Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Ever since our 5/30/23 ETF Pathfinder, our view has been that we cannot be bearish unless a key support level breaks (at the time, that was 4050 on the SPX).</li>
<li>The S&amp;P 500 is now above 4300-4325 -- a level that, in January this year, we had anticipated would cap upside for 2023.</li>
<li>We believe 4300-4325 will act as major support moving forward, and we are bullish as long as the SPX is above 4300; we discussed this in our 7/3/23 ETF Pathfinder.</li>
</ul>


Ever since our 5/30/23 ETF Pathfinder, our view has been that we cannot be bearish unless a key support level breaks (at the time, that was 4050 on the SPX).
The S&amp;P 500 is now above 4300-4325 -- a level that, in January this year, we had anticipated would cap upside for 2023.
We believe 4300-4325 will act as major support moving forward, and we are bullish as long as the SPX is above 4300; we discussed this in our 7/3/23 ETF Pathfinder.


DXY Break Below $101 Suggests Breakouts Likely Coming for Equal-Weight SPX, Dow, and Russell 2000

Research from Water Tower Research, Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research

Research from Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research is a leading equity research firm that provides research on micro, small and mid cap companies.

Water Tower Research was founded by Wall Street veterans after witnessing a fundamental shift in the investment research industry with the result being a declining knowledge base among investors, a lack of awareness and a shrinking pool of fundamental research being conducted on companies across the small-cap and micro-cap spectrum. The same issues are now increasingly occurring in the mid-cap space. This sea change within the investment community is impacting not only the companies themselves but also current shareholders and potential investors. With significantly less active sell-side sponsorship by Wall Street, a substantial information gap has developed between companies and various constituents in the financial community. The net result is fewer channels for insight and information to flow between companies and investors.

Equity Research Firm

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>WTR-CMI last week. In a week when the broad market index (Russell 2000) declined 3.6%, our WTR-CMI index of 30 chemicals and materials technology companies modestly outperformed, dropping 2.3%.</li>
<li>This nonetheless trailed the large-cap S&amp;P 500 index, which lost only 1.8% of its value during the week.</li>
<li>Benefiting from improved investor sentiment on possibly higher summer sales of insecticides, improving automotive and construction markets, and lower raw material costs that we discussed last week, ag-chem and coatings companies led the performance of our index.</li>
</ul>


WTR-CMI last week. In a week when the broad market index (Russell 2000) declined 3.6%, our WTR-CMI index of 30 chemicals and materials technology companies modestly outperformed, dropping 2.3%.
This nonetheless trailed the large-cap S&amp;P 500 index, which lost only 1.8% of its value during the week.
Benefiting from improved investor sentiment on possibly higher summer sales of insecticides, improving automotive and construction markets, and lower raw material costs that we discussed last week, ag-chem and coatings companies led the performance of our index.


Industry Report - Chemicals & Materials Technology

<ul><li>WTR-CMI last week. As the markets continue to recover from the 2022 doldrums, both the S&amp;P 500 and the Russell 2000 posted weekly gains of 3.1% and 0.5%, respectively.</li><li>Our WTR-CMI index of 30 chemicals and materials technology stocks appreciated 1.4% over the last week.</li><li>YTD, our index is up 8.1%, above the Russell 2000’s 7.3% appreciation, but below the large-cap S&amp;P 500’s 15.3% recovery.</li></ul>

WTR-CMI last week. As the markets continue to recover from the 2022 doldrums, both the S&amp;P 500 and the Russell 2000 posted weekly gains of 3.1% and 0.5%, respectively.Our WTR-CMI index of 30 chemicals and materials technology stocks appreciated 1.4% over the last week.YTD, our index is up 8.1%, above the Russell 2000’s 7.3% appreciation, but below the large-cap S&amp;P 500’s 15.3% recovery.

Mat-Chem Notes For the Week Ended June 16, 2023

iShares Russell 2000 ETF / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Since January 2023 we have anticipated 4165-4200 would cap upside on the S&amp;P 500 for 2023, but that a rally to 4300-4325 is also possible; this remains our view.</li>
<li>So far there has not been much traction above 4200. Obvious problem is weak breadth, but this does not <em>have to</em> end badly if large-caps pause, and capital disperses elsewhere</li>
<li>To that end, we're watching the Russell 2000 (IWM) which is testing 2.5-month resistance at $180; a break above resistance would signal improving breadth and would be a positive development</li>
</ul>


Since January 2023 we have anticipated 4165-4200 would cap upside on the S&amp;P 500 for 2023, but that a rally to 4300-4325 is also possible; this remains our view.
So far there has not been much traction above 4200. Obvious problem is weak breadth, but this does not have to end badly if large-caps pause, and capital disperses elsewhere
To that end, we're watching the Russell 2000 (IWM) which is testing 2.5-month resistance at $180; a break above resistance would signal improving breadth and would be a positive development


Russell 2000 (IWM) Testing $180 Resistance; Rising Treasury Yields & DXY To Become a Problem?

Independent research on the U.S. markets, Baptista Research

Baptista Research

Independent research on the U.S. markets

Baptista Research is an independent financial research house focused on the U.S. markets. We provide equity research as well as credit research reports on the top-listed U.S. companies with most of our focus on technology, consumer goods and services, automobiles, industrials, oil and gas, pharma, and healthcare. Our research has served more than 3000 institutional investors including mutual funds, hedge funds, banks, family offices, and various buy-side firms. We operate a research subscription service where institutions, as well as retail investors, can have priority access to all our research. We also have a wide distribution of our research reports across some of the top global financial platforms. Apart from equity research and credit research, we also provide advisory services with respect to mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity/ venture capital fundraising, valuation reports, and investment management services for corporates.
Baptista Research is owned and managed by Ishan Majumdar, an ex-Venture Capitalist/ Investment Banker, a Chartered Accountant, and a Masters’ degree holder in Management from HEC Paris. Ishan has nearly a decade of experience in Mergers and Acquisitions, Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs), Venture Capital Investing, Corporate Strategy, and Valuation in front-office roles at the likes of BNP Paribas CIB, Credit Agricole CIB, Groupe Danone, and TIW Private Equity. He has worked on and closed multiple acquisition deals, leveraged buyouts, and start-up investment transactions.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>Ecolab performed well in the third quarter and managed an all-around beat.</li><li>In the quarter, margins expanded significantly.</li><li>Organic sales had a solid improvement across all segments, increasing from 12% in the fourth quarter to 13% in the first.</li></ul>

Ecolab performed well in the third quarter and managed an all-around beat.In the quarter, margins expanded significantly.Organic sales had a solid improvement across all segments, increasing from 12% in the fourth quarter to 13% in the first.

Ecolab Inc.: Improved Data Visibility For Water & Other Drivers

United States

Westlake Chemical Corporation manufactures and markets basic chemicals, vinyls, polymers, and fabricated products.  The Company serves a range of consumer and industrial markets, including flexible and rigid packaging, automotive products, coatings, and residential and commercial construction.

LyondellBasell Industries NV manufactures plastic, chemical, and fuel products. The Company offers products for the manufacturing of personal care products, fresh food packaging, lightweight plastics, construction materials, automotive components, durable textiles, medical applications, and biofuels. LyondellBasell Industries conducts its business worldwide.

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. produces industrial atmospheric and specialty gases, and performance materials and equipment. The Company's products include oxygen, nitrogen, argon, helium, specialty surfactants and amines, polyurethane, epoxy curatives and resins. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. products are used in the beverage, health and semiconductors fields.

Albemarle Corporation produces specialty and fine chemicals.  The Company's chemicals are additives to or intermediates for plastics, polymers and elastomers, cleaning products, agricultural compounds, pharmaceuticals, photographic chemicals, drilling compounds, and biocides.  Albemarle produces the majority of its products in the United States.

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. manufactures and distributes nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer products globally. The Company's principal products in the nitrogen segment are ammonia, urea, urea ammonium nitrate solution, ammonium nitrate, diesel exhaust fluid and aqua ammonia. The principal products in the phosphate segment are diammonium phosphate and  monoammonium phosphate.

PPG Industries, Inc. supplies products for the manufacturing, construction, automotive, chemical processing, and other industries worldwide.  The Company makes protective and decorative coatings, flat glass, fabricated glass products, continuous-strand fiber glass products, and industrial and specialty chemicals.

DuPont de Nemours, Inc. operates as a chemical company. The Company offers elastomeric photopolymer printing plates, structural and elastic adhesives, fluids, reinforcing composites, foams, coatings, rubber and elastomers, topical ingredients, food ingredients, animal nutrition, biomaterials, water purification technologies, and fibers.

RPM International, Inc. manufactures, markets, and sells various specialty chemical product lines. The Company's product lines include specialty paints, protective coatings and roofing systems, sealants and adhesives, focusing on the maintenance needs of both the industrial and consumer markets.

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. creates, manufactures, and supplies flavors and fragrances for the food, beverage, personal care and household products industries. The Company's flavors and fragrances are individual ingredients or compounds of a large number of ingredients that are blended, mixed or reacted together to produce proprietary formulas.

Celanese Corporation is a global integrated producer of chemicals and advanced materials. The Company's products include acetyl, acetate, vinyl emulsion, and engineered polymers. Celanese Corp's operations are primarily located in North America, Europe and Asia.

PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical Tbk (CAP) is an integrated petrochemical producer. The Company produces ethylene, propylene, mixed C4, pyrolysis gasoline, polyethylene, polypropylene, and styrene monomer.  CAP serves both the domestic downstream industries and regional export markets in Indonesia.

LG Chem Ltd. is a chemical manufacturer.  The Company's products include petrochemicals, plastic resins, and engineering plastics.  LG Chem also produces industrial and electronic materials.

NITTO DENKO CORPORATION manufactures and markets a wide range of chemical products which are used as materials for industrial and electronic components. The Company's products include materials for sealants, semiconductors, and wrappings.  Nitto Denko has a network of sales/manufacturing subsidiaries worldwide.

Solar Industries India Limited manufactures and supplies explosives and explosives accessories. The company's products include bulk, cartridge, detonators, detonating cords Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate ("PETN"), and cast boosters.

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. produces and distributes synthetic resins and other chemical products such as fertilizers. The Company also manufactures electronic materials such as semiconductor silicon, synthetic, and rare earth quartz. Shin-Etsu Chemical operates in Japan and overseas.

Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd. develops, manufactures, and markets pure isocyanate, polymeric isocyanate, polyurethane, and other related chemical products.

Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co.,Ltd manufactures and markets fertilizer products. The Company produces potash fertilizers, potassium chloride, and other products. Qinghai Salt Lake Industry also produces salts, chemicals, and other products.

Asian Paints Limited manufactures a wide range of decorative paints, varnishes, enamels, and black & synthetic resins. The Company, through its subsidiaries, also manufactures specialty industrial chemicals and vinyl pyridine latex products which are used in the manufacture of rubber tires.

NIPPON PAINT HOLDINGS CO., LTD. produces paints for automobiles, ships, and other industrial paints.  The Company also manufactures fine chemicals such as finishing agents and adhesives.

Nan Ya Plastics Corporation manufactures and markets plastic and chemical fiber products.  The Company's products include polyester filament yarns, flexible PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) film products, plastic leather products, and rigid film products.  Nan Ya also manufactures printed circuit boards.

Ecolab Inc. is a global provider of water, hygiene, and energy technologies and services for customers in foodservice, food processing, hospitality, healthcare, industrial, and oil and gas markets. The Company's services include water treatments, cleaning and sanitizing solutions, pest elimination, and kitchen repair and maintenance services.

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Ecolab Inc (ECL US)

DXY Break Below $101 Suggests Breakouts Likely Coming for Equal-Weight SPX, Dow, and Russell 2000

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Vermilion Research

Industry Report - Chemicals & Materials Technology

In a week when the broad market index (Russell 2000) declined 3.6%, our WTR-CMI index of 30 chemicals and materials technology companies modestly...

Water Tower Research

Mat-Chem Notes For the Week Ended June 16, 2023

WTR-CMI last week. As the markets continue to recover from the 2022 doldrums, both the S&P 500 and the Russell 2000 posted weekly gains of 3.1% and...

Water Tower Research

Russell 2000 (IWM) Testing $180 Resistance; Rising Treasury Yields & DXY To Become a Problem?

So far there has been little traction above $SPX 4200. Weak breadth remains an obvious problem. We are watching the $IWM which is testing $180; a...

Vermilion Research

Ecolab Inc.: Improved Data Visibility For Water & Other Drivers

Ecolab performed well in the third quarter and managed an all-around beat. In the quarter, margins expanded significantly. Organic sales had a...

Baptista Research

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