ChartWatchers

Materials Sector (XLB) Bursts Through Resistance with Confirming LT Buy Signal

Erin Swenlin

Erin Swenlin

Co-Founder, DecisionPoint.com

While I maintain the DecisionPoint Scoreboard for the large-cap SPX, OEX, NDX and Dow, Carl maintains a DecisionPoint "Sector" Scoreboard. On Friday's DecisionPoint show (which airs Fridays at 4:30p EST on StockCharts TV), Carl and I pointed out that the Materials sector triggered a new LT Trend Model BUY signal. Interestingly, the signal came on the heels of a significant breakout. The only two sectors left with SELL signals are XLE and XLF, which have both been reluctant to accelerate off of December lows at the same rate as many of the other sectors.



A Long-Term Trend Model BUY signal is generated when the 50-EMA crosses above the 200-EMA. XLB had been traveling in a consolidation zone since about mid-February. On Monday, price broke above overhead resistance. On Tuesday, the Price Momentum Oscillator (PMO) triggered a BUY signal with a positive cross over its signal line. The week continued strong for XLB, as the PMO moved out of a declining trend and the SCTR shot upwards. The OBV is confirming the rising trend. It looks like $60 is the next area of overhead resistance.

On the weekly chart, we can see another PMO BUY signal. Our Trend Models aren't based on weekly chart crossovers, but I do see that the 17-week EMA is about to cross above the 43-week EMA. The weekly chart confirms overhead resistance at $60, but it also suggests that the price could rise higher and test the overhead resistance at $63.

Conclusion: The Dollar is possibly weakening near the top of an ascending wedge. However, it is a loose long-term pattern that may not resolve this time around either. The last price top didn't make it up to the top of the wedge, which could suggest a decline. A weak Dollar would likely help the Materials sector and feed its current rally.


Watch the latest episode of DecisionPoint with Carl & Erin Swenlin LIVE on Fridays 4:30p EST or on the StockCharts TV YouTube channel here!


Technical Analysis is a windsock, not a crystal ball.

Happy Charting!
- Erin


Helpful DecisionPoint Links:

Erin's PMO Scan

DecisionPoint Shared ChartList and DecisionPoint Chart Gallery

Trend Models

Price Momentum Oscillator (PMO)

On Balance Volume

Swenlin Trading Oscillators (STO-B and STO-V)

ITBM and ITVM

SCTR Ranking


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Erin Swenlin
About the author: is a co-founder of the DecisionPoint.com website along with her father, Carl Swenlin. She launched the DecisionPoint daily blog in 2009 alongside Carl and now serves as a consulting technical analyst and blog contributor at StockCharts.com. Erin is an active Member of the CMT Association. She holds a Master's degree in Information Resource Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology as well as a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from the University of Southern California. Learn More