“Climbing Oil Prices Bearish for Stocks”? It’s a Myth!
Oil and stocks sometimes trend together. Other times, they don’t.
by Bob Stokes
Updated: September 08, 2023
There's a widespread belief that rising oil prices are bearish for the main stock indexes and falling oil prices are bullish for stocks.
That belief is reflected in this Sept. 5 CNBC headline:
Dow closes nearly 200 points lower as rising oil prices drag down stocks ...
But wait a minute, the broad stock market rallied in July as the price of crude oil was also climbing.
Getting back to the same financial website, an Aug. 1 headline said (CNBC):
Oil joined the July stocks rally ...
Going further back this year, an April 14 Barron's headline noted:
Oil Prices and Stocks Have Rallied ...
These cases here in 2023 are by no means the first time that the behavior of the oil and stock markets have defied conventional wisdom.
Here's a chart and commentary from Robert Prechter's landmark book, The Socionomic Theory of Finance:
The July 25, 2006 issue of The Elliott Wave Theorist offered [this chart], showing the preceding three-year market environment. Examine it and see if you can discern any indication whatsoever that lower oil prices make stocks rise or vice versa. As I said at the time, "Oil and stocks have trended mostly in the same direction for more than three years.
And, as you can see from this next chart, stocks and oil also crashed together for much of 2008 going into 2009. And then rose together -- again, with crude oil tripling in value as the S&P 500 index doubled in value.
So, maybe rising oil prices do not "make" stocks fall after all (and vice versa.)
Every market has its own investor psychology that drives it. You may want to look to the Elliott wave model for a high-confidence ascertainment of the oil and stock markets independently from each other, which you can find as you follow the link below this video.
Enjoy the Peace of Mind That Comes from Financial Safety
Who says you must always be invested in risk assets?
When you hear someone make this claim, run the other way.
It's the assumption that drives notions like "stocks for the long run" and "diversify your portfolio." In Elliott Wave International's view, this assumption is fatally flawed.
Yes, when a specific financial opportunity presents itself, it can be wise to act on it. Yet it's equally important to know when to be out of risky markets.
Learn what EWI's global analysts have to say about an array of financial markets in the U.S., Asian-Pacific and Europe.
Get coverage of global stock indexes, cryptocurrencies, bonds, crude oil, forex, metals -- and much more (including global economies) -- by following the link below.
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