The stock market is proving to be frustrating to both bulls and bears. Despite chances for each, neither camp has been able to take control. The resistance level at 1900 for $SPX has thwarted the bulls, despite making marginal new all-time highs early last week. Conversely, the bears have had a couple of strong down days, but they have not been able to break $SPX down below support at 1860.
It is hard to imagine a market any more perverse than this one. Once again, there has been a failure to break out on the upside, despite some favorable (although not unanimous) technical conditions. Now $SPX has pulled back into the previous trading range, whose limits of 1810-1900 are more secure than ever.
Tuesday saw very little follow-through to Monday’s strong day, and that was disappointing. Although $SPX and other major averages made marginal new all-time highs, it certainly didn’t look or feel like a good day. $SPX has technically broken out, and it has support all the way down to 1880, or even slightly below.
The stock market is stalled at the high end of its trading range (1810-1900). There is near-term support at last Monday's low of 1850.
Equity-only put-call ratios remain split. The weighted ratio continues to decline from a recent high, and that means it's on a buy signal, while the standard ratio remains on a sell signal.
Recently, it came to light that some traders follow the 90-day $VIX (Symbol: $VXV) because when the “regular” $VIX exceeds the 90-day $VIX, worthy market signals are generated. Recently (Volume 23, No. 4), we discussed what happens when the Short-Term Volatility Index ($VXST) crosses above $VIX. There are some similarities in these two cases.
The stock market is once again nearing all-time highs, although it has not broken out (yet). If $SPX can't punch on through to new highs, then it will remain within the widened trading range. At this point, most of the technical indicators are bullish, so we would expect at least an attempt to challenge the highs.
Equity-only put-call ratios have remained on sell signals for over a month now. That is beginning to change, as the ratios are starting to roll over.
As subscribers know, the CBOE created the Short-Term Volatility Index ($VXST) earlier this year. It is a 9-day average volatility as opposed to a 30-day average volatility, which is what $VIX is. Moreover, $VXST futures started trading about two months ago, on February 13th.
The stock market has taken on a potentially bearish tone, although all the pieces are still not in place. But now that 1840 level has given way, the bears finally seem to have a chance to really take control of the market for the first time since the fall of 2012. We are not necessarily saying this is a full-fledged bear market, but the intermediate-term outlook is now turning bearish.
The upward market reversal that began on Tuesday when $SPX bottomed near the 1840 area, continued with passion on Wednesday. The rally was aided by the benign Fed minutes, and now $SPX is 25 points above Tuesday’s lows. The rally was accompanied by some very strong technicals as well. It was almost as if the buyers were waiting for the sellers (of Friday and Monday and early Tuesday) to finish before they stepped in with a vengeance.
The broad stock market, as measured by the Standard & Poors 500 Index ($SPX) made new all-time intraday and closing highs on consecutive days this week. That, coupled with some new buy signals from breadth makes our intermediate-term outlook bullish.
Countering the bullish case is the fact that the equity-only put- call ratios have stubbornly remained on sell signals, but this might be protective hedging activity.
