FinancialCyclesWeekly.com #0502 -- January 9-15, 02005 with Tim Bost

COMMENT: In one sense, it was an historic event. Early this past Thursday afternoon, a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened in Washington, with Senators and Congressmen gathering in the House chambers in the Capitol building. The occasion was the ratification of the Electoral College vote for president, and the outcome of the somewhat ritualistic, almost quaint, procedure was a foregone conclusion. George W. Bush would be duly certified as having been elected to a second term.

The whole thing didn't get much public attention. If you weren't watching C-Span, listening to Pacifica Radio, or following it on the internet, you probably weren't aware of it at all. Like the mainstream news media, many of America's lawmakers ignored the event. Some of them were off doing other things. In fact, only 73 of the 100 Senators bothered to show up for the occasion. And the humdrum process probably justified that choice, with delegates from state after state reporting that they were certifying the Presidential electors chosen by their voters, with the states getting the floor in alphabetical order.

By the time the reporting process got around to Ohio, however, it was hardly humdrum. That's when Rep. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, D-OH, invoked a law that has only been used twice since 1877. With the support of Senator Barbara Boxer of California, she stopped the ratification process, forcing Vice President Dick Cheney, who was presiding over the proceedings, to order both houses to recess for two hours of debate over the merits of the challenge to the legitimacy of the presidential voting in Ohio.

In the debate, the outcome was again a foregone conclusion. Without exception, Republicans in both chambers voted against sustaining the Ohio challenge. Many Democrats did so as well, following the lead of former presidential candidate John Kerry, who in an email to his colleagues said that "I will not be taking part in a formal protest of the Ohio Electors. Despite widespread reports of irregularities, questionable practices by some election officials and instances of lawful voters being denied the right to vote, our legal teams on the ground have found no evidence that would change the outcome of the election." Kerry was not present for the proceedings.

According to Boxer and Tubbs-Jones, a change in the outcome of the election was not the point. "I raise this objection neither to put the nation in the turmoil of a proposed overturned election nor to provide cannon fodder or partisan demagoguery for my fellow Republican Members of Congress," Tubbs-Jones said. "I raise this objection because I am convinced that we as a body must conduct a formal and legitimate debate about election irregularities. I raise this objection to debate the process and protect the integrity of the true will of the people."

Following the debate, 33 Representatives voted to sustain Ohio's protest; 260 voted against it. In the Senate, the vote was 1 for the measure; 72 against. But even though Senator Boxer was the only member of that body to vote in favor of the motion, a number of other Senators gave their verbal support--if not their vote--to Boxer, including Richard Durbin, Chris Dodd, Debbie Stabenow, Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, Ron Wyden, Edward Kennedy, Frank Lautenberg, Tom Harkin, and even Harry Reid, the new leader of the Senate Democrats.

The challenge in the halls of Congress came after two months of grassroots protests and lobbying efforts, with a flood of letters, emails, faxes and phone calls to Senators and Congressmen from disenfranchised Ohio voters. There had even been demonstrations outside the offices of the Senator from California, urging her to initiate a "Boxer Rebellion" in support of Tubbs-Jones.

In the House, John Conyers, D-MI, the lead Democrat of the House Judiciary Committee, ordered the committee's Democratic staff to prepare a detailed report on the committee's investigation of the situation in Ohio. The 102-page document, "Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong in Ohio," released on January 5, reported that "We have found numerous, serious election irregularities in the Ohio presidential election, which resulted in a significant disenfranchisement of voters. Cumulatively, these irregularities, which affected hundreds of thousand of votes and voters in Ohio, raise grave doubts regarding whether it can be said the Ohio electors selected on December 13, 2004, were chosen in a manner that conforms to Ohio law, let alone federal requirements and constitutional standards," adding that many of the "massive and unprecedented voter irregularities and anomalies" had been "caused by intentional misconduct and illegal behavior, much of it involving Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, the co-chair of the Bush-Cheney campaign in Ohio."

In short, the challenge to the Ohio vote was extensive, well-supported, and based on well-documented evidence. But last Thursday was a lousy time to present the official protest! When Congresswoman Tubbs-Jones rose to challenge the Ohio vote, she did so under a void-of-course Moon.

In traditional astrology, the void-of-course Moon signifies a period in which actions don't turn out as hoped, in which effectiveness is diminished, and in which major purchases ultimately prove to be disappointments. We have often cautioned our readers against active trading while the Moon is void-of-course; for a detailed visual presentation on this astrological phenomenon and its impact on the markets be sure to see the Audio/Video/Publications of our website at www.timbost.com/vocmoon/.

As the Status Report of the House Judiciary Committee Democratic Staff makes clear, America definitely needs an informed debate of electoral fraud and a serious look at reform of electoral procedures. But if they hope ultimately to be successful, the advocates of reform will also need better astrology!


AN INJURY TO THE MARKET AVERAGES

Last week we quoted the German astrologer Reinhold Ebertin's description of the interaction of Mars and Uranus as producing "the liability or proneness to injuries or accidents." That phrase proved to be an appropriate comment on the trading in U.S. equities last week, during the first trading sessions following the Mars/Uranus square, which took place geocentrically on December 31 and in right ascension on January 6. The market averages definitely got injured. Stocks sold off sharply and widely, with the Advance/Decline line putting in its most precipitous drop since late September. With a Sun/Saturn opposition coming on the heels of the Mars/Uranus square this week, it's clearly a time for cautious trading.


IS THE DOLLAR HEADED FOR LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENT?

Our analysis of current technical and astro indicators in the Dollar Index suggests that a stronger dollar may be on the way, bringing a seven-month negative trend to an end. We commented last week that given "the support provided by geocentric Saturn (G,30,N,0) at about 80.50" we expected to "see a double-bottom forming and recovering dollar value ahead." That's apparently exactly what is going on. The greenback put in a surprisingly strong showing last week, and the Dollar Index not only managed to display a convincing double-bottom on the 12th-harmonic Saturn line; it closed on Friday at 83.59, above the first-harmonic Saturn line as well. If support for the buck continues to hold on this line in the 83.00-83.75 range, we could see an even more dramatic advance ahead. While there's still cause for caution, we see this development as an early indicator of a major trend reversal. If the positive action continues, the next price targets for the Dollar Index are 84.55-84.80 and then 86.00-86.75.

****


THE WEEK AHEAD

We expect the week's earnings reports to include word from Alcoa Inc. (AA), Nortel Networks (NTL), Genentech, Inc. (DNA), Greenbrier Companies (GBX), Material Sciences (MSC), Cascade Bancorp (CACB), H. B. Fuller Company (FUL), Intel Corporation (INTC), M & T Bank Corporation (MTB), Supervalu Inc. (SVU), Apple Computer (AAPL), Bank of the Ozarks (OZRK), City National (CYN), Commerce Bankshares (CBSH), Exfo Electrical Optical (EXFO), Harbor Florida Bancshares (HARB), Infosys Technologies (INFY), Innovex Inc. (INVX), M.D.C. Holdings (MDC), Synnex Corporation (SNX), Clarcor Inc. (CLC), Commerce Bancorp (CBH), Cree Inc. (CREE), Digi International (DGII), Marshall & Ilsley (MI), MGIC Investment (MTG), TCF Financial Corporation (TCB), Hancock Holding (HBHC), Republic Bancorp (RBNC), Stride Rite Corporation (SRR), URS Corporation (URS), Applied Industrial (AIT), and BB&T Corporation (BBT).

On the economic front, the week's news will feature November Business Inventories, November Wholesale Inventories, November International Trade, December Retail Sales, December Import Prices, December Industrial Production, December Capacity Utilization, and the December Producer Price Index.

The trading week begins with a New Moon early Monday morning, which gathers potential strength from a Mars/Cupido conjunction and oppositions to Kronos from both Venus and Mercury. The Moon goes into a void-of-course period Monday afternoon, providing a reason to end the day's trading activities early. The Moon will also be void on Wednesday except for the first hour of the New York trading day. Wednesday also brings a Sun/Vulcanus opposition, which will be followed by Thursday's Sun/Saturn opposition. A final void-of-course Moon will kick in during the final hour of the trading week on Friday.

This week's Sun/Saturn opposition is part of a T-square configuration with Jupiter, a planetary picture that creates a worrisome environment for the markets. Our basic approach will be to stay alert for potential bargains as the market corrects, but to stay extremely cautious in our trading, our money management, and our use of protective stops. We'll be using second-harmonic planetary lines for the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Pluto, Chiron, Cupido, Hades, Kronos, and Vulcanus (G,180,N,-2) in our analysis.

Have a great week!

*****


SPIRITUAL FOCUS FOR THE WEEK

The greatest traders have all understood that emotional balance is the key to successful trading. Through Practical Spiritual Astrology we have an opportunity to restore inner harmony, enhance emotional balance, and make wiser choices in the markets.

Our tendency now may be to think comparatively as we look for ways to improve ourselves and our circumstances. We need to remember, though, that genuine creative blessings are born in the silent wellspring of pure consciousness within us, and we have only to trust the Divine Process in order to become clear about who we truly are.

"Knowledge is structured in consciousness. The process of education takes place in the field of consciousness; the prerequisite to complete education is therefore the full development of consciousness -- enlightenment. Knowledge is not the basis of enlightenment, enlightenment is the basis of knowledge." --Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

*****


GLOBAL EQUITIES MARKETS LAST WEEK

Europe provided an interesting contrast to the big sell-off in U.S. stocks last week, with the action heading in the opposite direction in Paris, London, and Frankfurt. There was substantial weakness in Hong Kong and Japan, however.

Dow Jones Industrial Average -- down 1.66%
Dow Jones Transportation Average -- down 4.25%
Dow Jones Utilities Average -- down 3.07%
S&P 500 -- down 2.12%
NASDAQ Composite Index -- down 3.94%
Russell 2000 -- down 5.89%
London FTSE-100 -- up 0.83%
Paris CAC-40 -- up 1.49%
Frankfurt DAX -- up 1.42%
Sydney All Ordinaries -- up 0.24%
Tokyo Nikkei -- down 4.60%
Hong Kong Hang Seng Index -- down 4.60%
Singapore Straits Times Index -- up 0.94%

*****


FINANCIAL CYCLES MODEL PORTFOLIO


POSITIONS CLOSED DURING THE PREVIOUS WEEK: BNI, CBRL, MTSC, OSK, CA, SRZ, UFPI, MSB, RUSHA.

We closed nine Model Portfolio positions during the past week, with 4 winners and 5 losers producing a net profit of $2,944.00.

On January 3 we sold 300 shares of Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNI) at 46.50, taking a profit of $2,367.00 (a 20.44% gain in 61 trading days).

On January 3 we sold 200 shares of CBRL Group, Inc. (CBRL) at 41.55, taking a loss of $40.00 (a 0.48% loss in 5 trading days).

On January 3 we sold 300 shares of MTS Systems Corporation (MTSC) at 33.01, taking a loss of $192.00 (a 1.90% loss in 5 trading days).

On January 3 we sold 200 shares of Oshkosh Truck Corporation (OSK) at 67.20, taking a loss of $60.00 (a 0.44% loss in 5 trading days).

On January 4 we sold 300 shares of Computer Associates International, Inc. (CA) at 30.65, taking a loss of $30.00 (a 0.33% loss in 18 trading days).

On January 4 we sold 300 shares of Sunrise Senior Living Inc. (SRZ) at 45.05, taking a profit of $765.00 (a 6.00% gain in 29 trading days).

On January 4 we sold 200 shares of Universal Forest Products (UFPI) at 42.75, taking profit of $150.00 (a 1.79% gain in 10 trading days).

On January 5 we sold 800 shares of Mesabi Trust CBI (MSB) at 13.03, taking a loss of $136.00 (a 1.29% loss in 11 trading days).

On January 7 we sold 600 shares of Rush Enterprises Inc. (RUSHA) at 15.45, taking a profit of $120.00 (a 1.31% gain in 9 trading days).

*****


POSITIONS ADDED TO THE PORTFOLIO DURING THE PREVIOUS WEEK: BBV, BZH, EMN, OMC.

We added four long positions to the Model Portfolio during the previous week.

We bought 600 shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA (BBV) at 17.00 on 01/05/05, setting our initial stop at 16.50.

We bought 100 shares of Beazer Homes USA (BZH) at 135.00 on 01/05/05, setting our initial stop at 132.50.

We bought 200 shares of Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) at 52.00 on 01/05/05, setting our initial stop at 49.00.

We bought 100 shares of Omnicom Group Inc. (OMC) at 84.25 on 01/05/05, setting our initial stop at 80.25.

*****


YEAR-IN-REVIEW MODEL PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY

During 2004 we had a total of 213 completed trades, with 104 winners and 109 losers bringing us a total net profit of $48,913.50. The largest profit for a single trade was $5,645.00; the largest single-trade loss was $750.00; the average profit per trade was $229.64. The mean duration of our trades was 10.3 trading days.

During 2003 we had a total of 176 completed trades, with 99 winners and 77 losers bringing us a total net profit of $51,717.00. The largest profit for a single trade was $9,240.00; the largest single-trade loss was $1,170.00; the average profit per trade was $293.85. The mean duration of our trades was 10.1 trading days.

During 2002 we had a total of 195 completed trades, with 119 winners, 74 losers, and 2 break-even trades bringing us a total net profit of $50,956.00. The largest profit for a single trade was $5,100.00; the largest single-trade loss was $1,055.00; the average profit per trade was $261.31. The mean duration of our trades was 12.7 trading days.

*****


CURRENT POSITIONS IN THE MODEL PORTFOLIO

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA (BBV) -- bought 600 shares at 17.00 on 01/05/05; currently 16.95. Raise stop to 16.75.

Beazer Homes USA (BZH) -- bought 100 shares at 135.00 on 01/05/05; currently 137.20. Raise stop to 134.00.

Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) -- bought 200 shares at 52.00 on 01/05/05; currently 52.26. Raise stop to 50.50.

Omnicom Group Inc. (OMC) -- bought 100 shares at 84.25 on 01/05/05; currently 85.07. Raise stop to 84.00.

*****


STRONGEST MARKET SECTORS LAST WEEK

Apparel Stores; Resorts & Casinos; Specialty Eateries; Book Publishers; Specialized Health Services.

*****

WEAKEST MARKET SECTORS LAST WEEK

Major Airlines; Security Software & Services; Nonmetallic Mineral Mining; Semiconductor Memory Chips; Aerospace & Defense Products & Services.

*****


KEY ASTROLOGICAL EVENTS DURING THE COMING WEEK

January 9
Moon opposition Kronos 01:07 EST
Sun square 04/08/05 Solar Eclipse Point 01:57 EST
Sun semisquare Uranus 05:28 EST
Moon sextile Uranus 05:53 EST
Moon in 24th harmonic to Sun 05:55 EST
Heliocentric Mercury semisextile Heliocentric Zeus 06:03 EST
Heliocentric Mercury in 24th harmonic to Heliocentric Apollon 07:29 EST
Heliocentric Mercury sesquiquadrate Heliocentric Hades 07:31 EST
Mercury semisquare Neptune 07:59 EST
Mars sextile Zeus in right ascension 08:25 EST
Moon quintile Apollon 09:19 EST
Moon sesquiquadrate Admetos 10:10 EST
Moon sextile Poseidon 10:12 EST
Heliocentric Venus quintile Heliocentric Neptune 10:22 EST
Moon in 24th harmonic to Pluto 11:47 EST
Venus enters Capricorn 11:55 EST
Venus quintile Jupiter 12:12 EST
Moon square Zeus 13:57 EST
Heliocentric Mercury parallel Heliocentric Poseidon 14:40 EST
Moon semisextile Mars 15:36 EST
Moon semisextile Cupido 16:20 EST
Moon in 24th harmonic to Chiron 16:57 EST
Heliocentric Jupiter sesquiquadrate Heliocentric Admetos 17:22 EST
Sun semisquare Uranus in right ascension 18:23 EST
Heliocentric Mercury semisextile Heliocentric Cupido 18:41 EST
Sun parallel Mars in right ascension 18:56 EST
Sun parallel Mars 18:56 EST
Heliocentric Mercury parallel Heliocentric Chiron 20:49 EST
Moon semisextile Neptune 21:22 EST
Mercury parallel Venus in right ascension 21:57 EST
Mercury parallel Venus 21:58 EST
Moon in 24th harmonic to Mercury 22:38 EST
Mercury enters Capricorn 23:08 EST
Moon in 24th harmonic to Venus 23:38 EST
Mercury quintile Jupiter 23:59 EST

January 10
Markets closed in Japan for Coming-of-Age Day
Moon square Jupiter 03:28 EST
Moon quintile Poseidon 04:58 EST
Moon semisquare Uranus 05:25 EST
New Moon 07:02 EST
Mars conjunct Cupido 08:23 EST
Moon trine Admetos 09:36 EST
Moon semisextile Pluto 11:17 EST
Moon opposition Vulcanus 11:18 EST
Venus opposition Kronos 11:24 EST
Moon quincunx Hades 11:26 EST
Venus opposition Kronos in right ascension 11:34 EST
Mars conjunct Cupido in right ascension 12:54 EST
Moon opposition Saturn 12:57 EST
Void-of-Course Moon 12:57 -- 22:07 EST
Moon square Apollon 13:27 EST
Sun opposition 05/21/03 Solar Eclipse Antiscion 14:26 EST
Heliocentric Mercury parallel Heliocentric Pluto 14:51 EST
Moon semisquare Cupido 15:48 EST
Moon semisquare Mars 16:08 EST
Moon conjunct Chiron 16:31 EST
Venus semisquare Neptune in right ascension 17:34 EST
Pluto quincunx Vulcanus 18:43 EST
Moon square True Lunar Node 19:14 EST
Sun quincunx Hades in right ascension 20:13 EST
Mercury opposition Kronos 20:22 EST
Mercury opposition Kronos in right ascension 20:31 EST
Moon biquintile Hades 20:48 EST
Moon in 24th harmonic to Neptune 20:51 EST
Sun square Apollon in right ascension 21:16 EST
Moon enters Aquarius 22:07 EST

January 11
Moon quincunx Kronos 00:01 EST
Moon semisextile Mercury 00:23 EST
Moon semisextile Venus 01:09 EST
Mars sesquiquadrate Vulcanus in right ascension 01:12 EST
Mars semisquare Chiron 01:36 EST
Heliocentric Mars biquintile Heliocentric Hades 01:57 EST
Mercury semisquare Neptune in right ascension 02:13 EST
Sun semisextile Pluto in right ascension 02:45 EST
Heliocentric Earth sesquiquadrate Heliocentric Uranus 04:51 EST
Moon semisextile Uranus 04:56 EST
Moon contraparallel Kronos 08:03 EST
Moon in 24th harmonic to Sun 08:11 EST
Heliocentric Mercury quintile Heliocentric Chiron 08:55 EST
Moon parallel Mercury 09:03 EST
Moon square Poseidon 09:09 EST
Moon biquintile Kronos 09:26 EST
Heliocentric Mercury square Heliocentric Neptune 09:33 EST
Moon parallel Venus 09:49 EST
Moon semisquare Pluto 10:50 EST
Moon sesquiquadrate Hades 10:54 EST
Moon trine Zeus 12:54 EST
Heliocentric Venus square Heliocentric Uranus 12:56 EST
Heliocentric Venus semisextile Heliocentric Poseidon 14:29 EST
Moon contraparallel Hades 14:48 EST
Moon parallel Mars 15:07 EST
Moon sextile Cupido 15:22 EST
Moon in 24th harmonic to Chiron 16:12 EST
Moon sextile Mars 16:48 EST
Moon parallel Sun 17:54 EST
Moon contraparallel Vulcanus 18:49 EST
Moon contraparallel Saturn 19:38 EST
Heliocentric Mercury parallel Heliocentric Neptune 20:14 EST
Moon parallel Cupido 20:15 EST
Moon conjunct Neptune 20:31 EST
Sun trine Admetos 21:33 EST
Heliocentric Mercury sesquiquadrate Heliocentric Kronos 22:19 EST
Moon quintile True Lunar Node 23:14 EST
Moon sesquiquadrate Kronos 23:39 EST

January 12
Mars contraparallel Hades in right ascension 01:16 EST
Moon semisquare Mercury 02:28 EST
Moon trine Jupiter 02:49 EST
Moon semisquare Venus 02:58 EST
Heliocentric Earth sesquiquadrate Heliocentric Venus 03:13 EST
Heliocentric Venus in 24th harmonic to Heliocentric Pluto 03:16 EST
Heliocentric Earth quincunx Heliocentric Pluto 03:18 EST
Mars contraparallel Hades 04:25 EST
Moon in 24th harmonic to Uranus 04:44 EST
Heliocentric Mercury biquintile Heliocentric Hades 07:50 EST
Heliocentric Venus parallel Heliocentric Cupido 08:16 EST
Mars sesquiquadrate Saturn in right ascension 08:44 EST
Moon square Admetos 08:53 EST
Moon semisextile Sun 09:43 EST
Moon contraparallel Admetos 09:45 EST
Moon quintile Cupido 10:31 EST
Moon quincunx Vulcanus 10:37 EST
Moon sextile Pluto 10:44 EST
Void-of-Course Moon 10:44 -- 21:51 EST
Moon trine Hades 10:44 EST
Pluto opposition Hades 11:04 EST
Moon quincunx Saturn 12:06 EST
Heliocentric Venus sextile Heliocentric Jupiter 12:41 EST
Moon sesquiquadrate Zeus 12:48 EST
Moon trine Apollon 12:53 EST
Moon quintile Mars 12:54 EST
Heliocentric Mercury parallel Heliocentric Mars 13:01 EST
Heliocentric Earth sextile Heliocentric Admetos 13:07 EST
Heliocentric Mercury conjunct Heliocentric Mars 13:58 EST
Heliocentric Venus sesquiquadrate Heliocentric Vulcanus 15:33 EST
Sun semisquare Cupido in right ascension 15:51 EST
Moon semisextile Chiron 16:19 EST
Moon parallel Neptune 16:49 EST
Mars sesquiquadrate True Lunar Node in right ascension 17:22 EST
Moon sextile True Lunar Node 18:17 EST
Moon biquintile Vulcanus 20:18 EST
Venus sesquiquadrate Admetos in right ascension 20:22 EST
Moon in 24th harmonic to Neptune 20:39 EST
Heliocentric Earth parallel Heliocentric Vulcanus 20:42 EST
Sun contraparallel Vulcanus 20:55 EST
Moon biquintile Saturn 21:46 EST
Moon enters Pisces 21:51 EST
Heliocentric Venus sextile Heliocentric Zeus 22:12 EST
Heliocentric Earth conjunct Heliocentric Vulcanus 22:29 EST
Sun opposition Vulcanus 22:37 EST
Moon parallel Pluto 22:38 EST
Sun contraparallel Vulcanus in right ascension 22:38 EST
Sun opposition Vulcanus in right ascension 22:39 EST
Venus sextile Poseidon in right ascension 22:39 EST
Mercury sesquiquadrate Admetos in right ascension 23:13 EST
Mars sesquiquadrate True Lunar Node 23:36 EST
Moon trine Kronos 23:48 EST

January 13
Sun quincunx Hades 00:22 EST
Heliocentric Venus semisquare Heliocentric Apollon 00:57 EST
Venus sextile Uranus 00:58 EST
Sun semisextile Pluto 01:01 EST
Mercury sextile Poseidon in right ascension 01:16 EST
Moon parallel Chiron 01:34 EST
Mercury contraparallel Kronos in right ascension 02:13 EST
Moon sesquiquadrate Jupiter 03:10 EST
Moon biquintile Zeus 03:25 EST
Mercury sextile Uranus 03:32 EST
Heliocentric Venus sesquiquadrate Heliocentric Saturn 03:44 EST
Moon parallel Poseidon 04:04 EST
Moon conjunct Uranus 05:07 EST
Moon sextile Mercury 05:17 EST
Moon sextile Venus 05:29 EST
Heliocentric Venus contraparallel Heliocentric Saturn 05:34 EST
Moon quintile Pluto 06:17 EST
Mercury contraparallel Kronos 06:21 EST
Heliocentric Earth contraparallel Heliocentric Venus 09:16 EST
Moon trine Poseidon 09:24 EST
Moon sesquiquadrate Vulcanus 11:04 EST
Moon semisquare Sun 12:02 EST
Moon sesquiquadrate Saturn 12:29 EST
Heliocentric Earth square Heliocentric Apollon 13:08 EST
Moon quincunx Zeus 13:20 EST
Heliocentric Earth semisextile Heliocentric Hades 13:22 EST
Moon sesquiquadrate Apollon 13:26 EST
Heliocentric Mercury contraparallel Heliocentric Admetos 14:09 EST
Moon quintile Admetos 14:17 EST
Heliocentric Mercury in 24th harmonic to Heliocentric Poseidon 14:31 EST
Heliocentric Venus contraparallel Heliocentric Vulcanus 15:46 EST
Moon square Cupido 16:01 EST
Moon contraparallel True Lunar Node 16:34 EST
Heliocentric Earth parallel Heliocentric Saturn 16:45 EST
Sun contraparallel Saturn 16:55 EST
Sun contraparallel Saturn in right ascension 16:55 EST
Moon parallel Uranus 16:56 EST
Sun square True Lunar Node in right ascension 17:05 EST
Moon semisquare Chiron 17:07 EST
Heliocentric Earth conjunct Heliocentric Saturn 17:58 EST
Sun opposition Saturn 18:05 EST
Moon biquintile Jupiter 18:07 EST
Sun opposition Saturn in right ascension 18:08 EST
Moon semisquare True Lunar Node 18:47 EST
Mercury conjunct Venus in right ascension 19:40 EST
Moon square Mars 19:57 EST
Moon parallel Apollon 20:59 EST
Moon semisextile Neptune 21:31 EST
Mercury conjunct Venus 21:32 EST
Heliocentric Mercury semisextile Heliocentric Pluto 21:41 EST
Heliocentric Venus conjunct Heliocentric Cupido 22:32 EST

January 14
U.S. Bond Market closes early for Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
Heliocentric Mercury opposition Heliocentric Admetos 01:05 EST
Moon quintile Venus 03:27 EST
Moon quintile Mercury 03:32 EST
Heliocentric Mercury semisquare Heliocentric Jupiter 03:50 EST
Moon quincunx Jupiter 04:17 EST
Heliocentric Mercury trine Heliocentric Vulcanus 04:25 EST
Moon biquintile Apollon 04:33 EST
Moon in 24th harmonic to Uranus 06:17 EST
Mercury sextile Uranus in right ascension 07:07 EST
Sun square Apollon 08:03 EST
Heliocentric Mercury semisquare Heliocentric Zeus 08:06 EST
Venus sextile Uranus in right ascension 08:52 EST
Heliocentric Mercury semisextile Heliocentric Apollon 09:37 EST
Heliocentric Mercury quincunx Heliocentric Hades 09:42 EST
Moon parallel Jupiter 10:18 EST
Moon sextile Admetos 10:33 EST
Moon sesquiquadrate Poseidon 10:40 EST
Heliocentric Mercury trine Heliocentric Saturn 11:33 EST
Moon trine Vulcanus 12:22 EST
Moon square Hades 12:30 EST
Moon square Pluto 12:40 EST
Sun parallel Cupido 13:01 EST
Mercury quintile Apollon 13:36 EST
Moon trine Saturn 13:43 EST
Mars semisquare Chiron in right ascension 13:45 EST
Sun parallel Cupido in right ascension 14:41 EST
Moon quincunx Apollon 14:51 EST
Moon sextile Sun 15:23 EST
Void-of-Course Moon begins 15:23 EST
Venus quintile Apollon 15:55 EST
Moon parallel Zeus 18:31 EST
Moon sextile Chiron 18:50 EST
Moon semisextile True Lunar Node 20:17 EST
Heliocentric Earth trine Heliocentric Mercury 21:01 EST
Heliocentric Mercury in 24th harmonic to Heliocentric Cupido 21:41 EST
Mercury sesquiquadrate Admetos 21:56 EST
Heliocentric Earth sesquiquadrate Heliocentric Cupido 22:54 EST
Mercury sextile Poseidon 23:11 EST
Moon semisquare Neptune 23:19 EST

January 15
Moon enters Aries 00:28 EST
Void-of-Course Moon ends 00:28 EST
Heliocentric Mercury biquintile Heliocentric Kronos 01:11 EST
Venus sesquiquadrate Admetos 01:29 EST
Heliocentric Venus semisquare Heliocentric Chiron 02:16 EST
Moon biquintile Poseidon 02:18 EST
Moon square Kronos 02:30 EST
Venus sextile Poseidon 02:56 EST
Mars sextile Neptune 05:39 EST
Moon semisextile Uranus 08:28 EST
Heliocentric Earth contraparallel Heliocentric Cupido 08:29 EST
Sun conjunct Chiron in right ascension 11:20 EST
Moon semisquare Admetos 12:47 EST
Moon quincunx Poseidon 12:56 EST
Heliocentric Mercury sextile Heliocentric Chiron 13:15 EST
Mercury square Zeus in right ascension 13:38 EST
Moon square Venus 13:57 EST
Moon quintile Sun 14:11 EST
Moon square Mercury 14:35 EST
Moon quintile Chiron 16:10 EST
Moon opposition Zeus 17:08 EST
Mercury in 24th harmonic to Pluto 19:04 EST
Venus square Zeus in right ascension 20:08 EST
Moon trine Cupido 20:09 EST
Moon quintile Hades 20:10 EST
Sun semisquare Cupido 21:51 EST
Moon contraparallel Zeus 22:45 EST
Heliocentric Earth quintile Heliocentric Jupiter 22:45 EST
Moon in 24th harmonic to True Lunar Node 22:52 EST
Heliocentric Earth contraparallel Heliocentric Mercury 23:50 EST

January 16
Venus in 24th harmonic to Pluto 02:05 EST
Moon sextile Neptune 02:08 EST
Heliocentric Mercury parallel Heliocentric Cupido 02:52 EST
Moon trine Mars 03:13 EST
Heliocentric Mercury in 24th harmonic to Heliocentric Venus 03:18 EST
Mercury semisextile Cupido in right ascension 04:57 EST
Heliocentric Venus contraparallel Heliocentric Hades 05:35 EST
Moon contraparallel Jupiter 07:30 EST
Heliocentric Earth quintile Heliocentric Zeus 07:41 EST
Moon opposition Jupiter 09:33 EST
Heliocentric Mercury contraparallel Heliocentric Saturn 10:01 EST
Moon quintile Kronos 10:52 EST
Moon semisquare Uranus 11:42 EST
Heliocentric Mercury contraparallel Heliocentric Vulcanus 14:01 EST
Mercury square Zeus 14:08 EST
Venus semisextile Cupido in right ascension 14:12 EST
Heliocentric Mercury enters Sagittarius 15:20 EST
Moon semisextile Admetos 16:04 EST
Moon square Vulcanus 17:59 EST
Moon sextile Hades 18:07 EST
Moon trine Pluto 18:30 EST
Sun conjunct Chiron 18:42 EST
Heliocentric Earth opposition Heliocentric Chiron 18:51 EST
Moon square Saturn 19:09 EST
Moon opposition Apollon 20:44 EST
Moon contraparallel Apollon 21:52 EST
Moon sesquiquadrate Cupido 23:47 EST

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STOCKS TO WATCH: GWW, LMT, MHP, OLN, SMRT.

W. W. Grainger Inc. (GWW)
NYSE
First Trade Date: 07/29/1975; 10:00 a.m.
Trading Strategy: Grainger has just weathered its Saturn return, and now transiting Pluto is on a First-Trade chart angle and transiting Jupiter is moving toward an opposition to First-Trade Jupiter. We think this set-up has some positive potential, so we will be adding a long position in GWW to the Model Portfolio this week. We will set our initial stop at 61.00.


Lockheed Martin Inc. (LMT)
NYSE; optionable
First Trade Date: 10/11/1961; 10:00 a.m.
Trading Strategy: With transiting Uranus sitting on the First-Trade IC, it's not surprising to see LMT experiencing some volatility. And with transiting Jupiter currently conjoining the LMT First-Trade Sun we would expect this stock's moment of glory to be rather short-lived. Given this stock's performance in recent weeks, it looks like a correction is already underway. Our plan is thus to sell LMT short this week; we will set our initial buy stop at 61.35.


McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. (MHP)
NYSE; optionable
First Trade Date: 02/14/1929; 10:00 a.m.
Trading Strategy: MHP has been doing quite well lately, and the book publishing industry has been showing some improvement as well. As this has been going on, however, transiting Saturn has been conjoining the MHP First-Trade IC. That suggests that MHP has been building a base for a further upward move, so we will add a long position in this stock to the Model Portfolio. The current Saturn/Chiron opposition (G,180,N,-2) has been providing key levels of support and resistance for MHP, so we will use that dynamic to set our initial stop at 87.50.


Olin Corporation (OLN)
NYSE; optionable
First Trade Date: 02/15/1917; 10:00 a.m.
Trading Strategy: This week the transiting Sun conjoins this stock's First-Trade True Lunar Node, opening up some positive opportunities for traders. Even more significant, however, is the transit of Saturn to the OLN First-Trade IC, suggesting that the current price action could ultimately prove to be a base for a more extensive upward move. Our plan is thus to add OLN to the Model Portfolio before the end of the week. During the past couple of years the energy of fourth-harmonic Mars (G,90,N,-2) has done much to define support and resistance for this stock, with Mercury (G,90,N,-2) providing secondary support. With that in mind, we will use the Mars/Mercury of last July 10 to determine our initial stop level, setting it at 19.55.


Stein Mart Inc. (SMRT)
NASDAQ; optionable
First Trade Date: 04/22/1992; 09:30 a.m.
Trading Strategy: SMRT was something of an anomaly last week: while most of the market was selling off sharply, it set a new 52-week high as the Sun approached its First-Trade Uranus/Neptune conjunction and Venus moved towards it First-Trade Descendant. These planetary dynamics are not particularly striking aspects, but they are enough to help this company become a real standout in the retail sector at a time when consumers seem to be looking either for extremely high-end merchandise or extreme bargains. We've been tracking the second-harmonic action of the Sun and Saturn (G,180,N,-2) with this stock's price action; if SMRT sustains its current run and gives us a daily close at or above 19.15 (or better yet, puts in a correct low at this level on this week's Sun/Saturn opposition) we will enter a long position, setting our initial stop at 17.35.

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FINANCIAL CYCLES WEEKLY (ISSN 1055-8527) is published by Taylor-Bost Consulting and edited by Tim Bost at 2132 Beneva Road, Sarasota, FL 34232 USA. Phone: 941-921-2588. Fax: 941-927-5798. Web: http://www.TimBost.com. Entire contents copyright 2004 Timothy L. Bost. No portion of Financial Cycles Weekly may be reproduced without the publisher's written permission. Subscriptions to FINANCIAL CYCLES WEEKLY are $39.00 per month for weekly issues sent by email, payable by monthly billing to a major credit card. Advance payment options (by credit card, check, or money order) are $228 for 6 months, $432 for 1 year or $815 for two years. All subscriptions are payable in US funds only-- Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, and Discover/Novus accepted; please make checks or money orders payable to Taylor-Bost. PayPal is also accepted for online orders; to subscribe go to http://www.TimBost.com/newsletter/subscribe.html.

By providing a source of independent market analysis, the purpose of FINANCIAL CYCLES WEEKLY is to foster the growth of person-centered business and investment astrology; to enhance the development and dissemination of financial literacy and prosperity consciousness; and to explore the use of technical analysis and financial astrology in promoting an esoteric spiritual understanding of economic trends, geocosmic cycles, geopolitical events, and market movements. FINANCIAL CYCLES WEEKLY is a general interest publication which is prepared from astrological information, news reports, cycle projections, and market observations which are believed to be accurate and reliable, but which cannot be guaranteed. Portfolio and trading reports in this publication do not include taxes and transaction fees, which should be taken into consideration by prospective traders and investors. Even with accurate information, past performance is no guarantee of future results. Speculation in securities and commodities involves considerable financial risk, and readers who plan to invest or speculate in securities or commodities mentioned in FINANCIAL CYCLES WEEKLY have the complete responsibility for making themselves fully aware of all the risks involved before they invest. The editor may or may not have positions in the securities and commodities discussed in this newsletter, and the information in FINANCIAL CYCLES WEEKLY should in no way be understood or construed as a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any products or securities, nor should the material published in this newsletter be considered buy/sell advice.

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posted by Tim Bost @ 1/09/2005 01:02:21 AM