Headline – January 30/18

  • Dow down 300 points as stock sell-off intensifies. Read story
  • Market euphoria may turn to despair if 10-year yield jumps to 3%. Read story
  • Mortgage rates surge to highest level in 3-years. Read story
  • Wall Street’s ‘fear gauge’ breaks above 14 for first time since August as stocks falter. Read story
  • China directs users to government approved VPN as firewall tightens. Read story
  • Immigrants to be in the spotlight in State of Union. Read story
  • Eurozone growth hits 10-year high in 2017. Read story
  • Amazon, Berkshire, JPMorgan form healthcare company to reduce costs. Read story
  • Surge in oil prices could derail global economy. Read story
  • US home prices surge to new high, up 6.2% in November. Read story
  • Apple co-founder Wozniak says he doesn’t trust Elon Musk or Telsa anymore. Read story
  • McCabe resigns after FBI Director Wray reviews house FISA  abuse memo. Read story
  • Amid angst over iPhone X, Wall St braces for weak forecast from Apple. Read story
  • On the lighter side. Check it out!

Stay tuned!

Headlines – January 29/18

  • Wall St dips at open, Apple weighs. Read story
  • US dollar rebounds, helped by 10-year Treasury yield topping 2.70%. Read story
  • Consumer spending hits 6-year high, as Americans cut savings to 12-year low. Read story
  • These 27 S&P 500 stocks are blowing away the market with gains of 15% or more this month. Read story
  • India issues 7.5% growth forecast. Read story
  • Fitness app Strava gives away loications of secret US army bases. Read story
  • Governments worry that cryptocurrencies could be the ‘next Swiss bank account’. Read story
  • Survey shows sales up for companies, and so are wages. Read story
  • VW under fire for diesel tests on monkeys, humans. Read story
  • Trump administration considering nationalizing super fast 5G network. Read story
  • Keurig to buy Dr Pepper Snapple in $21 billion deal. Read story
  • Bomb threat forces evacuation of upper house of parliament reception in Moscow. Read story
  • Why Canada is the next frontier for shale oil. Read story
  • On the lighter side. Check it out!

Stay tuned!

5G – the new era for mobile

As stated in our last update, we are increasing our scope to include discussion of new technologies, and those companies that benefit directly and indirectly from them.  We will cover blockchain projects, and other projects and companies that are involved with today’s game changing technologies.

One of those game changers is 5G – the 5th generation of mobile communication networks, and it looks to be revolutionary.  More than all previous network upgrades, 5G will take us to a completely NEW era in mobile technology.  New phones will be needed in order to use 5G, and here’s what’s in store:

  • more data and higher download speeds – 100 times faster than 4G
  • reliance on cloud storage, reducing the need for and use of internal memory
  • pervasive connectivity, to access the cloud from everywhere
  • latency improvements resulting in 30x the responsiveness of 4G, reducing the need for memory buffers (RAM).

Given that hardware memory needs are reduced significantly, the pricing model for 5G phones could change from being based on hardware memory needs, to being based on cloud memory needs.  The speed improvements alone should tempt us dramatically, and may lead to everyone buying new 5G phones.

We note that several companies are poised to benefit from new technologies like blockchain and 5G, as they are providers and developers of the enabling hardware, software, and firmware.  There is even more technology expansion on the horizon, and we will be zeroing in on the companies that are in the best positions to harness all this activity and innovation, generating potential great returns for investors.  We will include discussion of more emerging and expanding technologies in future editions of Crypto Trend.

Let Crypto Trend be your guide to successful investing in today’s world, where the speed of change continues to accelerate, being made possible by new and exciting technologies.

Crypto update

Another wild day in the world of crypto currencies as Coincheck, one of Japan’s largest crypto currency exchanges, was hacked and had 526 million of the crypto currency XEM ($400 m) stolen, Lon Wong, President of the NEM.io Foundation stated.

“As far as NEM is concerned, tech is intact. We are not forking. Also, we would advise all exchanges to make use of our multi-signature smart contract which is among the best in the landscape. Coincheck didn’t use them and that’s why they could have been hacked. They were very relaxed with their security measures,” Wong said.

Coincheck is looking into compensating its customers, its executives announced.

Just a note that even with all this volatility, the average return for our 5 recommendations is still 62% at the time of this writing.

As we have constantly stated, the crypto currencies are very volatile, and although they can produce massive gains, many of them may be worthless in the years ahead, much like most internet start-ups no longer exist today.

What today’s story highlights is that not all exchanges are the same, and if they do not use all the tools that blockchain provides, they are vulnerable to these kinds of attacks.

It is why we believe it is the underlying blockchain infrastructure and applications that will give subscribers to Crypto Trend Premium the best long-term gains.  Our team is actively analyzing dozens of companies, looking to identify the ones that we believe could be real winners in this game changing technology. Announcements of new recommendations will be sent out to subscribers soon.

If you are ready to make a speculative investment into these disruptive technologies, and want to receive all current and future recommendations from Crypto TREND Premium, we are keeping our Early Bird Special offer open for a little longer, to give our readers the opportunity to get started at a $175 discount, meaning you pay only $525.00 . To take advantage of this special offer, click here.

Stay tuned!

Headlines – January 26/18

  • Wall Street opens higher on strong earnings, soft dollar. Read story
  • Trump says Republicans will accept citizenship for ‘Dreamers.’ Read story
  • Davos’s founder defended Trump against ‘biased interpretations.’ Read story
  • Trump denies reports he tried to fire Mueller. Read story
  • Coincheck halts trading says $400 million cryptocurrency lost. Read story
  • Finland election brings Finexit threat to EU. Read story
  • Hulbert: Even rising short-term bond yields won’t kill the stock market’s momentum. Read story
  • Trump, the FBI and the ‘secret memo.’ Read story
  • China’s smartphone market in decline. Read story
  • The YouTube and Instagram secret that Google and Facebook don’t want you to know. Read story
  • North Korea to hold ‘intimidating’ military parade one day before Olympics. Read story
  • An ancient jawbone found in Israel rewrites history of Homo sapiens. Read story
  • On the lighter side. Check it out!

Stay tuned!

Headlines – January 25/18

  • Wall Street gains on solid earnings, lower dollar. Read story
  • Surging Euro forces Draghi to tread carefully on policy. Read story
  • Ontario conservative leader Brown resigns amid sexual abuse allegations. Read story
  • Trump says he is willing to speak under oath to Mueller. Read story
  • Davos attendees are quietly planning to walk out on Trump’s speech. Read story
  • US heads for 3% trifecta on spending, investment punch. Read story
  • Brexit could push 4,000 JPMorgan jobs from Britain. Read story
  • Netflix sees sharks on both sides in Apple and Disney. Read story
  • Trump sees ‘tremendous increase’ in UK-US trade. Read story
  • China is becoming a space superpower, just like the US. Read story
  • We are one tantrum away from accidental war with North Korea. Read story
  • 50 cent has been sitting on bitcoin fortune, but forgot about it. Read story
  • The next generation of smartphone cameras could see through walls. Read story
  • On the lighter side. Check it out!

Stay tuned!

Crypto update – January 24/18

Last week’s volatility is more proof that the crypto currency (CC) markets are indeed the “wild west” … or the “wild east”.  This volatile week was mainly a reaction to government statements and actions.  Both China and South Korea have been pondering what to do about crypto currencies for a while and last week began issuing statements that clearly indicate that they are concerned.  It doesn’t seem to matter if the government is democratic or socialist, they all want to control the money, in order to levy taxes, control markets, and stay in power.

Crypto currencies are resistant to manipulation, so China has now banned CC trading and South Korea is moving to implement strict regulations and implement proper taxation.  The CC markets reacted to these government activities by moving sharply downward.  Up until recently, South Korea and China were home to some of the largest CC exchanges in the world, and this is now changing, as many exchanges are relocating offshore.  Many clients simply use the internet to continue doing business with these same exchanges, now located offshore, but China goes even further by piling on additional internet restrictions that block access to the offshore exchanges.

From the outset, we have cautioned readers about extreme volatility in this market, while acknowledging the other side of the crypto coin – – very real opportunities to generate extreme profits.  Crypto Trend is your guide to avoid the pitfalls and zero in on the winners, remembering that all markets are volatile to a degree.  With the CC market, the degree is high, but downturns are inevitable in every market, and even “healthy” – – like a forest fire, that on first blush looks to be all devastation, but in reality provides some crucial benefits, like removing dead and decaying vegetation, stimulating new growth, and triggering some plants to release seeds. The CC marketplace is frenzied, and we have seen moves in this market that are extraordinary, with projects initiated that have no long-term future, yet they generate market values in the millions of dollars.  This is the kind of market where a guide is essential in order not to invest in deadwood projects.  This is also the kind of market where a good fire once in a while serves to rid us of the deadwood.  With a competent guide, frenzy is set aside, and useful, actionable assessments and research are provided, leading to understanding, confidence, and investment success.  There is no need to just throw a few frenzied darts at the wall – let Crypto Trend be your guide.

Crypto Trend Premium

 The volatile week had a negative impact on our portfolio, but we are still on average, up 61% for our 5 recommendations to date.

We are increasing the scope of Crypto Trend & Crypto Trend Premium to include technology companies that may not be directly involved in blockchain projects, but are positioned indirectly to benefit from the blockchain technology. In addition, we will include companies that are positioned to profit from other game changing technologies  such as 5G, which will revolutionize mobile communications.

We are currently evaluating a number of companies and hope to have more recommendations out to subscribers soon.

If you are ready to make a speculative investment into these disruptive technologies, and want to receive all current and future recommendations from Crypto TREND Premium, we are keeping our Early Bird Special offer open for a little longer, to give our readers the opportunity to get started at a $175 discount, meaning you pay only $525.00 . To take advantage of this special offer, click here.

Stay tuned!

Geadlines – January 24/18

  • US Dollar hits new low as Mnuchin backs weaker dollar. Read story
  • Whistleblower tells Congress of FBI ‘secret society’. Read story
  • Mueller seeks to question Trump about Flynn, Comey: report. Read story
  • Dalio warns bonds face biggest bear market in almost 40 years. Read story
  • If you’re using an Android phone, Google may be tracking every move you make. Read story
  • Mexico’s drug cartels now hooked on fuel, cripple the country’s refineries. Read story
  • Davos 2018: ‘More to come’ on US tariffs. Read story
  • GE posts $10 billion loss, sales drop, as power weakens. Read story
  • EU fines chipmaker Qualcomm £870m for Apple payments. Read story
  • Apple to offer battery features after slowdown row. Read story
  • Scientists buried in snow at Davos while lecturing on global warming. Read story
  • Silicon Valley’s quest for a digital currency continues as Stripe abandons Bitcoin. Read story
  • Tesla and GM self-drive cars involved in accidents. Read story
  • The fastest shrinking countries on earth are in eastern Europe. Read story
  • On the lighter side. Check it out!

Stay tuned!

Markets keep rising…do you have an exit strategy?

The current bull market continues its record breaking run. Consider the following:

  • 2017 was the first year in history where US stocks ended every single month in the green.
  • Bank of America reports that $58 billion flowed into equities in the latest 4-week period, an all-time high.
  • The Dow rallied 1,000 points in just 8 trading days, a new record.
  • The Dow is up 8,000 points since the Trump election victory, while the  S&P 500 is up 35% since the election.
  • Since the Trump election, the financial Sector ETF is up 45%
  • There hasn’t been so much as a 3% pullback in over a year.
  • Apple says it will pay $38 billion in taxes to bring back its $252 billion of cash held overseas because of tax reform.
  • Apple will also invest $30 billion in capital expenditures in the US, & create 20,000 new US jobs.

But as this bull market rages on, seemingly without resistance, we need to be aware of a number of warning signs that this market is overheated. Let’s have a look at 4 of the warning signs that we have been highlighting to our Trend Letter subscribers:

  1. The first indicator we will look at is the Relative Strength Index (RSI), which is  a momentum indicator that compares the magnitude of recent gains and losses over a specified time period to measure speed and change of price movements of a security. It is primarily used in an attempt to identify overbought or oversold conditions in the trading of an asset.

When an asset sees its RSI drop below 30, it is considered to be in “oversold” territory,  suggesting that the asset may be due for a rally. The opposite is true, too. When we see an asset rise faster than normal, and its RSI moves above 70, it is considered “overbought,” suggesting it is a time for caution, signalling that a correction may be coming. As we can see on the bottom of the chart below, the S&P 500’s RSI reading was at 87.39, an all-time high level, even higher than at the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s.S&PRSI

2. The second indicator that we look at is the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) Sentiment Survey. The historic average of bullish sentiment is 38.5%, but the reading last week was almost 60%, with only 15.6% bearish, a reading  that is clearly suggesting caution.

AAII

3. The third indicator is the 200-day moving average (DMA). The markets generally trade within 8% of their 200-DMA. In bull markets, they tend to trade above this 200-DMA, while in bear markets, they trade below the 200-DMA.  Whenever markets trade outside of that 8% range, they tend to revert back toward that 200-DMA. As you can see, the S&P 500 is currently over 12% above its 200-DMA, suggesting it is very overbought and should at least cool down to fall within 8% of that 200-DMA.

SPX200mda

4. The fourth indicator is the VIX Volatility Index, also known as the “fear index.” The VIX looks at expectations of future volatility, also known as implied volatility. Times of greater uncertainty (more expected future volatility) result in higher VIX values, while less anxious times correspond with lower values. A reading above  20 suggests that investors are “complacent, with a “risk-on” sentiment. Conversely, a VIX reading over 30 suggests investors are getting “fearful,” with a risk-off sentiment.

As we can see on the chart below, the VIX reading has been below 20 for all of 2017, and only popped above that level once since June of 2016. This implies that investors are all-in, suggesting the markets are overbought.

VIX 0123

Now because all of these indicators are warning that this market is overbought, it doesn’t mean it cannot keep rising, it just means you need to be prepared for a pullback, or a more severe correction.  You need an exit strategy!  What we are saying is that prices are elevated, as are the risks, as the masses are taking on increased risk. This tells us we need to be prepared for a pull back or a more severe correction.

While The Trend Letter does have some “insurance” plays pending, Trend Technical Trader (TTT) is a hedge service, designed specifically to protect, and even significantly grow your wealth on a market decline.

Good deal – We are offering you TTT at $250 off the regular price of $649.95, now just $399.95. Click here to take advantage of this offer.
Great deal – We are offering both The Trend Letter & Trend Technical Trader at $600 off the regular price, now just $649.95Click here to take advantage of this offer.

Stay tuned!

Headlines – January 23/18

  • Wall St opens higher on strong earnings. Read story
  • Tsunami warning on BC’s west coast cancelled after large 7.9 mag Alaska earthquake. Read story
  • Asia fears US tariffs on washing machines, solar panels just the start. Read story
  • Bitcoin struggles to take $11,000 as South Korea announces cryptocurrency crackdown. Read story
  • Nasdaq exploring “Total Return” bitcoin futures. Read story
  • JPMorgan announces $20 billion investment plan after tax law gains. Read story
  • Twitter COO Noto resigns to become SoFi CEO, stock slides. Read story
  • Apple announces HomePod voice speaker, to take on Google, Amazon. Read story
  • Musk’s compensation package “perhaps most radical in corporate history”. Read story
  • Spanish alert to stop ex-Catalan president Puigdemont from returning. Read story
  • Wealthy millennials are not investing their money. Read story
  • EU creditors to start Greek debt-relief talks. Read story 
  • Here’s how stock performance in Trump’s first year compared to other presidents. Read story
  • ‘Dunkirk’ and ‘The Shape of Water’ lead impressive 2018 Oscar field. Read story
  • On the lighter side. Check it out!

Stay tuned!

Headlines – January 22/18

  • Stocks shrug off US government shutdown, dollar dips. Read story
  • IMF: Global economic outlook is bright. Read story
  • Bitcoin’s future is ‘insurance’ against ‘Orwellian future’ says Black Swan author. Read story
  • UK growth upgrade could ‘dwarf’ Brexit hit. Read story
  • Amazon opens supermarket with no checkouts. Read story
  • Senator says FBI lost critical texts tied to Clinton probe. Read story
  • High-end art is one of the most manipulated markets in the world. Read story
  • Here is the real reason why US health care is so expensive. Read story
  • Germany’s SPD wants Merkel to sweeten coalition deal. Read story
  • Why you should worry about identity theft with new tax law. Read story
  • Teens roam Sweden’s streets with rifles. Read story
  • German nurse charged with a total of 99 murders. Read story
  • Paying off your mortgage could be the smartest move of 2018. Read story
  • Will this potentially hazardous asteroid hit the Earth? Take a look for yourself. Read story
  • Why Apple’s Tim Cook doesn’t want his nephew using social media. Read story
  • On the lighter side. Check it out!

Stay tuned!