There is a very good reason for the sell on all rallies as indicated in the prior chart. We were pealing off a lot of margin. About $60,000,000,000 in October was sold and this is the sharpest drop in margin in sometime. We wont know about November until about the end of December when the figures are published.
I figured there are two logical areas where margin will bottom.
The first point is the trend line of the margin chart (created with Excel spreadsheet supplied by the NYSE website btw). The second point is the lows of 2003. Either about 180-190 billion or 130-140 billion.
My conclusion is that a good amount of margin was burned in November and I would imagine it to be right around that trendline on the margin chart. If it respects that trend line, we might be at a bottom in the market. If margin doesnt respect the line and forms a head/shoulders chart, then we will go lower. I suspect if the margin trend line is violated then we have to burn off another 60 billion which will probably take another month or two bringing us down to the 630 area.
Well, we didnt power over the 20 day and there is a shooting star on the chart the trend downward might continue with the last bits of margin being thrown into the wind for the climax to around 630.
I would give it about a 50-50 chance right now of a bottom in the market.
Chart attached is from 1959 to current time, NYSE margin debt.
Our stock market relies on a whole load of margin to keep afloat.
