Monthly Archives: November 2022

Can It Get Any More Dangerous ?

November 30, 2022 By in $SPSIBI, Biotech, David Weis, LABD, LABD-22-13, Positions, SPBIO, Wyckoff

Testing The Reversals

First, some housekeeping.

This morning’s action in biotech SPBIO, forced exit of LABD-22-12, with a minimal loss of -0.12% (not advice, not a recommendation)

There was a bounce off SPBIO, resistance in the early session and then, it became clear the market was setting up to penetrate that resistance.

As the Fed announcement progressed, SPBIO, indeed moved up sharply.

Reversal Set-Up

By definition, such action puts SPBIO, in a test of a prior Up-Thrust (reversal) from 11/11/22 – 11/15/22.

Conversely, it puts the leveraged inverse fund LABD, in a test of a Spring set-up during the same period.

You can already see where this is going.

The work has been done on a fundamental basis as well as technical; biotech is set for significant downside.

Whether or not, we’re at that inflection point right now, is unknown.

Biotech 3X Leveraged Inverse LABD, Daily

Looking at the mark-up below, we’ve had a spring set-up; then, sign of demand with action moving higher and finally today, a test of that spring set-up.

David Weis used to call such drastic moves a ‘gut-check’, to see if you can hang on (not advice, not a recommendation).

Price action has come right back to support with a wide bar and high volume.

Such bars increase the probability of a counter move to test which in this case, is a move higher.

Summary

Remember, all this action’s occurring ‘within’, the SPBIO, bear flag that’s formed over two-plus months.

It seems like a huge understatement to say this market and the main indices, are in a dangerous position.

Positioning

Not advice, not a recommendation.

Like a Terrier on a Mailman’s leg, we’re not giving up on biotech’s potential downside … at least not yet.

Short position in SPBIO via LABD; details are as follows:

LABD-22-13***:

Entry @ 18.72***: Stop @ TBD***

Note: Positions may be increased, decreased, entered, or exited at any time.

***, Indicates change

Stay Tuned

Charts by StockCharts

Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

Pandora & Twitter, The Box Opens

November 29, 2022 By in $SPSIBI, Biotech, LABD, LABD-22-12, Positions, SPBIO, The Speck, Twitter, Van Metre, Wyckoff, ZeroHedge

Fuel, For The Downside

With Twitter’s lifting of the ban on truth, linked here, we may be entering the next phase of collapse.

Whether or not it’s going to immediately show up in market price action, is unknown at this point.

Nascent Reversal?

The last update identified the markets were poised for potential reversal.

Two days later and we’re mostly down; that’s in spite of the supposed positive ‘machine’ bias as presented at this link.

A positive machine-market could still happen (data released tomorrow) but for now, price action itself, is posting lower; this is the crux of Wyckoff analysis … ‘What is the market saying about itself’.

In line with the truth being let out, not surprisingly, chief cook and bottle washer, biotech, is having a rough time.

Biotech Bear Market

Prior posts have documented the bear flag that’s been forming for over nine-weeks. Now, we have an apparent coiled action, ready for the downside.

Since we’re short this sector via LABD (not advice, not a recommendation), we’re going to look at LABD, to identify the potential.

SPBIO, 3X Leveraged Inverse, LABD

We have three charts, all depicting daily action.

The first (un-marked) chart is close-in and it looks like a mess. That is, until you put in trend lines and a Fibonacci count as shown on the second chart.

Adding the mark-up.

Then, keeping those trend lines intact, pulling farther out, we see the potential if there’s a sustained move.

Price action has been trading in a tight range over the past eight-days. Let’s see what happens next.

Positioning

Not advice, not a recommendation.

Short position in SPBIO via LABD; details are as follows:

LABD-22-12:

Entry @ 19.9194, 20.91***: Stop @ 19.28***

Note: Positions may be increased, decreased, entered, or exited at any time.

***, Indicates change

Stay Tuned

Charts by StockCharts

Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

The Set-Up … SOXX & QQQ

November 27, 2022 By in Biotech, Bonds, IBB, Nasdaq, QQQ, Semiconductors, SOXX, SPBIO, TLT 1 Comment

Hitting The Channel

The majority of the indices are at their right-side channel lines.

We’ll cover semiconductor SOXX, and QQQs, below. However, biotech IBB, and SPBIO, are in similar positions.

From a calendar and data standpoint, there’ll be plenty that could be used as an ‘excuse’ for market moves but let’s ignore the (intended) distractions and take a look at what the market is saying about itself.

First up, is the semiconductor index, the SOXX.

Semiconductor’s, SOXX, Daily

The chart has Fibonacci retrace levels shown. Price action has retraced to 38.2% and stalled.

But wait, there’s more.

Putting in a trading channel, we could be at a reversal point.

Note the upward thrust energy (‘Force’) has dissipated.

the NASDAQ is in a similar situation but weaker from a retrace standpoint.

NASDAQ, QQQ, Daily

Looking at the monthly chart for the Q’s (not shown), it’s been a Fibonacci 13-months since all-time highs.

Force dissipation and ‘Contact Points’ are near identical to the SOXX.

Summary

Biotech IBB and SPBIO, are in similar positions. In fact, the overall markets appear poised for downside reversal.

As discussed in the last update, the bond market could be signaling danger ahead with its sharp upward reversal; now (potentially) entering its sixth week.

Stay Tuned

Charts by StockCharts

Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

Bond Market, Signals Trouble

November 25, 2022 By in $SPSIBI, Biotech, Bonds, Jerimiah Babe, LABD, LABD-22-11, LABD-22-12, Michael Cowan, Positions, SPBIO, TLT, Wyckoff, ZeroHedge 1 Comment

It’s Not About The Fed

The potential for a sustainable bond reversal was identified way back in mid-October.

Now, over a month later with bonds moving decisively higher, the ‘narratives‘ are out in force.

Those narratives revolve around ‘pivot me this, or ‘pivot me that‘, or an infinite number of the same variations.

The reality is, there’s not going to be any ‘pivot’.

Even if there was, as Michael Cowan reported weeks ago, the market keeps crashing anyway (not advice, not a recommendation).

With that in mind, a popular narrative is that bonds are higher because the Fed will lower rates when they see we’re in a ‘recession’.

Well, they won’t ever see a recession because we’ve skipped that part; going straight to collapse and economic depression. 🙂

Of course, as Jerimiah Babe puts it, Americans won’t do a thing to get ready until the last minute … most likely after the market is down 50%, or more.

Instead of the placating, proletariat calming narrative, it’s a recession; maybe bonds are moving in response to those in the know … something much worse may be ahead.

Could bonds be signaling, we’re close to a market rout?

Bonds, TLT, Weekly

We’re going to start with the original analysis, showing the potential for a sustained reversal.

From the October 16th, post.

A month or so, later.

As with the dollar analysis from years ago, a weekly bullish divergence as we see here, may result in a rally that lasts longer and goes farther than anyone expects.

Of course, the real question is ‘what does it mean?’

As Wyckoff said over a century ago, we won’t know the full reason for a move until it’s over.

One view of it however, different from the accepted narrative, we could be headed for some kind of disconnect; those in the know are shifting to ‘relative’ stability.

Moving on to other markets, we have the following:

Positioning

Not advice, not a recommendation.

The push higher in biotech SPBIO, discussed in the prior update did not materialize.

Instead, we got a new daily low, followed by some upward testing action.

A day-trade in LABD was opened and closed; then near the market close, opened again.

Details are as follows

LABD-22-12:

Entry @ 19.9134***: Stop @ 19.10***

Note: Positions may be increased, decreased, entered, or exited at any time.

***, Indicates change

Stay Tuned

Charts by StockCharts

Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

Set For ‘Implosion’ … Biotech

November 24, 2022 By in $SPSIBI, AMGN, BEAM, Biotech, FATE, GILD, LABD, LABD-22-10, Positions, SPBIO, The Speck, TWST, VRTX, Wyckoff, ZeroHedge 2 Comments

IBB & SPBIO, at The Danger Point®

Each one in their own way, as we’ll see below.

From a Wyckoff standpoint, we’ve identified one of, if not the sector(s) most likely to decline the farthest and fastest in a bear market.

Without question, biotech contains the overriding ‘elephant’ that’s literally affecting everything else on the planet (not advice, not a recommendation).

As stated in the tag-line above, the two indices in question are IBB (large cap) and SPBIO (small cap).

IBB, has Amgen, Gilead and Vertex, as the top three while SPBIO, has more speculative (i.e., losing more money) Beam, Twist and Fate.

Index IBB has $342.8-Bil, combined for the top three while SPBIO has only $6.5-Bil, combined.

So, it makes sense the more speculative ‘cash burning inferno‘ TWST, is in the SPBIO. 🙂

On to the charts

IBB Weekly

IBB has formed a decisive resistance area as shown.

The fourth attempt which pushed above the prior three levels (and retraced), puts IBB, at The Danger Point®

Next up is the SPBIO.

It’s much weaker and thus the focus for any short opportunities (not advice, not a recommendation).

SPBIO ($SPSIBI), Weekly

While IBB, has moved higher, to an up-thrust over the past nine weeks, SPBIO during that time, has languished.

Note: The chart scales are identical. Scrolling up and down, one can visually see the weakness of SPBIO.

SPBIO, also reached all-time highs, six months before IBB.

Getting Closer-In: SPBIO

We’re going to look at the hourly chart.

SPBIO, Hourly

Those who are long-time visitors to this site will instantly recognize the set-up: ‘Spring-to-Up-Thrust‘

This Friday, tomorrow, is a shortened trading day.

There’s a potential we’ll have a small blip higher into the up-thrust zone.

Conversely, for 3X Leveraged Inverse Fund LABD, the potential is for a temporary move lower.

Leveraged Inverse LABD, Hourly

This is how it looks for LABD.

Note for the inverse fund, the ‘spring’ on SPBIO, becomes the ‘up-thrust’ on LABD.

Positioning

Not advice, not a recommendation

Wednesday’s downside action in LABD, resulted in the LABD-22-10, position being stopped out with an overall gain around 7.12%.

There have already been several disruptions to the company’s trading platform and data line over the past month and we’ve not even got started with market chaos.

Recall that just recently, the Canadian market went off-line for several hours. We should consider these events the ‘norm’, on a go-forward basis.

As a result, a standing order (in the market) is in place to go long LABD (short SPBIO) at the execution price of LABD @ 18.62.

That order may or may not be modified as we go into the open tomorrow morning.

Stay Tuned

Charts by StockCharts

Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

This Week … What To Watch

November 20, 2022 By in Holiday Turns, IWM, Russell 2000, S&P, S&P 500, SPY

‘Holiday Turns’

It’s just a few hours before the futures open and we’re about to see if we have a (continuing) downside reversal.

Remember, last week was Fibonacci Week 34, as discussed in this update.

That week’s range was just over 3.1%.

The time before that, similar narrowness Week 21, was around 2.5%.

Perhaps, even more interesting, going back to Week 1, we have yet another narrow range of 2.9%.

We’re about to find out if that sequence of narrow ranges means something or not.

Holiday Turns

This coming week is a holiday week.

It seems appropriate at this time, to re-publish analysis done years ago and currently behind the password firewall of my firm’s main website.

Author’s Note: At the time, I was publishing a daily market summary.

Here it is, from June 27th, 2015 … so long ago.

Market Summary:  6/27/15 

The Russell 2000 index has reversed.  In addition, the S&P 500 volatility has declined to pre-2008 crisis levels.  We now have yet another potential reversal during or just prior to (or just after) a holiday week.

This is how the Russell looked when the reversal was identified. 

Author’s Note: The hyperlink above is password protected. The chart below, has been brought outside the firewall.

The following data shows the original analysis (first chart) and then, months later, how that analysis was proven out to have identified the (near) exact moment of reversal.

Continuing on with the original (6/27/15) post.

For clarity, the reversal area of the chart has been expanded below:

Other notable reversals that occurred prior to, during, or just after a holiday week: 

Week of 5/23/08:  S&P 500 makes a high on the Monday prior to Memorial Day:   S&P then crashes over 53%.

Week of 7/3/14:  Russell 2000 makes a high on the Tuesday of the July 4th week:  Subsequent decline is 9%

Week of 9/5/14:  Russell 2000 makes a high on the Wednesday after the Labor Day weekend:  Subsequent decline is 12%

Week of 6/26/15:  Russell 2000 makes a high on the Wednesday prior to the July 4th week:  Subsequent decline:  27%

Going way back:  The all time market high of 1929, occurred on September 3rd, of that year.  That date was the Tuesday following the Labor Day Weekend.  Subsequent decline was 84 – 89%

Author’s Note: Months later, we now have the result as shown below:

Updated IWM (Russell 2000), from time of reversal identification to the low:

__________________________________________________

End of 6/27/15, market update.

Summary

There’s no question the analysis nailed it on the reversal.

From top to bottom, it was a decline of – 27.5%.

Keep in mind, that was back with the Fed was in full control and manipulating higher; now, we’re on the opposite side of the fence.

If there’s any control at all, it’s probably to the downside.

Stay Tuned

Charts by StockCharts

Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

Biotech’s, ‘Cash Burning Inferno’

November 18, 2022 By in 1929, AMZN, Biotech, Crypto, FTX, Holiday Turns, LABD, LABD-22-10, S&P, S&P 500, Scorpion Capital, SPBIO, SPY, TWST, Wyckoff, ZeroHedge 2 Comments

If There’s One, There’s Probably More …

How many biotech ‘outfits’ are at risk of being incinerated during a market implosion?

For activist short-seller, Scorpion Capital, they’ve found at least one and they’re not mincing any words.

They sate: Twist Bioscience (TWST) is ‘cash burning inferno‘ and then go on to say:

Price target for TSWT, is Zero.

Their report supporting that assessment is linked here.

Note: It’s 236-pages, long!

Maybe it’s a one-off.

However, considering the other market implosions in just the past week, probably not.

As is typical for an equity in a long decline, the lawsuits have already started.

Other implosions just in the past seven days, are FTX, and Twitter. Maybe, Amazon (AMZN) will be next.

Analysis, vs. Antics

Seems like every other week or so, we’ve got some kind of Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, extreme du jour, that’s supposed to cause ‘fireworks‘.

Reporting on fireworks, does not help navigate the current (or any future) situation.

What does help, is to clearly and without bias, assess what price action’s telling us.

We’ve already analyzed the biotech sector many times over as (potentially) the index most susceptible for a severe decline if not outright implosion.

That implosion may already be underway (not advice, not a recommendation).

Back To Wyckoff

Wyckoff analysis pointed us to biotech over a year ago.

Now, as is typical, the truth is starting the come out; a trickle at first …

So, for today’s update were going shift gears and follow-up on the prior two posts here and here.

We’ll take another look at the S&P (SPY); specifically, the weekly chart.

S&P 500, Weekly

The weekly is shown with trendlines.

Looking at those lines, is there any other basis for drawing them at the location shown?

The short answer is yes and it’s on the second chart.

The chart below has a Fibonacci time correlation for the trendlines, now, potential trading channel.

We’re currently at Week 34, from the beginning of the (potential) channel.

It may be something, it may be not.

As of this post (10:07 a.m., EST), we don’t know and price action itself, is the final arbiter.

Summary

Because of the supposed ‘fireworks’ scheduled for the day, we may not know if we’re at a pivot point until next week.

That week just so happens, to be a holiday week.

Many times, this site has a presented a proprietary insight; market reversals tend to occur just before, during, or just after a holiday week.

Obviously, the most famous of these was September 3, 1929 (the day after Labor Day weekend), which was the all-time high and reversal, leading to the crash.

Stay Tuned

Charts by StockCharts

Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

S&P, Opens Gap-Down

November 17, 2022 By in Biotech, Crypto, LABD, LABD-22-10, Positions, S&P, S&P 500, SPBIO, SPY, Wyckoff, ZeroHedge 1 Comment

Upside Fuel, Exhausted?

Are we starting the next leg down?

Yesterday’s post, had this to say:

“SPY has yet to post a new daily low (below SPY, 394.49). If or when it does, that’s just one more addition to the bearish scenario.”

This morning’s open, puts the SPY below that 394.49, level and potentially confirms an up-thrust reversal as well as downtrend contact (shown below).

However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves as the first order of business, especially with the S&P (SPY), is an attempt to close this morning’s gap.

While that’s happening, let’s look at the charts.

S&P 500, SPY, Daily

Looking at the wider timeframe, first.

Now, let’s get closer-in.

As this post is being created, SPY is attempting to close the opening gap as expected.

Confusion Rules

As posted earlier, events are accelerating to the downside.

Supporting that assessment, we have this just out on the Crypto carnage; then on the flipside, we have this report, pointing to more upside.

Meanwhile, biotech pivots lower.

Part of the objective of these posts is to document the procedure (Wyckoff analysis) being used to select the market(s) most susceptible for a significant decline.

With that, it’s been on again off again with biotech for most of this year.

However, it looks like we’re now, at another (possibly, final?) pivot point lower.

Positions: (courtesy only, not advice).

The biotech short is being built in real time (not advice, not a recommendation).

LABD-22-10:

Entry @ 18.1398, 17.565, 17.65, 18.1594, 19.2792***: Stop @ 17.84***

***, Indicates change

Stay Tuned

Charts by StockCharts

Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

December Crash of 1899

November 16, 2022 By in $SPSIBI, 1899, Biotech, J.P. Morgan, LABD, LABD-22-10, New York Times, Positions, S&P, S&P 500, SPBIO, SPY, Wyckoff, ZeroHedge 3 Comments

123-Year Anniversary, Coming Up

It’s happened, before …

Even so, unless you knew it (and the exact date), finding information is difficult to near impossible.

A once free access to the New York Times article from December 19th, 1899, is now subscription based, link here.

Another link here, shows that December 19th, is not available for browsing.

Going to the site-map for that date, the crash is not at the top as one would expect.

It’s much farther down, buried in the list.

‘The worst day-panic, The Street has ever known’

Of course, in the NYT article, J.P. Morgan himself, is ‘credited’ with saving the market from further decline.

You have to laugh.

It’s just like an Arizona mid-term election. 🙂

Lastly, using the way-back machine, here’s an article from the Seattle Times, written in December 1999. It compares the situation (then) to a century earlier.

On Track For Another?

Obviously, that can’t be known until if/when, it happens.

However, we can look at the most watched market, the S&P, and see what it says.

S&P 500, SPY, Daily

We’re leaving in the moving averages to show, at least from the 200-Day perspective, the downtrend is still intact.

Other items to note:

The market is still sub-dividing lower, lower highs, lower lows. Price action’s retraced to a Fibonacci 38% (shown below), and is also in Wyckoff up-thrust (reversal) position.

We’ll get closer-in with the details.

Moving averages have been removed for clarity.

The blue line is the resistance and up-thrust area. Price action clearly above and apparently, hesitating.

Dashed grey line is the Fibonacci 38% retrace from all-time highs (1/4/22), to the most recent lows set on 10/13/22.

Zooming back out, is the scariest part of this chart.

There’s no doubt; we’ve had at least two repeating trendlines. A third could make it a trading channel.

Summary

As of this post (11:28 a.m., EST), SPY has yet to post a new daily low (below SPY, 394.49). If or when it does, that’s just one more addition to the bearish scenario.

Positions: (courtesy only, not advice).

The focus is on biotech; uniquely positioned as the weakest of all the major indices (not advice, not a recommendation).

LABD-22-10:

Entry @ 18.1398, 17.565, 17.65, 18.1594***: Stop @ 16.29***

***, Indicates change

Stay Tuned

Charts by StockCharts

Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

The Dominos Fall …

November 15, 2022 By in $SPSIBI, AMZN, Biotech, Crypto, GDXJ, Green Energy, IYR, JDST, JDST-22-05, LABD, LABD-22-10, MRNA, PFE, Positions, Real Estate, SPBIO, WMT, Wyckoff, ZeroHedge 1 Comment

Cash Crunch, Layoffs & Bankruptcy

So, here we are.

Crypto FTX implodes, Amazon to lay-off 10,000, Health system(s) in cash crunch, solar farm Toucan Energy, goes bankrupt.

But wait, it gets better; Pfizer and Moderna, are going to investigate themselves.

All of this, just within the past few days.

At this point, it should be clear to all paying attention, we’re accelerating to the downside … at least in economic terms.

Market Disconnect

Yet, the markets appear to never-mind … going about their (manipulated) business as if nothing’s happening.

Walmart has even announced they are going to buy-back their own stock to the tune of $20-Billion.

Maybe, they’ll do it. Maybe, they won’t.

They fully admit (in the press release), the buy-back announcement, was to make sure the earnings report was ‘well received’.

The Next ‘Shoe’

Those of us ‘awake’, are collectively attempting to plan and position for the next shoe to drop.

We’ve got the usual suspects such as real estate and biotech; however, this link to The Burning Platform, could provide more potential catalysts.

Either way, disconnected market or not, one has the feeling it’s just a matter of time.

Life After The ‘Short Squeeze’

‘The shorts were carried out on stretchers’.

Well, yes and no.

As said in this update, the historic short-squeeze, while damaging to account P/L, was a huge public service.

This chart confirms the majority of short-positions have evaporated. Meaning, the potential fuel for relentless upside (from those shorts), is no longer there.

That fact is being mirrored in price action as we speak.

As covered above, two markets are hanging by a thread: biotech and real estate.

Both are bubbles on a world-wide scale, but biotech is the one that may affect all others.

Biotech SPBIO, Inverse LABD

As this post was being created, biotech leveraged inverse fund LABD, has just printed (as of 12:40 p.m., EST) outside-up; also known as a ‘key reversal’.

The daily chart is below.

LABD, Daily

To make it an official outside up, price action will need to close above yesterday’s close (LABD: 17.87).

We’ve already shown that SPBIO, price action has formed a huge bear flag lasting more than eight weeks.

Action from the past three days can be considered a Wyckoff up-thrust as well.

Now, we have a potential key reversal.

If so, this market may be in serious downside trouble.

Positions: (courtesy only, not advice).

Yesterday, JDST-22-05, was exited at 9.0341, with a loss of – 1.45%, so that focus (and capital) could be directed to biotech, SPBIO and inverse LABD (not advice, not a recommendation).

LABD-22-10:

Entry @ 18.1398, 17.565***, 17.65***: Stop @ 16.29***

***, Indicates change

Stay Tuned

Charts by StockCharts

Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279