Bob Prechter: Bear Market Rally Is Over, Stocks Headed For New Lows

With the Dow Jones Industrial Average once again marching closer to 10,000, many investors, especially those who missed the rally since March, must be asking themselves: Is now the time to finally pull the trigger?

Robert Prechter, founder of Elliott Wave International, implores retail investors stay away… for now. Prechter, who was bullish near the lows in March, now says the stock market "is in a topping area."

Why?

Several factors:

- Slowdown in upside momentum. Recent intraday rallies are petering out before the close.
- Bullish Sentiment. Investors who were bearish near the lows, are now just as bullish after a 60% run in the S&P 500. To Prechter, "that's a dangerous place to be."
- General overvaluation of stocks.

Prechter, the author of Conquer the Crash, says this is akin to the market in 1966-74 or 1929-32, where massive bear rallies gave way to another "big leg down."

He's predicting another crash in 2010 that will bring stocks below this year's low. His word to the wise, "be patient, don't rush it" keep your money in cash and cash equivalents for now and wait out this bear market.

He thinks it'll be another 5 or so years before we turn the corner but the good news is when we do, it'll be the buying opportunity of a lifetime.