20:15 GMT - SPX End of Day Update

With the high at 1196.14 remaining intact, the possibility that we've seen a top to the rally from the August low at that high  is still on the table. However, the bullish count still allows for the possibility of a further high  in order to complete that rally.

The charts below show a close up of recent action. For the bigger picture please see the 60 min counts page where the bearish count is shown on the charts of Options 1 and 2 and the bullish count is shown on the chart of Option 3.

Bearish count:

Chart 1: SPX 1 min - bearish count: 

The main count shown in Friday's end of day update was invalidated today, leaving the i-ii count that I had shown as an alternate. The invalidation point for this count is 1196.14, but realistically, I don't want to see the high at 1195.81 get taken out at this stage.  

For this count to have any prospect, we must take out the low at 1171.70. However, as explained in the intra day updates, taking out that low doesn't guarantee that we've topped, since the bullish count can accommodate a drop below that low.

As you can see, I've labelled the decline from today's high as the early stages of wave iii down. I think it now makes sense that the initial decline to 1186.41 was the first complete 5 waves down, rather than as I had labelled it in my last post. This is simply because the decline after that low is now probably more like a 3rd wave than the 5th wave that I was expecting when looked at in the context of the move down from the 1195.81 high. 

If the labelling I've shown is correct, I'll want to see the retracement for wave (4) stay below the low of wave (1) at 1186.42. If we break above that low on this assumed wave (4) retracement, then the labelling will need to be reviewed.  One possibility will be that we're in a (1)-(2)-1-2 down from the 1195.81 high, as shown as an alternate in the chart above, in which case, we have to stay below the high labelled (2) at 1189.11.

Taking out that high would certainly increase the odds of more upside in the bullish count.

Here's the close up chart I posted earlier, updated with the latest labelling - the bear count is the main labelling:

Chart 2: SPX 1 min close up from the 1195.81 high:

Turning to the bullish count, as mentioned, its possible that today's high marked a top for that count too, as shown as the alternative on Chart 3 below. In that case, the bear count for the decline from today's high shown on Chart 2 above would apply.

However, it remains possible that we are still only in wave (iv) of the rally from the August low on the bullish count. This is the main labelling on Chart 3 below.

Bullish count:

Chart 3: SPX 1 min - bullish count:

So, on the main labelling, I've assumed that today's early push out of the triangle was wave v of (iii) and that we're now in wave (iv). If this is right, potential retracement levels for wave (iv) would be 1159 (23.6%) and 1136 (38.2%). Theoretically, this wave (iv) could go all the way down to just above the wave (i) high at 1065.21 without invalidating the count. In reality, I'd consider the count unlikely, even though it wouldn't be invalidated, long before that.

If we take out the high at 1195.81 now, I'd have to start thinking that wave (iv) may already have bottomed.

The alternate labelling on Chart 2 above shows how I'm seeing wave (iv) at the moment.

So, on the counts as I've labelled them, the levels I'm watching are 1195.81 (above this level I'd consider that the balance shifts in favour of the bullish count, though the bear count won't actually be invalidated unless we take out 1196.14), 1186.42 (above that rules out the main bear labelling of the decline from 1195.81 shown on Chart 1 above),  1189.11 (above that rules out the alternate bear labelling shown on Chart 1 above) and 1171.70 (below which we must drop if we've seen a top at 1196.14, though it doesn't rule out the bullish count).

16:49 GMT - SPX Update on the bullish and bearish count - possible count from today's high

If we have topped on the bearish count as suggested in the first chart in my last post, I'd be looking to label the decline from today's high something along the lines shown as the main labelling on the following chart:

SPX 1 min close up from today's high:

As you can see, it looks to me like we need another leg down to complete a larger 5 waves down from the high. It may be that 5 waves down completed where I have wave 3 labelled, by making wave 2 an expanded flat ending where I have the wave ii of 3 label currently. However, the rally from the wave 3 low is about a 38.2% retracement of wave 3, so presently consistent with a 4th wave so I'll stick with that count for the moment, but its worth keeping the other possibility in mind.

The alternate labelling shown relates to the bullish count and assumes that today's high was wave (iii) of [i] of C and we're now in wave (iv). Here's the larger picture chart of the bullish count:

SPX 1 min - bullish count:

If the alternate labelling on this chart applies, and we've in fact topped on this count, then the count in the first chart above for an impulse down in formation would apply here too.

On the bearish count, we need to stay below 1195.81 now and we have to take out the low at 1171.80 in a clear impulsive fashion. Until we do that, further upside remains on the table.

Bear in mind that taking out 1171.70 isn't a guarantee that the bearish count is playing out or that the bullish count topped as per the alternate labels. Wave (iv) on the main labelling on the bullish count can take out that low without invalidating the count, so we'll just have to watch the character of any further decline and retracements to try to judge whether the bullish or bearish counts are playing out. 

However, as long as we're above 1171.70, I'd consider that further upside is likely.

14:48 GMT - SPX Update on the bullish and bearish counts

The bearish count has been pushed pretty much to its limit so now has to keep dropping. If we don't, chances are this will be invalidated and the bullish counts will take over:

SPX 1 min - bear count:

On the bullish count, the triangle looks best as complete rather than on-going, as shown in the chart below:

SPX 1 min - bullish count:

So, on this count, we're in wave v of (iii) or wave (v) up. We now need to stay above the wave [E] low at 1182.20 or there will likely be something wrong with this count.

13:59 GMT - SPX Update

The main bearish count shown in Friday's end of day update was invalidate so the alternate comes into play, with the invalidation point at 1196.14:

SPX 1 min bear count:

On the bullish count, we may be completing wave [D] of the trinagle wave iv (or (iv)). If we exceed 1196.14, its likely we completed the triangle at the low labelled wave (B) of [D] (or possibly at the low of 1177.10 and have started the next leg up:

SPX 1 min bullish count: