Markets Recover from Expected Support Levels

The markets started on a weak note today and had lost about 60 points on the Nifty within the first half an hour and then started making a slow recovery from 4920. It took almost two hours for the market to recover all its losses for the day and just when it managed to reach yesterday’s prices at 4983, the industrial production data was announced. According to the data India's industrial production growth sunk to 3 per cent in March 2008 from 14.8 per cent a year ago and Index of Industrial Production grew at 8.1 per cent in FY 2007-08, down from 11.6 per cent in 2006-07. It took all of ten minutes for the markets to lose everything that it had gained in the last two hours, and even more. This time it made a low of 4915 and started its recovery from there.

This time around support was found at 4915, between our support levels of 4910-4930. And this time the buying seen seemed genuine because the Nifty recovered 97 points from the lows of the day and closed almost 30 points in the green. What triggered the buying is unknown. Maybe it was the technical support (between 4910 and 4930), maybe it was value buying (seems unlikely), maybe it was bottom fishing or bargain hunting (again unlikely because one doesn’t bottom fish when the sentiment is weak), but it definitely wasn’t the sentiment that had changed. A few days ago, in this column, I had mentioned that “technical analysis does help, but sentiment holds the key”. Is it time to change the phrase to – “sentiment doesn’t matter, only technical analysis helps”?

The Nifty is currently standing at resistance at 5020 as shown by the downtrending line. If it were to remain/go above 5020 after 10:30AM then its next target would be close to 5150.

On the daily chart of DLF, we can see that it has made a series of three doji candles (candles where opening price and closing price are the same or very close to each other) and suggests that the short term down trend may be over in this stock and it should see a reversal from these levels. Another positive in this chart is that the RSI is still above 40 and if DLF reverses from here then the RSI will also reverse and a reversal from 40 for the RSI is a good sign. The only negative that can be seen is that the RSI reversed from 60 when the last high was made and that means that it is still not in an uptrend. So, this time we should be careful when the RSI reaches 60 and should maintain a long position in the stock if the RSI were to cross 60. For now, it seems to be a good buy above today’s high of 640 with a stop loss near 607 for a target between 720 and 750 (and more if the RSI were to cross 60). Do not buy if the price doesn’t cross 640.

HDFC Ltd. rose from 2300 to 2900 levels, a move of over 25%, in just a matter of 10 days and then went through a brief consolidation, which has already lasted 8 days. A move above 2750 should confirm that the consolidation is over and it can give a move of another Rs.450/- in a matter of two weeks. If you can see the three trendlines on the chart, you can notice that it looks like an ‘F’ or a Flag complete with the staff. Look to buy above 2750 with a stop loss of 2600 for a target near 3200.

IDBI, after a sudden downfall, went into a phase of consolidation for over 3 months and finally broke through the trendline, only to see a pullback back to the trendline. It has support at the trendline at 98 and today’s doji suggests that the support may have been found. Look to buy above today’s high of 102 with a stop below 95 for a target of 130.

Happy Investing!!!

Read the Full Post Here

More Downside Expected

Some new pages have been added into this site yesterday, which give good information and news about the Indian and the World markets. Please click on the tabs on the top to go to the other pages. For now, one would have to refresh the page at short intervals so that the most recent data is available in front of you but we are trying to incorporate a feature of automatic updation, which may take a couple of days. I need help of some tech savvy people who can help me to incorporate this feature. Those willing to help may please contact me.

Looking at the 30 minute chart of Nifty today, we find that we are in a short term downtrend now. We had another lower high and a lower low, as well. And in the process the Nifty broke through its short term trendline, had a small pullback and found resistance at the same trendline and turned down again. In the short term we have a small support near 5070 but as of now, there are no indications that it will hold. We have some resistance near 5300. As already mentioned, we are in an intermediate downtrend and will remain in one for some more time, or at least till the time 5500 is breached on the upperside. This level may change with time. Below 5070, we may be looking at a target of 4900.

It was the day of the Futures and Options expiry today. Tomorrow, and maybe Monday, there will be some build up of positions in the new month, which may be a cause for some volatility. After that the volatility may decrease and then only can we get a clearer picture of the direction of the Nifty. For short term traders, one should take only short positions and some of them have been identified here.

Air Deccan has a little support near 168. If this support breaks, it may come down to 140. Sell near 167 (stay away in the first 15 minutes of the morning) with a stop loss of 185 for a target of 140-142.

Allahabad Bank seems to have made a small head and shoulders pattern, which is bearish for this banking stock. Notice the sudden increase in volumes in the last half an hour when the stock broke through the neckline. Look to sell below 107 with a stop loss of 118 for a target of 96.

Bata India has also made a bearish pattern with a breakdown below the support at 167 with a sudden increase in volumes on breakout. This shoe company looks as a good selling opportunity below 160 with a stop loss at 180 for a target of 135.

IDBI is another shorting candidate after it completed its bearish head and shoulders pattern. With a stop loss above 118, it seems a good sell below 110 for a target of 96.

MTNL has also made a bearish pattern with a breakdown below the neckline at 119 with a sudden increase in volumes in the last half hour. This telephone company is a good shorting opportunity below 118 with a stop loss at 126 for a target of 103.

Network 18 also seems to have made a head and shoulders pattern with the head and the shoulders marked in the chart. With a stop loss of 350, it seems worth selling below 320 for a target of 285.

Under normal circumstances, whenever the price increases, the volumes also should increase, as has been happening in this 30 minutes chart of Reliance Natural Resources Limited (RNRL). This has been marked by the blue lines in the chart. But notice the price and volume pattern in this last increase and decrease (marked by the thick purple lines) where volumes fell when the price was increasing and volumes rose when the price was falling. This is a bearish sign and RNRL has also failed to reach its upper resistance of 150. One can profit from selling it below 130 with a stop loss of 143 for a target of 110.

Happy investing!!!

Read the Full Post Here

Markets Remain Volatile

Whenever we trade in the markets, we either make a profit or we make a loss. Without any research and doing blind trades, our probability of making a profit is 50% (though, many of us would disagree, since more often than not, markets end up giving a loss rather than a profit). With Technical Analysis, we tend to increase our probability of making profitable trades, though only marginally. Technical Analysis helps us increase the probability to about 70%. And if we follow it religiously, we end up in the green over a period of time. Sometimes, markets do go against us even after proper fundamental and technical research. At those times, it is best to get out of losing trades with pre-decided stop losses. In volatile markets, such as these days, all our research may go for a six and these are the sort of days where stop losses come in handy. But to take profits from the markets, one has to accept losses too. That is a risk which one HAS to take.

The Nifty, as predicted in my earlier newsletters, is likely to remain in the broad range of 4500 to 5500 for sometime. A clear direction of the market can be predicted only after one of these levels has been broken. Till then, global and domestic events will keep disturbing the direction of the markets. In other words, till the global situation does not stabilise, we are likely to remain within this range and volatile movements, including gap up or gap down openings, are to be expected. In the long term the market is expected to remain bullish (at least till the time Nifty remains above 4500) and investors should buy on every dip. Traders should remain cautious with stop losses and should hedge their positions, or stay out of the market completely.

Hero Honda seems to be making an inverted head and shoulders pattern and a break through the trendline should confirm this pattern. Ignoring the movement in the first 15 minutes tomorrow, if it crosses above 710 after that then this pattern should be confirmed. One could consider buying it above 710 with a stop loss below 680 for a target of about 800.

IDBI seems to have broken out of this consolidation pattern and looks like it has started its upmove. A buy above 128 with a stop loss below 115 should give us a decent target of around 150. Avoid taking positions within the first 15 minutes of the opening of markets.

Same goes for Indian Hotels. This is looking very bullish to me. It not only seems to have broken out of the consolidation pattern but also has broken its downtrending line, which suggests that the uptrend may have resumed in this. Not sure about the price, but the RSI (Relative Strength Index) making an inverted head and shoulders pattern seems to confirm that the downtrend may be over. One could consider buying it above 142 with a stop loss below 125 for a target of 170.

I wonder whether this price chart of Tata Tea can be termed as an inverted head and shoulders pattern or not. Even if we consider that it is not a bullish head and shoulders pattern, then also it seems to have finished its downtrend. Not giving any targets as such, but buying it above 800 tomorrow with a stop below 740 should be a profitable move. It may face resistance between 950 and 1000.

Union Bank seems to have made a clear inverted head and shoulders pattern. Buying above 215 with a stop loss of 195 should be profitable for one who buys it. The target for this pattern could be between 260 and 270. It may face minor resistances near 225 and 235. While buying this should be profitable, yet one should be very careful because it is often said that "Clearer the pattern, the more likely it is to fail."

Happy investing!!!

Read the Full Post Here