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Bi-Weekly Stock Barometer No. 150
12/31/2006 11:43:47 AM
Dear Subscriber,
Here's our annual view of the year to come and a review of our 2006 forecast.
You'll want to save this arcle.
This is our most popular article and you'll want to save it in your inbox
for review during 2007.
Welcome to the biweekly stock barometer. This article comes out every 2
weeks and gives our big picture view of the market. If you're interested
in following our signals and learning more about our system, then I
invite you to click here and subscribe to the daily service - since
the market can turn on a dime and so too can our interpretation as the market
gives its daily clues to the future. Or sign up for our free
weekly newsletter, where we provide up to date articles from our
various trading services. We're also going to be releasing a free trading
video in 2007 - so sign up today.
Before we get into 2007, let's take a look at the projection I made for 2006:

Click to open larger image in new window.
It's important to note that these forecasts do not play into my signals -
i.e. I'm not looking to play these swings in the market - because as each swing
unfolds - a new fact is born and a new forecast is made. It's just fun putting
everything together at the beginning of the year and forecasting forward.
That being said, the reversal dates here do play 'some' role in influencing
the signals from the barometer. As you know, the barometer starts with an daily
and 5 day algorithm, and depending on how the turns play out, we can delay
entry based on a set of rules. The first 3 rules are driven by the algorithm.
We can act on a daily turn (reversing below a previous daily reading) - or
a daily cross of the 5-day - or a turn in the 5-day. Then chart action comes
into play. We created Trend Mode, Resistance Mode, and Support Mode to 1) reduce
the amount of action at these reversals and to increase the profit per trade.
So how do these reversal points come into play in a system with a limited
amount of subjectivity? Let's look at the next key reversal date of 1/10. Say
the market moves into a bottom on or around that date - we'll be looking to
go long around that period. So we'll likely change our signal on a daily change
greater than a previous daily reading - or a cross of the 5-day, whichever
is earlier.
2007 will also be a year of greater transparency. Instead of just giving the
signals as we've done in the past, we'll make a greater effort to explain exactly
what we're looking at and why we're doing what we're doing. This will give
readers a chance to provide some feedback on the signals and the system. 2006
turned into a poor performance year for us because I, for reasons explained
in the past, deviated from the system - missed a major trending move and then
misapplied rules in an attempt to make it back. A truly amateur move on my
part that I will do my best not to repeat in 2007.
So where do these dates come from? We follow a number of popular cycles. I
take these cycles and put the reversal points on a chart of the SPY. Why the
SPY? Well, I've found that even though we don't trade the SPY, most of these
dates work better with the SPY.
Here are two of the cycles we use:


We put these cycle dates in - with some of our other dates and here's our
2007 forecast:

Click to open larger image in new window.
As you can see, there are a few more signals than we've had to deal with in
the past. I believe these clusters will result in a lot of retesting - especially
in the mid and late January reversals. Other than some early weakness in early
January, I believe we'll move back up and test new highs in early February.
This will ultimately prove to be a top and the market will consolidate lower
into the end of April. The earlier it pulls out of this consolidation, the
higher it will travel into a June top. However, another 9 month cycle low is
due in the end of August. This should be a pretty good run to retest lows.
But in a traditional 3rd year of a second presidential term, the market will
recover and move on to new highs by the end of the year.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on 2007.
That's it - on to the charts.
Message From The Markets
Market action is ruled by sentiment and by monitoring market internals
and studying sentiment; you can gain reasonably predict future market movements.
The basis of the Stock Barometer system is overlaying extremes in sentiment
with sound technical analysis to predict the likelihood of future price movement.
Each indicator and chart measures the hope, fear and greed of investors and
traders from different angles. Follow along with my charts and over time,
you'll also learn to understand how to read the markets, which is essential
prior to setting up each and every trade.
STOCK BAROMETER CHART

The Daily Stock Barometer is a proprietary measure of market energy. The
direction of the stock barometer determines our short-term outlook on the
market's direction. A BUY or SELL signal is triggered when the indicator
clearly changes direction. If the line is moving up, we are in BUY MODE
and if it's moving down, we are in SELL MODE. The black line is a 5-day moving
average that we use to confirm changes in direction.
EQUITY PUT CALL RATIO CHART

The CBOE put/call ratio is comprised of two sets of data; equity options
and index options. The index component contains items that are used as a
hedge, thereby distorting the correlation and interpretation of the indicator.
I use the equity put/call ratio. This is one of the most accurate read of
investor's fear and complacency.
TRIN/ARMS CHART

Richard Arms developed the arms index. It is also referred to the Trading
Index or TRIN for short. It is a measure of the ratio of up stocks and down
stocks divided by the ratio of up volume and down volume. Our Spread Chart
converts the arms index data into momentum Buy and Sell Signals.
TICK CHART

The tick index is represents the sum of all stocks ticking higher minus
all stocks ticking lower (a stock is said to be trading on an up tick when
it trades at a higher price than the last sale). It's utilized as a day trading
tool as it gives you an up to the second read of the intensity of buying
and selling.
BREADTH (ADVANCE - DECLINE) CHART

Each day several thousand stocks either advance, decline or remain unchanged.
The number of advances and declines normally ranges from +2500 to -2500.
A high number of advancing stocks normally marks a top just as a high number
of declining stocks normally marks a bottom. Monitoring the 5 and 13-day
moving averages of this allows us to better predict future prices.
VXO CHART

The VIX is a measure of volatility on options pricing. We use the old VIX,
which is now called the VXO. The higher the volatility, the more likely the
market is close to a bottom, as traders are willing to pay more premium for
puts, which act as Insurance on their long positions.
Cycle Time
Wednesday is day 5 in our DOWN Cycle.
The Stock Barometer signals tend to follow a 5, 8 and 13 and sometimes
21 day Fibonacci cycle that balance with 'normal' market cycles. Knowing
where you are in the current market cycle is important in deciding how long
you expect to maintain a position.
Potential Cycle Reversal Dates
2007 Potential Reversal Dates: 1/10, 1/14, 1/27, 1/31, 2/3. We publish
these dates up to 2 months in advance.
Here's a chart of previous and future dates - we'll be watching these closely
as they influence the speed of our system signals.

My timing work is based on numerous cycles and has resulted in the above
potential reversal dates. They're predictive and have nothing to do with
the barometer cycle times. However, due to their accuracy in the past, I
post the dates here.
2006 potential reversal dates: 1/16, 1/30, 2/25, 3/19, 4/8, 5/8, 5/19,
6/6(20), 7/24, 8/20, 8/29, 9/15, 10/11, 11/28.
2005 Potential reversal dates based on 'other' cycle work were 12/27/04,
1/25/05, 2/16, 3/4, 3/14, 3/29, 4/5, 4/19, 5/2, 6/3, 6/10, 7/13, 7/28, 8/12,
8/30-31, 9/22, 10/4, 11/15, 11/20, 12/16.
Stock Barometer Buy And Sell Signals
QQQQ or SPY Chart: A chart is provided in every bi-weekly report and shows
the barometer Buy and Sell Signals (which are provided in my morning updates)
as well as showing the next highlighted 'reversal' window. The numbers adjacent
to the buy and sell signals are the number of days between signal (cycle
time).

Here's one years of our end-of-day buy and sell signals for the Stock
Barometer over the past year. They're marked on the QQQQ chart with red and
blue lines (or red and blue arrows).
| |
• |
1/6 |
PROJECTED BOTTOM (10 Days from previous signal) |
| |
• |
12/22 |
TOP (6 Days) |
| |
• |
12/14 |
BOTTOM (0 days) |
| |
• |
11/24 |
TOP (0 days) |
| |
• |
11/14 |
CLOSE/CASH (9 days) |
| |
• |
11/01 |
TOP (18 days) |
| |
• |
10/26 |
BOTTOM (18 days) |
| |
• |
10/2 |
TOP (4 days) |
| |
• |
9/26 |
BOTTOM (14 days) |
| |
• |
9/6 |
TOP (15 days) |
| |
• |
8/15 |
BOTTOM (4 days) |
| |
• |
8/9 |
TOP (12 days) |
| |
• |
7/24 |
BOTTOM (10 days) |
| |
• |
7/10 |
TOP (29 days) |
| |
• |
5/26 |
BOTTOM (33 days) |
| |
• |
4/10 |
TOP (8 days) |
| |
• |
3/29 |
BOTTOM (6 days) |
| |
• |
3/21 |
TOP (5 days) |
| |
• |
3/14 |
BOTTOM (10 days) |
| |
• |
2/28 |
TOP (8 days) |
| |
• |
2/15 |
BOTTOM (23 days) |
| |
• |
1/12 |
TOP (6 days) |
| |
• |
1/04 |
BOTTOM (31 days) |
| |
• |
11/29 |
TOP (28 days) |
| |
• |
(historical reversal dates and performance figures
are published at the bottom of the home page and updated annually) |
The following work is based on my price based spread/momentum indicators for
the USD$, XAU, GLD and TLT. They are tuned to deliver signals in line with
the Stock Barometer. Combined with up/down indicators and you have a powerful
tool for pinpointing market reversals.
Gold (GLD:AMEX & INDEX:XAU.X)

I monitor Gold in the form of GLD and the XAU as well as the US Dollar
Index as a general guide to the overall health of the US Economy and the
markets, as well as to assist us in the entry of positions in our Gold Stock
Service.
Bonds (Amex:TLT)

I include bonds in our studies and use Lehman's 20 year ETF, as the direction
of bonds can have an inverse impact on the stock market. Normally, as bonds
go down, stocks will go up and as bonds go up, stocks will go down.
Summary & Outlook
We remain in Sell Mode looking for the market to move lower into 1/10 and
retest that low on 1/14.
2007 should be a year filled with new highs, a very large broadening top pattern
that tops out on June 15th, and a sharp move lower (no I'm not saying crash)
into August 29. Again, we don't predict price levels - just timing. We'll take
whatever the market gives us as long as get the timing right.
The end of the year should see a strong rally back up to previous highs and
a similar year end move where the market just keeps moving higher into 2008.
And while it is fun to try and predict the future and in 2006 I was looking
right with my call for May marking a top in the market - never get married
to a forecast. Each day brings a new piece of data for the market (and us)
to digest.
Again, if you're new to the biweekly stock barometer, welcome. This article
comes out every 2 weeks and gives a big picture view of the market and our
recent activities. If you're interested in following our signals and learning
more about our system, then I
invite you to click here and subscribe to the daily service - since
the market can turn on a dime and so to can our interpretation as the market
gives its daily clues to the future. Or sign up for our free
weekly newsletter, where we provide up to date articles from our various
trading services. We're also going to be releasing a free trading video in
2007 - so sign up today.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me here
at jay@stockbarometer.com.
Regards,
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