The stock market has seen more lows in October than it has in any other month. As I wrote in this column one year ago, there is a very strong seasonality. Assume one invested $10,000 in 1950 and bought stocks on May 1 of each year, selling on the following September 30. This strategy would have returned about $9,000. Now assume that we invested the same $10,000 in 1950, but bought on October 1 and sold on April 30. This strategy returned a little over $266,000 over the same time period. Remember that this test demonstrates an average tendency. The effect can be washed away by a strong bear market, but experience teaches one to go with the probabilities. Avon (AVP) and Hertz (HRZ) were both mentioned in previous columns as being well-positioned for the fourth quarter.
Looking at the planets in October, Uranus goes direct at 12ø52' Aquarius. Jupiter begins the month at 2ø48' Taurus and goes direct at 25ø06' Aries in December. So we examine these degree areas. Beginning with the Uranus station, we see that 11ø Aquarius is very important for technology, software stocks in particular. Microsoft (MSFT), Intuit (INTU), and Oracle (ORCL) have Midheavens at 11ø to 12ø Aquarius. The Lunar Eclipse on last January 31 at 11ø Leo opposite Uranus at 11ø Aquarius was a top in most of these stocks; the Mars square from 11ø Scorpio to the eclipse point on March 3-4 was a low. In fact, the entire market blasted off from that point. This month's Uranus station is close enough to these Midheavens to energize these stocks. For people, the Midheaven represents our reputations and careers. If an individual had Jupiter on his MC, we would expect a positive announcement from the person, while Uranus would lead to an unexpected announcement. Because many of these stocks topped early in 1999, and because I have anticipated a rough market over the third quarter, the tech stocks have probably fallen into this month. The Uranus station may be a low, similar to the low of last October. Looking more closely at MSFT, we see that Jupiter is headed for the natal Moon at 27ø Aries, usually a bullish indication. Retrograde Saturn will square the Midheaven in late November, but MSFT looks okay between here and there. But do not expect MSFT to be the stellar performer that it was before; other transits and progressions are not as favorable as in the past.
As you may recall, there were a whole flock of new stocks that began trading in January and February. These stocks have Uranus at 11ø-12ø Aquarius, a degree that was eclipsed on January 31. They also have Saturn in late Aries, near the degree of the upcoming Jupiter station in December. Most of these stocks were Internet issues. So the current Uranus station will activate natal Uranus while the Jupiter station will be on or near Saturn or other Aries planets. If the stock went public in January, the Uranus station will be on natal Venus. Such a stock is Marketwatch (MKTW), which began trading on January 15, 1999. This company provides real-time business news, financial programming, and analytic tools. MKTW's website offers paid subscription services to satisfy financial needs. The first-trade chart will be activated, and if these shares have been falling, they will likely reverse to the upside.
Verticalnet (VERT) began trading on February 11, 1999. The company operates websites that are sources of information, interaction, and electronic commerce for specific industries. The Uranus station will activate the natal Uranus at 13ø Aquarius, and the Jupiter station will be on the Ascendant at 25ø Aries in December and trine the Moon at 26ø Sagittarius. VERT shares will likely appreciate into the year's end. If these shares do bottom with the Uranus station this month, the top may very well be the February 5 Solar Eclipse at 16ø Aquarius.
Another Internet issue, Infoseek (SEEK), began trading on June 11, 1996, with a Moon-Midheaven conjunction at 29ø Aries-0ø Taurus. SEEK provides navigational services for the Internet. SEEK has an Ascendant-Descendant axis at 12ø Leo-Aquarius, so the Uranus station will also hit the stock. These contacts should lift the stock, at least into December 11, when the progressed Midheaven squares natal Uranus. This progression might represent a sudden announcement that reverses the uptrend.
Broadcom (BRCM) is a company that enables broadband data transmission to the home and to business. The company sells chips for cable set-top boxes, cable modems, and high-speed networks that speed transmission of data over existing communications infrastructures. BRCM began trading on April 17, 1998, with the Sun at 27ø Aries and Saturn at 24ø Aries, the degree area of the upcoming Jupiter station. The Uranus station will be separating by one-half of a degree from natal Uranus. The only negative occurs in late November, when Saturn squares Uranus, but the positives seem to outweigh the negatives. Jupiter makes favorable contacts to the Sun and to the Midheaven this month; Jupiter retrogrades back over the Sun next month. The Jupiter station will be conjunct these planets in December, and Jupiter makes a final conjunction to the Sun in January. BRCM will probably outperform the averages.
Everyone who has navigated the Internet knows Yahoo (YHOO), which began trading on April 12, 1996. The Uranus station will be conjunct YHOO's Moon at 13ø Aquarius. Jupiter favorably contacts the Sun and the Midheaven in November. The Jupiter station in December is conjunct the progressed Sun. The only fly in the ointment will be the square from Saturn to the Moon on November 5, so traders will want to sell before that date.
Please keep in mind that these are very volatile and therefore risky stocks. The planetary indications are that these issues are bullish for trades as indicated. The market will probably stay volatile over the coming months. The summer eclipse was a big fixed cross. The February 5 eclipse at 16ø Aquarius opposes the old eclipse point. Saturn and Uranus will make fourth-harmonic aspects to these eclipsed degrees over the coming months as they move back and forth. |
