What better quintessential metaphor for the current stock market?
The Invisible Man was written by H.G. Wells in 1897.
The main character, Griffin, invents a way to become invisible, but fails in his attempt to reverse it.
Those analysts and wealth managers telling folks to buy this market carnage have led investors into a similar fate.
Not only do investors find their money becoming invisible, they also lack any recourse to reverse it.
The figure holds a cell phone up to his blinded eyes.
Would you consider this a lack of situational awareness or a pretense that one can see what one really cannot see?
How about the partially exposed thigh?
To me that suggests the exposure these irresponsible analysts engender for the uninformed and inexperienced.
With both eyes wide open and without any pretense, the Economic Modern Family is our best analyst.
If your are new to the Daily and want to know more about the Modern Family, simply click the hyperlink.
All this past week I have written about the inside weeks that up until yesterday held as support.
Then, one by one, those lows were violated.
First one to go was the Regional Banks ETF (KRE).
Next came our “go to” Transportation Sector ETF (IYT).
Friday, the Retail Sector ETF (XRT) and the Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) followed in kind.
Only Biotechnology Sector ETF (IBB) and Semiconductors Sector ETF (SMH) held their last week’s lows.
Then, in the last 5 minutes of Friday’s session, buying came in.
That helped get the Russells to close a bit above the low from the week prior.
However, keep in mind that IWM has wiped out a year of gains in a couple of weeks.
Besides IBB and SMH as already mentioned, KRE, IYT and XRT broke and closed below the prior week’s low.
And here is where our Invisible Men or Griffin-like characters come in. They see what they want to see.
Oh sure, the S&P 500, Dow and NASDAQ not only held the prior week’s low, but actually made a higher low.
Yet, haven’t these swathed analysts learned that without the “inside”of the market on board, this end of day boost is as reliable as pretending to look at your cell phone with eyes covered?
If next week the market puts in an earnest bottom, which means a green day with volume, followed by another green day with volume and the Economic Modern Family ending its bleed, then maybe.
At the conclusion of The Invisible Man, Griffin is cornered, seized, and savagely beaten by the enraged mob. His last words are a desperate cry for mercy.
And keeping with the metaphor, it’s only in death that his battered body becomes visible.
S&P 500 (SPY) Inside week-Has to at least clear 302.50 and hold 285.54
Russell 2000 (IWM) Broke the inside week-Must clear 148 and hold 140.00
Dow (DIA) Inside week. Has to clear 266 at least and hold 247.
Nasdaq (QQQ) Inside week-Has to at least clear 213 and hold 198.13
KRE (Regional Banks) Broke the inside week. Here more than anywhere, we need to see some real bottoming action before getting excited.
SMH (Semiconductors) Inside week. Interesting. Must clear 135 and hold 125.00
IYT (Transportation) Broke the inside week. Has held 155.24 or the 2018 low thus far. Needs to clear 165 to get excited.
IBB (Biotechnology) 120 pivotal with 117.50 key support.
XRT (Retail) Broke the inside week. 39.16 pivotal and over 40.00 better.
Volatility Index (VXX) Gapped higher and held.
Junk Bonds (JNK) 104.78 low must hold and a move over 107 better.
Twitter: @marketminute
The author may have a position in the mentioned securities at the time of publication. Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author, and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.
