TopdownCharts

Topdown Charts is a chart-driven macro research house covering global asset allocation and economics. We primarily serve multi-asset investors and institutions.

    • TopdownChartsTopdownCharts
      ·09-03 09:18

      Weekly Report | USD Up, Gold Crowded, Bonds Cheap

      Here’s the topics & takeaways from my latest report —it provides some high-level insights into how I am currently seeing Macro & Markets: 1. USD: continue to watch for short/medium-term upside risk in the US dollar as technicals, sentiment, positioning turn up, policy pivots, and geopolitical risks loom. 2. Gold: gold technicals have flipped to bullish (from previous bearish), but a number of downside risk flags remain (expensive valuations, crowded positioning, consensus bullish sentiment). 3. Treasuries: compelling contrarian bullish setup in bonds (cheap valuations, bearish sentiment, very low allocations/positioning, high risk perceptions), but still awaiting the macro/technical confirmation. 4. Risk Tables: overall there are plenty of strong and credible upside risks for growt
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      Weekly Report | USD Up, Gold Crowded, Bonds Cheap
    • TopdownChartsTopdownCharts
      ·09-03 09:13

      Chart: US Dollar Decision Point

      Every so often you come across a chart like this where there is a big long-term technical tension playing out. Bears will highlight the Lower major Highs (drawing the red line), bulls will highlight the Higher major Lows (drawing the green line). Both of them are right, and that’s the point. The technical tension = simultaneous up & down trends vying for dominance. I’ve seen this type of thing play out many times before across different assets and markets, and the resultant move tends to be violent, substantial, and sets the tone for many years to follow. And I see this setup here as no different. But then you also consider the macro influence of the US dollar, and you realize that this is not just a major issue for asset allocators and traders, but something that could have far reachi
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      Chart: US Dollar Decision Point
    • TopdownChartsTopdownCharts
      ·09-01

      Stocks Still Look Bullish, but Volatility Flags Are Flashing

      $S&P 500(.SPX)$ $SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust(SPY)$ $Cboe Volatility Index(VIX)$ Learnings and conclusions from this week’s charts: 1. Sentiment is still majority consensus bullish. 2. Stock correlations have dropped to record lows. 3. Volatility (VIX) looks low vs seasonals and single-stock metrics. 4. Semis are still stuck in the mud (peaked, and looking weak). 5. Software is looking stronger (software vs hardware trade reversing?). Overall, the market mood remains bullish and there are some bullish rotation trades underway. But the question is when does this consensus bullishness become complacency? There are a few flags of a potential volatility flare-up on t
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      Stocks Still Look Bullish, but Volatility Flags Are Flashing
    • TopdownChartsTopdownCharts
      ·08-25

      Inflation Heats Up, Software Rebounds, Value Stocks Prepare to Rally

      Hi everyone, Here are this week’s key macro and market themes. Inflation risks are rising, software stocks are staging a comeback, and value stocks may be quietly setting up for their next move. 1. Inflation risks remain elevated Global inflation still faces upside pressure from firmer commodity prices, geopolitical risks, tight capacity and relatively limited policy response. 2. Software stocks remain attractive Software stocks continue to look promising, supported by improving technicals, a major valuation reset and a still-solid earnings outlook despite AI-related concerns. 3. Stocks still have the edge over bonds Equities look increasingly expensive relative to bonds, while positioning is heavily tilted toward stocks. However, macro conditions, policy and technical signals continue to
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      Inflation Heats Up, Software Rebounds, Value Stocks Prepare to Rally
    • TopdownChartsTopdownCharts
      ·08-25

      Chart: Stocks vs Bonds Long-Term Cycles

      Stocks beating Bonds should be no surprise for those paying attention. Stocks are in a raging bull market. Bonds are in brutal a bear market. But you might be surprised by the extent of it (see chart below). The rolling 10-year annualized total return spread (i.e. including interest for bonds, dividends for stocks) of stocks vs bonds just cracked 15% —the highest since 1960 (and eclipsing the 1929 high). $S&P 500(.SPX)$ $SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust(SPY)$ Looking at the two series separately (below) we can see bonds making long-cycle lows, and stocks making long-cycle highs in real (CPI-adjusted) total returns. I think it’s important to emphasize the word cycle, because there does appear to be some rhyth
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      Chart: Stocks vs Bonds Long-Term Cycles
    • TopdownChartsTopdownCharts
      ·08-24

      10 Charts Flash Bullish Signals, But VIX Risk Is Rising

      Weekly S&P500 ChartStorm - 23 August 2026 This week: global earnings pulse, tech sector sentiment signals, positioning, valuations, contrarian corner, volatility technicals, gold vs bonds... Learnings and conclusions from this week’s charts: Global corporate earnings estimates are surging. Tech is seeing big insider buying (but also heavy shorting). Energy, Gold, Bitcoin seen major ETF outflows (+are all turning up again). Indian stocks have been punished as an AI-loser within emerging markets. The $Cboe Volatility Index(VIX)$ is bouncing along the bottom of the range, seasonality says it goes up. Overall, the global equities bull market looks alive and well, especially when you consider the surge in earnings expectations underpinning it. US te
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      10 Charts Flash Bullish Signals, But VIX Risk Is Rising
    • TopdownChartsTopdownCharts
      ·08-18

      Bullish Market, With a Few Warning Signs

      This week’s charts continue to show a decidedly bullish market. 📈 Breadth is improving. The equal-weighted $S&P 500(.SPX)$ is starting to outperform the cap-weighted index, suggesting the rally is broadening beyond the mega-cap names. That’s generally a healthy sign for the market. 💰 Earnings are getting stronger. Earnings revisions are surging, with a solid macro backdrop providing additional support. At the same time, higher prices are boosting investor confidence, sentiment and equity allocations. ⚠️ But the rally isn’t risk-free. Seasonality is becoming less favorable, the Magnificent 7( $NVIDIA(NVDA)$ $Apple(AAPL)$
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      Bullish Market, With a Few Warning Signs
    • TopdownChartsTopdownCharts
      ·08-18

      Chart: How High Can You Go?

      The chart below shows the highest country PE10 ratio across time [with revolving membership] (e.g. standouts: Japan in the 1980’s, Finland in 2000, China 2007, Colombia 2010, India 2024, and more recently Taiwan & Korea + USA). The countries represented in the red line changed often. The key point is throughout this period there has very often been a country trading on a PE10 ratio in excess of 40x, and on occasion much higher. Overall I would call this chart an exercise in imagination expansion…
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      Chart: How High Can You Go?
    • TopdownChartsTopdownCharts
      ·08-18

      Chart: Valuations & Allocations

      $S&P 500(.SPX)$ $SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust(SPY)$ $NASDAQ 100(NDX)$ $Invesco QQQ(QQQ)$ $Dow Jones(.DJI)$ The chart below should be studied carefully by every student of the markets. It tells us a lot about how markets move, how things change, how investors behave, and how to think about markets as a long-term active investor. You probably have a few of your own views and ideas when you look at this chart —but here’s some thoughts that come to mind for me: Investor Behavior: everyone wants to own stocks at the top (when valuations are high), few want to own them at the bottom (w
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      Chart: Valuations & Allocations
    • TopdownChartsTopdownCharts
      ·08-12

      Chart: Old Coin vs New Coin

      In absolute terms, Bitcoin’s maximum drawdown this cycle (so far) is -53%. But when priced in Gold $Gold - main 2612(GCmain)$ , Bitcoin was down -70% earlier this year (the chart below shows the relative decline in Bitcoin vs Gold). That’s a major downturn, and on par with the 3 previous big down cycles in Bitcoin. And it’s about at the point where you start looking for opportunities. In weighing up Old Coin (Gold) vs New Coin (Bitcoin) we can see both coins were riding the same waves of liquidity and debasement from 2023 all the way up until 2025 —when Bitcoin peaked first (followed by gold this year). As things stand now, gold is staging a strong rally off support after a -25% correction. Meanwhile Bitcoin is stuck in the range; glued to sup
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      Chart: Old Coin vs New Coin
       
       
       
       

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