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On October 22, 2008, I wrote an article covering my primary view of the stock
market, "that I didn't believe the low in October 2008 was the low of this
move down and that most likely that low would happen in November". Since then,
we have seen the major indexes make new lows. My primary view was driven by
my belief that large and steep moves like we witnessed into mid October are
rarely the type of moves that finish or terminate an advance or decline. It's
typical to see the consolidation behavior that happened before a smaller move
makes new lows.

The Risk Chart above is the daily chart, which reflects the sell off has tested
the lows in this ratio made in the 1990 bear market, and dropped below 10.
Since that late November low, the ratio has almost doubled. That increase has
come in part from a rise in the markets, but mostly from a decrease in the
$VIX, which clearly reflects the Risk Chart ratio can move higher without a
big rally in the overall markets.

On the monthly Risk Chart, the ratio is squarely below the bottom of the wedge
pattern, which for now serves as overhead resistance. I expect a retest of
this resistance area and very possibly in December 2008. This would cause the
markets to move up and volatility to subside in that test.
My Primary View:
Since the market's new low in November, my primary view has become a little
more complex depending on the time frame.

The Daily Chart
3-4-5: These represent Elliott Waves 3-4-5 down on the daily chart of the Dow
Jones. Its classic behavior that wave 3 corresponds with the largest move
in the MACD, and wave 5 creates a divergence in the MACD, as is above, which
creates a bullish divergence on the daily chart. Hence the reason for the
move up in the stock market last week. It's difficult to gauge so far if
the 5 waves down finish a larger wave 3, or 3 of 3, or 5 or C.
If the wave count is correct, we should expect a rally to the wave 4 area,
or around 9600. Or at least a minimum of 9200, which is where the 50 day moving
average is and the minimum fib. retracement level of the move down from the
end of August.
Finally, the market has traded up to the first down trend line (green). It
wouldn't surprise me if the markets backed off that next week before we break
above it.

The Weekly Chart:
The blue circle highlights the weekly MACD has yet to turn up and cross. That
leaves the door open for one more new low. While a possibility, I think it's
more likely we get some consolidation but nothing that makes a new low on
the DOW. If that happens, the market would coil enough set the stage for
another rally to the levels discussed above on the daily chart (9,200 to
9,600). That's the kind of advance that would take us towards the down trend
line (green) on the weekly chart.

The Monthly Chart:
The last two months the DOW took 2 runs at the 2002 lows but failed to break
them like the SP500. That sets in place some very major support in the DOW
and for now that has held. It's also held above the 200 month moving average
on a closing basis. Volume was lower on the November low compared to the
October low. All of that suggests at least December might print a sideways
or up bar on the monthly chart as we unwind some of the over sold nature
of the market.
That being said, the lows on the 2008 MACD have yet to take out the lows of
the 2002 MACD. I fully expect that to happen as the DOW makes a new low below
the major support line. It might take a month or a few months before we take
another run at new lows, and unwinding the some of the over sold nature of
the market is the kind of behavior that would allow the monthly MACD lines
to pull closer before accelerating and falling below their 2002 lows.
A break below the 2002 lows in the DOW would bring in the first set of lower
lows on the monthly chart in decades. If it happens, I believe that's another
technical confirmation that the Peak in 2007 was the top in the Grand Super
Cycle or K-wave, and we are in a deflationary cycle, which is what I believe
the monthly Risk Chart is already saying with the bearish expanding wedge or
termination pattern over the past 20 years.
My Primary View Summary:
The charts suggest more volatility in the markets in both directions. The daily
chart suggests enough bullish divergence that we could see higher prices
in December. However, none of the data suggests a buy and hold market place,
and the markets are for traders only. Should the weekly MACDs finally turn
higher, trading the long side will gain some ease and momentum. That being
said, "my primary view is that after the markets unwind some of it's over
sold nature, the DOW will take another run at breaking below the 2002 lows,
and I'm looking for that sell off to be large, go below 7,000, and happen
during the 1st quarter of 2009 with February as my primary month".
I'd like to wish everyone happy holidays.
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