How to Use iMarketSignals for Recession Signals

The four Recession Indicator models on iMarketSignals should provide early warnings of oncoming recessions. Historically, the prospect of an economic downturn (recession) has corresponded to declining stock prices. It is therefore prudent to reduce stock market allocations or exit the stock market prior to recessions.

Weekly Updates relevant to Recession Signals

(i) The Recession Indicator FRR2-10: This indicator is a long leading indicator, 14 month average before the recession starts, and the markets may still rise after this indicator falls below 1.0.

7/30/2021: Latest update only available to Bronze members 7/23/2021: The Forward Rate Ratio between the 2-year and 10-year U.S. Treasury yields (FRR2-10) is below last week’s level. A description of this indicator can be found here.

(ii) The Recession Indicators BCI :  On past performance, if BCIp falls below 25 a recession may begin about 20 weeks later, markets may have peaked or are about to peak. If BCIg falls below zero a recession followed historically on average 11 weeks later, markets have peaked.

7/29/2021: Latest update only available to Bronze members 7/1/2021: The BCI  signals economic recovery

(iii) The Recession Indicators COMP : Similar to BCIg,  if this indicator falls below zero a recession starting a few weeks ahead is signaled by the model.

7/30/2021: Latest update only available to Bronze members 7/2/2021: show=0]   Market Signals Summary: The MAC-US and the 3-mo Hi-Lo are invested in the stock market. The bond market model avoids high beta (long) bonds. The Gold Coppock remains in gold as is the the iM-Gold Timer after a buy signal on 4/5/2021. The Silver Coppock model is also invested in silver. The iM-GT Timer, based on Google Search Trends volume, switched into stocks on 6/1/2021 Stock-markets: The MAC-US model is invested in the stock market.

(iv) The Unemployment Rate Recession Model:

The model signals the start of a recession when any one of the following three conditions occurs:

1. The short exponential moving average (EMA) of the unemployment rate (UER) rises and crosses the long EMA to the upside, and the difference between the two EMAs is at least 0.07.
2. The unemployment rate growth rate (UERg) rises above zero, while the long EMA of the unemployment rate has a positive slope, and the difference between the long EMA at that time and the long EMA 10 weeks before is greater than 0.025.
3. The 19-week rate of change of the UER is greater than 8.0%, while simultaneously the long EMA of the UER has a positive slope and the difference between the long EMA at the time and the long EMA 10 weeks earlier is greater than 0.015.

7/2/2021: To view latest update please log in 6/4/2021: 4> The 7/2/2021 BLS Employment Situation Report shows that the unemployment rate increased by 0.1% to 5.9% in June 2021.   CAPE-Cycle-ID Fig 9a depicts the CAPE-Cycle-ID and the year-on-year rate-of-change of the Shiller CAPE;  the level switched from 0 to +2 end of June 2020. This indicator is described here. To avoid the bear market, exit stocks when the spread between the 5-month and 25-month moving averages of S&P-real becomes negative and simultaneously the CAPE-Cycle-ID score is 0 or -2. (read more)   Estimated Forward 10-Year Returns The estimated forward 10‐year annualized real return increased to 4.0% (previous 4.1) with a 95% confidence interval : 2.5% to 5.6% (2.6% to 5.6% ).     iM-GT Timer The iM-GT Timer, based on Google Search Trends volume indicator, switched into stocks on 5/31/2021. This indicator is described here.