If there is one thing recent volatility is offering people is a fantastic opportunity to increase their pension contributions, or start a pension if they haven't already. Nobody knows what will come next, but what we do know is markets are offering a steep discount and therefore an opportunity for us benefit. Pension contributions come with tax breaks, which anyone can take advantage of, and the dollar-cost-average approach works best in this situation. If we want to consider a deep swing low, when the S&P gets 30% below its 200-day MA we have a major low, which based on the current 200-day MA, is around 4,029. A more positive spin on recent volatility is to look for a rally to the swing low 5,500, before a retest of the current low at 4,835 (or lower if we break it tomorrow). The Russell 2000 ($IWM), like the S&P, retraced most of yesterday's trading action, although trading volume was well down on the last couple of days. Crash action did kick in on an over...

In the end it wasn't so orderly, but we now have indices trading at levels previously enountered last spring. For the S&P, losses on the weekly time frame undercut the midline of stochastics, so while we have an opportunity for a defensive rally from Friday's close, we are only looking at the start of a more secular decline, something more inline with 2022 when the index tested its 200-week MA.

What were traders thinking? That Trump's tariffs were possibly going to be a good thing for markets? Why did markets close higher over the three days leading into today? Trump is all fault, but the introduction of tariffs was no surprise; he did it in his first term, he ran on it for his second term, and he didn't shy away from his "Liberation Day", and yet markets shed $2tn in value on its release! And, as I said during the credit crisis, where were all the Ivy League business school boffins and corporate leaders to stop any of this from happening? Corporate America was silent (scared? lazy? too rich to care?) and could have done so much more to have stopped this. When Trump is relying on ChatGPT to draw up his tariffs - and imposing tariffs on uninhabited islands - it's clear America's problems run deep, and most of those problem areas lean Republican. And yet, not one word of complaint or action from those who have influence (hello Elon Musk). As for Democr...

I had kind-of written them off as support, but March lows are holding up better than I thought they would. I have marked in the updated measured move targets for the various indices derived from the weekly charts, but these will be negated on a move above the March swing highs. The Nasdaq has registered two higher volume distribution days in the past four with the MACD clinging on to its earlier 'buy' trigger. Today's buying recovered the break of the March low, with the next challenge the 20-day MA. The index is a relative performance tussle with the Russell 2000 ($IWM) that it's currently winning.

With last week's move to the downside we now have to consider new swing lows for indices, with the ones established a couple of weeks ago unlikely to hold. For many of the indices, these new measured move targets align with earlier swing lows marking a convergence of opportunity. What we have is not an ideal shorting opportunity, but one where value players can pick up some value in the market. Starting with the S&P, we have a pojection for a move to 5,120 that is also the swing low from last summer. This move will send stochastics below the mid-line, but may not reach an oversold state. However, the opportunity for a trading range to establish becomes greater and will help consolidate the gain from the 2023 swing low.

We have had the recovery bounce, now we are going to find out if this bounce is something more than just one fashioned in relief. The S&P had the picture-perfect reversal off resistance, undercutting its 200-day MA in the process. Volume climbed to register distribution, but supporting technicals didn't take too much of a hit. Monday's breakout gap can't close if this is a true breakout gap - i.e. if the gap closes, then a retest of 5,500 becomes favored.

The Russell 2000 ($IWM) could be driving the lead out with a gap breakout of the declining channel alongside a close above the 20-day MA. The bounce off the bottom comes with a 'buy' in the MACD after a successful reach of the measured move target. The next target is redrawn resistance at the red hashed line and/or the 200-day MA.