Sanjeet Parab

SENSEX Outperforms Asian Peers as Confidence Returns

2009-10-08T03:30:00.000-07:00

Benchmark Indian indices have outperformed their Asian peers like Shanghai Composite SE (China), KOSPI (South Korea), Strait Times (Singapore, etc. Even when compared with Dow and Nikkei, the Sensex has fared better. The gap in valuations has narrowed down with its emerging market peers, while the same widened for developed market peers.

The trend reflects the growing investor confidence, and analysts feel, if the Sensex continues to outperform Asian peers, it may soon become the biggest index in the continent.

Analysts feel a higher level of confidence in the Indian market compared with other global markets has enabled the Sensex see a smart recovery. VVLN Sastry of Firstcall India Equity Advisors says, "Among emerging markets, the foreign investors have more faith in the strength of Indian market compared with the Chinese market and as a result, have given it a higher rating."

Interestingly, Indian indices' main rivals, the Chiinese indices, are month the worst performers. China has been, of late, facing the problem of overcapacity. As many facilities are being shut down in the absence of proper demand, foreign investors are cautious in making fresh investments. They also fear artificial weakening of the Chinese currency yuan. Mr. Sastry said, "Fear of any sudden fall in the yuan has decreased the inflow of foreign investment in china in the recent months."

Source: September 23, 2009 Economic Times, India.

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- Sanjeet Parab

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Mind, Intellect and the Choices you Make

2009-10-08T03:20:00.000-07:00

We have two distinct entities: the mind and the intellect. The mind is the realm of emotions, impulses, likes and dislikes. The intellect is the rational, discriminating faculty. The intellect judges, discerns and distinguishes between pairs of opposites. Our actions can be driven by whims and fancies of the mind or by the clear counsel of the intellect. Impulse-led actions are weak; they lead to failure. actions propelled by the intellect take one to success. Often the mind and intellect point in different directions. The mind might go for instant gratification. The intellect might prefer short-term pain for long-term gain. Whenever there is conflict between the two it is the intellect that ought to prevail.

- Jaya Row. Visit http://www.vedantavision.com

Source: September 10, 2009 Times of India

Don't forget to visit the Technical Analysis Base Website at http://www.technicalanalysisbase.com and blog at http://technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com

-Sanjeet Parab

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DJIA Corrective Pattern...Recovery? So, Buy & Hold?

2009-07-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

We witnessed six green days in the market with the market rallying 791 points (~9.8%) from its July 10, 2009 low of 8,057 to today's close of 8,848.

As I showed in my June 29, 2009 DJIA Forecast, the first wave is over and we are in the corrective phase of the wave cycle. So does the recent rally mean that the corrective phase is over?

Does it reinforce any beliefs of a V-shaped recovery?
Can you adopt the buy-and-hold strategy and passively watch your portfolio grow?

IS THE CORRECTIVE PHASE OVER? DOES THE RECENT 6 DAY RALLY SIGNAL THE BEGINNING OF A NEW IMPULSE?

I don't know if the corrective phase is over? The only time an Elliotician can call an end to a corrective phase is when a clear impulsive wave begins to form. Perhaps the correction is over because I see a simple A-B-C zigzag (Refer to Figure 1).

Supporting the idea of a continuing rally is the continuation H&S pattern. Clearly, the traditional H&S has failed as shown by the failed breakdown below the neckline. This signals a rally possibly of equal lenght as the rally from March 6 - June 11.

However, the three wave pattern identified as A-B-C may be the 3 wave in the 3-3-5 flat correction. Assuming that the fundamentals are still not improving, then a flat correction is in process (Refer to lower panel in Figure 1) and the recent 6 day rally is merely a corrective rally. The current move may have the momentum to carry the DJIA to 9,021-9,043 (max ~9,088).

Supporting the flat correction is the idea of complex H&S pattern. Two shoulders are evident on the left. Complex H&S patterns tend toward symmetry. Therefore, the recent rally (Wave B of the flat correction) may be forming the second right shoulder.

Figure

V-SHAPED RECOVERY

There are a number of people writing about this topic. I'll just present to you some articles that possibly support a U-shaped recovery. With the possibility of a flat correction identified above, a U-shaped recovery is more likely. That does not mean that traders cannot profit during this whole corrective phase. Will look into how traders can profit in the next segment on Buy & Hold.

Banks Fail to Make Adequate Loan Loss Provisions

By Jon Menon

July 20 (Bloomberg) -- Banks have failed to make adequate provision for the losses on loans and securities they face before the end of next year, Moody’s Investors Service said.

U.S. banks may incur about $470 billion of losses and writedowns by the end of 2010, which may cause the banks to be unprofitable in the period, the ratings company said in a report published

“Large loan losses have yet to be recognized in the banking system,” Moody’s said. “We expect to see rising provisioning needs well into 2010.”

Banks and financial firms worldwide have reported losses and writedowns of $1.5 trillion since the credit crisis began in 2007, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. New York-based Citigroup Inc. has reported $112 billion of writedowns, more than any other firm, the data show.

Any economic recovery is likely to be “weak and bumpy hook-shaped,” Moody’s said. Banks will also be challenged in an environment where government support is replaced by tighter regulation, the report said. Higher credit and funding costs may force a re-pricing of credit, Moody’s added.

“The fundamentals of financial institutions are still traveling on a downward slope,” Moody’s said. “No-one should consider recent improvements as assurance that the current rebound can be sustained.”

The Worrying Wall of Debt

The leveraged loan market got accustomed to big numbers over the past decade. There's $3.6 trillion, the amount of leveraged loans made since 2000, according to Thomson Reuters' Loan Pricing Corp. There's 735-fold, the amount of growth between 2003 and 2007 in the volume of collateralized loan obligations -- the funds that helped fuel the loan market's surge after the tech and telecom bust of 2001. And there's $375 billion, the amount of bank debt used to fund leveraged buyouts completed between 2005 and 2007.

But right now, the leveraged loan market is fixated on one number: $430 billion, the amount in leveraged loans due to mature between 2012 and 2014. Despite the big numbers of the past, this might be simply too big. Indeed, the $430 billion figure is already worrying lenders, borrowers and loan-market investors alike as they struggle with the possibility that a large portion of those loans will neither be repaid nor refinanced, raising the specter of a wave of defaults among the debt-fueled LBO borrowers of 2005 through 2007.

Click Here to read the entire article

SO WHAT DO YOU DO NOW? BUY AND HOLD?

January 6, 2009 Low: 8,868
July 20, 2009 Close: 8,848

Your portfolio is still in the red (solely considering capital appreciation). You would have missed the 27% correction from Jan 6 and the subsequent 35+% rally from March 6 lows - June 11.

I'm certainly not tell you to time the market. But, rather than being 20 points low for the 7 month period, you could have done well to trade the market and eke out some magnificent gains. You define what magnificent is for yourself.

So, the question is do you now buy and hold or do you trade? We have to go back to the first two questions of whether the corrective phase is over and whether we will witness a V-shaped recovery.

Based on my expectations outlined in the first two segments, I am expective a flat correction because the fundamentals are still relatively feeble. The current economic/market climate is more conducive for an active trading strategy rather than a passive one.

So, with a 2 year horizon in mind, I would not recommend a buy and hold strategy 'yet'. I expect the DJIA to complete its flat correction at around 7,450-7,600 (CLICK HERE to visit my June 29, 2009 DJIA Forecast) Anytime DJIA reaches 7,450-7,600, Buy in!

You ought to consider that my analysis is based on the assumption that a regular flat will be the most likely occurence. By reading some extremely bearish outlooks, a double/triple three is likely as well. Supporting this scenario is the failed H&S where prices continue to consolidate within a trading range. In this case, I would be keen on identifying a trading range and actively executive trades around these overbought/oversold price extremes.

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Technical Analysis Base Blog at http://technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com/

Sanjeet Parab
____________________________

Considerations when Fundamentally Analyzing Stocks, Real Estate, Interest Rates and Commodities

2009-07-19T02:53:00.000-07:00

Credits to Fundamentally Speaking, Again (2004) by Philip Gotthelf
http://sfomag.com/Article.aspx?ID=497

It's an excellent read.

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Technical Analysis Base Website at http://www.technicalanalysisbase.com and

Technical Analysis Base Blog at http://technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com

Sanjeet Parab

__________________________

Bonds Lead Stocks: Watch the Bond Market for Clues on where the Equity Market is Heading

2009-07-11T18:34:00.001-07:00

It is fairly obvious that the stock market serves as a leading economic indicator. In the 8 business cycles from 1948 to 1990, the S&P 500 led turns in the business cycle by an average of 7 months, with a nine-month lead at peaks and a five-month lead at troughs. A lead time of 7 months to get ready for a major change in the economy! How about a lead time of 27 months?

For such a lead time, you need to go to the bond markets. In Geoffrey Moore’s Leading Indicators for the 1990s, Victor Zarnowitz writes:

The [Dow Jones Index of Corporate Bonds] led at each of the eight business cycle peaks since 1948 and at each of the eight troughs. Its leads at business cycle peaks were very long and highly variable, ranging form 10 to 58 months, and averaging 27 months. Its leads at troughs were also long relative to the observed distributions of such leads and the durations of business cycle contractions: they ranged from 3 to 13 months and averaged 7 months.

Although the variability of lead times is concerning, by knowing that bond markets give a longer lead time than stock markets, an analyst is better prepared for anticipate changes in the stock market and the economy. Let me make it absolutely simple.

Business Cycle Peak (Trough)

Bonds will tell you 27 (7) months in advance that the economy will peak (bottom)
Stocks will tell you 9 (5) months in advance that the economy will peak (bottom)

So, once the bonds peak, you can expect the stock market to peak as well. You will be aware of overbought conditions, saturations, bubbles, and will be in a better shape to think like contrarians.

October 2007 Peak

As the chart shows, bonds (10-year US Treasuries) peaked in May-June 2006. That gave investors a lead time of 16-17 months before the October 2007 peak in the stock market. Bond yields approached the May-June 2006 peak in June-July 2008. Even this peak gave investors 3-4 months lead time to understand the overbought nature of the stock market. You might not have gotten out at the peak, but after identifying an MA or Head & Shoulders Top, you could have limited your losses.

CAUTION: It is always easy to pick peaks in perfect hindsight. But, with some experience and a lot of practice, you will foresee things that are possibly unbelievable true. It all sounds good in writing, but you need the patience to sit through a number of months before major turns.

Conclusion

I don’t think anybody would claim perfect market timing. Neither do I. But, by understanding the correlation between bond and equity markets, you are better equipped to evaluate the merits of price action and anticipate major trend changes.

Don't forget to visit

Technical Analysis Base Website at http://www.technicalanalysisbase.com and

Technical Analysis Base Blog at http://technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com

Sanjeet Parab

_______________________________

FED- Conduct of Monetary Policy Tools

2009-07-09T14:39:00.001-07:00

It is important to understand the conduct of monetary policy because it not only affects the money supply and interest rates, but also the level of economic activity and the national well-being.

The Federal Reserve System’s Balance Sheet

ASSETS
Government Securities: US Treasuries
Discount Loans: Loans made through the Discount Window

LIABILITIES
Currency in Circulation: Amount of currency in the hands of the public (outside banks)
Reserves: Bank deposits at the Fed + currency physically held by banks (called vault cash)

TOOL 1: Open Market Operations

The central bank’s purchase and sale of US Treasuries is the most important monetary policy tool because it is the primary determinant of changes in reserves in the banking system and interest rates.

An open market purchase leads to an expansion of reserves and deposits in the banking system and hence to an expansion of the monetary base and the money supply.
An open market sale leads to a contraction of reserves and deposits in the banking system and hence to a decline in the monetary base and the money supply.

TOOL 2: Discount Lending

Discount lending is another tool that the Fed can use to affect the amount of reserves.

A discount loan leads to an expansion of reserves, which can be lent out as deposits, thereby leading to an expansion of the monetary base and the money supply.
When a bank repays its discount loan and so reduces the total amount of discount lending, the amount of reserves decreases along with the monetary base and the money supply.

TOOL 3: Reserve Requirements

Reserve requirements are the regulations making it obligatory for depository institutions to keep a certain fraction of their deposits as reserves with the Fed. Reserves can be further classified into required and excess reserves. Required reserves are those that the Fed requires the banks to hold and excess reserves are the additional reserves that the bank chooses to hold.

Supply and Demand in the Market for Reserves

Demand Curve

To derive the demand curve for reserves, we need to ask what happens to the quantity of reserves demanded, holding everything else constant, as the federal funds rate changes. As the federal funds rate decreases, the opportunity cost of holding excess reserves falls, and therefore, holding everything else constant, the quantity of reserves demanded rises. This is why the demand for reserves (Rd) is downward sloping.

Supply Curve

The Supply of reserves (Rs) can be broken down into two components. First, the amount of reserves that are supplied by the Fed’s open market operations are called nonborrowed reserves. And second, the amount of reserves borrowed from the Fed (discount loans) are referred to as borrowed reserves.

The cost of borrowing discount loans is the discount rate (Id). Because borrowing federal funds is a substitute for taking out discount loans from the Fed, if the federal funds rate (Iff) is below the discount rate (Id), then banks will not forr from the Fed and discount loans will be zero because borrowing from the federal funds market is cheaper. Therefore, as long as IffId, then banks will borrow more from the discount window at the lower Id and lend the proceeds in the federal funds market at the higher Iff. The result is a flat supply curve. Refer to Figure 1.

Figure 1

How Changes in the Tools of Monetary Policy Affect the Federal Funds Rate

Open Market Operations

An open market purchase causes the federal funds rate to fall, whereas an open market sale causes the federal funds rate to rise. Refer to Figure 2.

Figure 2

Discount Lending

The effect of discount rate change depends on whether the demand curve intersects the supply curve in its vertical section versus its flat section.

Vertical Section

Most changes in the discount rate have no effect on the federal funds rate. Refer to Panel (a) in Figure 3.

Horizontal Section

If the demand curve interests the supply curve in the flat section, then the federal funds rate is affected. Refer to Panel (b) in Figure 3.

Figure 3

Reserve Requirements

When the required reserve ratio increases, required reserves increase, and hence the quantity of reserves demanded increases for any given interest rate. Refer to Figure 4.

When the Fed raises reserve requirements, the federal funds rate rises.
When the Fed decreases reserve requirements, it leads to a fall in the federal funds rate.

Figure 4

Refer to Central Banking and the Conduct of Monetary Policy (Mishkin) for a complete review of the FRS. All credits to Mishkin.

Conclusion

This post primarily examined how the Federal Reserve System can use open market operations, discount lending and reserve requirements to conduct its monetary policy. Refer to my previous post- Fed-Structure of the Federal Reserve System- to understand the basic structure of the Fed.

Don’t forget to visit my other sites:
Technical Analysis Base Website at http://www.technicalanalysisbase.com and
Technical Analysis Base Blog at http://technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com

Sanjeet Parab
____________________________________

FED- Structure of the Federal Reserve System

2009-07-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

The most important players in the world’s financial markets are the government authorities in charge of monetary policy- the central banks. In this post I will focus on the structure of the Federal Reserve System, the most important central bank in the world.

Formal Structure of the Federal Reserve System

The FRS is comprised of Federal Reserve banks, the Board of Governors of the FRS, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the Federal Advisory Council and member commercial banks. Figure 1 outlines the relationships of these entities to one another and to the three policy tools of the FED (open market operations, the discount rate, and reserve requirements).

Figure 1

Federal Reserve Banks

A glance at American political history should help you understand the motivations behind the structure of the FED. Before the 20th century, a major characteristic of American politics was the fear of centralized power. This fear and the traditional American distrust of moneyed interest were the reason behind open public hostility towards central banks. The bank panics of 1907 that resulted in widespread bank failures finally convinced detractors that a lender of last resort was necessary to prevent substantial losses. To address the fear of centralized authority, Congress wrote an elaborate system of checks and balance into the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, which created the Federal Reserve System with its 12 regional Federal Reserve banks.

Each of the 12 Federal Reserve districts has one main Federal Reserve bank, which may have branches in other cities in the district. The three largest Federal Reserve banks in terms of assets are those of New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Their combined holding is 50% of the assets of the Federal Reserve System with New York holding about 25%.

Each of the Federal Reserve banks is a quasi-public institution owned by the private commercial banks in the district who are members of the Federal Reserve System. These member banks have purchased stock in their district Federal Reserve bank (a requirement of membership), and the dividends paid by that stock are limited by law to 6% annually. The member banks elect six directors for each district bank; three more are appointed by the Board of Governors. Together, these nine directors appoint the president of the bank (subject to the approval of the Board of Governors).

The directors of a district bank are classified into A, B and C categories. The three A directors are professional bankers, B directors are prominent leaders from industry, labor, agriculture, or the consumer sector, and C directors are appointed by the Board of Governors to represent the public interest. The design for choosing directors is intended to ensure that al constituencies of the American public are represented.

Member Banks

All national banks are required to be members of the Federal Reserve System. Before 1980, only member banks were required to keep reserves as deposits at the Federal Reserve banks. Nonmember banks were subject to reserve requirements determined by their states. Because no interest is paid on reserves deposited at the Federal Reserve banks, it was costly to be a member of the system, and as interest rates rose, the relative cost of membership rose, resulting in declining membership.

To prevent this declining membership, the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980 stated that all depository institutions are subject to the same requirements to keep deposits at the Fed. This legislation put member and nonmember banks on equal footing in terms of reserve requirements.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

The seven-member Board of Governors leads the Federal Reserve System. To limit the president’s control over the Fed and insulate the Fed from other political pressures, the governors serve one nonrenewable 14-year term, with one governor’s term expiring every other year. The governors are required to come from different Federal Reserve districts to prevent the interest of one region of the country from being overrepresented.

Federal Open Market Committee

The FOMC usually meets eight times a year and makes decisions regarding the conduct of open market operations. The committee consists of the seven member of the Board of Governors, the present of FRB New York, and presents of four other Federal Reserve banks. The chairman of the Board of Governors also presides as the chairman of the FOM.

Because open market operations are the most important policy tool that the Fed has for controlling the money supply, the FOMC is necessarily the focal point for policy making in the Federal Reserve System.

Informal Structure of the Federal Reserve System

As envisioned in 1913, the Federal Reserve System was to be a highly decentralized system designed to function as 12 separate, cooperating central banks. In the original plan, the Fed was not responsible for the health of the economy through its control of the money supply and its ability to affect interest rates. Over time, it has acquired the responsibility for promoting a stable economy, and this responsibility has caused the FRS to evolve slowly into a more unified central bank. Figure 2 depicts the informal structure of the FRS.

Figure 2

Refer to Central Banking and the Conduct of Monetary Policy (Mishkin) for a complete review of the FRS. All credits to Mishkin.

Conclusion

This post primarily examined the structure of the Federal Reserve System. In my next post, Conduct of Monetary Policy Tools, I will look into how the three monetary policy tools affect national money supply and the federal funds rate.

Don’t forget to visit my other sites:
Technical Analysis Base Website at http://www.technicalanalysisbase.com and
Technical Analysis Base Blog at http://technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com

Sanjeet Parab
_____________________________________

Determining a Company's Maximum Debt Capacity

2009-07-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

In this post I will first highlight some considerations when taking on additional debt. Next I will detail the process of determining a company's maximum debt capacity.

How much debt maximizes a firm's value? Can you tell me what a company's optimal capital strucure is? You probably might be able to look at industry standards and averages and believe that they must be valid for the company as well. But remember that industry averages are only benchmarks (not necessarily the ideal benchmarks).

Can a company take on more debt? Will you be able to take on additional debt in the future? How will your cost of debt change? How will your relationship with current and prospective lenders change after taking on additional debt? Will you have favorable access to short-term funds to fund net working capital at seasonal peaks? What is the likelihood of insolvency or financial distress? How will your cash flows be affected? Are the marginal benefits from tax shields greater than the costs of financial distress? How will shareholders react? Etc, etc.

The objective of these questions is to determine the point at which a company's borrowing capacity is maximized. After this point, the answers to all of the above questions will be unfavorable. So how do you determine this maximum debt capacity?

Step 1: Determine Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT)
Step 2: Determine Maximum Interest Payment = EBIT / EBIT Coverage Ratio
Step 3: Implied Maximum Debt Capacity = Maximum Interest Payment / Cost of Debt
Step 4: Compare Current Debt to Implied Maximum Debt Capacity to determine additional
borrowing capabilities

Don't forget to visit my website at http://www.technicalanalysisbase.com/ and my other blog at http://technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com/

Sanjeet Parab_____________________________

Trading Options during Earnings Season

2009-07-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

In this post I will look at one basic, yet a very effective, strategy on trading options during earnings season.

Options are not for the weak hearted! You only deserve the gains if you can take the losses. By no means am I an options prodigy. But sometimes, the simplest of strategies can result in ridiculously phenomenal gains.

I'll take you back to summer 2008 earnings season when financials were battered.

It was Monday, July 14, 2008, before the opening bell. Options were expiring on the coming Friday. A major downtrend was in play and call option premiums were cheaper than candy. Analyst expectations from financials were extremely pessimistic. Major financial institutions including WFC, MER, GS, JPM, MS, and BAC were lined up to release earnings. WFC was set to release earnings first.

Much to everyone’s delight, WFC releases better than expected earnings. There was a ray of hope. A belief of survival that things are not as bad as it seems. The result, WFC moved higher and its peers followed.

Options traders had plenty of time to make their move. All they had to do was understand a simple concept:

Often, a particular firm-specific event propels the company’s price and moves the whole industry/sector with it.

WFC’s better than expected earnings release was that event which propelled the financial sector higher. I remember the Ask price on 1 OTM GS Call was about $.30. The premium on this call did not budge higher for 1-2 hours after WFC’s earnings release. In the next 2-3 days, the $.30-$.50 was more than $11. So, if you had invested $150 (ignoring commission), then the $150 would be $3,300-$5,500. There was one case where the return would be $11,000 with an investment of about $1,000.

Although these results are not as spectacular as GOOG, they are spectacular nonetheless. Anyone can achieve these results if they don’t sell prematurely.

The process is quite simple but should require proper due diligence.

1) Identify the sectors and the industry you want to trade. Ideally you would want to find overbought or oversold sectors because volatility is greater in overextended markets.

2) Determine when options expire.

a. I prefer trading those industries who report earnings towards the end of the month
because option premiums are much lower.
b. Sometimes if there is a big run-up before earnings release. In this case, option
premiums are much expensive and are possibly already overbought.
c. When there is a big run-up before earnings release, the earnings surprise and
guidance has the surpass analyst expectations by a larger margin for the after-move
to be significant.
d. More often than not, you will observe light trading volume before a company releases
earnings.

3) Identify the order in which major companies of the selected industries that are set to release earnings.

4) If the first company that releases earnings surpasses analyst expectations and offers favorable guidance, then buy moderately out of the money calls on the company’s industry peers. If the company’s prospects are gloomy, then buy puts on it’s industry peers.

Don't forget to visit my website at http://www.technicalanalysisbase.com/ and my other blog at http://technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com/

Sanjeet Parab_____________________________

Narrow the Tradable Universe

2009-07-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

Tradable Universe

In this post, I primarily reflect on narrowing the tradable universe and the number of open positions a trader should have.

I define Tradable Universe as the collection of all possible stocks that a trader wishes to trade at some point in time. There are 5000 components in the Wilshire 5000 index. (By the way, Wilshire 5000 is probably the best benchmark of US Equities market.) Assume that these 5000 stocks are part of the trader’s tradable universe. If the trader is not equipped with proprietary/high-tech software, then it is quite implausible to simultaneously keep track of 5000 companies. Therefore, the trader needs to narrow the tradable universe to manageable size.

How to Narrow your Tradable Universe?

I covered some strategies on narrowing the tradable universe in my previous post- What makes stocks move?- Know your sectors!

The essence of the post is that traders need to specialize in certain sectors that match their risk preferences and tolerance.

For instance, there are about 244 components in XNG, RXH, XCI, RXP, MSH, IIX, BTK, CMR, DRG and XTC. I can then look at the Sector Seasonality Calendar and select the sectors I want to focus on. Assume that I want to focus only on XNG, DRG and XTC. By doing so, I reduce my tradable universe from 244 to 45.

Next I can screen the 45 stocks using MSN’s Deluxe Investment Finder and determine the stocks that I will eventually trade.

How many open positions should a trader have?

Clearly the answer to this question will differ based on the trader’s skills. The greater the number of open positions, the more difficult to manage them. Personally I like to focus on 2-4 sectors and am comfortable with 4-6 positions. My portfolio is over-weighted on those sectors that I expect to outperform other sectors.

Don't forget to visit my website at http://www.technicalanalysisbase.com/ and my other blog at http://technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com/

Sanjeet Parab
_____________________________

What makes stocks move? - Know your sectors!

2009-07-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

Intro
In this post, I’ll cover how understanding sector strength can ease your security selection process and improve your trading returns. Furthermore, I’ll briefly touch on how a trader can use sector seasonality to devise trading strategies.

What makes stocks move?

According to Teeka Tiwari, more than 68% of what makes a stock go higher is sector-related. I would not question his observation because it is similar to Michael Parness' insights on 'Laggards.'

What is a laggard? When a stock's movement lags its industry/sector peers, the stock is considered a laggard. Such a price divergence frequently corrects itself when the lagging stock catches up with its peers.

The point is that a trader needs to be aware of sector strength. As I covered in my ‘Tradable Universe’ post, the greater the number of open positions, the more difficult it is to manage them. By determining the sectors you want to focus on, you narrow your tradable universe.

Know your Sectors!

Below are ticker symbols of key sector indices.

XNG: Natural Gas
RXH: Healthcare Prov
XCI: Computer Tech
RXP: Healthcare Prod
MSH: High-Tech
IIX: Internet
BTK: Biotech
XAU: Gold & Silver
UTY: Utilities
CMR: Consumer
DRG: Pharmaceutical
XTC: Telecom
BKX: Banking
XBD: Broker/Dealer
CYC: Cyclical
RMZ: Real Estate
SOX: Semiconductor
DJT: Transports
XOI: Oil

CLICK HERE TO VIEW COMPONENTS OF THESE SECTOR INDICES

Strategy:

Once you pick the sector you want to focus on, you can then determine the particular sector index component you wish to trade. If you rely on screening techniques for security selection, then MSN’s Deluxe Investment Finder is one of the best screening tools available.

AMEX Sector SPDRs

XLY: Consumer Discretionary SPDR
XLP: Consumer Staples SPDR
XLE: Energy SPDR
XLF: Financials SPDR
XLV: Health Care SPDR
XLI: Industrials SPDR
XLB: Materials SPDR
XLK: Technology SPDR
XLU: Utilities SPDR

Strategy:

Rather than analyzing individual stocks (sector index components), you may directly trade SPDRs. However, if you prefer trading individual stocks rather than ETFs, then you can select individual components of the ETF(s) of your choice just like I mentioned above.

Sector Seasonality

Sector seasonality has similar implications as sector/asset class rotation. Very simply put, at different times of the year, certain sectors are favored over the others because they are statistically more likely to give you greater returns. Sector seasonality was featured first in 1968. A Merrill Lynch study showed that buying seven sectors around September/October and selling in the first few months of 1954-1964 tripled the gains of holding them for those 10 years.

TO VIEW THE UPDATED SECTOR SEASONALITY CALENDAR, CLICK HERE.

Strategy:

The strategy should be fairly self explanatory.

1) Look at which sector is expected to be strong according to the Sector Seasonality Calendar.
2) Either select the Sector SPDR or sector components.
3) Buy long/Sell short depending on your expectations of sector strength.

Don't forget to visit my website at http://www.technicalanalysisbase.com/ and my other blog at http://technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com/

Sanjeet Parab
_______________________________

Writing Naked Calls using Warren Buffett's Philosophy

2009-06-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

In my previous post- Signs of Wave 2- Consumer Confidence Slides- I mentioned that the US equity markets are in wave 2 of the wave cycle. CLICK HERE to see my complete analysis of DJIA.

You must know that writing covered calls is one options strategy that consistently makes money with limited risk exposure. We are ignoring the chance of loss on plumetting value of the underlying asset. The assumption is that the intrinsic value of the underlying asset is greater than the market value and the covered call writer will continue to hold the stock because the market will not recognize the intrinsic value until the option's expiration. In essence, the covered call writer holds a fundamentally strong asset which reduces his risk.

Now assume that the same writer writes naked calls on the same asset. If the strategy turns against him, then he'll have to pay the difference between the strike and market price of the asset. Because there is no upper limit to price, the loss can be substantial. Intuitively you would assume that his risk is largely increased because the possibility of loss is greater. But is the person's risk increased? In today's market? Let's see what Warren Buffett would say.

Conventional academic practitioners and financial analysts will discount future cash flows by a higher discount rate if the risk is high. However, Warren Buffett would discount the same cash flows with the treasury/risk-free rate even though the risk is high. He says, "I put a heavy weight on certainty. If you do that, the whole idea of a risk factor doesn't make sense to me. Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing."

So how does this relate to Writing Naked Calls using Warren Buffett's Philosophy? It has to do with the current market being in Wave 2. Wave 2 is a corrective wave. Writing naked calls in a declining market is much less risky than writing them in a rallying market. So if you've correctly identified a retracing market, then the idea of risk should not factor in. However, one needs to be careful and identify whether the corrective formation is a zigzag or a flat.

If the corrective wave is of the zigzag family, then writing naked calls can be a lucrative venture. However, if the corrective wave is a running or expanded flat, then writing naked calls may result in exercise if the writer sets the strike price close to the start of wave A. This is because wave B often terminates beyond the start of wave A.

In summary, writing naked calls in the current market may not be as risky as it appears because the market is in the corrective mode. If the corrective pattern is not a zigzag in wave 2, then writers with a low risk tolerance should wait for wave 4 to write naked calls because, according to the theory of alternation, if wave 2 is a complex formation such as a flat, triangle, or a double or triple three, then wave 4 will be a simple formation.

Don't forget to visit my website at http://www.technicalanalysisbase.com/ and my other blog at http://technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com/

Sanjeet Parab
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Signs of Wave 2- Consumer Confidence Slides

2009-06-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

It appears as though the US equity markets have been correcting since June 11, 2009 after recording a 30% rally over 3 months. If someone had bought DIA with $200,000 at the bottom, he or she would have made $60,000 in 3 months. Let's say a person only caught 20% of the rally. Then the person made $40,000. That's one good news. And the other one is that you can still make money as the DJIA retraces in the second wave.

I outlined the wave personality of each wave in the wave cycle on technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com. CLICK HERE to go directly to the post.

Second waves- Second waves often retrace so much of wave one that most of the profits gained up to that time are eroded away by the time it ends. This is especially true of call option purchases, as premiums sink dramatically in the environment of fear during second waves. At this point, investors are thoroughly convinced that the bear market is back to stay. Second waves often produce downside non-confirmations and Down Theory “buy spots,” when low volume and volatility indicate a drying up of selling pressure.

Just look at the recent economic news and you'll know wave 2 is here.

Today, consumer confidence unexpectedly declined and delinquencies on the least-risky mortgages more than doubled. I'm staring at 'unexpectedly' right now. First we see a huge 30% rally propelled by better than expected earnings. 'Better than expected' ... or better yet, "Unexpectedly better than expected": analyst were so pessimistic about corporate profits/performance that their expectations were a lot lower than normal. Earnings kept beating expectations and the market continued to rally. Seeing that, consumers felt more confident. Even economic reports started releasing positive news indicating improving fundamentals. Everything happened as if we didn't go through the worst recession since the Great Depression.

All this is characteristic of the first wave when people believe that the worst is behind us. In reality, the worst is actually behind us but all is not over. Wave 2 is when fear creeps in again. Its a good shorting opportunity and also a time to prepare for wave 3. Write calls or covered calls. Writing calls in wave 2 season is far less risky. Even a person with a low risk tolerance can risk writing naked calls. But only after careful consideration. For more on this topic, refer to Writing Naked Calls using Warren Buffett's Philosophy.

Wave 3- one of the wonders of the long investor's world only if it is extended, which it usually is. I'm glad we're in wave 2. It'll give me some time to gear up for wave 3 and lock in some huge returns. BUY LEAPS!

Don't forget to visit my website at http://www.technicalanalysisbase.com/ and my other blog at http://technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com/

Sanjeet Parab_____________________________

Improve Writing Skills

2009-06-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

Lastly, I think writing blogs will improve my writing skills. I passed the English AP exam in high school. I only had to take 1 literature course in college because I passed all exams that waived my english requirements. I even got a 6 on the GMAT writing section.

But if you ask me to write a poem or an essay, there is no way I can make my writing be anywhere close to creative. What you can expect from me is bullet points and short sentences. Nah. Look I don't know because the last time I did some creative writing exercise was 4.5 years ago. After that, it has all been business communication. American business communication where the sole objective is to communicate as opposed to exhibit your rhetorical skills.

Wow, this is pretty nice. I didn't know I would enjoy writing so much. Especially after being grilled by Professor Gary Grudnitski in my MBA Culminating Experience class. Now that professor is one of the sharpest people I've ever come across. Amazing man.

Okay, enough of this writing. Am going to move on to something more productive.

Don't forget to visit my website at http://www.technicalanalysisbase.com/ and my other blog at http://technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com/

Sanjeet Parab
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First Post- June 30, 2009

2009-06-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

It's quite evident that I am Sanjeet Parab. That's the advantage of having a unique name. In the 22 years of my life, I've not come across a single Sanjeet. That is why I've always gotten the email IDs I wanted.

Yes. One more blog on the web. Let's see how long it will take me to be the first one listed on every search engine. I don't mean my blog, but Sanjeet Parab in general. There you go..there's my first attempt. Perhaps google will pick the 'Sanjeet Parab' and display it in search results if I'm searched for.

By the way, here are two of my other sites:

http://technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com/
http://www.technicalanalysisbase.com/

Be sure to check out my latest analysis on where the DJIA is headed (DJIA June 29, 2009).

Back to the topic I started with. Its not that my sole ambition is to have my blog appear in search results. But am tired of seeing facebook, myspace, hi5, bigulo, linkedin profiles show up first before anything else. I mean, I'm not even active on those sites. I don't even know what bigulo is but they seem to have my data. Clearly, I don't have an identity yet. But it won't be long before I make one for myself.

Well I've never been a fan of blogs. But just writing this first post makes me feel like I'm talking to myself. Similar to the diary we were supposed to keep in 4th grade. Feels good though. Contemplation. But I won't be doing this sort of contemplation too much. It's quite..um..ridiculous..and worthless. What will I do?

I read somewhere that having a blog increases your chances of getting hired by some 20-30%. Here's my attempt at increasing my chances of getting hired. Yes, I just graduated with an MBA in, as Jay bhai told me, one of the worst job markets.

ATTN: Recruiters

I suck at blog writing. But I'm pretty good at FP&A, Capital Budgeting, Enterprise Valuation, Statistical Analysis for Businesses, GAAP, financial statement preparation, Fundamental Analysis, Performance Analysis, Liquidity Analysis, Efficiency Analysis, Technical Analysis, Elliott Wave Principle, Fibonacci Studies, and a number of other things.

So, I'll be posting random stuff on this blog. Things like my reflection/analysis on articles, current events, and anything that requires me to think and flex my mental muscles.

Hope to have some followers in some time. Let's see.

Don't forget to visit my website at http://www.technicalanalysisbase.com/ and my other blog at http://technicalanalysisbase.blogspot.com/

Sanjeet Parab
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