According to the Stock Trader's Almanac, November is the beginning of the stock market's strongest six-month period. The "Best Six Months Switching Strategy" goes like this: Invest in the Dow and/or S&P 500 between November 1 and April 30 each year, then switch into safer fixed income assets in May.
"We found that most of the market's gains are made from November to April, whereas you either go down or are flat from May through October; hence the sell in May and go away [strategy]," says Jeff Hirsch, editor-in-chief of the Stock Trader's Almanac.
Historically, there's a soft period from May through October, as seen in STA's chart below.
"We like to buy in October and get ourselves sober, even though we didn't get our trigger this year because the market was vacillating quite a bit," says Hirsch. He uses a MACD indicator as a trigger for buy and sell moves. Using the MACD, the DJIA's Best Six Months rises to an average gain of 9.3% versus a loss of 1.2% during the Worst Six Months.
On average as seen in the chart below, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen 7.5% during the Best Six Month period since 1950, versus 0.3% rise during the Worst 6 Months.
"Last year everyone was bearish — I was one of the lone bulls on the Street. I was really happy with our buy signal," says Hirsch. "This year I'm not so confident because the market technically is struggling against resistance; there are a lot of issues, there's a post-election year coming up, there's fiscal cliffs. So we're going in with tighter stops with our trades this year."
Needless to say, November is off to a very weak start with the DJIA, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all down over 4% month-to-date. Hirsch has already warned of risk in 2013 based on the election cycle and historical weakness when an incumbent president is re-elected.
"Again, we're at the sour spot of the four-year [presidential election] cycle," he admits. "We'll make our trades, but we'll be a lot more cautious and keep the stops a lot tighter instead of leaving it wide open here."
If this is as good as it gets, maybe that's a sound warning for the year ahead. How are you positioning for 2013? Let us know in the comment section below or visit us on Facebook!
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a bit of confidence in re reating I'm watching.
Under the radar of most atm.
Good mgmnt and story unfolding here.
Poked her head up above the long term 4c resistance yesterday.
Getting set for a massive and imminent re-rating imo.
One to hold that's for sure. Many %s to be had from these levels imo.
G'Day folks,
Well she popped up for us as we had requested, and is looking the goods now.
A nice steady appreciation in the SP from here is my next request, although when the greater investment community catches onto the value upside here i feel she may don the rocket boots. ( btw, this is also fine with me.)
I have been lucky enough to free carry a modest parcel (although very clumsily done), and I will look at adding to my holding as management delivers. I believe the rescent cap raising and name change is an excellent start.
In my opinion and at current prices, this is still one of the best leverage plays I have found on the ASX.