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U.S. job growth cooled sharply in July while the unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to the highest level in nearly three years. The Labor Department reported Friday that employers added 114,000 jobs in July, missing the 175,000 gain forecast by LSEG economists. The unemployment rate also unexpectedly inched higher to 4.3% against expectations that it would hold steady at 4.1%. It marked the highest level for the jobless rate since October 2021.
—Megan Henney, “US Job Growth Slows to 114K in July While Unemployment Unexpectedly Jumps,” www.foxbusiness.com, August 2, 2024.
The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage dropped 22 basis points to 6.4% Friday, according to Mortgage News Daily. That is the lowest rate since April 2023. The 15-year fixed rate fell to 5.89%, its lowest level since early May 2023.
—Diana Olick, “Mortgage Rates Plunge to the Lowest Level in More Than a Year after Weak Employment Report,” www.cnbc.com, August 2, 2024.
The stunning collapse of world stock indices, following all-time or yearly highs for many during the Mars-Uranus-Algol combustion of mid-July, continued last week. Actually, many exhibited a secondary high on Wednesday, July 31, as the Federal Reserve Board announced that there would not be an interest rate cut just yet but probably in September because the economy is now starting to show signs of weakness. Unemployment is going up and inflation is coming down, giving it room to ease. Yet, although that is what the Fed basically wanted to see before lowering rates, it also spooked the stock market – especially with unemployment starting to creep up. The DJIA promptly dropped over 1800 points from Wednesday’s high of 41,198 to Friday’s low. That’s a rout and keeps the DJIA on track for the 4-year cycle low by November, which we have been alerting readers about over the past month and even as far back as the Forecast 2024 Book, written in November 2023.
So far, the decline in the DJIA is rather benign compared to the NASDAQ. The tech-heavy NASDAQ futures market has now lost approximately 12.5% from its all-time high of July 11. This is approaching our 16-26% decline target between August and November 2024. It could be there by the time Jupiter squares Saturn on August 19, +/- 10 days, a time band also discussed in this column, as well as our weekly and monthly subscription reports. It’s all part of the collective psychology of Jupiter (optimism), leaving the favorable confines of Taurus (assets) and harmonious aspect to Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, April through June, for the much more somber reality of Jupiter square Saturn (depression and loss of confidence), August 2024 through June 2025. The time between the first and second passages of this three-passage aspect is the most critical, which takes place August-December 2024.
Similar sharp declines were noted in other stock indices throughout the world. For instance, the patterns exhibited by the Nikkei and DAX are not very encouraging for bulls. However, we now begin another Mercury retrograde cycle, and the Trickster has a notorious reputation for fakeouts and false moves.
Precious metals also got hit late in the week. Gold made a secondary high – double top – on Friday at 2522 in the December contract before falling to 2453 within hours afterward. The all-time high in the December contract remains 2537.70, recorded on July 17 (Mars-Uranus-Algol period). Silver’s struggles have been much more pronounced. After posting a 12-year high on May 20 at 32.75, it plunged to 27.45 on July 29, a loss of 16%. However, it held above the lows of last week, which offers some encouragement to the bulls. Yet a new high in Gold on Friday accompanied by a still-subdued Silver market is a case of intermarket bearish divergence. Their intermediate-term cycles may have peaked unless both can make new weekly highs next week.
Bitcoin also disappointed bulls after an initial surge of promise. On Monday, July 29, BTC breached 70,000 for the first time in nearly two months. But then it fell back again to support in the 62,000 area represented by the 39-day moving average. If it can take out 70,000 again, it may decouple from stocks.
Short-Term Geocosmics
This year isn’t like any previous time. This is the year of the sudden, historically disastrous debate, the near-assassination of one of the nominees, the sudden removal of the president from his ticket, the sudden elevation of a vice president her own party had judged a liability, and her suddenly pulling even in a suddenly truncated campaign. We have never had this year. And it continues to astound. Kamala Harris just got two excellent weeks in the clear. Donald Trump’s campaign had to take her down early or at least hit her hard—and didn’t.
—Peggy Noonan, “The Fight of Trump’s Political Life,” www.wsjonline.com, August 1, 2024.
The forces of American culture and politics are pushing men and women under age 30 into opposing camps, creating a new fault line in the electorate and adding an unexpected wild card into the 2024 presidential election. Young men now favor Republican control of Congress and Trump for president after backing Biden and Democratic lawmakers in 2020. Women under 30 remain strongly behind Democrats for Congress and the White House. They are also far more likely to call themselves liberal than two decades ago.
—Aaron Zitner and Andrew Restuccia, “America’s New Political War Pits Young Men Against Young Women,” Wall Street Journal, July 28, 2024.
The Trickster returns this week. Another Mercury retrograde cycle will be upon us, August 4-5, and lasting through August 28. Given the slew of hard aspects unfolding this month, you get the feeling that this Mercury retrograde cycle could be especially nasty for traders. It’s already off to a dismal start in world equity markets that just ended one of their worst sell-offs of the year.
It may be wise to keep in mind that it is late in the four-year cycle. When markets make new highs late in a long-term cycle, declines are usually severe and very swift. There can be a mini-panic, especially if Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus are involved in aspects close to one another. This past Friday, August 2, was host to Venus square Uranus. On August 14, Mars will conjoin Jupiter. You will already be there astrologically, but on August 16-19, Venus and Saturn will form a T-square to the Mars/Jupiter conjunction, and on the same day, the Sun will square Uranus. That’s a lot of figurative “electricity overload,” more than the normal human grid can handle easily. It’s a stellar recipe for chaos and geopolitical disruption. People are thinking “outside the box,” which can either be brilliant or a sign of craziness. Markets could either break down, break out, or suddenly reverse. With Uranus combined with Mercury retrograde, you just don’t know which way the Trickster will twist. A lot of money could be made if one is nimble and can time it just right. But more than likely, stories of how much money was lost will be told. We don’t usually advise day trading as a strategy, but this Mercury retrograde cycle might be an exception. I don’t think leaving yourself too exposed these next three weeks will be wise if you are a trader.
On the other hand, we are entering the time band for a 4-year cycle low, with many indices possibly dropping 16-26% off their highs. Thus, you may want to keep cash on hand for buying when this cycle ends so you can be ready to purchase when the markets have fallen that much between now and November. When (if) that happens, plenty of people will be willing to sell. They may have to sell in order to cover their overdrawn margin accounts if Mercury retrograde and Uranus afflicted– on top of the mutable T-square with Mars-Jupiter-Saturn and Venus – behave as the symbolism of this cosmic tsunami indicates this is a possibility.
Thus, traders have a choice via our market timing methodology. Sit back on cash, wait for the elevator to hit the ground floor, and then enter to take advantage of the discounts. Or try your luck at trading very short-term and managing your risk wisely.
The same goes for politicians. There is incredible energy afoot right now. It can be very exciting and represent a time of sudden awareness, a new trend, as in “going viral.” Or it can indicate a stupid mistake or embarrassing revelation leading to a sudden reversal of fortune. Those who lean into the sentiment of unity are likely to fare better than those taking the risk of stoking divisions (Uranus afflicted). This is not the time to overreact to personal attacks. But this advice is likely to be ignored by those who are driven by hubris, emotions, and personal sensitivities. The chances of making critical and costly errors are heightened during this month. Think twice before barking and twice again before biting. Gains can turn into sudden losses if one becomes unhinged.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN! THE “ANNUAL MMA FORECAST 2025 PRE-PUBLICATION SALE” just started August 1!!!! The sale will run through October 31 and includes our once-a-year sale discounts on both the annual Forecast Book and MMA Subscription Reports.~
During this pre-order period, the FORECAST 2025 print edition is available at the discounted rate of $55, and/or the eBook version at $45. AND the best deal on MMA Subscription Reports is also offered at this time! Save 10% off any subscription ($275+) with the purchase of Forecast 2025. After the pre-order event ends on November 1, the retail price of Forecast 2025 print edition increases to $66 and the eBook to $55, and subscription reports return to their normal prices. Order now and save big bucks!
MMA will also offer a special “bundle” discount rate for those who wish to order both the eBook and printed editions of Forecast 2025 for $75. The eBook usually comes out 1-2 weeks before the print edition and avoids delays caused by the postal system, especially for those of you who live overseas. Yet many readers prefer the print edition, so ordering both via the Forecast 2025 Bundle makes sense. You will receive the Forecast 2025 eBook on December 15 and your print copy will be mailed in mid-December.
MMA’s annual Forecast Book is an astrological-themed almanac that has served students of cycles and markets since 1976. It provides a cyclical outlook of the collective world psychology, national economy, geopolitical overview, socio-cultural trends, weather and natural calamities potentials, as well as financial market projections for the U.S. stock market, the 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. Its extraordinary market timing forecasts are based on the historical correlation of market cycles overlapping with geocosmic planetary cycles. Additionally, it provides the three-star critical reversal dates for each market for the year, which have an 80+% accuracy over the years to trading cycle highs and lows when given an orb of three trading days. The book is approximately 200 pages, 8.5” x 11”, and has set the standard for all astrological almanacs written today.
The scorecard for Forecast 2024, as of July 31, 2024, is now available for viewing by clicking here.
To pre-order Forecast 2025 now, please click here.
NOTE 2: THE JULY-AUGUST MMA Monthly Cycles Report Plus+, edited by Pouyan Zolfagharnia, was issued last week. This market letter has become a very popular addition to the MMA Cycles Report (it’s less technical, more visual, and contains horoscopes of current importance, high-quality analysis, and updates on MMA Cycles Report markets). The mid-month addendum to the MMA Cycles Report has stunning graphics and charts (people love it!) and is very readable. It contains more illustrations and references to geocosmics than most MMA Cycles reports and is only available for subscription to those who also subscribe to the MMA Monthly Cycles Report. Each issue offers an update on NASDAQ, Gold, Silver, and Crude Oil. If you wish to try this month’s addendum, along with the latest issue of the MMA Monthly Cycles Report, sign up online at the link above. A subscription for a monthly copy of both reports costs $55. That will give you both the most recent copy of the MMA Cycles Report and the monthly MMA Cycles Report Plus+ addendum coming out this week. For further information and ordering instructions, please click here. Congratulations to Pouyan for getting aggressive traders short near the high of last week in the NASDAQ!
NOTE 3: “The Aries Vortex: Timing Financial Markets via Planetary Cycles” workshop with Ray Merriman, sponsored by Kepler College, will be held August 11, 2024, from noon to 3:00 PM EDT. This workshop consists of two parts. The first part covers the “Aries Vortex,” a one-time-only cosmic configuration that highlights 0° Aries, the “World Degree.” Not only does the 36-year Saturn/Neptune synodic cycle occur there, but it is also the midpoint of the Uranus/Pluto trine (2025-2027). This unusual pattern holds the potential for important global changes. In the second part, we will discuss planetary cycles and their correlation with financial markets, focusing on the outlook for the U.S. stock market, Gold, and Bitcoin. Special guest Wiebke Held of Bonn, Germany, a top student of the Merriman Market Timing Academy (MMTA), will share her latest research findings on geocosmic correlations to the NASDAQ and what they reveal about the future of this index and AI companies. Kepler College (www.keplercollege.org) is one of the world’s most established and respected leaders in astrological education. The cost is $95. To register for this exciting three-hour workshop, click here.
NOTE 4: 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 offers a preview of the geocosmic signatures in effect for the coming week and beyond. The recent interview with Derek Panaia was excellent and may now be viewed for an insightful look at current financial markets from an options expert.
NOTE 5: 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! 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 6: THE SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER PERIOD FOR THE NEW MMA SOLAR/LUNAR FORECASTING APP FOR IPHONE HAS ENDED! BUT THE SAVINGS ON A ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO THIS INCREDIBLE SHORT-TERM TIMING APP ARE SUBSTANTIAL.
The one-year rate of $299 still comes out to a very attractive average of $24.99/mo. Search “Merriman Market Analyst” in the Apple App Store to take advantage of this introductory offer. The monthly rate is now $39.99/mo. But for those who have been using it over the past two months, this is a very low price for the profits returned to date if used as directed in the FAQs and “Setup” features given in the app.
NEW QUESTION ABOUT THE NEW MMA APP
One subscriber asked this week: When you are determining previous highs and lows, is it based on the calendar day or the trading day?
This is a good question – how to determine the absolutely correct way to gauge the timing.
Currently it is based on the Moon’s sign position in a time band that is four hours before and after noon of a calendar day for DJIA and four hours before and after 11:00 AM GMT for Gold and Silver. That is why some days have an overlap between two sets of dates. The Moon changed signs between 8 AM and 4 PM that day (eastern time for DJIA), or 7 AM–3 PM GMT in the case of Gold or Silver. We chose this because (1) our data history does not tell us exactly what time of the day a high or low formed, (2) these times represent the midpoint of the trading day for each market, and (3) there is an “orb of influence” in astrology that can extend to three degrees on either side of a planet changing signs. In that three-degree orb, characteristics of both signs are present.
Theoretically (and in my own actual practice), I think one should use a calendar day that begins within three degrees (six hours) of the time the Moon enters the sign, until within three degrees (six hours) of the time the Moon moves into the next sign. If it happens over a weekend when markets are not trading, then it won’t correspond to a high or low during those times. Thus, the high/low via solar/lunar combos would be most likely (theoretically) during a trading day to be valid and within the time band covering three degrees before and after the Moon is in a sign that applies to the weighted values given in the app.
To learn more about the MMA APP, click here.
NOTE 7: THE MMA 2024 Investment Retreat is taking place in one month! This special wealth-building event is available online or in person. To view the new video on YouTube about this special event with views of Lake Bled and the staff of presenters, click here.
The 2024 MMA Investment Retreat will take place September 19-22, 2024, at the Rikli Balance Hotel in the Julian Alps region of beautiful Lake Bled, Slovenia. You won’t want to miss this chance to hear the outlooks and wealth-building strategies using MMA market timing methods by top MMA analysts Raymond Merriman (USA), Gianni Di Poce (USA), Ulric Aspegrén (Switzerland), Pouyan Zolfagharnia (UK), Irma Schogt (Netherlands), Matthieu Kaiser (France), Rita Perea (USA), Vincent Wang (Singapore), Wyatt Fellows (USA), plus special guest speakers Claude Weiss (Switzerland) and Aleksandar Imsiragic (Serbia). Special attention will be given to the stock markets of the USA, Germany, China, and Japan, plus Gold, Silver, Copper, Bitcoin, Wheat, Crude Oil, Real Estate, and interest rates. Every one of these markets is entering a time band for a long-term cycle low and outstanding investment opportunity (in our MMA view).
One room has now opened up at the Rikli Balance Hotel where the event will occur. We have a list of other hotels nearby where several of the attendees have reserved and we are compiling a list for the Rikli Balance Hotel in the event anyone cancels. The cost to attend, live or online, is $3500. For those who attend in person, the rate includes meals, snacks, and the Saturday evening banquet at the historic castle on Lake Bled. To register for this spectacular event, click here. To see the full brochure, schedule, topics, and speakers’ bios, click here. To see a list of questions and answers (FAQs) regarding the Investment Retreat, click here. Sign up now and lock in your place at this unique gathering!
EVENTS
August 11, 2024: “The Aries Vortex: Timing Financial Markets via Planetary Cycles” workshop with Ray Merriman, sponsored by Kepler College, from noon to 3:00 PM EDT. See details in the Announcements section above.
September 19–22, 2024: MMA’s 2024 Investment Retreat. Save the dates!!! We will be hosting the MMA 2024 Investment Retreat in Europe for the first time since 2015. You won’t want to miss this chance to meet with the top MMA analysts (plus special guest speakers Claude Weiss and Aleksandar Imsiragic) live and hear our long-term investment and wealth-building strategies using MMA market-timing methods. Learn when and at what price to scale in on the 18-year cycle in world stock indices, which is now entering the time band for perhaps the best long-term investment opportunities in over a decade. The location is the beautiful Lake Bled in Slovenia, a premier (and affordable) destination in the Julian Alps, with a historic castle nestled in the mountains where the Saturday evening banquet will take place. The cost is $3500. Click here to register! The event will be available in person or online. For a brochure, click here.
March 7-9, 2025: Cosmic Patterns Inc. presents its Convergence 2025 conference in Orlando, Florida. This will be one of the top astrological conferences of 2025 and will include a track on “Research and Financial Markets.” MMA market analysts Ray Merriman, Gianni Di Poce, Pouyan Zolfagharnia, Ulric Aspegrén, and Wiebke Held will speak, along with well-known financial astrologer Christeen Skinner of the U.K. There will also be a number of well-known professional astrologers speaking, including Lynn Bell, Charlotte Benson, Öner Döşer, Pam Gallagher, Demetra George, Aleksandar Imsiragic, Dr. Lea Imsiragic, Rick Levine, Darri Low Murphy, Anne Ortelee, Joni Patry, Kathy Rose, Gisele Terry, and Fei Cochrane. For further information, please go to https://cosmicpatternsconference.com/. You can also hear and read about this exciting gathering on YouTube (click here). Looking forward to seeing many of you there!
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 to educate the reader on the relationship between astrological factors and collective human activities as they are happening. 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 that movement 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, or even 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 cycles analyst looking at the military, political, economic, and even 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 as 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) the 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.