S&P 500

By Lawrence G. McMillan

The market has now pulled back from its recent highs, accompanied by sell signals in breadth and the put-call ratios we follow.  The “modified Bollinger Band” sell signal remains in effect, as well.  However, without $VIX, any correction is likely to be minor.  But if $VIX should close above 14, the bears could begin to flex their muscles.

By Lawrence G. McMillan

$SPX broke out to new highs, and that is bullish, but severe overbought conditions still exist.

$SPX has support at 1750-1770, the range it traded in for a couple of weeks.  Also, there is further support at 1730.      Equity-only put-call ratios are on buy signals, but are in extremely overbought territory.

Breadth has been relatively weak for some time now. For example, $SPX is making new highs, but cumulative breadth is not. Thus, a negative divergence has arisen.

By Lawrence G. McMillan

The broad stock market, as measured by the Standard & Poors 500 Index ($SPX) was seemingly impervious to an increasing overbought condition.  But today after moving to new highs, the buyers finally ran out of gas, and the market reversed downward sharply.  The negative trend should last for at least a short while.

The equity-only put-call ratios have been the lone bullish holdout.  But now, the weighted put-call ratio has given a sell signal.

By Lawrence G. McMillan

Stocks can go down, and it now looks like they will.  The market, as measured by the Standard & Poors 500 Index ($SPX) continued to rise at a dizzying pace until the Fed meeting ended on Wednesday. Now stocks are taking on a more bearish tone.

Typically, the market pulls back to at least the 20-day moving average in these situations, and usually overshoots that target. Currently, that 20-day moving average is at 1725.

By Lawrence G. McMillan

For some reason, traders seemed to take the benign Fed meeting announcement as negative.  At least they sold after the meeting ended.  That’s the fourth time this year that a Fed meeting has induced selling, and in the previous instances, the selling continued for a while – weeks, in some cases.

By Lawrence G. McMillan

From mid-morning just two weeks ago (October 9th) through Tuesday's close, the Standard & Poors 500 Index ($SPX) rose 115 points. That is impressive, but the advance has been so swift that it has created a number of overbought conditions that are on the brink of becoming sell signals. $SPX has support at 1730 and 1700.

Equity-only put-call ratios have rolled over to buy signals.

By Lawrence G. McMillan

The volatile moves this week have given rise to a number of new trading signals. Since some are in conflict with others, one has to make a choice as to how to approach them.

$SPX sold off sharply and recovered sharply and is now more or less where it was just over a week ago. An $SPX close above 1695 would likely pave the way for another attempt at the all-time highs of 1730, which is also resistance.

By Lawrence G. McMillan

...The speed of this market is being accurately reflected in our indicators, I believe. What seemed to be an extremely bearish environment just a couple of days ago, now appears ready to reverse to buy signals in at least some areas. Since the equity-only put-call ratios remain on sell signals, it does not appear that an overall “all clear” will be sounded, but there is upside potential in these short-term buy signals – should they be confirmed...

By Lawrence G. McMillan

The broad market is rather schizophrenic right now. On Friday, the prevailing attitude seemed to be “I better buy now before Congress settles this thing and the market explodes.” On Monday, it was more like “I better sell now, because I’ll be able to buy later as this thing drags on” (“This thing” being the Congressional deadlock over the budget and the debt ceiling).

By Lawrence G. McMillan

The market is getting more volatile and bearish as the combined pressures weigh upon it.  These include the Congressional wranglings, the negative seasonality of early October, and the technical deterioration of our indicators.

The Standard & Poors 500 Index ($SPX) has support at 1660-1670 and at 1630 below that.  There is resistance at 1730.