when. It might be years and only after a much larger market sell-off plays itself out.

Finally, some sort of a oil rebound can send the market surging higher. Right? Maybe. We have discussed oil in our earlier post today. And while the correlation is likely to hold both ways, there is no indication that oil prices have bottomed. As I have mentioned earlier, oil might push much lower. Dragging the stock market lower, not higher.

That is to say, while there are quite a few indicators pointing towards a massive rally, the market might fail to deliver. At the very least, “Buy the Dip” crowd should be very cautious here.

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.January 28th 2016  InvestWithAlex.com

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Should Bears Expect A Massive Rally… Google

The Best Way To Play The Oil Bottom Is…..

Russia - RSX - InvestWithAlex

to buy Russia (RSX). More on that in a second……

First, there are a few things telling me that the oil bottom might be quite a ways off and some people might not even believe where it finally bottoms. What makes me say so? Well, everyone is looking for the bottom. That typically suggests that such a bottom is no where near today’s levels.

Case and point…..

He said the bank expected oil prices to rise between $70 and $75 a barrel by the fourth quarter. He said that projection already took into account the entry of Iran, which Standard Chartered estimated would add 400,000 barrels a day in global supply.

Perhaps. If we study structural or long-term bottoms in the stock market or commodities we notice one thing. When they arrive, most investors are nowhere to be found. First, they are so utterly disgusted with the asset in question, they wouldn’t touch it with a 12 foot pole. Obviously oil is nowhere near that point.

Second, no one would be looking for a bottom as most investors would believe that the underlying class would never recover. And with every day trading grandma trying to time the oil bottom, that is obviously not the case with oil today. Perhaps Mr. Cramer is right and oil will have to go to $10 or lower, no matter how crazy that sounds today, before some sort of a structural bottom is put in place.

With that in mind, buying Russia as a whole might be your best bet here. Of course, when the time is right. As was outlined here Is It Time To Buy Russia (RSX)?

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The Best Way To Play The Oil Bottom Is….. Google

What You Ought To Know About Today’s Fundamental Picture

Daily Chart AJanuary 27 InvestWithAlex

1/27/2016 – A negative day with the Dow Jones down 223 points (-1.38%) and the Nasdaq down 99 points (-2.18%)

I am sick and tired of talking about the FED. The view expressed here last night What To Expect Out Of The Fed is just as accurate today as it was six months ago. Nothing has changed. The Fed cannot avoid the “Judgement Day”. It is time we talk about something else.

Today, you can easily find very smart people on both sides of the market. And while some suggest that a new secular bull market is just starting up, others see nothing but trouble ahead. Let’s explore.

“We’re actually kind of early or still maybe in the middle innings of a bull market, and we’re not near the end as many think,” she said. Where we think investors want to go now are dividend growth stocks,” she said. “These are companies that might not have the highest yields around, but they have the best potential to grow their yields.”

Well, that’s kind of exciting….isn’t it?  According to both analysts the stock market is about to surge higher. And while one suggests a bull market will continue for many years to come, the other implies it will terminate soon, but only after a blow off top is put in place.

In other words, load up on call options.

I am just a little confused as to why it would start now if this bull leg initiated at 2009 bottom. Also, I find it curious that everyone is awaiting some sort of a blow off top. First, the market rarely repeats itself and/or gives investors what they want. And second, couldn’t we all be friends and consider May 19th top on the S&P/Dow and June 20th on the Nasdaq as blow off tops? I was there and they definitely felt like “blow off” tops to me. At least at the time and if you were shorting the market. On the flip side……

I would encourage you to check out the last article. It has quite a bit more substance than your average “buy the dip, asset allocation, bull market never ends, etc…” nonsense.

Given two widely different view points from equally intelligent people, who is right? 

I think we have to concentrate on the fundamentals to ascertain what happens next. Here is all you need to know.

  • Shiller’s S&P P/E Ratio is at 24. Fourth highest level in history. Right behind 1929, 2000 and 2007 tops. That measure alone suggests we are in a massive bubble.
  • Forward guidance in Q-3 was down 2%. Biggest drop since 2008. That suggests economic and earnings slowdown. Something I have covered here extensively.
  • Multiple technical patterns suggest the market is ready for another bear leg. Once today’s bounce works itself out.  For instance, the NYSE (largest index by capitalization) has been in distribution for 1.5 years, now getting ready to breakdown.
  • Etc..

Point being, I don’t think one has to be a genius to figure out what happens next.

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.January 27th 2016  InvestWithAlex.com

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What You Ought To Know About Today’s Fundamental Picture Google