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The Case for Spitting into the Wind
(At Least for Now)
You've heard the expression "You don't spit into the wind," haven't you?
Well, it's true when it comes to trading and investing, too. You keep the wind at your back, and you don't give up easy profits by bucking the trend.
That's all well and good, so long as the wind is coming from a discernible direction. I prefer a warm southwest breeze myself. That's why I live where I live (in Miami).
But we have no control over the many ill winds that blow over our investing horizons.
The best we can do is stay aware of subtle shifts in directional changes, and watch out they don't strengthen into hurricane-force monsters.
I've been cautiously (too cautious, I admit) bullish since October, and I remain optimistic that stocks have enough momentum to try and push through important psychological barriers – such as 13,000 on the Dow, 1,375 and 1,400 on the S&P 500, and 3,000 on Nasdaq.
That doesn't mean we won't see a correction first. Or that last Tuesday wasn't a tiny correction in and of itself.
But 30 years of hardcore trading, and catching every major move in that long time span (no, I hardly ever pick the exact top or bottom, but I have come close) has taught me to go with my gut, to know when I "blink" that it means something.
And lately, I'm starting to "blink" more and more…
I'm getting the feeling that something's wrong, and, somewhere, the eye of a terrible storm could be forming. There's nothing out there that I've read (and I read a lot), or heard, or come across in any research, either quantitative or fundamental, that articulates what this nagging feeling is that's hanging over markets.
So, it looks like I'll have to be the one to put it out there.
But first let me be clear. I'm not spitting into the wind here. I'm still going with the path of least resistance.
What I am doing is presenting the backdrop of what people have lost sight of as they look front and center on the investing stage.
Am I saying the eye of a hurricane is forming? No. I'm saying it already has formed.
I'm saying keep buying cautiously and keep raising your stops as markets go higher, if they do. I'm saying keep watching these developments with me.
Things change, and this brewing storm could dissipate, but it could also turn really ugly, really quickly.
If the storm strengthens, and that's my bet, have a fail-safe plan to get out of speculative long positions, a plan to selectively add to core positions on the way down, and a plan to put on short-side positions that will make you a ton of money if I'm right.
Okay, ready?
Here's where the winds have shifted…
Ignore the "Experts": 7 Reasons Not to Invest in Japan
[Editor's Note: Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald has spent portions of each of the last 20 years in various parts of Asia, and more recently has spent part of each year living in Japan. In fact, he's there right now. So he brings investors this latest report on Japan's economic malaise directly from that country.]
Now that Japan's Nikkei 225 is half the relative price of the S&P 500 – and the cheapest it's been in three decades, investors are flocking to invest in Japan. But, Money Morning Contributing Editor Keith Fitz-Gerald isn't "buying" it. Find out why the "experts" are wrong in this free report…
"Experts" Grow Bullish on Japan …But We See Reasons For Caution
[Editor's Note: Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald has spent portions of each of the last 20 years in various parts of Asia, and more recently has spent part of each year living in Japan. In fact, he's there right now. So he brings investors this latest report on Japan's economic malaise directly from that country.]
KYOTO, Japan – Japan's Nikkei 225 is half the relative price of the U.S. Standard & Poor's 500 and is the cheapest that it's been in nearly three decades. This has led many Western analysts to conclude once again that it's "time to invest" in Japan.
I don't "buy" it – and you shouldn't, either.
To understand the obstacles Japan still faces – as well as better profit plays to make – read on…
A Year After the Bear-Market Bottom, Investors Must Still Pursue Profits – Without Ignoring Risk
With the Standard & Poor's 500 Index up nearly 70% from the post-financial-crash low it set on March 9, 2009, U.S. stocks on Tuesday recorded their second-strongest showing ever for the first 12 months of a bull market.
But that near-record-setting performance brings to light two key issues.
- First, despite the numbers that stand as evidence of the market's stunning surge, many still-shell-shocked investors refuse to label this as a true "bull market."
- And second, no matter how great a market's performance has been, the real question to answer is "where do we go from here … and how do I position myself to maximize possible returns while mitigating risk as much as possible?"
Money Morning turned to several experts – including Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald, and respected market researcher Bespoke Investment Group LLC – for some perspective on both these topics.
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