The financial sector is poised for a very strong rally into the end of 2021, and early 2022 as revenues and earnings for Q4:2021 should continue to drive an upward price trend. The US Federal Reserve is keeping interest rates low. At the same time, the US consumer continues to drive home purchases and holiday shopping. Strong economic data should drive Q4 results for the financial sector close to levels we saw in Q3:2021. If that happens, we may see a robust rally in the US Financial sector over the next 45 to 60+ days.

The strength of the recent rally in the US major indexes shows just how powerful the bullish trend bias is right now. Some traders focus on the downside risks associated with the US Federal Reserve actions and/or the concerns related to inflation and global markets. I, however, continue to focus on the strength in the US major indexes and various sector trends that show real opportunities for profits.

Comparing Sector Strength

The following two US market sector charts highlight the performance over the last 12 vs. 24 months. I want readers to pay attention to how flat the Financial Sector has stayed since just before the 2020 COVID event and how the Financial Sector has started to trend higher over the past 12 months. This is because the shock of COVID briefly disrupted consumer activity. Yet, consumers are coming back strong, driving retail sales, home sales, and the continued strong US economic data. Therefore, it makes sense that the Financial sector should continue to show firm revenue and earnings growth while the US consumer is active and spending.

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Over the past two years, Discretionary, Technology, and Materials drove market growth compared to other sectors. Remember, the initial COVID virus event disrupted market sector trends over the last 24+ months.

(Source: StockChart.com)

Taking a look at this 1 Year US Market Sector chart shows how various sectors have rebounded and how the Discretionary and Materials sectors have flattened/weakened.

Pay attention to how the Energy and Real Estate sectors have been over the past 12 months. Also, pay attention to how the Financial sector is strengthening.

I believe that the continued deflation/deleveraging that is taking place throughout most of the world will continue to drive global central banks to stay relatively neutral regarding rising interest rates. This will likely prompt an easy money policy throughout most of 2022 and drive continued revenues/earnings for sectors associated with consumers’ engagement with the economy.

If inflation weakens into 2022 while wage and jobs data stays strong, we may see more moderate strength in the Financial, Healthcare, Discretionary, and Technology sectors over the next 6 to 12+ months.

Read more about Global Deleveraging Here: Delivering Covid Bubble Possible Volatility Risks In Foreign Markets

(Source: StockChart.com)

Financials May Pop 11% Or More Over The Next 6+ Months

This Weekly IYG, IShares US Financial Service ETF, highlights the recent sideways price trend in the Financial sector and the potential for a 9% to 13% rally that may take place as the markets shift into focus for the Q4:2021 earnings. Yes, inflation is still a concern, but as long as the US consumer continues spending and engaging in the economy, the Financial Services and US Banks should show strong returns.

If the US markets rally into the end of 2021, possibly reaching new all-time highs again, this trend may carry well into 2022 and drive Q4:2021 and Q1:2022 revenues and earnings for the Financial sector even higher.

This Weekly XLF chart shows a very similar setup to IYG. I firmly believe the recent fear in the markets related to the US Federal Reserve, the new COVID variants, and the global markets deleveraging process is missing one critical component – the strength of the US markets and the strength of the US Dollar.

As the rest of the world struggles to find support and economic strength, the US markets continue to rebound on the strength of the US consumer, the recovering economy, and the growth of these sectors. As long as the US Federal Reserve does not disrupt this trend, I believe Q1:2022 could be much more robust than many people consider. I also think the deflation/deleveraging process will work to take the pressures away from recent inflation trends.

What could this mean for 2022?

Early 2022 may well work as a “rebalancing” process for the global markets – possibly taking the pressures away from the strength in energy, commodities, and staple products/materials. This means pricing pressures will decrease while consumers are still earning and spending. The Financial sector should benefit from these trends over the next 6+ months.

Watch for the Financials to start to increase throughout the end of 2021 and into early 2022. There are many ways to consider trading this move, but ideally, I think the rally will take place before the end of February 2022.

Q1 is usually relatively strong, so that this trend may last well into April/May 2022. It all depends on what happens that could disrupt the current market sector trends. If nothing happens to disrupt the strength of the US Dollar and the strength of the US markets, then I believe the Financial Sector has a very strong opportunity for at least 10% to 11% growth.

Want to learn more about the potential for a financial sector rally?

Learn how I use specific tools to help me understand price cycles, set-ups, and price target levels. Over the next 12 to 24+ months, I expect very large price swings in the US stock market and other asset classes across the globe. I believe the markets are starting to transition away from the continued central bank support rally phase and may start a revaluation phase as global traders attempt to identify the next big trends. Precious Metals will likely start to act as a proper hedge as caution and concern start to drive traders/investors into Metals.

If you need technically proven trading and investing strategies using ETFs to profit during market rallies and to avoid/profit from market declines, be sure to join me at TEP – Total ETF Portfolio.

Have a great day!

Chris Vermeulen
Chief Market Strategist

Chris sits down with Craig Hemke of Sprott Money to talk about their Precious Metals forecast, latest moves, next year’s projections, and discuss commodity/food inflation.

Precious Metals have been struggling and trading sideways or lower all year. Based on the Fibonacci extension on both long-term charts and the recent bull-flag pattern, the 100% measured move for Gold is $2700 in 2022.

Silver’s chart is pointing to higher prices as well. Silver has this funny way of blasting through levels at a ridiculous rate and taking off. From a technical standpoint, a 69% gain or $38 per ounce level is the next measured move to the upside.

After a pretty wild year and another funky month, the lost year for precious metals comes to a close. But will 2022 be a better year for Gold and Silver?

Chris and Craig explore commodity inflation by looking at lumber (WOOD) and homebuilder (XHB) ETFs and food inflation concerns via the Agriculture ETF DBA.

SEE LATEST PRECIOUS METALS PROJECTION

Precious Metals Forecast

Get Chris Vermeulen’s Gold And Silver ETF Trade Signals.
www.TheTechnicalTraders.com

Disclaimer: None of this material is meant to be construed as investment advice. It is for education and entertainment purposes only. The video is accurate as of the posting date but may not be accurate in the future.

I get asked all the time what my opinions are regarding the markets. As much as I could go into really deep details regarding technical analysis and other factors of my research, the simple answer is that we’ve been living through 2~4+ years of incredible market trends and unprecedented global central bank efforts to support and contain market risks. This is something we have not seen at these levels since the end of WWII and after the Great Depression.

Is there a Speculative Bubble Deleveraging Risk In The Global Markets?

The one thing that keeps popping up in my mind is the deleveraging of credit/debt and speculative risk assets over the next 2 to 3+ years. Let me explain what I mean by this statement.

Before the first COVID event (February 2020), the global markets were already within a moderate strengthening phase with relatively stable global trade, economic, and central bank participation. Everyone was still waiting for inflation to rise while employment and economic data continued to strengthen. When COVID hit, things changed very quickly.

  • Global lockdowns disrupted the labor and supply markets.
  • Consumers shifted gears while settling (or moving) into more rural locations attempting to wait out the new COVID threat.
  • Global central banks and governments attempted to navigate the catastrophic COVID event while settling population and finance issues.
  • An unprecedented amount of stimulus, global central bank financing, and speculative capital was unleashed over a very short 3 to 4-year span of time.
  • The success of the global economy prior to 2020 prompted a very deep and efficient speculative market trend in 2020 and beyond.
  • Now, that speculative bubble appears to be bursting – at least in certain areas of the markets.

Let’s explore a bit of data and charts.

This first Monthly chart highlights trends in various global market indexes. ARKK, the ARK Innovation Fund, HSI, the Hang Seng Index, DAX, the DAX Index, SPY, the S&P 500 ETF, and HXC, the Golden Dragon China Index. Each of these represents a unique component of global markets and sectors.

ARKK represents technology, innovation, and a more broad global investment style focused on stronger or more highly volatile price trends.

HSI represents a broad market China Index that includes various markets sectors – including Technology, Medical, Consumer, Real Estate, Finance, and others. These companies are listed in China and do a majority of their business in China.

DAX represents a broad market German Index.

SPY represents a broad market US Index

HXC represents the US-listed Chinese Companies doing a majority of their business in China.

The purpose of showing you this chart is to highlight the deleveraging that is already taking place in ARKK, HXC, and the HSI. The DAX and the SPY are still trending higher, while the ARKK, HSI, and HXC are trending strongly to the downside.

It is my opinion that the global markets, particularly China/Asia, are already in the midst of a massive speculative deleveraging event – a post-bubble rally phase initial collapse process. Certain technicians sometimes call this an “unwinding” or “unraveling” event. Ultimately, the US has seen two of these types of events over the past 30 years – the 1999-2000 DOT COM bubble burst and the 2008-09 Housing Market collapse.

What I found interesting is the HXC price levels have already fallen to levels near the March 2020 COVID lows. Whereas the HSI price levels have also fallen to very near the March 2020 COVID lows, it has also fallen into negative price trending from 2014-15 price levels.

Could Speculative Deleveraging Stay Localized This Time?

I think global volatility and bigger price trends will be something we need to prepare for in 2022 and 2023 – possibly even longer. Yet, my opinion is the US, and other stronger global economies may be partially immune from this speculative deleveraging event.

Why?

Because not every US corporation or citizen has put themselves in a similar scenario as I believe many in China and Asia possibly have after nearly 30+ years of extreme growth trends.

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The US has experienced the 1999-2000 DOT COM bubble and the 2008-09 Housing Market crisis over the past 30 years. At the same time, China/Asia has grown from moderate obscurity in the 1980s-1990s into extensively powerful economies. Along the way, over a relatively short period of time, a generation or two of the populous has seen assets rise thousands of percent over the past 20 years. This leads to a highly speculative investment class – almost feeling as though anything they touch turns to gold.

But it doesn’t always work out that way – does it?

This HXC chart highlights the incredible rally after the February 2020 COVID event as well as the moderate growth phase from 2005 to 2016. Notice the big growth that took place in 2017. This was a period of very strong economic growth where Chinese companies started listing on US exchanges to tap into a strong US investor class.

After COVID hit in 2020, this speculative investing trend skyrockets over 180%. Then, it collapsed.

Bitcoin May Follow This Deleveraging Trend If Panic Sets In

The recent rally and peak in Bitcoin have also caught my interest in seeing if this deleveraging event follows through in large Cryptos? Since the initial Bitcoin collapse in early 2021, Bitcoin has rallied strongly as the US markets recovered and inflation started to rise later in 2021. Now, a very strong pullback in Bitcoin has started at the same time large Chinese Real Estate developers and other corporations are beginning to experience severe credit/debt concerns.

Is there a correlation between Chinese/Asian consumer/economic strength and Bitcoin? Has the rise in Bitcoin prices over the past since 2015 been fueled by the rising speculative and investment trends in China/Asia?

We’ll know soon enough.

If the global markets continue this process of speculative trading deleveraging, we’re going to see an increase in volatility and deeper price trends take place before the process completes. I suspect there is a huge amount of underlying credit/debt that is struggling in certain areas of the world right now. This type of speculation tends to drive a mentality of FOMO (fear of missing out) and YOLO (you only live once). I remember after the DOT COM bubble burst, I would talk to people that were so entrenched in the bubble, and they bought all the way through the collapse – believing it would bounce back.

This deleveraging event should stay somewhat immune from certain larger market economies. Yes, there will likely be more volatility and bigger price swings. But, eventually, the strength of consumers and economic trends will settle most of this process fairly quickly for the largest global economies.

2022 and 2023 are sure to be great years for traders. Sectors will rotate and trend. The world’s strongest economies will rotate and trend. The increased volatility will create risks, but it will also create incredible opportunities for profits.

Get ready; it looks like this deleveraging event is just getting started.

Want to learn more about deleveraging and volatility risks in the markets?

Learn how I use specific tools to help me understand price cycles, set-ups, and price target levels. Over the next 12 to 24+ months, I expect very large price swings in the US stock market and other asset classes across the globe. I believe the markets are starting to transition away from the continued central bank support rally phase and may start a revaluation phase as global traders attempt to identify the next big trends. Precious Metals will likely start to act as a proper hedge as caution and concern start to drive traders/investors into Metals.

If you need technically proven trading and investing strategies using ETFs to profit during market rallies and to avoid/profit from market declines, be sure to join me at TEP – Total ETF Portfolio.

Have a great day!

Chris Vermeulen
Chief Market Strategist

WOOD & XHB ETF trader tip: Using the charts, Chris Vermeulen at The Technical Traders goes over the Materials ETF WOOD and the Homebuilders ETF XHB. WOOD has had a very strong run from the covid lows and has been flagging sideways for a good chunk of this year, really forming what looks to be a big basing formation.

XHB has been performing exceptionally well over the last month and a half. It had a fairly minor pullback and started to reverse back up to the recent highs. Based on the charts, we have a potential for about a 14% rally, if the stock market can find a bottom and start to rally and continue to extend into the end of the year.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WOOD & XHB ETF – WATCH THE VIDEO

Subscribers: Please let us know what you would like to learn and we will add it to the roster of our weekly Technical Trader Tips!

Non-subscribers: Please enjoy these micro-lessons as a way to further your education and understanding of how a technical trader…well…trades!

TO EXPLORE THE DIFFERENT TRADING STRATEGIES CHRIS OFFERS, PLEASE VISIT US AT THE TECHNICAL TRADERS. YOU’VE GOT MORE TO GAIN THAN TO LOSE WHEN SEEKING INFORMATION!

Disclaimer: None of this material is meant to be construed as investment advice. It is for education and entertainment purposes only. The video is accurate as of the posting date but may not be accurate in the future.

As we’ve been watching the markets recoil away from risks related to the new Omicron COVID variant and other factors, one simple thought keeps running through my head. What if the markets suddenly shift away from this panic selling and resume a rally/recovery trend – possibly pushing to new all-time highs before the end of the year?

Recently, the Put/Call ratio reached a moderate-high near 0.84. I interpret this as long traders buying protection in the event of an extended breakdown in the US/global markets. In the past, typically, when the Put/Call ratio reaches levels above 0.80 – the markets are very close to a bottom.

Prior Downside GAPS Setup A Potential Rip-Your-Face-Off Rally

Next, I noticed the GAP in price on the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Transportation Index. That got me thinking, “a sudden reversal in price, possibly resulting in a series of price squeeze events, may prompt a strong rally phase back above the GAP levels.” If this happens, we may see a 5% to 7% rally in the US markets take place to restart the Santa Rally phase.

INDU Gap Near $35,600 May Become A Clear Upside Target

This Daily INDU chart shows the GAP I’m talking about and shows what I expect may happen if the markets shake off the Omicron fears and get back into bullish trending mode.  It won’t take much to drive the INDU 7% higher from recent lows if fear subsides and traders pile into long positions expecting Q4:2021 to be strong and the Santa Rally to kick in.

TRAN Gap Near $16,800 May Provide Additional Confirmation Of A Bullish Rally Phase

This Daily TRAN chart shows a similar GAP in price that could also trigger a big rally towards new all-time highs if the markets suddenly shift gears. The fear that settled over the global markets because of the Omicron virus strain may have pushed the markets into a fairly deep pullback. As we’ve seen repeatedly, when these pullbacks end, the US markets shift back into strong bullish price trending and often rally to new all-time highs.

This GAP on the TRAN chart may further confirm that the downside price pressure has ended and a new rally phase is setting up for the US markets.

Just a few days ago, I posted a research article showing results from a proprietary data mining utility I use that illustrated the typical bullish market strength in November and December. You can read that article here: Thetechnicaltraders.com.

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I believe the global markets will attempt to move past the fear we’ve seen related to the Omicron virus strain. It is becoming more evident that many nations are already somewhat prepared to deal with it throughout December/January. If there is sudden news that it, or any new virus strain, is far more dangerous, things could change very quickly. But I believe the US markets are searching for support and are very likely to end 2021 at or near new all-time highs – supporting a very strong Santa Rally.

Watch for end-of-day SQUEEZE events to push price levels higher and higher over the next few days – possibly targeting these GAP areas or higher.

Want to learn more about what affects the markets?

Learn how I use specific tools to help me understand price cycles, set-ups, and price target levels. Over the next 12 to 24+ months, I expect very large price swings in the US stock market and other asset classes across the globe. I believe the markets are starting to transition away from the continued central bank support rally phase and may start a revaluation phase as global traders attempt to identify the next big trends. Precious Metals will likely start to act as a proper hedge as caution and concern start to drive traders/investors into Metals.

If you need technically proven trading and investing strategies using ETFs to profit during market rallies and to avoid/profit from market declines, be sure to join me at TEP – Total ETF Portfolio.

Have a great day!

Chris Vermeulen
Chief Market Strategist

Almost all of the US and global markets volatility has taken place over the last 6+ trading days. Even though economic data continues to show a strengthening US economy and jobs market, the news of the Omicron COVID variant has spooked the global markets. I’m going to illustrate how the markets are nearing critical support levels that are a “Do-Or-Die” level for the market, in my opinion.

Let’s get right into the charts – shall we?

NASDAQ Support Near $15,721 Should Act As A Solid Floor

This NASDAQ chart highlights the orange support level near $15,271 that I believe will act as a HARD FLOOR/SUPPORT for the US markets. We may see $14,750 become the next downside target level if the NQ falls below this level on strong selling. If this support level holds, then I expect the US markets to resume a rally trend and attempt to target $17,000 or higher before the end of 2021.

Custom US Stock Market Index Confirms Support Near $15,721

This Custom US Stock Market Weekly Chart highlights the key support channel that originates in early 2021 and spans across recent lows (the DARK BLUE LINE). My opinion is that the alignment of the $15,721 support level from the chart above and this key support channel on the Custom US Stock Market Index chart creates a confluence of critical support. This level becomes a “Do-Or-Die” level for the markets to attempt to bottom and recover going forward.

Custom Volatility Index Sets Up A Deep Potential Bottom Level

Lastly, this Weekly Custom Volatility Index chart highlights the multiple deep downside support ranges that have continued to drive future price rallies since the original COVID collapse. The current Custom Volatility Index level is below the last two pullbacks in the US markets and well within the support channel from late 2020 and early 2021.

This Custom Volatility Index would clearly show a breakdown in the US markets by moving below the 6.0 to 6.50 level on strong selling pressure. That is currently not happening, and I suspect the lack of real selling pressure reflects a panic selling mode – not a change in true price trend.

My opinion is the US markets will struggle to hold near recent lows – attempting to hammer out a bottom/base over the next few days. If these critical support levels fail to prompt a bottom in price, we’ll know soon enough. The markets can stay irrational far longer than many people expect.

The next 2 to 5+ trading days should clearly show us if these support levels and channels are solid or not. If the global markets are going to continue to move lower, we should find out soon enough.

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If I’m correct and the markets do hold up near these support channels, we may begin to see a new “Rip-Your-Face-Off” rally phase to start a powerful Santa Rally closing out 2021. That would be incredible to witness and experience.

Watch for support near $15,721 to $15,750 on the NQ over the next 5+ trading days. I believe that level is the “Do-Or-Die” level for the markets going forward.

Curious to Learn More about global markets?

Learn how I use specific tools to help me understand price cycles, set-ups, and price target levels. Over the next 12 to 24+ months, I expect very large price swings in the US stock market and other asset classes across the globe. I believe the markets are beginning to transition away from the continued central bank support rally phase and may start a revaluation phase as global traders attempt to identify the next big trends. Precious Metals will likely begin to act as a proper hedge as caution and concern start to drive traders/investors into Metals.

If you need technically proven trading and investing strategies using ETFs to profit during market rallies and to avoid/profit from market declines, be sure to join me at TEP – Total ETF Portfolio.

Have a great day!

Chris Vermeulen
Chief Market Strategist

Global financial markets were already hobbled by the original COVID-19 virus – struggling to regain their economic foundation after many months of the unprecedented central bank, government, and humanitarian efforts to move us towards recovery.  Now, the Omicron strain of the COVID virus has potentially toppled the apple cart while global inflationary and economic concerns are peaking.  What’s next?

Why Traders Need To Consider Future Risks

This recent article caught my attention as I caught up on today’s morning events (Source: Yahoo! Finance). It highlights the incredible inflationary trends occurring because of disrupted supply channels related to the original COVID-19 disruption. Could you imaging what would happen if a new virus strain prompted further lockdowns and labor/supply disruptions for another 12+ months – or longer?

The massive amounts of stimulus and money printing that has taken place over the last 4+ years by global central banks may be acting as an anchor for growth and starting to weigh down global markets. Easy money policies lead individuals and corporations to borrow more and more capital expecting growing returns from sales. What happens when we start to see a mild economic slowdown take place, possibly complicated by inflationary price trends and consumers that pull away from making big purchases?

That exact type of scenario is playing out in China right now, and it is relatively easy to see that excessive debt and lack of economic growth lead to a disastrous outcome (Source: Yahoo! News). When you add extreme inflation into that mix, the equation becomes even more volatile.

Why is the stock market falling again?

The answer is pretty clear I think. Traders and investors around the globe continue to fear the worst for the new Omnicron COVID strain, and for good reasons.

  • They don’t see the current vaccines working on it – yet.
  • Various countries are talking about lockdowns again.
  • Unemployment could spike.
  • Inflation could spike out of control if lockdowns happen.
  • The stock market could collapse.
  • Housing could collapse.
  • Certain Global Central Banks & Governments Could Collapse.
  • And many more…
  • I will show you how to protect and grow your capital with a simple strategy.

Custom Index Show Price Weakness has Already started

This Weekly Smart Cash Index, which tracks global market trends more efficiently, shows a decidedly Bearish price trend has been in place since February/March 2021. On the right edge of the chart, the recent price weakness is about to break below the $177 level – breaking downwards and attempting to reach new price lows.

This downward pressure on global markets shows how the US markets are acting in an opposite trend (trending higher right now) while global markets have experienced an extended price decline over the past 8+ months. If the Omicron virus strain prompts new lockdowns and/or supply and labor disruptions, we may see a significant collapse in foreign markets over the next 6 to 12+ months. Possibly taking place while inflation spikes higher – leading to a bigger problem for economies struggling to recover.

This Weekly Custom Volatility Index highlights a very interesting divergence between price trending and the RSI trends. While the Volatility Index was pushing higher and higher over the past 6+ months, RSI shifted into a downtrend – suggesting the momentum of the US stock market uptrend was weakening dramatically.

Now, with Omicron here, the US markets could break downward – pushing the Custom Volatility Index back below 6.0 or 7.0 and possibly falling to extreme lows near 1.0 or 2.0 for an extended period.

Reality Check!

Generally, there is no easy or quick way to make money/build wealth, especially if it happens to almost everyone at the same time, which we are all experiencing.

With equities and home values surging this past year, nearly everyone has seen their wealth/investments jump 50 – 100+% with very little effort. These types of gains are not normal. It’s an anomaly, a glitch in the system, or a short-term windfall because of an event, something has been rigged/manipulated for it to happen.

The wealth you have accumulated in the past year must be protected as if your life depends on it. I hate to burst everyone’s bubble, but if you feel it’s easy to make money with stocks and real estate and you do not think you need to protect it, then you may be in for a rude awakening. When bubbles burst and manipulation stops working, prices revert to the mean or worse very quickly. Everyone without a game plan/strategy is caught off guard.

My last index investing entry signal from June 2020 is up over 55% and keeps collecting dividends. This type of annual return is not normal for a simple investing strategy. Also, the shorter-term index trades I do continue to pull money out of the market with each new market cycle and are collecting dividends along the way as well.

I’m protecting my capital and those who follow me because eventually, one of these market corrections will turn into a crash, or very long bear market and wipe out everything you earned since the covid event in 2020, and possibly much more.

As much as I want and expect the market to keep rallying to new highs, you MUST have a game plan in case that does not happen. The number one rule that all successful traders and investors live by, is knowing where you will exit a position if things do not work out.

Do you know where and when you should move to cash,bonds, or gold if things start to get ugly?

If you are a passive investor and want to know when to move your retirement account out of stocks to avoid a bear market, I can help. This simple market cycle gauge uses technical analysis, momentum, and sentiment to know when major trends have reversed direction. This strategy will reduce portfolio volatility and can help you retire with an account 2-4x larger by avoiding bear markets and entering at a lower price.

If you are a more active investor or trader and want to profit from market rallies and be protected during more minor market corrections by moving your money from the stock index ETF into the Bond ETF when things become uncertain or get ugly, I share these TEP trading signals and positions as well.

This week, and possibly even TODAY, this market could trigger a position change that could save/make you a lot of money depending on how you are currently positioned.

If you need technically proven trading and investing strategies using ETFs to profit during market rallies and to avoid/profit from market declines, be sure to join me at TEP – Total ETF Portfolio.

Have a great day!

Chris Vermeulen
Chief Market Strategist

SMH ETF trader tip: Using the charts, Technical Traders goes over the Technology Sector SMH ETF’s recent runs and price actions. We’ve seen a big run-up from the Covid lows back in March. During this time choppy price action occurred indicating a bull flag formation or a running correction to the upside.

The charts are pointing to dramatically higher prices for the Technology Sector. We’ve definitely seen a shift as of last week with the new covid strain. Money flowed out of energy and financials and global transportation is now facing the potential, or worse the reality of locking down once more. Using Fibonacci extension to gauge a 100% measured move, the Technology sector could potentially be acting as a safe haven based on recent price actions.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SMH ETF – WATCH THE VIDEO

Subscribers: Please let us know what you would like to learn and we will add it to the roster of our weekly Technical Trader Tips!

Non-subscribers: Please enjoy these micro-lessons as a way to further your education and understanding of how a technical trader…well…trades!

TO EXPLORE THE DIFFERENT TRADING STRATEGIES CHRIS OFFERS, PLEASE VISIT US AT THE TECHNICAL TRADERS. YOU’VE GOT MORE TO GAIN THAN TO LOSE WHEN SEEKING INFORMATION!

Disclaimer: None of this material is meant to be construed as investment advice. It is for education and entertainment purposes only. The video is accurate as of the posting date but may not be accurate in the future.

I received many messages and emails asking my opinions related to the recent market volatility and sideways trending in the US markets. Many traders see the recent downward price trend as a warning of a potential shift in trends. Yet, I see it as normal November volatility in price and wanted to share some data to support my conclusions.

Even though I’m not dismissing some external event, like a sudden US Fed move or some foreign market event, historically, the US markets enter a reasonably strong Christmas/Santa rally phase at this time every year. The increasing volatility usually starts to build in September/October – reaching a peak in October/November every year. December’s trends are traditionally much more muted and consolidated.

The NASDAQ continues to trend in a narrowing price channel created by the COVID and post-COVID rotation/rally. Recently, we’ve seen the biggest volatility breakdown in price take place last August/September. Once October started, the NASDAQ began another rally phase that carried into November.

As November comes to a close, I expect a moderate rally to continue melting price higher that will likely carry into December 2021.

Historical Price Data Paints A Very Clear Picture For Traders

I’ve pulled together some data using my proprietary price modeling and data mining utility to illustrate these trends more clearly. I’ve pulled data from the QQQ and the SPY to help readers understand what to expect as we move closer to closing out 2021.

Overall, November is usually a moderately volatile month in the markets. I’m providing data from a proprietary data mining tool I use that helps me understand historical volatility and price trends throughout various months and seasons. Allow me to explain this data so you can learn to pull more subtle inferences from it – as I do.

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First, the Largest Monthly POS/NEG (Positive/Negative) ranges show us volatility ranges and general price trending capabilities. The span between the POS and NEG values reflects volatility for any given month. For that month, the strength, or Trend Bias, should be evident by looking for the largest POS or largest NEG value.

Second, the Total Monthly POS/NEG values reflect how data was distributed and the associated volatility related to each side of price trends. Larger POS ranges show greater volatility to the upside. Larger NEG ranges show greater volatility to the downside. Additionally, pay attention to the distribution across the total number of months for each POS or NEG Monthly Totals. These show how dominant trending is or is not.

Last, the Total Monthly Sum values provide some general guidance regarding the strength of trending and momentum likely within each month. Total Sum values that are larger than the POS/NEG values indicate stronger momentum trends within each monthly period.

I’ve broken this data into QQQ and SPY blocks to see how the data differs between these two US major indexes.

QQQ Historical Price Data Mining Results

The QQQ data consists of 23 years of monthly historical data. Allow me to try to share my analysis of this data with you.

  • September is generally quite volatile with a predominance of downward price trending overall. In fact, the considerable Total Monthly Sum value shows September can show strong downside price trends closing out the month. September showed 12 NEG months and 11 POS months, so September is basically 50/50 in terms of trend direction – leaning slightly heavier towards downward trending.
  • October reflects even bigger volatility and usually closes higher to represent a moderate recovery from September. October’s Total Monthly bars show 15 POS and 8 NEG – showing solid bullish trending potential.
  • November shows the biggest historical volatility and usually closes moderately higher overall. This is usually when the Christmas Rally begins – where traders expect strong end-of-year bullish trending. November’s Total Monthly bars show 17 POS and 6 NEG – showing very strong bullish trending potential.
  • December reflects more mild volatility with continued bullish trending. The POS/NEG values range is much smaller than October & November – yet still larger than September. The smaller Total Sum value suggests trending is a bit more muted on average but still generally bullish. December’s Total Monthly bars show 11 POS and 1 NEG – showing another 50/50 trending potential, leaning slightly bullish.
QQQ Monthly Market Historical Data
  ===[ September ]===================================   
– Largest Monthly POS : 5.61 NEG -21.99   
– Total Monthly NEG : -78.53 across 12 bars – Avg = -6.54   
– Total Monthly POS : 21.69 across 11 bars – Avg = 1.97  
——————————————–   
– Total Monthly Sum : -56.84 across 23 bars  
Analysis for the month = 9
===[ October ]=====================================   
– Largest Monthly POS : 28.15 NEG -15.96   
– Total Monthly NEG : -44.66 across 8 bars – Avg = -5.58   
– Total Monthly POS : 94.16 across 15 bars – Avg = 6.28  
——————————————–   
– Total Monthly Sum : 49.49 across 23 bars  
Analysis for the month = 10
===[ November ]====================================   
– Largest Monthly POS : 30.24 NEG -18.71   
– Total Monthly NEG : -28.313 across 6 bars – Avg = -4.72   
– Total Monthly POS : 86.374 across 17 bars – Avg = 5.08  
——————————————–   
– Total Monthly Sum : 58.06 across 23 bars   Analysis for the month = 11
===[ December ]====================================   
– Largest Monthly POS : 17.37 NEG -15.11   
– Total Monthly NEG : -31.75 across 11 bars – Avg = -2.89   
– Total Monthly POS : 49.88 across 11 bars – Avg = 4.53  
——————————————–   
– Total Monthly Sum : 18.12 across 22 bars   Analysis for the month = 12 ===============================================

SPY Historical Data Mining Results

The SPY data consists of 29 years of monthly historical data. Let’s take a look at how the SPY compares to the QQQ…

  • September is generally moderately volatile with a predominance of downward price trending overall. The large Total Monthly Sum value shows September can reflect strong downside price trends closing out the month. September showed 15 NEG months and 14 POS months, so September is basically 50/50 in terms of trend direction – leaning slightly heavier towards downward trending.
  • October volatility increases more than 40% compared to September for the SPY. The SPY usually recovers almost all of the September losses in October. Notice the range of the POS/NEG values in October reflect a more consistent range than the Total Monthly Sum in comparison to September or November? This suggests that October usually presents a stronger momentum trend – usually closing higher for October. October’s Total Monthly bars show 19 POS and 10 NEG – showing very strong bullish trending potential.
  • November shows strong historical volatility, almost on-par with October, and usually closes strongly higher overall. The 114.52 Total Monthly Sum suggests the SPY can really “take off” in November at times. Also, the lower value shown in the NEG value suggests downside price pressure is minimized in November. October’s Total Monthly bars show 23 POS and 6 NEG – showing extremely strong bullish trending potential.
  • December clearly illustrates a general slowdown in momentum for the SPY. The POS and NEG values range is much smaller than the October/November ranges, and the bias between these numbers is NEGATIVE. That suggests that downside price volatility may be a bit stronger in December – prompting some moderate downside price trends.

Overall, the Total Monthly Sum shows December usually closes higher, though. Continuing the Christmas Rally into the end of the year is very common for the US markets. December’s Total Monthly bars show 19 POS and 9 NEG – showing very strong bullish trending potential.

SPY Monthly Market Historical Data
  ===[ September ]===================================   
– Largest Monthly POS : 8.81 NEG -22.42   
– Total Monthly NEG : -104.85 across 14 bars – Avg = -7.49   
– Total Monthly POS : 51.75 across 15 bars – Avg = 3.45  
——————————————–   
– Total Monthly Sum : -53.09 across 29 bars  
Analysis for the month = 9
===[ October ]=====================================   
– Largest Monthly POS : 30.11 NEG -20.09   
– Total Monthly NEG : -62.06 across 10 bars – Avg = -6.21   
– Total Monthly POS : 130.11 across 19 bars – Avg = 6.85  
——————————————–   
– Total Monthly Sum : 68.05 across 29 bars  
Analysis for the month = 10
====[ November ]===================================   
– Largest Monthly POS : 35.51 NEG -10.67   
– Total Monthly NEG : -26.30 across 6 bars – Avg = -4.38   
– Total Monthly POS : 140.83 across 23 bars – Avg = 6.12  
——————————————–   
– Total Monthly Sum : 114.52 across 29 bars  
Analysis for the month = 11
===[ December ]====================================   
– Largest Monthly POS : 11.81 NEG -25.72   
– Total Monthly NEG : -44.60 across 9 bars – Avg = -4.96   
– Total Monthly POS : 63.82 across 19 bars – Avg = 3.36  
——————————————–   
– Total Monthly Sum : 19.21 across 28 bars   Analysis for the month = 12 ===============================================  

December’s Santa Rally Should Become Evident Within 5 to 10 Days

December 2021 should see a solid melt-up in trending unless something happens to disrupt these general historical trends. I expect the markets to settle into early December and to start trending higher in a moderate “melt-up” type of trend – likely moving in (+/-) 0.3% to 1.3% daily ranges. Meaning the QQQ and SPY may rally between 3.5% to 5.5% higher before the end of 2021 if my estimates are accurate.

Traders should start to see a solid price rally form in the QQQ and SPY over the next 5 to 10 trading days. My expectations are a reasonably early start to bullish prices trending in early December. The NASDAQ could target $17,000 or higher, while the SPY may target $495 to $500 before the end of 2021.

The strongest sectors are likely to be Technology, Consumer Staples, Retail, Real Estate, and Financials.

This rally may carry into, and possibly through, January 2021 and beyond. Stay ahead of these significant trends by following our research.

Near the end of December, I’ll publish a follow-up article to this one highlighting what to expect in January, February, and March 2022. Stay tuned for more data mining research and guidance.

Want to Learn More About Historical Trends and POS/NEG Ranges?

Follow my research and learn how I use specific tools to help me understand price cycles, set-ups, and price target levels. Over the next 12 to 24+ months, I expect very large price swings in the US stock market and other asset classes across the globe. I believe the markets are starting to transition away from the continued central bank support rally phase and may start a revaluation phase as global traders attempt to identify the next big trends. Precious Metals will likely start to act as a proper hedge as caution and concern start to drive traders/investors into Metals.

Kindly take a minute to learn about my Total ETF Portfolio (TEP) and how it can help you identify and trade better sector setups. My team and I have built these strategies to help us identify the strongest and best trade setups in any market sector. Every day, we deliver these setups to our subscribers along with the TEP ETF sectors system trades. You owe it yourself to see how simple it is to trade 30% to 40% of the time to generate incredible results.

Have a great day!

Chris Vermeulen
Chief Market Strategist

Chris sits down with Jim Goddard on HoweStreet.com to review the recent price rallies in natural gas and crude. The long-term charts are still pointing to dramatically higher price actions. Natural gas has a lot of volatility, but the long-term charts indicate another push to the upside, potentially to the $7 or $8 level.

Lately, we’ve seen a lot of rotations in the energy sector. We saw increased fear about a year ago when many companies went under and when exploration came to a grinding halt. Now that the price has rallied up so quickly, the debate is revolving around the possibility that it may come straight back down. Questions being asked include: From which country should we import crude oil? What can happen if exploration doesn’t start to pick up? What will this do to the cost of oil/gas?

Trading-wise it has been a very rotational year for many people, and success depends on which trading strategies you employ. For example, indexes like the S&P 500 or the Nasdaq have been grinding up while sectors, like the transportation sector, the Russel, and small caps have struggled a lot. Most sectors remain off the highs from last year resulting in a highly rotational and sideways year if you trade sectors. If you are invested in the indexes, however, there has been a steady pace of movement to the upside.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT Natural gas & STOCK MARKET latest moves

TO EXPLORE THE DIFFERENT TRADING STRATEGIES CHRIS OFFERS, PLEASE VISIT US AT THE TECHNICAL TRADERS. YOU’VE GOT MORE TO GAIN THAN TO LOSE WHEN SEEKING INFORMATION!