Category Archives: Bonds

The ‘Secret’ Lies With Bonds

August 25, 2024 By in Bonds, Federal Reserve, Interest Rates, Prechter, TLT, Wyckoff, ZeroHedge 1 Comment

What Happens, When It Doesn’t Happen?

‘The truth has no defense against the man determined to believe a lie.’

Unknown

It’s been proven many times on this site and by others more notable (i.e. Prechter), the Fed is not a leader.

They are followers; essentially reacting (not responding) to what the bond market is telling them.

Done Deal? … Not Yet

The financial press acts like a rate cut is a done deal.

However, when looking at the chart (i.e., the real leader), long bond proxy TLT, it makes perfect sense the Fed would propose a cut at the September 17 – 18, meeting.

It’s what happens between now and then, that’s important.

For clues as to what that ‘then’ could be, we go to the bond market itself.

Long Bond Proxy, TLT, Daily

“What do you see?”

There’s a lot going on in this chart; the mark-up (below) is divided into two.

First, is the targeted measured move (that’s been met) out of the wedge formation (not advice, not a recommendation).

Next, we’re also in a Wyckoff Up-Thrust condition which may have been tested on declining volume, this past week (not advice, not a recommendation).

At this juncture, it’s not unreasonable to say bonds (TLT) are at The Danger Point®

It would appear, the weight of a feather could move prices either way.

The interesting part will be what comes next; Sunday overnight Futures open, is about nine-hours away …

Stay Tuned

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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

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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

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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

Breakaway Gap … Biotech

August 7, 2024 By in $SPSIBI, Biotech, Bonds, Interest Rates, LABD, LABD-24-16, SPBIO, TLT, XBI 2 Comments

‘Today Was The Day … ‘

If there was a day to attempt a close of the (August 2nd) gap in biotech (XBI), today was that day.

With the higher open, supposedly from an interest rate policy reversal in Japan, link here and here, there appeared to be plenty of upside momentum for higher prices.

It didn’t happen

Instead, XBI posted a new daily low, painting that gap as a downside breakaway (not advice, not a recommendation).

As noted in other updates, failed moves are the most telling, getting focused attention from ‘The Street’.

Biotech XBI, Daily

The breakaway is noted.

In addition, trendlines have been updated.

The market could somehow recover and close the gap.

However, with the poor bond auction, pointing to no rate cut or even a rate increase, probabilities suggest more downside for XBI (not advice, not a recommendation).

Stay Tuned

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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

Correction … or … Crash?

August 2, 2024 By in 1987, Artificial Intelligence, Biotech, Bonds, Corn, Federal Reserve, Gold & Silver, Natural Gas, TLT 1 Comment

1987, Deja Vu

Insane, delusional valuations, high interest rates, no rate cut.

What could go wrong?

Visitors to this site already knew that ‘something’s up’.

Fully documented well in advance of today, was the A.I. bubble reversal, silver reversal, biotech reversal, and commodities like corn and Nat-Gas continuing their sustained decline.

Now the market hysteria is resulting in the typical knee-jerk, ‘flight to safety’ to the bond market (not advice, not a recommendation).

Surely, with all of that, the Fed will cut rates, right?

For the (potential) answer to that question, let’s look at the bond market.

Long Bonds, TLT, Weekly

Already proposed on this site, the Fed does not lead the bond market and interest rates, it follows it (not advice, not a recommendation).

So, what’s this chart telling us?

If the market continues its decline in the coming weeks, TLT price action itself shows a potential for higher bond prices (lower yields).

We’re just over six-weeks away from the next Fed meeting.

Fed Follower?

If the Fed is still a follower, not a leader and if bond (TLT) prices reach the target just as the September meeting is held, then, one would expect a rate cut (not advice, not a recommendation).

Important to note, if TLT gets to the target area, it’s in Wyckoff Up-Thrust (potential reversal) position.

Economic Air-Pocket

If there is a rate cut as a result of the leading action of the bond market and then it reverses to the downside (rates higher), that’s when it would get real interesting.

Correction or crash; we may have to wait until September to find out (not advice, not a recommendation).

Stay Tuned

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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: Break Up, or Break Down?

July 5, 2024 By in Bonds, Federal Reserve, Interest Rates, TLT

Into The Wedge

Bonds are in a ‘terminating wedge’.

So, what comes first? The market implodes with bonds (likely) moving higher?

Or … bonds break lower, icing on the cake for rate-hikes, then move higher as the market tanks … Or, behind door Number Three, they both melt down, together.

The least likely event is that nothing happens (not advice, not a recommendation).

Moving on to the chart.

Bonds TLT, Monthly

As shown, the 40-year bond bull market ended during March of 2020.

That was the week of Friday 13th … you can’t make this stuff up (it’s all about the numbers).

One item above, favoring the downside more than up, the last major thrust was ‘downside pressure’.

That thrust has not yet been confirmed with more downside or negated with an upside breakout.

Stay Tuned

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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

Fed Leader … or … Fed Follower

March 24, 2024 By in Bonds, CVNA, David Weis, Federal Reserve, Interest Rates, IYR, KMX, Prechter, Uneducated Economist, Wyckoff

Which Is It?

Right along with the current narrative, ‘The Fed’s going to cut rates’, is another narrative, ‘The Fed’s in charge, a leader, and sets rates’.

Is either one, actually true?

Years ago, Robert Prechter Jr. pointed out very convincingly, the Fed’s a follower, not a leader.

His research showed, over many years, the Fed consistently follows the market.

Along with that, was his premise, ‘The market leads the news, not the other way around’.

Using that, we’ll look at what the Fed’s likely to do next; let’s use the long-term view, the 10-Year Treasury.

What’s it telling us?

Macrotrends Historical Chart: Ten Year Treasury

As posted in the prior update, the 40-yr bond bull market, i.e., lower rates, is over (not advice, not a recommendation).

We see the upside reversal in rates (downside for bonds) took over 10-years to set up.

Rates pushed below established support into a Wyckoff spring condition, then reversed higher, then into an outright breakout.

Currently, we’re hovering around in ‘no-man’s land’.

Could rates dip lower (bonds higher) and we get a token rate cut in response from the Fed?

Well, as David Weis used to say, ‘Anything can happen’.

Strategy First

However, from a strategic standpoint and for the long-term, higher rates are more probable.

The market has already responded with interest rate sensitive sectors and stocks (IYR, KMX, CVNA, etc.), having peaked long ago, in 2021.

A Dangerous Game

Depending on one’s perspective, what’s going on here with interest rates, is a dangerous game of ‘chicken’.

As Uneducated Economist puts it, the Fed’s a ‘credible threat’; all they have to do is ‘talk’ and propose (i.e., threaten) to move rates and the market responds without the Fed actually doing anything.

It’s working, for now.

The Emperor Has No Clothes

The problem is, as Prechter has already shown with research done years ago, ‘the emperor has no clothes’.

The Fed does not control rates at all; it’s a follower, only doing what the bond market’s telling it to do.

For some reading this, it’s old news.

For others, it’s a shock to find out, yet another institution is not what you thought it was.

Stay Tuned

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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

Gold Miners … Trap Set?

March 13, 2024 By in $SPSIBI, Biotech, Bonds, GDX, GDXJ, Gold & Silver, Gold Miners, IWM, Life Insurance, MET, NVDA, SOXX, SPBIO, TLT, Wyckoff, XBI 4 Comments

Is The Fear Exhausted?

It’s a confusing time.

Semiconductors with chief cook and bottle washer Nvidia, seem to be reversing. Other sectors like biotech and mid-caps were never part of the mania.

Add to that, biotech and life insurance may be correlated (more on that, in another update).

As the market looks to pivot lower, bonds are also pivoting lower or at least under pressure.

In response, one can say there’s been sort of a panic into the mining sector GDX, GDXJ; like it’s somehow more safe there.

Let’s see if the miners really are the safe-space.

Junior Miners GDXJ, Daily

As the chart shows (as of 12:35 p.m., EST), we’re pushing into known resistance (blue line) at the 37.00, area.

There’s also a Fibonacci time frame. Today is ‘Day 55’, from the December 22nd high.

Not only are we at Day 55 from the 12/22/23 high, but we’re also at Day 21, from the February 13th, lows.

Essentially, GDXJ is about to post a Wyckoff up-thrust condition, the area for potential downside reversal.

Stay Tuned

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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 Fed’s Next Move … Rates Up

February 19, 2024 By in Bonds, Federal Reserve, Interest Rates, NVDA, TLT, Uneducated Economist, ZeroHedge

What A Surprise!

The Fed’s next move may be to raise rates, not lower them.

For those following this site, there’s no surprise. Over a year ago, we had this:

“Like ‘bread and circuses’, the ‘pivot’ discussion is a distraction … “

Incorporating the potential of rates higher into one’s analysis, ‘internalizing’ it as Uneducated Economist says, positions one completely out of the herd, able to view events objectively.

All of which brings us to the bond market, specifically long bonds TLT.

Long Bonds ETF, TLT Daily Close

Updates from this site are noted.

Until price action shows otherwise, rates are likely to head higher, not lower (bond prices down).

Therefore, using that strategic premise, the upside breakout (above resistance) in bonds had a higher probability of downside reversal than upside continuation.

No. 1 : The Usual Suspects

In the update with the above name, link here, scroll down to bullet item No. 10 for analysis.

The potential for a false breakout was correctly identified,

No. 2: Bond Reversal ? … Ruh, Roh

First, there’s potential, then, the actual.

The next update, link here, presented among other things, the odd occurrence of both bond and overall markets moving down simultaneously.

The inference being, the 40-year bond bull market is over and higher rates are more likely (not advice, not a recommendation).

Then, The Fed and Nvidia

The next few days may be quite interesting.

Nvidia (NVDA) earnings are due after hours on Wednesday and the Fed minutes are scheduled for release earlier (2:00 p.m., EST) the same day.

Stay Tuned

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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

Interest Rate Shakedown

January 16, 2024 By in Bonds, Federal Reserve, Interest Rates, TLT, ZeroHedge 2 Comments

The ‘Uh Oh’ Moment

Now it begins, sowing the seeds of doubt.

‘First rate cut may be later than expected.’

How about be prepared for no rate cuts this year and more likely, continued elevated rates or higher rates (not advice, not a recommendation).

Let’s not forget we’re over a year now from the release of this post, postulating there would be no ‘Fed pivot’.

So far, no pivot and no cut.

Now that nearly everyone’s positioned on the ‘rate cut’ side, it’s time for the shakedown, possibly beginning today.

Long Bonds TLT, Daily

Just over two-weeks ago, this post noted to be on the watch for a failed breakout.

Looking at the result, we’re now below the prior breakout resistance, a bearish sign.

The chart of bonds itself is telling us (unless it’s reversed to the upside), there’s an increased chance rates are more likely to move higher (not advice, not a recommendation).

Note the ‘persistence’ to the downside of the MACD indicator. This tends to happen when sustained pressure is being applied … selling pressure in this case.

Stay Tuned

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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.