ChartTalk: Surge in US Dollar Index: Where is the USD/INR Going?

ChartTalk: Surge in US Dollar Index: Where is the USD/INR Going?

On February 24th, 2023, the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) experienced a surge, rising from a low of 104.42 to a high of 105.32.  This surge was largely due to the release of the Core Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) Price Index data from the US, which showed that inflation rose at a stronger pace than expected in January. This led to a USD rally and weighed on the Euro and other major currencies. Additionally, the Federal Reserve had been increasing interest rates in an effort to tame inflation, which further contributed to the surge in the DXY.

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A look at the US Dollar Index (DXY) Weekly Chart shows that it took out a major double-top resistance as it move above 105-50 – 106.00 levels in July last year. The surge was strong; it saw DXY testing the highs near 114.75 in September 2022. Though that rise had come with a bearish divergence of the RSI against the price, the quantum of the surge was significant; it was almost to the tune of 8.75%.

However, the retracement that followed was even larger; DXY tested the levels of 100.68 in January this year. The recent surge has seen the Dollar Index halting just below the 50-Week MA of 105.35. This makes the zone of 105.35-106 a potential resistance area for DXY.

On the Daily chart as well, the DXY saw a sharp retracement after it fell off from a declining channel that was created between September and November 2022. The recent pullback has seen DXY penetrating and breaking above the falling trend line pattern resistance; this trend line begins from 107.80 and joins the subsequent lower tops. 

However, again, going ahead, it has a resistance to face where 100-Day MA and 200-Day MA are very near to each other. They are placed at 106.17 and 106.32 respectively.

Reading these levels along with the resistance levels seen on weekly charts, the zone of 105.35 to 106.50 can be described as a strong resistance area for DXY.

This brings us to USDINR. This pair, i.e., the Indian currency has been trading at crucial levels over the past quarter.

USDINR made a high of 83.26 in October 2022; since then it has been trading in a defined range. However, the price action from November 2022 to date has resulted in the development of an ascending triangle. Nevertheless, USDINR has a strong resistance area between current levels and 83.26.

The current setup can be interpreted in two ways. On a plain reading, if the strength in the Dollar Index (DXY) persists, we have a valid case of USDINR depreciating more in form of an attempted breakout from this ascending triangle formation.

In the other reading, while keeping the above observation in context, the pair is also likely to find a strong resistance between the 82.80-83.27 range. This possibility also cannot be ruled out if the DXY halts its rally near the above-mentioned resistance zone of 105.35-106.50. The strong Relative Strength of INR against the USD has started to give up; the RS line has reversed its trend and it has slipped below the 50-Day MA.

CONCLUSION: The interpretation is pretty straightforward in the present technical setup. While respecting the levels seen on the charts, any move above 83 in the USDINR pair is likely to see the Indian currency depreciating in the near term. This may lead the pair to test 83.25 and 83.85 levels over the near term.

However, to have this reading triggered, observing the behavior of the USDINR pair against the levels of 83 will be crucial.

Foram Chheda, CMT

Chart Talk: This Small-Cap Stock Can Be Added To Your Portfolio

Chart Talk: This Small-Cap Stock Can Be Added To Your Portfolio

It certainly pays to keep things simple. While technically analyzing a stock, you don’t always need to have your chart look like a rainbow, comprising multiple colors, and with a plethora of indicators and oscillators plotted on it. Most of the time, a simple chart throws in a lot more information than something that looks too complex. It is often said, and it is true as well, that over-analysis kills!

It is a basic tenet of technical analysis that the longer the time that a pattern takes to evolve on a chart, the more reliable and potent that pattern becomes. This holds true for any technical pattern regardless of whether it is a continuation pattern or trend reversal pattern. There is some generalization involved; for example, one would see rounding tops being more distinctly found in large-cap stocks or rounding bottoms being found more commonly in smaller stocks, but most of the patterns are found across the universe.

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The interesting part is that this rectangle pattern has taken a year to develop. If we look at a higher time frame (Weekly) charts, a similar pattern appears. This makes this pattern fractal in nature. This is evidenced by the weekly chart below.

A similar rectangle pattern appears making the one that appears on the daily chart fractal in nature. Besides this, all other indicators support the attempted breakout. The OBV on both the timeframes has marked a high indicating participation of volumes in the breakout. The RS line against the broader markets remains in a strong uptrend and remains above the 50-period MA.

The stock remains in the leading quadrant of the RRG; on the weekly timeframe, it is inside the improving quadrant indicating that a phase of its relative outperformance against the broader markets has likely begun.

The week has not ended yet but in all likelihood, this breakout may remain valid and in place. If this happens, then going by the price measurement implications, the stock may go on to test 775 to 800 levels if held for at least a medium-term horizon resulting in a price appreciation of ~15% from the current levels.

Foram Chheda, CMT

ChartTalk: Expect A Major Trend Reversal In This Stock

ChartTalk: Expect A Major Trend Reversal In This Stock

The equity markets have been jittery over the past few weeks; the front-line Index NIFTY50 failed to sustain a breakout after moving past the previous lifetime high. After marking an incremental high, the index slipped below the breakout point. However, the broader markets stayed highly stock-specific; many stocks that had grossly underperformed the markets, in general, are showing signs of some structural reversal of the trend. This insurance aggregator is showing some classical signs of reversal of the downtrend and is in process of confirming its bottom in place.

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PB Fintech Ltd (POLICYBZR) has a relatively short listing history. The stock made its high on its listing day near 1470 in November 2021; it had a terrible performance since then. By November of this year, the stock had ended up losing over 76% of its value. However, following the marking of lows between 356-375 during October-November of this year, the stock has made a strong attempt to reverse its downtrend.

Strong classical signs have emerged on the charts indicating a bottom in place for this stock.

While the stock was moving sideways in the 356-375 zone, an exponential increase in volumes was seen in November. Volumes analysis would mean that any exponential increase in volume may hint at a potential bottom for the stock and may mark a point of reversal. The confirmation of this indication came from a sharp rise in the On-Balance Volume (OBV) during the same period; this confirmed that there was a strong accumulation of the stock at the lower levels.

The Relative Strength improved as well; the RS line (compared with the broad market index NIFTY500) reversed its downtrend and started inching higher eventually crossing above the 50-period MA.

While the stock was still marking incremental lower lows, the RSI had already sharted showing strong positive divergence against the price by marking higher bottoms.

If the current technical structure resolves on the expected lines, the stock may confirm a reversal of the trend; subsequently, it has the potential to test 550 levels and that would mean a price appreciation of 15% from the current levels. Any move below the 470 level would invalidate this technical setup.

Foram Chheda, CMT

ChartTalk: Expect Leadership From This Sector As It May Confirm A Reversal

ChartTalk: Expect Leadership From This Sector As It May Confirm A Reversal

Despite the ever-depreciating Rupee, this sector has been showing gross relative underperformance against the broader markets for many months. In fact, globally as well, the technology sector has taken a severe beating in this calendar year; this was evident in the YTD performance of NASDAQ which has been one of the worst-performing indexes globally.

A similar trend was seen in the domestic markets as well. From the sectoral point of view, the NIFTY IT index has been one of the laggards this calendar year.

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Speaking on YTD terms, while the broader NIFTY500 index has returned a positive return of 6.33%, the NIFTY IT Index has returned a negative return of (-21.47%) on a similar timeframe.

However, some strong signs are seen appearing on the NIFTY IT Sector Index that show that it may be in a process of confirming its reversal of trend in the near term.

The NIFTY IT index topped out in early January of this year when it marked its high at 39157.75. Following a brief consolidation just below that level, it saw a sharp decline and slipped under correction. It went on to lose over 12900 points (-32.89%) from its peak until it attempted to find its support near 26450 levels in June.

What followed after that was a technical pullback, and until October of this year, NIFTY IT Index tested this level on several occasions. This led to the formation of multiple support points near 26450 levels. It was this October onward that the NIFTY IT index started to inch higher; it moved above the 50-, and the 100-DMA in the process, and presently it is seen making attempts to move past the 200-DMA which is presently at 30239,

From other pieces of technical evidence present on the chart, there is a high possibility that the IT Index will eventually break above the 200-DMA; if this happens, it would confirm an end and subsequent reversal of the downtrend that this sector witnessed over the past many months.

The current levels also mark a classical double top; any move above 200-DMA will also lead to a breakout from this formation. RSI has marked a 14-period high which is bullish. The RS line against the broader markets has reversed its trajectory and remains above the 50-period MA.

The IT Sector is inside the leading quadrant of the RRG when benchmarked against the broader NIFTY 500 Index. Also on the weekly timeframe, this sector remains buoyantly placed inside the Improving quadrant while strongly maintaining its relative momentum against the broader markets.

Going ahead from here, so long as the NIFTY IT Index keeps its head above 29000 levels, it remains well-equipped to not only relatively outperform the broader markets in event of any consolidation but also provide strong leadership in the rising markets.

Foram Chheda, CMT

ChartTalk: This Sector Is Poised At A Crucial Juncture

ChartTalk: This Sector Is Poised At A Crucial Juncture

After showing a great outperformance until the middle of 2022, this key sector index of the Indian markets is showing signs of slowing down. The technical structure of charts shows that until a particular level is taken out, a potential top may be in place for this sector index. If we look at this in a different way, this sector will have to move past 28200 levels to resume its up move and reclaim its leadership. The sector in focus here is NIFTY Energy Index.

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Following strong moves and equally strong relative performance against the broad market NIFTY500 index until April of this year, NIFTY Energy Index marked its high point at 29304.05. It showed a corrective retracement after that; it marked subsequent lower tops at 28100 and at 27233.

The recent move shows this sector index within a neutral pattern of a symmetrical triangle. From a technical perspective, it is important to know that this is a neutral pattern. Any directional move, unless accompanied by confirmation of the price action, must not be anticipated. This pattern can act as both reversals as well as a continuation pattern.

The Index is presently in the lagging quadrant of the RRG; it is likely to relatively underperform the broader markets. The RS line against the NIFTY500 index is in a downtrend when subjected to regular pattern analysis. It has also slipped below the 50-Week MA. RSI, though it remains natural against the price, is seen making lower tops.

Given this technical structure, it would be best to protect profits in this sector and take some money off the table. It would be prudent to wait for this technical pattern to resolve on either side before re-entering this group of stocks. 

Investors would always get a chance to re-enter energy stocks if the NIFTY Energy Index is able to move above 28200 levels. If it does not do that and slips below 50-Week MA 27507 and below on a closing basis, it would mean breaking down from this symmetrical triangle pattern. 

The present consolidation in this pattern is giving investors enough time to rejig their portfolios; it gives them the opportunity to move into those sectors that have their relative strength intact and sectors that are outperforming the general markets.

In the event of any resumption of the up move, an option to re-enter this pocket always remains upon the Nifty Energy Index moving past 28200 levels.

Foram Chheda, CMT