Al_Dente wrote:This is perplexing to me: The highs on the SPX
Over this long bull run, why was SPX able to notch 100 and more new highs here and there
And yet, over the past two years, she’s been hard pressed to get more than 50 new highs
The answer is not that the number of issues has changed, as the SPX has consistently had +/- 500 issues throughout
What is the answer? Anyone?
[WEEKLY chart]
514spx highs.png.png
I think fewer stocks are participating in the $SPX rally.
To visualize this better, put
$SPXA200R on your weekly chart as a “
Price” lower indicator and the negative divergence is very apparent.
It probably also has something to do with the growth of ETF’s over that same period which effectively pimp the “best” stocks in the $SPX and marginalize the rest.
Everyone wants to follow the winners …
Edit: Additionally, look at the price ratio of
XLE:SPY over that same period on your weekly chart. The energy sector use to be a major component of $SPX, and now it is down to a little over 6%. Its importance to the economy has not changed that dramatically over that same period of time, thus the energy sector is now acting as a headwind on the economy (and $SPX) instead of a tailwind.