Martin Zweig proposed the following rules for stock market buy and sell signals based upon the level and direction of interest rates in Winning on Wall Street.
Buy Signal: Any initial cut in the Prime Rate if the peak was less than 8 percent. Or, if the peak is 8 percent or greater, a buy signal comes on either the second of two cuts or a full 1 percent cut in the rate.
Sell Signal: Any initial hike in the Prime Rate if the low was 8 percent or greater. Or, if the low is less than 8 percent, a sell signal comes on either the second of two hikes or on a full 1 percent increase in the rate.
The table below documents the levels of the Prime Rate and the dates when the Prime Rate Indicator developed Buy or Sell Signals since 1947. Click here to read how The Prime Rate Indicator may have passed its prime.
Signal | Date of Change | Prime Rate (%) |
12/16/2008 | 3.25 | |
10/29/2008 | 4 | |
10/8/2008 | 4.5 | |
4/30/2008 | 5 | |
3/18/2008 | 5.25 | |
1/30/2008 | 6 | |
1/22/2008 | 6.5 | |
12/11/2007 | 7.25 | |
10/31/2007 | 7.5 | |
Buy | 9/18/2007 | 7.75 |
6/29/2006 | 8.25 | |
5/10/2006 | 8 | |
3/28/2006 | 7.75 | |
1/31/2006 | 7.5 | |
12/13/2005 | 7.25 | |
11/1/2005 | 7 | |
9/21/2005 | 6.75 | |
8/9/2005 | 6.5 | |
6/30/2005 | 6.25 | |
5/3/2005 | 6 | |
3/22/2005 | 5.75 | |
2/2/2005 | 5.5 | |
12/14/2004 | 5.25 | |
11/10/2004 | 5 | |
9/22/2004 | 4.75 | |
Sell | 8/11/2004 | 4.5 |
7/1/2004 | 4.25 | |
6/27/2003 | 4 | |
11/7/2002 | 4.25 | |
12/12/2001 | 4.75 | |
11/7/2001 | 5 | |
10/3/2001 | 5.5 | |
9/18/2001 | 6 | |
8/22/2001 | 6.5 | |
6/28/2001 | 6.75 | |
5/16/2001 | 7 | |
4/19/2001 | 7.5 | |
3/21/2001 | 8 | |
Buy | 2/1/2001 | 8.5 |
1/4/2001 | 9 | |
5/17/2000 | 9.5 | |
3/22/2000 | 9 | |
2/3/2000 | 8.75 | |
11/17/1999 | 8.5 | |
Sell | 8/25/1999 | 8.25 |
7/1/1999 | 8 | |
11/18/1998 | 7.75 | |
Buy | 10/16/1998 | 8 |
9/30/1998 | 8.25 | |
Sell | 3/27/1997 | 8.5 |
1/31/1996 | 8.25 | |
Buy | 12/20/1995 | 8.5 |
7/7/1995 | 8.75 | |
2/1/1995 | 9 | |
11/15/1994 | 8.5 | |
8/16/1994 | 7.75 | |
5/18/1994 | 7.25 | |
Sell | 4/19/1994 | 6.75 |
3/24/1994 | 6.25 | |
7/2/1992 | 6 | |
12/23/1991 | 6.5 | |
11/6/1991 | 7.5 | |
9/13/1991 | 8 | |
5/1/1991 | 8.5 | |
2/4/1991 | 9 | |
1/2/1991 | 9.5 | |
1/8/1990 | 10 | |
Buy | 7/31/1989 | 10.5 |
6/5/1989 | 11 | |
2/24/1989 | 11.5 | |
2/10/1989 | 11 | |
11/28/1988 | 10.5 | |
8/11/1988 | 10 | |
7/14/1988 | 9.5 | |
Sell | 5/11/1988 | 9 |
2/2/1988 | 8.5 | |
Buy | 11/5/1987 | 8.75 |
10/22/1987 | 9 | |
10/7/1987 | 9.25 | |
9/4/1987 | 8.75 | |
5/15/1987 | 8.25 | |
Sell | 5/1/1987 | 8 |
4/1/1987 | 7.75 | |
8/26/1986 | 7.5 | |
7/11/1986 | 8 | |
4/21/1986 | 8.5 | |
3/7/1986 | 9 | |
6/18/1985 | 9.5 | |
5/20/1985 | 10 | |
1/15/1985 | 10.5 | |
12/19/1984 | 10.75 | |
11/28/1984 | 11.25 | |
11/8/1984 | 11.75 | |
10/24/1984 | 12 | |
Buy | 10/16/1984 | 12.5 |
9/27/1984 | 12.75 | |
6/26/1984 | 13 | |
5/8/1984 | 12.5 | |
4/5/1984 | 12 | |
3/19/1984 | 11.5 | |
Sell | 8/8/1983 | 11 |
2/21/1983 | 10.5 | |
1/11/1983 | 11 | |
11/22/1982 | 11.5 | |
10/13/1982 | 12 | |
10/7/1982 | 13 | |
9/3/1982 | 13.5 | |
8/18/1982 | 14 | |
8/16/1982 | 14.5 | |
8/2/1982 | 15 | |
7/29/1982 | 15.5 | |
Buy | 7/20/1982 | 16 |
2/23/1982 | 16.5 | |
2/18/1982 | 17 | |
Sell | 2/8/1982 | 16.5 |
12/3/1981 | 15.75 | |
11/24/1981 | 16 | |
11/16/1981 | 16.5 | |
11/9/1981 | 17 | |
11/3/1981 | 17.5 | |
10/13/1981 | 18 | |
10/5/1981 | 19 | |
Buy | 9/15/1981 | 19.5 |
7/8/1981 | 20.5 | |
6/3/1981 | 20 | |
5/22/1981 | 20.5 | |
5/19/1981 | 20 | |
5/11/1981 | 19.5 | |
5/4/1981 | 19 | |
4/30/1981 | 18 | |
Sell | 4/24/1981 | 17.5 |
4/2/1981 | 17 | |
3/17/1981 | 17.5 | |
3/10/1981 | 18 | |
2/23/1981 | 19 | |
2/3/1981 | 19.5 | |
1/9/1981 | 20 | |
Buy | 1/2/1981 | 20.5 |
12/19/1980 | 21.5 | |
12/16/1980 | 21 | |
12/10/1980 | 20 | |
12/5/1980 | 19 | |
12/2/1980 | 18.5 | |
11/26/1980 | 17.75 | |
11/21/1980 | 17 | |
11/17/1980 | 16.25 | |
11/6/1980 | 15.5 | |
10/29/1980 | 14.5 | |
10/17/1980 | 14 | |
10/1/1980 | 13.5 | |
9/26/1980 | 13 | |
9/19/1980 | 12.5 | |
9/12/1980 | 12.25 | |
9/8/1980 | 12 | |
8/27/1980 | 11.5 | |
Sell | 8/22/1980 | 11.25 |
7/25/1980 | 11 | |
7/7/1980 | 11.5 | |
6/17/1980 | 12 | |
6/13/1980 | 12.5 | |
6/6/1980 | 13 | |
5/30/1980 | 14 | |
5/23/1980 | 14.5 | |
5/16/1980 | 16.5 | |
5/7/1980 | 17.5 | |
Buy | 5/1/1980 | 18.5 |
4/18/1980 | 19.5 | |
4/2/1980 | 20 | |
3/28/1980 | 19.5 | |
3/19/1980 | 19 | |
3/14/1980 | 18.5 | |
3/7/1980 | 17.75 | |
3/4/1980 | 17.25 | |
2/29/1980 | 16.75 | |
2/22/1980 | 16.5 | |
2/19/1980 | 15.75 | |
12/7/1979 | 15.25 | |
11/30/1979 | 15.5 | |
11/16/1979 | 14.75 | |
11/9/1979 | 15.5 | |
11/1/1979 | 15.25 | |
10/23/1979 | 15 | |
10/9/1979 | 14 | |
9/28/1979 | 13.5 | |
9/21/1979 | 13.25 | |
9/14/1979 | 13 | |
9/7/1979 | 12.75 | |
8/28/1979 | 12.25 | |
8/16/1979 | 12 | |
7/27/1979 | 11.75 | |
6/19/1979 | 11.5 | |
12/26/1978 | 11.75 | |
11/24/1978 | 11.5 | |
11/17/1978 | 11 | |
11/6/1978 | 10.75 | |
11/1/1978 | 10.5 | |
10/27/1978 | 10.25 | |
10/13/1978 | 10 | |
9/28/1978 | 9.75 | |
9/15/1978 | 9.5 | |
8/31/1978 | 9.25 | |
7/30/1978 | 9 | |
6/16/1978 | 8.75 | |
5/26/1978 | 8.5 | |
5/5/1978 | 8.25 | |
1/10/1978 | 8 | |
10/24/1977 | 7.75 | |
10/7/1977 | 7.5 | |
9/16/1977 | 7.25 | |
8/22/1977 | 7 | |
Sell | 5/31/1977 | 6.75 |
5/13/1977 | 6.5 | |
11/24/1976 | 6.25 | |
11/1/1976 | 6.5 | |
9/24/1976 | 6.75 | |
Buy | 8/3/1976 | 7 |
Sell | 6/10/1976 | 7.25 |
6/1/1976 | 7 | |
1/21/1976 | 6.75 | |
1/12/1976 | 7 | |
12/2/1975 | 7.25 | |
11/7/1975 | 7.5 | |
Buy | 10/28/1975 | 7.75 |
9/12/1975 | 8 | |
8/11/1975 | 7.75 | |
Sell | 7/29/1975 | 7.5 |
7/20/1975 | 7.25 | |
6/9/1975 | 7 | |
5/20/1975 | 7.25 | |
3/24/1975 | 7.5 | |
3/18/1975 | 7.75 | |
3/10/1975 | 8 | |
3/5/1975 | 8.25 | |
2/24/1975 | 8.5 | |
2/18/1975 | 8.75 | |
2/10/1975 | 9 | |
2/3/1975 | 9.25 | |
1/28/1975 | 9.5 | |
1/20/1975 | 9.75 | |
1/15/1975 | 10 | |
1/9/1975 | 10.25 | |
11/25/1974 | 10.25 | |
11/13/1974 | 10.75 | |
11/6/1974 | 11 | |
Buy | 10/22/1974 | 11.25 |
10/8/1974 | 11.75 | |
7/8/1974 | 12 | |
6/27/1974 | 11.75 | |
5/17/1974 | 11.5 | |
5/10/1974 | 11.25 | |
5/7/1974 | 11 | |
5/2/1974 | 10.75 | |
4/25/1974 | 10.5 | |
4/22/1974 | 10.25 | |
4/11/1974 | 10 | |
4/8/1974 | 9.75 | |
4/4/1974 | 9.5 | |
4/1/1974 | 9.25 | |
Sell | 3/22/1974 | 9 |
2/25/1974 | 8.75 | |
2/19/1974 | 9 | |
Buy | 2/11/1974 | 9.25 |
1/29/1974 | 9.5 | |
Sell | 12/3/1973 | 9.75 |
Buy | 10/29/1973 | 9.5 |
10/23/1973 | 9.75 | |
9/18/1973 | 10 | |
8/28/1973 | 9.75 | |
8/21/1973 | 9.5 | |
8/13/1973 | 9.25 | |
8/6/1973 | 9 | |
7/30/1973 | 8.75 | |
7/18/1973 | 8.5 | |
7/9/1973 | 8.25 | |
7/2/1973 | 8 | |
6/22/1973 | 7.75 | |
6/7/1973 | 7.5 | |
5/25/1973 | 7.25 | |
5/7/1973 | 7 | |
4/19/1973 | 6.75 | |
3/26/1973 | 6.5 | |
2/27/1973 | 6.25 | |
12/27/1972 | 6 | |
10/3/1972 | 5.75 | |
8/29/1972 | 5.5 | |
6/27/1972 | 5.25 | |
Sell | 3/31/1972 | 5 |
3/20/1972 | 4.75 | |
2/16/1972 | 4.5 | |
1/18/1972 | 4.75 | |
1/3/1972 | 5 | |
12/17/1971 | 5.25 | |
11/8/1971 | 5.5 | |
Buy | 10/20/1971 | 5.75 |
Sell | 7/7/1971 | 6 |
4/23/1971 | 5.5 | |
3/19/1971 | 5.25 | |
3/11/1971 | 5.5 | |
2/16/1971 | 5.75 | |
1/18/1971 | 6 | |
1/15/1971 | 6.25 | |
1/6/1971 | 6.5 | |
12/22/1970 | 6.75 | |
11/23/1970 | 7 | |
11/12/1970 | 7.25 | |
Buy | 9/21/1970 | 7.5 |
3/25/1970 | 8 | |
6/9/1969 | 8.5 | |
3/17/1969 | 7.5 | |
1/7/1969 | 7 | |
Sell | 12/18/1968 | 6.75 |
12/2/1968 | 6.5 | |
Buy | 9/25/1968 | 6.25 |
Sell | 4/19/1968 | 6.5 |
11/20/1967 | 6 | |
3/27/1967 | 5.5 | |
Buy | 1/26/1967 | 5.75 |
8/16/1966 | 6 | |
6/29/1966 | 5.75 | |
Sell | 3/10/1966 | 5.5 |
12/6/1965 | 5 | |
Buy | 8/23/1960 | 4.5 |
9/1/1959 | 5 | |
Sell | 5/18/1959 | 4.5 |
9/11/1958 | 4 | |
4/21/1958 | 3.5 | |
Buy | 1/22/1958 | 4 |
8/6/1957 | 4.5 | |
8/21/1956 | 4 | |
4/13/1956 | 3.75 | |
Sell | 10/14/1955 | 3.5 |
8/4/1955 | 3.25 | |
Buy | 3/17/1954 | 3 |
4/27/1953 | 3.25 | |
12/19/1951 | 3 | |
10/17/1951 | 2.75 | |
1/8/1951 | 2.5 | |
Sell | 9/22/1950 | 2.25 |
8/1/1948 | 2 | |
12/1/1947 | 1.75 |