MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING AUGUST 18, 2025

NOTE: Ray will be on vacation this week and next. The week’s column is written by MMA analyst and special guest Wyatt Fellows, editor of the MMA Monthly Grain Cycles Report.

REVIEW

 “The large spike in the producer price index (PPI) this morning shows that inflation is coursing through the economy, even if it hasn’t been felt by consumers yet. Given how benign the CPI numbers were on Tuesday, this is a most unwelcome surprise to the upside and is likely to unwind some of the optimism of a ‘guaranteed’ rate cut next month,”

—Chris Zaccarelli, Chief Investment Officer, Northlight Asset Management, “Instant View; US Producer Prices Surge More than Expected,” Reuters, August 14, 2025.

The latest iterations of the CPI and PPI reports were released this week and showed a stark contrast in the data versus market participants’ expectations. The CPI showed a modest increase that was much in line with what economists expected. The data suggest that inflation is relatively stable at the consumer-based level. The PPI, however, came in significantly hotter than what most analysts thought.

The differences in the data raise some interesting questions about tariffs and Fed policy moving forward. For example, producers and businesses could have front-run the initial tariff announcements by the Trump administration and secured a stockpile of raw materials/products critical to their output. This would have allowed them to maintain reasonable pricing to the consumer over the last few months. But as these producers work through inventory, the latest PPI numbers suggest a sharp rise in replacement costs. How soon will the bulk of these increases be passed down to the consumer? If people think things already cost more now, can you imagine the look on their faces in 6-12 months?

This begs another question: Have large businesses and manufacturers (maybe even exporters) been shielding the consumer by eating a large portion of the price increases stemming from these tariffs? One might ask why they would even do that. Perhaps it could be that they perceive this as just short-term financial pain before a more favorable trade deal is worked out. In this case, they certainly wouldn’t want to risk losing market share to a competitor by charging more. But what if a better deal doesn’t come? At some point, these companies and businesses have to answer to the shareholders and investors.

Lastly, can the Federal Reserve still entertain a cut to short-term interest rates in the face of a leading inflation indicator ripping higher? The CME FedWatch tool still seems to think so, assigning a 92.6% probability of a rate cut at the September 17 meeting following the immediate release of the PPI numbers on Thursday. By Friday, that percentage had fallen a bit more to 84.8%. What will be interesting, though, is that we will get another look at the CPI and PPI the week before the next Fed meeting on September 10 and 11. What if the PPI continues to run hot? What if the CPI starts to creep upwards as well? How might financial markets react to a surprise “HODL” (for the Bitcoin peeps) by the Fed?

The stock markets in the US sure took the higher inflation numbers in stride, finishing the week with modest gains. The bigger story might be the fact that the DJIA made a new all-time high on Friday, negating the bearish divergence with the S&P and Nasdaq we had been watching over the last few weeks. Gianni will have an updated outlook for what this could mean for the stock market moving forward in the MMA Weekly Report due out this weekend. The European and Asian markets mostly followed in the footsteps of the US markets, with the notable outperformer being the Nikkei. It was up almost 6% for the week.

In commodity land, the Crude Oil market ended the week about 3% lower, but it is getting late in its primary cycle and is due for a bottom soon. The $60/barrel level might start to look attractive in the not-too-distant future. Metals were fairly quiet this week, all things considered. Gold continues to grind near this year’s highs, refusing to break down. With Trump meeting with Putin in Alaska, we could see some movement in this market come Sunday evening, depending on reports of how the meeting between the two heads of state went. I am happy to say that one of the best-performing commodities markets this week was Soybeans. Thanks to a bullish USDA report released on Tuesday, Soybeans were up over 6% at one point. This wasn’t a complete surprise, as we have been hunting a primary cycle low in this market for the last few weeks. We even got our MMA Monthly Report subscribers long at the low of the day on Tuesday!

In crypto land, Bitcoin and Ethereum each made new highs last week, but both experienced an aggressive reversal on Thursday, forming an outside down price bar. This may have marked at least a major cycle top, but the overall trends are decidedly bullish in the crypto space right now.

 SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS

Ceres is not generally the first celestial body one thinks of when pondering the solar system. It is classified as the closest dwarf planet to Earth and resides in the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter. Ceres is named after the Roman goddess of agriculture and the harvest, so it should not come as a shock that it exerts influence over the grain markets. After all, a statue of her likeness sits atop the Chicago Board of Trade Building, which is where grain futures markets were first traded.

The grain markets have been shown to mark important inflection points around the time Ceres stations retrograde and direct. This again looks to be the case with Soybeans forming a primary cycle low on August 6, just three trading days ahead of Ceres turning retrograde on August 11. Corn and Wheat look like they might have formed lows as well on August 12 and August 14, respectively, but they have not been confirmed yet. The sharp rally in Soybean prices this week was a welcome relief to many producers who will be starting harvest in about 30 days.

The grain complex as a whole has certainly NOT participated in the inflationary rise that many other commodity markets have had. In fact, the situation is completely opposite to what was talked about earlier, with businesses experiencing higher input costs while trying to keep product costs passed to consumers in check. As I wandered through the cereal aisle at my local grocery store this week, I was dumbfounded to see that a box of Corn Flakes now costs almost $8.00 (admittedly, it was the “family” size)! It should come as no surprise that the main ingredient in Corn Flakes is indeed Corn. But here is the real kicker, with the price of Corn currently languishing near 5-year lows, how should a box of corn flakes be almost 100% higher over that time? Money is being made here, but it certainly is not by the producers, of which I am one!

As mentioned in a previous column I penned, this underperformance of the grain complex may be slowly shifting, with the operative word here being “slowly”. Since bottoming in August 2024, Corn, Soybeans, and Wheat have been largely building a base. We may be experiencing a successful test of those 2024 lows now, right on Ceres stationing retrograde. If they can hold the line here, the coming Saturn/Neptune conjunction in February 2026 may start to offer some much-needed relief, at least in terms of price.

If you have the opportunity to support producers of locally-grown food in your community, please do so! Not only are the products they offer healthier and higher in nutrients, but most work really hard to produce something of beneficial value for another human being. I am willing to bet that most of these people do it because they genuinely care about others. We need more of that kind of mindset in the world today!

 ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOTE 1: IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN! The ANNUAL MMA FORECAST 2026 PRE-PUBLICATION SALE is now underway through October 31 and features our once-a-year discounts on both the annual Forecast book and MMA subscription reports.~

During this pre-order period, the Forecast 2026 print edition will be available at the discounted price of $55, and the eBook version at $45. And the best deal on MMA subscription reports is also offered at this time! Save 10% on any subscription of $275 or more with the purchase of Forecast 2026. After the pre-publication period ends on November 1, the retail price of the Forecast 2026 print edition increases to $66, and the eBook to $55. Subscription reports will also return to their regular prices. Order now and save big bucks!

MMA will also offer a special bundle discount for those who wish to order both the eBook and printed editions of Forecast 2026 for $75. The eBook typically becomes available one to two weeks before the print edition and avoids delays caused by the postal system — especially for those living overseas. However, many readers prefer the print edition, so ordering both through the Forecast 2026 Bundle makes sense. You will receive the Forecast 2026 eBook on December 15, and your print copy will be mailed in mid-December.

MMA’s annual Forecast book is a cycles and astrology-themed almanac that has served students of cycles and markets since 1976. It provides a cyclical outlook on the collective world psychology, the national economy, geopolitical developments, socio-cultural trends, and timing of potential weather and natural disasters — as well as financial market projections for the U.S. stock market, U.S. Treasury market, interest rates, Gold and Silver, currencies (the Euro, U.S. Dollar, Swiss Franc, and Japanese Yen), Bitcoin, Crude Oil, and Grain markets (Corn, Wheat, and Soybeans). A scorecard of the 2025 forecasts will be posted on the MMA website on August 11. Of note is that the seven critical reversal dates (CRDs) for the U.S. stock market, and nine CRDs for the Soybean market, have all been accurate within three trading days — most within only one day!

The print version of the book is approximately 200 pages, 8.5” x 11”, and has set the standard for all astrological almanacs written today.

The pre-publication ordering period just began last week, and one of the first orders we received came with this note of gratitude:

I ordered the Forecast 2026 book — this time in print — as I would like to have this 50th edition as a souvenir to remind me of the great insights I’ve received since reading your analysis and, more importantly for me, your view on life. — R.D., Netherlands

To pre-order this year’s special 50^th-year edition, click here.

NOTE 2: THE AUGUST ISSUE OF THE MMA MONTHLY TECH REPORT BY WIEBKE HELD WILL BE RELEASED THIS WEEK, ON AUGUST 19. Wiebke’s excellent research papers at MMTA3 were based on extensive studies of long-, intermediate-, and short-term cycles in the NASDAQ spot index. This new report, based on her studies, provides an outlook not only for the NASDAQ but also for the QQQ (ETF), NASDAQ futures, and specific technology stocks, including Microsoft, Google, NVIDIA, Tesla, and Apple. It also includes CRDs (critical reversal dates) specific to the NASDAQ, based on Held’s meticulous research. Focusing on the NASDAQ is crucial because of the outsized role technology will play in financial markets — especially with Pluto in Aquarius for the next 20 years and Uranus in Gemini for the next seven years. If you want to receive the next issue of this new report, sign up now by clicking here.

 NOTE 3: THE TWO-YEAR MERRIMAN MARKET TIMING ACADEMY (MMTA4) BEGINS SEPTEMBER 27!!!

This highly valuable two-year educational training program, created by Raymond Merriman (CTA), is an experience that will change your life and the way you view financial markets.

MMTA is an eight-course program that includes over 100 hours of live instruction and interaction, led by instructors Wiebke Held and Raymond Merriman, with special guest appearances by MMA analysts Pouyan Zolfagharnia, Gianni Di Poce, Ulric Aspegrén, Wyatt Fellows, Derek Panaia, and Kat Powell.

Classes for Courses 1-3 and 5-7 will meet on Saturdays, approximately 20 times per year, at noon Eastern Time, starting on September 27, 2025. There will be one-month breaks between each course and a three-month summer break between Courses 4 and 5. These eight courses cover MMA’s market timing methodology for long- and intermediate-term investing, as well as position and aggressive short-term trading. There is nothing else as comprehensive in the field of market timing as MMTA’s two-year program!

Acceptance into MMTA requires a 20-minute interview prior to enrollment. If you are interested in exploring whether MMTA is right for you, schedule your interview now. If you schedule your interview before September 1 (see below), you will still qualify for substantial “early bird” savings.

The cost for the entire two-year program is $25,000, with early registration discounts available for those enrolling in the full program or one year at a time. A tuition payment plan is also available for those who prefer to take Course 1 first (at full price) and decide later whether to commit to the remaining seven courses, which will then be offered at a substantial discount.

To register or inquire about the MMTA4 program, click here. Yearly subscribers to MMA’s weekly and daily reports receive additional discounts. Other payment plans are available upon request.

Here are just a few of the many very positive reviews from graduates of prior MMTA programs:

I wanted to express my deepest gratitude for generously sharing your knowledge and teaching it. As you know, I am fairly new to trading and joined MMTA3 to learn a system to approach the stock market. Starting the year, I set myself the goal of doubling the money that I had in my trading account, thinking at the time that this was impossible to do. Thanks to the knowledge and tools MMTA3 teaches, I was actually able to accomplish this goal! In fact, I even exceeded it. —W.H., Germany.

 Thank you, Ray and Gianni, for the fantastic course material and support. I have made money, and every dollar for the courses was paid back and more! — J.L., Netherlands

 This course was truly mind-blowing! I learnt in abundance. Thank you all for sharing the excellent trading data and knowledge. This course is worth more than a college degree — and at a fraction of the price, too. — K.L., Australia.

My perspective on the markets — and perhaps life — has changed dramatically since taking MMTA. I am extremely grateful for having been given the opportunity to learn directly from you. — K.M., USA

Doing these research projects and really dissecting the markets during this course has allowed me to trade very successfully over the past year. It is extremely rewarding to do the work and then watch it unfold according to plan. — W.F., USA

To watch the most recent informative video interview with Wiebke Held and Raymond Merriman, conducted on June 26 and discussing the MMTA4 program, click here.

 NOTE 4: RECORDINGS OF MMA’S SPECIAL SIX-WEEK COURSE ON “THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GEOCOSMIC STUDIES FOR FINANCIAL MARKET TIMING” ARE NOW AVAILABLE!!! Led by Gianni Di Poce and backed up by Ray Merriman, this course is designed to teach students the basic principles of planets, signs, and aspects (including retrograde and direct stations) as used in MMA’s market timing methodology — one of its most important tools. The course explains which planets and signs rule the various sectors of the economy and financial markets. In addition, it covers how to use an ephemeris and astrological software (Solar Fire) for important routines such as calculating charts, generating transit “hit lists,” and identifying signs, ingresses, planetary stations, and aspects — the essential cosmic features necessary for determining market reversal periods.

The course is especially useful for those interested in taking the MMTA4 program, which begins on September 27, or for anyone wishing to deepen their astrological knowledge. The cost for these six introductory lessons, which last about two hours each, is $300. This is a great opportunity to learn basic astrology from a master economic astrologer! Click here to order now!

 NOTE 5: THE JUPITER REPORT — YOUR MOMENTS OF OPPORTUNITY — IS NOW AVAILABLE. This new product, written by Raymond Merriman, is a 30- to 40-page report that all traders (and even non-traders) will find highly valuable. It identifies the times during the year when Jupiter transits are highlighted in your natal chart and explains the meaning of Jupiter’s transits to your natal planets and angles over a 14-month period (including one month before your order and one month after the year ends). As an added bonus, each transit is ranked on a scale from -3 to +3 in terms of favorability for trading. Traders may find this especially valuable! Would you like to know when you are under a +3 transit and, therefore, most likely to experience trading successes? Or a -3 transit, with stronger-than-usual potential for misjudgments and losses? You betcha! The cost for your 14-month Jupiter Report is $69. Click here to order!!!

Here is a recent letter from our options expert, Derek Panaia, to the Options+ group, which just closed out exceptional gains on five option trades presented in the July 13 webinar:

On a side note, I started using MMA’s Jupiter Report this year, so I only have a few months of history with it. But my first positive Jupiter aspects came in March/April this year. I was trading copper and had made a nice long trade, and started buying puts for a dip. The puts did nothing for a week or so, then copper prices collapsed, and my puts went up sharply in one week. This started exactly on the same day my Jupiter Report showed a positive aspect. Well, fast forward a few months, and I have copper put spreads (the same put spreads you guys bought), and yesterday copper prices collapsed, and the puts made a lot of money. And guess what? This was one day before my Jupiter aspects started positive again. For me, it is amazing how accurate this report has been. I just wanted to share this, FWIW. The Jupiter Report from MMA is not very expensive, so if you guys use astrology in your trading, you might want to check it out.

 NOTE 6: The MMA Solar-Lunar App now offers reversal signals on the NASDAQ to all subscribers! The app provides daily weighted values for four markets: the DJIA, NASDAQ, Gold, and Silver. It is an ideal tool to have in your back pocket if you are a short-term swing trader looking for high-probability dates that identify isolated lows and highs in these markets. The app is currently available only on Apple devices (iPhone and iPad). To learn more about the MMA App, click here. To order it, go to the Apple App Store and search for Merriman Solar/Lunar Reversals.

 NOTE 7: MUST READ!!! A NEW BOOK, ESOTERIC ECONOMICS BY GIANNI DI POCE, IS NOW AVAILABLE!!! This is an excellent introduction to the correlation between geocosmic studies and the fields of economics and financial markets. In many ways, it is the perfect book to launch one’s journey into the world of financial astrology — but it is more than that. Esoteric Economics offers a clear and accessible explanation of how economics and financial markets work, then beautifully ties these fields together through an esoteric lens. It is ideal not only for those beginning this journey but also for readers seeking a deeper understanding of how economics operates on both a practical and esoteric level.

Gianni Di Poce is a well-respected MMA analyst and served as the director and lead instructor of the MMTA2 and MMTA3 (Merriman Market Timing Academy) programs from 2021 to 2024. He also holds an MBA in economics from the University of Michigan. The cost of this excellent 288-page book is $55 for the softcover or $60 for the hardcover (plus postage). It is also available as an eBook (no postage). To order, click here.

NOTE 8: MMA’s Free Weekly Column podcast is available on SPOTIFY, APPLE, and AMAZON! Now you can listen to a podcast of this weekly column, narrated by Thomas Miller, every Saturday! Thomas has an excellent voice and brings the weekly column to life in a personable and, at times, humorous fashion. Just follow Merriman Market Analyst on Spotify or Apple to listen to all our episodes. A new episode is released every weekend. This is a FREE service and is available to everyone. Check out our podcasts on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon Music. It makes for great listening!

NOTE 9: The MMA weekly YouTube show, Geocosmic Week in Review and Look Ahead, with Gianni Di Poce, is conducted on Wednesday evenings! Each 5- to 20-minute FREE episode reviews the previous week’s market activity and offers a preview of the geocosmic signatures in effect for the coming week and beyond.

EVENTS

 SEPTEMBER 14, 2025: A MICRO-WEBINAR BY RAY MERRIMAN ON BITCOIN, GOLD, AND SILVER

We will be preparing for big moves in Bitcoin, Gold, and Silver this fall, according to our cycle studies — and we want to be ready. Click here to register!

SEPTEMBER 27, 2025: CYCLES AND PATTERNS IN FINANCIAL MARKETS. This is a comprehensive eight-week course taught by Wiebke Held and Ray Merriman, with special presentations featuring various MMA market analysts. It also serves as Course 1 of the 2025-2026 MMTA market timing program, but is an important standalone course in its own right and, therefore, will open to a limited number of non-MMTA students as well. The course will be conducted live every Saturday at noon Eastern Time for eight weeks, and each class will last approximately 2 to 2.5 hours. Each live class will be recorded and made available by the following Monday for those unable to attend the live sessions. The cost is $3600, which may be applied toward registration (with further discounts) for Courses 2-8 of the MMTA program that will follow.

Cycle studies are the foundation upon which MMA’s market timing methodology is built. Once you know where a market is in terms of its primary or longer-term cycles, you will also know which investment and trading strategies to apply. Understanding when a cycle (or one of its phases) is due is essential to recognizing both the strength and the narrowing of a cycle time band, especially when correlated with geocosmic signatures. However, without first understanding cycles and their patterns, the effective use of geocosmics is limited. Together, they offer a powerful method for timing significant tradable lows and highs in financial markets.

Registration details for signing up for this course will only be available shortly. You may also contact us at customerservice@mmacycles.com or call 248-626-3034.

 SEPTEMBER 27, 2025: MMTA4 begins!! Special rates apply for those who schedule a 20-minute interview before September 1. Click here for details.

Disclaimer and statement of purpose: The purpose of this column is not to forecast 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 of educating the reader on the relationship between astrological factors and collective human activities as they occur. In this regard, this report will often cite what happened in various stock and financial markets throughout the world in the past week and discuss those movements 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, month, or even years, and the author’s understanding of how these signatures may affect human activity in the times to come. The author (Merriman) will do this from the perspective of a cycle 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 to the psychological climate we are in from an astrological perspective. The hope is that it will help the reader understand the psychological dynamics that underlie (or coincide with) the news events and their potential effect on financial markets.

 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 of this column assume any responsibility whatsoever for anyone’s trading or investment decisions. Readers of this report should understand that commodity futures and options trading are considered high-risk.