Ascending Wedge Implies Correction Imminent
by Carl Swenlin
August 15, 2008

The rally that began off the July lows has not demonstrated the kind of strength we normally expect from the deeply oversold conditions that were present at its beginning. Instead, the meager price advance has served only relieve oversold compression and advance internal indicators to moderately overbought levels. In the process, as the chart shows, the price pattern has morphed into an ascending wedge formation, a bearish formation that usually breaks to the downside. Since we are in a bear market (the primary trend is down), odds of the negative outcome are increased.

The next chart shows our On-Balance Volume (OBV) Indicator Set. The Climactic Volume Indicator (CVI) measures extreme OBV movement within the context of a short-term OBV envelope for each stock in the index. The Short-Term Volume Oscillator (STVO) is a 5-day moving average of the CVI. The Volume Trend Oscillator (VTO) summarizes rising and falling OBV trends. These charts tell us if the index is overbought or oversold based upon volume in three different time frames. All three are giving us useful information at present.

The CVI shows that upside volume climaxes have been quite mediocre, certainly well below the levels that we see when significant rallies are launched. The STVO and VTO show that the oversold conditions that existed at the July low have been cleared, and that the market is beginning to become overbought. With overbought internals and a bearish chart formation, we should be expecting a correction very soon.

A correction would not necessarily be a bad thing. The July low needs to be retested on a medium-term basis, and a successful retest would set up a broad double bottom, suitable to support a decent rally; however, in my estimation, prices will need to go a lot lower than they were in July before internals will be sufficiently oversold to fuel a healthy advance.

A bullish take on current conditions would emphasize that the subject ascending wedge is a short-term condition, and any downside resolution is likely to be short-term as well, meaning that a very short correction could result in a higher low that keeps the rising trend intact, albeit at a less accelerated angle. There could even be an upside breakout from the formation, but that is a long shot.

Bottom Line: While our trend-following model has us on an intermediate-term buy signal, my opinion is that we should expect a correction which, at the very least, will retest the July lows. Since we are in a bear market, there is also a strong possibility that any correction could be the start of the next leg down.

We rely on our mechanical trend models to determine our market posture. Below is a recent snapshot of our primary trend-following timing model status for the major indexes and sectors we track. Note that we have included the nine Rydex Equal Weight ETF versions of the S&P Spider Sectors. This may seem redundant, but the equal weighted indexes most often do not perform the same as their cap-weighted counterparts, and they provide a way to diversify exposure.

Technical analysis is a windsock, not a crystal ball. Be prepared to adjust your tactics and strategy if conditions change.

* * * * * * * *

NEW ELDER BOOK: SELL & SELL SHORT

This is not a paid ad. Dr. Alexander Elder has been a friend of Decision Point for many years, and, when he asked me to give some coverage of his new book, Sell & Sell Short, I was happy to do it, not only because of our long relationship, but because he is one of the foremost writers and teachers in the field of trading.

Sell & Sell Short gives excellent coverage on a subject that many traders shy away from. And, since we are in a bear market, the subject is especially timely. If you are an old Elder fan, my recommendation is not needed. If Elder is new to you, then I do recommend this book to you, as well as his earlier works, all of which you can find on elder.com.

* * * * * * * *

BIO: Carl Swenlin is a self-taught technical analyst, who has been involved in market analysis since 1981. A pioneer in the creation of online technical resources, he is president and founder of DecisionPoint.com, a premier technical analysis website specializing in stock market indicators, charting, and focused research reports. Mr. Swenlin is a Member of the Market Technicians Association.