Is another bad earnings season upon us? In early February 2023, we outlined how earnings recession was becoming more apparent in the tech sector, with a myriad of companies reporting massive declines in net profit on a yearly basis for 2022. Now, with the upcoming earnings season for the first quarter of 2023, we do not expect the corporate figures to get any better. In fact, we anticipate further declines in corporate profits, more outlook downgrades, and higher operating costs for many tech companies. As a result, we think this season will bring more uncertainty into the market and fortify the notion of unraveling recession in the U.S. economy.
As for the short-term, we are unsure how much higher QQQ can go. Therefore we will pay close attention to the price action and volume. At the same time, we will observe QQQ’s ability to hold above the immediate support at $313.68. It will be bullish if it manages to stay above this level. However, a breakdown below it may indicate a reversal on the horizon; in such case, we will observe Support 1 at $310.08 and its ability to stop a price decline. Regarding the upside, we will watch Resistance 1 and Resistance 2 at $321.51 and $334.42.
Beyond these short-term and medium-term fluctuations, our outlook remains unchanged. With worsening data in the U.S. economy, we expect something to snap down the road, causing QQQ to revisit its 2022 lows. Our assessment comes from the fact that the market is currently pricing in multiple rate cuts by the end of 2023. However, we do not think the FED will be able to deliver them with persistently high inflation; as a matter of fact, even Jerome Powell dismissed any plans for rate cuts in 2023 during his last FOMC press conference. Moreover, as if it was not enough, the median forecast for the FED funds rate is still above the current rate, suggesting that interest rates should be higher than they are right now. Similarly worrying is FED’s unemployment forecast, which implies a recession since, historically, each 1% increase in unemployment was accompanied by one.
Illustration 1.01
The picture above shows the daily chart of QQQ. Red and green arrows depict the relationship between the price and volume. While the recent drop in volume might suggest a decline in selling pressure (after the selloff between February and March 2023), it can also indicate the evaporation of buyers near the current price levels. In general, declining volume and the rising price is questionable development. Therefore, we will keep an eye on this in the following days to get more clues about the whole picture.
Technical analysis gauge
Daily time frame = Bullish
Weekly time frame = Slightly bullish (weak trend)
*The gauge does not necessarily indicate where the market will head. Instead, it reflects the constellation of RSI, MACD, Stochastic, DM+-, ADX, and moving averages.
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DISCLAIMER: This analysis is not intended to encourage any buying or selling of any particular securities. Furthermore, it should not be a basis for taking any trade action by an individual investor. Therefore, your own due diligence is highly advised before entering a trade.
