Financial Forecast 2024
NEWS BEFORE THE NEWS
2024 FINANCIAL FORECAST
Stock prices are a neat reflection of public sentiment. The rise of business brings exuberance, in the fall despair. Public confidence, spending, and investment go up when the market rises. Pessimism, hoarding, and conservatism prevail as the market turns down.
Stocks plateaued through the year until a remarkable surge beginning in November fueled by the Capricorn Rally of 12/22 took prices to historic heights. The DJIA gained 13.7% for the year.
LAST YEAR’S PREDICTION
Cosmic indicators point both up and down in 2023. The stock market and economy should do very well in December 2022 and early in the New Year due to the Sun/Mercury conjunction in Capricorn (1/7/23). Whatever sell-off Jan-Feb might bring the 2nd and 3rd quarter look brighter. Trouble comes again in October, perhaps as early as September, as the 4-year telltale marker of a Jupiter/Saturn aspect is joined by Mars/Jupiter in October! Expect a significant market bottom near October 2023. At the end of the year another Capricorn Rally is expected as Sun and Mercury join in conjunction 12/22/2023. This configuration supports the 2/14/2024 Mars/Pluto conjunction known for peaks in the market followed by spectacular drops. Higher earnings could extend into January 2024 and possibly February before a significant correction.
COMMENTARY
The market performed as predicted in January and extended gains through February 17 before staggering and falling to a yearly low 3/17. The market eased up from here until the anticipated drop in October. The 10/27 weekly close low in the DJIA was not as devastating as expected with a Mars-Jupiter-Saturn configuration but it did mark the secondary low of the year.
THIS YEAR’S PREDICTION
The Capricorn Rally of 12/22/23 will take the market higher in January 2024 but a Mars/Pluto conjunction points to a rapid sell-off near 2/14. The 3/9 Mars square Uranus joins with a lunar eclipse on the 25th – a dire cosmic sign of violence, economic instability, and sudden, surprising shocks that should not stop the market from rising higher to a another minor peak near 4/10. On top of this is the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction peaking 4/20 indicating a rising market amid worldwide instability. Threats include an escalation of the Israel-Hamas War disrupting critical shipping in the Red Sea and Suez Canal; China’s economic volatility and hostility toward Taiwan; European vulnerability if Russia wins in Ukraine; and a vulnerable U.S. banking system due to surplus office real-estate and higher interest rates. Fortunately, these threats may not stop the market from climbing to a significant high until a short erratic phase is experienced with prices falling near 7/5. The Mars/Jupiter conjunction 8/24 could interrupt the regular up cycle near 8/16; if so, the market moves to a lower point near 9/30. Two more regular short cycles follow: up near 10/24 and down near 11/3.
The stock market will reach historic highs this year. Sunspots are at maximum, possibly having peaked June 2023. Precipitation is still below average but rose in 2023 from a low in 2022. The Jupiter/Saturn and Jupiter/Uranus phases are pointing higher while Jupiter/Pluto and Saturn/Uranus point down. After a record high in January or early February followed by a steep loss, the market should chug along nicely for the rest of the year with the exception of August as Mars conjunction Jupiter occurs 8/24 with the first of three Jupiter/Saturn squares. After the last square (6/15/25) the market usually drops to a significant low near the following trine August 2026 – July 2027.