Since large institutional investors (hedge funds, pension funds, sovereign
wealth funds, etc.) are the primary drivers of asset prices, it pays to keep
an eye on them. The market's 'big boys' seem to be focused on this Dow Jones
News Service report:
Widespread anti-government protests in Egypt have lifted crude prices
sharply higher the last two trading sessions. On Monday, protesters called
for a general strike and said they planned a "million man march" Tuesday
to mark one week since the start of the upheaval. Though Egypt is not a
major oil producer, the continued protests stoked fears that shipping traffic
at the Suez Canal, a key energy transit route, could be interrupted or
that the unrest could spread to major oil producers elsewhere in the region.
Our guess is a "million man march" has the potential to turn into a violet
scene on Tuesday. Large market players seem to agree as they basically have
sat on the sidelines as of 2:50 p.m. ET. Trading volume is down approximately
27% vs. the same time on Friday on both the NYSE and NASDAQ.
From a technical perspective (another way to track big market players), the
S&P 500 is flashing several short-term bearish divergences. Compare the
slope of the green line for price to the slopes of the orange lines in the
indicators. The orange slopes show a market that is still susceptible to selling
in the short-term. These conditions can be easily cleared, but they should
not be ignored.
The market may find its footing soon, but we prefer to be patient with any
cash. We will also maintain a watchful eye on our holdings until the technical
weakness shown above is no longer present.
Chris Ciovacco is the Chief Investment Officer for Ciovacco
Capital Management, LLC. More on the web at www.ciovaccocapital.com.
All material presented herein is believed to be reliable
but we cannot attest to its accuracy. Investment recommendations may change
and readers are urged to check with their investment counselors and tax advisors
before making any investment decisions. Opinions expressed in these reports
may change without prior notice. This memorandum is based on information available
to the public. No representation is made that it is accurate or complete. This
memorandum is not an offer to buy or sell or a solicitation of an offer to
buy or sell the securities mentioned. The investments discussed or recommended
in this report may be unsuitable for investors depending on their specific
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a guide to future performance. The price or value of the investments to which
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the interest of investors. All prices and yields contained in this report are
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Ciovacco Capital Management, LLC is an independent money
management firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. CCM helps individual investors and
businesses, large & small; achieve improved investment results via research
and globally diversified investment portfolios. Since we are a fee-based firm,
our only objective is to help you protect and grow your assets. Our long-term,
theme-oriented, buy-and-hold approach allows for portfolio rebalancing from
time to time to adjust to new opportunities or changing market conditions.