The most important chart on Wall Street right now isn't Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) or Micron Technology Inc. (MU). It's the yield on the two-year Treasury note.
According to John Roque, technical analyst at 22V Research, the front end of the Treasury curve has become "Public Enemy No. 1" for risk assets after breaking above its March and May highs, setting up what he believes could be a move toward 5%.
Chart: 2-Year Treasury Yields Soared After Bottoming In March
While last Friday's sharp correction appeared sudden – the Nasdaq 100 dropped 4.8% while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) sunk over 10% – Roque indicates the warning signs had been flashing for weeks.
Many of the market's biggest winners had reached historically extreme levels relative to their long-term trends.
By early June, Sandisk Corp. (SNDK) was trading nearly 250% above its 200-day moving average, Marvell Technology Inc. (MRVL) more than 220% above, Micron over 200% above, and Dell Technologies Inc. (DELL) roughly 195% above.
Rackspace Technology Inc. (RXT) represented perhaps the most extreme example, surging almost 450% above its 200-day average in mid-May.
The excesses extended well beyond individual stocks.
At last week's peak, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index stood 76% above its 200-day moving average, more than three standard deviations above normal based on data dating back to 1998.
South Korea's KOSPI index – as closely tracked by the iShares South Korea ETF (EWY) – was even more stretched, trading 83% above its long-term trend, a move exceeding five standard deviations.
Those parabolic runs reminded Roque of an old observation from Bob Farrell, the former head of technical analysis at Merrill Lynch.
Rapidly rising markets usually run further than anyone expects, Farrell warned, but they "do not correct by going sideways."
His conclusion is straightforward: the correction in many of these momentum names may not be over yet.













