With the stock market vulnerably perched at the edge of a cliff, many investors have been at a loss as to when the bottom for the market will be reached and how long it will take for a recovery. But there are ways of assessing market breadth conditions that can help shed light on when the markets may enter a more stable, bearish phase.
To start, investors should take note of how many stocks are included in the market. Generally, the broader the coverage of stocks in the market, the better the market breadth. In a theoretically perfect market, the number of stocks involved in a given market would be equal, but in a sideways or bearish market, there is often an unequal distribution of stocks. When looking for signs of a bottom, investors should look for when the majority of stocks are included in the market and when it’s in a broader ratio.
The next step in evaluating market breadth is to pay attention to sector performance. Different sectors vary in performance throughout the year and can be indicative of market conditions. For example, when each sector performs at roughly the same rate, it’s a sign of market health. Conversely, if a sector in the market has particularly good performance in comparison to others, this could be a sign of a market bottom.
Trends are also important to consider. Take, for example, a head and shoulders pattern in a stock chart. This classic bearish pattern could be a signal that the market has reached a bottom. On the other hand, markets may form a steady uptrend over a given period of time, which could indicate that the market is starting to move upwards and it could reach its bottom soon.
The aforementioned elements are all important indicators of when a market bottom is reached. But when assessing market breadth conditions, investors need to make sure to take all of the clues into account before making an assessment. Even then, it is always good to have another set of eyes and look for additional signs of when the market could turn around. In any case, it’s important to never ignore market breadth as it can be a sign of great opportunity or danger for any investor.
