Sell In May?

We humbly offered in January that 2009 could see two 20% bear-market rallies that litter the landscape with false hope and empty promises. As we digest the initial lift, the obvious question is whether we’ll see a meaningful decline before a second such move arrives later this year.

The most constructive possible path at the end of March was a sideways digestion of the gains as a function of time rather than price. That worked off the overbought condition and created potentially bullish reverse head-and-shoulder patterns across the major indices. We must respect that scenario if it triggers with a trade above 875 on the S&P.;

Be that as it may, I believe the current rally will prove a massive stock tease. We monitored the cumulative imbalances as they built through the years and it would be myopic to assume we’ve swallowed the bitter pill in its entirety. While there are two sides to every trade, we must remember that social mood and risk appetites shape financial markets.
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While healthy skepticism of further upside remains, there is widespread acceptance that a breakout above S&P; 875 would clear a path towards the 200-day moving average at S&P; 970. As such, clearing that technical hurdle would clean out the shorts and potentially set the stage for a vicious head-fake.
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I, like most of you, stand to benefit from an economic expansion that buoys our spirits with the rising tide of good fortune. The popular opinion is rarely the profitable one, however, and my hope is that sharing these potential caveats provides utility as we collectively prepare for the future.