FinancialCyclesWeekly.com #0520 -- May 15-21, 02005 with Tim Bost

COMMENT: The word from the Pentagon sent shockwaves through many American communities this past week as the latest round of planned closures of military bases was announced. With more bases being eliminated across the country, the emphasis is shifting away from local facilities and toward the creation of more isolated "super-bases," with much bigger concentrations of troops.


Although this is a cost-cutting move designed to produce a leaner military operation, the communities that are losing the bases are generally not very happy about the prospect. Base closures have already eliminated huge numbers of jobs, and the newly-announced closures will eliminate even more, including 1,083 in Oregon, 4,619 in Alaska, and 760 in Washington. California, which has already lost 93,000 jobs in previous base closures, will lose 2,018 more.


The job losses are just the tip of the iceberg, of course, when it comes to the economic impact on local communities. Military bases generate all sorts of commerce, and when they go away, the impact doesn't go unnoticed.


This shift in domestic economic priorities in relation to military spending provides an interesting counterpoint to the cost of the war in Iraq, which has now topped $170 billion. For the latest cost figures, see our website at www.TimBost.com and click the "Latest News" button. Much of that spending is incredibly wasteful, as the U.S. Congress is now noting. Representatives Henry Waxman of California and Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts have recently demanded that Halliburton CEO David J. Lesar give them an explanation as to why the testimony given by senior Halliburton officials to the House Committee on Government Reform doesn't match the information disclosed in a recent federal indictment of Halliburton employees for taking kickbacks on contracts. The Congressmen noted that in some cases Halliburton's mark-ups were more than 700%.


But then it may be too much to expect fiscal sanity from the likes of the Department of Defense. According to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, even the stock market is more intelligent than he is. When he was speaking on May 3 at the annual conference of the Council of the Americas, he commented that "Anyone with an ounce of sense knows that the market is a lot smarter than government."



GOING TO THE DARK SIDE

George Lucas says that he wrote the script for his latest Star Wars movie, "Episode Three--Revenge of the Sith" long before the start of the Iraq war. Even so, when the film got its premiere screening at the Cannes Film Festival, some of its viewers couldn't help but compare the story of Anakin Skywalker's passage to the dark side and the warmongering rise of a galactic emperor to recent events in the U.S. According to some of the European viewers, one of the passages in the film that particularly resonated with President Bush's war on terrorism and the U.S. invasion of Iraq is when Anakin Skywalker tells his former mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi "If you're not with me, then you're my enemy." President Bush's line following the attacks on the World Trade Center was "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."



THE IMPORTANT NEWS FROM RUSSIA

Boris Yeltsin made news in the American media recently when he tried to teach George W. Bush how to drive a vehicle with a manual transmission. Far more significant, however, was Mr. Yeltsin's trip to Egypt, where he discussed plans for joint Egyptian-Russian sponsorship of a nuclear-powered desalination facility.

Russia has pioneered the use of nuclear reactors to produce safe water. A major nuclear reactor designed for both power production and desalination was built in Kazakhstan in 1973. It generates 520MW of electricity a day, plus 80,000 cubic meters of potable water.

With an estimated 1.2 billion people around the world lacking access to safe water, and with the United Nations estimating that more than 12 million people will die this year due to water shortages, water pollution, and poor sanitation, initiatives like the current Russian-Egyptian partnership are worth keeping an eye on.

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THE WEEK AHEAD

What a week we have coming up! This is not an especially heavy time for earnings reports, but we will be keeping an eye on the expected filings from Agilent Technologies Inc. (A), AnnTaylor Stores (ANN), Applied Materials (AMAT), Autodesk, Inc. (ADSK), Barnes and Noble (BKS), Big Lots, Inc. (BLI), Books-A-Million, Inc. (BAMM), Cellegy Pharmaceuticals (CLGY), Claire's Stores (CLE), Cyanotech (CYAN), Deere and Company (DE), Gap Inc. (GPS), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Home Depot Inc. (HD), Hollywood Media (HOLL), Intellisync Corporation (SYNC), Intuit (INTU), JC Penney (JCP), Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. (JAS), KMG America Corporation (KMA), Limited Brands (LTD), Lowe's Companies (LOW), Nordstrom (JWN), PanAmSat Holding Corporation (PA), Panera Bread (PNRA), PetsMart (PETM), Sharper Image Corporation (SHRP), Stein Mart, Inc. (SMRT), Sonic Solutions (SNIC), Staples, Inc. (SPLS), Steak n'Shake (SNS), Thomas Nelson (TNM), The TJX Companies, Inc. (TJX), Valspar (VAL), and WorldGate Communications, Inc. (WGAT).


The economic news this week could be critical in determining market direction. The reports we will be looking for include the New York Empire State Index, Industrial Production, Housing Starts, the Producer Price Index, the Consumer Price Index, the EIA Petroleum Status Report, Jobless Claims, Leading Indicators, and the Philadelphia Fed Survey. On Thursday John Thain, the CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, is expected to testify before the Senate Banking Committee, which is holding a hearing on potential changes to the U.S. financial markets. As usual, however, the biggest player on the economic front will be Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who will be speaking via satellite to the Atlanta Fed conference on Thursday and then appearing in person on Friday at the Economic Club of New York. The Neptune retrograde station will definitely be the dominant factor during both appearances, so Mr. Greenspan, a sun-sign Pisces, should be right at home in keeping the economic outlook cloudy.


It's the astrological picture that really deserves most of our attention this week. We kick off the week with a Mars/Uranus conjunction, an extremely disruptive event that sometimes has corollaries in geopolitical strife, acts of violence, or natural disasters. With an unusually large solar flare already being reported on Friday, it's likely that we'll see a significant geomagnetic storm as the week gets underway. This kind of event can create voltage control problems in power systems, including blackouts or complete system collapses. Satellite communications can also be disrupted, and it wouldn't be surprising to see significant seismic activities in the days ahead


In the markets, however, the Mars/Uranus conjunction has a high likelihood of corresponding with an important shift in trend. That's also true of Thursday's Neptune retrograde station, which more often than not signals a brief market pull-back, followed by rallying prices for at least a couple of weeks. The impact of this station on NASDAQ stocks seems to be a bit stronger than it influence on the NYSE, but we expect the uptrend in the NASDAQ to be a little bumpier than the movement on the big board.


These two events are big market movers, but they aren't operating in isolation this week. On Tuesday a Venus/Jupiter trine just after the closing bell could have a moderately positive impact. There are a couple of factors to consider here. First of all, it's followed by a Venus/Uranus square less than 24 hours later, so its impact may be diluted somewhat. Secondly, this is a waning trine, which typically brings a slight upward bias to stock prices (the waxing Venus/Jupiter trine is decidedly bearish).


And that's not all. A heliocentric Mars/Saturn opposition kicks in about two hours before the opening bell on Wednesday as well. Although it may encourage a brief price retracement, this aspect is also typically bullish for stocks, with advancing prices likely during a three-to-four-week period following the aspect. There are also a lot of dynamics that add extra energy this week, including eclipse activations every day except Wednesday and zodiacal ingresses by the Sun and by heliocentric Mercury, Venus, and Mars.


That's a fairly astonishing combination of astrological energies. We're looking for it to manifest as a gut-wrenching shakeout in the markets, followed by a short-term rally, driving stock prices up at least until early June. Our expectation is that we will see NASDAQ issues responding more strongly than the blue chips.


The week gets underway with a void-of-course Moon that holds sway until lunchtime on Monday. We'll take the opportunity to abstain from active trading at that time, and will exercise more than the usual amount of caution throughout the remainder of the trading week.


Have a great week!

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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.


It's hard to avoid anger or confrontation right now, especially if we are feeling judged or criticized by others. Nevertheless, if we let go of our fearful desire for control and dispassionately face the consequences of our need to feel victimized, we will discover that even the most threatening situations fade away in the light of Pure Spirit.


"The more I traveled the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends." -- Shirley MacLaine

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GLOBAL EQUITIES MARKETS LAST WEEK

U.S. equities had a rough week last week, and most of the bourses around the world followed suit. The European bourses managed to keep their losses fairly small, but the sell-off was a bit stronger in Asia, with Singapore being a significant exception.

Dow Jones Industrial Average -- down 1.98%
Dow Jones Transportation Average -- down 3.72%
Dow Jones Utilities Average -- down 2.59%
S+P 500 -- down 1.48%
NASDAQ Composite Index -- up 0.48%
Russell 2000 -- down 2.43%
London FTSE-100 -- down 0.66%
Paris CAC-40 -- down 0.39%
Frankfurt DAX -- down 0.82%
Sydney All Ordinaries -- up 0.65%
Tokyo Nikkei Index -- down 1.28%
Hong Kong Hang Seng Index -- down 1.19%
Singapore Straits Times Index -- up 0.48%

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FINANCIAL CYCLES MODEL PORTFOLIO


POSITION CLOSED DURING THE PREVIOUS WEEK: LNC, CBG, CYN.

We closed three Model Portfolio positions during the past week, with one winner and two losers producing a net loss of $513.00.

On May 10 we sold 200 shares of Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) at 42.87, taking a profit of $18.00 (a 0.21% gain in 16 trading days).

On May 11 we sold 300 shares of CB Richard Ellis Services (CBG) at 33.95, taking a loss of $339.00 (a 3.22% loss in 12 trading days).

On May 13 we sold 100 shares of City National Corporation (CYN) at 69.12, taking a loss of $192.00 (a 2.70% loss in 8 trading days).

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POSITIONS ADDED TO THE PORTFOLIO DURING THE PREVIOUS WEEK: BAX, CMX, ITRI, ITU, LUFK.

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

We bought 300 shares of Baxter International Inc. (BAX) at 37.29 on 05/09/05, setting our initial stop at 32.98.

We bought 300 shares of Caremark Rx Inc. (CMX) at 43.08 on 05/09/05, setting our initial stop at 40.75.

We bought 300 shares of Itron Inc. (ITRI) at 36.80 on 05/09/05, setting our initial stop at 32.50.

We bought 100 shares of Banco Itau S A ADR (ITU) at 86.00 on 05/11/05, setting our initial stop at 79.08.

We bought 300 shares of Lufkin Industries Inc. (LUFK) at 27.33 on 05/13/05, setting our initial stop at 25.80.

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YEAR-IN-REVIEW MODEL PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY

So far this year we have had a total of 78 completed trades, with 25 winners and 53 losers bringing us a total net profit of $4,729.00. The largest profit for a single trade has been $2,875.00, with our winners averaging $801.20; the largest single-trade loss has been $956.00, with our losers averaging $327.47. The overall average profit per trade has been $60.63, and the mean duration of our trades has been 10.2 trading days.

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.

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CURRENT POSITIONS IN THE MODEL PORTFOLIO

Banco Itau S A ADR (ITU) -- bought 100 shares at 86.00 on 05/11/05; currently 83.93. Raise stop to 82.98.

Baxter International Inc. (BAX) -- bought 300 shares at 37.29 on 05/09/05; currently 37.36. Raise stop to 36.79.

Bowater Inc. (BOW) -- sold short 300 shares at 33.41 on 04/18/05; currently 30.51. Lower buy stop to 32.45.

Carbo Ceramics Inc. (CRR) -- sold short 100 shares at 66.43 on 04/29/05; currently 65.08. Lower buy stop to 68.30.

Caremark Rx Inc. (CMX) -- bought 300 shares at 43.08 on 05/09/05; currently 43.07. Raise stop to 41.75.

C N S Inc. (CNXS) -- bought 500 shares at 18.86 on 05/03/05; currently 18.70. Raise stop to 18.49.

Equifax Inc. (EFX) -- bought 300 shares at 34.49 on 05/03/05; currently 35.51. Raise stop to 34.18.

Itron Inc. (ITRI) -- bought 300 shares at 36.80 on 05/09/05; currently 37.75. Raise stop to 35.70.

Lufkin Industries Inc. (LUFK) -- bought 300 shares at 27.33 on 05/13/05; currently 26.57. Stop set at 25.80.

SRA International Inc. (SRX) -- bought 100 shares at 67.79 on 04/25/05; currently 64.22. Raise stop to 63.40.


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STRONGEST MARKET SECTORS LAST WEEK

Pollution and Treatment Controls; Memory Chips; Data Storage Devices; Semiconductor Equipment and Materials; Processing Systems and Products.

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WEAKEST MARKET SECTORS LAST WEEK

Metal Fabrication; Silver; Copper; Consumer Services; Aluminum.

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ASTRO-TRADING GANN PLAN:
ASTROLOGICAL EVENTS DURING THE COMING WEEK

May 15
Moon quintile Apollon 00:26 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury biquintile Heliocentric Zeus 00:54 EDT
Hades trine Apollon 01:37 EDT
Heliocentric Venus semisextile Heliocentric Admetos 02:11 EDT
Moon parallel Saturn 02:44 EDT
Moon parallel Vulcanus 03:32 EDT
Moon parallel Venus 03:47 EDT
Sun sesquiquadrate Jupiter 03:53 EDT
Venus quincunx Poseidon 03:56 EDT
Mercury biquintile Cupido 05:31 EDT
Moon contraparallel Cupido 06:14 EDT
Mercury biquintile Cupido in right ascension 06:30 EDT
Venus parallel Vulcanus 07:24 EDT
Mercury square 05/16/2003 Lunar Eclipse Antiscion 07:39 EDT
Mars conjunct Uranus 07:52 EDT
Heliocentric Venus biquintile Heliocentric Chiron 07:52 EDT
Heliocentric Venus semisextile Heliocentric Vulcanus 07:54 EDT
Moon semisquare Kronos 10:02 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury biquintile Heliocentric Saturn 10:48 EDT
Sun opposition 5/16/2003 Lunar Eclipse Point 11:15 EDT
Mercury square Chiron in right ascension 11:33 EDT
Moon opposition Neptune 12:50 EDT
Sun square 10/28/2004 Lunar Eclipse Antiscion 13:20 EDT
Mercury opposition Poseidon in right ascension 13:36 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury quintile Heliocentric Pluto 14:28 EDT
Moon quintile Venus 15:31 EDT
Heliocentric Venus trine Heliocentric Apollon 17:33 EDT
Moon parallel Sun 18:21 EDT
Venus parallel Saturn 18:32 EDT
Heliocentric Venus conjunct Heliocentric Hades 19:37 EDT
Moon parallel Admetos 21:19 EDT
Sun semisextile Hades in right ascension 21:22 EDT
Venus semisquare True Lunar Node 21:52 EDT
Moon trine True Lunar Node 22:13 EDT
Moon semisextile Vulcanus 22:54 EDT
Moon square Admetos 23:28 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury trine Heliocentric Poseidon 23:41 EDT
Moon semisextile Saturn 23:43 EDT
Moon semisquare Zeus 23:48 EDT

May 16
Markets closed in Germany and Switzerland for Whit Monday holiday
Mars quintile Admetos 00:01 EDT
Moon sextile Apollon 00:37 EDT
Mercury opposition Poseidon 00:38 EDT
Moon sextile Hades 00:40 EDT
Mars opposition 04/08/2005 Solar Eclipse Antiscion 00:51 EDT
Moon trine Pluto 01:32 EDT
Moon crossing Universal Clock 24 Line 01:44 EDT
Moon quintile Poseidon 02:23 EDT
Mars square Cupido 02:24 EDT
Moon semisquare Jupiter 02:48 EDT
Heliocentric Earth in 24th Harmonic to Heliocentric Cupido 04:12 EDT
Venus semisquare Vulcanus 04:34 EDT
True Lunar Node direct station 04:50 EDT
Moon square Sun 04:56 EDT
Void-of-Course Moon 04:56-13:45 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury conjunct Heliocentric Uranus 06:02 EDT
Heliocentric Earth biquintile Heliocentric Kronos 08:48 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury sesquiquadrate Heliocentric Vulcanus 09:38 EDT
Mars parallel Apollon 09:59 EDT
Venus in 24th harmonic to Admetos 10:06 EDT
Moon contraparallel Neptune 11:57 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury quincunx Heliocentric Zeus 12:44 EDT
Venus trine Zeus 13:07 EDT
Venus semisquare Saturn 13:22 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury sesquiquadrate Heliocentric Apollon 13:26 EDT
Mercury in 24th harmonic to True Lunar Node 13:27 EDT
Moon enters Virgo 13:45 EDT
Moon contraparallel Pluto 15:17 EDT
Moon sextile Kronos 16:13 EDT
Sun quincunx Pluto in right ascension 16:28 EDT
Moon quincunx Chiron 20:15 EDT
Venus sesquiquadrate Apollon 20:58 EDT
Moon contraparallel Poseidon 21:47 EDT
Venus in 24th harmonic to Hades 22:02 EDT
Mercury in 24th harmonic to Admetos 22:07 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury square Heliocentric Cupido 23:09 EDT

May 17
Mercury quincunx Zeus 00:05 EDT
Moon quintile Hades 00:42 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury quintile Heliocentric Admetos 00:45 EDT
Moon sextile Poseidon 02:21 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury biquintile Heliocentric Jupiter 03:09 EDT
Moon contraparallel Chiron 03:17 EDT
Moon parallel Mercury 04:01 EDT
Moon sesquiquadrate True Lunar Node 04:13 EDT
Sun quintile Uranus in right ascension 04:26 EDT
Moon semisquare Vulcanus 04:54 EDT
Moon semisextile Zeus 05:45 EDT
Moon semisquare Saturn 05:54 EDT
Venus square 10/14/2004 Solar Eclipse Antiscion 06:01 EDT
Mercury semisquare Hades 06:26 EDT
Moon semisquare Apollon 06:33 EDT
Moon trine Mercury 06:43 EDT
Moon square Venus 07:38 EDT
Moon biquintile Chiron 08:09 EDT
Moon semisextile Jupiter 08:34 EDT
Sun sextile Vulcanus in right ascension 08:51 EDT
Mercury contraparallel Chiron 09:32 EDT
Venus trine Zeus in right ascension 10:10 EDT
Moon opposition Uranus 10:30 EDT
Mercury sesquiquadrate Pluto 11:26 EDT
Moon square Cupido 11:27 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury semisquare Heliocentric Mars 13:11 EDT
Moon opposition Mars 13:35 EDT
Venus conjunct 05/31/2003 Solar Eclipse Point 14:29 EDT
Mercury quincunx Zeus in right ascension 14:33 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury sesquiquadrate Heliocentric Saturn 15:41 EDT
Heliocentric Earth quincunx Heliocentric Venus 15:58 EDT
Moon quintile Kronos 16:02 EDT
Venus trine Jupiter 16:34 EDT
Moon contraparallel Apollon 18:14 EDT
Mercury quincunx Jupiter 19:04 EDT
Moon contraparallel Mars 19:46 EDT
Moon parallel True Lunar Node 20:05 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury semisquare Heliocentric Chiron 20:12 EDT
Moon contraparallel Uranus 21:26 EDT
Moon biquintile True Lunar Node 21:58 EDT
Mercury semisquare Hades in right ascension 23:17 EDT

May 18
Sun sextile Saturn in right ascension 00:18 EDT
Moon quincunx Neptune 00:33 EDT
Mercury semisextile Venus 00:43 EDT
Moon crossing Universal Clock 24 Line 01:20 EDT
Moon sesquiquadrate Chiron 01:48 EDT
Mars contraparallel True Lunar Node 02:20 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury semisextile Heliocentric Neptune 04:11 EDT
Mercury semisextile Venus in right ascension 05:02 EDT
Heliocentric Mars opposition Heliocentric Saturn 07:39 EDT
Moon semisquare Poseidon 07:46 EDT
Mercury sextile Uranus 08:46 EDT
Moon quincunx True Lunar Node 09:40 EDT
Venus parallel Hades 09:47 EDT
Moon sextile Vulcanus 10:18 EDT
Mercury quintile Vulcanus 10:50 EDT
Moon trine Admetos 10:52 EDT
Moon in 24th harmonic to Zeus 11:04 EDT
Cupido square 04/08/2005 Solar Eclipse Antiscion 11:15 EDT
Moon sextile Saturn 11:28 EDT
Moon semisextile Apollon 11:51 EDT
Moon square Hades 12:03 EDT
Moon biquintile Neptune 12:12 EDT
Venus square Uranus 12:35 EDT
Moon square Pluto 12:40 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury quincunx Heliocentric Jupiter 13:27 EDT
Moon in 24th harmonic to Jupiter 13:44 EDT
Heliocentric Venus semisextile Heliocentric Saturn 14:12 EDT
Mercury quincunx Cupido 14:33 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury biquintile Heliocentric Apollon 16:13 EDT
Mercury quincunx Jupiter in right ascension 16:21 EDT
Moon sesquiquadrate Mercury 16:59 EDT
Heliocentric Venus quincunx Heliocentric Mars 17:58 EDT
Moon contraparallel Zeus 18:58 EDT
Mercury quintile Saturn 19:13 EDT
Mercury quincunx Cupido in right ascension 19:49 EDT
Venus trine Jupiter in right ascension 19:50 EDT
Venus opposition Cupido 20:57 EDT
Moon trine Sun 20:58 EDT
Void-of-Course Moon begins 20:58 EDT
Venus square 04/08/2005 Solar Eclipse Antiscion 21:07 EDT
Moon contraparallel Jupiter 22:20 EDT
Moon quintile Cupido 22:21 EDT
Venus semisquare Vulcanus in right ascension 23:55 EDT

May 19
Moon enters Libra 00:28 EDT
Void-of-Course Moon ends 00:28 EDT
Venus opposition Cupido in right ascension 00:29 EDT
Heliocentric Venus quincunx Heliocentric Chiron 02:05 EDT
Mercury contraparallel Poseidon 02:41 EDT
Moon square Kronos 02:53 EDT
Moon sesquiquadrate Neptune 05:26 EDT
Heliocentric Earth trine Heliocentric Saturn 05:53 EDT
Moon trine Chiron 06:37 EDT
Mars parallel Uranus 09:08 EDT
Moon quintile Vulcanus 09:15 EDT
Venus biquintile Poseidon in right ascension 09:56 EDT
Moon quintile Saturn 10:32 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury sesquiquadrate Heliocentric Poseidon 12:06 EDT
Moon semisextile Poseidon 12:23 EDT
Heliocentric Venus enters Cancer 12:32 EDT
Moon biquintile Mercury 12:58 EDT
Venus semisquare Saturn in right ascension 14:12 EDT
Moon sesquiquadrate Admetos 15:27 EDT
Moon conjunct Zeus 15:36 EDT
Heliocentric Mars conjunct Heliocentric Chiron 15:47 EDT
Moon in 24th harmonic to Apollon 16:22 EDT
Neptune retrograde station in right ascension 16:24 EDT
Moon parallel Jupiter 16:57 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury in 24th Harmonic to Heliocentric Uranus 17:54 EDT
Moon conjunct Jupiter 18:06 EDT
Venus crossing Universal Clock 24 Line 18:37 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury sextile Heliocentric Admetos 18:55 EDT
Neptune retrograde station 19:36 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury square Heliocentric Pluto 19:48 EDT
Mars biquintile Apollon in right ascension 19:53 EDT
Moon quincunx Uranus 20:15 EDT
Moon parallel Zeus 20:17 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury trine Heliocentric Vulcanus 20:56 EDT
Moon sextile Cupido 20:57 EDT
Moon quintile Pluto 22:42 EDT
Moon crossing Universal Clock 24 Line 23:03 EDT
Heliocentric Venus sesquiquadrate Heliocentric Neptune 23:07 EDT
Moon trine Venus 23:30 EDT

May 20
Venus biquintile Poseidon 00:17 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury quincunx Heliocentric Apollon 00:21 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury square Heliocentric Hades 01:06 EDT
Heliocentric Earth sextile Heliocentric Chiron 01:41 EDT
Moon quincunx Mercury 02:03 EDT
Moon quincunx Mars 02:25 EDT
Moon sesquiquadrate Sun 03:28 EDT
Sun biquintile Apollon 03:56 EDT
Mercury sextile Mars 06:02 EDT
Mercury biquintile Zeus 06:59 EDT
Moon biquintile Uranus 07:22 EDT
Moon biquintile Admetos 08:10 EDT
Moon trine Neptune 09:23 EDT
Mercury sextile Uranus in right ascension 10:09 EDT
Saturn square Apollon 10:25 EDT
Mercury quintile Vulcanus in right ascension 12:05 EDT
Moon biquintile Mars 14:04 EDT
Mercury square 11/09/2003 Lunar Eclipse 04:07 EDT
Heliocentric Venus conjunct Heliocentric Kronos 14:37 EDT
Sun biquintile Apollon in right ascension 14:53 EDT
Moon parallel Mars 15:20 EDT
Mercury opposition 5/04/2004 Solar Eclipse Point 15:51 EDT
Moon in 24th harmonic to Poseidon 16:06 EDT
Moon parallel Uranus 16:36 EDT
Moon opposition True Lunar Node 18:02 EDT
Moon contraparallel True Lunar Node 18:02 EDT
True Lunar Node retrograde station 18:03 EDT
Moon square Vulcanus 18:34 EDT
Heliocentric Earth sextile Heliocentric Mars 18:38 EDT
Sun enters Gemini 18:47 EDT
Heliocentric Mars enters Aquarius 18:52 EDT
Moon quincunx Admetos 19:07 EDT
Moon in 24th harmonic to Zeus 19:13 EDT
Moon parallel Apollon 19:38 EDT
Moon conjunct Apollon 19:56 EDT
Moon square Saturn 20:01 EDT
Heliocentric Mars biquintile Heliocentric Hades 20:01 EDT
Moon trine Hades 20:15 EDT
Sun in 24th harmonic to Mercury 20:37 EDT
Moon sextile Pluto 20:39 EDT
Void-of-Course Moon begins 20:39 EDT
Moon biquintile Sun 21:12 EDT
Moon in 24th harmonic to Jupiter 21:31 EDT
Mercury biquintile Jupiter 23:11 EDT
Sun square 4/19/2004 Solar Eclipse Antiscion 23:21 EDT
Mercury square 5/04/2004 Lunar Eclipse Point 23:27 EDT
Moon sesquiquadrate Uranus 23:45 EDT
Saturn quintile Zeus in right ascension 23:50 EDT
Mercury biquintile Zeus in right ascension 23:59 EDT

May 21
Mercury quintile Saturn in right ascension 00:00 EDT
Moon semisquare Cupido 00:21 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury trine Heliocentric Saturn 00:39 EDT
Mercury contraparallel Pluto 02:01 EDT
Mercury square 4/24/2005 Lunar Eclipse Antiscion 04:05 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury sextile Heliocentric Chiron 04:27 EDT
Venus square Uranus in right ascension 04:39 EDT
Moon sesquiquadrate Venus 05:38 EDT
Moon sesquiquadrate Mars 07:14 EDT
Moon enters Scorpio 07:47 EDT
Void-of-Course Moon ends 07:47 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury enters Aries 07:50 EDT
Moon quincunx Sun 08:47 EDT
Moon parallel Chiron 09:07 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury sextile Heliocentric Mars 09:47 EDT
Moon trine Kronos 10:05 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury biquintile Heliocentric Poseidon 10:41 EDT
Mercury conjunct 11/09/2003 Lunar Eclipse Point 11:03 EDT
Heliocentric Earth trine Heliocentric Mercury 11:11 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury semisquare Heliocentric Neptune 11:31 EDT
Mercury semisquare Kronos 12:04 EDT
Moon square Chiron 13:27 EDT
Moon parallel Poseidon 14:02 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury square Heliocentric Kronos 16:39 EDT
Moon crossing Universal Clock 24 Line 18:25 EDT
Moon conjunct Poseidon 18:54 EDT
Moon parallel Pluto 19:47 EDT
Moon semisextile Zeus 21:54 EDT
Mercury biquintile Jupiter in right ascension 22:15 EDT
Moon contraparallel Mercury 22:20 EDT
Moon in 24th harmonic to Apollon 22:35 EDT
Moon parallel Neptune 22:45 EDT
Moon sesquiquadrate Hades 22:57 EDT
Moon biquintile Venus 23:06 EDT
Heliocentric Mars in 24th Harmonic to Heliocentric Neptune 23:10 EDT
Moon semisquare Pluto 23:15 EDT

May 22
Moon semisextile Jupiter 00:04 EDT
Sun opposition 11/13/2003 Solar Eclipse Point 01:34 EDT
Mercury contraparallel Neptune 01:40 EDT
Moon trine Uranus 02:20 EDT
Moon semisextile Cupido 02:51 EDT
Sun semisextile Kronos 03:26 EDT
Mercury square Neptune 04:19 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury square Heliocentric Venus 05:37 EDT
Sun quintile Mars in right ascension 06:15 EDT
Mercury biquintile Pluto 06:15 EDT
Mercury crossing Universal Clock 24 Line 09:14 EDT
Moon quincunx Venus 10:32 EDT
Moon trine Mars 10:57 EDT
Moon contraparallel Admetos 11:31 EDT
Moon sesquiquadrate Kronos 12:20 EDT
Saturn semisextile Hades 13:20 EDT
Moon square Neptune 14:33 EDT
Moon biquintile Hades 14:34 EDT
Heliocentric Earth quincunx Heliocentric Kronos 14:44 EDT
Mercury semisquare Kronos in right ascension 15:41 EDT
Moon opposition Mercury 16:13 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury quincunx Heliocentric Poseidon 16:14 EDT
Moon quintile Chiron 20:40 EDT
Moon in 24th harmonic to Poseidon 20:49 EDT
Venus square Mars 21:20 EDT
Moon contraparallel Sun 21:20 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury semisextile Heliocentric Uranus 21:40 EDT
Heliocentric Mercury semisquare Heliocentric Admetos 22:27 EDT
Moon quincunx True Lunar Node 22:32 EDT
Sun enters Gemini in right ascension 22:58 EDT
Moon trine Vulcanus 23:12 EDT
Moon opposition Admetos 23:44 EDT
Moon semisquare Zeus 23:45 EDT

*****


STOCKS TO WATCH: ADSK, DEO, PFE, TCC.

Autodesk Inc. (ADSK)
NASDAQ; optionable
First Trade Date: 06/28/1985; 10:00 a.m.
Trading Strategy: ADSK is scheduled to report earnings this week after the market close on Thursday, and it looks like the company will significantly outperform the corresponding quarter last year. That earnings report will coincide with the Neptune station, which will conjoin the ADSK First-Trade Jupiter as it forms a square to the First-Trade True Lunar Node and a semisquare to First-Trade Neptune. Along the way, transiting Saturn is moving into position to square First-Trade Poseidon and semisquare First-Trade Chiron, as transiting Chiron forms a sesquiquadrate to First-Trade Kronos and transiting Jupiter returns to direct motion to conjoin First-Trade Apollon. This is a complex situation, but on balance we believe it favors a long position in this stock. Our plan is thus to add ADSK to the Model Portfolio early this week. We will set our initial stop at 31.00; we expect to raise it fairly soon after the earnings report comes out.


Diageo PLC ADS (DEO)
NYSE; optionable
First Trade Date: 12/17/1997; 09:30 a.m.
Trading Strategy: Saturn is currently transiting the DEO First-Trade Descendant, so we're looking for a bit of a price pull-back for this stock. With the current Mars/Uranus conjunction forming a semisquare to the DEO First-Trade Mars and with the Neptune station conjoining First-Trade Jupiter, however, we think that pull-back will be a buying opportunity. We thus plan to add a long position in this stock toward the end of the trading week; our initial stop will be set at 58.60.


Pfizer Inc. (PFE)
NYSE; optionable
First Trade Date: 01/17/1944; 10:00 a.m.
Trading Strategy: PFE was one of the stocks that got high marks when we looked at it last year in our analysis of this year's Jupiter/Neptune trine and its trading potential. The current conditions seem to bear out that analysis, with transiting Jupiter square First-Trade Mercury and transiting Neptune square First-Trade Kronos. We're also looking at the potential unfolding in a couple of months from the sequiquadrate of transiting Pluto to the First-Trade True Lunar Node. Our plan is to add a long position in PFE early this week, setting an initial stop at 25.35.


Trammell Crow Company (TCC)
NYSE
First Trade Date: 11/25/1997; 09:30 a.m.
Trading Strategy: Transiting Chiron is currently square the TCC First-Trade Poseidon, and transiting Neptune is square First-Trade Admetos. On top of that, transiting Saturn is moving into position to form an opposition to First-Trade Neptune. With that combination, how can we resist a short? We plan to sell TCC short early this week; our initial buy stop will be set at 23.00.

*****


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 2005 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.

*****
posted by Tim Bost @ 5/15/2005 02:32:00 AM