Trade war, Schmade war!

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. The turnover rate of the trading model is high, and it has varied between 150% to 200% per month.

Subscribers receive real-time alerts of model changes, and a hypothetical trading record of the those email alerts are updated weekly here.

The latest signals of each model are as follows:

• Ultimate market timing model: Buy equities*
• Trend Model signal: Bullish*
• Trading model: Bullish*

* 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 receive real-time alerts of trading model changes, and a hypothetical trading record of the those email alerts is shown here.


A market triple whammy
Last week, the stock market was hit with a triple whammy of bad news.

• Negative stories about market and momentum leader Facebook (FB);
• A moderately more hawkish message from the Federal Reserve; and
• The prospect of a trade war that could tank the global economy.

As a result, the SPX fell -6.0% for the week. The market is obviously stretched to the downside. The SPX is testing support at its February lows and the 200 day moving average (dma). The VIX Index has risen above its upper Bollinger Band, which is a short-term oversold signal. As well, the CBOE put/call ratio spiked to high levels indicating fear.

Is this enough to signal a short-term bottom? This week, I address the dual macro threats of Fed policy, and the possible effects of a trade war. There are many others who can much analyze FB better than me, and stock specific analysis is outside my scope.

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