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9/16/2007 9:59:35 AM
Indicative of the collapse in housing, this stock shows it well.
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I don't normally get off topic in the barometer - but this morning the financial
shows were talking about housing, so I thought I'd take a look to see just
how bad it is.

This stock is an important lesson in P/E ratios. Just because BZH has a 8.8
P/E ratio, doesn't make it a good buy. This stock has been sporting a pretty
good P/E ratio for some time - as it's been dropping from 80 to 8. And while
housing may finally show some signs of bottoming here, there's a general rule
that housing stocks will bottom some several months before the actual housing
market does.
So if you're in the market to buy like I am, expect two things. First, I'd
expect that we'll be seeing a bottom in housing sometime next year and second,
don't expect the price of your home to ramp back up. Housing will likely remain
a dead investment for the next decade - as do most assets that go through a
bubble.
You may also need to temper my comments depending on your region. I happen
to live in a housing market where things got pretty hot. I've also been looking
for over a year and a half, going to open houses as part of my research. It's
kind of funny, as most of the brokers know me and expect me. But when it comes
to buying a house, your biggest investment that you'll ever make (in a tangible
asset), I believe that homework is the key. When I first started, I wasn't
sure what I wanted. But over the course of the last year and a half, I know
exactly what I want, what it should cost, and so on. So walking into an open
house, it generally takes me a few minutes to do a comparative value analysis
in my head.
So for those of you who are new to this whole cycle thing, get used to it
- it'll happen again. The last time I bought (built) a house was back in 1992
- and the conditions were similar. By comparison, I think the conditions then
were a little worse than they are now, but we're not at the bottom yet, and
builders are supposedly smarter, so we may not see as many vacant abandoned
neighborhoods as we did back then.

Stock Barometer Analysis
The barometer remains in Buy Mode.
The Stock Barometer is my proprietary market timing system. The direction,
slope and level of the Stock Barometer determine our outlook. For example,
if the barometer line is moving down, we are in Sell Mode. A Buy or Sell
Signal is triggered when the indicator clearly changes direction.
Stock Barometer Cycle Time
Monday is day 3 in our Up Cycle.
The Stock Barometer signals follow 5, 8, 13, 21 and sometimes 34 day Fibonacci
cycles that balance with 'normal' market cycles. Knowing where you are in
the current market cycle is important in deciding how long you expect to
maintain a position.
Potential Cycle Reversal Dates
2007 Potential Reversal Dates: 1/10, 1/14, 1/27, 1/31, 2/3, 2/17, 3/10,
3/24, 4/21, 5/6, 6/15, 8/29. We publish these dates up to 2 months in advance.
10/19 is our next key reversal date. I think a 4 year low has been put in
and the market should climb higher here.
My Additional timing work is based on numerous cycles and has resulted
in the above potential reversal dates. These are not to be confused with
the barometer signals or cycle times. However, due to their past accuracy
I post the dates here.
2006 potential reversal dates: 1/16, 1/30, 2/25, 3/19, 4/8, 5/8, 5/19,
6/6(20), 7/24, 8/20, 8/29, 9/15, 10/11, 11/28. 2005 Potential reversal dates
based on 'other' cycle work were 12/27, 1/25, 2/16, 3/4, 3/14, 3/29, 4/5,
4/19, 5/2, 6/3, 6/10, 7/13, 7/28, 8/12, 8/30-31, 9/22, 10/4, 11/15, 11/20,
12/16.
The following work is based on my spread/momentum indicators for
the QQQQ, GLD, USD, USO and TLT. They are tuned to deliver signals in line
with the Stock Barometer and we use them only in determining our overall
outlook for the market and for pinpointing market reversals. The level,
direction, and position to the zero line are keys in these indicators. For
example, direction determines mode and a buy signal 'above zero' is more
bullish than a buy signal 'below zero'.
QQQQ Spread Indicator (NASDAQ:QQQQ)

The QQQQ Spread Indicator will yield its own buy and sell signals that
may be different from the Stock Barometer. It's meant to give us an idea
of the next turn in the market.
Gold Spread Indicator (AMEX:GLD)

To trade Gold, utilize the Gold ETF AMEX:GLD. This gives us a general gage
to the overall health of the US Economy and the markets, as well as to assists
us in the entry of positions in our stock trading service.
US Dollar Index Spread Indicator (INDEX:DXY)

To trade the US Dollar, I'd utilize the Power Shares AMEX:UUP: US Dollar
Index Bullish Fund and AMEX:UDN: US Dollar Index Bearish Fund.
Bonds Spread Indicator (AMEX:TLT)

To trade Bonds, I recommend Lehman's 20 year ETF AMEX:TLT. Note that the
direction of bonds can have an impact on the stock market. Normally, as bonds
go down, stocks will go up and as bonds go up, stocks will go down.
OIL Spread Indicator (AMEX:USO) *NEW*

To trade OIL, utilize AMEX:USO, the OIL ETF. We look at the price of oil
as its level and direction can have an impact on the stock market.
Supporting Secondary Indicator

I monitor over a hundred technical indicators, some that are widely followed
and some that are proprietary. These indicators break down the market internals,
sentiment and money flow and give us unique insight into the market. I feature
at least one here each day in support of our current outlook - and to give
you an education on what professional traders utilize.
Summary of Daily Outlook
The barometer remains in Buy Mode. There's a Fed meeting on Tuesday. Volatility
remains high, which can translate into a pretty significant move higher - following
the Fed Meeting. We could also be seeing volatility returning to normal levels
- oscillating between 40 and 20 as it did for a significant amount of time
in the past.
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here and sign up for a free trial. Sign up for our free
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If you have any questions or comments, email me at Jay@stockbarometer.com.
Regards,
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