SPX, BKX, INDU: Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Months ago, this market reached that point where all of us stopped talking about bear options with any conviction, and we're probably all still there.  Maybe rightly so.  Or maybe that alone is starting to mean something ("I subscribe to the law of contrary public opinion.  If everyone thinks one thing, then I say: bet the other way." -- Al Pacino in Glengarry Glen Ross, unintentionally outlining a layman's version of Contrarian Investing).  In any case, for now, I'll continue the established tradition of speaking about bear options only in hushed tones.  

So, while there are still more questions than answers about this market, it is interesting to watch BKX react to the old blue horizontal and (C)/(3) labels:

When I drew that blue horizontal months ago, I did place it where it is because I suspected it would act as resistance, so it would be premature to claim the 2/B count has completed, but it's interesting, nonetheless.

INDU still has some interesting options as well:

But, of course, for those above options to start being given any additional consideration, bears still have work to do in the near-term first:

In conclusion, BKX did reach an inflection point and has reacted to it, so we have to at least stay open to the possibility that might develop into something more serious, though bears do have more work to do first.  Trade safe.

SPX and INDU: Sorting Fly Dung from Pepper

This market remains less fun than a rabies vaccination, with less clarity than a speech by Joe Biden.

Be that as it may, we'll try to sort fly dung from pepper, starting with INDU:

Things get a little muddier when we also try to account for SPX:

Finally, the triangle mentioned in the last update remains worth considering:

That's it for today.  End of quote.  Repeat the line.  And trade safe.

SPX and BKX: The Federal Unnerve

On Wednesday, the market rallied like crazy after the Fed announced that it was going to cut interest rates by (to quote Fed Chairman Jape Owl) "over 9000."  In light of this shocking news, a blistering rally was the only logical response, since a rate cut of that magnitude would, of course, cure cancer, end death, and lead to the Earth maintaining a constant year-round temperature of 72-degrees.  All of which would be good news for a pseudo-wartime economy that's increasingly driven by ever-expanding public and private debt.  Though, to me, it seems a never-changing climate would negatively impact the government's rhetoric war against the natural climate and the public debt/"boosts to GDP" (wink wink) incurred in the name of "saving the planet by eliminating plant food (CO2)!" but the market took it as good news anyway.

And who are we to argue with the market?  When a rate cut over 9000 comes along, it can only be good news.  Hang on a second, I've just been handed a note from my editor...

Er, according to this note, the Fed didn't cut rates at all!  I apologize for the error and wou...

NOTICE: In accordance with 1984 US Code § 2fu,

THIS BLOG HAS BEEN SUSPENDED

BY THE U.S. MINISTRY OF TRUTH

FOR SPREADING DISINFORMATION

Ha ha!  Just kidding, of course!  I think!  Felt like engaging in a little "this-is-the-actual-direction-America-is-headed" humor while we still can!

Anyway, the Fed kept rates steady, making last update's commentary ("No matter what the Fed does, even if what it 'does' is nothing at all, the market typically reacts like this is earth-shattering news that has either appalled or amazed everyone on the planet.") interesting in hindsight.  

Last update also noted that we were "still in 'nothing particularly bearish has happened yet' territory" and that "given the sideways nature of the near-term market and the fact that the larger trend is still 'up,' the onus remains on bears to get something going."  So, Wednesday's rally was not a terribly unexpected outcome, though its ferocity may have seemed (or been) a bit overboard.

Chart-wise, BKX finally reached its months-old upside target:

And for SPX, it appears the prior sideways grind was probably a fourth wave triangle, which in turn implies the current rally is a fifth wave (degree unclear), so bears might get at least a little relief in the not-too-distant future.  Worth a mention that it almost reached the conventional triangle target already, and one more high would hit it... but this market is so gonzo that it's tough to say what it will do (other than continue the trend) unless/until we see an impulsive turn.

That's about it for today.  Trade safe, and don't let the Fed bugs bite.

SPX Update: Fed Day

Today, the Fed will emerge from its bunker to announce what it's going to do about interest rates.  A fair number of people seem to be expecting the Fed to start lowering rates "any minute now!" (the same people have been expecting that for roughly a year now) but that still seems premature to me.  I suppose we'll see.

No matter what the Fed does, even if what it "does" is nothing at all, the market typically reacts like this is earth-shattering news that has either appalled or amazed everyone on the planet.  As a result, Fed days can be both treacherous and fun to trade -- and sometimes outright hilarious, as they reveal the irrational nature of humanity and its construct known as "the market."

Chart-wise, we're still in "nothing particularly bearish has happened yet" territory.  In fact, nothing at all has really happened, other than a sidewise grind.

In conclusion, given the sideways nature of the near-term market and the fact that the larger trend is still "up," the onus remains on bears to get something going.  Since today is a Fed day, there is, of course, always the chance that today becomes their opportunity.  Trade safe.

SPX Update

On Friday, bears finally managed to get below the blue trend line, but as I wrote in the last update:

at this point, it's not impossible for the market to drift sideways through it without doing much technical damage, which is why I (today) added 5119 as relevant; probably even more relevant than blue now. Though even 5119 isn't unrecoverable for bulls, sustained trade beneath it would at least be a "start" for bears.

Thus, today will probably determine if bears are going to do anything with the situation:

Really, not a lot to say beyond that and everything I've said over the past weeks -- for now.  Trade safe.

SPX Update: Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right, but Three Rights Make a Left

Since last update, SPX again tested the previously noted blue support line, and it again held:

On March 11, I called out the blue line as the first zone bears would need in order to start turning things a bit more in their favor, and the market has since shown the value of that line -- however, at this point, it's not impossible for the market to drift sideways through it without doing much technical damage, which is why I (today) added 5119 as relevant; probably even more relevant than blue now.  Though even 5119 isn't unrecoverable for bulls, sustained trade beneath it would at least be a "start" for bears.  Trade safe.

SPX Update: Title Goes Here

Not much to add market-wise since Monday's update, so I've just added a few comments to the short-term SPX chart:

The next version steps out one degree to examine the trend lines at the next larger time frame:

Not much to say beyond that today.  Trade safe.