Category Archives: Bonds

Biotech: Technical Force

June 25, 2021 By in Biotech, Bonds, IBB, LABD, Oil, Oil & Gas, Positions, Project Stimulus, SPBIO, USO 1 Comment

2:46 p.m., EST

LABD, Force Index Divergence

Sentiment, Volume, Price

Sentiment can’t be seen on the chart. One can guess but it can’t be measured directly.

Sentiment change comes first.

That change in turn, results in a change of volume, i.e. ‘commitment’.

Then, after commitment dissipates, price is next.

That looks like the current situation with biotech and specifically inverse fund, LABD.

In what may be an idiot or genius move (depending on outcome), the short in biotech SPBIO (via LABD) has been maintained throughout the current down thrust; not advice, not a recommendation.

The reasons for that decision have as many layers as the proverbial onion. Not the least of which, is a market break anywhere from 20% to 50% (in our view) can happen at any moment.

‘Never happened before’, one might say.

Oil futures in their entire history have never gone negative before, either.

Bonds, in their entire history have never been shorted by four-standard deviations before, either.

A world-wide coordinated push to euthanize the entire population has never happened before, either.

Margin debt and valuations have never been higher before, either.

Underlying liquidity has never before been removed to the current extent, either.

So, we each have our own reasons.

The firm’s main account (not the Project Stimulus account) has drawn down about – 13%, on the current short position.

A core position has been maintained but small amounts have been removed and added based on price action.

When the anticipated gain, is high hundreds of percent and maybe above 1,000%, the draw down above, looks acceptable considering the (potential) opportunity.

On to the chart:

The daily chart of LABD, shows both net downward price action and thrust energy are dissipating.

Note the ‘Force Index’ scale has been accentuated to better show the divergence.

We’re looking for price to move back higher to test support/resistance areas.

If or when it does, the plan (as has been from the beginning) is to continue to add LABD until volatility makes it prohibitive.

Stay Tuned

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.

Gold, Dollar: In Tandem

June 19, 2021 By in Bonds, DIA, Dollar, Dow 30, GLD, GOLD, Gold & Silver, Gold Miners, UUP 2 Comments

Dollar Rally, Gold Rout

Markets Remain Inversely Correlated

First, let’s start with a review of the dollar reversal.

Back in early May, this report pointed at the possibility for a bullish set-up in the dollar.

That type of head’s up gives one time to investigate the correlations.

Correlations like, ‘is gold still inversely correlated to the dollar (and bonds)?’

Over the weeks as the set-up unfolds, confirmation or negation can be added by observing price action.

By the time we get the dollar penetrating support levels, we have gold at interim highs.

In fact on June 9th, the day the above ‘penetration’ report was posted, gold (GLD) had already reached its peak and was in a reversal.

Five days later (before the major down-move), this report was published on gold.

Therefore, at this juncture, we’re still inversely correlated.

So, what does that mean?

The updates on the dollar have proposed, since the bullish divergence (now turned rally) is on a longer, weekly time frame, the ensuing move could have the potential to carry the index UUP, to the top of the trading range shown here.

Then, what happens to gold?

If the negative correlation remains intact, gold gets whacked.

The weekly chart of GLD (above) has the index closing right at the Fibonacci 38.2%, projected level.

Wide bars tend to get tested. There could be some kind of rally in the coming week but it’s not required.

The Fibonacci projections highlighted as the orange bars, go all the way down to 161.8%. That’s equivalent to GLD at ~ 118.65, or the futures market somewhere around $1,300 – $1,350.

With the Dow 30, (DIA) penetrating and closing below the 336, support levels on Friday, we have a Dow Theory Sell Signal (not advice, not a recommendation).

The markets appear to be rolling over.

The last market reversal in February – March, of last year, had GLD dropping over – 14.5%, in two weeks.

Fast forward to now; GLD, is already down over – 15.2%, from its August 2020, highs.

Stay Tuned.

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.

Moderna: Reversal Review

June 12, 2021 By in Biotech, Bonds, Dollar, GOLD, Gold & Silver, Gold Miners, IBB, MRNA, Wyckoff 1 Comment

‘Reversal at hand’ said the prior update

Reversal still imminent?

MRNA has pushed above resistance on declining volume (shown above) . The next chart has MRNA in a terminating wedge pattern:

Price action this past week has just contacted the top portion of the wedge.

MRNA is the fifth-largest cap equity in the IBB index. Its market moves have a definite effect on that index.

IBB, shown below:

On Friday, the market eased back a little. Will it come back to test the resistance area next week?

There’s no doubt about the wide high volume bar. That day (last Monday) posted the highest daily volume in four years.

Wide high-volume areas are usually tested.

It just so happens, that wide area is below resistance.

To test the wide bar, price action would need to move below the resistance area. Doing so, would put a Wyckoff ‘up-thrust’ into play.

The next chart shows another resistance area not easily discernable:

Although somewhat hidden, there’s another resistance level that for now is putting a limit on the upward travel of IBB.

Summary:

MRNA’s at an extreme. The previous update linked to a site which shows insiders bailing out in the tens-of-millions of dollars.

The bond market, with its upside breakout is not confirming the ‘recovery’ narrative.

The dollar is reversing as well.

Gold and the miners have stalled; potentially reversing.

The narrative is shifting as the media (all controlled don’t forget) has decided on its sacrificial, e-mail lamb.

Don’t worry, nobody’s going to jail. It will just be another distraction to keep the mask wearing masses from getting prepared for the fall.

As a reminder, this is how they think; ‘Just doing the right thing’ Almost like ‘Just following orders’.

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.

Dollar Rally

March 26, 2021 By in Basic Materials, Bonds, Cramer, DJUSBM, Dollar, Gold & Silver, Interest Rates, IYM, Livermore, Project Stimulus, Real Estate, SMN, UUP, Wyckoff

Wasn’t the dollar supposed to crash … go to zero … implode?

This is the flip side of the hyperinflation narrative.

Dollar implosion like hyperinflation, not happening.

Way back in 1921, Livermore said to Wyckoff that his assessment of the markets was, ‘it’s all about deception’.

Nothing has changed.

It’s in the best interests of those controlling the narrative to have as many as possible (always) on the wrong side of the trade.

We haven’t posted this link in a while … the video keeps getting deleted but re-appears every so often. This is how it really works … Period.

Note the date stamp on the comments. The video’s at least 13-years old and it’s still relevant today.

So, the dollar’s in a rally.

Not only that, momentum indicators, MACD, on the monthly, weekly, daily, all point higher. It’s in a rally and a sustainable one.

It’s completely opposite the accepted narrative.

You can feel the tensions building.

Bonds could be reversing but have already pushed rates high enough (long enough) to choke-off critical sectors of the economy like here and here.

Now we see the dollar has bottomed as well.

It looks like a strong multi-month (or year?) rally. Correspondingly, gold is weak. The overall markets are stretched to ever-livin’ extremes; never before seen.

Whenever this baby pops, try logging on to chaos, or exit any position (except maybe for the long bond).

Our approach then (not advice, not a recommendation), is continue work on positioning short. So far, the ‘project’ is taking small hits in those attempts. We’ll see how basic materials (SMN) works out today.

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.

Sentiment Shift

March 21, 2021 By in Biotech, Bonds, IBB, Lumber, SPY 1 Comment

There’s been a change in direction; a sentiment shift.

Not in any particular order:

The Fed will not, or does not want to control the long end of the curve (long bond).

Interest rates (mortgage rates) are now rising and have been there long enough to start affecting the real estate market.

As reported by Uneducated Economist, there’s been a shift in behavior of his lumber customers.

Instead of furiously attempting to secure lumber (as prices continue to rise), now, there’re backing off; Not wanting to be holding overpriced inventory if/when there’s a reversal.

Remember:

Sentiment first. Then volume. Then direction

From way across the pond, Bjorn Andreas Bull-Hansen gives his input that ‘Things are changing … the entire structure of society’.

He also sates, as this site has done many times … ‘it’s not coming back’.

Has all this fed into the markets?

Let’s take another look at the S&P 500 (SPY), analyzed on the 15th.

At that time, we stated the SPY’s at the danger point.

The original location of that analysis is the orange arrow. Indeed, the SPY continued a brief rise before reversing.

Downward pressure (thrust energy) has increased.

Unless it’s a flash-crash, markets do not go straight down.

The SPY shows a nascent reversal. Price could come back to test resistance (black line) or continue to decline from here.

It’s important to note the overall market position (of the large indices) as they affect everything else.

With that, our focus remains on biotech (IBB) as it appears to be the weakest of the major sectors (not advice, not a recommendation).

Sunday futures open in a few hours.

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.

Failed Rally Attempt: Real Estate

March 2, 2021 By in Bonds, DRV, Interest Rates, IYR, Positions, Real Estate, Wyckoff

Nothing gets sharks in the water faster, than a failed move.

Last Friday, real estate IYR closed below support (black line). Doing so, put itself in Wyckoff spring position.

‘Spring position’ is a technical condition of instability where price can reverse dramatically.

At the open yesterday, that’s exactly what happened. IYR launched nearly instantly to a 50% retrace.

From there it was a long day of moderate price erosion all the way to the last hour; then it all went south.

IYR closed just 0.22 points higher or +0.25%, after being as high as +1.73 points (+1.98%), early in the session. In addition, that close was back below support on the heaviest volume since February 2nd. … another bearish sign.

We can see momentum, MACD has exhausted itself and posted numerous bearish divergences.

On the fundamental side, just in the past 24-hours, there’s been a raft of news articles posted showing commercial real estate’s in serious trouble.

A short list of what has been found is below:

Mortgage market.

Mall values crash.

Bond tipping point.

Bond market calls Fed’s bluff.

U.S. Spending plummets.

Rising yields are now good for the markets?

IYR could still rally from here. However, with the conditions described in this post, it’s not likely.

Summary:

We’ve been short this market in a big way (not advice, not a recommendation) via DRV. The plan is to increase position size as long as price action allows low risk entries.

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.

Changing Hands: Bonds

February 28, 2021 By in Bonds, Dow 30, Nasdaq, S&P 500, TLT, Van Metre

The financial press is rolling out the usual suspects; bonds yields are going stratospheric and hyperinflation’s just around the corner.

A more likely view, one that’s actually based on reality, the price action itself, bonds just changed hands; from weak to strong.

Those selling or going short bonds (weak hands) at this juncture are potentially left holding the bag in a big way.

Taking a trip back in time to Livermore’s day (Reminiscences), he stated time and again, the large speculators could not enter or exit their positions at will.

They needed to have some kind of ‘event’ with heavy volume so that it would mask their moves.

It looks like we just had such an event.

The weekly chart of TLT, shows two major volume spikes. One where bonds reversed lower and now … a potential reversal to the upside.

We’re dealing with probabilities and over two-hundred years of market activity (since the Buttonwood tree).

Huge volume spikes have significance. They typically signal a pivot or the start of one.

Using that reasoning, we may have seen confirmation of rotation not only in bonds but the markets themselves; The S&P, Dow, Nasdaq are pivoting lower, with bonds and the dollar reversing higher.

Summary:

The futures market opens in a few hours. It’s typically a light-volume affair for bonds.

At times, Steven Van Meter presents in his updates how bonds have been typically slammed lower in the overnight.

That type of action has been going on for months. We’ll be looking to see if there’s a change of character.

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.

Finally, Inflation Shows Up

February 21, 2021 By in Bonds, Food Supply, GLD, GOLD, Gold & Silver, S&P 500, Solar Minimum, SPY, TLT, TMF

Its been nearly twelve years exactly since the market bottom of March 9th, 2009.

At that time gold tracking fund GLD, was trading around 90.

Today, it’s at 167, a gain of about 85%.

Gold futures for April ’21, closed this past Friday at 1,777.4

Either way, it’s a far cry from the $10,000/oz. that has been bandied about for what seems like forever.

Prices for energy and food are rising because of reasons not discussed in the financial media.

That media is certainly not going to educate the public.

In turn, that public has shown there’re certainly not going to educate themselves. If they were awake, news channel ratings (in the link) would be at zero.

Unfortunately, this time around, the game’s up.

The ongoing collapse will decimate those who refuse to wake up and will probably take some of those who are, with them.

Which brings us to the so called inflation, at hand.

What can be said? We can call it lies, misinformation, propaganda but none of those really get to the root.

Input prices are rising not from inflation, but from supply constriction and disruption.

For example, the corporate (big-Ag) food supply chain as reported on many times, is intentionally being destroyed. The result of course, prices go higher.

We’re also in a quiet sun-cycle period that only serves to help with (cold) weather extremes. The only discussion from the media concerning the weather is that’s it’s getting warmer, right? Opposite of reality.

So we’re taking that ‘opposite of reality’ as a contrary indicator.

Whatever inflation we’ve got after nearly twelve years, is probably at or near a peak … ready to head lower.

That includes the market as well. The likely outcome:

Market down, bonds up.

The daily close of long bond TLT, has it in a support zone. One attempt has already been made to position long via TMF (not advice, not a recommendation) as detailed in this report.

Once again this past Friday, another TMF entry.

Both bonds and the markets (i.e. S&P 500) are at opposite extremes. The risk of loss in bonds may have reached its nadir.

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.

Biotech Short Nets 8.2% Gain

February 20, 2021 By in Biotech, Bonds, LABD, TLT, TMF 2 Comments

At this juncture in the market, trades are only to the short side.

The one exception is the bond market.

With everything stretched to never-seen-before extremes and ready to break at any time, bonds are in position to rally.

This short-story of the biotech short actually begins with a bond loss.

Going back in time a bit; on Friday the 12th, a long position was opened in bonds via TMF. That action was documented in this post.

Then, we had the holiday weekend and the Texas freeze.

These posts are originating from a location near Ft. Worth Texas, where temperatures reached a low of -3 F.

At the office, we have backup power and physical (hard-wire) connection for internet. Both systems operated well as main power was cut repeatedly over a three-day period.

Those conditions are mentioned because at the open on Tuesday the 16th, transmission, execution and update times on trades were affected.

A potential harbinger of things to come.

Imagine a nation-wide outage where the market’s down 15-20% and still collapsing. All the while, trade platforms are locked-up with brokers inundated.

During that open on Tuesday, bonds (TLT) gapped-down which was unexpected. Inverse fund TMF was immediately down about -4.5%.

Overall, the bond market is still in position to rally. However, the open on Tuesday said ‘not yet’ and we’re not going to change the trading strategy to one of ‘hope’.

With trade execution times slow (minutes, not seconds), by the time a confirmation came in from the broker, exit on the position posted a -5.2% loss: A dent in the account for sure.

At the same time, we’re monitoring a large set of equities and markets.

So, the immediate task at hand was could that hit be mitigated quickly. Was there an opportunity in another market for gain?

The short answer was yes. It was in biotech to the downside.

Price action on the platform was slow to update. However, it was clear from what was available, shorting biotech via LABD was high probability.

That’s what happened. Entry was at LABD 14.73, about ten-minutes into the session.

Obviously, under the conditions, stress level during re-positioning was high. Temperatures in the trading office were about twenty-degrees below normal.

It’s hard to say exactly, but sometime as the last trade was being entered or confirmed, main power was cut again.

Subsequent price action on LABD was fast.

By the time we’re halfway into the session, not only has the loss been mitigated but the account is showing green. Good stuff.

The position and the account finished the trade in the green and the rest is history. Entry and exit are shown on the 15-minute chart below.

On the exit and in retrospect, the trade was held for a bit longer than it should have been as there was potential for additional upside.

When it became clear it was not to be, LABD was exited with an 8.21%, gain as noted:

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.

Bonds On An Island

February 19, 2021 By in Bonds, TLT, TMF, Van Metre

If bonds (TLT) finishes the day essentially where it started, it will have printed an island bar on the weekly chart.

Bonds (TLT) are currently trading in the pre-market around 144.15 – 144.65.

If trading stays in that tight range, with the technical conditions shown below, TLT may set up for a Monday gap-up reversal.

The potential island gap is shown on the weekly chart:

The part that’s not so noticeable on the bar chart (above) is better displayed on the weekly close chart:

TLT is right at established support.

To borrow Steven Van Metre’s assessment, with all the selling and the extremes in short positions taking place over the past six months, bonds have only been able to retrace to well known support levels.

Trigger events have a nasty habit of happening over the weekends.

That’s when the largest number of participants can be trapped with no escape. It’s how the game is played.

The island-gap weekly bar may not happen. Bonds could reverse (or collapse) during the up-coming session.

However, successful participation in the markets requires awareness of what could, or what’s likely to happen … before it does.

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.