Category Archives: IBB

All But One

September 3, 2020 By in Biotech, BIS, Dow 30, IBB, Real Estate, Russell 2000, S&P 500 1 Comment

Of the nine market indices listed below, only one has a bearish weekly MACD cross-over:  Biotech

IYM:  Basic Materials

IBB:  Biotech

DIA:  Dow 30

IYT:  Dow transports

QQQ:  NASDAQ 100

IYR:  Real Estate

IWM:  Russell 2000

SOXX:  Semiconductors

SPY:  S&P 500

Yesterday, the indices were are at all time highs except for real estate (IYR), biotech (IBB), and Russell 2000 (IWM). 

Looking at IYR and IWM, we can see, although they are below the high, there’s still a persistent up-trend.

Even with today’s on-going reversal (three-hours before close), only biotech has posted a bearish, weekly MACD cross-over.

Of course, it won’t be known until after the fact why biotech is unique.  A hint at what might be the reason, is here (if it’s still available).

A gallery of the weekly index charts, listed above (as of 9/2/20) can be found here.

The focus of this firm, since June 3rd, exactly three months ago, has been biotech and its impending reversal.

A significant short position has been established over those three months via BIS, the 2X, inverse fund. Current Stop: 32.18

So, just what is ‘significant’?  How big is that?

To be transparent, without giving specifics, avoiding the usual internet keyboard warrior, and/or hater, the position is as follows:

We’re short what amounts to a full year’s wage for the typical American worker.  Fair enough?

When the position is closed out, results will be posted on the company site, located here.

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.

Ten-Thousand: True or False?

September 1, 2020 By in Biotech, IBB 1 Comment

That’s right.  Only 10,000 people in the U.S. have actually died of the ‘speck’ as the single mitigating factor.  True, or False.

shutterstock_26779105For those working the biotech sector,  it doesn’t matter.  Price action will decide.

This firm, is heavily short biotech for many reasons other than a potential (and likely) world-wide hoax.

We’re already expecting biotech to vaporize in a reversal and melt-down. 

Of course, if it turns out it really is the biggest hoax ever, how’s that going to affect all the biotech firms rapidly working on a cure for the common cold?

If the truth comes out all the pent up ‘investor’ demand for (or hopes to profit on) an injection are false, one could expect ‘vaporize’ to go ‘nuclear’ as everyone rushes for the exit.

Biotech price action shows it’s in a down channel. 

Yesterday’s session hit the upper channel line.  At the same time, it retraced a Fibonacci 38%, of the entire down move that began in July.

Today’s session was decisively lower. Price action posted a low below yesterday’s low (bearish).  In addition, IBB closed within the previous trading range; also bearish.

2020-09-01_15-15-55-IBB-Daily-4-bar-notes

 

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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.

Prepping For The Downside

August 30, 2020 By in 1929, AMGN, Biotech, BIS, Coal, Corn, IBB

The more sophisticated market participants work the downside.  That’s where the biggest (and fastest) money is made.

shutterstock_242289160Trading books and specifically Reminisces of a Stock Operator, (first published in 1923) detail how the wealthiest traders in the world prefer downside action.

The markets are now stretched to obscene levels and could go higher, still.

Just this past week, we have interest rates breaking out to the up-side, a-la August, 1987.

Being long anything other than corn or wheat and the occasional down-trodden coal miner,  seems to be a high risk plan (not a recommendation).

Positioning for the downside in the appropriate market, might be a lower risk option than riding the insanity to the top … wherever that is.

Which brings us to inverse biotech fund, BIS.  The daily chart shows the well-heeled know something’s up.

2020-08-30_9-32-52-IBB-Daily-5-bar-lanscape-notesSpeculative volume for potential downside in biotech is increasing.  Last Friday’s volume in BIS was the highest in nearly four years.

BIS was trading higher throughout the entire session until the last few minutes.  It closed slightly lower for the day and thus colored the volume bar red.

That minor BIS downturn (up turn in IBB) can be traced directly to Amgen (AMGN) which is now part of the Dow 30, effective Monday the 31st.

It’s important to note that for the past four months, volume activity in IBB has remained relatively unchanged.  Not so with BIS.

We’re nearing the Labor Day Weekend during the next sessions.  The market will be closed on Monday, September 7th.

Back in the day of 1929, the market made its all time high on September 3rd, the Tuesday after the Labor Day Weekend.

 

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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.

Hulking Shell

August 27, 2020 By in 1987, Biotech, BIS, Bonds, IBB, TBT

That’s what the average investor’s portfolio could be a scant two months from now if the analysis is correct.

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That is; markets are stretched to obscene levels, bonds breaking down, rates rising; the nearest corollary is August, 1987.

From a timing standpoint, it could be important.  That August was a Fibonacci 34 (-1) years ago.  Well within the margin of error.

Yesterday’s trade set-up (not a recommendation) was timed perfectly.

Today, that trade (if entered) would be up by about 2.8% at current levels.  The stop now gets moved to 15.54, today’s low.  Of course, this is for illustration purposes only.

For a bond trade, 2.8% is significant for a single day.  It looks like much higher rates are ahead.

Meanwhile, biotech (IBB) has given yet another sell, sell-short signal.  IBB briefly penetrated yesterday’s high of 133.39, and is reversing.

If price action continues lower, it’s a bull trap; a false breakout.

We’re actively short the sector via BIS (not a recommendation).

2020-08-27_11-53-45-TBT-Daily-5-bar-notes

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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.

Biotech Breakdown

August 24, 2020 By in Biotech, IBB, S&P 500 1 Comment

Biotech is breaking down, now.

For this firm, going short has been an on-again, off-again, back on-again affair.

Fotosearch_k16630038-borderThose with engineering degrees (including this author) or some other science degree, would have decided long ago, since the original entry’s not perfect (being stopped out), the idea must be wrong.

Others easily distracted (those with i-phones) would have given up as well … only to see their (short) premise come to fruition without them.

So, here we are.  Biotech (IBB) is breaking down with inverse BIS moving higher while the overall market continues to rise.  As of this post, the S&P 500, is up 25-points or about +0.75%.

The chart and the expanded insert, show trading activity over the past two weeks.

2020-08-24_10-04-52-BIS-Daily-5-bar-notes-insert-notesPrior to the ‘exit’ point shown, we’re positioned long BIS (short biotech).  Then, price action broke down through the prior day’s low.  BIS was exited entirely.

Almost immediately after the break, the down-side price bar was challenged with up-side action.

After that, next day saw even more upside.  When new daily highs were posted, BIS was re-entered.

Two days later, last Friday, the trade was increased by 7%.  Just topping it all off for what amounts to a full position.

Since we’re using trading techniques from early masters, the last two months or so, mimic actions that may have been taken by Livermore or Wyckoff.

Not saying we’re in the same league as them.  Just saying based on their writings, the approach mimics documented trading behavior in the markets of their time.

At this point and being fully positioned, we wait.  Livermore put it as:  “Get right, and sit tight”.

An obvious stop level is anything below today’s BIS low of:  33.01.

 

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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.

Random Notes

August 12, 2020 By in Bonds, Gold & Silver, IBB, Interest Rates, Lumber, MRNA

Notes for the day … not in any particular order.

Lumber futures:   Prices up over 180% in five months.

2020-08-12_11-40-37-notesInterest rates are rising.  10-yr rates up.  Similar set-up as August, 1987?

Frustration with the mindless herd growing.

Biotech testing yesterday’s move lower.

Moderna (MRNA) has formed a wedge and is near a downside breakout.

Drunk and ‘working’ from home.

Internet censorship:  Oppenheimer Ranch Project no longer monetized.

Silver and gold, future test of new lows?  At time stamp 2:58, Sajad hints at same ‘testing the lows’ scenario as was posted with Silver Up, Then Down on July 25th.

 

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.

Downside Leader

August 11, 2020 By in Biotech, IBB, S&P 500, Uncategorized

Two months ago in this post, the idea was floated that biotech, IBB may be the downside leader.

It certainly didn’t look like it at the time.

Biotech even went on to make a new high … potentially negating the theory.

shutterstock_146355983It’s different now.

After that new high, IBB has reversed and is trending lower.

On the other hand, the overall market, S&P 500, continues its push upward.

It’s within 1% of all time highs.

Pre-market action as of this post, has the S&P opening up about 0.4%, higher … ever closer.

At this juncture, biotech has hinted at downside leadership.  That hint my become a solid fact if and when the S&P has a decisive downside reversal.

 

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.

Amgen (AMGN) Breaking Down

August 6, 2020 By in AMGN, Biotech, IBB

Amgen’s the heavy hitter, the leader in the biotech sector.  It’s by far the largest cap equity in the IBB, ETF.

Right now, AMGN is pushing down through support; confirming a down trend that essentially started on July 28th, last week.

shutterstock_793257808At this juncture, AMGN price action’s at the danger point. It can go either way with a confluence of orders; buy, sell, and sell-short.

If the trend-line (chart below) is not broken to the upside, AMGN is moving lower at a whopping -90%, on an annualized basis.

As stated, the firm sponsoring this site is heavily short in this sector; increasing the short position on a near daily basis.

Obviously, this is not a recommendation.  We can’t do that as stated in the disclaimer below and here as well.

The inverse fund BIS, that’s being used to position short as with other inverse ETF funds can blow up (or fail) unexpectedly.  We’re well aware and cognizant of the conditions under which that type of anomaly may occur.

At this point, BIS is ‘well behaved’.  However, BIS may be exited at any time and without notice.

By this time it should be quite evident that we (U.S. citizens) and the rest of the world are smack-dab in the biggest, most dangerous farce in world history.

Anyone with two synapses rubbing together can see there is ‘no scientific evidence of anything’, stated at time stamp 9:22, in this link.

2020-08-06_10-40-48-AMGN-Daily-5-bar-notes

If or when the truth-cork finally pops out of the bottle for all to see, it’s too late.  The emperor has no clothes.  That emperor is biotech.

Recognize in the markets, anything can happen.  It’s possible and likely probable another false narrative will be launched to manipulate the weak.  The current narrative is losing effectiveness.  If so, the next one has to be even more outlandish.

Alien invasion anyone?

Back to biotech.  If AMGN breaks its trend to the upside, the reversal scenario is either negated or modified.

Trend-line break or not, there’s a false narrative at play.  Those not able to see and those not willing to take action, risk being swept away with the tide.

 

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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 Hard Road

July 31, 2020 By in Biotech, IBB

Positioning short in the biotech sector (IBB) has not been popular or easy.

Mass hysteria, world-wide hysteria has completely overtaken biotech in a (potentially futile) search and reward for ‘the cure’.  More on that farther down.

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Even before the current stampede, biotech was analyzed by David Stockman and his staff, way back in 2015.  He surmised the entire entourage was nothing more than ‘$2-trillion dollars of bottled air’.

So, if that was then, what about now? 

Now, there’s no ‘price discovery’ of any kind in the equity markets.

There hasn’t been any real discovery for decades … going all the way back to the aborted Head & Shoulders pattern from 1998 – 2002.

Remember that?  A floor was mysteriously put in right at the neckline breakdown, (October 2002) so the market could not go through a much needed washout.

That was potentially the start of major manipulation to ever higher levels and ever bigger bubbles.

So, here we are.  As of this post, after two and a half months of topping action, IBB is in a decisive breakdown.  If it closes at current levels (IBB, 133.57) or below, it not only has downside follow-through from last week’s reversal, it will post a monthly reversal bar as well.

What about ‘the cure’?  Won’t that provide massive profits for the corporations implementing ‘the plan’?

The truth is, it’s getting harder to suppress the truth. 

At this juncture, YouTube, Facebook, Bit Chute and others are playing whack-a-mole with the fact that a resolution to the current situation is not only simple, it’s cheap; Exactly the opposite of the ‘desired’ outcome.

On top of that, one has to consider enough of the public has been fleeced and enough money has been made to the upside, that it’s time to position for downside action.

If we’re to get a sustained reversal, expect the usual suspects to appear; namely, news reports, analysis and recommendations that foist reasons why profits may not be as good as expected.

This is the way the game is played. 

Anyone analyzing P/E ratios, sales numbers or any other fundamental as a ‘reason’ for price action, is living in an alternate universe.

Only time will tell if we’re at a major inflection to the downside.  In the meantime the firm sponsoring this site is heavily short the sector via BIS (not a recommendation).

Note:  The current short position can be exited at any time without update or notice.

Inverse funds are tricky. They have a built in downside (price) bias resulting from expenses maintaining the fund.  They literally can blow-up at any time during an adverse move as was seen with inverse funds DUST and JDST (late March ’20).

These vehicles are absolutely not suited for the ‘average investor’ and even the professional can get impaled on a blow-up every now and then.

 

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 Breakdown … Test

July 27, 2020 By in Biotech, IBB

It’s early in the session and biotech (IBB) is testing its reversal breakdown.

This is typical market behavior and for the astute trader, allows a potential low risk opportunity to the short side.

shutterstock_602951669A test may take a few moments or several days.  The market itself defines the time-frame.

The daily chart (below) of IBB, shows a wedge pattern that encountered a ‘throw-over’ and reversal back into the trading range.

A wedge typically occurs at the end of a long-term move, whether up or down and throw-over with return, is a classic time-tested sell (or sell short) signal.

We’re past that signal and have yet another; the test of the underside wedge.

The initial measured move target is shown which if met, puts IBB below several key support levels that would then become resistance.

2020-07-27_8-44-43-IBB-Daily-3-bar-at-open-notes

Reported over the past couple of months on this site is that we’re looking for a strategic long-term reversal in biotech.

Of course, there’s no guarantee of that reversal. 

Each ‘test’ is an opportunity for price action to fail the set-up.  It’s the way of the markets.

As a result, the professional trader or speculator is in a continual state of discomfort.

That’s probably why, years ago in an interview, Robert Prechter Jr. stated that some of the best traders he knew were former Marines.

Short vehicles for IBB (not a recommendation) are BIS (2X inverse) and LABD (3X inverse) which are two well known funds as well as just shorting the ETF directly.

 

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.