|

As noted a
few posts ago, things are certainly getting interesting lately. Jawbones
have been getting a lot of exercise with the Fed, ECB and China falling all
over themselves to declare how tough they are on inflation. They are not
tough. Jointly, they and other global bankers created this mess. But that
is a screed for another time.
For this entry, I am going to keep the charts to a minimum. Just a look at
the US Dollar's daily progress because so much of the goings on in global markets
revolve around talking up Uncle Buck to quiet the din of a suddenly inflation
sensitive American public. Here is the Dollar in a well defined uptrend channel.
The channel top will present some resistance which may be good for a trip back
down to the channel bottom before another try at the stiff lateral resistance
and 200 day moving average. That will not be easily surmounted. But in the
meantime the Dollar
Heads for Biggest Weekly Gain in Three Years Before G8.
Speaking of the dear old global consumer of last resort, it appears that Americans
may be spooked about inflation but that apparently did not inspire them to
invest in something tangible
and timeless with the government's rebate [alt: bribe, restitution, band
aid on an open wound inflicted by a monetary chainsaw] checks sent out in May.
No, the public went out and did what they always do; they bought an LCD television
to watch the NBA finals with. Wall Street cheered the much higher than expected
retail numbers this week without much talk of the reason behind it.
Meanwhile, I continue to hold my gold stocks while being savaged daily. As
you know, I saw this correction coming, took risk management action (it never
seems like enough though) and have set
parameters whereby this correction 'should' end if all is healthy and well.
I believe that a short term top in the Dollar will coincide with a rebound
in the gold stocks and curiously, the broad stock market as well. Very recently
the gold sector and the stock market have been declining together and I expect
them to rise together. The question will then become "which is real and which
is Memorex?" as the Trannies sport a reverse
symmetrical triangle topping pattern and decide whether they will rebuff
Dow theorists who began getting excited perhaps a bit prematurely. As for the
gold sector, it will be 'Memorex' if one can believe that Paulson and Bernanke
are for real as inflation fighting, strong Dollar advocates. Can one believe
that? In one's dreams I suppose.
Oil continues to be a bothersome wild card that is really messing up the play
in the gold miners as contraction vehicles. But as my friend Otto says,
gold is just more of a value for long term thinkers when measured in oil. We
really needed Paulson put some lipstick on the Dollar and we really need oil
to decline. Meanwhile, yield curves are resetting from panic highs. They did
the same thing in 2002 before heading higher. Right now the $TNX-$IRX ratio
is between a 38% and 50% Fibonacci retrace. I expect the yield curve to head
higher when the Jawbones get a handle on inflation expectations. We should
be rooting for the Jawbones in the short term, not against them.
There is much more to come and as they say, "when the going gets tough, the
tough get going". It is time to get going with analysis that lands us on the
right side of the markets no matter what may lay ahead and I am again getting
interested in the Asian and other global markets and select US stocks/sectors.
But for now I am going to get going (sloppy word play, I know) and bid you
a great weekend. The weather is amazing in the Northeastern US lately.
|