The 4 Year Presidential Cycle | Carol S. Mull

The 3 1/3 - Year Kitchin Cycle

Within the average 11.094-year sunspot cycle, there are shorter periods of solar prominence which occur every 40 or 42 months. These were first recognized in 1923 by the American economist Joseph Kitchin. They account for trade fluctuations and have a marked effect on terrestrial weather, alternating between hot and dry to cold and wet. Articles in Cycles magazine proclaim a 40.68-month cycle, an example of which follows:

The Mars/Vesta Cycle (4.17 years)

The planet Mars and the asteroid Vesta have a synodic cycle period of 4.17 years. (Mars often serves as a trigger planet to aspects of the heavier business planets (Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter); Vesta has consistently been found in a prominent position in the natal horoscopes of stock traders.) The Dow is likely to peak at the first square (90-degree angle from the conjunction) between Mars and Vesta and to bottom at the second trine aspect (240-degree angle from the conjunction). Based on this, you should have bought May 28, 1985, and sold on December 7, 1987. (Ed. Note: October 19, 1987 was Black Monday. December would have been too late in this case.)

The 4 1/2-Year Martian Cycle

According to Lt.Comdr. David Williams, author of Financial Astrology (American Federation of Astrologers), the Mars/Jupiter 4 1/2-year cycle is one of the most dependable market indicators. Mars and Jupiter are in conjunction or opposition every 2.2353 years. Thus, every other conjunction is 4.4706 years, or approximately 234 weeks. Thomas Rieder, author of Astrological Warnings & the Stock Market (Pagurian Press), ties the 4 1/2-year cycle to the synodic period of Mars, The synodic period of a planet is the length of time elapsing between two successive conjunctions of that planet with the Sun as seen from Earth. Mars conjoins the Sun at intervals of about two years and three months, so this cycle is just twice the synodic period of Mars.

 The 4-Year Presidential Cycle

The 3 1/3-, 4.17-, and 4 1/2-year cycles overlap and become what is sometimes referred to as the 4-year presidential cycle. It is theorized that the government stimulates the economy at election time to provide the illusion of prosperity and to insure the re-election of the President. However, closer analysis reveals that the cycle also exists in countries where elections are held every six or eight years or not at all.

Quoted from:
Carol S. Mull - Predicting the Dow.
In: Joan McEvers (Ed. 1989) - Financial Astrology for the 1990s.

 

See also:

 Carol S. Mull (1989) - Astrological Methods of Forecasting the DJIA.

Carol S. Mull (1989) - The Lunar Cycle.

Financial Markets & Seasonal Geomagnetic Field Variation | Hans Hannula

Any grade-school pupil can tell you when the seasons begin. In the northern hemisphere, generally, spring begins March 21, while summer begins June 21. Autumn begins September 23, and winter begins December 21. Actual dates may vary by one day in a particular year. So step one is simple.

The physical reason behind the seasonal cycle is the tilt of the Earth's axis. The 23.5-degree tilt of the Earth's axis causes more direct heating of the northern hemisphere in the summer, when the Earth tilts toward the sun. It causes less heating in the winter, when the Earth tilts away from the sun. This change in heating and cooling causes the seasonal weather patterns that we are familiar with.

 

Charged particles from the sun form a teardrop-shaped envelope about the globe called the magnetosphere.

Not so well known is the effect of the seasonal variation on the Earth's geomagnetic field. As the sun emits energy, charged particles flow outward, carried by the solar wind. As these particles sweep past Earth, they form a teardrop-shaped envelope around the globe called the magnetosphere.

There is a seasonal variation in two important parts of the magnetosphere. When the Earth tilts toward the sun in the summer, the charged particles can more directly flow into the north pole, where they affect the Earth's magnetic field. This effect is lessened when the Earth tilts away from the sun in the winter.

The second magnetic effect is on the magneto-tail, that part of the magnetosphere which streams away from the sunny side of the Earth. As the Earth tilts toward the sun, this tail "rides higher." As the Earth tilts away from the sun, the tail "rides lower." This affects how our moon, which moves in and out of the magnetosphere, interacts with the Earth's magnetic field.

Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (2023):
The Seasonal Distribution of Geomagnetic Disturbances.

So what does this have to do with stocks and commodities? Scientific evidence suggests that these fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field affect humans. Studies show that magnetic field changes are linked to blood PH changes, which in turn cause mood swings. Perhaps the psychological mood swings of traders are also subject to these magnetic field changes.

More obviously, the seasonal cycle could be expected to affect crop prices, such as those of wheat, corn and other commodities. Similarly, with most businesses running on a quarterly profit cycle, seasonal variations in the buying and selling of materials and equipment can be expected. Thus, on both a fundamental and technical basis, a trader can expect season price variations in stocks and commodities.

To perform step 2, mark the dates of the cycle on a chart with solid dots, and place them above or below the price as you estimate that price is high or low relative to what it was approximately one-fourth cycle earlier. Points do not necessarily have to alternate between high and low.

Now look for cycle "inversions." If two lows or highs occur in succession, the cycle has "inverted" between the points. A normal inversion point is halfway through the cycle.

Quoted from:
Hans Hannula (1991) - The Seasonal Cycle. In: Stocks & Commodities V. 9:11 (458-460).

 

See also:
Tianbao Zhou, Xinghao Li & Peng Wang (2021) - Chinese Stock Indices, Gann Time Theory & Solar Terms.

Chinese 24 Solar Terms for 2023.

 

 

CNN Business - Fear & Greed Index as of June 16, 2023.

Pre-Election Year Seasonal Pattern of U.S. Stock Indexes | Jeffrey A. Hirsch

In 2023 the 15th trading day of June will be Wednesday, 21st - summer solstice.

Reference:

Jeffrey A. Hirsch @ Twitter.

The Turn of the Year (TOY) Barometer | Wayne Whaley

Jason Leavitt (Jan 22, 2020) - According to Wayne Whaley, the most predictive period of the year is November 19 to January 19. He considers this period to be the single most reliable seasonality barometer of forward stock market returns – so much so that he’s said if he could only make one trade/year based on one indicator, this is the indicator he’d use. Whaley’s goal was to identify what he called the "kingpin of seasonal barometers." He stated: "I implored my computer to take a few seconds to exhaustively study S&P performance over every time period of the year and determine which time frame’s behavior was proprietor of the highest correlation coefficient relative to the following year’s performance."

 

What he found was there was a high correlation between the S&P 500’s returns between November 19th and the following January 19th and the S&P’s performance the 12 months following January 19. And since the 2-month period straddled the turn of the year and the gift giving season, he called it the TOY Barometer [...] if Nov 19 is on a weekend, use the Monday after the weekend, and if Jan 19 is on a weekend, use the Friday before). He only considered the price-only return (no dividends). If the return during this 2-month period was greater than 3%, a bullish signal was given, and the market was very likely to do well over the following 12 months. If the return was 0-3%, the signal was considered neutral, and results were somewhat random and in line with what is considered average. And if the return was negative, a bearish signal was given, and returns tended to be very poor.

 

Since 1950, there have been 36 bullish signals (including the one that just triggered), 19 neutral signals and 16 bearish signals [as of Jan 22, 2020]. Let’s look at each signal group.

Bullish Signals:    The 35 completed bullish signals have led to gains 33 times the following 12 months. The losses were in 1987, the year of one of the biggest single-day crashes in history, and 2018, that year that included a 20% drop during the fourth quarter. The average and median gains of the 12 months following the bullish signals were 17.7% and 15.1%. This isn’t much better than the “all years” stats, but the win rate (94%) is much higher than the “all years” win rate (73%). 

 

Neutral Signals:    There have been 19 neutral signals. The following year was positive 12 times (63%), compared to 73% win rate for “all years.” The overall average and median returns were 6.0% and 7.1%. But among the “up” years, the average and median gains were 14.4% and 9.4%, while the “down” years’ average and median losses were -8.5% and -7.8%. There were several big up years (1995, 1996, 1998, 2003), and two big down years (1973, 1977), so even if there is a neutral signal, there’s still a decent chance the following 12 months will venture far from its January 19 print.

Bearish Signals:    There have been 16 bearish signals. Only 6 (38%) of the following years posted a gain while 10 posted losses – and 6 of those 10 posted double digit losses. The overall average and median returns were -3.6% and -6.0%. The “up” years posted average and median gains of 14.6% and 15.5%, while the “down” years posted average and median losses of -14.6% and -12.9%. So despite the low win rate, when the market does well, it has the ability to do very well, as was the case this past year.

Summary:     

The bullish years have a very high win rate (94% vs 73% for “all years”). The average gain (17.7%) isn’t much higher than the “all years” gain (16.6%), so a bullish signal increases the odds of an up year but doesn’t increase the gain itself. 

 

The bearish years have a low win rate (38%). The gains during those up years (14.6% vs 16.6% for all years) are very good, but the losses during the down years are noticeably bigger than when a bullish or neutral signal is signaled (-14.6% vs -6.2% for bullish years and vs -8.5% for neutral years). So the odds of a down year are much higher, and the losses that follow are much bigger. 

 

The neutral years are mixed. The win rate is 63% (vs 72% for “all years”), with the gains during up years being pretty good (14.2% vs 16.6% for “all years”) and the losses during down years being moderate (a little worse than bullish years but much better than bearish years).

[...] When a bullish signal is in play, odds heavily favor solid gains over the following 12 months, but when there’s a bearish signal, odds favor a down year with a relatively big loss. But regardless of the signal, “up” years tend to be very good.

Quoted from:

 Jason Leavitt (Jan 22, 2020) - Wayne Whaley’s TOY Barometer.

 

See also: 

G. Wayne Whaley (Aug 31, 2012) - Trade less, earn more with Turn of Year timing model.
Steve Deppe (Nov 19, 2015) - Maximizing Returns With Wayne Whaley’s TOY Barometer.
Steve Deppe (Jan 20, 2016) - Whaley’s “TOY Barometer” Sends Bearish Signal To Investors.
Taylor Dart (Jan 07, 2019) - S&P 500: One Study Worth Paying Attention To.
Seth Golden (Jan 19, 2021) - State of the Market: Historic Data Studies Offer A Guide.

Kora Reddy (Jan 20, 2022) - TOY Barometer for the Sensex.

Bryan Hayes (Jan 31, 2022) - As Goes January, So Goes The Year?
Leavitt Brothers (2022) - Wayne Whaley's TOY Barometer.

 

Update January 20, 2023 by TradeTrekker

Year-End Rally, January Influence & Trend For The Year | Jack Gillen

Jack Gillen (2009) - The Sun's position in relation to the stock market can show trends that are more or less active for each year, as the Sun degrees are generally fixed — they fall on about the same date every year. This is why some periods of the year reflect more of a pattern. This means that the Dow Jones Industrial Average will have similar to the same patterns at different sensitive points throughout each year. 

 

 

As an example, Iet’s take the natal chart of the NYSE and the U.S. chart. In the NYSE chart we find Venus, a prominent planet, along with Jupiter, relating to moves of success. The Sun is trine Venus at 5 degrees Taurus with the Sun at 5 degrees Virgo or 5 degrees Capricorn. This would relate to a sensitive point from the transit of the Sun to the NYSE chart. But in the US chart we have Jupiter at 5 degrees Cancer (the opposition of Cancer is Capricorn) so the transit at 5 degrees Capricorn would affect the market during that orb which would last from 5 degrees through 9 degrees, a 4-degree orb. This orb is in effect around Christmas and has become known as the year-end rally. The percentages are thus strongly in the favor as far as the Dow Jones coming up on the plus side from Christmas Day to New Year's Day. This trend is more or less dominant year after year.

 

[...] Regarding the trend for the year, January can give a good indication because of the later degree sensitive points (Venus in Taurus, and Mars and Neptune in Virgo). This means that January can indicate what the eleven months ahead are going to be, bearish or bullish. Research reveals the success rate to be about 80 percent. This does not work when there are crash periods, certain sensitive zones activated in panics and crashes. This will bring some turmoil, as will Saturn going through Capricorn, which also indicates delays. This is very helpful in determining what an individual stock will do, but there are three factors you need to learn in order to determine which stock to start with for the year. In most cases it’s better to buy a stock at the beginning of the year and ride with it because you can get a pretty good indication of the January influence.

Why is the January influence so important? Astrologically speaking, there is the trine aspect related to the year-end rally period. But it’s more than that. We have Venus at 5 degrees Taurus, Mercury at 23 degrees Taurus and the Sun at 27 degrees Taurus, and Mars at 18 degrees Virgo. These points are trine Capricorn. So January is important because there is a grand trine, a configuration that occurs when there arc three planets, each 120 degrees apart. As the Sun leaves the 5 degree Capricorn point that relates to the short rally it moves on to a trine to the NYSE Mars at 18 degrees, the NYSE Mercury at 23 degrees and NYSE Sun at 27 degrees. So this is why January is important in anything related to the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The trine also occurs in the U.S. chart with Neptune at 24 degrees Virgo and the Part of Fortune at 25 degrees Taurus. But the opposition to planets in Cancer show a turning point: and Capricorn rules government. These influences can be seen from about January 9 through January 18, as the Sun transits the pertinent degrees. If the market shoots up in January, it will be up in December; if it’s low in January, then it's going to be low in December, at year's end.

Quoted from:
Jack Gillen (2009) - The Key to Speculation on the New York Stock Exchange (2nd. Ed).

 

See also:
TPR (2018) - Jack Gillen's Sensitive Degrees of the Sun.

The Moon-Stats | Jack Gillen

Jack Gillen (2002) - There is a Moon statistic that falls into the 70 - 100 percent group but is closer to the 70 percent group, and that’s the Moon’s transit from Virgo to Pisces. 

 

Virgo to Pisces Moon Cycle 2019 - 2026

 

Therefore, if you are looking to go long with a stock it’s best to start during this period. For instance, in the year 2003, on the tables we have January 21st - February 3rd. This is indicating that at the closing price of January 21st would represent the Moon in Virgo, and the fact that you can have a big drop in the market with the Moon in Virgo, is the reason this is based on the closing price. Therefore, by going long during this period it is indicating to you there is a 70 percent chance that on February 3rd the Dow Jones Industrial Average will be higher [...] and if you have a stock you want to short, your best chance would be from the sign of Pisces to Virgo.
 

Quoted from:
Jack Gillen (2002) - AstroStats for the New York Stock Exchange.

 

See also:
Jack Gillen (2009) - The Key to Speculation on the New York Stock Exchange (2nd Ed.).
True-Node.com (2022) - Online Ephemeris Generator.

The Mercury-Stats | Jack Gillen

Jack Gillen (2002) - Mercury goes retrograde approximately three times a year and causes a state of confusion, and after it goes back direct the market can explode into a bear or bullish market.

 

Mercury Retrograde

[...] in those years when Mercury is retrograding there is an 85 percent chance that the DJIA price at the time it goes direct will be higher than when it was retrograding. The same is true when Mercury is retrograding in the sign of Capricorn, which holds the same accuracy rate as the ten-year cycle from 1885. In the Mercury retrograde period, those dates in bold print have a 70 - 80 percent accuracy of having a higher Dow Jones price at the end of the retrograde cycle.

Quoted from:
Jack Gillen (2002) - AstroStats for the New York Stock Exchange.
 
See also:
Jack Gillen (2009) - The Key to Speculation on the New York Stock Exchange (2nd Ed.).
AstroSeek.com (2022) - Retrograde Planets 2022. 

The Sun-Stats | Jack Gillen

Jack Gillen (2002) - There are only two statistics related to the Sun falling into the group of the 70 - 100 percent accuracy. They were both activated in the United States chart on July 4, 1776, and the natal Sun is at 13-degrees of Cancer. On July 5th of every year the Sun transits 13-degrees of Cancer. This cycle has an orb of 13 - 22 degrees of Cancer, and the transit dates would be from July 7 - 15 each year. The price of the Dow Jones Industrial Average will be higher on the 15th then on the 7th, and from the period of 1987 - 2001 this trend was 86.6 percent accurate with an overall percentage of 72.8.

The next statistic has been 80 percent accurate over the past 100 years, and is based on the two degrees of Venus in the United States chart to the opposition of Capricorn at two degrees, and is dominant from December 24th - 31st. This is a long position, therefore the DJIA will be higher on the 31st than on the 24th. Since the period of 1900 - 2000, this pattern has only been wrong 20 times and this was in 1911, 1925, 1926, 1930, 1937, 1943, 1947, 1948, 1953, 1966, 1968, 1978, 1979, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1996, and 1998. Therefore, going long on December 24th, I know that I have an 80 percent chance of being correct, that on December 31st the market will be higher at the close.

[...] The New York Stock Exchange was born on May 17, 1792, at 8:52 am in New York under the Sun sign of Taurus. None of the Zodiac signs which the Sun transits falls into the 70 - 100 percent accuracy rate. The two highest are Pisces from February 19 - March 19, having a 63.33 percent accuracy over the past 50 years, and Capricorn from December 22 - January 20, having a 60.27 percent accuracy rate. Let’s look at some of the averages for the other Sun signs: Aquarius, January 21 - February 18, 54.50 percent; Aries, March 20 - April 19, 58.50 percent; Taurus, April 20 - May 20, 50 percent; Gemini, May 21 - June 20, the chance that the DJIA will be higher on the June 20th than on the 21st is only 48.48 percent; Cancer, June 21 - July 21, has 51.20 percent; Leo, July 22 - August 22, only 46.60 percent the lowest of all the zodiac signs; Virgo, August 23 - September 22, it is 52.27 percent; Libra, September 23 - October 22, has 52.70 percent; Scorpio, October 23 - November 21, is 51.50 percent; Sagittarius, November 22 - December 21, is 57.25.

Sun Transit from November 17 to May 17

Although these Zodiac signs don’t qualify for the 70 - 100 percent accuracy rate it does create another pattern that fits into this 70 - 100 percent group, and this is called trading with the opposition aspect. The opposition of Taurus is Scorpio, and on November 17th every year this would represent the opposite date. Therefore, if you are trading on the long side at the closing price of November 17th to the closing price of May 17th, chances are that you are going to be correct. If you are trading on the short side, you might want to trade from the date of the NYSE on May 17th, and short to the closing of November 17th. The period of 1980 - 2001, you would have been 81.08 percent correct on the long side from November 17th - May 17th, as only four out of the last 22 years did the Dow Jones not show a profit.

 

Quoted from: 

Jack Gillen (2002) - AstroStats for the New York Stock Exchange.

 

See also:
Jack Gillen (1979) - The Key to Speculation on the New York Stock Exchange.

True-Node.com (2022) - Online Ephemeris Generator.
TPR (2018) - Jack Gillen's Sensitive Degrees of the Sun.

EUR/USD vs Inner Planets' Ingress into Zodiac Signs + Annual Cycle

DJIA Daily Pattern during Years Ending in "7" │ 1887-2017

Source: The Leuthold Group

Presidential-, Seasonal-, Decennial- and Composite Cycle | Q3 + Q4 2017

The Best Seasonal Time of the Year | Feb 15 - May 10

Feb 15 - May 10 (Source: Nautilus Research)

First Quarter 2017 | Presidential Cycle + Seasonal Pattern + Decennial Cycle of the DJIA (HERE)

Seasonality | DJIA | NDX | FTSE | DAX | HSI | NI225

Credits: Seasonal Charts

SPX vs 93 Trading Day Cycle + US Election

93 Trading Days ≈ 135 Calendar Days ≈ 19.3 Weeks ≈ 4.5 Months ≈ 0.37 Years.
Regardless of the election outcome, in November and December the S&P 500 advances 72.2% of the time.
(Source: Jeff Hirsch - see also HERE)

Stan Harley: November 8 (Tue) = Cycle Low in Stocks + Crude Oil (HERE)

Sell Rosh Hashanah, Buy Yom Kippur | Jeff Hirsch

Source: Jeff Hirsch's Almanac Trader

One saying for equities on Wall Street has historically been to “sell Rosh Hashanah" (Oct 3-4, 2016 (Mon-Tue)), and to "buy Yom Kippur" (Oct 12, 2016 (Wed)). Or was it vice versa?

Jeff Hirsch presents the data back to 1971: "When the holiday falls on a weekend the prior market close is used. It’s no coincidence that Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur fall in September and/or October, two dangerous and opportune months. We then took it a step further and calculated the return from Yom Kippur to Passover.

[...] Perhaps it’s Talmudic wisdom but, selling stocks before the eight-day span of the high holidays has avoided many declines, especially during uncertain times. While being long Yom Kippur to Passover has produced more than twice as many advances, averaging gains of 7.0%. It often pays to be a contrarian when old bromides are tossed around, buying instead of selling Yom Kippur – and selling Passover." 

Most Volatile Seasonal Period About to Begin | Nautilus Research

Source: Nautilus Research

Source: Nautilus Research

Presidential Cycle + Decennial Cycle + SoLunar Map | April 2016

SPX vs Presidential Cycle + Decennial Cycle | January - November 2016

Presidential Cycle + Seasonal Pattern + Decennial Cycle for March 2016

Seasonal Cycle Mar 01 - Mar 31 (1900-2015) = +0.82%
6th Year of the Decennial Cycle (2016) Mar 01 - Mar 31 = +1.96%
4th Year of the Presidential Cycle (2016) Mar 01 - Mar 31 = +1.95%
SoLunar Map: Feb 26 (Fri), Mar 01 (Tue), Mar 05 (Sat), Mar 08 (Tue), Mar 12 (Sat),
Mar 16 (Wed), Mar 19 (Sat), Mar 23 (Wed), Mar 27 (Sun), Mar 30 (Wed)

Seasonal Cycle Jan 01 - May 31 (1900-2015) = +2.82%
6th Year of the Decennial Cycle (2016) Jan 01 - May 31 = +3.49%
4th Year of the Presidential Cycle (2016) Jan 01 - May 31 = -0.97%

Seasonal Cycle (1900-2015) Jan 01 - Dec 31 = +6.99%
4th Year of the Presidential Cycle (2016) Jan 01 - Dec 31 = +6.52%
6th Year of the Decennial Cycle (2016) Jan 01 - Dec 31 = +6.98%

4th Year of the Presidential Cycle (2016) Jan 01 - Dec 31 = +6.52%
6th Year of the Decennial Cycle (2016) Jan 01 - Dec 31 = +6.98%
1st Year of the Presidential Cycle (2017) Jan 01 - Dec 31 = +5.48%
7th Year of the Decennial Cycle (2017) Jan 01 - Dec 31 = +4.82%
2nd Year of the Presidential Cycle (2018) Jan 01 - Dec 31 = +2.99%
8th Year of the Decennial Cycle (2018) Jan 01 - Dec 31 = +13.13%
3rd Year of the Presidential Cycle (2019) Jan 01 - Dec 31 = +10.12%
9th Year of the Decennial Cycle (2019) Jan 01 - Dec 31 = +10.62%

Gold vs Astro Neural Network Forecast

Calculated and charted with Timing Solution.