Top Market Timers Are Bullish

Mark Hulbert reports at Market Watch that, based on his survey, “the stock market timers with the best records are bullish, on balance, while those with the worst records are bearish.” He notes that this remains true when periods ranging from 12-months to 20-years are used to assess performance. Further, “since the stock market over [the last 12 months] has declined by about 10%, and turned in one of the worst Januarys in years, bearishly inclined market timers would have a distinct advantage,” but the best performers are currently bullish. Hulbert’s “best-versus-worst contrast” as a measure has mixed results in predicting the market. It was bullish when market fell 20% in 2011, but the best timers were more bearish than the worst just prior to the 2008 crisis. Chart sourced from MarketWatch.com.

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