MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 19, 2026

REVIEW by Guest Contributor Gianni Di Poce

WASHINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) – US consumer prices accelerated in September as the cost of gasoline surged, dealing another blow to President Donald Trump and his Republican Party ahead of the November 3 midterm elections and putting an interest rate increase later this month back on the radar.

—Lucia Mutikani, “US inflation heats up in September; Fed rate hike this month back on table,” Reuters, October 14, 2026.

It was a bit of a tech wreck last week in the U.S. Pluto changed directions and went direct in Aquarius (tech), and the NASDAQ led the declines. It tumbled the hardest of the week (its worst stretch in months) as AI-related names faced renewed scrutiny over valuations and higher borrowing costs.

The S&P 500 dropped as well, but the Dow squeezed out a gain. Overall, inflation data and questions around the sustainability of the AI investment boom remain key drivers, with markets weighing the Fed’s data-dependent path against seemingly resilient growth and energy-related stress. By the end of the week, the market didn’t seem as convinced about a Fed rate hike on October 28.

European markets finished the week higher and near their best levels, with the FTSE leading the most. The DAX and the AEX were also higher. The Asia-Pacific region ended more mixed: the Nikkei and Kospi rebounded Friday after sharp prior declines, and the Shanghai Composite fell for the week. The Australian All Ordinaries market posted solid gains.

Precious metals were quiet overall, with gold finishing the week modestly lower. Cryptocurrencies were largely flat, although the new low in Ethereum, but not in Bitcoin, is rather notable. Oil prices continued to rally as geopolitical tensions remain elevated, while bond prices managed a short-covering rally (rates dropped). We usually don’t see T-Notes and oil move in the same direction for long.

SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS

Are we going two steps forward and one step back, or two steps back and one step forward? That’s the best way I can describe the current planetary climate, especially regarding directional changes.

Last week, Pluto went stationary direct. Two weeks ago, Venus went retrograde. Later next week, Mercury goes retrograde on October 24. In November, Venus and Mercury go direct on the same day (November 13). Then, in December, Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune all change direction within three days.

If you consider these movements, it’s no surprise the NASDAQ is basically back where it was in mid-May, while the Dow is back where it was in late June. But in between, we’ve seen new all-time highs, drawn-out corrections, and even sharp, short pullbacks. When it’s all said and done, we’re pretty much right back where we started.

Nevertheless, the geocosmic parallels between now and the March–April 2025 period, specifically with respect to Mercury and Venus retrograde, cannot be ignored.

Back then, the retrograde motions were mainly in Pisces, a water sign. This time around, they’re in Scorpio, a water sign. In 2025, Venus was in Aries for a bit before retrograding back into Pisces, whereas this time, it’s in Scorpio before retrograding back into Libra.

The 2025 retrograde motions corresponded with Liberation Day volatility and significant market downside. Now that these planets are almost on the opposite side of the zodiac, could it correspond to a crest this time?

The headline risks in the coming weeks are huge. Whether it’s earnings, inflation, a Fed meeting, or the U.S. midterm elections, the market is walking a delicate tightrope. It could easily turn into a “Buy the rumor, sell the news” event.

Lastly, how remarkable was Venus retrograde corresponding with a growing expectation of a pause in Fed rate hikes? History shows the slower the Fed raises rates, the more bullish it tends to be for stocks—until it’s not.

LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS (AND OPINION)

“Since Wednesday, chances of a merger happening before March jumped on Friday to 56% from 29% on Kalshi. Odds for an integration before April and May rose to similar levels.”

—Ananya Chetia, “Prediction Market Odds on Tesla-SpaceX Merger Are Above 50% for Early 2027,” CNBC, October 16, 2026.

Contrary to popular belief, market tops take time to occur. They seldom occur as singular events like market bottoms often do. Nevertheless, there seems to be an endless fascination within the financial community to “Call the crash.” I mainly blame Hollywood for this, which is why I like to call it “Big Short Syndrome.”

The bull market in stocks just hit its 4th anniversary since the October 2022 lows. The S&P is up roughly 118% from that low, and has satisfied various cyclical criteria for a high. But as Oppenheimer’s Ari Wald, CMT, recently noted, “This is the 6th longest of the 24 bull markets since 1932. Looking at the 5 prior bull markets that reached the 4-year mark, the median time remaining before the cycle peaked was 13 months…. The median 5th year return was 21%.”

Obviously, this doesn’t mean a sustained bull run into November 2027 is a given. Still, the astrological elephants in the room through Uranus trine Pluto and Jupiter trine Saturn cannot be ignored either. In fact, both Ray and Pouyan have demonstrated how Jupiter trine Saturn can correspond to important market highs.

Even so, the macroeconomic groundwork is being laid for such a high, and it started about a month ago when the Federal Reserve raised interest rates. Since then, the U.S. Dollar has been strengthening notably. At the same time, U.S. equities have been outperforming their international counterparts by a notable margin for the first time since early 2025.

Understand that this migration of capital from around the world into U.S. markets is a pattern often observed in the lead-up to important market highs. Basically, the Fed’s last rate hike kicked off this massive capital migration, and regardless of any pauses in rate hikes (thank you, Venus retrograde), the trend is now underway.

This happens because the United States, despite all its problems, is still home to the world’s largest and most liquid market. There comes a time in the market cycle where losing the least is an important objective in the fund manager class, and the U.S. market has a perception of offering that opportunity.

There’s also a lot of talk about the U.S. market’s concentration risk. In other words, there are about 10 stocks that make up over 40% of the S&P 500. We’ve seen similar stories before—whether it was Japanese stocks in the late 1980s or dot-com stocks in the late 1990s. Both of these manias peaked with the market leaders making up over 40% of the index.

But that wasn’t the biggest market concentration of all—it actually came from way back in the 1840s during a railroad boom, which saw rail stocks amount to roughly 63% of the equity indices.

This begs the trillion-dollar question: do we go on to test the previous record from the 1840s? AI technology, at the very least, is as revolutionary as, if not more so than, railroads in the 19^th century.

From a geocosmic standpoint, it’s interesting to point out how a pair of outer planets were in similar signs during the 1840s as they are now, except it’s flipped. In the 1840s, Neptune was in Aquarius, and Pluto was in Aries. This time around, Pluto is in Aquarius while Neptune is in Aries.

Obviously, both railroads and AI are linked to frontier development. For railroads, it was across the North American continent. Will it be outer space for AI? I think that would be preferable to a technocratic, neo-feudal surveillance state. At the end of the day, the market and the cosmos will decide.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 NOTE 1: THE OCTOBER ISSUE OF THE MMA MONTHLY TECH REPORT BY WIEBKE HELD WILL BE RELEASED THIS WEEK, ON OCTOBER 20. With the NASDAQ recently making new all-time highs into Venus retrograde, and Mercury about to turn retrograde as well, this month is apt to bring sudden surprises. Each report provides a clearly organized outlook with strategies 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 specific to the NASDAQ, based on Wiebke’s meticulous research. Focusing on the NASDAQ is crucial because of the outsized role technology will play in financial markets, especially with Pluto now in Aquarius for nearly two more decades and Uranus in Gemini for nearly seven more years. If you would like to try a one-month subscription, you can sign up for the October report for only $35—or save by ordering a three-report or 12-report subscription.

 NOTE 2: ONLY TWO MORE WEEKS!!! THE “ANNUAL MMA FORECAST 2027 PRE-PUBLICATION SALE” IS UNDERWAY!!! But it will end very soon. The sale runs through October 31 and features our once-a-year discounts on both the annual Forecast book and MMA subscription reports.~ Order now and save big bucks!

During this pre-order period through October 31, the Forecast 2027 print edition will be available at the discounted price of $55 (the retail price will be $66 after October 31), and the eBook version will be available for $45. The book is approximately 200–225 pages (last year’s was 240 pages), measures 8.5″ x 11″, and has a glossy paperback cover. After 50 years in print, it has set the standard for all astrological almanacs written today.

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 2027. After the pre-order event ends, the retail price of the Forecast 2027 print edition will increase to $66, and the price of the eBook will increase 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 ordering both the eBook and print editions of Forecast 2027 for $75. The eBook typically becomes available one to two weeks before the print edition and allows readers, especially those who live overseas, to avoid delays caused by the postal system. However, many readers prefer the print edition, so ordering both through the Forecast 2027 Bundle makes sense. You will receive the Forecast 2027 eBook on December 15, and your print copy will be mailed as soon as they come off the printing presses (usually around December 15, but printer schedules are not completely in our control).

MMA’s annual Forecast book has served students of cycles and markets since 1976. It provides a cyclical outlook on collective world psychology, the economy, geopolitical developments, socio-cultural trends, and potential weather events and natural disasters—as well as financial market projections for the U.S. stock market (DJIA and NASDAQ), 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. For a more personal overview of the Forecast 2027 book, see the recent video featuring Ray and Pouyan in an interview with Alie Schneider on MMA’s YouTube channel by clicking here. To pre-order the Forecast 2027 book at the special rate, click here.

Here are two reviews of the annual Forecast book:

 This will be the 11th consecutive year I’ve ordered Ray’s annual Forecast book. I read it immediately upon arrival and consult the book several times throughout the year. I consider it to be the most important planning tool for my personal trading/investing, not only for the coming year but also when looking several years ahead. For anyone serious about accurate market timing, Ray’s Forecast book is a must-read.

—S. R., UT (USA), individual trader/investor and business owner

Love how your teams work! I can’t say enough great things about how they’ve been covering NQ (NASDAQ) over the last few years. It has been life-changing for me! Can’t wait to read the 2027 forecast.

—J.S., trader

NOTE 3: Want a very affordable way to begin learning MMA’s Market Timing Techniques? The recently conducted 3½-hour workshop, “MMA Market Timing Methodology Applied to the U.S. Stock Market,” is now available as a video recording and includes a copy of the PowerPoint slides. Learn about short-, intermediate-, and long-term cycles in the U.S. and British stock markets going back to the late 1600s and their geocosmic correlations. This workshop also projects these cycles through late 2026 and beyond. It is a great way to learn the basic principles of the finest market-timing methods available today. The cost is $145. To order this new product, which was just released this week, click here.

 NOTE 4: RAY MERRIMAN’S NEW BOOK, JUPITER AND SATURN TRANSITS: MASTERING THE CYCLES OF LIFE, IS NOW AVAILABLE! This is Book One, the first of five books that will be written over the next four years on the outer planets as they transit the natal chart. Nothing like this has ever been done before in the history of astrology.

This first book, covering the transits of Jupiter and Saturn, is 420 pages, measures 6″ × 9”, has a glossy cover, costs $39.99, and includes all the major transits of Jupiter to one’s natal planets and angles, including interpretations of the opening and closing sextile, square, and trine aspects. The Saturn section also includes interpretations of the opening and closing semi-square and sesquiquadrate transits to all natal planets and angles, plus the “Business Cycle” of transiting Saturn through the natal chart. Each transiting aspect is also ranked on a scale of –3 to +3 in terms of its trading and investment potential, which alone is worth the price of the book.

Ray Merriman’s ‘Transits of Jupiter and Saturn: Mastering the Cycles of Life’ is beautifully and fluidly written, and we know from the first chapter that we are in the hands of a Master with his experience of astrology honed over decades.

 This book is excellent for the novice astrologer as well as for the seasoned practitioner and works as a reference book for either. I loved his descriptions of the Jupiter and Saturn cycles in our lives, detailing the transits to all of the personal planets in one’s birth chart. Even being an experienced astrologer myself, I learned a lot through these descriptions in terms of how these transits affect us personally.

 However, what is unique about this book is that Ray has also written it through the lens of financial market investment potential and timing for each aspect, also differentiating between waxing and waning aspects, which was fascinating. He has used a scale of positive and negative potential for each aspect, also drawing the difference in that potential whether you are a trader or an investor. This is invaluable advice and again comes from Ray’s mastery in this area over his many decades of practice.

 This book is a crowning achievement, sharing his expertise on investment potential as a gift to all those interested in investing using astrology. It undoubtedly forms an important part of his legacy to our world, and I highly recommend this book to all budding and more experienced astrologers. Thank you, Ray, for this unique contribution!

—Pam Gregory, prominent British astrologer, best-selling author (How to Co-Create Using the Secret Language of the Universe and You Don’t Really Believe in Astrology, Do You?), and host of a widely followed YouTube channel

To see other rave reviews by several leading professional astrologers, click here. To learn more about this new book, tune in to Ray’s recent podcast interview with Adam Sommer (click here) or his YouTube video interview with Thomas Miller (click here).

NOTE 5: THE JUPITER REPORT: YOUR MOMENTS OF OPPORTUNITY! The Jupiter Report is written by Raymond Merriman. It 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 date 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 if you are under a +3 transit and therefore most likely to experience trading success? Or a –3 transit, with a stronger-than-usual potential for misjudgments that can be costly? The price for a personal 14-month Jupiter Report based on your birth data is $69.

NOTE 6: 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 the geocosmic signatures that will be in effect for the coming week and beyond.

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 by Thomas Miller on Saturdays! 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 podcast episode will be 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 SOLAR-LUNAR APP OFFERS REVERSAL SIGNALS FOR 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. Please note that this should not be used as a standalone system. It works best as an adjunct tool when cycle lows or highs are due, when a market is in a technically overbought or oversold condition, or when it is exhibiting bullish or bearish intermarket divergence relative to a related market. The app is currently available only on Apple devices (iPhone and iPad). HOWEVER, IT WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE BY SUBSCRIPTION ON THE NEW MMA WEBSITE TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING USERS OF ANDROID PHONES! To learn more about the MMA app, click here. To download it to your iPhone, go to the Apple App Store and search for Merriman Solar/Lunar Reversals.

 EVENTS

 MAY 12–17, 2027: THE MMA INVESTMENT RETREAT IN LAKE BLED, SLOVENIA. Save the date and plan to attend! Yes, we are going back to beautiful Lake Bled one more time. If you have never seen this wonder of the world, this might be your last chance to experience it through an MMA retreat. Future MMA Investment Retreats are expected to alternate, beginning the following year, between the U.S. and Europe. More details and registration steps will be forthcoming by year-end, but plan to register early, as our room allotment has sold out in each of the past two years.

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 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) 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.