Review
Inflation eased slightly in April, providing at least a bit of relief for consumers while still holding above levels that would suggest a cut in interest rates is imminent. The consumer price index increased 0.3% from March, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. That was slightly below the Dow Jones estimate for 0.4%.
—Jeff Cox, “CPI Report Shows Inflation Easing in April,” www.cnbc.com, May 15, 2024.
Argentina’s monthly inflation rate eased sharply to a single-digit rate in April for the first time in half a year. Data released Tuesday showed an indicator that boosts Javier Milei’s austerity program aimed at fixing the economy. Annual inflation is at 289%.
—Associated Press, “First Single-Digit Inflation in Months,” May 15, 2024.
The “translations” of the Sun and Venus to the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in Taurus (the sign of finances) last week lifted the U.S. and several global stock indices to new all-time highs and also propelled significant rallies in Gold, Silver, and Bitcoin. It fits, as any transiting planet touching off the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction can have a powerful bullish effect when prices are near their all-time or yearly highs. With Jupiter remaining prominent into the first week of June, this euphoria may continue.
The question is: How long can this euphoria and bullish behavior last? With the emphasis in Taurus, traders and investors are prone to be complacent. That may be an unwise choice of activity, as the convergence of all the planetary benefics in Taurus is coming to an end. The next month will probably not be a favorable time for traders and investors to adopt the lifestyle of a “couch potato.”
Short-Term Geocosmics
Well, come over, baby, we got chicken in the barn
Whose barn, what barn, my barn
Come on over, baby, better got your bull by the horn
We ain’t fakin’, whole lot of shakin’ goin’ on
—Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin Going On,” 1958
Having the Sun and Jupiter in the stable and grounded sign of Taurus has been good for both the economy and the stock market over the past month. Inflation has stabilized, and many of the global stock indices of the world bottomed April 17-19, just as the Sun left Aries and entered Taurus, the sign of the bull. Now, they are making new all-time highs.
All that stability may suddenly change as both the Sun and Jupiter leave the pleasant pastures of Taurus the Bull for the more disruptive and chaotic sign of Gemini this week. Yes, there is going to be a whole lot of shakin’ goin’ on in the next month—and probably the next year, as Jupiter will be in Gemini from May 25, 2024, through June 9, 2025. In Gemini, it will be more challenging to grab your bull by the horns. Gemini is a mutable “dual” sign, symbolized by twins going in different directions, which means sudden reversals to long- or intermediate-term cycles are more likely than usual. New highs can be followed by sudden downturns and vice-versa. Governmental and banking policies are also vulnerable to sudden changes, and investors may feel whipsawed by the reaction of markets to these surprising course changes.
Chaos (Jupiter in Gemini) is going to be on the rise, which may favor the fortunes of Gemini Donald Trump (known for his “chaotic” leadership style) in the upcoming presidential election. On Election Day, transiting Jupiter (planet of luck and good fortune) will be conjunct with his natal Sun (symbol of one’s leadership). And yet, we have the twin parties of U.S. politics (Republicans and Democrats) headed in opposite directions. This will likely create an opportunity for a third-party candidate, such as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., adding yet another element of possible surprise. Interestingly, leaders of both the Republican and Democrat parties are claiming the mantle of democracy, yet both are trying to prevent RFK Jr. from participating in the debates. But Jupiter in Gemini will want to hear all sides in a debate, not just a brawl that has mostly entertainment drawing power. Additionally, Gemini is an air sign, and air signs value choice and fairness. This effort to censor RFK Jr. may backfire.
The powerful stellium of the Sun, Venus, Jupiter, and Uranus May 13-23 is following the upside breakout course for stocks suggested last week. This is the first “translation” of the powerful 14-year Jupiter/Uranus conjunction of April 20-21 by faster-moving planets (including the Sun), which means the air of excitement suggested by Jupiter and Uranus is back. This pertains to the field of technology and especially AI, as part of the technological renaissance. New innovations and applications may be announced during the next month, which can further elevate stock markets. However, traders and investors must also be prepared for over-reaction, as in a bubble, while Jupiter (exaggeration and over-optimism) is in the volatile sign of Gemini. Gemini is an excellent astrological symbol of the concept of “what goes up, must come down.” Or, “the higher they go, the harder they fall.”
Given that several intermediate- and even longer-term cycles are due by the end of this year, I expect wild times ahead for traders and investors, with larger and more frequent price swings in both stocks and metals and probably cryptos, too. As to the timing of these highs (and lows), that will be the focus of Saturday’s Mid-Year Financial Markets Webinar. Looking forward to seeing many of you there!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: TOMORROW! THERE IS STILL TIME TO SIGN UP for the Annual MMA Mid-Year Webinar: May 18, 2024, 3 PM EDT (noon PDT, 7 PM GMT-Greenwich)!!! Given that our market timing studies are starting to show signs of concern for the bull market in U.S. stocks, this mid-year webinar is very timely. This broadcast will be hosted by Raymond Merriman and will include updates on the following markets with top MMA market analysts: Stocks, Gold, and Bitcoin (Merriman), T-Notes and Ethereum (Gianni Di Poce), Euro and U.S. Dollar (Ulric Aspegrén), Copper, (Matthieu Kaiser), Crude Oil and Silver (Pouyan Zolfagharnia), and Soybeans (Wyatt Fellows). The event will last approximately three hours with two 10-minute breaks, plus a Q&A session. The cost is $55 and includes access to the live presentation via Zoom, the slides of the presentation, plus the video recording of the live event 24 hours after the presentation. This is MMA’s once-a-year midterm market update. If you cannot attend live, the video recording will be available the following on Monday, May 20. To register, click here.
NOTE 2: THE MAY ISSUE OF THE MMA Monthly Cycles Report was released last week. 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 next 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 May Report for only $35! Or save by ordering a 3-month or one-year subscription.
NOTE 3: COMING SOON! THE MMA SOLAR/LUNAR REVERSAL APP FOR IPHONE USERS! The beta-testing stage is nearly complete on the first MMA app for short-term traders. This is the newest and ultimate market timing app for active traders, based on the most recent historical data from MMA, “The Leader in Market Timing Services and Products!”
Here are some of the valuable features that will be available on the new MMA Solar/Lunar Reversal App:
-Solar/lunar reversal scores on each day for the DJIA, Gold, and Silver
-Values based on the daily price movements of the last 40+ years and their historical correlation to isolated highs or lows from which the market has reversed 3% or more (4% in Silver)
-Historical frequency of reversals broken down into “All,” “Only Highs,” and “Only Lows.”
-Indicates the “Big Range Day” scores for short-term (day) traders
-Displays the daily weighted value reversal scores for the upcoming two weeks
-Notifications (optional) of the exact time the Moon and Sun change signs (new weighted values scores go into effect)
-Informative FAQ and a section on “How to Trade Markets Using MMA’s Solar/Lunar Values – the Setup!”
-Very attractive, easy-to-use, and convenient app for iPhone users
If you are a short-term trader or one looking for high-probability dates for short-term profitable trading reversals based on historical studies that identify isolated lows or highs in the DJIA, Gold, or Silver markets, this is the app to have! Due out this month. Stay tuned for a special introductory announcement and offer!
NOTE 4: 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.
NOTE 5: 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 6: 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 7: The MMA Cycles Chinese Stock Market Report and MMA’s monthly ETF report will be issued next week. For subscription information, please click here and scroll down to these reports.
EVENTS
May 18, 2024: 3 PM EDT (noon PDT, 7 PM Greenwich), the Annual MMA Mid-Year Market Webinar. Hosted by Raymond Merriman, this annual mid-year event will include updates for the next several months with top MMA market analysts on the following markets: Stocks, Gold, and Bitcoin (Merriman), Crude Oil and Silver (Pouyan Zolfagharnia), T-Notes and Ethereum (Gianni Di Poce), Euro and U.S. Dollar (Ulric Aspegrén), Copper, (Matthieu Kaiser), and Soybeans (Wyatt Fellows). The cost is $55 and includes access to the live presentation via Zoom, the slides of the presentation, plus the video recording of the live event 24 hours after the presentation. To register, click here.
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.
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.