Stocks in year end rally

Stocks in New York rose 2% on renewed hopes that government support for the auto industry would stave off bankruptcy. The Dow closed at 8668 and the S&P at 890. The rally in the US followed world markets higher as Mumbai was also up 2% with the Sensex at 9716 and the Nifty at 2979.

This rally was expected in advance of the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction, although the Indian markets have been extra strong, perhaps as a result of the end of Indo-Pak tensions. Tomorrow may well see another up day, although with the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction coming exact before trading in the US, it is possible that the rally may sputter somewhat.

Forecast for week of Dec 29 - Jan 2

Stocks in New York declined 2% last week as the tense Saturn-Neptune aspect continued to lurk in the background. The indexes stubbornly stayed above key support levels as the Dow closed Friday at 8515 and the S&P at 872. The immediate source of the negativity seemed to come from the Mars-Jupiter aspect as investors remained cautious before Christmas. The New Moon of December 27th suggests a mixed picture for January as malefic Mars-Pluto rises but Venus and Neptune are in exact conjunction. This is perhaps more evidence that the month to come may feature both a significant decline and a substantial rally. The optimism and idealism reflected in the Venus-Neptune conjunction is well expressed in the Obama inauguration on January 20. This will likely coincide will some kind of rise in the markets.

This week Saturn makes its retrograde station on Wednesday at 27 degrees of Leo. By itself this may not be a bearish influence, but given the Neptune aspect, it takes on a much larger importance. It is one of the reasons that we're likely to see more downward pressure on the market over the next week or two. On Wednesday, there is a conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter which may give some boost to the market, although it is more likely to occur before the aspect becomes exact.

Stocks in Mumbai were in sharp retreat last week as the major indices fell 7% with the Nifty settling at 2857 and the Sensex at 9328. Profit taking from the December rally and increased nervousness of the the tensions between India and Pakistan forced stocks lower. The near term outlook remains negative as Wednesday's Saturn retrograde station will closely aspect the natal Jupiter in the NSE horoscope. The New Moon at 12 Sagittarius is in close aspect with natal Saturn which is another bearish indicator for the Indian markets in the coming weeks.

Stocks slump further

New York continued its listless mood as the outlook for 2009 weighed on investors' minds. The Dow managed to stay above the 8400 support level but closed down 1% at 8419 while the S&P ended the day at 863. Stocks in Mumbai were negative from the open and fell over 2% as the Nifty closed at 2968 and the Sensex at 9686. Indian stocks remain above their 50 day moving average but seem ripe for a sell off.

I had thought we would see more upside by now with the Mercury-Venus-Uranus aspect. Time is running out for any last ditch rally before we head decisively lower. New York could rise Wednesday, but I'm less optimistic about Mumbai's chances. It will be interesting to see the effect of the midday (IST) Moon-Mars-Jupiter alignment. Given that Mumbai went higher in the December bounce, it is more vulnerable to profit-taking. Nifty 2525 is now very much on the table.

Stocks fall on grim outlook for 2009

Stocks in New York fell almost 2% today on the broader averages as a growing number of forecasts indicated another tough year for 2009. The Dow bounced off its intraday lows and closed at 8519 and the S&P ended at 871. Indian stocks also lost ground today as the Nifty weakened at the end of the day to close at 3039 and the Sensex at 9928. The pullback was no real surprise, especially in the US with the Moon squaring the nodes.

We may see a bounce tomorrow however. India looks quite negative at the open, so the Nifty will likely trade below 3000 before noon. However, a close in the green is still possible. And it's possible that sentiment will fully reverse by the close in New York with more upside possible by Wednesday.

Market Forecast -- week of December 22 - 26

Our bearish forecast notwithstanding, US stocks were mostly unchanged last week as the Dow closed Friday at 8579 and the S&P at 887. I had thought we would see more downside with the alignment of malefic planets, particularly the Mars-Saturn aspect. Monday saw stocks fall but they did not come close to even the 8400 support level. Tuesday's rally was not unexpected either, as Venus conjoined Rahu. But the late week decline was also a rather tepid affair as the market remains stuck in a fairly narrow trading range between 8500-9000.

It's important to note that the negative energy of the aspect between slow moving Saturn and Neptune has not disappeared. It is likely to be manifest sometime soon and is awaiting the proper planetary trigger. I mistakenly though the Sun-Mars would be sufficient, but as always astrology, the science that is not one, is rarely as straightforward as it seems. This week doesn't appear to have anything that will break us out of this trading range, although a rally is possible midweek on the Mercury-Venus aspect. Friday may be a harbinger of steeper declines to come, however, with the approach of the Mars-Pluto conjunction. Given the violent potential contained within these planets, it is possible this may be related to a geopolitical event that shakes market confidence. In any event, I think we will likely see the low around the first week of January 2009.

Stocks in Mumbai continued their winning ways last week as the major indices rose 5%. The Nifty closed at 3077 and the Sensex at 10,099. The late week Mars transit to the NSE ascendant did not bring declines but rather actually saw some gains. I'm a little puzzled by this market strength but remained convinced that this is another bear market rally that cannot be trusted to go much higher. Nifty 3150 seems like a solid resistance level.

While some gains are possible Tuesday or Wednesday, Indian stocks are likely to finish near or slightly below current levels this week. The Mars-Pluto conjunction early next week has the added feature of exactly aspecting the natal Mars in the Indian independence horoscope. This is a combination of planetary energies that speaks to sudden or even violent actions that may fall outside of the financial arena. The natal Mars in the India chart is in the 2nd house of finances however, so the most likely expression of this energy is simply more financial turbulence. Nonetheless, we should be open to all possibilities.

I think the US dollar will recover further in the coming weeks, with corresponding losses in gold.

US stocks fall for second day

Wall St. sold off amidst news of a GE debt downgrade and the increased possibility of an auto bankruptcy. The Dow was down over 2% to 8605 while the S&P closed at 885. Earlier in the day, Indian stocks rallied 3% as the Sensex closed at 10,076 and the Nifty at 3060.

I think we're likely to see another negative day tomorrow worldwide in advance of the Sun-Pluto conjunction. There is a good chance that it will be larger than today's decline in the US. These are December's dark days to be sure. While next week may be somewhat better, I get the feeling that the market still hasn't finished testing the downside here. Saturn's station on the 31st looms large.

US stocks fall back

Stocks in New York fell about 1% as traders took some profits after yesterday big run-up. The Dow closed at 8824 and the S&P at 904. In Mumbai, the major indices fell 3% as the winning streak came to an end. The Sensex ended the day at 9715 and the Nifty at 2954. The US dollar sell off continued as the Euro and Gold rose 3%.

In the wake of the Sun-Jupiter aspect, this decline was not unexpected as the positive energy was no longer available to push up prices. I had thought the US dollar might have turned around by now, but the Euro chart does show a couple of obviously positive contacts in effect today amidst all the tense ones: tr Venus conjunct the natal Uranus and tr Jupiter still conjunct the natal Venus. The Euro (and gold) may squeeze one more day out of this rally before coming back down to earth. Tomorrow could be a big down day for US stocks as Moon conjoins Saturn during the trading day. India may avoid the worst of it until Friday.

Market rallies as Fed cuts rates to zero

Ben Bernanke provided the fuel for a big 5% rally on Wall St as the Fed chair cut rates to as low as zero. The Dow closed at 8924 and the S&P at 913. Indian stocks were also higher as the Sensex closed at 9976 and the Nifty at 3041.

While the up day in New York was not surprising, the strength of the rally was. I think tomorrow may see a shift however and the end of the week still looks bearish to me. I'm not convinced that this rally is for real. There will be still significant declines before January.

US stocks fall; Mumbai rises

Worries over manufacturing pushed stocks 1% lower in New York today as the Dow closed at 8564 and the S%P at 868. Mumbai continued its winning ways as the Nifty ended the session 2% higher at 2981 and the Sensex at 9832.

The modest decline in New York was somewhat disappointing given the harash planetary architecture in effect. Even if we see some buoyancy tomorrow, I'm sticking to my basic position that the downside this week will be greater than any upside. Mumbai looks relatively stronger, but it, too, will eventually succumb. How much lower it will fall remains an open question, however.

Forecast for week of Dec 15 - 19

US stocks ended mostly unchanged on the week as the Dow closed Friday at 8629 and the S&P at 879. The forecast early week rise to 9000 came off more or less as expected, but the decline afterwards was fairly modest. While Friday's open took the Dow down towards 8400, the market rallied through the rest of the day, despite the malefic Full Moon configuration and the failure of the auto bailout plan in the Senate. As Mars perfects its square to Saturn on Monday, it's hard to imagine the market going much higher this week. Declines would seem to be more in keeping with the planetary energy. A midweek rise is more likely given the Venus-Rahu conjunction on Tuesday and Wednesday. Rahu symbolizes acquisitiveness and compulsive behaviour and Venus is connected with money so we may see a strong up day. Mercury is in aspect with Rahu later in the week, so that could give some investors second thoughts and take the market down again.

Indian stocks rose 7% last week on hopes that China's stimulus package would help avoid the worst of the slowdown. The Nifty closed Friday at 2921 and the Sensex at 9690. While the early week rise was anticipated, the absence of a late week pullback was something of a disappointment. I think Mumbai will likely catch up on the downside this week as transiting Mars conjoins the ascendant in the NSE chart. At least one strong up day is likely, however, so the overall losses may be tempered somewhat. I think Indian markets are vulnerable to sell offs over the next two weeks as transiting Saturn is coming to its retrograde station on 31 December exactly conjunct the natal Moon in the 8th house in the Sensex chart. This doesn't mean the market will be completely negative until that time, but it will probably mean that any rallies will not get far as selling pressure will never be far away.

The US dollar sank a little further last week as the Euro and Gold moved higher. I think the US dollar will likely move higher this week, and likely continue to be strong through to the end of the month.

New York falls on worries over auto bailout

New York shares fell over 2% as worries over the possibility that no auto bailout would be reached in Congress prompted an afternoon sell off. The Dow closed at 8565 and the S&P at 873. Asian stocks were mixed and Mumbai was largely unchanged after a strong rally at the close as the Nifty ended the session at 2920 and the Sensex at 9645.

It looks as though all that negative planetary energy is finally catching up to the market here. Asia should be down significantly Friday (probably below 2850 on the Nifty) and New York will probably continue to move lower. There's some support at Dow 8100 so it may not breach that level until early next week. It's still possible we could see a huge sell off Friday in New York, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it. Let's see what transpires.

New York up modestly, Mumbai gains 5%

Wall St managed to rally near the close today and closed up about 1%. The Dow ended at 8761 while the S&P finished at 899. Mumbai resumed trading after the holiday closure and added 5% as the Nifty closed at 2928 and the Sensex at 9654.

It may be that the bulk of the forecast decline to 8000 or below will have to wait until early next week. Friday still looks very bearish, but tomorrow is more ambiguous.

New York stocks fall on earnings worries

Not even Jupiter entering sidereal Capricorn could buoy the market today as stocks fell more than 2% as stock indices bounced off the 50-day moving average. The Dow ended the session at 8691 while the S&P closed at 888. Mumbai was shut for a holiday.

I think the applying square aspect between the Sun and Uranus took precedence over any Jupiter bullishness. With Mars following close behind the Sun, it's hard to see much upside this week, although I would not rule out an up day along the way. Some kind of intraday rally may be possible towards the close tomorrow with the Moon moving into a trine aspect withJupiter.

US stocks extend rally; Mumbai halves gains at close

Stocks in New York rallied over 3% today as the Dow closed at 8934 and the S&P at 909. The Dow also finally managed a potentially significant technical achievement by rising to its 50-day moving average for the first time in two months as it briefly traded above 9000. The gain in America followed optimism worldwide as stocks in India also ended significantly higher. The Nifty closed at 2784 although it had traded as high as 2850 in the morning. The Sensex ended the day at 9162.

The Mercury ingress to sidereal Sagittarius has proven to be a bullish influence and so we await the exact ingress of Jupiter into sidereal Capricorn tomorrow (EST). It is possible that the markets will manage another up day here although I am not certain of the outcome.

Forecast for week of Dec 8- 12

US Stocks fell 2% last week on the heels of Monday's triple conjunction of Moon-Venus-Jupiter. The Dow closed at 8635 while the S&P ended Friday at 876. While I had expected more upside near the time of conjunction, it was a reminder that the energy contained in most aspects lies at the 'front end' when the planets are applying and once they come exact the energy dissipates very quickly. As it turned out the Venus-Jupiter conjunction perfected in the overnight hours Monday (EST) and not even the approach of the Moon midday was enough to revive positive sentiment. Overseas markets started to fall very close to the time of the Venus-Jupiter conjunction. Once the Moon had perfected its aspect to both Venus and Jupiter, the market decline accelerated.

I think markets are headed into a minefield this week with the approaching Sun-Mars-Saturn-Neptune alignment. While some early week gains are possible on the sidereal ingresses of Mercury and Jupiter into Sagittarius and Capricorn respectively, markets will likely move significantly lower from these levels. One complicating factor is that the Sun will not be in exact alignment with Saturn until Saturday, which may lessen the level of negative energy on Friday. Friday still looks very negative as does next Monday when Mars will be in aspect to Saturn. It seems likely that we will see the Dow fall below 8000 here.

Indian markets also declined last week as the indices lost 1% with the Sensex closing at 8965 and the Nifty at 2714. Mercury conjoins the ascendant of the NSE chart on Monday so that should ensure a nice gain then. With Tuesday's holiday closing, it's harder to see much upside for the rest of the week. Transiting Rahu is in tense aspect with the natal Sun-Venus conjunction in the NSE chart so that bodes very poorly for Indian markets over the coming two weeks. A retest of the late October lows is likely.

This is shaping up a potentially tumultuous week in the global financial system as I expect the US dollar to spike on its safe haven status while gold and oil will continue to fall. But there's a good chance that there will be some kind of lasting bottom formed in the coming days that will be the launching point for a rally in early 2009.
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US stocks stage afternoon rally

After spending most of the day under water, US stocks rallied 3% in the afternoon as the Dow closed at 8635 and the S&P at 876. The gain followed losses in Asia as Indian markets fell 3% with the Sensex closing at 8965 and the Nifty at 2714.

American stocks continue to flirt with a final rally attempt towards 9000. As the 50-day moving average has now fallen below 9000 for the first time, that may be a sign that stocks may approach that level early next week. Stocks closed higher than expected today although much of the early trading was below 8200. I had thought the First Lunar Quarter might have yielded more bearishness but it was offset by the positive influence of the aspect from Mars, which was exalted in Capricorn in the navamsa.

US rally ends; Mumbai rises

US stocks slid 3% today on fears that GM may have moved one step closer to bankruptcy. The Dow traded above 8600 a couple of times today but sold off in the afternoon as sentiment buckled on the weight of a barrage of bad economic news. Earlier in the day, Indian stocks had moved 4% higher as the Nifty closed at 2788 and the Sensex at 9229.

The market is now quickly running out of time to make a move higher towards 9000 which now seems quite remote. I had thought today might be higher, but in all likelihood this downward afternoon move was a foreshadowing of a larger move down over the next two weeks. Tomorrow may be another big down day.

US stocks continue rally

Stocks in New York added another 2% to this fledgling rally as the Dow ended the day at 8591 while the S&P closed at 870. Shares were largely unchanged in India as the Nifty closed at 2656 and the Sensex at 8747.

Look for more gains tomorrow as the Dow makes a run at 9000. I doubt it will get there but it could well be close based on the strong navamsa conjunction of the Sun and Jupiter. I am expecting Thursday's gain to be bigger than today's, so that might mean something on the order of 3-5%. India will likely enjoy the lion's share of gains on Friday (IST).

US stocks bounce back 4%

Markets in Europe and America bounced back after yesterday's big sell off. The Dow closed at 8419 while the S&P ended the session at 848. In a fairly bullish move, the market retested the 8100 level twice and rallied at the close. Indian markets rallied off their morning lows and closed down only 1% as the Nifty ended at 2657 and the Sensex at 8739.

I think there's more positive planetary energy this week, although I think Thursday in the US may be better than Wednesday owing to the closer Sun-Jupiter conjunction in the navamsa chart then. Also Wednesday's US close may be bearish as the Moon approaches Neptune.

Dow plunges 8%

The recent rally in stocks came to an abrupt end today as stocks sold off sharply. The Dow opened gap down and kept falling through the day to end at 8149 while the S&P closed at 816. Indian stocks enjoyed decent gains early on as the Nifty rose above 2800 but fell through the afternoon and lost 2% over the day. The Nifty ended the session at 2682 while the Sensex stood at 8839.

As it turned out, the Venus-Jupiter conjunction lost its benefic strength a litttle earlier than expected. I had thought that we would see more upside today just as the aspect was perfected. However, the negative energy of the Mars-Ketu aspect took precedence and put an end to the rally. I don't think we're headed straight down from here and we should see some significant up days later on in the week. But Dow 9000 and Nifty 3000 looks increasingly improbable now as the shadow of that Scorpio New Moon is looking very foreboding.