A small inside day sees the Elliott wave count remain the same.
Summary: Look for price, if it gets down that low, to find very strong support about the lower (2)-(4) trend line, which is drawn on all main wave count charts.
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New updates to this analysis are in bold.
Grand SuperCycle analysis is here.
Last in-depth historic analysis with monthly and several weekly charts is here, video is here.
There are multiple wave counts at this time at the weekly and monthly chart levels. In order to make this analysis manageable and accessible only two will be published on a daily basis, one bullish and one bearish. This does not mean the other possibilities may not be correct, only that publication of them all each day is too much to digest. At this stage, they do not diverge from the two possibilities below.
BULLISH ELLIOTT WAVE COUNT
FIRST WEEKLY CHART
Cycle wave b may be a single zigzag. Zigzags subdivide 5-3-5. Primary wave C must subdivide as a five wave structure and may be either an impulse or an ending diagonal. Overlapping at this stage indicates an ending diagonal.
Within an ending diagonal, all sub-waves must subdivide as zigzags. Intermediate wave (4) must overlap into intermediate wave (1) price territory. This diagonal is expanding: intermediate wave (3) is longer than intermediate wave (1) and intermediate wave (4) is longer than intermediate wave (2). Intermediate wave (5) must be longer than intermediate wave (3), so it must end above 1,398.41 where it would reach equality in length with intermediate wave (3).
Within the final zigzag of intermediate wave (5), minor wave B may not move beyond the start of minor wave A below 1,236.54. However, if it were now to turn out to be relatively deep, it should not get too close to this invalidation point as the lower (2)-(4) trend line should provide strong support. Diagonals normally adhere very well to their trend lines.
Within the diagonal of primary wave C, each sub-wave is extending in price and so may also do so in time. Within each zigzag, minor wave B may exhibit alternation in structure and may show an increased duration.
Within intermediate wave (1), minor wave B was a triangle lasting 11 days. Within intermediate wave (3), minor wave B was a regular flat lasting 60 days. Intermediate wave (5) is expected to be longer in price than intermediate wave (3), and it may also be longer in duration, and so minor wave B within it may also be longer in duration.
This first weekly chart sees the upwards wave labelled primary wave A as a five wave structure. It must be acknowledged that this upwards wave looks better as a three than it does as a five. The fifth weekly chart below will consider the possibility that it was a three.
FIRST DAILY CHART
Minor wave B may be a double zigzag, which may be close to completion.
The first zigzag in the double is labelled minute wave w. The double is joined by a three in the opposite direction, a double zigzag labelled minute wave x. The second zigzag in the double is labelled minute wave y, and it is deepening the correction, which is the purpose of second zigzags.
Minute wave y may end at support at the lower black (2)-(4) trend line, which is copied over here from the weekly chart. This is the lower diagonal trend line.
At lower time frames, it still looks like minuette wave (c) needs a final fifth wave downwards to complete it. The best way to look for an end to minor wave B would be to look for support at the lower black (2)-(4) trend line, but it may not get that low.
HOURLY CHART
After analysing minuette wave (c) on the five minute chart, it looks fairly likely that subminuette wave v is incomplete.
At this stage, it looks like sideways movement may be subminuette wave iv.
Subminuette wave v may still need to make final lows before a trend change.
Use the lower (2)-(4) trend line on the daily and weekly charts for final support.
BEARISH ELLIOTT WAVE COUNT
FIFTH WEEKLY CHART
There were five weekly charts published in the last historic analysis. This fifth weekly chart is the most immediately bearish wave count, so this is published as a bearish possibility.
This fifth weekly chart sees cycle wave b as a flat correction.
If cycle wave b is a flat correction, then within it primary wave B must retrace a minimum 0.9 length of primary wave A at 1,079.13 or below. The most common length of B waves within flats is from 1 to 1.38 times the length of the A wave. The target calculated would see primary wave B end within this range.
Primary wave B may be subdividing as a regular flat correction, and within it both intermediate waves (A) and (B) subdivide as three wave structures. Intermediate wave (B) fits as a triple zigzag.
I have only seen two triple zigzags before during my 10 years of daily Elliott wave analysis. If this wave count turns out to be correct, this would be the third. The rarity of this structure is identified on the chart.
FIFTH DAILY CHART
Minor wave 1 may have been a relatively brief impulse over at the low of the 8th of February.
Minor wave 2 may be over at the last high as a double zigzag. All subdivisions fit and all Elliott wave rules are met. The second zigzag in the double does deepen the correction, which is its purpose, although it is not by very much.
It is possible that a third wave, minor wave 3, began at the last high labelled minor wave 2. Minor wave 3 may only subdivide as an impulse.
Within minor wave 3, minute wave i may be over and minute wave ii may now be complete as a relatively brief and shallow zigzag.
Within minute wave iii, no second wave correction may move beyond the start of its first wave above 1,308.89.
This wave count now sees two first and second waves complete. An increase in downwards momentum is expected.
TECHNICAL ANALYSIS
WEEKLY CHART
Click chart to enlarge. Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com.
Of recent weeks, it is still an upwards week that has strongest volume.
On Balance Volume is right at support; this may halt the fall in price here.
However, this weekly candlestick is very strong; there is no bullish long lower wick. ADX now indicates a downwards trend in place here.
Overall, this chart is bearish. But volume and On Balance Volume still point to a possible false downwards breakout.
DAILY CHART
Click chart to enlarge. Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com.
It looks like the downwards breakout may still have been false, but before that can properly be concluded price needs to close back above 1,310. It has not done that yet.
Let us look back at major lows from November 2015 and see how price behaved in the days immediately after.
A major low was found on the 3rd of December, 2015. The following day for the 4th of December saw a strong Bullish Engulfing reversal pattern with support from volume, and it came with strong double bullish divergence between price and both of RSI and Stochastics. That low in hindsight looks fairly strong.
Another reasonable low was found on the 31st of May, 2016. There was no reasonable bullish divergence at the low between price and either of RSI or Stochastics. At the low, the candlestick had a bullish long lower wick (although with a reasonable upper wick, it is not properly a Hammer reversal pattern). The two days following the low for the 1st and 2nd of June were inconclusive; both closed red and could at the time have been considered a potential bear flag pattern developing; both had a balance of volume downwards but showed strongly declining volume. Not until the third day, with a very strong upwards day with support from volume to complete a very strong Bullish Engulfing reversal pattern, was a low set in place.
A major low was found on the 15th of December, 2016. At the low, the candlestick had a somewhat bullish long lower wick; volume for the last downwards day supported the fall in price; and, there was clear and strong bullish divergence between price and RSI and Stochastics. The next two days closed green but did not have support from volume. The following two days closed red and did have support from volume. At that stage, four days out from a major low, the short term volume profile was bearish and it looked like a bear flag pattern may be developing. It was not until seven days after the low on the 27th of December that a reasonable bullish day unfolded, and even then it did not have good support from volume. This low did not look clear.
The next low to study occurred on the 10th of March, 2017. That day was inconclusive, closing green, but the balance of volume was downwards and volume supported that downwards movement. At the low, there was no reasonable bullish divergence between price and either of RSI or Stochastics. It was not until three days after the low on the 15th of March that price bounced strongly to complete a strong Bullish Engulfing reversal pattern, which had good support from volume.
The next low to study occurred on the 9th of May, 2017. On that day RSI reached oversold, but there was no divergence between it and price nor price and Stochastics. Right up until six days after the low the short term volume profile could have been judged to be bearish; rising price did not have support from volume. It was clear a low was in place on the 17th of May as a very strong Bullish Engulfing reversal pattern unfolded with strong support from volume. The small bounce up until that date could have been judged to be a bounce within an ongoing downwards trend.
The next low to study occurred on the 10th of July, 2017. There was no divergence at the low between price and RSI, but there was strong clear bullish divergence between price and Stochastics. There were two candlesticks with bullish long lower wicks at the low, but volume remained lighter than the prior downwards day of the 9th of July. This looks like a selling climax in hindsight, but at the time it could have been judged to support downwards movement. Right up until the 14th of July, five days after the low, it could have been considered a bear flag pattern unfolding. On the 14th of July a strong Bullish Engulfing pattern unfolded with some support from volume.
The last low to study is a very important one on the 12th of December, 2017. This occurred after a downwards breakout below support, which was previously at 1,262. That downwards breakout was short lived; price remained below support for two weeks, and found a low only five days after the breakout. At the low, there was no bullish divergence between price and either of RSI or Stochastics. The first upwards day on the 13th of December had a wide range but a very small real body. It did have good support from volume, but volume remained lighter than most prior downwards days. After that low, price moved steadily higher for weeks, initially on light and declining volume. That low in hindsight was very difficult to pick.
Some conclusions may be drawn in relation to the current situation. The first and strongest conclusion is that lows for Gold (at least for the last two years and five months) are not always very clear at the time. Price can be weak in days immediately following lows; it can remain weak for about five to seven days following lows. Lows do not always come with divergence between price and RSI nor even price and Stochastics, but when they do that offers a clue.
Although the last few days have seen unexpected downwards movement, some suspicion may be had that this is a downwards breakout. ADX at this time indicates a downward trend is in place, but this is a lagging indicator. Look out for at least a short term bounce here, and do not be surprised if it begins to show some strength towards the end of this week. If it remains persistently weak, then short positions may be taken for a downwards trend (the new labelling for the fifth wave count could be correct). If it shows strength, that would support the first wave count; the downwards breakout may have been yet another false breakout.
At this stage, this daily chart is looking mostly bearish. But there is strong warning for the bearish case from now strong quadruple bullish divergence between price and Stochastics and weak bullish divergence between price and RSI.
A downwards trend is in place at this time. After a strong volume spike indicating a selling climax, a low may be reached not there but within a very few days. Look for new lows early this week as very likely. Next support is about 1,260.
GDX WEEKLY CHART
Click chart to enlarge. Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com.
Support about 20.80 has been tested about eight times and so far has held. The more often a support area is tested and holds, the more technical significance it has.
In the first instance, expect this area to continue to provide support. Only a strong downwards day, closing below support and preferably with some increase in volume, would constitute a downwards breakout from the consolidation that GDX has been in for a year now.
Resistance is about 25.50. Only a strong upwards day, closing above resistance and with support from volume, would constitute an upwards breakout.
Overall, a slow upwards swing may be underway. Do not expect it to move in a straight line; it may have downwards weeks within it.
GDX DAILY CHART
Click chart to enlarge. Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com.
Trend lines for On Balance Volume are adjusted; the bearish signal noted in last analysis was today negated.
Price is constrained.
Overall, this chart is neutral.
Published @ 08:44 p.m. EST.
Again, the low could be in.
For the bearish alternate, this downwards movement should now be a third wave at two degrees; minute and minor. For the bearish alternate this downwards movement should exhibit an increase in momentum. The fact is though, that it does not. So far.
Hi Lara,
It’s free Pro week at EWI, so thought I would share this and get your opinion. The analyst, Tom Denham seems to only have a bearish count at this time.
The Futures data they use looks like it has a higher 2016 top than your BarChart or my Tradingview data which gives the A-C trendline a decent slope. I don’t see much of an A-C trendline slope with our data.
Anyway, your thoughts?
Hey, that’s actually another very valid wave count for cycle b.
That fits well.
This is the first time in years that I’ve seen a count from EWI and totally agreed with it.
Time to add it to my existing five and update that big historic analysis I think. This is bearish, but not nearly as bearish as my current bearish wave count.
Thanks 🙂