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Reverse Head and Shoulders Forming?
by Carl Swenlin
May 15, 2009
The ascending wedge pattern we discussed last week has broken down as we expected. Considering that the market has rallied nearly 40%, I think it is reasonable to expect more corrective action.
The next development to watch is the possible formation of a reverse head and shoulders. We currently have the left shoulder, head, and neckline. The correction that has started could result in a right shoulder, if the correction does not turn into the next leg of the bear market. The ideal resolution (if you are a bull) would be for the correction to end in the area of 750-800, then for a rally to blast up through the neckline. If that were to happen, the minimum upside target would be equal to the distance between the top of the head and the neckline -- about 1200. Interesting to contemplate, but, hey, we are way ahead of ourselves at this point.

As you can see on the chart below, intermediate-term indicators are still very overbought. This evidence supports the idea that the correction is not over yet.

Bottom Line: The short-term indicators, although oversold, have shifted from a persistently positive range to a more normal range. I interpret this to mean that the invincible nature of the rising trend has come to an end. Coupled with the fact that medium-term indicators are still quite overbought, my conclusion is that there are probably a few more weeks of correction ahead of us. The appearance of some elements of a reverse head and shoulders offer some hope that a major bottom could be forming, but it is too early to turn up the optimism in that regard.
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Technical analysis is a windsock, not a crystal ball. Be prepared to adjust your tactics and strategy if conditions change.
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2008 TIMER DIGEST RANKINGS FOR DECISION POINT
#17 Intermediate-Term Stocks (52-Weeks) (TD Index 111.9 Vs. SPX 61.51)
#4 Bond Timer (*TD Index: 112.32 Vs. Bonds 118.26)
#5 Gold Timer (TD Index: 126.33 Vs. Gold 104.61)
#9 Long-Term Timer (2 Years) Stocks (TD Index: 132.35 Vs. SPX 63.69)
#2 Long-Term Timer (3 Years) Stocks (TD Index: 150.38 Vs. SPX 72.36)
#2 Long-Term Timer (5 Years) Stocks (TD Index: 168.82 Vs. SPX 81.23)
#3 Long-Term Timer (10 Years) Stocks (TD Index: 159.36 Vs. SPX 73.48)
2007 TIMER DIGEST RANKINGS FOR DECISION POINT
#40 Intermediate-Term Stocks (52-Weeks) (TD Index 91.9 Vs. SPX 103.28)
#5 Bond Timer (TD Index: 105.85 Bonds 104.39)
#2 (Tied) Long-Term Timer (2 Years) Stocks (TD Index: 117.63 Vs. SPX 117.63)
2006 TIMER DIGEST RANKINGS FOR DECISION POINT
#11 Intermediate-Term Stocks (52-Weeks) (TD Index 111.3 Vs. SPX 113.6)
#3 Bond Timer (TD Index: 112.32 Vs. Bonds 97.46)
2000 TIMER DIGEST GOLD TIMER of the YEAR
*All timers are assigned an Index of 100 at the beginning of the year. The amount above or below the starting index indicates the percentage gain or loss for the year.
Beginning in 2006 we began using mechanical models -- the Trend Model for Bonds, Gold, and Long-Term Stocks, and the Thrust/Trend Model for Intermediate-Term Stocks. Prior to 2006 we used discretionary signals.
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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.
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