Massive Break-Out in Trade-Weighted USD vs. SPX Signals Intensification of Global Financial Stress
In the first chart below I show a scatter plot of the weekly returns in the trade-weighted USD (USTWBROA; y-axis) vs. gold (x-axis) dating back 20 years into 1995. The red dot is this week’s data point. Note that this…...
Gold’s Cycle Low Is In; The Only Question is the Path, Duration & Magnitude of Upside that Follows
On 9/29/15 I put together a detailed post on what appeared to be the an imminent break-out b/t 30-yr (TYX) and 10-yr (TNX) U.S. treasury rates. While I understand most think of the curve steepening vs. flattening in terms of 10s2s,…...
CRB vs. USD Has Reached 40 Year Support, But Can it Hold?
On 12/17/15 in this post we highlighted this chart which showed that the ratio of the CRB Index vs. USD was fast approaching a 30-year support line. In reality, if we extended that support line left into the early 70s…...
Additional “Relative” Opportunities
On 12/16/15 I outlined in this reasonably detailed post what I thought were a collection of strong relative strength ideas. The overriding conclusion from all of the charts presented in that post was that non-cyclical areas of the world were apt…...
WMT Attractive on a Relative Basis
Suggested a long in WMT on 11/18/15 when the stock was ~$60 in this post. With today’s gains the stock is now printing ~$63, so ~+500 bps since then. By contrast, the SPX is -300 bps over the same period. That’s…...
Unveiling a New (Bullish) Framework for 2016
I generally believe the name of the game when it comes to my investment process is to idea-generate objective, fact-based historical frameworks – be they statistical, technical, analog or all of the above – that help map out various contingencies of how…
Long Radio-active, Coal Finally Looks Attr-active on a Relative Basis
A long, long time ago in Aug-12 we wondered out loud if the world no longer needed coal. We went on to suggest a month later in Sep-12, mightily incorrectly we might add, that coal stocks could begin out-performing. Since both…...
Despite Massive YTD Run, AMZN Remains Very Compelling; Could Hit $1,000+ Or At Least Out-Perform AAPL Significantly
AMZN has had an amazing run since bottoming at <$300 in early 2015, having ripped ~135% higher in the process. Despite this run, the charts for the stock, both on an absolute basis and relative basis vs. nearly anything else you…
Putting the “Relative” Thinking Cap On
Have been scanning various industries/companies within those industries in recent weeks looking for areas that offer some combo of safety and/or out-performance opportunities “vs.” and “relative” to the SPX. There are a handful of industries that look very good right…...
Transports Have Put in a Major, Secular Peak vs. the Broader Market
In the chart below note that in late Dec-14 the ratio of the DJ Transportation Index vs. SPX hit ~4.40, a level that has historically been consistent with major, secular peaks. Historically, such peaks have resulted in Transports under-performing the…...