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North Korea has arrested four people it claims bear responsibility for a launch accident last week that left leader Kim Jong Un’s newest warship lying on its side and partially submerged in a shipyard, state-run media has reported.

The four people detained included Ri Hyong Son, vice department director of the Munitions Industry Department of the Party Central Committee, “who was greatly responsible for the occurrence of the serious accident,” a report from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Monday said.

On Sunday, KCNA said three others had been detained: Kang Jong Chol, chief engineer of the Chongjin Shipyard where the accident occurred, Han Kyong Hak, head of the hull construction workshop, and Kim Yong Hak, deputy manager for administrative affairs.

Kim last week called the botched launch, which he witnessed, “a criminal act” and vowed to punish those responsible.

Last Wednesday’s accident resulted from a malfunction in the launch mechanism that caused the stern of the as-yet unnamed 5,000-ton destroyer to slide prematurely into the water, crushing parts of the hull and leaving the bow stranded on the shipway, KCNA reported on Thursday in a rare admission of fault from an otherwise highly secretive state.

State media reported on Friday that the damage to the warship was less than North Korea’s initial estimate, saying there were no holes in the hull, although it was scratched along the starboard side. It also said “a certain amount of seawater flowed into the stern section.”

Repairs could take about 10 days, the report said. Though analysts are skeptical.

Kim had ordered the destroyer to be restored before the late June plenary session of the ruling Workers’ Party, calling the matter one of national honor.

Tarp covers

Satellite imagery shows most of the warship covered in blue tarps at the launch site, making it difficult for experts to determine the full extent of the damage it suffered.

But analyst Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain, said repair work could take up to six months, well beyond Kim’s June target.

“If the hull damage extends across the ship’s port side covered by the tarp, then we are looking at four to six months of repair work,” he said.

Repairs could be complicated depending on the amount of sea water that entered the warship, according to Schuster.

The interior of the ship would need to be thoroughly flushed with fresh water and then dried to prevent “salt crust” from forming on metal surfaces, he said.

“If it gets into joints and things, then it becomes destructive,” Schuster said.

But the flushing work cannot begin until the ship is righted and any holes in the hull are patched, he said.

KCNA reported Monday that “the work for completely restoring the balance of the warship is being actively conducted,” but it did not give a timeline.

South Korean lawmaker and defense analyst Yu Yong-weon said last week that rushing the launch of the ship likely led to the problems encountered on Wednesday and warned hasty repairs could cause more problems down the line.

Schuster echoed that thinking, saying optics may be more important than military value to the Kim regime.

“If Kim Jong Un says, ‘I want that ship fitted out in six months,’ they’ll take shortcuts to make it happen. And usually when you do that you wind up with a ship that’s not, shall we say optimal for operations? But it meets the propaganda criteria.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

In order to invest or trade successfully, you have to have conviction. Conviction does not equal stubbornness. It’s very important to remain objective and occasionally question your conviction and adjust your strategy from time to time if signals warrant it. But I cannot trade personally if I believe there’s a 50/50 chance the market is going higher. That doubt will resonate with each and every swing in the market. I’ll chase at the wrong time and get whipsawed out of positions.

Instead, I evaluate those signals that work best for me – the same signals that have allowed me go against the grain and call significant market tops and bottoms over the past 5-7 years. Few were saying it was time to be long in early April, but I was quite clear. Topping signals were just as evident to me earlier this year, leading me to tell EarningsBeats.com members that I was 100% cash at the end of January. The technical confirmation of a market top occurred on Friday, February 21st. I published my belief of that confirmed market top in this same blog – again rather clearly:

You can click on this headline and read the whole story, if you’d like. After letting EB.com members know that I was fully committed on the long side in early April, because of bullish market maker manipulation, I have continued to track that market maker manipulation. Through Friday, it’s still telling me the same thing – BUY US STOCKS!

The Manipulation Continues

Listen, we’ve seen a massive run higher off that early-April low and profit taking and pullbacks will occur. That cannot deter us and should not be misconstrued as distribution ahead of a major market decline. In fact, there are a lot of technicians and market analysts talking about the big selling that’s taken place over the past week and how that will lead to further selling ahead. I completely disagree with this crew. We’ve seen almost zero selling or distribution in recent days. What we’ve seen are more gap downs, just like the ones that occurred after the March 13th low. Those opening and early morning selloffs saw subsequent buying throughout trading sessions. Check out the accumulation/distribution indicator on both the S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 below:

S&P 500

You can see the AD line take a bit of a hit during the true period of distribution in 2025. Currently, however, the AD line is very near its all-time high. Last week (since Monday’s close), the SPY lost 15.74, falling from 594.85 to Friday’s close at 579.11. That was roughly a 2.5% pullback, but here’s what’s interesting. The SPY had gap downs the past four trading days that totaled 13.65. Nearly all of last week’s drop occurred at the opening bell. There was little selling during the trading day. We track this manipulative behavior in our “2025 Key Stocks Manipulation” excel spreadsheet, which we update for our members every Monday morning, so our members can clearly see the manipulation taking place on the SPY, QQQ, IWM, and 11 individual stocks, including Mag 7 stocks and a few others. It’s independent research and has helped us completely ignore the bearish and biased media. They’re interested in viewership and clicks and will scare the heck out of everyone to achieve their own selfish, money-making goals. EarningsBeats.com is interested in helping folks navigate a landscape designed to misinform and mislead. We’re interested in making money, that’s it. Follow the charts, not the headlines.

NASDAQ 100

The AD line exploded higher on the NASDAQ 100, mostly because Mag 7 stocks were heavily accumulated during the early-April massacre. The same thing occurred in March 2020 during the pandemic, prior to these stocks skyrocketing later in 2020. Then we saw a repeat in 2022, before a massive explosion higher in 2023. Once again, we’re seeing Wall Street’s “rinse and repeat” strategy of effectively stealing shares from unsuspecting retail traders. And once again, these stocks have been flying again.

It’s up to us to learn these lessons and not make the same mistakes over and over again during cyclical bear markets. At EarningsBeats.com, we take advantage of these selloffs before they occur. First, we move to cash. Next, we watch the stocks tumble. Third, we buy back in much cheaper at the same time that Wall Street does. Doesn’t this sound like a much better strategy? Follow what Wall Street is buying, not what they’re saying.

This manipulation applies to an even greater extent to individual stocks. One of my favorite stocks has been ridiculously-manipulated in 2025. Over the past four trading days, while the S&P 500 has been under pressure, this stock has gapped down 3.13, but has moved 8 bucks higher during the trading day. It’s one of our 12 individual stocks that we track each week and showed the most manipulation last week. Its AD line is soaring again and its relative strength vs. its industry peers has exploded higher since the first week of March. Owning stocks like this help us significantly outperform the S&P 500.

I’m featuring this stock in our FREE EB Digest newsletter on Tuesday morning. To register for our newsletter and receive this stock Tuesday morning before the market opens, simply CLICK HERE and provide your name and email address. Again, it’s free, there’s no credit card required, and you may unsubscribe at any time.

Our Spring Special, HUGE Savings

We run specials from time to time to allow new members an opportunity to enjoy our service for a year at a major discount. We started our annual Spring Special this past week and it runs through Monday at midnight. If you’d like to change your approach to the stock market and be more proactive, please consider taking advantage of this special. For more information and to Start Your Annual Membership Today, follow this link.

Happy trading!

Tom

After 19 months of pounding Gaza, Israel is now under growing pressure from unlikely quarters – some of its closest Western allies.

Their patience has worn thin over Israel’s decision to expand the war and, in the words of one Israeli minister, “conquer” the territory – a move paired with plans to forcibly displace Gaza’s entire population to the south and block all humanitarian aid for 11 weeks.

The United Kingdom has paused trade talks and sanctioned extremist settlers in the West Bank. Canada and France have threatened sanctions. And the European Union – Israel’s biggest trade partner – is reviewing its landmark Association Agreement with the country.

Aid groups have warned that the situation in Gaza is becoming catastrophic, with the United Nations’ humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher last week calling on the world to “act decisively to prevent genocide.”

Dozens of babies have died of malnutrition, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and more than 53,000 people – or 4% of the entire population – have been killed since Israel launched its war following the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas and its allies.

The fact that some of Israel’s closest allies are now pushing back more vocally marks a major shift in attitudes toward the country.

The agreement, which covers various forms of cooperation between the two parties, including the free movement of goods and scientific collaboration, has been in place for 25 years. “The mere fact that this is being discussed seriously today is a sign of not just the increasing frustration, and I think also, let’s be quite clear, anger, in some European capitals over Israeli actions in Gaza,” said Lovatt.

The punitive steps threatened by the EU and other allies are designed in part to sway the domestic debate inside Israel, where society is already extremely divided over the war.

The government, propped up by hardliners from far-right parties, is determined to keep fighting in Gaza. But hundreds of thousands of Israelis demonstrate against the war each week, demanding the government agrees a ceasefire deal to release all the hostages still held in the strip.

In an opinion poll published by Israel’s Channel 12 broadcaster earlier this month, 61% of those surveyed favored ending the war for a deal that secures the hostage release, while only 25% supported the expanded military operation.

That notwithstanding, Arie Reich, a legal scholar at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University who specializes in international trade and EU law, said that external pressure on Netanyahu’s government may not have the desired effect.

“When foreign countries try to interfere in internal matters of another country, especially things that are very dear to them, such as their national security, it usually works as a boomerang, and it actually causes the people to support the government even more,” he said.

“There is a wide consensus in Israel that we want to release our hostages, and that we do not want to go back to where we were on October 6. We don’t want to have this threat of Hamas lingering over us,” Reich said.

But he added that the moves by some of Israel’s allies have made it clear that the “window of using military force is starting to close.”

“And maybe, if it goes on longer than that, I think it’s going to be very hard to maintain normal relations with many countries in the West,” he said.

Israel has so far brushed aside the threats from its Western allies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused them of “offering a huge prize” to the October 7 attackers, while Israel’s foreign ministry said that “external pressure will not divert Israel from its path in the fight for its existence and security against enemies seeking its destruction.”

This determination to continue may be due to Netanyahu believing that he can, for now at least, rely on the United States for support.

And while the moves are diplomatically symbolic, critics expect little to change on the ground for Palestinians.

Short of a total arms embargo and a full suspension of economic relations, Israel is unlikely to change its ways, he said, arguing that Canada, France and the UK had been “complicit” in Israel’s actions in Gaza by providing it with “military, intelligence, economic, and diplomatic support.”

All three countries have longstanding agreements with Israel that include defense and security cooperation, although the detail of what exactly these contain is unclear.

The UK and France have suspended some arms licenses to Israel over the situation in Gaza but have continued to export military equipment worth tens of millions of dollars to Israel. Canada has said that no export permits on military goods to Israel have been issued since January 8, 2024.

Israel’s most powerful backer stands by it

As Israel’s most powerful ally, the US has the most sway over Netanyahu and his government. And while some in the Trump administration have criticized Israel over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, there has been no indication the US would take any punitive actions against it.

It isn’t, however, a “foregone conclusion that the US will continue to always unequivocally back Israel,” Lovatt said.

“While I don’t see a rupture in relations, clearly, the arrival of the second Trump administration has created an interesting dynamic, given the influence of what I would call the ‘America Firsters,’ those in the MAGA world who want to put the US first in everything, and that has, to a certain extent, also applied to Israel,” he said.

The US has moved out of step with Israel on number of issues in recent weeks.

It has struck a ceasefire deal with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels without first informing Israel; unilaterally negotiated with Hamas the release of US citizen Edan Alexander from Gaza; and, according to a Reuters report, has dropped its demand for Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel as a condition for US investment and potential US arms deals.

Addressing Israel’s criticism over the deal with the Houthis, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Israeli media that the US “isn’t required to get permission from Israel” to get an agreement that protects its ships.

“Netanyahu has positioned himself as a master of the US political game, and as someone who’s best placed to manage and maintain tight Israel relations and to keep any US presidential administration on side. I think seeing some daylight between the Trump administration and the Israeli government clearly puts pressure on Netanyahu,” Lovatt said.

There are signs that some in Israel are worried about the consequences of its actions in Gaza. The leader of Israel’s opposition left-wing Democrats party, retired Israeli general Yair Golan, warned on Tuesday that Israel is “on its way to becoming a pariah state.”

The impact of the pressure from the allies was on display on Sunday, when the Israeli military announced it would allow a “basic amount of food” to enter Gaza as it launched its new offensive in the strip, which Israel says is intended to pressure Hamas to release the hostages held there.

Netanyahu conceded on Monday that if “a situation of famine” arose in Gaza, Israel “simply won’t receive international support.”

In a statement posted to Telegram, he added that even US senators “who have been staunch, unconditional supporters of Israel for decades” had told him that “images of mass starvation” in Gaza would cost Israel their support.

‘More of a threat’

Even if the US won’t use its leverage to force Israel to change its strategy in Gaza in a more significant way, it doesn’t mean Europe can’t put pressure on Israel on its own, experts say.

The European Union is Israel’s biggest trading partner, accounting for roughly a third of its trade in goods.

A full suspension of the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel is unlikely, as it would require unanimous agreement of all 27 EU member states and several have already indicated they would not support it – including Hungary, a staunch supporter of Israel.

Reich said that under the terms of the agreement, both the EU and Israel can terminate it for whatever reason, or even without giving a reason.

“The thing is that within the EU, that would require consensus … and that would be very, very hard, because there are many countries, many (EU) member states that will not go along with this,” he said.

“So I think it’s more of a threat to put pressure (on Israel) and maybe they could manage some temporary suspension of some provisions, but to terminate it, I don’t think it can happen,” he added.

Public support for the country runs deep in many of the bloc’s member states, which makes it difficult for some European governments to push for harsher sanctions against Israel.

And, Lovatt said, many European countries are also aware of the fact that they may need Israel’s help in the future.

“Especially in a situation where European countries are increasingly fearful of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, but also the threat that Russia represents the rest of Europe, and (they) see Israel as an important source of weapons and technology,” he said.

While terminating the association agreement would require unanimity, it would only take a majority of EU states to force through a partial suspension of the agreement.

Even that could be painful for Israel because it could lead to higher tariffs on Israeli products or prevent Israel from taking part in coveted EU projects such as the Horizon Europe program, with more than $100 billion in funding available for research and innovation.

The EU has in the past used its power to put pressure on countries over human rights abuses – often for issues Lovatt says are a lot less serious than the current situation in Gaza.

“The bottom line is that until now, the EU has treated Israel with a degree of exceptionalism by not taking anywhere near the sort of steps that it has taken in other situations of human rights abuses or territorial annexation,” Lovatt said.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Dr. Alaa al-Najjar left her ten children at home on Friday when she went to work in the emergency room at the Nasser Medical Complex in southern Gaza.

Hours later, the bodies of seven children – most of them badly burned – arrived at the hospital, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. They were Dr. Najjar’s own children, killed in an Israeli airstrike on her family’s home, Gaza Civil Defense said. The oldest was 12, the youngest just three years old. The bodies of two more children – a 7-month-old and a two-year-old – remained trapped under the rubble as of Saturday morning.

Only one of her children – critically injured – survived. Dr. Najjar’s husband, himself a doctor, was also badly injured in the strike.

Civil defense and the health ministry say that the family’s home, in a neighborhood of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, was targeted by an Israeli airstrike.

Gaza Civil Defense published graphic video from the scene of the strike. It showed medics lifting an injured man onto a stretcher as other first responders try to extinguish a fire engulfing the house. They recover the charred remains of several children from the debris and wrap them in white sheets.

‘Wiping out entire families’

Munir al-Barsh, Director-General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, said that Dr. Najjar’s husband had just returned home when the home was struck.

“Nine of their children were killed: Yahya, Rakan, Raslan, Gebran, Eve, Rival, Sayden, Luqman, and Sidra,” Barsh posted on X. He said her husband was in intensive care.

“This is the reality our medical staff in Gaza endure. Words fall short in describing the pain. In Gaza, it is not only healthcare workers who are targeted—Israel’s aggression goes further, wiping out entire families,” Barsh said.

Both the father and son underwent two surgeries at the hospital and are still receiving treatment, Farra said.

Youssef Abu al-Reesh, a senior official at the Health Ministry, said Dr. Najjar had left her children at home to “fulfill her duty and her calling toward all those sick children who have no place but Nasser Hospital.”

Reesh said that when he arrived at the hospital, he had seen her “standing tall, calm, patient, composed, with eyes full of acceptance. You could hear nothing from her but quiet murmurs of (glorification of God) and (seeking forgiveness).”

Dr. Najjar, 38, is a pediatrician, but like most doctors in Gaza, she has been working in the emergency room during Israel’s onslaught on the territory.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

The families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza blasted the newly-picked head of the Shin Bet security agency after he reportedly voiced opposition to hostage deals.

According to Israel’s Channel 12 News, Maj. Gen. David Zini said in meetings of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) general staff: “I oppose hostage deals. This is a forever war.” The report does not provide a specific date for the Zini’s comments. Channel 12 says it was a position he repeated often over the past year.

“If the report is accurate, these are shocking statements, worthy of unequivocal condemnation, especially coming from someone who is expected to hold the fate of the hostages in his hands,” said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum in a statement on Friday.

In his current position as the head of the Training Command and General Staff Corps in the IDF, Zini has little influence on hostage negotiations and his personal beliefs are largely irrelevant to the process. But if confirmed as head of the Shin Bet, Zini could have a significant role considering the agency’s participation in previous rounds of indirect negotiations with Hamas.

“Appointing a Shin Bet chief who prioritizes (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s war over the return of the hostages is a sin upon a crime and an injustice to the entire people of Israel – a blow to the value of solidarity and the sacred duty to leave no one behind,” the forum said.

When asked for comment, the IDF said it “does not on comment on content discussed in General Staff deliberations.”

Zini’s career in the military has mostly been as a field officer with little experience in intelligence, which is a core aspect of the Shin Bet, officially called the Israel Security Agency.

Ruby Chen, the father of Israeli-American soldier Itay Chen, whose body is still held in Gaza, said on social media that “Netanyahu appoints to key positions people who lack the relevant skills in order to control the system.”

Netanyahu announced Zini’s nomination on Thursday, one day after Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that he had a conflict of interest in firing the previous Shin Bet chief, Ronen Bar, and could not appoint a replacement.

In its decision, the court said the firing “was made when the Prime Minister had a conflict of interest in light of the investigations into the affairs of his associates; that the decision was made without a factual foundation; and without a proper hearing being held for the Shin Bet head.”

On Thursday, the Attorney General said: “The Prime Minister acted contrary to legal guidance, there is serious concern that he acted when he is in a conflict of interest, and the appointment process is flawed.”

But Netanyahu proceeded with the appointment anyway. The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement on Friday defending the decision. “This is an urgent security necessity, and any delay harms the security of the state and the safety of our soldiers,” it said. Netanyahu said on Friday that he has known Zini for years.

The choice of Zini as an active-duty general was also unprecedented, prompting the IDF’s Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to issue a statement saying that Zini would retire “in the upcoming days” before he can take up the civilian Shin Bet post.

The pick appeared to surprise the country’s top general, who emphasized that “any discourse conducted by IDF soldiers with the political echelon must be approved by the Chief of General Staff.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Jorge Humberto Figueroa Benítez, identified by the United States government as a key member of the “Los Chapitos” criminal organization, died during an operation aimed at capturing him in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, the country’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch said Saturday.

The operation against Figueroa Benitez, known by the nickname “El Perris,” took place in Navolato, 32 kilometers (19 miles) from Culiacán, the state’s capital, according to local media.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was offering up to $1 million for Figueroa Benitez, who was wanted for alleged federal crimes, including conspiracy to import and traffic fentanyl, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and money laundering conspiracy.

In 2019, the city of Culiacán was the scene of a violent episode known as the “Culiacanazo,” which involved violent armed clashes following the temporary capture of Ovidio Guzmán Lopez, one of the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Ovidio was later released by Mexican authorities, arguing that it was to “save lives.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

My main question going into this weekend was, “Will the S&P 500 finish the week above its 200-day moving average?” And while the S&P 500 did indeed finish the week above this long-term trend barometer, our main equity benchmark is now within the gap range from earlier this month.

We’ll get to that crucial S&P 500 chart a little later, but first, I’d like to explain why gaps matter, why the price action post-gap is so important, and then apply these lessons to the SPX.

The “Gap and Run” Scenario Suggests an Influx of Buyers

One of two things tends to happen after a gap higher within an uptrend phase. The first scenario, which I call a “gap and run” pattern, is when additional buyers come in to push the price even higher.

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) features this gap and run pattern, with the gap higher on their Q1 earnings report followed by an additional appreciation in price.  Basically, investors are not afraid to accumulate more MSFT, even after the stock gapped up from $395 to $430 overnight.


Did you catch our recent webcast, “Sell in May 2025: Seasonal Strategy or Outdated Myth?” We looked at the performance in May-June-July since the COVID low, then made a comparison between 2025 and the first half of 2022, when a break below the 200-day moving average was a sign of much further deterioration to come.  Check out this excerpt on our YouTube channel!


Shares of Howmet Aerospace (HWM) demonstrated a similar gap and run pattern recently, although this example is perhaps even more significant because the gap took the price to a new all-time high! Again, we can see that additional buyers are coming in and accumulating more HWM, fueling further gains after the gap.

The “Gap and Fail” Pattern Shows a Lack of Willing Buyers

Sometimes, a chart will show a very different path after the gap, forming what I’ve termed a “gap and fail” pattern.  Unlike the previous examples, here you’ll see that a lack of willing buyers causes the stock to quickly reverse lower into the range of the price gap.

In the case of semiconductor producer Monolithic Power Systems (MPWR), the gap higher earlier this month was followed by two additional up days, which propelled the stock above its 200-day moving average. This short-term pop higher was followed by a sudden downside reversal, representing an exhaustion of buyers after the upside gap.

First Solar (FSLR) is demonstrating a similar pattern to MPWR, with a gap higher which pushed the stock just above the 200-day moving average to test the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement level. A couple days later, FSLR was back below the 200-day moving average, followed by further deterioration that eventually closed the gap from earlier in May.

The S&P 500 Could Test Its Own Gap Support

So what do those example charts have to do with the S&P 500? Well, the SPX traded higher for about a week after the upside gap in early May. We’ve drawn a green-shaded range to highlight the gap from around 5725 to 5780. This gap includes the 200-day moving average and also lines up with the late March swing high.

I see the S&P 500 as in a constructive pattern as long as it remains above this price gap range. If we can see an upswing after this week’s pullback, then this could just be a pause within a broader recovery phase for the S&P.

On the other hand, if we see any further price weakness from the major benchmarks next week, then the chart of the S&P 500 will start to look pretty similar to other “gap and fail” charts that confirm a lack of willing buyers. If we do see that downside follow-through next week, we’d expect further deterioration to the 5500 level, representing a 50% retracement of the February to April selloff phase.

RR#6,

Dave

P.S. Ready to upgrade your investment process? Check out my free behavioral investing course!


David Keller, CMT

President and Chief Strategist

Sierra Alpha Research LLC

marketmisbehavior.com

https://www.youtube.com/c/MarketMisbehavior


Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

The author does not have a position in mentioned securities at the time of publication. Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.

After a very strong move in the week before this one, the markets chose to take a breather. They moved in a wide range but ended the week on a mildly negative note after rebounding from their low point of the week. While defending the key levels, the markets largely chose to stay within a defined range. The trading range remained reasonably wide; the Nifty oscillated in a 600.55-point range over the past five sessions. The volatility inched modestly higher; the India Vix rose 4.40% to 17.28 on a weekly basis. While keeping its head above crucial levels, the headline index closed with a net weekly loss of 166.65 points (-0.67).

The coming week will be an expiry week; we will have monthly derivatives expiry playing out as well. Going by the options data, the Nifty has created a trading range between 25100 and 24500 levels. The markets are likely to consolidate in this 600-point trading range. A directional bias would emerge only if the Nifty takes out 25100 on the upside convincingly or ends up violating the 24500 level. While the underlying trend stays intact, the markets are unlikely to develop any sustainable trend so long as they do not move past the 25100 level. While the markets stay in the defined range, it would be prudent to vigilantly guard profits at higher levels and rotate sectors effectively to remain invested in the relatively stronger pockets.

The coming week is likely to see the levels of 25000 and 25175 acting as potential resistance points. The supports come in lower at 24600 and 24450 levels.

The weekly RSI is at 60.14; it stays neutral and does not show any divergence against the price. The weekly MACD is bullish and stays above its signal line.

The pattern analysis shows that the Nifty has formed a trading range between 25100 on the higher side and 24500 on the lower side. This means that a directional bias would emerge only if Nifty moves past 25100 convincingly or violates the 24500 level. Until either of these two things happens, we will see the Nifty consolidating in this defined range. The Nifty has so far defended the pattern support level that also exists in the 24400-24500 zone.

Overall, the markets continue to remain in a challenging environment and face strong resistance near the 25100 level. So long as the Nifty stays below this level, it stays prone to corrective spikes, which may also keep volatility at slightly elevated levels as well. Given the current technical structure, it would be imperative that not only the sectors be rotated properly to stay invested in relatively stronger pockets, but all existing gains must also be vigilantly guarded at current levels by the investors. While continuing to keep leveraged exposures at modest levels, a cautious outlook is advised for the coming week.


Sector Analysis for the coming week

In our look at Relative Rotation Graphs®, we compared various sectors against the CNX500 (NIFTY 500 Index), representing over 95% of the free-float market cap of all the listed stocks. 

Relative Rotation Graphs (RRG) show that while the Nifty Consumption, PSU Bank, Infrastructure, Banknifty, FMCG, and Commodities indices are in the leading quadrant, all are showing a distinct slowdown in their relative momentum against the broader Nifty 500 Index. While these groups are likely to show resilience and may relatively outperform, except for the Consumption Index, they are giving up in favor of other sectors that are showing renewed relative strength.

The Nifty Financial Services Index has rolled inside the weakening quadrant. The Nifty Metal and Services Sector Indices are also inside the weakening quadrant.

While the Nifty Pharma Index continues to languish inside the lagging quadrant, the IT Index, which is also inside the lagging quadrant, is showing sharp improvement in its relative momentum against the broader markets.

The Nifty Realty, Auto, Midcap 100, and Energy Sector Indices are inside the improving quadrant. These groups are expected to continue bettering their relative performance against the broader markets.


Important Note: RRG charts show the relative strength and momentum of a group of stocks. In the above Chart, they show relative performance against NIFTY500 Index (Broader Markets) and should not be used directly as buy or sell signals.  


Milan Vaishnav, CMT, MSTA

Consulting Technical Analyst

www.EquityResearch.asia | www.ChartWizard.ae

United Airlines reached an “industry-leading” tentative labor deal for its 28,000 flight attendants, their union said Friday.

The deal includes “40% of total economic improvements” in the first year and retroactive pay, a signing bonus, and quality of life improvements, like better scheduling and on-call time, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said.

The union did not provide further details about the deal.

United flight attendants have not had a raise since 2020.

The cabin crew members voted last year to authorize the union to strike if a deal wasn’t reached. They had also sought federal mediation in negotiations.

U.S. flight attendants have pushed for wage increases for years after pilots and other work groups secured new labor deals in the wake of the pandemic. United is the last of the major U.S. carriers to get a deal done with its flight attendants.

The deal must still face a vote by flight attendants, and contract language will be finalized in the coming days, United said.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS