Category Archives: educational newsletters

The RS4r: Tracking Relative Strength In Four Dimensions

Relative strength has more information embedded within it than meets the eye. Here is a way to identify and compress several dimensions of relative strength into one single scalable value, the RS4r, which allows you to compare and then rank securities for robustness across timeframes and shifting market conditions…

The importable AIQ EDS file based on James Garofallou’s article in
Stocks & Commodities magazine September 2020 issue, “The RS4r: Tracking Relative Strength In Four Dimensions,” can be obtained on request via email to info@TradersEdgeSystems.com. The code is also available here:

! The RS4r: Tracking Relative Strength in Four Dimensions
! Author: James Garofallou, PhD, TASC Sept 2020
! Coded by: Richard Denning, 7/18/2020

!INPUTS
C is [close].
len1 is 10.
len2 is 15.
NumIndx is 4.
BuyLvl is 80.

!FORMULAS
SPYc is TickerUDF("SPY",C).      !SP500
QQQc is TickerUDF("QQQ",C).     !NASDAQ100
MDYc is TickerUDF("MDY",C).     !SP400
IWMc is TickerUDF("IWM",C).      !Russel2000

RS1spy is C/SPYc.
RS1qqq is C/QQQc.
RS1mdy is C/MDYc.
RS1iwm is C/IWMc.

FastSPY is Expavg(RS1spy,len1).
MedSPY is Simpleavg(FastSPY,7).
SlowSPY is Simpleavg(FastSPY,15).
VSlowSPY is Simpleavg(SlowSPY,30).

FastQQQ is Expavg(RS1qqq,Len1).
MedQQQ is Simpleavg(FastQQQ,7).
SlowQQQ is Simpleavg(FastQQQ,15).
VSlowQQQ is Simpleavg(SlowQQQ,30).

FastMDY is Expavg(RS1mdy,Len1).
MedMDY is Simpleavg(FastMDY,7).
SlowMDY is Simpleavg(FastMDY,15).
VSlowMDY is Simpleavg(SlowMDY,30).

FastIWM is Expavg(RS1iwm,Len1).
MedIWM is Simpleavg(FastIWM,7).
SlowIWM is Simpleavg(FastIWM,15).
VSlowIWM is Simpleavg(SlowIWM,30).

Tier1spy is iff(FastSPY>=MedSPY and MedSPY>=SlowSPY and SlowSPY>=VslowSPY,10,0).
Tier1qqq is iff(FastQQQ>=MedQQQ and MedQQQ>=SlowQQQ and SlowQQQ>=VslowQQQ,10,0).
Tier1mdy is iff(FastMDY>=MedMDY and MedMDY>=SlowMDY and SlowMDY>=VslowMDY,10,0).
Tier1iwm is iff(FastIWM>=MedIWM and MedIWM>=SlowIWM and SlowIWM>=VslowIWM,10,0).

Tier2spy is iff(FastSPY>=MedSPY and MedSPY>=SlowSPY and SlowSPY<VslowSPY,9,0).
Tier2qqq is iff(FastQQQ>=MedQQQ and MedQQQ>=SlowQQQ and SlowQQQ<VslowQQQ,9,0).
Tier2mdy is iff(FastMDY>=MedMDY and MedMDY>=SlowMDY and SlowMDY<VslowMDY,9,0).
Tier2iwm is iff(FastIWM>=MedIWM and MedIWM>=SlowIWM and SlowIWM<VslowIWM,9,0).

Tier3spy is iff(FastSPY<MedSPY and MedSPY>=SlowSPY and SlowSPY>=VslowSPY,9,0).
Tier3qqq is iff(FastQQQ<MedQQQ and MedQQQ>=SlowQQQ and SlowQQQ>=VslowQQQ,9,0).
Tier3mdy is iff(FastMDY<MedMDY and MedMDY>=SlowMDY and SlowMDY>=VslowMDY,9,0).
Tier3iwm is iff(FastIWM<MedIWM and MedIWM>=SlowIWM and SlowIWM>=VslowIWM,9,0).

Tier4spy is iff(FastSPY<MedSPY and MedSPY>=SlowSPY and SlowSPY<VslowSPY,5,0).
Tier4qqq is iff(FastQQQ<MedQQQ and MedQQQ>=SlowQQQ and SlowQQQ<VslowQQQ,5,0).
Tier4mdy is iff(FastMDY<MedMDY and MedMDY>=SlowMDY and SlowMDY<VslowMDY,5,0).
Tier4iwm is iff(FastIWM<MedIWM and MedIWM>=SlowIWM and SlowIWM<VslowIWM,5,0).

RS2spy is Tier1spy + Tier2spy + Tier3spy + Tier4spy.
RS2qqq is Tier1qqq + Tier2qqq + Tier3qqq + Tier4qqq.
RS2mdy is Tier1mdy + Tier2mdy + Tier3mdy + Tier4mdy.
RS2iwm is Tier1iwm + Tier2iwm + Tier3iwm + Tier4iwm.


RS3x is  (RS2spy+RS2qqq+RS2mdy+RS2iwm).

RS4 is (RS3x/NumIndx)*10.
RS4osc is simpleavg(RS4,3).
mvSig is simpleavg(RS4osc,5).
RS4r is round(RS4).

mvRS4 is expavg(RS4r,4).
RS4up is iff(RS4r >= 80 or RS4r > mvRS4,1,0).

X is iff(RS4 >= 80,1,0).
R5 is iff(RS4up =1,round(simpleavg(X,len2)*100),0).

Buy if R5 >= BuyLvl.
ExitBuy if R5 < BuyLvl.

ShowValues if 1.

Code for the RS4r is included in the EDS file. I also coded a system that uses the RS4r (R5). I used four independent ETFs as indexes rather than the 11 mutual funds that the author used. I used SPY, QQQQ, MDY, and IWM. The trading system buys (long only) when the R5 >= 80 and exits the long position when RS4r < 80. The summary EDS backtest report for trading this system on the Nasdaq 100 stocks (commission & slippage not subtracted) is shown in Figure 13 and a sample trade on DISH with the R5 indicator is shown in Figure 12.

Sample Chart

FIGURE 12: AIQ. Chart of DISH with R5 indicator and sample trade using R5 indicator >= 80 to buy.

Sample Chart

FIGURE 13: AIQ. Summary EDS backtest report for the R5 system that trades the Nasdaq 100 stocks over the last 4 years.

—Richard Denning
info@TradersEdgeSystems.com
for AIQ Systems

The Calm Before the Bond Storm?

The bond market was very quiet in the 3rd quarter.  Figure 1 displays ticker IEF (7-10 year treasuries ETF) in the to clip and ticker AGG (Aggregate Bond Index ETF) in the bottom clip. 

Figure 1 – Tickers IEF and AGG in narrow ranges (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Essentially the entire bond market has been flat since early June.  The market seems to be assuming that “the Fed will take of everything” and keep interest rates low and stable for the foreseeable future so…..ZZZZZZZZ.

But this type of activity often breeds complacency.  I am not making any predictions here but I do want to raise a question that investors might wish to ponder, i.e., “what would be more shocking that a spike in interest rates?”  OK, yes, I realize it is 2020 and it is pretty much hard to be shocked by anything anymore.  But still, on a relative basis how many investors are even thinking about the potential risk of higher interest rates at the moment?

Could it Happen?

The Bond Market VIX (ticker MOVE) recently fell to its lowest level ever (before spiking sharply higher on 10/5/20).  As you can see in Figure 2 this type of “quietness” often precedes a significant move in the bond market.  For the record, low readings in MOVE can be followed by large up moves in price as easily as large down moves in price.  So, a low MOVE reading is not “bearish” per se, but rather merely suggests that we are experiencing the “calm before the storm.”

Figure 2 – Bond Market VIX hit an all-time low (Courtesy Sentimentrader.com)

So why is my “Spidey sense” tingling?  Figure 3 displays the yield on 30-year treasuries (ticker TYX) on the bottom and an indicator I refer to as VFAA on the bottom (the calculation appears at the end of this piece).  VFAA is a derivative on a Larry William’s indicator he calls VixFix.

Figure 3 – 30-year treasury yields with VFAA suggesting a potential bottoming area (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

As you can see in Figure 3, peaks in the VFAA indicator often occur near intermediate term lows in bond yields (reminder: bond prices move inversely to yield, so a bottom in interest rates indicates a top in bond prices).  As you can also see on the far-right hand side, the stage clearly appears to be set for “the next go round.”

Why does this matter?  If interest rates do rise in the months ahead bond prices – particularly long-term bond prices can get hit hard.  To illustrate the potential risks, Figure 4 displays the action of treasury security ETFs of various maturity during a 5-month rise in rates back in 2016.

Figure 4 – Bond ETF action during rate rise in 2016

Summary

It is possible for long and short-term bonds to “de-couple”.  In other words, the possibilities are:

*Short-term rates remain stable (as the Fed keeps pumping) while long-term rates rise (as inflation fears arise as a result of all the Fed pumping)

*Short-term rates remain stable while long-term rates plummet (if the economy appears to be weakening).  This would result in gains for long-term bonds only

*None of the above

The bottom line: Bonds have fallen asleep – but DO NOT fall asleep on bonds. 

VFAA Formula

Below is the code for VFAA

VixFix is an indicator developed many years ago by Larry Williams which essentially compares the latest low to the highest close in the latest 22 periods (then divides the difference by the highest close in the latest 22 periods).  I then multiply this result by 100 and add 50 to get VixFix.

*Next is a 3-period exponential average of VixFix

*Then VFAA is arrived at by calculating a 7-period exponential average of the previous result (essentially, we are “double-smoothing” VixFix)

Are we having fun yet?  See code below:

hivalclose is hival([close],22).

vixfix is (((hivalclose-[low])/hivalclose)*100)+50.

vixfixaverage is Expavg(vixfix,3).

vixfixaverageave is Expavg(vixfixaverage,7).

VFAA = vixfixaverageave

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented represents the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

Whither Apple?

OK, first off a true confession.  I hate it when some wise acre analyst acts like they are so smart and that everyone else is an idiot.  Its offensive and off-putting – not to mention arrogant.  And still in this case, all I can say is “Hi, my name is Jay.”

A lot of attention has been paid lately to the fact that AAPL is essentially swallowing up the whole world in terms of market capitalization.  As you can see in Figure 1, no single S&P 500 Index stock has ever had a higher market cap relative to the market cap of the entire Russell 2000 small-cap index. 

Figure 1 – Largest S&P 500 Index stock as a % of entire Russell 200 Index (Courtesy Sentimentrader.com)

So of course, the easiest thing in the world to do is to be an offensive, off-putting and arrogant wise acre and say “Well, this can’t last.”  There, I said it.  With the caveat that I have no idea how far AAPL can run “before the deluge”, as a student of (more) market history (than I care to admit) I cannot ignore this gnawing feeling that this eventually “ends badly.”  Of course, I have been wrong plenty of times before and maybe things (Offensive, Off-Putting and Arrogant Trigger Warning!) “really will be different this time around.”  To get a sense of why I bring this all up, please keep reading.

In Figure 1 we also see some previous instances of a stock becoming “really large” in terms of market cap.  Let’s take a closer look at these instances.

IBM – 1979

Figure 2 – IBM (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

MSFT – 1999

Figure 3 – MSFT (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

XOM – 2008

Figure 4 – XOM (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

AAPL – 2012

Figure 5 – AAPL (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

AAPL – 2020

Figure 6 – AAPL (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Summary

Small sample size? Yes.

Could AAPL continue to run to much higher levels? Absolutely

Do I still have that offensive, off-putting and slightly arrogant gut feeling that somewhere along the way AAPL takes a huge whack?

Sorry.  It’s just my nature.

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented represents the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

The Rally in “Stuff” Rolls On

In this article, dated 7/10/2020, I noted that my “Stuff” Index was coming on strong and that its performance may be a “shot across the bow” that some changes may be coming to the financial markets.  Since then, the trend has accelerated.

STUFF vs. FANG vs. QQQ

Figure 1 displays the performance of STUFF components since 7/10

Figure 2 displays the performance of FANG components since 7/10

Figure 1 – Price performance of Jay’s STUFF Index components since 7/10

Figure 2 – Price performance of FANG stocks since 7/10

For the record, the “high-flying” Nasdaq 100 Index (using ticker QQQ as a proxy investment) is up +4.0% during the same time.

Is this a trend – or a blip?  Unfortunately, I can’t answer that question. But it certainly appears that there is something afoot in “Stuff”, particularly the metals.  Figure 3 displays the weekly charts for ETFs tracking Silver, Gold, Palladium and Platinum (clockwise from upper left). 

Figure 3 – The metals components of the Stuff Index (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

When it comes bull markets in metals, the typical pattern historically goes something like this:

*Gold leads the way (check)

*Eventually silver comes on strong and often ends up outperforming gold (check)

*The other metals rise significantly “under the radar” as everyone focus on – literally in this case, ironically – the “shiny objects” (gold and silver)

Again, while I had inklings that a bull market in metals was forming (and have held positions in them for several years, and still hold them), I certainly did not “predict” the recent explosion in gold and silver prices. 

Two things to note:

*Gold and silver are obviously very “overbought”, so buying a large position here entails significant risk

*Still it should be noted that both SLV and PPLT would have to double in price from their current levels just to get back to their previous all-time highs of 2011

So, don’t be surprised if “Stuff” enjoys a continued resurgence.  Note in Figure 4 that a number of commodity related ETFs are way, way beaten down and could have a lot of upside potential if a resurgence actually does unfold.

Figure 4 – Four commodity ETFs weekly (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

What is interesting – and almost not visible to the naked eye – is the action in the lower right hand corner of these four charts. To highlight what is “hiding in plain sight”, Figure 5 “zooms in” on the recent action of same four tickers as Figure 4, but in a daily price format rather than a monthly price format.

Figure 5 – Four commodity ETFs daily (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

Despite the ugly pictures painted in Figure 4, it is interesting to note in Figure 5 that all four of these commodity related ETFs have rallied sharply of late.  There is of course, no guarantee this will continue.  But if the rally in “Stuff” – currently led by metals – spreads to the commodity sector as a whole, another glance in Figures 3 and 4 reveals a lot of potential upside opportunity.

Time will tell.  In the meantime, keep an eye on the “shiny objects” (gold and silver) for clues as to whether or not the rally in “Stuff” has staying power.

See also Jay Kaeppel Interviewin July 2020 issue of Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities magazine

See also Jay’s “A Strategy You Probably Haven’t Considered” Video

See also Video – The Long-Term…Now More Important Than Ever

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented represents the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.

When “Perfection” Meets “The Real World”

In this article I wrote about a signal called “Bull Market Thrust”.  The upshot is that since 1991 it has identified 8 “bullish periods”.  The start and end dates of those periods – and the price performance of several indexes during each period – appear in Figure 1.

Figure 1 – “Bull Market Thrust” bullish periods

One key thing to note is that – focusing solely on the Nasdaq 100 Index – 100% of the “bullish periods” witnessed a gain, i.e., “perfection.”  The average gain was +40%.

So that looks pretty good and pretty darned encouraging going forward since there was a new buy signal on June 8th of this year.  And indeed, if history is a guide the outlook for the Nasdaq (and the stock market as a whole) is favorable in the next year.  But there is one thing to keep in mind….

Jay’s Trading Maxim #33: When you have actual money on the line, the chasm between theory and reality can be a mile wide.

The bottom line is that even during “bullish periods” the market fluctuates.  And if one is focused on “news” there is plenty of opportunity to feel angst no matter how strong the market “should be.”  So, in an effort to “mange expectations”, the charts below display the price action of the Nasdaq 100 during each “bullish period” displayed in Figure 1.

Nasdaq 100 during “Bullish Periods” based on Bull Market Thrust signals

*All charts below are (Courtesy AIQ TradingExpert)

*Each chart displays one of the “Bullish Periods” from Figure 1. 

*Each chart contains one or more red boxes highlighting a period of “market trouble”

THE POINT: the key thing to ponder is how easily it would be to allow yourself to get “shaken out” if you were focused on what the “news of the day” is telling you, rather than what the market itself is telling you.

Figure 2 – NDX: 1/29/91 – 2/28/93

Figure 3 – NDX: 6/5/2003-6/4/2004

Figure 4 – NDX: 3/23/2009-3/1/2011

Figure 5 – NDX: 7/7/2011-7/6/2012

Figure 6 – NDX: 7/9/13-7/15/2014

Figure 7 – NDX: 2/26/2016-11/17/2017

Figure 8 – NDX: 1/8/2019-1/17/2020

Figure 9 – 6/8/2020-?

The bottom line is that:

*Sometimes the market “took off” after the signal

*Sometime the market sold off shortly after the signal (see 2011 signal)

*In every case there was a drawdown of some significant somewhere along the way

The purpose of paying attention to things like “Bull Market Thrust” buy signals is not to “pick bottoms with uncanny accuracy.” 

In the real word, the purpose is to help strengthen our resolve in riding the exceptional opportunities.

See also Jay Kaeppel Interview in July 2020 issue of Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities magazine

See also Jay’s “A Strategy You Probably Haven’t Considered” Video

See also Video – The Long-Term…Now More Important Than Ever

Jay Kaeppel

Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas expressed herein are for informational and educational purposes only and are based on research conducted and presented solely by the author.  The information presented represents the views of the author only and does not constitute a complete description of any investment service.  In addition, nothing presented herein should be construed as investment advice, as an advertisement or offering of investment advisory services, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security.  The data presented herein were obtained from various third-party sources.  While the data is believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to, and no responsibility, warranty or liability is accepted for the accuracy or completeness of such information.  International investments are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, political instability and the potential for illiquid markets.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There is risk of loss in all trading.  Back tested performance does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of such performance.  Also, back tested performance results have certain inherent limitations and differs from actual performance because it is achieved with the benefit of hindsight.