S&P 500 Flashes Bearish Signals: Head and Shoulders Pattern Emerges
Published At: Jan 04, 2025 by
Gareth Soloway
The S&P 500 is exhibiting a classic head and shoulders pattern on the daily chart, a bearish indicator that suggests a potential trend reversal. This pattern typically triggers a sell-off when the price breaks below the neckline, currently sitting around 5,850. If this support level gives way, we could see a decline to the calculated target of 5,600.
Adding to the bearish outlook, several warning signs are flashing red:
- Overvalued Market: Valuations are reaching extreme highs, making the market susceptible to a correction.
- Overbought Conditions: Technical indicators are signaling overbought conditions, suggesting that the upward momentum is waning.
- Weakening Breadth: Market breadth, as measured by the advance-decline ratio, remains weak, indicating that fewer stocks are participating in the rally.
- Dow's Downward Streak: The Dow Jones Industrial Average recently experienced its longest streak of down days since the 1970s, another sign of underlying weakness.
Swing Trading Strategy:
For swing traders, the current strategy favors shorting the S&P 500. However, if the index breaks out to new all-time highs, it would invalidate this bearish outlook and signal a continuation of the uptrend.