Nearing the terminal phase of this equity bull

Preface: Explaining our market timing models
We maintain several market timing models, each with differing time horizons. The "Ultimate Market Timing Model" is a long-term market timing model based on the research outlined in our post, Building the ultimate market timing model. This model tends to generate only a handful of signals each decade.

The Trend Model is an asset allocation model which applies trend following principles based on the inputs of global stock and commodity price. This model has a shorter time horizon and tends to turn over about 4-6 times a year. In essence, it seeks to answer the question, "Is the trend in the global economy expansion (bullish) or contraction (bearish)?"

My inner trader uses the trading component of the Trend Model to look for changes in the direction of the main Trend Model signal. A bullish Trend Model signal that gets less bullish is a trading "sell" signal. Conversely, a bearish Trend Model signal that gets less bearish is a trading "buy" signal. The history of actual out-of-sample (not backtested) signals of the trading model are shown by the arrows in the chart below. Past trading of the trading model has shown turnover rates of about 200% per month.

The latest signals of each model are as follows:

• Ultimate market timing model: Buy equities*
• Trend Model signal: Risk-on*
• Trading model: Bearish*

* The performance chart and model readings have been delayed by a week out of respect to our paying subscribers.

Update schedule: I generally update model readings on my site on weekends and tweet mid-week observations at @humblestudent. Subscribers will also receive email notices of any changes in my trading portfolio.


Charting the pain trade
Even as the recent SPX stays in a narrow trading range, there was plenty of pain to go around beneath the surface. The drubbing taken by NASDAQ stocks were largely offset by rallies in Financials and Healthcare.

So what are the next pain trades, and what are the implications?

Hedgopia documented how large speculators (read: hedge funds) have moved from a crowded short in the 10-year Treasury Note to a crowded long.

Similarly, large speculators are also in a crowded long in the T-Bond futures.

Bond yields began to rise, and the yield curve steepened dramatically.

Those are the first major pain points for traders. These dramatic reversals have further implications for the equity market.

The full post can be found at our new site here.