10 Minute
Bar Charts 4/22/02
Dow Jokes
Inflatables
Portfolio Sphincters Index (SPX)
Nasgap
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12/30/01, 1/1/02, 1/2/02,
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4/10/02, 4/11/02, 4/13/02,
4/15/02, 4/16/02,
4/17/02, 4/18/02
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The Anals of Stock
Proctology
Today's Anals Below
Published 5 times
per week by the American Academy of Stock Proctology and
the American Society of Shortsellers
Dr. Stepan N. Stool, A.S.S. Chair
This
Bull Market (4/22/02)
The Dow Inflatables deflated
by 120, falling squarely back to the linear regression dating back to the
March 18 high. (not shown) Last week's one day wonder rally seems like a
distant dream now. The cycle oscillators are giving mixed indications,
with the shorter ones looking ready to turn down and the 10-13 week cycle
looking potentially like it wants to turn up. Flat however, is not up. Two
possible centered moving average projections result in a cmap range
of 9875 to 10,035. That, as always will adjust day to day
until a trend change is clearly signaled.
The Feed was quiet today,
adding just a 2.25 billion overnight repo, which was a net drain of
$750 million, since Friday's weekend repo was $3.0 billion. They made up
for that with a $703 million coupon pass. Just another day in the Fed's
starvation diet for the markets. The market cannot survive without
aggressive Feeding and right now, it ain't gittn' none!
So this could be The Big One.
Sentiment remains extraordinarily complacent and Wall Street anal cycsts
and poodits continue to talk aboiut the problems of "this bull
market." Shorter cycles are getting in gear to the downside as the
major averages approach key support. This issue now from a technical
perspective is whether that support holds for one more bounce or not. Once
it breaks, one can only wonder what the poodits will have to say about
"this bull market.".
Portfolio Sphincters Index (SPX)
and Sentiment
The SPX was virtually
unchanged Friday. The 17 day rate of change, a
proxy for the 6-7 week cycle, stalled after beginning to head weakly
higher earlier in the week. The 6-7 week cycle oscillator
superimposed on the chart gave an early buy signal and continues
to rise. Now we need to watch for an early downturn in the indicator. The
short term linear regression channel still suggests a tightly defined downtrend.
The 29 day rate of change,
representing the 10-13 week cycle, is pausing, but still negative overall.
The 10-13 week cycle down phase should continue to limit
the size of the upturn in the 6-7 week cycle, unless the 29 day rate
of change also turns up. It seems unlikely in view of the lack of monetary
support.
The VIX closed at
21.72, up from 20.3 Friday. Low option volatility continues. This has
always been associated with important tops over the past four years. On the inverted scale chart,
VIX has begun to drop below the top band, indicating that the big decline
may finally be starting in earnest. The last big short term rally came from the 27-28
area. At this rate it will take weeks to get there, and a
big intermediate swing rally probably won't come until the index is well above
30.
The blue channel lines are the extension of a linear
regression channel from the February and May 2001 highs.
(Sorry about the
bull.)
The cycle picture appears to
be possibly getting in gear to the downside at least insofar as the 10-13
week and shorter cycles are concerned. This appears to be in the context
of a top in the 5-6 month cycle. The market does not have the strength to go
higher, and the fact that it's unable to move strongly off key support
suggests that a breakdown is out there. From a cyclic standpoint
there are two probable time periods, now, or June. The short cycle oscillator
has turned down from the sell zone, so maybe it's now. If the 5-6 month
cycle oscillator also turns down, this is The Big One.
(Sorry about the
bull.)
Fibo support levels are 1100 and
1075-80.
(Sorry about the
bull.)
The Cycle Conditions tables include cycle
phase and a wild guess as to number of periods to the next turn, in days
for the shortest cycles, weeks (W) or months (M) for the longer ones. This
is a fluid exercise, in other words, the projections are likely to be
wrong, but they force us to be vigilant for key turning points, and
frequently work well enough to prevent costly misreadings.
SPX
Cycle Conditions as of 4/22/02
Cycle |
Phase/PTT |
Target |
6
Month |
Top |
950-1000p |
10-13
Week |
Down/3-18 |
1082 |
6-7
Week |
Top/0 |
?? |
20-25
Days |
Top/0 |
1084p |
8,13
Day |
Down/5-8 |
1070-1080 |
PTT - Periods Till Turn
L-Low,
H-High
SWD=
Sideways Down Phase- Trading Range
SWU=Sideways Up
p: preliminary
Too Early: Too soon to project
Nasgap
Charts
In
dropping 38, the Nas fell back to the center of its downtrending cycle
channels. Short cycle oscillators turned down.
This is the 6-7 week
and 4-5 week cycles appear to be topping out. Whether there's more backing
and filling to complete the top, or it's straight down from here, we
should know pretty quickly.
The 10-13 week cycle oscillator is
still topping. The short
cycle oscillator has turned down from a top zone, with the
index falling back from the top of a descending 5-6 month cycle wave band.
The 5-6 month cycle is
in a top that could break down at any time. It bears repeating that
topping out at levels below neutral is usually a sign of impending
disaster.
On the
way down, fibo support levels are at 1745, 1699, the old low, and 1660.
The 12-18
month cycle remains locked along the upper long term cycle channel
band. If the market doesn't break down soon, then the slope of that channel
is less negative.
Nasdaq
Cycle Conditions as of 4/22/02
Cycle |
Phase/PTT |
Target |
6
Month |
SWU/0-2M |
NA |
10-13
Week |
Down/9-24 |
1530-1630 |
6-7
Week |
Top/0 |
L1665p |
20-25
Days |
Top/0 |
L1675p |
8,13
Day |
Down/2-7 |
1695-1695 |
PTT
- Periods Till Turn
L-Low,
H-High
*SWD=
Sideways Down Phase- Trading Range
SWU=Sideways Up
p: preliminary
Too Early: Too soon to project
Sucktor
Watch, Stoolwethers, and Stock O' the Day are now in the morning edition.
Golden
Stool
The Amex
Goldbugs Index remains in a cyclic correction while price remains at high
levels. This is powerfully bullish. The consolidation is likely to
lead to an explosive upside breakout. It could come literally at any time
over the next month.
Long
Bong Hit
Bonds
rallied and yields fell Monday. This is a critical phase for indicating
whether the yield uptrend is still alive, or whether a flight to quality,
possibly signaling a deflationary debt collapse is under way.
Uncle Buck's Illness
Here's
Uncle Buck on a weekly chart. He's headed lower in the next few months, to
at least the 112-113 area. The descending highs in long term mo suggest increasing
weakness but it's too early to say of this reverses the long term uptrend.
See you in Intraday
Stool.
Dr. Stepan N. Stool
Chairman of the Department of Stock Proctology
A.S.S. Endowed Chair
American Society of Shortsellers Endowment
American Academy of Stock Proctology
Let me know what you think on the Stool
Pigeons Wire.
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