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A strong close today below a multi-year trend channel is very bearish and indicates an alternate wave count may be correct.

Summary: Yesterday’s alternate Elliott wave count is now the main wave count because although the trend channel was not properly breached the close below it today was very strong. Focus shifts to identifying where and when this bear market may end.

The biggest picture, Grand Super Cycle analysis, is here.

Last monthly charts are here.

ELLIOTT WAVE COUNTS

MAIN WAVE COUNT

WEEKLY CHART

S&P 500 Weekly 2020
Click chart to enlarge.

This was a second alternate wave count in the last analysis and last monthly charts. Today it is the main wave count.

If the channel is breached by a full daily candlestick below and not touching the lower edge, further confidence in this wave count may be had. Today the close below the lower trend line is very strong, so this now is the main wave count.

If the bull market is over and a bear market has begun, it has come after no divergence at the last all time high between price and the AD line as a measure of market breadth. Statistically this indicates the bear market to follow would most likely be relatively shallow. The 0.382 Fibonacci ratio would be a preferred target. The 0.236 Fibonacci ratio at 2,750.01 has already been passed.

The second target at the 0.618 Fibonacci ratio would have a lower probability. Lower probability does not mean no probability.

Cycle wave II may not move beyond the start of cycle wave I below 666.79.

DAILY CHART

S&P 500 Daily 2020
Click chart to enlarge.

This wave count expects more downwards movement here.

Redraw the wide maroon trend channel carefully: draw the first trend line from the end of primary wave 1 at 2,093.55 (December 26, 2014), to the end of primary wave 3 at 2,940.91 (September 21, 2018), then place a parallel copy on the end of primary wave 2 at 1,810.10 (February 11, 2016). Today’s candlestick is almost all below the channel, and the close below is strong.

Cycle wave II may subdivide as any Elliott wave corrective structure except a triangle. It would most likely be a zigzag. Primary wave A may be an incomplete five wave impulse. Primary wave B may not move beyond the start of primary wave A above 3,393.52.

HOURLY CHART

S&P 500 Hourly 2020
Click chart to enlarge.

Primary wave A may be an incomplete five wave impulse. A target is calculated for it to end that fits with the first final target for cycle wave II.

If price reaches the target for primary wave A and keeps falling, then the next target may be at 2,329 where intermediate wave (5) would reach 0.618 the length of intermediate wave (1), and thereafter at 2,123 where intermediate wave (5) would reach equality in length with intermediate wave (1). However, both intermediate waves (1) and (3) may be thus far extended, so intermediate wave (5) may not be extended because only two of the three actionary waves may extend.

Intermediate wave (4) may not move into intermediate wave (1) price territory above 2,855.84.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

WEEKLY CHART

Weekly 2020
Click chart to enlarge. Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com.

A 27% drop in price (high to close) no longer has precedent within the larger bull market. It is possible now that the secular bull market may be over.

At the weekly chart level, conditions are not yet oversold; this pullback may be expected to continue further.

A long legged doji last week represents a pause, a balance of bulls and bears. This is not a reversal pattern; doji appear within trends or consolidations.

DAILY CHART

Daily 2020
Click chart to enlarge. Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com.

There are now six 90% downwards days in this strong downwards movement.

The following indicators still suggest a low may be in place soon:

– RSI reached deeply oversold and now exhibits short-term bullish divergence with price.

– Stochastics reached oversold and now exhibits short-term bullish divergence with price.

– On Balance Volume continues to exhibit bullish divergence with price.

The following indications will be looked for to provide confidence that a low is in place:

– A 90% upwards day.

– Two back to back 80% upwards days.

– A bullish candlestick reversal pattern.

At this stage, there is no evidence of a low in place. Assume the downwards trend remains intact until proven otherwise.

A target from today’s measuring gap is at 2,485.58, but this has already been passed.

Next support is about 2,350.

BREADTH – AD LINE

WEEKLY CHART

AD Line weekly 2020
Click chart to enlarge. Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com. So that colour blind members are included, bearish signals
will be noted with blue and bullish signals with yellow.

Bear markets from the Great Depression and onwards have been preceded by an average minimum of 4 months divergence between price and the AD line with only two exceptions in 1946 and 1976. With the AD line making new all time highs with last all time highs from price, the end of this bull market and the start of a new bear market is very likely a minimum of 4 months away, which is mid June 2020.

In all bear markets in the last 90 years there is some positive correlation (0.6022) between the length of bearish divergence and the depth of the following bear market. No to little divergence is correlated with more shallow bear markets. Longer divergence is correlated with deeper bear markets.

If a bear market does develop here, it comes after no bearish divergence. It would therefore more likely be shallow.

Last week price has moved sideways and the AD line has slightly declined. This is very slight bearish divergence.

Large caps all time high: 3,393.52 on 19th February 2020.

Mid caps all time high: 2,109.43 on 20th February 2020.

Small caps all time high: 1,100.58 on 27th August 2018.

DAILY CHART

AD Line daily 2020
Click chart to enlarge. Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com. So that colour blind members are included, bearish signals
will be noted with blue and bullish signals with yellow.

Breadth should be read as a leading indicator.

Both price and the AD line have moved strongly lower. Both have made new mid-term swing lows. Bullish divergence was not followed by any upwards movement and is considered to have failed. There is no bullish divergence. The fall in price has support from a corresponding fall in breadth.

VOLATILITY – INVERTED VIX CHART

WEEKLY CHART

VIX weekly 2020
Click chart to enlarge. Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com. So that colour blind members are included, bearish signals
will be noted with blue and bullish signals with yellow.

The all time high for inverted VIX was on 30th October 2017. There is now over two years of bearish divergence between price and inverted VIX.

The rise in price is not coming with a normal corresponding decline in VIX; VIX remains elevated. This long-term divergence is bearish and may yet develop further as the bull market matures.

This divergence may be an early warning, a part of the process of a top developing that may take years. It is clearly not useful in timing a trend change from bull to a fully fledged bear market.

Last week price has moved sideways and inverted VIX has moved slightly lower. This divergence is bearish for the short term.

DAILY CHART

VIX daily 2020
Click chart to enlarge. Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com. So that colour blind members are included, bearish signals
will be noted with blue and bullish signals with yellow.

Both price and inverted VIX have moved lower again today. Both have made new short and mid-term lows. There is no new divergence.

DOW THEORY

Dow Theory would confirm a bull market if the following highs are made:

DJIA: 26,951.81 – a close above this point has been made on the 3rd of July 2019.

DJT: 11,623.58 – to date DJT has failed to confirm an ongoing bull market.

S&P500: 2,940.91 – a close above this point was made on the 29th of April 2019.

Nasdaq: 8,133.30 – a close above this point was made on the 26th of April 2019.

Dow Theory would confirm a bear market if the following lows are made on a closing basis:

DJIA: 21,712.53

DJT: 8,636.79 – a close below this point has been made on March 9, 2020.

S&P500: 2,346.58

Nasdaq: 7,292.22

Published @ 06:50 p.m. EST.


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New updates to this analysis are in bold.