Market ‘Tests’ & ‘Instability’

Taking The Helm

‘We have assumed control …’

For the mining sector we’re about to find out if it’s bulls or bears.

With today’s overall (S&P, Dow, QQQ, etc.) down market and the press screaming in hysterical panic at the start of the day, you’d think the market had collapsed 50% or more.

The last update (over the weekend) had this to say about the S&P (emphasis added):

“So, here we are: The market (SPY) has rallied over the past week, giving the illusion that all is well.

However, it too is now in up-thrust (reversal) position.

So, the SPY declines by just over 1%, everyone loses their head and starts talking about CBDC.

Moving on to the ‘knee-jerk’ sector for the day, let’s look at the miners and specifically GDXJ.

Junior Miners GDXJ, Daily Close

Admittedly, the prior update was unsure whether or not this sector had its up-thrust reversal ‘test’.

Well, now we know.

The chart above has all the Usual Suspects.

We see the spring to up-thrust repeating pattern.

Then, a steady decline from the up-thrust and today’s short-sharp test or as the late David Weis used to call it, a ‘gut check’.

At this point the market’s unstable.

We’ll know soon if somehow we’re on to new highs or if this was the last gasp of a bull move withing an overall, years-long, bear market.

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

Gold Miners … The Reversal

Each Peak Is Lower

Gold’s reversal or potential for reversal, has already been covered here, here and here.

We’re going to focus on the Junior Miners GDXJ but start first, with an updated chart of gold (GLD).

Gold GLD, Weekly Close

This is how it looked back on April 15th.

As of the close yesterday, we have this:

It’s arguable GLD, is now below the resistance line (completing the Spring-to-Up-Thrust) but that’s not the most important part from a trading standpoint.

When looking at the Junior Mining Index GDXJ, there’s an ominous pattern.

Junior Miners GDXJ, Weekly Close

Each extreme peak over the last three-years has been labeled; the Derecho of 2020, the so-called Ukraine ‘invasion’, and now, the banking crisis.

Note: The SVB bank failure was on March 10th. There was a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction by the public into gold and related components … that peak appears to have stalled at the location shown.

What’s going on is obvious; it’s a bear market.

Each major peak, lower than the last.

Now, the interesting part.

The Junior Miners are in Wycoff Up-Thrust condition.

In this case, price action’s solidly below the resistance line.

Looking at the daily (not shown), there may have been a ‘test’ of resistance this past week for a move higher; if so, it failed and GDXJ closed slightly lower.

Summary & Positioning

So, here we are: The market (SPY) has rallied over the past week, giving the illusion that all is well.

However, it too is now in up-thrust (reversal) position.

For my business accounts, it looks like being short the miners at this juncture is lower risk than being short biotech (not advice, not a recommendation).

Typical short vehicles that could be used (not a recommendation) are DUST and JDST.

As always, anything can happen. If the markets ‘implode’, they might be closed for any number of days or weeks.

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

‘Panic’ Into Gold … Reversal Risk

Gold Bulls Exhausted

With Friday’s downside reversal we’re now between Euphoria and Anxiety for gold.

This past week was inundated with stories of panic at the bullion dealers.

YouTube ‘content creators’ were going berserk with hyper-inflationist rants; other ‘influencers’ telling us the dollar’s about to collapse; they say the Fed’s the only reason the dollar’s not at zero right now.

Then, rumors warning of gold to $5,000/oz. and higher.

The result as you would expect, is a highly emotional, manipulated public.

Different This Time?

At this point, whether or not the dollar will collapse is probably irrelevant.

Long time visitors to this site already know, battle lines (like here and here) are being drawn and it’s not in precious metals (not advice, not a recommendation).

As always, anything can happen and gold could go higher but with Friday’s reversal, probabilities have now shifted to the downside.

With that, we now have an ominous chart of gold below.

It shows the set-up to a repeating market characteristic:

Wyckoff ‘Spring to Up-Thrust’.

Gold (GLD) Weekly Close

Gold’s momentum wanes just as it’s pushing up through resistance.

Obviously, what happens next is the important part.

Strategy

Looking at the economic calendar for the coming week, there’s a Fed speaker every single day. If we’re really at a significant reversal, next week’s likely to put the panic into unsustainable overdrive and mark the top.

For the bulls, we’re looking for the GLD, highs to be maintained. If it can’t hold, there’s reversal trouble ahead.

A Reversal?

If this is the ‘big one’ and gold reverses, a likely (medium-term) target is in the area of $1,300/oz., – $1,350/oz. (not advice, not a recommendation).

If that happens, gold’s still expensive but it’s the mining sector GDX, GDXJ, that would potentially be devastated.

Both the Seniors and Juniors are already printing an MACD bearish divergence (not yet confirmed) when looking at the weekly charts.

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

Gold … The ‘Bubble’ Wins

At Least, For Now

The rabid gold bulls … foiled again.

From the last update (emphasis added):

“Gold (GLD) either reverses from here or moves slightly higher to the 187.50-area before reversing.”

Immediate reversal is exactly what happened.

Actually, gold did go higher to the targeted (GLD 187.50) area in the overnight session; then reversed before the regular session open.

So, it did both of the forecasted moves. 🙂

The ‘Real’ Unemployment

By now, anyone with two pension-plans rubbing together, knows the numbers … that is, any ‘official’ numbers are complete propaganda (not advice, not a recommendation).

For example, the ‘real’ unemployment here, is likely closer to 25%, rather than the ‘official’ level below 4%.

Keep that in mind, as we continue on.

Gold GLD, Weekly

The GLD, weekly has the three major tops with the current (potential) one included.

The second chart (the daily) focuses on the reversal; in technical terms a ‘Wyckoff Up-Thrust‘.

Gold GLD, Daily

Right now, we’re at the test or The Danger Point®; it won’t take much force to move price action either way.

Pointing probabilities to the downside, we have a repeating pattern of ‘Spring to Up-Thrust’.

It’s an observed empirical phenomenon, markets tend to go from a Wyckoff ‘spring’, straight into an ‘up-thrust’.

The New ‘Paradigm’

Well, we probably to have a new paradigm but it’s not in gold (not advice, not a recommendation).

That new paradigm is what no one will discuss.

In the opinion of this author and contrary to what is presented here and here (remember our ‘unemployment’ numbers) we’re in a full-scale demand and population collapse.

The ‘inflation’ for possibly a large part, has been manufactured.

You can’t have over one-hundred food processing plants mysteriously burn down (bug, insect factories not affected) with millions upon millions of egg laying hens destroyed, cattle herd at 1962, lows and not affect the price.

For whatever reason, the mainstream has decided to reveal to the masses what’s been known for years to those who are awake.

Of special interest, Tucker Carlson interview, linked here.

Going Forward

Gold’s at The Danger Point®.

If it can’t make it higher from here on so much apparent and ‘rampant’ inflation, there’s a real risk of it being affected by some kind of Sovereign default … somewhere.

A default would potentially lead to a massive asset sell-off; including everything that’s not nailed down … i.e., gold.

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

Gold … Bubble or Breakout ?

We’re About To Find Out

As this post is being created the Credit Suisse battle, rages on.

Recent updates are here and here.

Of course, it’s all planned chaos … but that’s a discussion for another time.

The apparent response from gold (GLD) over the past week, was to move sharply higher.

As expected, the gold bulls are in their brain-stem mania.

Once again. It’s a ‘new paradigm‘.

With that, let’s not forget the last time we had a ‘new paradigm’. Gold has not been higher, since.

Trading opportunity? … Maybe.

New ‘Paradigm’? … Probably, not.

Different, This Time?

As we’ll see below, there are potentially two outcomes for the price of gold (not advice, not a recommendation).

First: Gold (GLD) either reverses from here or moves slightly higher to the 187.50-area before reversing.

… OR …

Second: GLD, pushes higher, just shy of the 200.00, mark, while getting itself into a Wyckoff up-thrust condition.

The first chart shows the extremes as of Friday’s close (Sunday futures, yet to open).

Gold GLD, Weekly

Concerted effort to destroy (or pollute) the food supply began with the Derecho. That effort continues to this day.

Secondly, we have the ‘invasion’ of Ukraine. Note the GLD spike is lower than the Derecho.

Now, we have the banking ‘collapse’. Once again (so far), the upward spike is lower than previous.

Looking at the second chart, we see a Fibonacci projection to 50%, the GLD 183.77-level; exactly where GLD, closed on Friday.

Empirical observation over many years has revealed, if price action gets to a 50% projected level, it’s typically on its way to higher levels.

A Lower Peak

Even if GLD moves up to the 61.8% projection as shown, the GLD 187.50-area, it’s still below the prior ‘Invasion’ peak set at GLD 193.30.

If GLD, moves significantly past these levels, then it’s likely on to new, all-time-highs and a potential Wyckoff Up-Thrust (reversal) condition.

If it happens, we’ll address it at that time.

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

Alcoa: Another ‘Chief Cook’

Yet, One More ‘ESG’ Opportunity

Like Carvana, Alcoa has no P/E

However, before we get started, this just out concerning Biotech:

From the German Health Minister, no less:

“Permanent Disabilities”

In a way, it does tie into the Alcoa analysis.

As a reminder, the economic (and population) collapse created by protection from ‘The Speck’, will last the lifetime of anyone reading this post (not advice, not a recommendation).

To support that statement and expand on the enormity of what’s happening, we have this link.

‘Over the next 10 years, ‘Speck’ lawsuits are projected to experience tremendous growth.’

With that, let’s move on.

Alcoa & ESG

Just looking at the website, it’s an ESG cornucopia.

When looking at the chart, it’s (almost) a no-brainer.

First, the very long-term view (Quarterly)

Alcoa AA, Quarterly

On the long-term, we have the repeating market characteristic; ‘Spring-to-Up-Thrust.

A ‘test’ of that up-thrust has been occurring over the most recent quarter.

On the weekly chart, we see price action penetrated support with volume increasing.

Alcoa AA, Weekly

Technically, it’s a Wyckoff ‘Spring’ set-up. Some form of upward action next week is to be expected.

However, with the increased volume to the downside, probabilities are low at this point we’ll see any significant upside (not advice, not a recommendation).

Long Way To The ‘Open’

As said in the prior update, events are accelerating. The latest from ZeroHedge proves that to be true.

UBS Seeks Government Backstop As It Rushes To Finalize Credit Suisse Takeover Deal As Soon As Tonight

Another Nail in the Coffin

Looks like the Swedes have put another nail in the coffin for ESG. How long is it going to take for their pension system to fully collapse and then result in social unrest a la Paris?

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

CarMax … Dead Cat Bounce

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

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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

Oil & Gas … Breakout Update

Looking For ‘The Pattern’

There was no Oil & Gas, XOP breakout, last Friday.

What did happen as shown on the chart below, was a test of resistance.

The market can certainly reverse from here. If so, it would be called a ‘double top’.

Those types of reversals are common; but from a trading perspective, that’s not what we are looking for (not advice, not a recommendation).

We’re looking for ‘trapped money’.

That means, as many market participants on the wrong side of the trade as possible so they are the ones that provide fuel for the downside.

Marsha … Marsha … Marsha

Just like The Brady Bunch and its chant of ‘Marsha’ … ‘Marsha’ … ‘Marsha’ … we have the public being led into a similar mantra; ‘Inflation’ … ‘Inflation’ … ‘Inflation’.

With that kind of single mindedness, who’s even looking for a downside reversal?

That does not mean a reversal is imminent … it just means the public is not looking for one; in itself, a requirement.

On to the charts

Oil & Gas XOP, Daily

We’ll re-post the original chart to show how price action has progressed.

This past Friday marked Fibonacci Day 8.

The next chart is how action looks now.

Included, is a forecast (not advice, not a recommendation) of where and how price action may proceed.

If it’s a double-top, we may have already reversed.

If not, Fibonacci Day 13, might be this coming Friday or next Monday.

It could be as early as Friday (actually, 12-days of price action) based on work done years ago.

That is, when an American Holiday occurs while the rest of the world’s markets remain open, that day of closed markets can (sometimes) effectively count as an actual trading day.

So, it’s this coming Friday, or Monday-next, that may be a set-up for 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

Oil & Gas … Breakout on Friday?

Repeating Pattern … ‘Spring-to-Up-Thrust’

When Oil & Gas Sector XOP, pushed above last week’s high, it negated the breakdown scenario.

At the same time, it opened another potential opportunity that may set-up this coming Friday … The 13th.

We’ve shown over and again, markets tend to exhibit repeating patterns. Things like trading ranges, terminating wedges, breakouts and breakdowns, are not new.

However, there’s a lesser-known characteristic; the tendency for a market to go straight from a Wyckoff ‘spring’, into an ‘up-thrust’.

That phenomenon is described at this link.

Currently, we’re about mid-way into the set-up as shown on the daily chart of XOP.

Oil & Gas XOP, Daily

Price action pushed below support (the spring set-up) and is now mid-way into that spring; potentially going straight into an up-thrust.

There was a reversal pivot on Fibonacci Day 5 (yesterday), which opens up the possibility of another time correlation at Fibonacci Day 8 … this coming Friday.

Before The Open

It’s about twenty-minutes before the regular open and XOP, is trading higher … further confirming we’re headed for a potential set-up and reversal (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

Gold, Set To Rally

But, How Far ?

The last update on gold (GLD), posted four trading days ago, (link here), said the following:

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

From that update, GLD continued slightly lower, posted a new monthly low (yesterday) and got itself into Wyckoff ‘spring’ position.

Now, in the pre-market (as of 8:41 a.m., EST), we see GLD, trading up approximately 2.1-points, or + 1.40%.

Let’s see where price action’s likely to go.

Gold (GLD), Daily

Spring set-ups have a tendency to go straight into an up-thrust as a repeating pattern.

The most likely point for an up-thrust, if GLD rallies from here, is shown below.

The up-thrust target is also a Fibonacci 23.6%, retrace level from the ‘Changing of Hands‘ high, set March 8th, this year.

If there is a rally, it’s potentially a temporary (but tradeable) upside event in an overall down market (not advice, not a recommendation).

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

Over the past few trading days, changes have been made as shown (not advice, not a recommendation)

TMF-22-01:

Discretionary exit @ 6.85***

Trade Closed

Gain on TMF-22-01: + 4.67%

LABD-22-09:

Entry @ 19.88, 19.71, 21.23*** Stop @ 18.69

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