Category Archives: Russell 2000

Russell 2000 … Reversal Ready

July 1, 2025 By in IWM, Nasdaq, Positions, QQQ, Russell 2000, S&P 500, TSCO, TSCO-25-01, TZA, TZA-25-03, WMT, WMT-25-03

Looking for, New Daily Low

The Russell 2000 has been recovering (along with the rest of the major indices) from the lows posted on April 7th, and 9th, this year.

What the index has not done, unlike the Qs, and the S&P is post new-all-time highs.

At this juncture, tracking fund IWM, is at a Fibonacci 61.8%, retrace, and giving just a hint, it might be finished with further upside.

Russell 2000 ETF, IWM, Daily

As the chart notes, we’re in up-thrust ‘position’; meaning, there’s no new daily low to help confirm a potential reversal.

As presented many times in previous posts:

‘In the markets, you’re either early, or late’.

Upside risk (on a short) is set at last Friday’s IWM high; risk is low (but not zero).

With that said, a short position was opened (after-hours session, yesterday) in the IWM, via leveraged inverse fund TZA, trade TZA-25-03 (not advice, not a recommendation).

Note: There was no ‘new daily low’ in the IWM tracking fund to ‘confirm’.

However, in the pre-market, IWM is trading lower at 214.72, and threating to post a new daily low at 214.13.

Open Positions

At this juncture, 8:50 a.m., EST, open positions are as follows (not advice, not a recommendation).

Short Wal-Mart: WMT-25-03, Stop @ 98.16

Short Tractor Supply Co.: TSCO-25-01, Stop @ 52.93

Short IWM: TZA-25-03: Stop @ 11.68

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

Downside Leader … Biotech

January 14, 2025 By in $SPSIBI, Biotech, IBB, IWM, LABD-25-01, Russell 2000, SPBIO, TZA, TZA-25-01, Wyckoff, XBI, ZeroHedge Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

Confirming, Right-Side Channel

It’s a recurring theme with biotech.

Over and again, this sector (IBB, XBI) is not participating in tandem with the other major indices.

Today’s pre-market mayhem higher over supposed slower outlays of possible trade tariffs to happen some-time, some-day, caused the major indices to launch upward. 🙂

Well, everybody seemed to be blasting higher except one sector, biotech.

Wyckoff Directed Action

No matter what the ‘narrative’ may be, Wyckoff analysis directs us to look at what the market is actually doing, then interpret the action.

Early after the open, trade TZA-25-01, was exited, +8.9% gain, short position opened in biotech via LABD, Trade: LABD-25-01 (not advice, not a recommendation).

Biotech XBI, Daily

Today posted outside down, taking out both the high and low of the prior session.

Note the trading channel and width, Fibonacci 13-Days.

Also note the two ‘breakaway gaps’. The second one on January 10th, much wider than November 12th, last year.

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

Russell 2000, Breakdown

January 10, 2025 By in David Weis, IWM, Russell 2000, TZA, TZA-25-01, Wyckoff Tags: , , , ,

Short(s) Hanging On … Tight

Everyone seems to think, January 20th (if we ever get there), is going to bring a new era of ‘prosperity’.

We even have a hot-off-the-press, jobs number, magically appear to bolster the case (not advice, not a recommendation).

Price Action … Truth

The crux of Wyckoff analysis, proposed over a century ago, is that we’re to completely ignore the financial press.

The focus is to be on the action itself.

Doing that, identified a potential opportunity; Russell 2000 (IWM), presented as a possible short candidate (not advice, not a recommendation).

Since that update (as of 11:13 a.m., EST), IWM is down near -4%, leveraged inverse fund TZA, up about +13%.

Possibly more important as we’ll see below, are the trendlines and channel(s).

Russell 2000 ETF, IWM, Daily

The grey (dashed) trendline has verified contact points on January 6th, 7th, 8th and today, the 10th.

The ‘reverse trendline’ technique is being used to identify the potential right side.

Reverse trendline, discussed in the David Weis training video, link here.

What’s Next?

The short answer is, it’s not known.

However, the probability is, for action to continue in the direction already established … that is, down (not advice, not a recommendation).

Stay Tuned

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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 Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

Russell, Goes Off-The-Rails

January 7, 2025 By in IWM, Positions, Russell 2000, TZA, TZA-25-01

The ‘Coil’ Snaps

Just yesterday, was this:

“When price action gets tight, something’s about to happen.”

So, it did, with this morning’s session; decisively down.

There may also be confirmation of at least one trading channel; shown in the chart.

Russell 2000, ETF, IWM, Daily

Price action didn’t quite make it to a 38.2%, retrace before reversing lower (not advice, not a recommendation).

On the larger, weekly time frame (to be discussed later), there has also been an up-thrust reversal.

So, we have an up-thrust (daily), within an upthrust (weekly).

Stay Tuned

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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 Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

Watch for ‘Tight Action’

January 6, 2025 By in CVNA, David Weis, IWM, Russell 2000, Spring-to-Up-Thrust, TZA, TZA-25-01, Wyckoff Tags: , , , , 2 Comments

Coiled For A Move

How should the price action segment (at left) be marked up?

There are several Wyckoff analysis lessons and at least one empirical observation (made over several decades) in just the 16-bars of price action.

Empirical Observation

In a sense the prior update on Carvana (CVNA) illustrates the point.

When price action gets tight, something’s about to happen.

When that analysis was presented, little did we know, ‘Hindenburg‘ would come out and whack the stock.

So, let’s move on and mark up the chart … which just so happens to be the Russell 2000 ETF, IWM.

Russell 2000, IWM, Daily

The wide high-volume bar has been ‘tested’.

Price action penetrated lows posted December 20th; currently in spring condition that has (today) just posted into an up-thrust condition.

Repeating Pattern

From the late Wyckoff expert and mentor David Weis, spring-to-up-thrust is a repeating set-up, link here.

Stay Tuned

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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 Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

The CarMax Question

December 19, 2024 By in Biotech, Car Questions Answered, Interest Rates, KMX, Real Estate, Russell 2000 Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

Something’s Not Right

If the future’s so bright for CarMax, with them beating estimates for earnings and revenue, link here, why did it sell-off immediately after the open?

Trading, (as of 12:20 p.m., EST) currently at 85.15, below well-established resistance.

As we’ve seen by now, relying on financial numbers, any numbers, is akin to a ‘snipe hunt’ (remember those?).

The prior update on KMX, said this:

“Let’s see if KMX, uses earnings as an ‘excuse’ for launch to 38.2% retrace level (or higher).”

Adding to that, we had ‘boots on the ground’, like this.

Now, based on price action, we have the potential ‘false breakout’, exactly as was forecast, link here (not advice, not a recommendation).

CarMax KMX, Weekly

The breakout appears to be failing or has failed already (not advice, not a recommendation).

With other markets in full-blown melt-down like biotech, real estate, interest rates and the Russell, it’s possible CarMax adds one more economic reality to the mix no matter what the ‘numbers’ say (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

Oil Bounce … Part II

August 23, 2024 By in Artificial Intelligence, David Weis, DRIP, DRIP-24-02, Federal Reserve, Great Depression 2.0, Interest Rates, IWM, Oil, Oil & Gas, Russell 2000, Semiconductors, SOXS, SOXS-24-13, SOXX, TZA, TZA-24-01, USO, XOP

Is This It?

We’ve gone form “Not Happening” to this morning’s action; ‘maybe it’s happening?’

As was done with Oil & Gas exploration XOP, we’ll now take a look at the oil patch itself and proxy, USO.

Oil tracking Fund, USO, Close

“What do you see?”

Marking up the chart.

We either have the ‘tradable bounce‘, or a potential contact point for the right-side channel line (not advice, not a recommendation).

The Fed announcement is just out, essentially accommodating a rate cut in September.

There was talk of some ‘cooling’ in the market (Ya think?).

With that, demand for oil seems like it would take a hit putting it lightly (not advice, not a recommendation).

Positioning.

The market itself is telling us where to go and what to do.

The important item for the day; what is the market not doing? Specifically, the Semiconductors, SOXX.

The SOXX, has not made a new (daily) high (at least, not yet) after the Fed’s announcement; it can even be seen as the ‘proverbial gut-check’, a la David Weis.

With that, all other positions have been closed save the short in the semiconductors via inverse fund SOXS (not advice, not a recommendation).

Danger Ahead

The ‘rate cut’ has yet to happen and September is a long way away.

It can’t be re-iterated enough how dangerous is this environment; prices stretched via a narrative that’s false (not advice, not a recommendation).

Stay Tuned

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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 Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

Russell 2000, Search for ‘Danger’

August 19, 2024 By in David Weis, DRV, DRV-24-03, IWM, IYR, Real Estate, Russell 2000, TZA, TZA-24-01, Wyckoff

Testing at The Axis

At this juncture, Russell 2000, IWM is not only looking for The Danger Point®, but at the close of this session, it’s there.

While everyone else is breathlessly calling the ‘end of the correction’, we’re working the market from a strictly objective standpoint.

That is, what’s the market saying about itself?

With that, take a look.

Russell 2000, ETF IWM

“What do you see?”

Well, it appears that we’re at the point where it can go either way.

It’s as if the ‘weight of a feather’ could move the market (Wyckoff, 1910).

Positioning

From a positioning standpoint, this is where the risk is least for a short position (not advice, not a recommendation).

Low risk does not mean no risk. It just means a potential inflection point.

Housekeeping

As stated in this update, the short trade via DRV, had a tight stop. That position was exited early in the session with a ding (loss) of about 4%.

Moving on to the market at hand.

David Weis mentored his students to look for trades at the ‘edge of the lake’.

We’re there with the price action of IWM. Several attempts (up to a point) to position short are to be expected (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

Trend & Channel

December 27, 2022 By in IWM, IYR, Nasdaq, NFLX, Positions, QID, QQQ, Russell 2000, S&P, S&P 500, SPY, TDA-QID-22-01, TZA, TZA-22-02, ZeroHedge 1 Comment

Get In … Get Out

There tends to be a period of consolidation and organized chaos, before price action enters and exhibits channel behavior.

Of course, the problem from a trading perspective, be able to wait through the chaos getting to the set-up and that’s no small feat.

Several of the major indices are in a channel right now. Those are (ETF symbol) SPY, QQQ, IYR and IWM.

We’ll discuss the Q’s farther down but first, this just out, on ZeroHedge, concerning the overall economic conditions.

That is, we’re already in full scale economic collapse and they have the data to prove it.

As incredible as it may be, there are still sectors of the population that believe, ‘the consumer is strong’.

A big wake-up call is coming for them. Oh wait, is that a telephone ringing off in the distance 🙂

The media lies appear to be crumbling at an exponential rate; there’s no guarantee it’ll all hold together into late January, or mid-February as presented only yesterday.

From a Nasdaq (QQQ), technology sector perspective, we have the following.

NASDAQ QQQ, Weekly

The Q’s began the week with a lower open and within the range of the prior week.

It’s a subtle clue the direction remains down and the market’s not volatile … just yet.

Next up, is the channel

It has the right ‘look’.

Moving in closer; the right-side trend line verification (hits).

There are no fewer than four weekly hits (including today) that verify the right side. The attempted push out of the channel is identified as the ‘Throw-Over’.

Attempted breakouts (and failures) are common market behaviors. We see that price action quickly got itself back into the channel.

Get In … Get Out

At this juncture, price action remains in the channel.

A short position (via QID, or equivalent) is a viable choice for the trader/speculator (not advice, not a recommendation).

For the reasons described above (the collapse), we appear to still be in the early stages of the down channel.

Obvious discretionary exit points for a short trade would be left side contact of the channel i.e., the ‘demand’ side or a decisive right-side breakout i.e., the ‘supply’ side (not advice, not a recommendation).

Summary

In a separate market, Netflix (NFLX), may have hit the right side of its own tend line as well.

It seems to be all happening very quietly.

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 Disconnects & The Claus

December 23, 2022 By in $SPSIBI, Biotech, IWM, LABD, Positions, Russell 2000, SPBIO, Speck-Effect, The Speck, TZA, TZA-22-02, Vernon Coleman, Wyckoff, ZeroHedge 1 Comment

Naughty or Nice ?

Biotech price action’s disconnecting from the rest of the market.

Around the last Fed meeting, biotech separated from the major indices, heading the opposite direction, i.e., sideways to higher.

We’ll see that as we get into the snapshots of the hourly charts (below), but first several clues on why biotech (so far) isn’t going along.

The Next Plan Rolls Out

First up is this, just out on ZeroHedge.

It appears the next push is on … and the target is the kids. Another wave of ‘protection’ is certain to boost profits.

Note: Those commenting on ZH have been ‘awake’ from the start; an invaluable resource.

Next up is this, just out on BrandNewTube; another clear thinker that helps ‘tie it all together’.

Is this the explanation for biotech’s current behavior?

Strictly speaking and from a Wyckoff perspective, we won’t know the real reason for a move until it’s nearing the end.

What we can see, is that character of price action has changed (again).

With that, we’ll look at the 3X, leveraged inverse funds of two indices, Russell 2000 (TZA) and SPBIO (LABD).

TZA & LABD, Hourly

The disconnect has been a recent observation.

We’ll drill right down to the hourly and put the charts one on top of the other.

We can see that while inverse TZA, is now back up to the pre-squeeze high, inverse LABD, is far below that level.

That’s not to say things can’t change quickly.

For now, however, there may be something else going on that’s keeping the sector buoyant and suppressing the LABD, inverse fund.

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