No uncertainty about two crucial bellwethers

Happy New Year and welcome back!  Things are beginning to return to normal at Rick's Picks following the disastrous rollout of a new web site earlier this month by a company that had been working on it for nine months.  I've restored the old Rick's Picks pages and replaced the firm with the highly capable Brian 'Catman' Catalucci, who previously worked as my system administrator.

I will keep my comments brief, since there is still some troubleshooting to do this evening to make certain this essay displays properly on the home page and reaches you via email. Mainly, I want to mention two no-brainers that should help you start 2022 with zero confusion about the global economic picture.  The first is the dollar, whose chart is displayed above. You don't have to be a technician to see that this picture is bullish. And even if the greenback is about to work its way lower in order to build a base for the next big rally, there is nothing to suggest that a collapse is even remotely possible, let alone imminent. With that in mind, you can safely tune out all the yo-yos who have been screaming for your attention with predictions of a horrific inflation. It's not going to happen, and the real challenge for us all, including the charlatans who run the central bank, will be dealing with the catastrophic deflation that is coming with the next bear market.

There's Still Time

The good news is that the Papa Bear has not yet arrived, and there is still time to shift your money into Treasury paper and bullion assets. Both remain unpopular, which is usually sufficient reason to buy any investable asset. You can raise cash for this by dumping bull-market effluvia, including FAANG stocks, private equity deals, SPACs and other assets that are just Ponzi schemes by another name.

How do we know the bull market still has more upside? AAPL's chart tell us so, and with no uncertainty. Shares currently trade for around $177, but they will need to rise to at least 187.93 before the stock tops out. When this 900-pound fat lady finally sings, it will be the end of the epic bull market begun in 2009.