Anticipating IWM's Turns - Market Analysis for Jan 16th, 2021
by Mike Paulenoff
January 16, 2021 • 12:26 PM EST
Last Wednesday afternoon (Jan 13), with the IWM at 210.76, Mike Paulenoff told MPTrader members:
"The Russell 2000 Small Cap ETF is just about 0.5% off of its all time high. As long as any weakness is contained above 204.30, my near-term pattern set up from the 1/04 pullback low at 190.94 is poised for still higher ATHs above 211.73."
The IWM reached a high of 215 the very next day.
Meanwhile, Mike had also cautioned: "Juxtaposed against the above-mentioned constructive near-term pattern set up is a glaring negative Momentum Divergence (11/09 and 1/07), that provides us with an anecdotal warning signal that strength is on borrowed time, nearing exhaustion. Take the signal for what it's worth-- a warning, until the music stops in IWM."
In fact, on Friday, with IWM at 211.27, he wrote: "All eyes on 209.20 nearest support in IWM, which, if violated and sustained, will trigger an initial sell signal."
IWM pressed to a low at 208.26, triggering that preliminary sell signal.
What's next for IWM? Friday's move is certainly a warning signal that IWM is vulnerable to a meaningful correction after climbing 48% from its 9/24 pivot low, far outpacing the 22% gain for QQQ, and the 19% gain in SPY during the same time period. The Small Cap Index has a habit of leading into BOTH directions, which is precisely why Mike is closely tracking its set up for MPTrader members.
Join Mike in our MPTrader trading room for his technical updates and member conversation about IWM, as well as many stocks, ETFs, Indices, and commodities.
Mike Paulenoff is the author of MPTrader.com, a real-time diary of his technical analysis & trade alerts on
ETFs for precious metals, energy, currencies, and an array of equity indices and sectors, including international
markets, plus key ETF component stocks in sectors like technology, mining, and banking.
Sign up for a Free 7-day Trial!
More Top Calls From Mike
Eight weeks ago, Mike Paulenoff discussed the budding technical setup and upside breakout in CRWD (CrowdStrike Holdings) with our MPTraders members, writing:"CRWD has followed the bullish scenario we discussed in late August, and in fact, today (10/06/23) has thrust above 5 months of resistance to new recovery high territory at 176.32. Although my next optimal upside target zone is 190-200, the BIG picture setup points to 230-240 thereafter... Last is 174.86...
On Monday morning, November 13, 2023, a full 5 trading sessions before the approaching November Options Expiration (OPEX) (11/17/23), I posted my chart-based commentary for our members:SPY-- Considering that Friday is November Option Expiration, where are the "magnetized strike prices" as we start OPEX week? Based on my attached Hourly Chart, the magnetized strike price zone spans from 436 to 441. Should SPY take out the upside barrier of 441, then the follow-through outlier magnetized target could be as high as 450 before or on Friday.
On October 23, 2023, ten days before the November 1st FOMC meeting and policy statement, I posted the following commentary about the downward-spiraling TLT (20+ year T-bond ETF):My attached 4-hour Chart of TLT shows that the relentless and near-vertical downtrend that commenced at the beginning of August from around 100 hit a new long-term low at 81.92 this AM, positioning it in my intermediate-term optimal downside target zone from 80 to 82.
On the afternoon of September 25, Mike Paulenoff posted a warning signal to MPTraders members about the developing acute oversold condition in RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies), writing:"RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies) hit a new multi-month corrective low of 71.02, down 33% from the 4/10/23 post-pandemic High at 106.02. Although RTX has violated my optimal target window of 73-75, the stair-step corrective pattern off of the 4/19/23 high at 104.
On October 3, Mike Paulenoff posted the following "Heads Up!" about GLD (SPDR Gold Trust, ETF) for MPTrader members: "GLD has pressed to an important technical inflection window from 169.50 down to 166.30, from where I will be expecting corrective downside exhaustion off of the 5/04/23 high at 191.36, and new buying interest. From a nearer-term perspective, given the acute oversold but CONFIRMED Momentum reading of 17.16 an hour ago, my preferred scenario argues for another loop down that marginally violates today's low at 168.
