Category Archives: David Weis

CarMax … Dead Cat Bounce

February 4, 2023 By in CVNA, David Weis, KMX, Spring-to-Up-Thrust, VIX-Calendar, Wyckoff

That, Was Then …

Back in October last year, the update on CarMax, said this:

“… there could be small blip up to resistance in the 85-area before potentially rolling over into a descent that projects to the 4.00, level.

If and when that happens, CarMax rival Carvana, may be long gone; its disruptive vending machines possibly being used as homeless shelters or insect farms.”

Even with the short-squeeze mania last week, rival Carvana, remains down a blistering – 96.2%, from its all-time highs; having reached an interim low of – 99.1%, in December.

Insect farms, dead-ahead. 🙂

The ‘Bounce’

So, does getting to a high of KMX 80.92, meet the forecast of “the 85-area” ?

It looks close enough, but the real story is the bearish trade set-up.

I’ve lost track of the number of Wyckoff ‘Spring to Up-Thrust’, set-ups that have been covered since this post, over sixteen months ago; we now have another.

CarMax KMX, Weekly

Unmarked chart.

Long time users should be able to spot the set-up immediately.

For those new to the site or if more clarification is needed, here it is:

Getting down to the daily, is where a trading plan is created.

KMX, Daily

Several scenarios.

Three potential scenarios are below.

Remember, we’re in possibly the largest bull-trap in market history.

Those in control of the markets need to bleed-off the VIX Call options values by having the market go up, sideways, or down slowly (at first).

Here is the VIX Option expiration calendar for 2023-2025.

Going straight down at this juncture (although anything can happen), is not the most probable outcome.

Scenario No. 1

Lower open at the next session, followed by a labored move to test the underside of resistance.

The test can happen in one day or several days.

Scenario No. 2

Next up, is congestion tests before heading lower.

Scenario No. 3

Lastly, a steady but ratcheting move lower.

These are just three potential outcomes of an infinite number.

The market itself will give clues at the next session to the more probable outcome.

Summary

It may be after the 15th (past VIX option expiration), before there is a decisive move lower.

Not covered in this update is what happens if KMX, actually goes higher instead of lower. If that happens, we’ll post updates as necessary.

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 … Behind The Scenes

January 10, 2023 By in Biotech, BIS, BIS-23-01, David Weis, DXD, IBB, Positions, QID, SDS, SOXS, Speck-Effect, Wyckoff, ZeroHedge

The Big Reveal

Was yesterday, the infection point?

Was that the day where irrefutable evidence like this is going to stick?

Price action of Biotech Sector IBB, has posted a long awaited and anticipated reversal signal (not advice, not a recommendation).

We’ll look at that below.

The IBB, Up-Thrust & Reversal

As a reminder, in Wyckoff terms, an ‘up-thrust’ is where price action struggles above known resistance for some period of time and then reverses to the downside.

In the case of IBB, that ‘struggle’ lasted an incredible seven-weeks.

Biotech IBB, Weekly

Price action attempted to break above resistance for nearly two-months, before reversing lower.

Then we had an initial test during the week of 12/23/22 (on the daily for three days), and a secondary test last week.

Biotech IBB, Daily

The daily shows more detail on the struggle.

Point No. 1, was the initial test. Point No. 2, was the secondary test which appears to have decisively failed.

Pre-market action shows IBB, set to open slightly lower.

If it does, then expectation is for some (brief) attempt to rally as a test of the breakdown.

The Driving Force

For years, this site has not wavered in the assessment, what’s happening in this sector, will be the driving force for the entire market on a go-forward basis (not advice, not a recommendation).

Anything can happen.

It’s unknown if yesterday was ‘the day’.

What is known however, evidence is building on a massive scale. Every day, sometimes multiple times a day, we see the effects.

Positioning

This site presents the data, the insight and price action nuances. It does not give recommendations.

With that said, going short this sector is not as straightforward as the other major indices.

IBB, may be shorted directly but will likely result in a maintenance fee from the broker.

Of course, that puts one on the hook for the sector’s dividend payment (currently yielding 0.31%).

The other option is 2X leveraged inverse fund BIS.

However, this fund’s volume is thin … meaning it’s not nearly as liquid as the other inverse funds such as SDS, DXD, QID, SOXS and so on.

It’s up to the trader/speculator to participate or not.

We’re about fifteen-minutes before the open. Let’s see what happens next.

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

Gold … Repeating (Short) Set-Up

December 21, 2022 By in David Weis, GDX, GDXJ, GLD, GOLD, Gold & Silver, Gold Miners, JDST, Wyckoff, ZeroHedge

At The Extreme

Gold is at the extreme … again.

It’s also posting a repeating pattern; indicating a short set-up (not advice, not a recommendation).

As presented over a year ago, that set-up is defined as what’s called (in Wyckoff terms), a spring-to-up-thrust.

Meaning, price action has a repeating tendency to go from one trade set-up to another.

We’ll go to the daily chart.

Gold GLD, Daily

The Changing of Hands, is included because as of yet, that (downside) reversal has not been decisively negated.

There’s no downside capitulation volume; indicating we’re on the other side (bullish side) of the current downtrend.

Now gold is at The Danger Point®. The ephemeral place where risk is least; price action can (easily) go either way.

So The Question Is, Which Way?

Here’s one perspective that’s reasonably balanced.

The theory is all about Central Banks … ok, if it works.

From a personal (trading) standpoint, the fundamental approach was abandoned years, if not decades ago.

Moving closer-in on the daily, we have the following.

Price action is struggling at resistance (upper blue line).

As stated in a prior update, if GLD, can’t hold and move above this level, it’s an indicator of potential serious trouble to the downside.

Of course, it goes without saying, the miners, GDX, GDXJ, are at similar danger points.

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

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

The Biotech (Short) Test

November 10, 2022 By in $SPSIBI, Biotech, David Weis, Dow 30, LABD, LABD-22-09, Positions, SPBIO, ZeroHedge 1 Comment

Proverbial ‘Gut-Check’

It looks bad for being short biotech and maybe it is.

However, as we’ll see below, the leveraged inverse fund LABD, could be completing its reversal set-up.

While today’s thrust higher in the overall markets was not unexpected (shown here and here), one should take note of the violence.

As of this post, from yesterday’s low to today’s high, the Dow has moved over 1,000-pts.

It’s what happens next that’s important.

Weak shorts are probably terrified, have covered, now wondering what went wrong.

So, let’s take a look at the short position on biotech SPBIO, and see if it really is ‘wrong’ (not advice, not a recommendation).

SPBIO, Leveraged Inverse Fund LABD, Daily

What we can see (above) is that LABD, is following the Wyckoff Schematic near exact for a spring set-up.

It’s just that today’s move is especially sharp and so one would think the set-up has failed … not so fast.

Another reason to think we’re completing a test of the spring, is below. Today is Fibonacci Day 34, from the high (low on SPBIO), set on September 26th.

We also have a potential trading channel as well.

As this post is being created, LABD is hovering at its lows; currently (as of 1:30 p.m., EST) trading at 19.89

Summary

Yesterday was an important day but it was not obvious, and not (yet) directly related to the markets.

A report was released on ZeroHedge (link here) which essentially confirms what some of us in the proletariat have known for years … if not decades.

It’s now out in the mainstream.

How long before the ‘elephant’ makes its way there also?

If indeed we’re at a reversal test of biotech and if that test passes (SPBIO downside continues), the move has the potential to be historic.

Positions, Market Stance (courtesy only, not advice).

LABD-22-09:

Price action blew through the stop located at 20.21 and is now hovering at those levels. The LABD position is being maintained but will likely be reduced in size as we head into the close (not advice, not a recommendation).

Special Note:

This sector and leveraged inverse LABD are highly volatile. Character of the market can change at any time.

LABD may be exited without notice.

Entry @ 19.88, 19.71, 21.23, 21.65, 22.16, 22.75 Stop @ 20.21

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 Market Set-Up … This Week

October 30, 2022 By in Bonds, David Weis, GLD, GOLD, IYR, Real Estate, Spring-to-Up-Thrust, TLT, TSLA, Wyckoff 3 Comments

What To Watch … Bonds, Gold, Real Estate, Tesla

Bonds:

Last Friday, the bond reversal posted a shallow retrace.

We’re looking for upside follow-through at the next session.

Gold:

If gold (GLD) closes below 154.67, on Monday, it will be seven consecutive down months.

Momentum has slowed to a potential inflection point.

Real Estate:

If bonds move higher, real estate may follow. We have potential targets and Fibonacci timeframes.

Tesla:

This update, said to watch if/when TLSA, broke below support.

It did just that during the following week but now, it’s hesitating.

As a result, we have a Wyckoff ‘spring’ set-up.

Now, on to the charts.

Long Bond TLT, 30-minute

We’re drilling down to the 30-minute.

The blue line is Fibonacci 23.6%. Price action (at this point) shows the beginning of a move higher from that level.

Moving decisively higher at the next session, puts the terminating wedge into play, shown here.

If we get a wedge breakout, then we have a measured move target in the vicinity of TLT, 115.00.

Gold (GLD) Weekly Chart

A close below 154.67, on Monday, would put GLD, at seven consecutive down months.

GLD, has never closed lower seven consecutive months; not since inception, on 11/18/04.

Gold remains in a down-channel that’s a Fibonacci 13-Weeks wide.

Last week’s move helped to re-confirm the channel.

That action is itself, a Fibonacci 34-Weeks from the ‘changing of hands‘ high, during week-ending, 3/11/22.

However, momentum of price action has slowed.

If there’s going to be a break to the upside, this would be the place; otherwise, watch for continued GLD downside.

Real Estate IYR, Weekly

If bonds continue their upside reversal with rates lower, we can expect real estate IYR, to have some type of ‘dead cat’ bounce.

If so, how long and how high.

An infinite number of scenarios are possible. However, the chart of IYR, shows what to expect for two of those possibilities.

Real Estate IYR, Weekly

The uptrend (blue line) has been decisively broken. What has not yet happened, is a ‘test’ of that break.

Shown are potential tests; Week 8 (from 10/14/22, lows), at Fibonacci 38%, and Week 13, at 50%.

Between ‘Week 8’ and ‘Week 13’, is the December Fed meeting … a possible catalyst.

Tesla (TSLA) Weekly

This one seems a bit far-fetched but here it is, anyway.

If bonds rally, the rest of the market may also rally; that could include our chief cook and bottle washer, Tesla.

Price action bounced at support and penetrated it several times before printing outside-up on the weekly (twice).

By definition, it’s a Wyckoff spring set-up.

A spring tends to go straight into an up-thrust; a repeating pattern, shown on the chart at around TSLA, 315.

Set-ups can also fail … so, we’ll be watching this one closely.

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

After The Close …

October 24, 2022 By in David Weis, DRV, DRV-22-05, IYR, Positions, Real Estate, Wyckoff

Inflection Point

This time, it’s the volume that’s important.

Most of the major indices finished higher today except for the miners, real estate and biotech.

The early session update said IYR, price action may be in a test of its up-thrust (reversal) from October 18th.

If that’s a valid assessment and it was a test, the volume is important.

Whether it’s an up-thrust or a spring, when the set-up gets tested, the volume gives additional clues.

What we’re looking for is when price action comes back to test, volume contracts.

If that happens, it means (with good probability) there’s no commitment to sustain prices at the test level.

Real Estate IYR, Daily

The real estate situation may be about to get interesting.

Volume contraction is near-textbook.

This is one of the rare times, there’s a high probability expectation; that is, IYR price action resumes its downtrend (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

The Market Set-Up … This Week

October 16, 2022 By in $SPSIBI, Basic Materials, Bonds, David Weis, DJUSBM, Gold & Silver, IYM, IYR, J.P. Morgan, LABD, LABD-22-08, Michael Cowan, Positions, SLV, SPBIO, Spring-to-Up-Thrust, Survival Lilly, TLT, TMF, TSLA, Van Metre, Wyckoff, ZeroHedge 4 Comments

What To Watch

First off, it’s nice to know, traders at J.P. Morgan, don’t have clue as what to do.

They say it themselves; Not One Person

On top of that, I’m supposed to pay money reading about how clueless they are. 🙂

No thanks. Let’s see if we can do better than the average ‘investment firm’.

Before we get started, a reminder; as Michael Cowen says:

‘It’s the bear market that reveals those who really understand’, not the bull market ‘geniuses‘.

With that, let’s get into it; first up, is silver.

Silver: Wyckoff Analysis Results

The downside reversal was identified to the day.

Adding to that post, Europeans could not only be freezing or starving this winter, but also subject to radiation poisoning.

Surely, they’re all thinking that ‘stack’ of silver is going to save them.

Silver (along with gold) remain trending lower.

Silver (SLV) is currently at support levels; therefore, some upward action (staying below SLV: 18.5) is normal behavior.

Bonds: Are They Ready?

Hold your nose … bonds could be setting up for a rally.

As Steven Van Metre reports here, the Fed ‘shenanigan’ meter is pegged.

Bonds, TLT Weekly

Note, the bullish TLT, set-up is not confirmed until MACD ticks higher (not advice, not a recommendation).

Also note the repeating pattern of ‘spring to up-thrust‘.

Last up, biotech

Biotech SPBIO, Hourly (Inverted)

We’re going to use the chart from yesterday’s post to set the stage for getting closer-in.

This past Friday’s early morning ‘spike’ is barely visible; the 30-minute (inverted) chart below, has more detail.

SPBIO, 30-minute (Inverted)

Price action rejected the lower levels (higher on SPBIO) and pulled away throughout the session. That ‘pulling away’ continued on, all the way into the close.

That’s a clue there may be follow-through at the next session.

If the early session opens ‘gap-higher’ (SPBIO, lower), into the resistance area (four magenta arrows, hourly chart), it would be the fourth time pressuring at this area; markets rarely hold a fourth attempt.

Summary

Of course, other markets are being watched like real estate (IYR), Tesla (TSLA), and even Basic Materials (DJUSBM), a potential sleeper for significant downside.

Updates are planned if/when low risk shows up.

Positions: Current Stance (courtesy only, not advice).

The following is the positioning of my firm’s main (largest) account.

LABD-22-08:

LABD Entry @ 25.1278, 24.735, 26.025, 22.99, 22.29***, Stop is @ LABD 21.23***

***, Indicates change

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

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

Gold’s Downside … Just Starting

August 21, 2022 By in Cramer, David Weis, GLD, GOLD, Pinball Preparedness, Wyckoff

Long Term ‘Changing of Hands’

A bearish analysis for gold?

What kind of idiot would think that gold (GLD) is going lower?

Well, for starters, it’s not what one ‘thinks’ that’s important.

Way back, when I was being mentored by the late David Weis, he never started our sessions with ‘what do you think’.

No, he always started by presenting a chart and then asking (and I quote), “What do you see?”

It was never ‘what’s the Fed doing’ or ‘what’s Cramer saying’ (that’s an easy one), or ‘what are earnings’ or any other number of useless, distracting rabbit-holes.

“What do you see?”

With that, we’re going to look at the long-term chart of gold (GLD) on a weekly close basis.

Gold (GLD) Weekly Close

With the passing days, weeks and now months, we can see there’s been a significant, potentially long-lasting reversal to the downside.

The prior report linked here, contains no fewer than seven other links to gold (GLD) that identified ‘changing of hands’ in various stages as it transpired.

Slow Motion Train-Wreck

So far, events in gold have been moving slowly and thus hypnotizing the gold bulls.

It was nearly two-years (20-months) between the Wyckoff Up-Thrust high (8/6/20), and the test of that high (3/8/22).

Enough time to put everybody to sleep.

At this point, GLD is back down near support levels … another bounce higher is not unreasonable.

However, it’s trading in a downward channel (not shown) that’s declining at approximately – 30%, annualized.

The above linked report presents long-term downside targets for GLD (not advice, not a recommendation).

The ‘Event’

As Pinball Preparedness puts it, each day that passes brings us one day closer to ‘the event’.

None of us in the proletariat know what the event will be.

It could be an excuse as disconnected as Archduke Ferdinand.

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, Jaw-Dropping Volume

August 13, 2022 By in $SPSIBI, Biotech, David Weis, LABD, LABD-22-05, Positions, SPBIO, Spring-to-Up-Thrust, TDA-LABD-22-02, Wyckoff, ZeroHedge 2 Comments

Bears Capitulate

According to this, just out on ZeroHedge, that’s what’s happened.

As we’ll see below, there’s certainly something unprecedented going on, specifically in biotech.

The prior update made the argument, biotech SPBIO, has a unique distinction that’s showing up on the leveraged inverse fund LABD, shorting the sector.

For illustration purposes, we’re going to do a little ‘trick’.

The weekly close of SPBIO, is shown below.

This index does not provide volume but we’re going to ‘fix’ that by putting in the lower panel, weekly volume for leveraged inverse fund LABD.

It’s clear, as SPBIO reached all-time highs and reversed, short activity via LABD picked up significantly.

However, the past several weeks tells us from a Wyckoff perspective, something major could be about to happen.

As SPBIO, has moved counter-trend higher, activity going short (via LABD) has gone off the scale.

Spring-To-Up-Thrust

If the unprecedented volume activity weren’t enough to draw attention, we also have a repeating set-up that’s well, repeating; Spring-to-Up-Thrust.

With the idea originally obtained from the late Daivd Weis, later confirmed time and again, it’s a unique (high probability) characteristic of market behavior.

That’s where we are now.

SPBIO: Up Close & Technical

It may be hard to see in the above chart.

The next one, moves closer-in.

The upward advance of SPBIO slowed dramatically last week, closing up just +1.68%, for the week.

Contrast that move with the week prior at +13.83%, and the slowdown is evident.

All Hands, On Deck

Figuratively speaking, everything’s been dropped to focus exclusively on this sector. It’s obvious, what’s going on at this juncture is unprecedented.

That goes for the rest of the markets as well.

However, this sector alone, is telling us to ‘look here’; potentially setting up for a major reversal.

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