- US 500 index is edging lower, erasing part of Friday’s rally
- It remains a tad below its all-time high, inside a pattern
- Momentum indicators could turn bearish soon
The US 500 cash index is edging lower today but remains very close to its recent all-time high. Friday’s strong US jobs report caused a significant repricing of Fed rate cut expectations and resulted in an unexpectedly positive reaction in US equities. However, this move is proving short-lived as today’s price action is erasing a good part of Friday’s rally. With the market’s attention gradually shifting to Thursday’s US CPI report, the US 500 index continues to trade inside a rising wedge, potentially opening the door to a bearish reaction.
In the meantime, the momentum indicators remain hesitantly bullish. The Average Directional Movement Index (ADX) is trading sideways, potentially signalling the end of the recent bullish move. Similarly, the RSI is hovering a tad above its midpoint area, and it appears unable to record a higher high at this stage. Interestingly, the stochastic oscillator is still trading inside its overbought territory (OB), but it could be preparing for a downward breakout. Should this move take place, it would be seen as a strong bearish signal.
Should the bulls remain confident, they can try to overcome the October 27, 2023 upward sloping trendline and then record a new all-time high. The next plausible target is the 5,800 level, with the upper boundary of the developing pattern standing in the bulls’ way next.
On the other hand, the bears are trying to retake market control and push the US 500 index lower towards the busier 5,638-5,673 area, which is populated by the July 16, 2024 high and the 161.8% Fibonacci extension of the January 4, 2022 – October 12, 2022 downtrend. A break below the rising wedge pattern could help the bears tackle the expectedly strong support to be met at the 5,505-5,560 region.
To conclude, the US 500 index’s failure to record a high higher coupled with the mixed momentum indicators and the developing pattern, could open the door to a bearish move soon.
