The portfolio delivered +5.06% YTD net of fees, outperforming the benchmark. With a Beta of 0.76, it achieved 24% lower volatility than the index. The focus remains on quality, profitability, and margins of safety, while value stocks show potential. Recent portfolio changes include adding PayPal and selling Micron Technologies due to macro headwinds.

Last week, amid the S&P 500's uptrend, showed renewed upside participation after a stall. "Listen to the market, don't force your opinion on it," advises David Lundgren. Mid-Caps and Small Caps outperformed Large Cap Growth/Technology in June, a trend needing continuation. Smart Sector strategies offer discipline and support.

NDR Catastrophic Stop Loss model advises staying invested, but short-term resistance is shifting lower. Overbought sentiment and lack of broad upside participation may hinder SPX trend. Market tools show declines, US equities to rebalance. Cycle composite turns into headwind.

Since the beginning of June, people are playing “catch up” in the domestic equity market by buying relative strength laggards (economically sensitive, non-growth, regional banks, small/mid-caps, energy) and taking profits and/or reducing buying the former relative strength leaders (large and mega-cap growth).

The NDR Catastrophic Sell Stop model combines time-tested, objective indicators designed to identify high-risk periods for the equity market. The model deteriorated from last month but entered June with a fully invested equity allocation recommendation.

The risk management model (chart at right) seeks to reduce exposure to fixed income sectors most sensitive to equity drawdowns (U.S. High Yield, Emerging Markets, U.S. Investment Grade, and Floating Rate Notes) during periods of market stress.

The NDR Catastrophic Sell Stop model combines time-tested, objective indicators designed to identify high risk periods for the equity market. The model (chart at right) deteriorated from last month but entered June with a fully invested equity allocation recommendation.

It was helpful getting on the right side of our benchmark, the S&P 500 (SPX), in mid-October/November 2022, noticing the relative strength shift to Growth in late January, the start of price stability and basing by the Bank complex and the recent uptick by Small Caps.

DH Smart Value Portfolio: YTD slightly negative but outperformed benchmark with lower volatility. FANMAG stocks mask underlying weakness. Value stocks poised for strength. Holding Meta, Alphabet. Mosaic, Nutrien underperformed due to restocking concerns. Macro focus on Fed, economic trends, inflation, and geopolitics. Sector weightings and valuations are favorable.

The Day Hagan/Ned Davis Research Smart Sector® for Global Balanced Portfolios was recorded on May 29, 2023.

As with the negative Advance-Decline Line divergence from late 2021, A/D Line divergences can last a while before being felt. While most technology-related proxies (SPX, NDX, XLK/SMH, “FANG+,” etc.) are reflecting Mad Magazine’s Alfred E. Neuman slogan, “What, me worry?” A/D Lines are again negatively diverging from underlying equity market proxies.

The Day Hagan Technical Analysis was recorded on May 23, 2023. Art Huprich, CMT, shares his monthly chart jamboree. He discusses Equity Markets, the regional bank crisis, the debt ceiling debate, and other financial market topics.

KISS (Keep It Simple, Sam): A push below 4098 would increase the odds of a retest of 4050 to 4045 support, which, if broken, would signal a bearish trend reversal. Alternatively, a push above resistance between 4190 and 4218 would suggest a continuation of the move higher since mid-March.

Having absorbed and contained some issues last week (Fed meeting, AAPL earnings, and April jobs report), on tap this week is the CPI (Wednesday) and PPI (Thursday). Day Hagan’s view is that inflation has peaked.

DH Smart Value Portfolio: Positive YTD performance, higher returns with lower volatility. Focus on quality, profitability, and valuation. Mixed macro environment, balancing headwinds and positives. Emphasis on value-oriented stocks amid potential debt ceiling concerns. Sector weightings and valuation metrics remain favorable.

The risk management model (chart right) seeks to reduce exposure to fixed-income sectors most sensitive to equity drawdowns. The risk management model improved from last month and entered May recommending full model exposure to U.S. Treasury, U.S. Mortgage-Backed Securities, U.S. Corporates, International Investment Grade Bonds, and U.S. Short-Term Bonds.

The NDR Catastrophic Sell Stop model combines time-tested, objective indicators designed to identify high-risk periods for the equity market. The model (chart at right) improved from last month and entered May with a fully invested equity allocation recommendation.

The NDR Catastrophic Sell Stop model combines time-tested, objective indicators designed to identify high risk periods for the equity market. The model (chart at right) improved from last month and entered May with a fully invested equity allocation recommendation.

Much of the focus this week will be on what I call the noise: the Fed’s focus on inflation (May 3 interest rate announcement), additional economic reports capped off Friday by the April jobs report, and AAPL’s EPS report Thursday. Enjoy the whine—increased volatility in equities and interest rates.