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Category: 2 – Technical Trader

Lee Adler’s proprietary cycle analysis with market trend and position ideas for investors and weekly individual stock swing trade ideas for traders. Click here to subscribe. 90 day risk free trial!

Volatility Subsides, But Range Remains, Picking off Stops

2/16/21 Every week I run technical stock screens covering all NYSE and NASD stocks trading above $6 and averaging more than 1 million shares a day. This typically results in between 15 and 50 charts to review visually. I’m looking for low risk, high reward price structures, which I’m not smart enough to program into the screening process. But it’s ok. I like to look at charts. 

The volatility subsided, but the range remained. 4 picks dipped below their stops. Were they too tight? Or is this the beginning of the end for the longs. Time will tell.

Meanwhile, list performance improved slightly to an average of +2.4%, up from +0.2% the week before, on an average holding period of  15 days, up from 10 days the week before. The percentage change assumes cash trades, no margin, no options.

The stopouts left just 4 picks on the list. All are longs, and all look ok to hold, with stops adjusted based on trigger lines in the charts. I added two more picks from Friday’s screen.

Stock Market Meat Grinder Running in an Uptrend

As wild short term volatility chews up swing traders and spits them out, the market averages remain in an uptrend, and look poised to move higher. But fewer stocks will lead the way. Most may not participate. Technical Trader subscribers click here to download the complete report.

But wait! There’s more! Continue reading here if you haven’t subscribed yet.

The Meat Grinder Prevails – Swing Trade Picks For Week of May 24, 2021

2/16/21 Every week I run technical stock screens covering all NYSE and NASD stocks trading above $6 and averaging more than 1 million shares a day. This typically results in between 15 and 50 charts to review visually. I’m looking for low risk, high reward price structures, which I’m not smart enough to program into the screening process. But it’s ok. I like to look at charts. 😊

Technical Trader subscribers click here to download the complete report.

Volatile rangebound trading is a meat grinder for swing trades. Last week lived up to that. List performance slipped to an average of +0.2%, down from +2.1% the week before, on an average holding period of 10 days, up from 8 days the week before. In trending markets this number would normally be around 13-14 days. The percentage change assumes cash trades, no margin, no options.

10 picks hit stop triggers, leaving 8 on the list. All are longs, and all look well positioned for additional gains, but I have kept stops tight, just in case. I have adjusted  most stops.

Don’t Get Burned by the Turn

I have always been reluctant to post midweek updates. Last week’s market action was a perfect example why. We had the beginning of a crash. I responded, and immediately reversed. We know why it reversed. All that cash that the Fed and Treasury poured into the market last week worked its magic. I assuredly do not know what caused it to start on a crash path however. That history is yet to be written.

Meanwhile, I will try to cut through noise and focus on the message of the technical indicators. We had a confusing little detour last week. I need to stay focused on the direction, even if a solar flare knocks out the GPS from time to time.

Cycles now appear to be opposed, with no coherent structure to support a breakout. The 10-12 month and 6 month cycles appear to be topping out. The 13 week cycle is still in a flat down phase. The short term cycles have probably bottomed.

Cycle projections for the 10-12 month cycle now point to xxxx (subscribers only), suggesting xxxx. There are no projections for shorter cycles.

Technical Trader subscribers click here to download the report.

Subscription Plans

Cycle time projections point to a final top to occur in xxxx (subscribers only).

The third rail chart did not break its intermediate uptrend in the selloff. Resistance is at xxxx (subscribers only) subscribers on Monday, rising to xxxx (subscribers only) on Friday. If broken, the initial target zone would be xxxx (subscribers only).

On the weekly chart, the market recovered to close above a long term trendline now at xxxx. The uptrend remains intact.

On the monthly chart, May began with trend support at xxxx, and resistance at roughly xxxx (subscribers). The long term cycle momentum indicator is xxxx (subscribers).

Cycle screening measures weakened. The short term pattern suggests more upside. The intermediate term outlook is xxxx (subscribers).

The chart pick list had an average gain of 2.1% with an average holding period of 8 calendar days last week.

For the week as a whole, there were 224 buy signals and 125 sells, a spread of +99. That compares with 168 buys and 96 sells, a spread of +72, the week before. It was as if the vicious mid-week selloff never happened. But it happened to the chart pick list. 10 picks were stopped out, including both directions  I added 8 buys to the list this week, bringing it to 14 longs, no shorts.  That report is published here. (subscribers)

Technical Trader subscribers click here to download the report.

Not a subscriber? Follow Lee’s market analysis and outlook, with price and time targets, and weekly swing trade chart picks, risk free for 90 days!  

These reports are not investment advice. They are for informational purposes, intended for an audience of investment and trading professionals, and other experienced investors and traders. Chart pick performance changes week to week and past performance may not indicate future results, as you know. Trading involves risk, and these reports assume that you understand those risks and manage them according to your tolerance. 

Dodging Bullets – Swing Trade Picks For Week of May 17, 2021

2/16/21 Every week I run technical stock screens covering all NYSE and NASD stocks trading above $6 and averaging more than 1 million shares a day. This typically results in between 15 and 50 charts to review visually. I’m looking for low risk, high reward price structures, which I’m not smart enough to program into the screening process. But it’s ok. I like to look at charts. 😊

Technical Trader subscribers click here to download the complete report.

I was worried that the list was going to have a very bad week, but in the end, it wasn’t even a flesh wound. In fact, it was just a scratch. We definitely took some hits as the extreme volatility caused stops to get triggered in both directions. List performance slipped to an average gain of +2.1%, down from +2.6% the week before, on an average holding period of 8 days, down from 9 days the week before. This assumes cash trades, no margin, no options.

10 picks hit stop triggers, leaving 4 on the list. All are longs, and all look well positioned for additional gains. I have adjusted stops on all of them.

Special Update- The New Crash

Mea culpa. I did not see this coming. There were signs. I dismissed them.  I was in a hypnotic trance, because there wasn’t much different in the TA than we’ve had before during this era of endless central bank money pumping, tilting the market playing fields. You are getting bullish. Very bullish.  Bullish, bullish, bullish.

We’ve had a dozen years where negative divergences between technical indicators and the market averages meant nothing. Over the past two days, the market snapped its fingers. This time, they divergences meant something. But I had stopped believing a long time ago. To me, those negative divergences had become the Boy Who Cried Wolf.

That’s all I say about what I missed. As Satchel Paige said, “Don’t look back. Something might be gainin’ on you.” There is a time for post mortems. This is not one of them. This is the time to “read and react.” (Lombardi)

So let’s read, see what we can, and react. Technical Trader subscribers click here to download the report.

Non subscriber? Get a 90 day risk free trial to see now.

Initial cycle projection on the SPX point to a low around XXXX (subscribers see full report). If that doesn’t hold, there are several trend support areas below that, which could be likely targets for a V bottom bounce. XXXX and XXXX are potential support areas, but they look minor. The big one would be XXXX.

As an aside from my liquidity research, massive amounts of liquidity are coming into the market right now. It started on Tuesday with a big Treasury bill paydown. Another one will hit today. And they’ll do it again next Tuesday. Today also begins Fed MBS settlement week, where it settles all the MBS it bought under forward purchase contracts 30-60 days ago. That’s $122 billion coming into dealer accounts from the Fed, and around $50 billion a week into dealer and other major investor accounts from the US Treasury.

So we have the tinder for a V bottom between XXXX and XXXX (subscribers see full report). But from where? And is this damage fatal to the long term uptrend? Those are the questions.

Subscription Plans

In the interest of getting to the point and getting this report out to you, below is a brief chart review (subscribers see full report) with brief comments.

Technical Trader subscribers click here to download the report.

Not a subscriber? Follow Lee’s market analysis and outlook, with price and time targets, and weekly swing trade chart picks, risk free for 90 days!  

These reports are not investment advice. They are for informational purposes, intended for an audience of investment and trading professionals, and other experienced investors and traders. Chart pick performance changes week to week and past performance may not indicate future results, as you know. Trading involves risk, and these reports assume that you understand those risks and manage them according to your tolerance. 

Stock Market Cycle Indicators Are Back In Gear

All cycles have gotten back in gear. The upside could be explosive. This report tells what to look for that would trigger that scenario.

Technical Trader subscribers click here to download the report.

Not a subscriber? Follow Lee’s market analysis and outlook, with price and time targets, and weekly swing trade chart picks, risk free for 90 days!  

These reports are not investment advice. They are for informational purposes, intended for an audience of investment and trading professionals, and other experienced investors and traders. Chart pick performance changes week to week and past performance may not indicate future results, as you know. Trading involves risk, and these reports assume that you understand those risks and manage them according to your tolerance. 

Second Wind – Swing Trade Picks For Week of May 10, 2021

2/16/21 Every week I run technical stock screens covering all NYSE and NASD stocks trading above $6 and averaging more than 1 million shares a day. This typically results in between 15 and 50 charts to review visually. I’m looking for low risk, high reward price structures, which I’m not smart enough to program into the screening process. But it’s ok. I like to look at charts. 😊

Technical Trader subscribers click here to download the complete report.

List performance was stable last week, with the average gain remaining +2.6% on an average holding period of 9 days, down from 12 days the week before. This assumes cash trades, no margin, no options.

4 picks hit stop triggers, leaving 6 on the list. 3 of those are shorts. 3 are longs. I have adjusted stops on all of them.

Here’s the list performance by symbol last week along with updated closeouts, and adjusted stop levels (table in report- subscribers only). Click here to subscribe, 90 days risk free for first time. This assumes cash trades, no margin, no options.  

Stock Market Wobbly But Refusing to Break

Cycles are mixed, with all shorter cycles in down phases that are still flat, but could grow teeth. The longer term structures and outlook stay bullish.

Technical Trader subscribers click here to download the report.

Not a subscriber? Follow Lee’s market analysis and outlook, with price and time targets, and weekly swing trade chart picks, risk free for 90 days!  

These reports are not investment advice. They are for informational purposes, intended for an audience of investment and trading professionals, and other experienced investors and traders. Chart pick performance changes week to week and past performance may not indicate future results, as you know. Trading involves risk, and these reports assume that you understand those risks and manage them according to your tolerance. 

Out of Gas – Swing Trade Picks For Week of May 3, 2021

2/16/21 Every week I run technical stock screens covering all NYSE and NASD stocks trading above $6 and averaging more than 1 million shares a day. This typically results in between 15 and 50 charts to review visually. I’m looking for low risk, high reward price structures, which I’m not smart enough to program into the screening process. But it’s ok. I like to look at charts. 😊

Technical Trader subscribers click here to download the complete report.

List performance degraded last week, with the average gain dropping to +2.5% on an average holding period of 12 days. That includes open picks and those that triggered stops during the week. Remaining picks are shaky. I have tightened stops.

New for this week, I’ve added 5 shorts and no longs to the list.

This table summarizes recent list performance.