6:47 p.m., EST

Looking at inverse biotech LABD: Close basis.

Just a minute or two after LABD penetrated yesterday’s low, a huge block trade when by on the tape.

The trading platform used shows Level II, streaming Time & Sales with transactions color coded.

The color key is as follows:

Green, Buy

Red, Sell

Purple, Sell below bid

Yellow, Buy above ask

Grey, Transaction was (buy or sell) between the bid/ask

The large block was coded Yellow: Size 18,184 shares @ 24.2699

That equates to one trade with a value at $441,323.86 … essentially a half-million dollars.

What’s the point?

If there are too many stops at one area, trade execution is automatic. This type of behavior was detailed in a prior report, linked here.

It’s not unreasonable to think today’s action was for the purpose of allocating one trade at a half-mil. Novice traders and neophytes were used as the bait (setting their stops at yesterday’s low).

Setting the stops at that location would essentially make the computer algorithms go automatic to hit the stops (as described in the Martha Stokes’ link above).

Whoever made the block trade was willing to pay above ask so the entire transaction would be filled at once.

Looking at the 30-minute chart of LABD below, we see a near perfect descending line right into the lows of the prior session.

The first chart in this post has the actual close below support where the original forecast called it as a test.

The push below support on a print basis had occurred prior but the actual close below support (to complete the set-up) came two days later.

Here we are: Testing the spring set-up on a closing basis while potentially taking out the weak hands positioned long LABD.

It’s likely we’ll know tomorrow. If LABD price action opens higher and makes a new daily high, it’s a high reliability signal we’re under way.

If not, something else is at work … yet to be determined.

Stay Tuned

Charts by StockCharts

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