Lets Talk ARKK Weekly Baby! Capitulation!
One of the most important chart patterns is the buying and selling climax. A classic example of the pattern, in the form of a potential selling climax (S/C) is showing up in the daily and weekly charts of ARKK. Climaxes are exhaustion patterns, they develop as the last needful seller (weak hands) capitulates and hits the bid. Sellers are essentially exhausted.
1) Selling climaxes exhaust the available supply and often mark an important change in the market state.
a. Even if they don't mark the end of a trend, they often lead to a period of consolidation. It is not unusual to see a trading range develop after the completion of the secondary test.
b. Climaxes are fractal, appearing in literally every time frame.
c. Climaxes appear after a long period of trend.
2) Climaxes typically appear concurrently with terrible news flow.
a. Late last week I overheard an obviously frustrated fund manager on Bloomberg state that "I'm liquidating and going back to the real fundamentals." Down nearly 60% over the course of the last year he, and many other investors were finally throwing in the towel.
3) Climax patterns occur on extremely heavy volume.
a. A clear reversal bar (often a key reversal) is typically evident.
b. But modern climaxes can take several days to complete.
c. Often the liquidated shares are distributed from weak hands, to strong hands.
d. The new buyers are not necessarily long term investors and they often take advantage of the reaction rally to take trading profits.
4) There is often a sharp rally just prior to the selling climax. Wyckoff labeled this as preliminary demand (P/D), a point where strong handed longs are beginning to accumulate shares. The P/D is an alert to begin monitoring for a selling climax. In the case of ARKK, this P/D warning did not occur.
5) Immediately following the S/C is the automatic rally (A/R). Since sellers have been exhausted, the A/R can often cover significant ground. Buyers of the selling climax often use this rally to sell a portion of the position built during the climax.
6) In the case of ARKK, there is a micro test of the S/C. The successful test set the stage for the A/R.
7) A much larger secondary test separated in time must be completed before the S/C can be trusted.
Its important to note WHERE the behavior is occurring. In past entries, I have talked about building confluences of support and resistance to create zones. These zones can then be monitored for patterns that are consistent with a change in trend.
1) Price is resting at the bottom of both short term and intermediate trend channels. I generally view channel tops and bottoms as more reliable indicators of overbought and oversold than most of the momentum suite of indicators. The two channel bottoms formed a support confluence in the 61.81 to 63.63 area.
2) There is a clear three wave move (A-B-C) that can be used to generate Fibo extension targets. I use the A-B-C pattern to generate three targets, 1, 1.382, 1.618%. The distance is then projected from the top of C. In this case the tool generated equality with the first wave at 63.38. You can use the Trend Based Fib Extension tool in MV to generate the calculation.
3) The three levels (two channels and 1 Fibo) produce a support confluence in the area between 61.81 and 63.38. This is the zone where the S/C occurred.
Most momentum oscillators are deeply oversold. I have included the weekly RSI to illustrate. Note the curl higher.
Odds are good that the selling in ARKK is essentially exhausted now. My guess, given the broader backdrop, is that it will form a trading range lasting several weeks, maybe months that will allow strong hands to redistribute shares before beginning a fresh markdown. But, opinion not withstanding, I will follow the evidence and clues as they build.
Good Trading:
Stewart Taylor, CMT
Chartered Market Technician
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