MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING AUGUST 4, 2025

NOTE: Special thanks to Wyatt Fellows and Pouyan Zolfagharnia for writing the weekly columns over the past two weeks while I attended to last-minute details before heading off to Europe for the summer. Two of the next three weekly columns will be written by other MMA analysts while I attend a concert in Cologne and then embark on a vacation to the Greek Islands.

 REVIEW

 The Labor Department on Friday reported that employers added 73,000 jobs in July, a figure that was cooler than the estimate of economists polled by LSEG. Job gains in the prior two months were both revised, with job creation in May revised downward by 125,000 from a gain of 144,000 to 19,000; and June job gains were revised down by 133,000 from a gain of 147,000 to 14,000. Taken together, employment in May and June was 258,000 lower than previously reported, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics noted were “larger than normal” revisions.

— Eric Revell, “US Job Growth Cooled Amid Growing Economic Uncertainty,” Fox Business, August 1, 2025.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest wave of tariffs on exports from dozens of trading partners, including Canada, Brazil, India, and Taiwan, sent global stock markets down on Friday. The presidential order listed higher import duty rates of 10% to 41% starting in seven days for 69 trading partners, effectively taking the U.S. effective tariff rate to about 18%, from 2.3% last year, according to analysts at Capital Economics.

— David Lawder and Chayut Setboonsarng, “Trump Hits More Countries with Steep Tariffs, Markets Tumble,” Reuters, August 1, 2025, www.reuters.com.

This was the week in which the Mercury retrograde cycle (July 17-August 11) reached its midpoint (July 30). This is important because in our studies, any market that didn’t reverse around the time of Mercury retrograde date will usually do so within a day of the Trickster’s midpoint. Indeed, that was the case last week as many global stock indices reversed sharply from their yearly or all-time highs made on July 30-31 into August 1, as President Trump once again delivered on his promise to unilaterally levy tariffs on scores of nations. Since tariffs are essentially taxes on businesses, stock markets did not take well to this news.

In Asia and the Pacific Rim, the Mercury retrograde midpoint correlation was especially evident in Australia and China. The former made an all-time high right on July 30, then dropped to a new 2-week low by Friday, with indications of lower prices ahead. In China, the Shanghai Composite (SSE) rallied to 3636 on July 30, testing its yearly high of 3674 made in October, and then turned south. The Hang Seng of Hong Kong and Japan’s Nikkei index had topped out a week earlier, on the new moon of July 24, but ended the week on a down beat that could easily continue in the days and even weeks ahead. The Nifty Index of India was already in a decline, and on Friday it dropped to its lowest mark since June 13.

In Europe, the carnage from tariffs was even more dramatic, despite a better-than-expected tariff penalty of mostly 15% for U.S. corporations importing goods from the EU. It was still seen as a very bad deal for Europe. The FTSE performed best of all, making a new all-time high on July 31, followed by a modest selloff on Friday (maybe because it is not part of the EU and made a deal earlier). The DAX suffered a new 6-week low on Friday. The damage was much greater in the Netherlands AEX and Swiss SMI, which fell to their lowest levels in 13 and 14 weeks, respectively.

In the Americas, Brazil’s Bovespa index fell to a 14-week low amid the U.S. slapping on a huge 50% “revenge” tariff rate for companies to import goods from that nation. In the U.S., both the NASDAQ and S&P futures put in new all-time highs in the pre-market of July 31. Then both dropped sharply into Friday. The DJIA, however, did not make a new all-time high on July 31. Nor did it even take out its secondary top of the prior week, July 23 (New Moon), for a clear case of intermarket bearish divergence involving an MMA geocosmic critical reversal date. On Friday, the DJIA “gapped down” (i.e., its range was entirely below the low of the prior day) to its lowest level in 5 weeks, confirming July 24 as its primary cycle crest.

In commodity markets, Gold dropped to a low of 3264 in the Mercury Rx midpoint zone of July 31, then commenced with a sharp rally on Friday. Silver also made a new 4-week low on July 31, but its rally on Friday was not as impressive. Still, both metals are in a time band for primary cycle lows, which would look good if Silver could take out last week’s low while Gold holds above (intermarket bullish divergence in a CRD and cycle time band). Crude Oil had a nice rally to 70.51 on July 31, its highest price in five weeks, before a sharp decline into Friday. November Soybeans dropped to 9.86 on Friday, their lowest price since the primary cycle began on April 9. With Venus involved in a square to both Saturn and Neptune on August 1, this is a good candidate for a rally—as is any market dropping to a potential cycle low with Venus square Saturn.

This Venus/Saturn correlation may be working well for currencies against the U.S. Dollar, like the Euro, which dropped to a multi-week low of 1.1400 on Friday before the employment reports came out. It then rallied sharply. Bitcoin and Ethereum also declined into Friday’s Scorpio Moon, which is typical as lows often form between Cancer and Scorpio moons. But neither rallied much afterwards as the Euro did. It will be interesting to see if the cryptos follow the foreign currencies or the U.S. stock market from here.

SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS

 It is becoming increasingly clear that U.S. businesses … are absorbing much of the costs for now. In a competitive market, a company that hikes prices could lose market share to a rival that keeps its prices steady. Many are reluctant to raise prices until they absolutely must and until they know the ever-changing tariffs are sticking around. In some cases, companies have said they plan to raise prices in the months to come.

— Jeanne Whalen and Sarah Nassauer, “Trump’s Tariffs Are Being Picked Up by Corporate America,” The Wall Street Journal, July 24, 2025, www.wsj.com.

There is an irony in Detroit right now: The automaker most reliant on U.S. manufacturing is among the hardest hit by tariffs. Ford Motor, the second-largest American carmaker, prides itself on making most of its vehicles in the U.S. Some 80% of the cars Ford sells in the U.S. are built there, and it makes more vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker. But the company said the Trump administration’s latest trade deals with Japan, the European Union and South Korea put it at a disadvantage with foreign rivals. Those deals now set a 15% tariff rate, which is lower than the 25% auto tariff that went into effect this spring. Ford faces steeper tariffs on many parts as well as higher costs for imported aluminum, which is subject to 50% duties.

• Sharon Terlep, “Why Ford’s Made-in-America Strategy Hurts It in Trump’s Trade War,” The Wall Street Journal, July 31, 2025, wsj/com.

The White House proudly states how much money tariffs are bringing into the United States Department of the Treasury, which is true. But at what cost? (Hint: What happens when someone you had a trusting, favorable relationship with unilaterally raises prices on you?). Trust and feelings of betrayal are major themes under Saturn conjunct Neptune, especially when it squares a natal Venus (allies) in Cancer, which is the case in the U.S. chart. And who is actually paying for those tariffs that the U.S. government is collecting? Hint: It is not the countries exporting their goods to America. It’s U.S. corporations and businesses. And what are they going to do to cover those new 15% taxes? Hint: it’s not going to result in lower prices for consumers. For more on the inflation cycle, we refer you to Pouyan Zolfagharnia’s recent MMA Cycles + Report, which was issued last week, where he shares insightful cycle and geocosmic studies correlating to inflation.

But our expertise is not in explaining the fundamentals of either economics or politics. Our clients value MMA for our knowledge and expertise in cycles and geocosmic timing indicators. And right now, we are in the midst of several reversal signals, back-to-back, through the month of August.

The first is right now. Not only was July 30-31 the midpoint of the Trickster’s retrograde cycle, but August 1 was also the day of Venus (money, currencies, and Soybeans) square to the Saturn/Neptune conjunction. As mentioned earlier, the Euro and Soybeans both dropped to multi-month lows on Friday. Copper, also ruled by Venus, dropped sharply late last week to its lowest mark in 16 weeks.

This is just the first of the geocosmic whipsaw patterns this month. Another arises August 8-12, which includes Mars in opposition to both Saturn and Neptune. Mars/Saturn is particularly powerful with an 82% correlation to primary cycles within 10 trading days. This is a war-like signature when tempers and frustrations run high. And with Mars entering Libra, the sign of allies and partnerships, relationships may be severely tested, especially with Saturn and Neptune involved, because Saturn and Neptune challenge any relationship based on trust. Expect parties to accuse one another of bad faith, disloyalty, and changing the goal posts on previous agreements. This may not bode well for equities. However, it can also relate to extremes in weather temperatures (i.e., droughts and floods), which could provide a lift to grain prices.

It doesn’t end there. On August 24, we enter the next TUMDI period (Trump Uranus Market Disruption Indicator). On that day, the Sun will square Uranus (another powerful Level 1 signature with an 82% correlation to primary cycles +/- 10 trading days), with Jupiter sitting midway between both the Sun and Uranus (semi-squares). Shortly after that, on September 6, Uranus will turn stationary retrograde in Gemini. If matters seem chaotic and unstable now, those qualities may seem to be on steroids then. Whenever Uranus is highlighted, expect the unexpected. This is a very disruptive period in terms of both surprise announcements by world leaders, terrorist threats, and the possibility of natural calamities like hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, and earthquakes. Financial markets may either break out to new highs or reverse downwards with a vengeance that surprises everyone in their ferocity. Or both in quick order.

What to do as we enter this very volatile and electric month? Be open to inspiration and new ideas that are “out of the box.” The logical solutions to issues don’t work, but new ones may suddenly appear. The problem is timing. This is a time of revelation or revolution, but under Uranus, the timing is often off. It may be favorable if you are an astrologer seeking new insights, for Uranus rules astrology and all things extraterrestrial (no, I don’t think we get a wakeup call from aliens). But it can also mean losing one’s mind in personal relationships and behaving very immaturely, causing friction and separations. Uranus rules Aquarius, so when it is highlighted, there is often the mixed message that goes something like: “I love you, but don’t take it personally.” And then, “I’m out of here.” If you do that, understand that there may be no turning back. This is not the best period for TACO time behavior. You are either in or out. You own it now.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOTE 1: IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN! THE “ANNUAL MMA FORECAST 2026 PRE-PUBLICATION SALE” STARTS AUGUST 11!!!! The sale runs 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-order event 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 1-2 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 an astrology-themed almanac that has served students of cycles and markets since 1976. It provides a cyclical outlook of the collective world psychology, the national economy, geopolitical developments, sociocultural trends, and 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, British Pound, Swiss Franc, and Japanese Yen), Bitcoin, Crude Oil, and Grain markets.

Its extraordinary market timing forecasts are based on the historical correlation between market cycles and geocosmic planetary cycles. Additionally, the book includes three-star critical reversal dates for each market throughout the year — dates that have demonstrated over 80% accuracy in identifying trading cycle highs and lows, within an orb of three trading days. The book is approximately 200 pages, 8.5” x 11”, and has set the standard for all astrological almanacs written today.

Stay tuned for instructions on how to pre-order your Forecast 2026 book at special pre-publication rates, beginning August 11!!!

NOTE 2: THE TWO-YEAR MERRIMAN MARKET TIMING ACADEMY (MMTA4) BEGINS SEPTEMBER 27!!!

 This highly valuable two-year educational and 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 trading 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 3: 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 who wishes 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 4: 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 5: 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 6: 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 7: 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 8: 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. The course will be held every Saturday at noon Eastern Time and 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 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.

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.