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Comments for the Week Beginning August 11, 2008


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Financial Astrologers can take great satisfaction in the performance of stock markets these past two weeks. Once again, the volatility associated with the Mars-Uranus opposition of August 6 continued this past week. On Tuesday, August 5, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 331 points. On Thursday, August 7, it was down 225 points. And then on Friday it was up another 300+ points. As stated in last week’s column, “So what does all this say about the equity markets this week?... the study of cycles suggest that a decline right now will not take out the lows of July 15-16 in the DJIA before first taking out the highest price that followed the lows of July 15-16.” The low of Monday (11,221) did not take out the lows of July 16, and by the end of the week, the DJIA made a new cycle high as it exceeded the 11,698 high of July 24.

But it was not just in the USA that equity markets performed well. In Europe, all the indices made new monthly highs on Friday after pulling back into trading cycle lows Monday-Tuesday, August 4-5. The stock markets of the Far East also made their weekly lows on Tuesday and then rallied somewhat more modestly as they closed prior to the opening of the western markets that same day. The exception was India, where the NIFTY index soared to its highest level in a month last Wednesday.

Major price moves were also noted in many commodity markets, which plunged last week. Crude Oil, for example, fell to 115.20 on Friday, down over $32.00 from their highs of one month ago. This now qualifies for our minimum price target zone for the 18-month cycle trough, which previously stated would see prices fall at least 30.00-50.00 by October 2008. But it might be even more, related to our prior geocosmic comments. Long-time readers will recall the many discussions of the correlation between crude oil prices and Uranus transiting through Pisces (2003-2010). Uranus in any sign, we stated, would likely correlate to a blow-off “bubble” in the sector of the financial word ruled by the sign it is in, followed by a devastating 50-90% decline before Uranus would leave that sign. Pisces rules Crude Oil. The high usually happens when Uranus is between 10 and 20 degrees of a sign (but not always). The 10-20 degree sector of Uranus in Pisces corresponds to May 2005 through February 2009.

Gold and Silver also fell sharply last week, with Silver now back below $16.00/ounce. This too complies with the 111-week cycle in Silver, as described in our subscription reports over the past couple of months. Currencies versus the U.S. Dollar are also falling hard, related to their 30-month cycle, also covered in these reports. Additionally, grain prices are also falling as Soybeans dropped below $12.00/bu and Corn is nearing the $5.00 mark, levels not seen in several months. All of these sharp declines are due to end between this fall and next spring, after which their long-term trends are likely to resume.

Short-Term Geocosmics

 We now begin yet another time band containing many (20) noteworthy geocosmic signatures from August 13 through September 24. Each of the prior heavily populated geocosmic time bands of this year has produced primary cycle crests or troughs in world equity markets. This one should too. Our major focus during this period will be the first two weeks of September. That is when Jupiter will make its second earth-sign trine to Saturn of this year. The first was on January 21, one day prior to the previous yearly low on of 11,634 in the DJIA on January 22. But within 1-2 days of this important geocosmic signature in early September, both Jupiter and Pluto will change their motion from retrograde to direct. These represent powerful correlates to changes in investor psychology. Perhaps the “good times” that started this week will end around then. More on this in future columns.

 For this week, Venus will conjunct Saturn on August 13, the Sun will be in opposition to Neptune on August 15, Venus will trine Jupiter on August 16, and Mars will square Pluto on August 17. Of these, the Sun-Neptune opposition is the most powerful correlate to market reversals, with a 74% correlation to primary or greater cycles within 13 trading days. It also has a 78% correlation to isolated lows or highs from which the market reverses at least 4% within only 4 trading days. The Venus-Saturn conjunction is important to any financial market making a low that day or the day before. Usually when Venus leaves Saturn, such declines end and these markets start right back up again.

Longer-Term Thoughts

The recent news on the U.S. deficit supports our long-term view associated with the Saturn-Pluto cycle. According to Jeff Jacoby in the August 6 edition of the Boston Globe, “Last week the Bush administration increased its estimated budget deficit… to $482 billion, an all-time high. The deficit could climb even higher, it conceded, since the new projection doesn’t include the full cost of military operations in Iraq or Afghanistan, or the potential drop in tax collections if the economy continues to worsen.” The article goes on to further state that the crushing debt of all deficits adds up to a whopping $9.6 trillion.

In short, the debt is increasing to record levels and so too are the projected budget deficits. And to think that only seven years ago, this country had a budget surplus. Nevertheless, this trend is in accordance with the downside – or waning – phase of the Saturn-Pluto cycle, which is in effect 2001-2020. It is also consistent with the hard aspects of Saturn and Uranus to Pluto (ruler of debt), which will be in force through 2015. During this time frame, there is a historical correlation to the following: increased federal deficits, increased government and individual debt, higher taxes, higher interest rates, higher commodity prices, and stagnant economic and equity market conditions. Can these cyclical patterns be reversed or avoided? Of course. The ultimate outcome of anything is as much dependent on individual or governmental choices as it is upon planetary or cyclical patterns.

The Republicans would have you believe it is the Democrats who would squander away the financial security of this country’s children with their reckless spending behavior. And they might be right when you consider the platform of the two presidential candidates (who will most likely raise taxes? who will most likely spend even more money on projects? who will most likely end the spending on wars in Iraq and elsewhere and thus give a peace dividend? who is most likely to increase taxes on dividend income and thereby deter investors into those companies?). But on the other hand, wasn’t it the Republicans who had control of the House, Senate, and White House after the 2004 elections? Why wasn’t the budget and deficit brought into order then? In fact, the very problems we are experiencing today – the problems that have put this country and other countries on the brink of financial calamity – were largely brought on by the policies that were allowed to prevail during that time within the mortgage banking and financial sectors of the USA economy. It was very interesting on the evening of the Republican landslide victory in November 2004 to hear Newt Gingrich exclaim with great pride that this was the first time in 76 years that Republicans had been elected to control all three branches of the federal government. Simple math will show that 76 years prior to 2004 was 1928. I don’t think the events of 1928-1932 were anything to crow about. The moral of this story? Maybe it is not such a great idea to have all three branches of the Federal government run by the same party. Maybe when that happens, bad things follow in terms of good governance and fiscal responsibility. Maybe it is better to utilize the forefathers’ wisdom of a checks and balances government.

 

Announcements

A new MMA Cycles Report, and a New Special Offer!!! Good until June 2010 (but the special perks are greatest in March!). The special offer is this: all new one-year subscriptions to the MMA Cycles Report will also receive free the SOS Global Markets Report through June 2010! That’s an additional value of $115.00 for the next 4 months. Why? Because June 2010 will mark our last publication of the “SOS Global Markets Report.” We are instead starting up a new report for our European subscribers that will be called the “MMA German-Swiss Stock Market Cycles Report.” It will be a 2-4 page report issued monthly, 1-2 days after the MMA Cycles Report. It will contain detailed cyclical, geocosmic, and technical analysis of the German DAX and Swiss SMI stock indices. The cost of this new report is $195.00/year, $95.00/4 months, or $50.00/2 months, with automatic renewal options. BUT…. All new one-year subscriptions to the MMA Cycles Report will also receive free introductory issues of this new MMA German-Swiss Cycles Report through June too!!! That is an additional value of $95.00 for this special offer. Order one year of MMA Cycles of $295, and you will receive the next 4 months of SOS and the first 4 months of the new MMA German-Swiss Market Cycles report too for free! For more information, please go to the front page of our web site at www.mmacycles.com. Or call us at 1-248-626-3034. Don’t delay! Sign up now and save big bucks!!!

 The monthly SOS Global Stock Market Cycles Report comes out this week. As noted above, this report will be discontinued after June 2010. But you won’t want to miss these last special issues, which cover the long-term cyclical outlook of major world stock indices, including DJIA, NASDAQ, DAX, AEX, Hang Seng, All Ordinaries of Australia, and the XAU Gold and Silver Mining index. It also covers short-term analysis with a generous discussion on forthcoming geocosmic signatures. As you read above, you may receive these last four issues for free if you sign up for a one-year subscription to the MMA Cycles Report. You will also receive free the first four issues of the new MMA German-Swiss Stock Market Cycles Report. This is a great deal you will not want to miss if you have been thinking of subscribing to the MMA Cycles Report.

 Please note that I will be giving two lectures in Arizona in March. The first will be Friday, March 12 in Tucson, 7:30 – 9:00 PM. Please contact 520-625-5762 or gaelchi@dishmail.net for reservations and location information. The second will take place in Scottsdale, Friday, March 26, 7:00 – 9:30 PM. Contact 602-952-1525, or as aboard@azastrology.org for reservation and location details. The title of the presentations will be “FORECASTS 2010 AND THE USA ECONOMY.” These presentations will discuss the importance of the “Cardinal Climax,” an unusual planetary pattern that will be in force 2008-2015, with its strongest astrological set up taking place in the summer of 2010. This set up affects the charts of the USA, Barack Obama, and the Federal Reserve. As each of these entities undergoes radical changes, it will also correspond to powerful movements in financial markets and the world economy. This is a year in which tremendous profits, or losses, can be realized, related to Jupiter conjunct Uranus cycle which begins in 2010.

 September 1-8, 2011: Bali! "Financial Astrology" Intensive workshop with Raymond Merriman, and "Mundane Astrology" with Claude Weiss. For more information on this unique week-long intensive and incredible South Pacific paradise adventure, go to http://www.heavenandearthworkshops.com/financial.html.

 

If you are an active short-term trader, you may be interested in our Weekly or even Daily Market reports with short-term trading recommendations. It is the only way I keep in touch with traders on a daily or even weekly basis, as I no longer offer personal consultations. These reports give in-depth analysis of the DJIA, S&P and NASDAQ futures, Euro currency (cash and futures), Swiss Franc, Dollar/Yen cash and Yen futures, T-Notes, Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, Gold and Silver. The daily reports cover all stock indices listed above, as well as futures in Euro, T-Notes, Soybeans, Gold and Silver. Subscription to the daily report also includes the weekly report. For more information, go to http://www.mmacycles.com/services, or call our offices at 1-248-626-3034. In the words of one of our subscribers: “I recently subscribed to your weekly report and am finding it to be excellent and a very useful companion to the MMA Cycles Report.  I can't imagine now managing my investments without them.”

CD’S, MP3’s, DVD’S, and webcast viewing of the Forecast 2010 speech will be available in about a week. The Forecast 2010 Webcast Speech took place December 20, 2009. We are offering a CD or MP3 download that contains the audio only. You can also view the webcast again in it’s entirety as a one-time download from Vibation until January 25, 2010. And it will be available in a DVD edited edition too. The cost for any of these recordings will be $45.00 and an additional postage charge if ordering in audio CD or edited DVD format. For further information, go to our website at www.mmacycles.com (it will be up sometime this week). Or drop us an email (ordersmma@msn.com) or fax (248-538-5296), or call us at 1-248-626-3034. “Thank You - it’s very thoughtful and thanks you for sharing your knowledge. A whole new world opened for me.” Attendee to the Forecast 2010 webcast.
 
  The Forecast 2010 book are out!!! For more information, visit our web site at www.mmacycles.com. “Kudos… the 2010 forecasts – you’ve outdone yourself - I see Jupiter is playing a role not anticipated (if I recall correctly) last year .... it all clicks.” RR, Santa Fe

The MMA Catalogue of products and services for 2010 is now out!!! You can download it in PDF at http://www.mmacycles.com/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,161/Itemid,63/. The ordering page is the last page of the catalogue. This is especially useful for those outside of the USA, since we do not send these by snail mail unless requested.

MMA is currently preparing a listing of astrology books on its web site for readers to consider in their education of this unique study. The initial offering can be seen on our web site at www.mmacycles.com, under Astrology Books.

Disclaimer and statement of purpose:

The purpose of this column is not to predict the future movement of various financial markets. However, that is the purpose of the MMA (Merriman Market Analyst) subscription services. This column is not a subscription service. It is a free service, except in those cases where a fee may be assessed to cover the cost of translating this column from English into a non-English language.

This weekly report is written with the intent to educate the reader on the relationship between astrological factors and collective human activities as they are happening. In this regard, this report will oftentimes report what happened in various stock and financial markets throughout the world in the past week, and discuss that movement in light of the geocosmic signatures that were in effect. It will then identify the geocosmic factors that will be in effect in the next week, or even month, or even years, and the author’s understanding of how these signatures will likely affect human activity in the times to come. The author (Merriman) will do this from a perspective of a cycle’s analyst looking at the military, political, economic, and even financial markets of the world.

It is possible that some forecasts will be made based on these factors. However, the primary goal is to both educate and alert the reader as to the psychological climate we are in, from an astrological perspective. The hope is that it will help the reader understand these psychological dynamics that underlie (or coincide with) the news events and hence financial markets of the day.

No guarantee as to the accuracy of this report is being made here. Any decisions in financial markets are solely the responsibility of the reader, and neither the author nor the publishers assume any responsibility at all for those individual decisions. Reader should understand that futures and options trading are considered high risk.

Copyright MMACycles 2007; you may link to this site or page, but you may not distribute these texts in any way (by email or otherwise).

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