Category Archives: Nissam Taleb

Navigating The A.I., Minefield

February 4, 2025 By in Artificial Intelligence, Nissam Taleb, Semiconductors, SOXS, SOXS-25-04, SOXX, Usual Suspects

One Trade, At A Time

Even if we knew the A.I. bubble has burst, that it’s beginning a multi-year decline (or something worse), even if it was known, trading bubbles like this, is not easy (not advice, not a recommendation).

It might be simple, but it’s not easy.

With the market in chaos, we have the usual suspects out making things complicated; sharpening their pencils, attempting to connect financials with price action.

It always looks good on the surface.

However, as Nissam Talib said in The Black Swan (paraphrasing), he’d rather have a New York street smart, hoodlum reaping a windfall, than a pointy-headed PhD on the sidelines, pontificating about how the strategy’s not consistent with mathematics.

All of which brings us to the truth, price action itself.

Semiconductors, SOXX, Daily

Once again, the trendline has been adjusted based on price action.

The gap lower open from yesterday has been effectively closed during this session (as of 1:50 p.m., EST).

The expectation is for today’s high in the SOXX to hold; meaning, subsequent sessions will not post higher (not advice, not a recommendation).

For a short position, SOXX high of 217.27 (or the high for the day) is a good place for a stop (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 ‘No Pivot’, Black Swan

September 22, 2023 By in $SPSIBI, Biotech, Federal Reserve, LABD, Nissam Taleb, Positions, SPBIO, Van Metre 1 Comment

Then, There’s Biotech

Back in January, this post was contrary to the accepted (and still accepted) theory, there’ll be a Fed ‘pivot’ when the economy turns south.

‘Like ‘bread and circuses’, the ‘pivot’ discussion is a distraction … keeping the proletariat placated.’

We went south a long time ago and not only is there no pivot, rates are most likely going higher still (not advice, not a recommendation).

A Process Of Iteration

Those accessing this site for any length of time, have seen my trading actions going through a process of iteration in real-time.

Those actions have effectively searched (and profited) from moves, but more importantly, are looking for the market that stands to decline the farthest and fastest.

At this juncture, that market could be biotech and specifically, the SPBIO, index (not advice, not a recommendation).

Biotech SPBIO, Monthly

Depending on if, when, and where the neckline is broken, we have an approximate location for a measured move.

Head & Shoulders patterns, while being high probability, can be subject to failure.

One of the most famous of these in recent memory, was the S&P Head and Shoulders of late 2002.

It was an easily recognizable pattern that failed … only later to find out, the market had been manipulated higher by an entity (buying futures contracts) that had ‘unlimited capital’.

Positioning

As this post detailed, the main position going short the index (via LABD) has already been opened (not advice, not a recommendation).

There have been other additions, but they are nowhere near the size of the original entry.

Hard Stop has been moved up from LABD 17.59 to LABD 18.22 (not advice, not a recommendation).

Highly Leveraged, LABD

There’s no guarantee, 3X Leveraged Inverse fund LABD, will be maintained throughout a potential collapse. Events can change, even while this post is being created.

That being said, what’s happening here is akin to ‘settling in’ on a trade, monitoring price action, trend lines, and support/resistance, to mentally prepare for what could be a sustained move.

So far, that approach is working.

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

SOXX, Ready To Drop

February 17, 2022 By in 2010 Flash Crash, Bonds, Elliott Wave, Flash Crash 2010, I Allegedly, Nissam Taleb, SOXS, SOXX, Taleb, Wyckoff, ZeroHedge 2 Comments

All The Good News Is Out

Liquidity Risk?

It’s been long enough; most have forgotten the ‘Flash Crash‘ of 2010.

That crash happened in May of that year.

May of this year, would make it 12-years and interestingly, a Fibonacci 144, months.

Normalcy Bias:

As Nissam Taleb said in his book, ‘The Black Swan’, every day is like every other day on the farm, for Mr. Turkey … that is, until Thanksgiving Day.

Let’s take a look at the historical chart of Semiconductor ETF SOXX, and see the effect of a Flash Crash.

Easy to spot … prices did recover by the end of the day.

What about the next time?

This report just out on ZeroHedge, shows liquidity is drying up in the bond market. Actually, liquidity has been drying up ever since Dodd-Frank of 2010.

All of this is working (to increase risk) in the background.

Let’s take a look at another unprecedented event … the downthrust and apparent recovery in the semiconductor index, SOXX.

SOXX, ETF, Daily Chart

First up, is the unmarked chart of the index.

Next, we’ll show the recovery higher is on diminishing volume.

There’s no real commitment to the higher prices …. they are just drifting upward.

We’ve already shown the Elliott Wave assessment of the current structure. Now, let’s look at it from a Wyckoff standpoint; Up-Thrust and Test.

Price action posted an Up-Thrust, declined and now has come back for an apparent test.

Confirmation Bias

At this juncture, both Elliott Wave and Wyckoff Analysis present a price action structure that’s set for downside reversal.

In a way, we’re at the danger point for both methods.

Summary

From a personal and corporate standpoint, going long in this market and all markets for that matter, was abandoned long ago (not advice, not a recommendation).

To borrow a phrase from Dan at i-Allegedly, he repeats over and over in his videos, ‘We’ve had warning, after warning’.

So, we have.

The SOXX, is telling us, it’s ready to resume action to the downside. After-hours, already has the index trading lower.

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

p.s. The insight of 2010 Flash Crash, anniversary of Fibonacci 144 months in May of this year, is exclusive to this site.

‘Ripple Effect’

July 9, 2021 By in Banking, Biotech, BIS, Economic Ninja, IBB, LABD, Nissam Taleb, SPBIO, WFC

12:23 p.m., EST

Wells Fargo: Just the start?

The short answer is probably yes; but that’s only one problem.

Everyone’s subject to ‘normalcy bias‘ as Nissam Taleb puts it; Today’s like yesterday and tomorrow will be like today.

The news on Wells Fargo shows how quickly that can change.

Here’s a YouTube link; one man’s assessment on what happens now.

He proposes a ‘ripple effect’.

Events have been set in motion; not necessarily immediately but it has started nonetheless.

Market Positioning:

So, here we are going into the weekend.

Does anyone want to be long the market at this point (not advice, not a recommendation)?

There must be some that do as we’re still at elevated levels.

The trade approach implemented on this site (i.e., positioning short), takes into account and actually plans for a ‘disconnect’.

Only the inexperienced or naïve think (at this time in market history) they can get out as easily as they got in; i.e. day and swing trading.

Analysis: SPBIO (LABD):

We’ll start close in first and look at the hourly LABD:

Price action has come back to test the boundary (blue line).

As frustrating as it might seem (and it is), this is normal market behavior. The market itself has to define who is in control; bulls or bears.

It’s never ending.

That’s why a case has been built on the fundamental side; why biotech is subject to a massive implosion.

That backdrop, is being supported (little by little) with price action and thus, helps keep the mind focused.

If we pull out to the daily, we see the familiar trend-line(s):

We’re at another danger point. Price action can go either way.

If LABD pivots higher from here, it’s one more confirmation that we’re trending higher (SPBIO, lower) into our October-exit timeframe (not advice, not a recommendation).

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.