Over the weekend, I have some time so I did some chart experimentation with the NYSE composite. This exercise will demonstrate that we are in the middle of a normal, regularly scheduled "correction".
Look at the attached chart. You will see the primary trend line. Above that you will see the price which goes up and down like a roller coaster. The sell sign for this market has been whenever the price rises anywhere from 7-12% above the primary trend line.
The key to this market is bouncing off of that primary trend line. If the market fails to bounce off of that line then this will become a market crash similiar to the one that occured in 2000. If the primary trend line is violated, then this will turn into the B.A.R.F. or Bump and Run Formation with a target price around 7700.
There is a reason for everything and, if you have noticed, right around past market bottoms there is an up-tick in volatility and put/call ratios, for example the I.S.E.E. #. The reason behind this is market players are scared that the total market will violate the bottom trend line. When this bottom trend line is violated, then this support will become resistance.
The target price for such a calamity would be the following:
Target price= (Point where the trend line is violated) minus (High of the chart minus the point where the bottom trend line is violated).
In the past, I have noticed the magic #3 on charts. This is my owner personal observation and not in anyway scientific. A change in the trend will happen when the price hits the trend line 3 times. So we have had three notable bottoms on the primary trend line.
Another thing to notice on the NYSE chart is the 20 and 50 day moving averages. That is another signal when to go long in the market. It appears that the red line has crossed over the blue line which is called the "death crossover". The blue line will have to get back over the red line to safely consider long positions. In the past 3 years, it has taken 2-3 months for the blue line to get back over the red line. Seeing that the red line just crossed over, a notable market volume may not be in until May-April area judging by history.
This selloff is different from the past with the following notable properties:
- sharp-intense sell-off over a short period of time, other sell-offs took much longer
- high put/call ratios, record low ISEE #s indicating a large amount of put activity. Actually, there is no time in history where so many puts have been traded. These are record numbers. As stated before, we have only seen this amount of put activity when the market appears to be violating a primary trend line. In October 2002, the market was completing a much larger pattern and there was a chance that it would "fall off a cliff" if a certain trend line was violated and thus we saw puts flying off the shelf.
- In 2006, there was only one correction. In any given year, there are always two notable corrections. This intense sell-off might be exacerbated by this fact. In 2005, there were two smaller corrections which is healthy. In 2006, there was not the classic October swoon.
- The correction in 2006 resembles more of a cup-rounded bottom. Where as the 2005 corrections resemble more of a V-bottom. Smaller corrections usually resemble a V-bottom. This large cup-like pattern is not usual.
Conclusions-
- Market players are assuming that the total market will violate the bottom trend line and B.A.R.F. on this next test of the primary trend line. They are preparing by buying puts hoping they will not miss this opportunity. They are assuming that this correction will turn into a market crash similiar to the Nasdaq in 2000.
- If you believe that the market is in a normal correction phase, then the most likely scenario is for a re-test of the bottom trend line which means 4% more down room in about 2 months of time.
- The big differences I see in this correction is the test of the double bottom and the 2006 cup-formation. In the past, when the secondary trend line was violated, there would be an instant correction followed by your typical reaction rally. After the reaction rally, then there would be a retest of the lows. The retest would result in the next downleg. However, we have retested the lows and there was no dramatic sell-off. A third retest would result in a triple bottom. Then we would see a breakout to the 9400-9500 price level assuming it could break above the trend line.
- If the NYSE BARFS then the target price would be 8400-(9463-8400=1063)=About 7400. Using the Fibonacci retracement tool, you would see that the this level makes sense with the top of 9463 and the bottom of 6211 set in 2004. This is the bear market thesis.
- The reasoning behind the intense sell-off has nothing to do with the economy or political issues. It has nothing to do with recession. The simple thesis is that the price is in a dangerous area once it gets between 7-12% over the trend line. The market simply got ahead of itself and is correcting back to the usual trend line.
- Options- People who buy options and wait until expiration usually have nothing to show 90% of the time. So there is a 9 out of 10 chance that these people buying puts will be wrong.
- Bottomline- These are the possibilities as I see it-
a) Cup-handle thesis- 2006 was one big cup and we are now seeing the handle. Target price for NYSE composite= 10567. Total market breaks out of the trend that had started in 2004 and moves into a new upward pattern.
b) Normal correction thesis- Bottom will occur at 8400-8500 price area. 4% more down room from here. Bottoms will be put in within 2-3 months. I dont see this as likely using my own personal magic #3 rule which states a pattern usually repeats itself 3 times and not more.
c) B.A.R.F.- The NYSE will barf and the target price for such an event would be 7400 which is a level not seen since 2005. I see this as unlikely since so many people are buying put options.
Let me discuss the put/call ratio a little further:
During the 2000 market crash, no one was buying puts. In fact, everyone was buying calls. There were only a few times when the number of puts outnumbered the amount of calls in the market. During September 11th, the puts shot up to 1.27 which was a record for the period from 1999-2002. Ultimately these call buyers were wrong.
http://stockcharts.com/h-sc/ui?s=$CPC&p=D&st=1999-01-01&en=2002-01-01&id=p70213423013
(I hope the entire link goes through, you might have to cut-paste the link. Its a chart from stockcharts.com for the time-period 1999-2002.)
Lets fast foward to the present time frame. Remember that a major terrorist attack on the United States was only able to get that put/call ratio up to 1.27. As you can see from the link, since 2004, the put/call ratio has gone above 1.27 several times. In 2004, it spiked to a high of 1.38. In 2005, 1.42. In 2006, 1.52. In 2007, 1.7 (intraday high was 1.92). Each time in the past 3 years, the options buyers were wrong just as they were in 2000. The put buyers are betting that the NYSE will B.A.R.F. like the Nasdaq did in 2000.
http://stockcharts.com/h-sc/ui?s=$CPC&p=D&b=1&g=0&id=p36850206803