Equity markets don’t usually enjoy drama, especially now with all the underlying crosscurrents and headline risk. Case in point: Last week’s sell-off and yesterday’s rally. Respect the recent bullish tape action but be aware of ongoing crosscurrents and headline risks.

The Catastrophic Stop model is unchanged from last week at 77.27%. The model recommends that investors maintain their equity benchmark exposure.

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The Catastrophic Stop model increased to 77.27% from 72.73% last week. The model recommends that investors maintain their equity benchmark exposure.

S&P 500, NDX, and DJIA Advance-Decline Lines hit new highs (bullish) before Monday’s moonshot.  The NYSE A/D Line (all issues only) fractionally did so yesterday. Equities remain emotionally driven and highly subject to news. Sentiment isn’t 100% complacent but is getting close.

The Catastrophic Stop model increased to 72.73% from 70.83% last week. The model recommends that investors maintain their equity benchmark exposure.

The Catastrophic Stop model increased to 70.83% from 60.0% last week. The model recommends that investors maintain their equity benchmark exposure.

Despite a headline-driven environment, the fear factor took a breather and the bulls took charge. Now what? Consolidation? Pullback? More upside? With four recent breadth thrusts, I’m happy with any of these. Regardless, with overhead resistance, more work must be done.

The Catastrophic Stop Model increased to 60.0%, up from 47.9% last week. The model recommends that investors maintain their benchmark exposure.

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The Catastrophic Stop model level remains at 47.9%, the same as last week. The model recommends that investors maintain their benchmark exposure.

Following one of the biggest short squeezes in recent memory (4.9.25) and within the confines of the S&P 500’s pattern of lower price peaks and lower price troughs, I expect upside and downside volatility to continue despite the recent tariff news. What are we now watching?

The Catastrophic Stop model increased to 47.9% from 40.7% last week due to one of the model’s Trend Factors shifting positive. Supporting the Trend Factor are measures tracking Oversold Mean Reversion (showing that the markets reached extreme oversold levels and selling exhaustion), Sentiment (pessimism reached extreme levels similar to 2002, 2009, and 2020).

The Catastrophic Stop model level is 40.7%, down from 51.4% last week and on the cusp of a sell signal. The model’s decline was due to volume-adjusted demand falling below volume-adjusted supply for the first time since September 2023. On balance, the model’s technical indicators are bearish, while the external indicators are low-neutral.

After the S&P 500 (SPX) broke the twin support lows of 5500 to 5488 (discussed last week), a cascade of selling quickly followed. The associated selling pressure exceeded early March levels. Thus, the Low-Rally Retest bottoming sequence coupled with breadth thrusts begins anew.  

Bitcoin, the poster child for risk-on versus risk-off, continues to stress risk-off. Let’s revisit the S&P 500’s short-term Low-Rally-Retest bottoming sequence, including what could occur going forward and what we do and don’t want to see.

The Catastrophic Stop model level declined to 51.43% from 56.43% last week. The decline resulted from the “High Yield and Emerging Market Bond Factor” reversing back to neutral from bullish (reversal occurred March 26). Technical measures calling U.S. Stock/Bond Relative Strength, Short-term Trend, Intermediate-term Trend, and High Yield OAS spreads are bearish.

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The Catastrophic Stop model increased to 56.43% from 51.43% last week due to the “High Yield and Emerging Market Bond Factor” shifting from neutral to bullish. In other words, the fixed-income markets are holding up well. We’d also note that global equity breadth is constructive, and volume-adjusted demand continues to outpace supply.

The Catastrophic Stop model declined to 51.43% from 63.57% last week. The model’s technical indicators are now low neutral on balance due to the intermediate-term trend factor turning negative, joining the short-term trend and stock/bond relative strength factors discussed last week. Neutral readings remain in place for our breadth thrust and oversold mean reversion factors.