Tuesday, July 31, 2007

NAVIGATING NEAR-TERM VOLATILITY

By Joseph Russo
7/30/2007


Down and Dirty
Nothing can be more exhilarating or rewarding than trading profitably amid fast-moving markets with expanding daily ranges.

Conversely, there can be nothing much worse than having to take personal responsibility for having your speculative trading account destroyed in a matter of months, weeks, days, or hours.

Below, we have provided a chart history of the Dow Industrials illustrating results of Elliott Wave Technology’s recently archived trade-triggers and price-target captures from the Near Term Outlook.



Our Complete and Objective Focus
We provide all analysis with patience, discipline, flexibility, and proven adaptive dynamics. Since we do not “trade” that which we forecast, we harbor no emotional or financial interest in the outcome of any particular set-up or guidance measure.

Our only focus is to identify all evolving bi-directional trading dynamics. Simply put, we effectively map out variant market paths, patterns, and price projections before they unfold.


Do You Have What it Takes
There are a several essentials, which are continually required to execute profitable trading campaigns in any market climate. All of which carry proportionately more impact amid heightened periods of market volatility.

In certain cases, it may be prove wise to step out of the fray to avoid expanding levels of risk exposure.

For those maintaining strong directional opinions, and are intent on exercising those views in the marketplace, allow us to suggest a short list of attributes to assist with such endeavor.

First and foremost, one should make diligent attempt to abandon all strong directional opinions.
Although such efforts are in direct opposition to ones initial motivations to trade, the less emotional commitment one has to specific outcomes, the better-prepared one will be to adapt to rapidly changing conditions.

Additionally, one must fully accept the increased risk, and be steadfast in limiting losses, while maintaining swift and decisive ability to accept respectable profits when presented.


The Bottom Line
By no means is the process a cakewalk. It requires a lot of hard work and diligence on the part of the analyst, and an equal amount of effort and diligence on the part of traders.

We routinely map, and archive all of the highest probable outcomes. All short-term trading charts clearly illustrate trade-trigger locations, price-targets, and risk-levels.

How Does it Work
Often times, traders will be required to exercise discretion and trade style preferences when conflicting signals of equally plausible merit present themselves.
For example, say a market is overextended, and both the wave-counts and momentum readings suggest it prudent to evaluate campaigns to launch relatively low-risk counter-trend trade probes. At the same time however, various price patterns exist, telegraphing prospects for a further advance in the direction of the current trend.

What we are called upon to consistently deliver
As such, our primary obligations are to alert traders of all pending prospects, and to provide them with as much ancillary information surrounding each.
As the market unfolds, we maintain responsibility for monitoring status and progressive conditions relative to all working targets, forecast preferences, and probes.

Each session brings with it fresh data points forming a continual dynamic evolution to every given price series. Each new set of data-points either supports or negates progression toward achieving targets outstanding.

In addition, all new price action lends itself to generating new signals, be they bullish or bearish. Naturally, we are also obliged in keeping traders informed of every new development be it large or small.
Upon achievement, failure, pending, changing, or vacillating price movements surrounding each signal, trigger, and target - we graphically update our charts with easy to grasp color references and label tags.


How are traders expected to take advantage of actionable information
Despite the enormous advantage of possessing a concise mapping of trade triggers, price targets, and signal alerts, it remains the task of the individual trader to prudently access and appropriately align his or her money management, trade style, and risk tolerances with the opportunities routinely presented.

Once a position is on, traders must then take responsibility in managing their trade according to similar criteria along with the evolving market dynamics monitored by the outlook.


Examples
Suppose your strategy and opinion favor a counter-trend set-up. Having as much information as to how much further the market may extend in opposition, will provide valuable insight as to where it may be most prudent to provide cover prior to launching counter-trend campaigns.
If such levels are outside of your money management boundaries, you then have critical foreknowledge in aiding decision for either placing a trade with acceptable levels of risk, or passing it up until conditions improve.

Conversely, your strategy and opinion may favor trading momentum in the current direction of trend.
Not only we will have defined clear trade-triggers and price-targets for such set-ups, but we will have also provided you with ancillary information regarding risks and boundary levels associated with the opposing counter-trend signal.
Should your short-term trade elect and hit target - great! However, what happens if your trade elects, but your target fails to achieve prior to the market turning against you?
Having clear understanding the opposing counter trend forces at work, knowing what may set them off and where, will provide you with immense advantage in knowing when to take early pre-target profits, cover losses, or completely reverse your position on the side of the counter move.


Can You Sense the Truth
The levels of accuracy and achievements depicted in the chart above are archived, and routinely commonplace in the Near Term Outlook. What the chart does not depict is a systematic record of specific time-sequential buy and sell-recommendations.
Expectation or allusion to such would be unrealistic, impossible, flat-out hype, and a rather insulting misrepresentation of services rendered.

The art and science of effective short-term forecasting is compromised the moment an analyst embarks upon issuing individual trade recommendations, or becomes overly emotional relative to his or her ongoing duties.
To do so would be akin to taking an emotional stake in the outcome of each specific recommendation or market call.

Further complicating such endeavor would be the follow-up necessity required by the analyst in rendering specific ongoing management advice for every cited market call.

Bogged down in arriving at, and administering to a one-size fits all trade management doctrine; such analysts are likely to lose touch with their craft and forecasting acumen.

Caveats
In order to render and realize the competitive edge inherent to the highest levels of bi-directional accuracy in forecasting guidance, there will be times when:

1. General guidance turns out to be flat-out wrong. (very rare, but possible)
2. Multiple opposing signals and/or trade triggers are present at the same time.
3. An identified trigger fails to meet its target objective or flat-out fails.
4. Counter trend signal alerts require a succession of low-risk probes prior to paying off.
5. A position taken from guidance will experience an uncomfortable level of drawdown prior to reaching its intended target.
6. Traders inadvertently mismanage campaigns or tactics even though guidance targets ultimately succeed.
7. Traders will not be at resource to enter orders at the time a signal triggers.
8. Set-ups and triggers develop between regularly issued posts.
9. Traders become over-confident and begin faltering after a string of big wins
10. Nothing seems to work in your favor and times when campaigns string together with stunning brilliance and perfection.


In closing, to maintain a true and lasting grip on where the major markets are heading in both the long and short-term, there is simply no better roadmap than the Near Term Outlook.

Joe Russo
ELLIOTT WAVE TECHNOLOGY
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Index Traders Edge Vol. 8

By Joseph Russo
7/27/2007


Highlighting the NASDAQ 100

 
Holding the Line

Interestingly, the NDX is one of the few broad-based equity indices to maintain its standing uptrend from the March lows.

Despite closing near its low for the week - with losses approaching 4%, the NDX survived the onset of this particular storm with little if any near-term technical damage. Much rides on the week ahead however.

Incidentally, the weekly rally from the March low turns 21 next week, marking prime time for a panic-low or manic buying-spree reaction high.

Buckle up!

How the rest of the majors held up… 
  
After breaching 12-year lows beneath 80.14, and plummeting toward its 15-year historic low of 78.43 - The Dollar managed to summon much-needed defense at the 80.02 level - closing the week on an up-note while breaking marginally above a tight downward trendline of resistance.

The Dow failed to achieve expansion targets following its short-lived attempt in expanding its range. Soon after, the index re-entered the high-end of old price territory, and by weeks end - found itself a new home at the bottom of the range. In process, the Dows robust former uptrend failed. The index closed at the lower end of its weekly range, residing at key levels of near-term support. Per last weeks close, the Dow now shares a trajectory of ascent similar to that of the NDX. 
 
Upon achieving it wedge breakout targets, Gold gave back most of those gains at the first clear signs of a Dollar bottom. The S&P failed miserably upon its marginal besting of former historic print highs. Upon reaching critical mass, the index tanked, suffering a near 5% bloodletting, while threatening to ruin an otherwise healthy level of trajectory.
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Mitigating Collateral Damage

By Joseph Russo
7/30/2007

After numerous months of shaking and rattling, financial markets have finally begun to roll - over, that is - and notably to the downside of late.

Financial engineers the world over, are likely scrambling alongside the brotherhood of institutions, deliberating plausible methods by which to orchestrate transfer of unintended, and immeasurable risks across the global financial sphere.

Over the decades, our globally adopted financial paradigms have spawned a plethora of derivative, and structured-finance schemes that are severely lacking in both foresight and prudence.

Perhaps the largest and most cunning of financially engineered schemes is the marriage of faith-based fiat-currency with a highly complex global credit system. This couple is no doubt, a quintessential source of far-reaching worldwide malaise.

Rarely spoken of in effectual context, nor adequately disseminated to the masses by mainstream media, our structurally flawed financial system may one-day stifle a notable portion of civil societies it has managed to create.

Given many of the non-transparent underpinnings to our modern systems of credit, currency, and money creation, one would be naive to embrace the notion that the financial realm is somehow separate from the economic realm.

Financial Armageddon / Global Revolution

The Coming Stabilization / The Next Great Wave


All in good time, we suspect. We realize it is plausible that the early warning signs of such malaise may be nearing critical mass. In kind, it may be just as likely that we have another 5 or 55 years grace to develop more structurally sound, and sustainable systems.

Considering the magnitude of the many systemic shocks endured in the past, our current system – flawed as it may be, has held up well. Relative to past shocks, the latest bout of market volatility appears nothing more than a minor irritation thus far.

One must also be cognizant that a horrific event of epic proportion need not occur in order for an overstretched, unsustainable structure to slowly build and multiply numerous layers of non-transparent fractures, breach, then suddenly implode - void of a singular cause. Bear in mind, the straw that breaks the camels back need not be heavy.

As the world continues to turn, we proceed with our work in monitoring progress to one of the most fascinating and deceptive Bull Markets in the history of humankind.

We close this piece by sharing a small segment of sentiment and breadth charts that we feature regularly in our Near Term Outlook Publication.

Each issue of the 30-page Outlook is packed with a full compliment of market internals, which measure various levels of impending strength and weakness across various broad based markets. Some indicators such as the VIX and PUT/CALL ratio are contrarian while others like Bullish Percents measure breadth and anticipate imminent market direction.

Upon the close of the trading week, we found recent readings in our Bullish Percents array to be of notable interest. We trust the thumbnail charts will speak for themselves.

Speaking of deception, the chart below provides a rather interesting overlay comprised of the Put/Call ratio, The Dow priced in Gold, and The Dow priced in US dollars.


Put/Call Ratio w/Dow vs Gold

PUT/CALL Ratio: Based on CBOE statistics, the Put/Call Ratio equals the total number of puts divided by the total number of calls. When more puts are traded than calls, the ratio will exceed 1. As an indicator, the Put/Call Ratio measures market sentiment. When the ratio gets too low, it indicates that call volume is high relative to put volume and the market may be overly bullish or complacent. When the ratio gets too high, it indicates that put volume is high relative to call volume and the market may be overly bearish or in panic.

From peak optimism and complacency in March of 2000, the PUT/CALL ratio has been on a seven-year rising wave of pessimism. Interestingly, the ratio’s high pessimism reading in 2002 was spot-on, and in perfect confluence with the nominal bear-market low in the Dow. Thereafter, in otherwise peculiar fashion, pessimism continued to accelerate amid a rising upward channel as the NOMINAL Dow staged a roaring bull market advance. We suspect the reason for the lopsided bearishness and pessimism is a direct result of artificially low rates of interest in concert with a ballooning of easy credit, reckless liquidity creation, and bloating fiat money supplies.

DOW vs Gold Ratio: The price series in black plots the Dow Jones Industrials as measured against the value of Gold. It is upon observation of this ratio that many analysts conclude that a “silent” bear market in stocks persists. This ratio appears to have reached a bottom of primary degree in 2006. If correct, a rising primary B-wave advance in the ratio would explain the persistent nominal move higher in the Dow concurrent with the weakness in Gold. From the ratios 2006 low, the Dow has outperformed Gold. We have plotted the “nominal” Dow in Grey


Bullish Percents
The Bullish Percent Index (BPI) is a popular market breadth indicator that is calculated by dividing the number of stocks in a given group (an exchange, an industry, etc.) that are currently trading with Point and Figure buy signals, by the total number of stocks in that group. Bullish Percent levels that are above 70% are considered overbought, whereas levels below 30% are considered oversold. Strong buy signals occur when the Bullish Percent Index falls below 30% and then reverses up by at least 6%. Conversely, promising sell signals occur when it goes above 70%, and then reverses down by at least 6%. As an aside, any 6% reversal from a prior pivot extreme raises near-term prospects for ensuing strength or weakness contingent upon the direction of the reversal.


Unless the rapid decelerations in BP levels are telegraphing an extreme washout panic-low, sector wide sell-signals in both the S&P and NYSE composite indices do not bode well for the bullish case over the near-term.

The sudden 20% bearish reversal in the Dow BP’s is equally stunning. Of all the majors, the NDX escaped with least percentage reversal - though it threatens sector wide bearish confirmation upon a move below the 70 level.


Joe Russo
Publisher & Chief Market Analyst
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Thursday, July 26, 2007

The S&P Vibrating at Critical Mass
By Joseph Russo
7/20/2007

Nearly a year ago, back in September of 2006, we shared a keen and timely awareness as The Dow Approached Critical Mass. Save for the miserable comparative retracement performance from the tech-sector off the 2002 lows, numerous equity indices have since broken decisively to the upside above their previous historic highs. The S&P is one of the last to arrive.

The Mother of all Benchmarks is on the Hot-Seat
As we pen this market update, the S&P has yet to close above 1553.11. Perhaps it will do so by today – perhaps not.

We suspect the recent surge in out-performance by the NASDAQ (leadership?) might simply be a matter of funds chasing after the most undervalued laggards relative to the levels of advance achieved in most other major indices.

For longer-term investors, position traders, and the most astute Elliott Wave connoisseurs, we have laid out specific forecasts and price targets for the Intermediate, Primary, Cycle, Super-Cycle, and GRAND SUPER CYCLE Degrees of trend in force from 1696!

Yes, we have acquired and exhaustively analyzed data spliced to the Dow from the British All-Shares Index 1693-1853. Thereafter, we spliced the Clement Burgess Index from 1854-1895! From 1896 forward, we follow the Dow Jones Industrials in its present form.

To our knowledge, no charting service presents a more robust, organized, and accurate historical accounting of the wave structures at the largest degree of trend than Elliott Wave Technology. With proven mastery over such large-scale time horizons, it stands to reason that we are equally adept at calling the short-moves in the market with similar levels of skill, patience, and accuracy.

For active index traders, we continue to identify and capture - with near-perfection - virtually all of the swings, trade-triggers, and short-term price targets in our Near Term Outlook publication.

To get a grip (and keep it) on where the major markets are heading in both the long and short-term, there is simply no better venue than Elliott Wave Technology.

That said – let’s take a look at where the weekly charts are trading…



The Dollar is at its own level of critical mass, which vibrates about the 80.39-80.14 levels. Should these levels soon become “price-ceilings,” hold on to your hats! The Dow has broken out of its recent range with a “summer-rally” resolution following the well telegraphed, “June Swoon.” Who knew?



As we anticipated, Gold broke to the upside side quite nicely from a nest of falling wedges, and is now approaching a key eight-week resistance level just under 680. Like the Dow, the S&P has also broken to the upside, now vibrating at its critical- mass closing resistance of 1553.11.
Until next time …
Trade Better / Invest Smarter…
Joseph Russo
Publisher & Chief Market Analyst
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