Review
U.S. job growth burst past expectations last month while the unemployment rate edged up to 4%, presenting a mixed view of a labor market that has generally been cooling without overly troubling most workers. Total nonfarm U.S. jobs increased a seasonally adjusted 272,000 jobs in May, more than in April and well above the 190,000 that economists had expected.
—Sam Goldfarb, “Hiring Defied Expectations in May, With 272,000 New Jobs,” Wall Street Journal Online, June 7, 2024.
Fed officials are set to hold interest rates steady at their two-day meeting next week…. Central banks in Canada and Europe began cutting rates this past week, but growth has been stronger in the U.S. The Fed is trying to balance the risk of cutting too soon and allowing stubborn inflation to persist with the hazard of keeping rates too high and triggering a slowdown that may not be needed to finish their inflation fight.
—Nick Timiraos, “Why the Recession Still Isn’t Here,” Wall Street Journal Online, June 7, 2024.
The U.S. jobs report came out on Friday, which was much bigger than expected. On the same day, Gold and Silver started making new weekly highs but suddenly reversed and suffered huge losses into the close. From high to low, Gold had a range of over $100 and Silver nearly $2.50. That’s huge! Bitcoin also sold off after posting a weekly high early in the day.
In stock indices, it was a mixed bag throughout the world. In Asia and the Pacific Rim, Jupiter (exaggeration) in Gemini (wild price volatility) was in full swing in India as elections took place. On Monday, June 3, the NIFTY index made a new all-time high. The next day, it dropped over 2000 points from that high. By Friday, it was testing the all-time high again. China’s SSE Composite fell all week, continuing its downtrend since its 8-month high on May 20. The region’s other markets experienced modest rallies following their recent lows of May 30.
In Europe, the Netherlands AEX continued its relentless march to new all-time highs right into the end of the week. The Zurich SMI was also explosive, soaring to a new 2-year high. But it was far less exciting in London and Frankfurt, where the stock markets were range-bound and slightly below their all-time highs of last month. Yet, they, too, seem poised to make new highs in the aftermath of the EU’s starting to lower key interest rates last week.
In the U.S., both the S&P and the NASDAQ made new all-time highs on Friday, but the DJIA did not, for a continuing case of intermarket bearish divergence. However, even though each index also made a weekly high on Friday, each also closed lower on the day for a “key reversal down” signal. This followed Thursday’s New Moon in Gemini, an air sign that has a slight historical bias for highs. Could this be the sound of the gong signaling a reversal down? It’s always a possibility this late into the 4-year cycle for which the bottom is due by November, but still far away (price-wise) from a confirmation. Yet, keep in mind that Jupiter in Gemini is a one-year period that can coincide with long-term cycle highs and lows. Gemini likes it both ways.
Short-Term Geocosmics
MDMA treatment for PTSD and other mental illnesses has a big drawback — a single treatment is effective. That means small profit potential compared to lifetime treatment with conventional pharmaceuticals. Maybe that’s why an FDA advisory committee shot it down. One of the committee members actually works for Johnson & Johnson.
—Robert Kennedy, Jr., ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) posted on June 5.
The purpose of this column is to educate readers on the correspondence of cosmic activity to financial markets’ behavior and sometimes political and personal behavior. So, let me share some lessons I have learned from my personal experience as a trader and analyst over the past few decades.
I don’t know about other financial astrologers, but I find the most exciting yet challenging Sun sign periods for trading are Gemini and Aquarius. These are almost as challenging (but less exciting) as Mercury Retrograde (the “Trickster”) or those times that are near to hard transiting aspects involving Uranus. Actually, trading under Uranus aspects can be exciting, too, but it is hard to predict whether it will coincide with a reversal or breakout to new yearly highs or lows.
In the case of the Sun in Gemini (May 20-June 20 this year) or Aquarius, the challenge involves anticipating huge price swings overnight. This is probably exaggerated at this time because Jupiter (exaggeration) is also transiting Gemini (May 25, 2024 through June 9, 2025). For instance, a big decline may have been anticipated in Gold and Silver based on cycle studies and solar/lunar combinations between late last week and this coming week. But to see Gold making its weekly high of 2406 at 1:00 AM Friday morning EDT and then plunge to 2350 at 7:00 AM (well before the payroll reports came out) would be a hard call to trade. Or, in the case of Silver, the weekly high of 31.67 came in at 12:45 AM EDT. By 7:00 AM, it was already $1.30 lower. After the payroll reports, Silver fell over another $1.00.
Big moves are typical with the Sun and Jupiter in the dualistic sign of Gemini—not to mention Mercury and Venus are there also. I’m not sure why the air signs of Gemini and Aquarius should have such sudden and large reversals. But it is something I have observed through the years and learned to respect regarding my own trading strategies.
These huge price swings are great for swing trading if you are on the right side. And, according to the new MMA Solar/Lunar Forecasting App, we could see another price swing coming up this week as the Sun and Mercury square Saturn (June 9 and 12), surrounding Mars square Pluto in early Taurus/Aquarius (June 11). This latter aspect also implies that danger will be related to either natural calamities or warlike initiatives within one week.
There are so many planets in Gemini, and as an air sign it is associated with strong winds. Therefore, it is not surprising that there has been a rash of destructive tornadoes (air signs) ravishing the grain belt of the United States, which in turn caused a sudden rise in grain prices. With Mars square Pluto, it is also newsworthy that Russia is reportedly sending naval ships for military exercises in the Caribbean (Cuba), likely in retaliation for the U.S. allowing Ukraine to engage in a level playing field in its war with Russia. The Great Bear is upset that Ukraine can now be allowed to take the offensive against strategic military installations inside of Russia that are used to attack Ukraine, whereas, over the past two years, Russia could fire missiles into Ukraine without return fire. Ukraine has been forced to fight the war only from a defensive position (Biden’s rules), while only Russia could take the offensive. It’s like playing football, where only one team is allowed to play offense. The other side has to win but is never allowed to get the ball. Putin’s rules. It won’t get easier with Saturn within the orb of forming a T-square with the U.S. natal Mars/Neptune square.
So what is all this Gemini energy good for? Advances in technology and AI. It brings a lot of new ideas (maybe an overload of too many ideas all at once that are hard to prioritize). However, with Saturn (government and restrictions) in Pisces and square to these Gemini planets, the pace of advances in technology may be slowed down due to fears or realities of new regulations. That is, innovations are exploding in these fields, but their application may be restricted and/or delayed while government officials figure out the pros and cons. These delays and regulations, expected over the next three months, may grind the euphoria in these stock sectors to a halt. That’s what could happen when Jupiter transitions from favorable aspects to Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto (March-June 2024) to a hard three-passage series of squares with Saturn (August 2024 through June 2025). Global governments may act heavy-handed during this transit.
It’s going to be like going from drugs of pleasure to those of addiction overseen by big pharma in cahoots with big government. Or, for most of us, it will be like going from a diet of fruits to potatoes.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: THE JUNE ISSUE OF THE MMA Monthly Cycles Report will be released this Monday and Tuesday, June 10-11. With some stock markets still making new all-time highs (but not all) and precious metals ending last week in a huge decline, what do our studies suggest now for financial markets as we enter the summer months? Each monthly MMA Cycles Report covers the outlook in the U.S. stock market, Gold, Silver, Copper, Treasuries, the Euro currency, Crude Oil, and Soybeans. The MMA Monthly Cycles Report also provides MMA’s original geocosmic critical reversal dates (CRDs) and solar/lunar reversal dates over the following several weeks, as well as trading strategies for position and aggressive traders. If you would like to try out one month of the MMA Monthly Cycles Report, you can sign up for the June Report for only $35! Or save by ordering a 3-month or one-year subscription.
NOTE 2: The MMA SOLAR/LUNAR FORECASTING APP FOR IPHONE USERS IS NOW OFFICIALLY OUT!
This new app from MMA is the ultimate market timing tool for active traders, especially “swing traders,” and it is now available through the Apple App Store. A 3-day free trial period AND an introductory discount offer for everyone is available. Please read carefully: To get the free trial and the special introductory offer, you need to scan the QR code with your Apple device. To get the QR code, click here and then scan the code (take a picture of the QR code) from your Apple device. This will take you to the App Store and the Merriman App. Or, if you see the QR image below, take a picture with your iPhone camera.
Also, understand that if you sign up with the code for the free trial, you will automatically be updated at the special offer of $19.99/mo unless you opt out within three days. If you don’t use the special introductory offer code, you may be billed at the regular rate of $39.99/mo. USE THE SPECIAL OFFER CODE! If you wish to avoid all these Apple steps and know you want the MMA App regardless, just go to the App Store and sign up for the one-year special rate of $299 and SAVE BIG BUCKS ANYWAY. The special $19.99/month offer is only good for 60 days after you sign up for it.
If you are a short-term swing trader looking for high-probability dates based on historical studies of Sun-Moon combinations that identify isolated lows and highs in the DJIA, Gold, or Silver markets, this is the app to have! The higher the weighted value, the greater the probability of a swing trade reversal in the next 1-7 trading days (usually 2-5 days), based on historical frequencies. The new MMA App comes with instructions on ideal setups and explanatory FAQs. It’s pretty amazing! And it is only available to iPhone or iPad users at this time.
NOTE 3: The MMA 2024 Investment Retreat Is Now Open For Registration!!! This special event will take place at the Rikli Balance Hotel, located in the Julian Alps region of beautiful Lake Bled, Slovenia. This will be MMA’s first investment retreat in Europe since 2015. 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. There is nothing quite like a life-altering MMA Investment Retreat! The cost is $3500, but only $3000 if you register before August 1, live in person or online. Sign up early if you wish to attend in person to secure one of the limited rooms reserved for our group at the fabulous Rikli Balance Hotel right 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.
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.
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!
EVENTS
June 30, 2024, 1:30 PM EDT: A Special “MMA Options Webinar” with Derek Panaia and hosted by Raymond Merriman. Note the change from the original announcement: The webinar will take place on June 30, not June 16. We had to move this back due to a conflict in our scheduling. However, this might be even more timely because it is right in the middle of the Saturn and Neptune retrogrades that begin on June 29 and July 2, respectively. Our market-timing indicators still project major moves in several markets to start around the time of those retrogrades. We want to be prepared with limited-risk option strategies on Gold, Silver, the S&P, and possibly Crude Oil as primary cycle (or secondary) lows or highs may occur then. The cost is still $95, and that includes 1–3 additional follow-up adjustments via email from Derek just this one time. In future options webinars, there will be an additional charge for special follow-ups if these prove to be as valuable as we expect. SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, June 30, at 1:30 PM EDT (that’s 7:30 PM in Zurich, Frankfort, Amsterdam, and Paris, and 10:30 AM in Los Angeles). Click here to register! Note: Keep in mind that options trading is speculative, and this webinar is designed for speculators who have some basic knowledge of options. For those who don’t have that basic knowledge, MMA offers Derek’s webinar recording on option principles on its website.
September 19–22, 2024: MMA’s 2024 Investment Retreat. Save the dates!!! We will be hosting our 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. There is nothing quite like a life-altering MMA Investment Retreat! 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, but only $3000 if you register early. Registration is now open! The event will be available in person or online, but registration is limited for those who want to attend in person. Sign up early if you wish to attend in person to secure your room at the fabulous Rikli Balance Hotel, which will be the site for this event. For a brochure of the event, click here.
March 7-9, 2025: Cosmic Patterns Inc. presents its “Convergence 2025 Conference,” 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 Astrologers Christeen Skinner of the UK. There will also be a number of well-known professional astrologers speaking, including Lynn Bell, Charlotte Benson, Oner Dosser, 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 (and others). For further information, please go to https://cosmicpatternsconference.com/ or click here.
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.