Author Archives: thedangerpoint

The Signs of The SOXX

August 24, 2024 By in Artificial Intelligence, One Way Pockets, Semiconductors, SOXS, SOXS-24-13, SOXX, ZeroHedge 2 Comments

Has The Plug Been Pulled?

More distribution takes place on the way down, than on the way up.

From the book ‘One Way Pockets’, first published in 1917, analyzing actual client accounts and trading behaviors, we have this (paraphrasing):

‘It was from pullbacks of record high prices, where the most distribution took place’

It’s a psychological, repeatable, phenomenon. We know it today as ‘Buy the dip’.

The problem is, buy the dip doesn’t work when the trend changes from up to down.

All of which brings us to ‘Signs of the SOXX’.

Semiconductors SOXX, Daily Close

“What do you see?”

Marking up the chart, we see the SOXX, is potentially at the confluence of both resistance and trendline.

Another label for the possible ‘contact’ is:

The Danger Point®

This is where the risk of being wrong on a short position is least (not advice, not a recommendation).

With the Fed release taken as ‘good news‘, it’s reasonable to propose all the good news maybe already out.

Who’s left to buy?

The ‘Right’ Answer

If we just saw a test of resistance (solid black line), then there’s only one (or a variation of one) right answer at the next session.

That is, SOXX, price action (by the close) to be either net sideways or down (not advice, not a recommendation).

If that does not happen, and there’s buoyancy in price action, one can conclude there’s (seller) ‘absorption’ taking place at these levels.

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

Oil Bounce … Part II

August 23, 2024 By in Artificial Intelligence, David Weis, DRIP, DRIP-24-02, Federal Reserve, Great Depression 2.0, Interest Rates, IWM, Oil, Oil & Gas, Russell 2000, Semiconductors, SOXS, SOXS-24-13, SOXX, TZA, TZA-24-01, USO, XOP

Is This It?

We’ve gone form “Not Happening” to this morning’s action; ‘maybe it’s happening?’

As was done with Oil & Gas exploration XOP, we’ll now take a look at the oil patch itself and proxy, USO.

Oil tracking Fund, USO, Close

“What do you see?”

Marking up the chart.

We either have the ‘tradable bounce‘, or a potential contact point for the right-side channel line (not advice, not a recommendation).

The Fed announcement is just out, essentially accommodating a rate cut in September.

There was talk of some ‘cooling’ in the market (Ya think?).

With that, demand for oil seems like it would take a hit putting it lightly (not advice, not a recommendation).

Positioning.

The market itself is telling us where to go and what to do.

The important item for the day; what is the market not doing? Specifically, the Semiconductors, SOXX.

The SOXX, has not made a new (daily) high (at least, not yet) after the Fed’s announcement; it can even be seen as the ‘proverbial gut-check’, a la David Weis.

With that, all other positions have been closed save the short in the semiconductors via inverse fund SOXS (not advice, not a recommendation).

Danger Ahead

The ‘rate cut’ has yet to happen and September is a long way away.

It can’t be re-iterated enough how dangerous is this environment; prices stretched via a narrative that’s false (not advice, not a recommendation).

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

Pulling Back … The Curtain

August 22, 2024 By in Artificial Intelligence, Federal Reserve, Interest Rates, Semiconductors, SOXS, SOXS-24-13, SOXX, ZeroHedge

The Truth Comes Out

Here’s a different take on Wall Street’s ‘outrage‘ over a year’s worth of fake jobs data.

No, the outrage is not about the data being fake, the outrage may be the curtain has been pulled back, allowing the public to see the truth.

That truth, discovered by Wyckoff back in 1902, was price action has no connection to so-called economic numbers.

In fact, he said (paraphrasing):

‘Dynamics were operating on prices that had no relation to any fundamentals.’

If market action really was based on fundamentals, an historic revelation of 818,000 fake jobs, would have sent the indexes into a frenzy, which did not happen.

In fact, nothing happened

Now, we have ‘The Street’ putting the pieces back together (trying to re-hypnotize their clientele) and come up with another fake narrative; surely, the Fed will lower rates this time … honest!

Well, let’s leave the clown show (for now) and get back to some real, reality, the A.I. bubble.

Semiconductors SOXX, Daily

What do you see?

If you’re a long-time visitor (welcome back), by now, your market recognition should be near instant.

That is, we have a Head & Shoulders pattern (not advice, not a recommendation).

Nothing is ever perfect in the markets, but this one is near textbook.

Positioning

Shorting this sector is more than a little dangerous.

Just take a look at the gaps, volatility, huge percentage swings up and down, with leveraged inverse fund SOXS.

With that said, and with the danger in mind, a potential low-risk short (via SOXS) was established early this session.

The trade is labeled, SOXS-24-13, with a stop at the day’s low of SOXS 20.63 (not advice, not a recommendation).

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

Oil … Where’s The Bounce?

August 21, 2024 By in DRIP, DRIP-24-02, Great Depression 2.0, Oil, Oil & Gas, USO, XOP, ZeroHedge 1 Comment

Not Happening

There’s no oil bounce.

Not happening (not yet anyway).

Instead, oil looks like it’s heading off a cliff.

Weren’t we supposed be forming some kind of ‘tradable bottom’ because the sellers were accumulating?

That kind of bottom-think may have worked under more ‘normal’ conditions.

However, it should be obvious to all (with some still clueless), we’re not in normal conditions.

Hedge funds dumping oil, giving a heads-up, demand collapse is either coming or is already here.

Great Depression 2.0

Presented many times on this site (click sidebar ‘Great Depression 2.0’, for a list of posts) that we’ve likely gone straight past ‘recession’, into depression (not advice, not a recommendation).

If that’s even remotely true, we should see demand collapse in heavy duty areas of the economy like trucking, right along with job implosions.

Oh, wait, here it is … and here it is, again. 🙂

Back to the oil patch. Let’s include exploration and production (XOP) posting lower as well.

Oil & Gas: Exploration, Production, XOP, Daily Close

The last position short XOP, via DRIP was stopped-out for a minimal -1.24%, loss.

Re-positioned via DRIP during yesterday’s session (not advice, not a recommendation).

Trade labeled as DRIP-24-02.

The purpose of the prior channel notation is to show, XOP will at times exhibit channel (trending) behavior.

There’s only one right side (verified) contact on the latest channel, the magenta arrow.

However, the overnight market (10:57 p.m., EST) has oil futures continuing lower.

The expectation is for some follow through (downward) on the XOP, at the next session (not advice not a recommendation).

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

Russell 2000, Search for ‘Danger’

August 19, 2024 By in David Weis, DRV, DRV-24-03, IWM, IYR, Real Estate, Russell 2000, TZA, TZA-24-01, Wyckoff

Testing at The Axis

At this juncture, Russell 2000, IWM is not only looking for The Danger Point®, but at the close of this session, it’s there.

While everyone else is breathlessly calling the ‘end of the correction’, we’re working the market from a strictly objective standpoint.

That is, what’s the market saying about itself?

With that, take a look.

Russell 2000, ETF IWM

“What do you see?”

Well, it appears that we’re at the point where it can go either way.

It’s as if the ‘weight of a feather’ could move the market (Wyckoff, 1910).

Positioning

From a positioning standpoint, this is where the risk is least for a short position (not advice, not a recommendation).

Low risk does not mean no risk. It just means a potential inflection point.

Housekeeping

As stated in this update, the short trade via DRV, had a tight stop. That position was exited early in the session with a ding (loss) of about 4%.

Moving on to the market at hand.

David Weis mentored his students to look for trades at the ‘edge of the lake’.

We’re there with the price action of IWM. Several attempts (up to a point) to position short are to be expected (not advice, not a recommendation).

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

Carvana’s ‘Short Squeeze’ Race

August 18, 2024 By in Car Questions Answered, CVNA

Ever Higher

Is this a ‘race to the finish’ on the squeeze?

According to Big Charts, CVNA short interest has dropped over the past few months from about 32%, shares-short, to about 13%, today.

The last update identified an earnings release precipitated up-thrust (which it was).

That condition only lasted for a few days before going on to post a new (recovery) high this past Friday.

Carvana CVNA, Weekly

Retrace levels are shown.

Fibonacci 50%, in the vicinity of CVNA, 192.

Right now, CVNA is still at the 38% level, closing last Friday’s session near the day’s high.

Disregarding ‘interesting’ numbers, getting back to reality, here’s a ‘boots on the ground’ assessment of the car market, link here.

So, with all this Carvana excitement, you have to ask yourself, ‘Do you feel lucky?’

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

Bonds In Trouble … Rates Higher?

August 17, 2024 By in Bonds, David Weis, Federal Reserve, Interest Rates, TLT, Uneducated Economist, Wyckoff

The Water’s Fine, Come On In

The financial press and their lackeys, expects the Fed to pull a rabbit out of a hat and lower rates.

The public’s perception seems to be:

‘Happy days are here again’, if rates get lowered, I’ll spend and spend. I can’t help myself, there is no end. So, get rates lowered, again.

Wyckoff warned about the financial press over a century ago. Since then, not much has changed.

In fact, it’s probably worse.

The public thinks rates are coming down. It’s the ‘credible threat’ as Uneducated Economist puts it. The Fed ‘threatens’ to lower rates, and it ‘happens’, sort of.

Actually, rates aren’t lower, but the market has distorted itself, as if they were.

So, let’s get past the narratives and go straight to the truth, price action in the bond market.

Long Bonds, TLT, Weekly Close

As my mentor Daivd Weis used to say: “What do you see?”

I’ve already marked-up the chart and I see one Wyckoff Up-Thrust, reversal, after another (not advice, not a recommendation).

That, along with exhaustion spikes in Force Index, at or near significant reversals.

The ‘Scary’ Part

Wyckoff analysis is not only price action, it’s volume as well.

Look at the volume in TLT, over the past year.

Massive inflow and what has price done? It’s gone essentially nowhere.

Wyckoff called this ‘Effort vs. Reward’. Lots of effort with little (net) reward.

Add to that, a potential exhaustion spike in Force Index (far right side, purple circle).

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

Update: Ins & Outs

August 16, 2024 By in $SPSIBI, Biotech, DRV, DRV-24-03, IYR, LABD, LABD-24-17, Real Estate, SPBIO, Wyckoff 1 Comment

Biotech and Real Estate

Those monitoring this site are witnessing the search (for the short entry) in real time.

As said in the prior update, just because Fibonacci lines up, both in time and distance, does not guarantee anything.

From a Wyckoff perspective, as a result of Wednesday’s XBI price action penetrating the prior days’ low, and then stopping dead, there was a probability of a (minor) spring … which we got the very next day.

By the way, that upward move (yesterday) carried the XBI, near another Fibonacci retrace level: 61.8%.

As a result, the LABD-24-17, was exited with about a 3.6% loss (not advice, not a recommendation).

Now, on to the action at hand.

Real Estate IYR, Daily

Depending how price action progresses, we’ll go into more detail on the technical condition.

Today printed a new daily low and we have an MACD (bearish) crossover still in effect.

Trade action was to go short via DRV with a representative stop (for DRV) one tick above the IYR high: 95.96 (not advice, not a recommendation).

Admittedly, it’s a tight stop and that’s the point.

If IYR turns and starts to exhibit buoyancy, we don’t want to hang around.

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 … Target & Reversal

August 14, 2024 By in $SPSIBI, Biotech, LABD, LABD-24-17, SPBIO, XBI 1 Comment

Right On Schedule

Biotech XBI, meets target: Check

Biotech XBI, Fibonacci Day 8: Check

Biotech XBI, 50% Fib Retrace: Check

Biotech Fib 1-to-1 Projection: Check

Biotech XBI, New Daily Low: Check

Biotech about to ‘Hit the fan’: Check 🙂

Well, obviously the last bullet item is ‘not advice, not a recommendation’.

However, one can’t deny that all of the above bullet items (save the last) concerning price action have been met.

Fibonacci Retrace & Projection

Moving on to the chart, we have the XBI daily, with two Fibonacci overlays.

The first, is the typical retrace from high to lows; the second is a projection from the ‘a-b-c’ correction (a-b-c, labels not shown).

Biotech XBI, Daily with Fibonacci

Admittedly, it’s a busy chart.

The attempt here, is to show a ‘confluence of events’.

We’re meeting Fibonacci time sequence and two Fibonacci price action levels, simultaneously.

Obviously, that does not guarantee anything.

What is does do, is show we’re at a point where probabilities have lined up for a reversal (not advice, not a recommendation).

Positioning

As can be inferred from the sidebar a short has been opened: LABD-24-17, with stop level tentatively set at the LABD daily low for the session (not advice, not recommendation).

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

Bonds, Oil & The Squeeze

August 13, 2024 By in Bonds, DRIP, DRIP-24-01, Oil, Oil & Gas, TLT, USO, Wyckoff, XOP, ZeroHedge

Bond Market Model?

According to this just out from our financial press, hedge fund managers have reduced holdings of Brent crude futures to ‘lowest levels on record’.

That condition supposes some kind of bullish bias and potential upside reversal.

Never mind the chart only goes back to 2011.

So, it’s really ‘the lowest in thirteen years’.

That’s hardly the hundred years or so, one would infer without digging deeper.

The Bond Model

Let’s not forget, bonds had a similar ‘maximum short‘ condition back in 2020.

Back then (like now), the ‘max-short’ was supposed to result in some kind of history making squeeze.

The result? It never happened.

Instead, bonds collapsed, rates launched higher and here we are today.

With that, let’s look at oil proxy, USO.

U.S. Oil Fund, USO, Daily

As of today’s action, it’s not looking too good for the bulls (not advice, not a recommendation).

It’s somewhat self-explanatory.

Price action is in Wyckoff ‘up-thrust’ position and with today’s reversal, appears to be confirming (not advice, not a recommendation).

As the earlier post stated, I’m already short the sector, DRIP-24-01, with a definitive stop defined as yesterday’s XOP high (not advice, not a recommendation).

If the ‘max short’ for oil really is the pre-cursor to an upward squeeze, we may be about to find out very soon.

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