The August-September Cycle
First, you can observe the level of RSI at the market low in early August, where this study begins. As you can see, RSI resided at the time in the 40 area, an oversold region for the 14-day RSI during neutral to bullish market periods. RSI advanced during the new cycle, ultimately peaking right at the cycle midway point. Prices continued to advance into the cycle, but the RSI failed to achieve new peaks along with price. This represented a negative divergence that, as we have seen, carries bearish implications.
Two developments took place as this 36-day cycle drew to its nominal close. First, the RSI, failing to reach a new high along with price (a sign of failing momentum] suggested near-term problems ahead. Second, both price and RSI turned down, price from a maximum peak and RSI from a secondary peak. Key elements were in negative harmony. The cycle was due to move into a low. The RSI had failed to achieve a new high along with price. The price level of the Standard &Poor’s 500 Index turned down as well.
Now, what took place as the cycle reached its nominal low at the end of September? A number of bullish elements supported that low area, indicating the likelihood of a tradeable market advance. For one thing, the cycle was due to reach its cyclical bottom. For another, the RSI had by then descended to the area that had been the launching pad for the September advance. For still another, as the bottoming process moved along, the RSI traced out a rising double-bottom pattern, a type of pattern that tends to be quite significant when it develops within areas that mark oversold levels during bullish market periods.