Category Archives: Positions

Biotech Breakdown

March 11, 2021 By in Biotech, BIS, IBB, LABD, Positions

Biotech ETF, IBB looks ready to complete its breakout test and reverse to much lower levels.

There’s a lot going on in this sector.

At this juncture, IBB appears to be the overall downside leader.

The link to this video is the first of its kind. There’ll be more to follow.

Judging from the comments section of ZeroHedge, looks like everyone’s pretty much awake at this point.

Just in case, here are 25-quesitons that can be posed to those still asleep.

Pay special attention to Question No. 11. & No. 12.

At some point you would think it’s all going to bust wide open.

Moving on to the chart:

IBB’s been in a terminating wedge for over a year. There was a ‘throw-over’ in February. Next, was downside penetration of the lower boundary. Now, we’re in a test.

That test can still go higher to contact the boundary underside. However, as posted yesterday, we’re already positioned short (not advice, not a recommendation) at the 38.2%, contact and rejection.

From a fundamental perspective, all the good news is out. Probably the last of any ‘stimulus’ will be figuratively mailed out by the end of the month.

Bonds look to be forming a bottom and the dollar as well.

Even so, the higher interest rates are already having an effect as home buyers are backing off. Lumber prices remain at insane levels.

Positioning:

Last session, the firm’s accounts went short biotech. Pre-market action in LABD shows a slightly lower open (higher for IBB).

The stops for both BIS and LABD have been provided in the last update. Be aware, the stop is loosely based on the tracking fund IBB.

If IBB posts a high above 154.60, its likely to attempt a 50% retrace.

One caveat:

There’s probably an accumulation of short stops (like ours) at the 154.60, high.

If there are enough, the market will automatically go one, or two ticks higher (154.62), to clear them out.

We’ll watch for that and adjust our stops accordingly. If this happens, it’s likely to be within the first 90-minutes of trade.

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 (IBB) Action Like AMT

March 10, 2021 By in Biotech, BIS, LABD, Positions 1 Comment

In price action very similar to AMT before its reversal, IBB looks ready to move decisively lower. Early session hit 38.2% retrace and now, test action (higher) looks weak.

Markets are fractal. Price action repeats itself at various time-frames.

Expectation is that IBB will continue lower from here just as was the case with AMT.

The difference is, since we’re dealing with an hourly time frame instead of daily, price action is faster.

All accounts have been cleared of positions except for being short biotech.

Positions are as follows (not advice, not a recommendation):

LABD: Entry, 19.976, Stop 19.52

BIS: Entry 22.32, Stop 21.75

There are a number of problems for biotech hovering the background that could blow the lid off the ‘planned event’ of the past year.

More information to be provided in a subsequent update

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.

Real Estate Channel

March 10, 2021 By in DRV, IYR, Positions, Real Estate

Yesterday, real estate IYR, may have formed a trading channel.

Update: 1:17p.m. EST. IYR has pushed past the channel. Short position via DRV exited (for now).

A new daily low (today) within channel boundaries would help to confirm.

If so, then stops for the long standing short position (via DRV) will follow down the outside right channel line.

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.

American Tower, Leads Down

March 8, 2021 By in AMT, DRV, IYR, Positions

AMT’s the big cap leader in the real estate sector, IYR. Four weeks ago, a potential reversal was covered in this report. Since then, it’s been a dramatic move to the downside.

Early Session Update, DRV as noted below:

The weekly chart above, shows about 20-months of price action. Included (but faint to see) is the Fibonacci projection tool.

The same chart below, has key areas highlighted for clarity.

At this juncture, AMT’s adhering (almost exactly) to downside Fibonacci projection levels.

However, once it becomes obvious, markets tend to break away from predictable paths.

So, we’ll see what happens next.

At this point, there’s no doubt, AMT’s reversed down and not showing signs of a bottom

Positioning:

The firm’s position has not changed. We’re short this sector via DRV (not advice, not a recommendation). The last update noted the short position was increased during Friday’s late session rally.

At the trader’s discretion, DRV position is being maintained (past the soft-stop).

Summary:

This week’s action may tell us if we’re going to continue oscillating about the axis line discussed here, or if now’s the time for a decisive move lower.

In a forthcoming report, we’ll discuss market alternation and how the character of the AMT reversal has changed.

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.

Closer to The Break

March 6, 2021 By in Bitcoin, BTU, Coal, DRV, GOLD, Gold & Silver, Gold Miners, LABD, Positions, Real Estate, SA, Van Metre 1 Comment

With the kids at the card-table, freaking about ‘plunge protection team‘, rigged markets and Bitcoin, grownups the next table over, are planning their moves.

Friday’s late session rebound higher was not uncommon for a typical short squeeze.

These gyrations are intended to make sure only a select few are aboard when we get the break.

This idea is not new. You’ll find statements to that effect over and over in most any trading book.

The big difference now, is the amazing level of complacency and learned helplessness of the overall population.

Just one example of such before we move on to the charts.

Texas has opened up. Schools are about to go without diapers. Perish the thought.

Yet, there’s still a contingent that’s near hysteria about ‘safety’.

With all the information available, yes one actually has to do real research to find out what’s going on, huge segments of the population adamantly remain (intentionally) ignorant.

Unfortunately, that segment has voluntarily (at least in the U.S.) lined themselves up to be taken out; financially as well as physically.

Just a few of the most recent links, here, here, and here.

At some point, those links are going to become common knowledge.

Hopefully, there will be long lasting and certain retribution for the perpetrators. However, for those who ‘volunteered’, it’s already too late.

Now, on to the markets.

Friday’s real estate rebound (IYR) looked like short-squeeze action.

In response to that and late in the session, short position DRV (3X inverse IYR) was increased at price 9.37 (not advice, not a recommendation).

Volatility is still low in IYR. Short positions can be increased with less risk.

The Big Break

When and if the break comes, it’s likely to be fast; no time to plan.

Whatever plans one has should’ve been laid out well ahead of time.

Two markets being watching closely are Peabody Energy (BTU) and Seabridge Gold (SA).

By now everyone’s aware that a certain far east country is going about its business and building their infrastructure … as if nothing had ever happened. Funny that.

Conversely, the coal market has bottomed out and so has Peabody.

On top of that, the Texas Freeze laid bare the farce that is climate change, global warming and green energy.

Quietly, without fanfare, coal is seeing increased demand.

The blue arrow is a gap in trading that could be filled.

To do that, there might have to be a massive market collapse, pushing BTU back to that level … if only temporarily.

Huge volume in the past six months shows that somebody’s buying.

The next market is Seabridge Gold (SA) which is being watched for essentially the same reasons. If Van Metre is right and we’re in a deflationary impulse, the entire public’s on the wrong side of the trade.

If SA can get itself below 13 – 14, it then enters free-fall territory.

If that happens, as with BTU, it too might be a short lived event.

Positioning:

Currently, the firm’s position (not advice, not a recommendation) is short biotech and real estate via LABD and DRV, respectively.

If BTU and SA get to extreme lows, both of them have potential for a ‘ten-bagger’, the possibility to gain over 1,000%.

Getting to such gains would necessitate a change in the current strategy of trading, to buy and hold.

Summary:

Pressure seems to be building for some unexpected event that would cause a market break; Possibly the devaluation of the Yuan as discussed by Steven Van Metre.

If that’s going to happen it’s likely to be soon.

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.

Set The Stop

March 5, 2021 By in Biotech, David Weis, IBB, LABD, Positions, USO

“Set the stop and walk away”.

That was a phrase from the late David Weis, used during his training session video (link here).

That’s what we’re gong to do.

Biotech (IBB) is nearing support and it was thought the overnight would result in an obvious gap-down open, exit signal.

However, with just about a half-hour to go before the regular session, markets maintained their positions overnight keeping the door open for continued decline or counter-trend action.

All markets, the S&P, Dow, Nasdaq, (and biotech) are pivoting lower from insane valuations. We could be at the very beginning stages of a sustained deflationary move.

One example of how such moves behave, was the oil market in July of 2014. The tracking fund USO, had nine successive down months (declining over 60%), before a significant retrace.

With that in mind, we’re setting the LABD stop at the prior session low of 21.80 (not advice, not a recommendation).

With an LABD entry point at 18.08, being stopped out at 21.80, would yield a gain around 21%.

So, we’ll leave it there and move on to other opportunities.

The weekly has IBB, nearing support around 140 – 142 (dashed line). We can expect price action to hesitate as (or if) it encounters those levels.

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.

Overnight, Pre-Market

March 5, 2021 By in Biotech, IBB, LABD, Positions 1 Comment

Markets might continue their decline in overnight and pre-market.

If pre-market or early regular session has IBB trading near its target level, we’ll plan on exiting (LABD) in response; not advice, not a recommendation..

Every other active trader sees the H&S at this point and is probably waiting to close out (their shorts) at or near the bottom.

If so, it may result in buoyancy and the trade will start to degrade; exit is warranted under those conditions.

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.

Amgen (AMGN) Breaking Lower

March 3, 2021 By in AMGN, Biotech, IBB, LABD, Positions

Amgen’s the largest cap in the biotech sector ETF, IBB.

Loss of momentum (magenta arrow) is clear.

Upside energy (weekly) MACD has been dissipating for over a year.

So, this is no transient direction change. Zooming into the daily chart shows hesitation at the trend line.

Then last Friday, a significant move away from that trend.

When there’s a trend break, typically there’ll be a test of that break.

In this case, such a test would cause price action to move higher; testing the underside of the trend.

Because there’s been so much congestion at the trend line, we may not get the upside move.

It may have already self-tested. From here, price action could just make its way down to the measured move target ~ 164 – 165.

Positioning:

We’re short this market via LABD (not advice, not a recommendation) and have moved the stop to 18.17, based on yesterday’s action.

Summary:

If AMGN decides to test the trend underside, it’s likely to stop out LABD.

If price continues to decline (unabated) to target levels, we’ll probably exit at pre-identified IBB, target ~ 138 – 140 (approx: 35 – 38, LABD).

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.

Active Trade: Short Biotech

March 1, 2021 By in Biotech, IBB, LABD, Positions

The last update on the short position in biotech, said we’re keeping it until stopped out or target met.

Currently the LABD stop is located at 17.21 (not advice, not a recommendation).

The biotech IBB chart shows us price action is verifying the existence of the Neckline; The two (arrow) hits on the right side.

The deduction we’re in an H&S top, at this juncture is correct.

If IBB makes a new daily low, with LABD making a new daily high, then we’ll be able to move the LABD stop higher.

That new level will be defined by price action itself.

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.