Until yesterday, traders worried that the Fed might increase rates sooner than expected. Until yesterday, traders were concerned that the recent good economic news might wind up being bad news for the stock market. And until yesterday, traders fretted that the Fed might make a mistake.

However, all of the nervousness about what the Fed could, would, or should do next were put to rest after the release of the minutes from the latest FOMC meeting. In short, the minutes showed that Janet Yellen's merry band of central bank governors are now concerned that weakness overseas coupled with a rising U.S. dollar could hurt the economy here at home and keep inflation below the 2 percent target.

The bottom line is the FOMC minutes were music to the ears of traders. And while the trading machines liked the statement initially, it was the human interpretation, which takes a few minutes to actually be developed, that caused stocks to rocket higher Wednesday afternoon.

Don't Fight the Fed

As far as the stock market is concerned, the key is the minutes showed that the FOMC members actually cut their outlook for both economic growth AND inflation. The instant interpretation was simple: rates are NOT going to be rising any time soon and the Ms. Yellen has "cover" to keep from raising rates for as long as she'd like.

Bam! Within seconds, stocks were off to the races. High speed trend-following algos jumped on the long side. Shorts scrambled for cover. And the dip-buyers once again did their thing.

The result was an impressive daily move that recovered all of Monday and Tuesday's losses. Suddenly the game wasn't about the weak German economic data, China's punk numbers, or the IMF's latest prognostication about global growth. Nope. Suddenly the game was back to being all about the Fed and the "liquidity trade."

At issue here is the question of when the rate-hike campaign will begin. The general consensus is for the Fed to begin a very long series of small rate increases in June 2015. However, there has been a fair amount of angst lately due to the idea that the strong jobs numbers might cause the Fed to adjust this target.

But, the minutes from the September FOMC meeting showed that the committee members are worried about the goings on in Europe as well as the recent spike in the greenback.

"Some participants expressed concern that the persistent shortfall of economic growth and inflation in the euro area could lead to a further appreciation of the dollar and have adverse effects on the U.S. external sector," the minutes stated.

It was interesting to note that the committee didn't limit their concerns to Europe and added China, Japan, and Ukraine/Russia to its list of worries. The exact verbiage was, "Several participants added that slower economic growth in China or Japan or unanticipated events in the Middle East or Ukraine might pose a similar risk."

It's Not About the Calendar

Also of interest to the markets was the effort by the FOMC to make clear the fact that future actions will be tied to the data and not the calendar. Apparently members want the "considerable time" language to be clarified so that their intentions cannot be misunderstood.

Recall that Ms. Yellen caused quite a stir at her first press conference as Fed Chair when she suggested that "considerable time" meant something on the order of six months.

"The concern was raised that the reference to 'considerable time' in the current forward guidance could be misunderstood as a commitment rather than as data dependent," the minutes stated.

The minutes went on to add, "It was emphasized that the current forward guidance for the federal funds rate was data dependent and did not indicate that the first increase in the target range for the federal funds rate would occur mechanically after some fixed calendar interval."

So there you have it. The Fed has taken the calendar off the table and made it clear that it's all about the data. And on that front, the committee also told the markets that things are not as peachy keen as the U.S. data might suggest and that they want to keep their options open.

The Takeaway on the Charts

It is interesting to note that things were not looking good in the early going on Wednesday. No, the S&P 500 initially dove lower and wound up breaking through its 150-day moving average. The venerable index also wound up testing last week's low, which was important to technical traders.

But just when it looked like all was lost and the "meaningful correction" that so many analysts (as well as the divergence in the smallcaps) had been calling for was on, the Fed saved the day. Again.

The reaction to the minutes in the market was strong and swift. The S&P 500 rallied a full 45 points (or 2.34 percent) from the morning low and finished with a gain of 1.75 percent on the day.

S&P 500 - Daily

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From a chart perspective, yesterday's action was impressive. The 150-day was tested hard in the early going and the bulls wound up with an A+ on the day. The anticipated "retest" of the recent lows also occurred yesterday and once again, the test was successful. And finally, one can argue that the blast higher in response to the FOMC minutes produced a "key reversal" day.

But (you knew that was coming, right?), the S&P remains in a downtrend from a short-term perspective and there is still a great deal of resistance overhead. As such, the bulls will be looking for a follow-through day in the next three days in order to confirm that yesterday's move was more than just algos running amok.

So, the takeaway is that the market may have once again put in a "V" bottom and that #BTFD may be alive and well. But the bulls still have some work to do before anyone should get overly excited.

Turning To This Morning

Although stocks surged on Wall Street yesterday in response to the FOMC minutes and Alcoa kicked off earnings season with a nice beat, global markets are not exactly following suit this morning. In short, concerns about economic weakness hit Japan overnight and another weak report out of Germany (Exports fell 5.8% in August) is causing analysts to use the "R" word in Europe again. Markets across the pond started the day higher but have since reversed hard. As expected, U.S. futures have followed Europe's lead and now point to a weaker open on Wall Street.

Pre-Game Indicators

Here are the Pre-Market indicators we review each morning before the opening bell...

Major Foreign Markets:
    Japan: -0.75%
    Hong Kong: +1.17%
    Shanghai: +0.26%
    London: -0.56%
    Germany: +0.02%
    France: -0.67%
    Italy: -0.98%
    Spain: -0.87%

Crude Oil Futures: -$0.42 to $86.89

Gold: +$22.20 at $1228.20

Dollar: higher against the yen, lower vs. euro and pound.

10-Year Bond Yield: Currently trading at 2.284%

Stock Indices in U.S. (relative to fair value):
    S&P 500: -4.14
    Dow Jones Industrial Average: -58
    NASDAQ Composite: -6.44

Thought For The Day:

"My will shall shape my future. Whether I fail or succeed shall be no man’s doing but my own" -Elaine Maxwell

Current Market Drivers

We strive to identify the driving forces behind the market action on a daily basis. The thinking is that if we can both identify and understand why stocks are doing what they are doing on a short-term basis; we are not likely to be surprised/blind-sided by a big move. Listed below are what we believe to be the driving forces of the current market (Listed in order of importance).

      1. The State of the Geopolitical 'Issues'
      2. The State of Fed/ECB Policy
      3. The Level of Interest Rates
      4. The Outlook for U.S. Economic Growth

The State of the Trend

We believe it is important to analyze the market using multiple time-frames. We define short-term as 3 days to 3 weeks, intermediate-term as 3 weeks to 3 months, and long-term as 3 months or more. Below are our current ratings of the three primary trends:

Short-Term Trend: Neutral
(Chart below is S&P 500 daily over past 1 month)

Intermediate-Term Trend: Moderately Negative
(Chart below is S&P 500 daily over past 6 months)

Long-Term Trend: Positive
(Chart below is S&P 500 daily over past 12 months)

Key Technical Areas:

Traders as well as computerized algorithms are generally keenly aware of the important technical levels on the charts from a short-term basis. Below are the levels we deem important to watch today:

• Key Near-Term Support Zone(s) for S&P 500: 1960(ish)
• Key Near-Term Resistance Zone(s): 1980

The State of the Tape

Momentum indicators are designed to tell us about the technical health of a trend - I.E. if there is any "oomph" behind the move. Below are a handful of our favorite indicators relating to the market's "mo"...

Trend and Breadth Confirmation Indicator (Short-Term): Negative
Indicator Explained

Price Thrust Indicator: Negative
Indicator Explained

Volume Thrust Indicator: Negative
Indicator Explained

Breadth Thrust Indicator: Neutral
Indicator Explained

Bull/Bear Volume Relationship: Moderately Positive
Indicator Explained

Technical Health of 100 Industry Groups: Neutral
Indicator Explained

The Early Warning Indicators

Markets travel in cycles. Thus we must constantly be on the lookout for changes in the direction of the trend. Looking at market sentiment and the overbought/sold conditions can provide "early warning signs" that a trend change may be near.

• S&P 500 Overbought/Oversold Conditions:
        - Short-Term: Moderately Oversold
        - Intermediate-Term: Moderately Oversold
  
• Market Sentiment: Our primary sentiment model is Positive .

The State of the Market Environment

One of the keys to long-term success in the stock market is stay in tune with the market's "big picture" environment in terms of risk versus reward.

Weekly State of the Market Model Reading: Neutral
Indicator Explained

Looking For Guidance in the Markets?

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All StateoftheMarkets.com Premium Services include a 30-day money-back guarantee!

Wishing you green screens and all the best for a great day,

David D. Moenning
Founder and Chief Investment Strategist
StateoftheMarkets.com
President, Heritage Capital Research
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Positions in stocks mentioned: none

For up to the minute updates on the market's driving forces, Follow Me on Twitter: @StateDave (Twitter is the new Ticker Tape)

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The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are those of Mr. David Moenning and may not actually come to pass. Mr. Moenning’s opinions and viewpoints regarding the future of the markets should not be construed as recommendations. The analysis and information in this report and on our website is for informational purposes only. No part of the material presented in this report or on our websites is intended as an investment recommendation or investment advice. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed nor any Portfolio constitutes a solicitation to purchase or sell securities or any investment program. The opinions and forecasts expressed are those of the editors of StateoftheMarkets.com and may not actually come to pass. The opinions and viewpoints regarding the future of the markets should not be construed as recommendations of any specific security nor specific investment advice. One should always consult an investment professional before making any investment.