FinTwit is full-on breadth hating mode again. Reminder that was also the case until about a week before the June 8 high.

And at that $SPX high, A/D was at a new ATH and 97% of the $NYSE was >50-d and 70% >200-d. Breadth peaked with price
To each his/her own, but bad breadth is useful at price lows (a washout), but in real-time (key), it is a minefield of false signals at price highs. There are better signals available to you. Jmo from the past 26 yrs
Another real time example of ‘good breadth’ preceding a high in price. $RUT still lower than it was then

$SPX up big but breadth negative. Last 15 time, 12 (80%) down more 1%, 2 (13%) up big and 1 flat. No bueno
Image
Breadth: Cumulative A/D (top panel) is at a new high. Why this is considered a good sign is a mystery since a new A/D high has occurred at nearly every >5% fall in $SPX (bottom panel), whether $SPX was at an ATH (2013-on) or a lower high (2003-07; 2009-13) ImageImage
Long story short: generations of bright minds have tried to figure out which stocks will be the next FAAMNG and in the process 95% of them have underperformed $SPX. The end.
Using $SPX A/D (top panel; at new high) or $NYSE common stock A/D (middle) doesn’t give a different conclusion Image
Another look at breadth, using % stocks >50-d or 200-d. Poor participation + divergences hasn’t stopped a 4-mo rally back to ATHs. This is nothing new. Divergences can last days or a year. Markets can peak with or without them, on 'good breadth' or bad. In real time, worthless Image
I have been regularly tweeting this message out throughout this rally to demonstrate that things can look tidy in hindsight but real time is all that matters and most (not all) of this kind of analysis doesn’t give any edge.
‘Equal weight’ $SPX has been underperforming 'market weight' $SPX for 5 years (bottom panel), during which $SPX has gained 50% (top). Other peaks before a >10% drop occurred when equal weight outperformed. Not useful but it's still a FinTwit favorite for some reason Image
Breadth: 5 of 9 sectors have outperformed $SPY since the Feb peak to yesterday’s new ATH in $SPX (LHS). fwiw, by the time $SPX made a new ATH in April 2013, 8 of 9 sectors were outperforming, the big laggard being financials (RHS) ImageImage
Breadth: Two looks. First, $NYMO -50 but $SPX at an ATH on Friday. I found zero since 2013 but here are some that occured close to a $SPX high Image
Breadth: Second, $NYSI falling below its 5-d (lower panel) with what happened to $SPX (upper panel). Oct 2017 and Nov 2019 were go-go mkts but those were the exceptions Image
Breadth: $SPX now up +4% while $NYSI falling. This also happened in late-2017 and -2019; in both, $SPX returned to the scene of the crime months later. Late-2013 (not shown) the same Image
Breadth: at the Sept 2 ATH in $SPX, the $SPX A/D line was at a new high, >80% of components were above their 50-d and close to 70% above their 200-d (the best since Feb). In other words, based on these commonly used measures, $SPX peaked on "good breadth.”
(Scroill up to see charts explaining why this is not surprising or unusual. In real time, these measures are aren’t especially helpful at tops)
Breadth: $NYSI fell from +926 on Aug 18 to +6 on Friday. Today it will rise to +9. Since Aug 18, it has only risen on one day (Sept 16). The key of course is rising on consecutive days
Breadth: in the event, $NYSI will fall 12 pts today, to -3. No follow through breadth on consecutive days
$NYSI went positive Oct 1 and has risen everyday since. In the last 2 days, my stream has gone full on breadth. A good collection of breadth charts here:
Among other things, what’s interesting about this is that about 70% of the signals over the past 40 years have taken place in the last 12
Today, the stream says the market is toast. Recall that 2 weeks ago, the stream said it was definitely going to new ATHs because ‘breadth’.

This is how it works
Breadth on Monday was 91% down (a MDD). Today is follow through
Breadth momentum ($NYMO) hit -81 today. Sometimes that’s the $SPX bottom, but more often there’s more selling ahead (either directly or after a bounce) Image
Yesterday, bounce. Today, lower low. Momentum, whether upward or downward, takes time to wear off.
At the Oct 12 high in $SPX, the A/D line was at a new high, 80% of components were above their 50-d and 75% above their 200-d. Objective;y, very good breadth. Surprised $SPX fell 8% since then? You shouldn’t be. Beating this dead horse some more
Breadth: So far, a 2nd >80% up volume day in a row (middle panel). Don’t be surprised if this leads into another >5% selloff as that’s exactly what has happened several times since the March low. Remember, it’s still 2020 $spx Image
Fintwit excited that >80% of stocks above their 200-d. As many >8% drops (equal to that in Oct) take place under this condition as when breadth is weak. Image
Breadth confirmation has a major problem: all equity market returns come from just 7% of stocks. It’s a feature not a bug Image
Likewise, $SPX gains and R/R best when breadth ‘weakest’. This data is 2012-17
fat-pitch.blogspot.com/2017/06/using-… Image
Breadth momentum is a tailwind. $NYSI went from < 0 in Sept to > 500 today. Notes on chart. More upside ahead but 5% drawdown can happen anytime Image
Small caps outperforming $SPX (lower panel) is irrelevant to overall market direction. Notable tops (vertical lines) happen whether they under or outperform. Why? $SPX is about 75% of total US equity market cap; small caps are less 10%. It’s dog versus tail Image
How 'good breadth' is equally a measure of increasing investor comfort
More of what’s contributing to ‘good breadth.’ Think about investors’ risk tolerance when these companies are outperforming
$NYSI went < 0 in Sept to being on track to close ~940 today. The last time it closed >1000 was early June; $SPX promptly lost 8%. But, longer term, strong breadth momentum is a tailwind - not something that happens at bull market tops. Notes on chart Image
100% closed higher either 1 or 2 months later $NYSI $SPX
Stuff that happens when more than 90% of $SPX stocks are above their 200-d Image
I have some bad news if you think small caps (lower panel) will weaken (i.e., ‘diverge’) before $SPX weakens ImageImage
More generally, you will spot the ‘breadth divergences’ that matter only in hindsight. Looking for these is a complete waste of time Image
The green arrows are good entry points. Red arrows happened at tops in 1980, 1987, 2011 and others (scroll up) - if you’re fine with a 20% DD and/or 18 mo of treading water then you’ll be paid for your patience. Your preferred timeframe is what matters
You should be connecting these breadth numbers with the sentiment numbers. That’s not an aberration, that’s how this works
Awesome example of recency bias with small caps up 100% since March. From BAML Image
10-day total new highs minus new lows at a very high level. In the past, $SPX has fallen hard (vertical lines + blue arrows), chopped (circle) or continued higher (green arrow). Why this is considered unequivocally bullish (or even useful) remains a mystery Image
There were zero new $NYSE 52-wk lows last week. That can happen after big bear mkt lows (1980, 82, 91, 09) but also ahead of long consolidations and decent sized DDs (like last June) ImageImageImageImage
When you see ‘strong breadth’ and ‘broad participation’, this is what is going on behind the numbers. It’s why ‘breadth’ and ‘sentiment’ are most often the same thing
Even steel stocks - steel! - up 200% since last March. A 10 year high $SLX Image
$NYSE $RUA $DJIA and other indices at new ATHs today but it’s without FAANMG
- $aapl near ATH
- $amzn $nflx $msft $goog all under 50-d
- $fb under 200-d Image
Strong breadth leads to statistically lower forward returns. Scroll up. From the always awesome @sentimentrader Sign up for their free daily email here: sentimentrader.com/blog/ (I’m not affiliated, just a fan) Image
What was behind the ‘strong breadth’ pundits have been in love with. Scroll up for more
Breadth: New ATHs in NYSE A/D and SPX A/D just last week. >90% of $SPX above 200-d and 80% above 50-d. The very broad $WLSH (3500 stocks) at ATH this week. On these measures, breadth strong right into the price high. Scroll up
$NYMO (breadth momentum) closed > 30 Friday (lower panel). Signalling the all clear? No.

New 1-yr highs in $SPX (top panel) have not topped ahead of >5% drop w/ $NYMO >30 in the past 6 yrs (red lines) but that was not the case earlier (blue lines) ImageImageImageImage
Last weekend, FinTwit was in a tither over the ‘negative breadth divergence’. $SPX up 5% since then.

Here’s how often that has worked in the past few years Image
When US equities peaked in mid-Feb, breadth was objectively strong:
- NYSE and SPX A/D at new highs
- NYSE High-Low at a new high
- NYSE % above 50-d and 200-d 81% and 88%, respectively

Also, BAML fund managers equity allocation was the 2nd highest in survey history ImageImageImageImage
That’s not an anomaly, that’s how this works
Nasdaq’s breadth right as it started its 11% drop Image
This thread: Breadth indicators like A/D lines and % above 50-d or 200-d are demonstrably garbage as real-time tells at highs (not at lows) but I am a fan of $NYMO and $NYSI and track them at every close.

To each his/her own, do what works for you
$NYMO +20 today, the first positive close since Feb 16. Still needs follow through. Here are all drops in $SPX >4% the last 5 yrs. A rising $NYSI has been coincident with at least an interim low Image

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More from @ukarlewitz

15 Oct 20
If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.

$ES_F is now back below that lonely red candle. 3420 is a bcktest of the 'breakout'
$NDX down 4 days in a row. Last 5 yrs, n=14. $NDX closed lower 5 days later 64% of the time and only half the cases closed higher within those next 5 days. Weak
indexindicators.com/backtest/nasda… Image
$NDX down 5 days in a row. Last 5 yrs, n=8 (small sample). $NDX closed lower 5 days later 63% of the time and had a lower close within those next 5 days in all but one instance (88%).

Scroll up - today not a big surprise Image
Read 77 tweets
12 Aug 20
This valuation chart from Bloomberg is making the rounds, showing that world equities are overvalued because they exceed world GDP, like 2007, 2017 and the start of this year Image
Here’s a slightly longer term perspective, back to 1980, which shows that it was also overvalued (by slightly more) in 1999 Image
More than half of world equity market cap is just the US, so it’s a good barometer for the world. Here’s an even longer time series, back to 1950 from Doug Short Image
Read 10 tweets
12 Jun 20
$VIX up >40% yesterday. Others in past 30 yrs. None marked the exact low on an intraday basis $spx 1/2 ImageImageImageImage
Cont 2/2 Image
New intraday low today. For the immediate term, both the $vix spike and the mega distribution day pattern have been fulfilled. Charts on both earlier today and last night $spx
Read 24 tweets
28 May 20
Sentiment round-up
Bearish (-1): AAII, fund flows, BAML FMS
Bullish (+1): II, Panic/Euphoria, DSI, 10-day CPCE, one-month CPCE, NAAIM
Neutral (-1): Fear & Greed, Consensus

1 more measure moved up into the bull camp this week
10-day equity-only put/call now at 0.53. Since 2004, a >5% drawdown was ahead, or if $SPX ran higher, all gains given back. It could take weeks to unfold Image
Read 147 tweets
27 May 20
My stream went from breadth is terrible to breath is beautiful in the span of a week.

The low was 45 days ago and the Wilshire 5k is up 35% so a 50-d moving average will show a lot of stocks are above it. That’s how math works
Careful with ‘strong breadth’.

Similar breath (~90% above 50-d) preceded two long sideways periods in 2004-05.

85% of was above its 50-d at the Oct 2007 top. That’s objectively strong breadth Image
(Cont). Likewise, strong breadth preceded three different harsh corrections in the past 10 years Image
Read 16 tweets
7 May 20
Two weeks later and ‘retail’ sentiment is still weak (-29%). Same conclusion $spx
4 week retail sentiment (AAII) now lowest since March 2009. Meaningful in a bull market, not in a bear market Image
Sentiment round-up
Bearish: AAII, Consensus, fund flows, Fear & Greed
Bullish: II, Panic/Euphoria, one-month CPCE
Neutral: NAAIM, DSI, 10-day CPCE
Read 8 tweets

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