MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 28, 2024

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 Political bias will also distort the [economic] data—Republicans think they are living in Weimar Germany, Democrats think inflation is under control.

— Dr. Paul Donovan, “A Lesson in Why Data Are Not Dependable,” UBS Morning Comment, October 25, 2024.

After reaching significant new yearly and all-time highs the prior week, many global stock indices fell last week.

In Asia and the Pacific Rim, there were no cases of making new multi-week highs last week. In fact, most were down. An example was India’s Nifty Index, which completed its all-time high four weeks ago on September 27. Since that time, it has been in decline, with its lowest mark occurring on Friday at its lowest level 11 weeks.

In Europe, most indices completed their recent highs between October 17-21. Then, they spent most of last week in a rather quiet decline. Perhaps investors there are waiting for the U.S. election to see if Trump wins and will live up to his rhetoric of placing a 10-20% tariff on everybody. They won’t like that.

In the U.S., it was a mixed bag. The NASDAQ cash market finally made a new all-time high intraday on Friday, but neither the S&P nor the DJIA could take out their all-time highs from the prior week. Thus, a case of intermarket bearish divergence persists as we head into the November 5 election. In the past, stock indices have made major or primary cycle lows going into or shortly after (i.e., within two weeks or November 18 this year) those elections in recent cases.

In other markets, Gold soared to yet another new all-time high of 2772.60 on October 23. Silver also made a new multi-year high of 3507 on October 22-23. The pullback in both has been modest into the end of the week, so there is no sign yet that the highs are in. In fact, there may not be an astrological signature of a major trend reversal before Mars and Neptune change direction on December 6-7. Traders may want to note that we will plan our next options webinar with Derek Panaia that weekend in anticipation of that important CRD zone. Crude Oil had a modest rally last week following a low on October 18. Bitcoin followed the lead of stock indices, topping out at 68,487 on October 21, then modestly pulling back to the 65,000 area support zone late in the week. With next week’s New Moon in Scorpio, this could be an important reversal week for Bitcoin.

SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS AND LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS

 German Finance Minister Christian Lindner on Friday warned that if the U.S. kicked off a trade war with the European Union, there could be retaliation. “Trade controversy never sees winners, only losers,” Lindner told CNBC’s Karen Tso on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C… Trump has floated the idea that, if he were elected, blanket tariffs of 10% to 20% could be imposed on almost all imports, no matter where they came from.

—Sophie Kiderlin, “German Finance Minister Warns of Retaliation if U.S. Kicks Off Trade War,” www.cnbc.com, October 25, 2024.

Whatever the outcome of the election, at least half the country will feel crushed. Voters feel they are faced with a bad choice, and many millions will vote against, not for. Everyone is afraid the other side will destroy the country. If it turns out as close as the polls say, we fear a harrowing postelection time marked by accusations and aggression, with nothing clear and everything bitter…. Neither of these parties is worthy of us; both this year failed us.

—Peggy Noonan, “The U.S. Can Take a Tough Election,” Wall Street Journal, October 26, 2024.

One of our favorite aspects to trade is coming up on Monday when Venus will form a 90° square to Saturn. Our rule for this is to buy any market making a corrective decline into this period, +/- 2 trading days. The DJIA appears to be doing that, as do several other global stock indices. As far as financial market sectors ruled by Venus, we would also be looking at Copper and Soybeans, which could also form at least trading cycle lows here.

Next week, the sky will exhibit a New Moon in Scorpio on Friday, November 1. Scorpio rules debt and borrowing, with a tendency to overleverage and run into cash shortages. This particular New Moon may be important because the two planets that co-rule Scorpio—Mars and Pluto—will be in opposition on November 3, just two days before the U.S. election. In terms of financial markets, this might correspond to downside pressure in Bitcoin and Ethereum. In terms of politics, this same combination may incite anger and even violence. Security will need to be tighter than usual at polling centers, but also in regard to cyber attacks as Pluto is on the cusp of Capricorn and Aquarius (Aquarius rules computers; Pluto and Scorpio can represent the attempt to penetrate security).

The election itself has recently seen a major surge of support for former President Donald Trump. It appears that the transit of stationary Jupiter close to his natal Sun is “trumping” Jupiter near Kamala Harris’ natal Ascendant. It may also be a cosmic issue of transiting Pluto square Vice-President Harris’ natal Sun/Mercury midpoint, given that Mercury is her ruling planet and posited in early Scorpio, the sign of Pluto’s rulership. Pluto can turn people against you if you don’t surrender to their demands for transparency. It seems that the public wants her to “reveal” (Pluto, Scorpio) more information (Mercury) about her policies and plans, as if she has some kind of a hidden agenda (Pluto, Scorpio) where she says one thing but really means something else. Or, she avoids answering questions directly before trying to re-direct her answer to focus on Mr. Trump’s faults. Will that work? It hasn’t so far. However, the intensity of her attack mode is relatively recent compared to his on her, and Trump’s has worked to his advantage over the last three weeks. As Peggy Noonan states in her Wall Street column this week: “Voters feel they are faced with a bad choice, and many millions will vote against, not for.”

 From the astrological viewpoint, we noted in our recent presentation in Tucson two weeks ago that in every case since 1886, the party in office during a 20-year Jupiter/Saturn waxing square was re-elected (7 consecutive cases). This would favor Ms. Harris. Also, Ian Salisbury, in a recent article with Barron’s Magazine, pointed out that ”If the DJIA is up over the 11 weeks leading into an election, the incumbent party usually wins (22 of 24 cases, going back to 1928).” This also favors Harris as long as the DJIA remains above 39,765 on Election Day.

However, there has been only one case in history where a former President lost an election and then came back the next election cycle to win. That was Grover Cleveland, who won the election of 1884, lost in 1888, then came back to win again in 1892. The major transit suggesting that comeback was Jupiter in opposition to Uranus, as an aspect associated with change or an upset. In 2024, Jupiter formed a conjunction with Uranus, which was very similar to the opposition in terms of its relationship to comebacks and upsets. I also pointed out recently that whoever held the lead most of the time between September 15 and October 15 often lost the election, especially in the 21^st century. Harris was in the lead in most of the polls during this time. Now, she’s falling back in the past two weeks. Thus, these two studies favor a Trump victory. This is why it is close and may come right down to the wire, even though both parties were recently (and may still be) predicting a landslide. It may also come down to another split between the popular vote and the Electoral College. This, too, would be the nature of a year in which a major Uranus transit was highlighted.

An important question to ask is: which gender will be most energized to actually vote? Harris has a large lead over Trump with women, as signified by transiting Uranus in trine aspect to the U.S. natal Moon (women) in the July 2, 1776 chart of the nation. Trump has a wide lead with men over Harris, perhaps related to his natal Sun conjunct Mars (men) in the U.S. chart. Which gender will turn out the greatest number of voters? And will the difference between the two be enough to carry one side to victory over the other? On election day itself, the Moon will change signs from Sagittarius (optimism and confidence) to Capricorn (doubts and worries). It may start out one way and end up another.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 NOTE 1: THIS IS IT! THE LAST WEEK TO LOCK IN THE BEST RATES FOR MMA SUBSCRIPTIONS AND THE MMA FORECAST 2025 BOOK!!!! ORDER NOW FOR THE BEST PRICE!!! The sale will run through October 31 and includes our once-a-year discounts on both the annual Forecast book and MMA subscription reports. W241028~

During this pre-order period, the FORECAST 2025 print edition is available at the discounted rate of $55, and the eBook version is available for $45. AND this is also when we offer the best deal on MMA subscription reports! Save 10% off any subscription ($275+) with the purchase of Forecast 2025. For instance, you can save over $300 on a yearly subscription to the MMA Daily Report, which additionally includes the full weekly report (two reports in one!). After the pre-order event ends on November 1, the retail price of the Forecast 2025 print edition increases to $66, the eBook price increases to $55, and the subscription reports return to their normal prices. ORDER NOW AND SAVE BIG BUCKS!

 MMA is also offering 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 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 the print copy will be mailed shortly after 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 potential, 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 valuable 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 October 7, 2024, is now available for viewing by clicking here.

To pre-order Forecast 2025 now, please click here.

 NOTE 2: YOUR PERSONAL “JUPITER REPORT — YOUR MOMENTS OF OPPORTUNITY” IS NOW AVAILABLE!!! This newest product is written by Raymond Merriman. It is a 30-40 page report that all traders (and even non-traders) will find to be of great value. It identifies the times during the year when Jupiter transits are highlighted in your natal chart. It delineates the meaning of Jupiter’s transits to your natal planets and angles over a 14-month period (including one month before your order and one month after the year ends). Why is this valuable? Because transits of Jupiter identify special opportunities for financial gains, success in one’s career and social life, popularity, and good fortune (luck) when under harmonious aspects and used correctly. However, they can also indicate periods of misjudgments leading to losses if Jupiter is afflicted and one is not properly prepared. As an added bonus, each transit is ranked from –3 to +3 in terms of favorability for trading. Traders may find this most valuable! Would you like to know when you are under a +3 transit and, therefore, most likely to experience trading successes? Or a –3 transit with stronger-than-usual potential for misjudgments and losses? You betcha! The cost for your 14-month Jupiter Report is $69. Click here to order!!!

Here is what others say about the new Jupiter Report, which was launched less than one month ago:

“I want to let you know how much I like the Jupiter Report. It is very detailed and informative! The graphs with the orb dates are very helpful.” — D.M.

 “The new report on Jupiter is very well done. The interpretations are insightful and inspiring, and the report itself is aesthetically pleasing and extremely informative as well as easy to read.” — H.V.A.

NOTE 3: THE OCTOBER-NOVEMBER ISSUE OF THE MMA Monthly Cycles Report Plus+, edited by Pouyan Zolfagharnia, will be issued on late Tuesday of this week, one day later than usual due to a scheduling conflict. 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 features 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. For further information and ordering instructions, please click here.

 NOTE 4: THIS IS THE LAST WEEK TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SPECIAL ONE-MONTH SUBSCRIPTION TO THE MMA APP! The MMA Solar-Lunar App now offers reversal signals on the NASDAQ to all subscribers! Now there are four markets with daily weighted values provided: the DJIA, NASDAQ, Gold, and Silver. To celebrate the launch of the new NASDAQ feature, we are offering a one-month special rate of $24.99 to all new and existing subscribers (the normal rate is $39.99/mo.), ending October 31. Sign up now for a one-month trial before October 31, and receive the daily signals for one month for only $24.99!

This app is an ideal tool to have in your back pocket if you are a short-term swing trader looking for high-probability dates that identify isolated lows and highs in the DJIA, NASDAQ, Gold, and Silver markets. Since it was first introduced three months ago, it has been uncannily accurate in identifying swing lows and highs in each market. It is available only on Apple products (iPhone and iPad) at this time, although we are getting close to developing it for Android phones, too, possibly by the end of this year.

How does it work? Based on historical frequencies, 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). Built into the app are instructions for ideal setups and explanatory FAQs. It’s pretty amazing!

P.S. The MMA Solar/Lunar App gives each market an average of one trade per week every five trading days. It is designed for “swing trades” looking for 2-5% moves from isolated lows or highs. If you like active trading signals based on solar/lunar combinations, the MMA App is for you!

To learn more about the MMA App, click here. To order it, go to Apple’s App Store and type in Merriman Solar/Lunar Reversals.

 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! Thomas has an excellent voice and brings the weekly column to life in a personable and, at times, humorous fashion. 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

December 8, 2024: Save the date!!! This will be on Sunday of our next three-star critical reversal date (CRD) zone. It will, therefore, be the next scheduled MMA Options Webinar with options veteran Derek Panaia and Ray Merriman. Registration details will be ready soon for registration. Stay tuned!

 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 several other 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). SIGN UP NOW for the best rate before the next cutoff date.

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, 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.