Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ Opinion / How to tell when the bull market is turning bear
BackBack

How to tell when the bull market is turning bear

New 52-week highs are the earliest indication of a market that might be turning unhealthy

The next warning signal is the divergences between the advance/decline line and the broader markets. Photo: AFP Premium
The next warning signal is the divergences between the advance/decline line and the broader markets. Photo: AFP

With all the bubble chatter and talks of over-valued stock markets, I thought it was time to have a discussion with someone expert on the subject. In this case, that person would be Paul Desmond, chief strategist and president of Lowry’s Research.

Desmond has spent the past five decades analyzing markets; his research is widely regarded as both unique and insightful, winning numerous awards from various technicians’ groups. If you want additional background into his thinking process, have a read of the long interview I did with him in 2006 (Part I and Part II)

What I really love about his work is how empirically driven it is.

I spoke with him recently, chatting about his work in identifying market tops. Rather than focus on the usual noise, Desmond suggests anyone concerned about a top should be watching for very specific warning signs. He notes the health of a bull market can be observed by watching internal indicators that provide insight into the overall appetite for equity accumulation.

These four include:

1. New 52-Week Highs

2. Market Breadth (Advanced/Decline Line)

3. Capitalization: Small Cap, Mid Cap, Large Cap

4. Percentage of Stocks at 20% or greater from their recent highs

New 52-week highs are the earliest indication of a market that might be turning unhealthy. Look for divergences between index-price highs and new 52-week highs. When a major index such as the S&P 500 is making new highs but the number of SPX stocks making 52-week peaks begins declining, that divergence is a significant warning sign. Desmond notes that this can warn of an eventual top as much as a year ahead of time.

The next warning signal is the divergences between the advance/decline line and the broader markets. This often turns south six to eight months ahead of major tops. Desmond emphasizes that both the new 52-week highs and advanced/decline line reveal market breadth—a term that describes how much of the market is participating in the advance. When tops occur, we see extreme selectivity—fewer and fewer stocks are pulling the market upward. We saw a classic example in the Nifty Fifty during the 1960s, and again in the dot-com bubble with a handful of leading stocks driving the Nasdaq.

The third factor is selectivity by market capitalization size. Desmond has observed that, historically, the first group to roll over is the small caps. The bottom 50% of the market by cap size will begin to falter first, while the rest of the market appears healthy. The usual time period is eight months prior to a top for the smaller issues to fade. The mid- caps—the next 35% or so of equities—will falter four to six months before the high. The tendency for big-cap- dominated indices to peak last is a function of their structure. They are market-cap weighted and therefore can be dominated by a handful of mega-caps.

The fourth and last factor worth watching is the percentage of stocks in a bear market. As a rough estimate, any equity down 20% from recent highs can be considered in its own bear market. During healthy bull markets, less than 10% of stocks are in this condition. As the small caps and mid-caps roll over, this percentage will increase. At the market peak, we typically see one-fifth of stocks in their own bear market.

What does all this mean for the current run? According to Lowry’s, the weight of evidence continues to suggest a healthy primary uptrend with no end in sight. For those concerned with a market top, that is rather bullish.

A few caveats about Desmond’s studies: Although he is rigorous and empirically driven, these data points all come from past market behaviour. There are no guarantees that in the future, markets—that means you, Humans—will continue to operate the same way. Perhaps the changing structure of markets might impact market internals. Maybe the rise of ETFs will have an impact. Regardless, there are no guarantees the bull will continue.

However, based on the data Desmond follows, he makes a fairly convincing case that this bull market still has a ways to go before it tops out. Bloomberg

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 13 Mar 2014, 10:53 AM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App