Category Archives: XLF

Margin Debt … $1-Trillion

September 18, 2025 By in $SPSIBI, Biotech, DIA, IBB, IWM, IYR, LABD, LABD-25-11, Positions, QQQ, S&P, S&P 500, SPBIO, SPY, Up-Thrust, Wyckoff, XBI, XLF, ZeroHedge

When it Implodes

Is the bell ringing?

Is this it?

In the pre-market, SPY, DIA, XLF, QQQs, all-time highs.

Meanwhile, beneath the surface, it’s getting a bit ‘uncomfortable’.

One Trillion in margin debt as reported here and here.

The Ones To Watch

While all eyes are focused on the leaders (above), at least three markets are not participating:

Real Estate, IYR, Russell IWM, biotech, IBB, and XBI.

From a Wyckoff perspective, for short candidates, these are the ones to watch (not advice, not a recommendation).

Biotech, XBI

As stated in the prior update, XBI may have formed a triple top within and ‘up-thrust’, link here.

The obvious areas to watch for today’s session, are yesterday’s high and low.

A new high puts the up-thrust into question; new low, adds (a small) confirmation to 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

Biotech … It’s Not a Bull Market

August 27, 2025 By in $SPSIBI, Biotech, Financial Sector, Positions, SPBIO, Up-Thrust, XBI, XBI-25-03, XLF, XLF-25-06

The Big Picture

Each market session provides another data point, bull, bear, or congestion.

Yesterday’s position in XLF, was stopped out the same day with a minuscule loss.

That trade was an excellent example of operating at the market’s edge and maintaining discipline.

Another data point.

However, one market not making new highs, or threatening the current short position (yet), was biotech, XBI; short trade XBI-25-03.

So, let’s take a look at what’s really going on.

Biotech Sector SPBIO, Daily Close

We’re far away from all-time highs.

The Fibonacci retracements are shown.

At this point, we’re oscillating around the 23.6%, and in up-thrust condition.

The second chart zooms-in on the set-up.

Set-ups don’t guarantee anything.

They just mean the market has reached a point where risk could be at a minimum.

Bull or Bear

With the SPBIO (XBI as the proxy), we either have a breakout above resistance or an up-thrust as previously mentioned.

Until the market proves otherwise by making new daily highs, the condition continues to be traded as a potential (significant) downside 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

Financials … Feeling Puny

August 26, 2025 By in David Weis, Financial Sector, Positions, Spring-to-Up-Thrust, Up-Thrust, Wyckoff, XLF, XLF-25-06 1 Comment

At The Edge

The last update on Financial Sector, XLF, said it was in potential up-thrust (false breakout) condition.

Monday’s action was slightly down and today; we have a new daily low.

In addition, as we’ll see in the chart, all of this action is taking place below established resistance.

Financial Sector XLF, Daily

We’re at the ‘edge of the lake’, as David Weis used to call it. This is where the risk of being wrong is least.

Since the market’s posted a new daily low, risk on a short position is well defined, i.e. yesterday’s high (not advice, not a recommendation).

Currently short this sector as XLF-25-06, with stop in the vicinity of XLF 53.58. After the close of this session, the stop (if not exceeded) will be moved lower to the high of today’s session (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

Sunday Night Futures

August 24, 2025 By in BAC, Federal Reserve, Financial Sector, Interest Rates, Spring-to-Up-Thrust, Up-Thrust, Wyckoff, XLF 1 Comment

Bank of America & XLF

It’s no secret, Warren Buffet has been selling BAC, shares for some time; more recently, here.

The hard part is, how does one map that to price action?

Or does his selling have any material effect.

From a Wyckoff standpoint, we put that information in the background.

It’s there, we’re aware of it, but the focus is on price action itself.

So, let’s take a look.

BAC is a heavy weighting the in financial sector, with index tracking fund XLF, as a good vehicle for analysis.

That ETF just printed an all-time high this past Friday.

Financials XLF, Daily

Friday’s Fed announcement could be a significant infection.

Of course, the media is all aboard with a September cut, providing endless opinions on how to trade something that has not even happened.

What we’re looking for on this site, is some evidence of a reversal. We’re looking to see if price action stalls in not only the XLF, but the other major sectors as well.

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

Financials … Test & Low

July 29, 2025 By in Financial Sector, Positions, Up-Thrust, XLF, XLF-25-04

Reducing The Risk

In a quiet, almost imperceptible move, financial sector, XLF has topped, reversed, now printed a new daily low.

Yesterday’s update said there might be higher action into the day’s close.

It looks like that ‘higher’ action, was today.

Financial Sector ETF, XLF, Daily

The zoom area shows there’s no ‘reversal’ bar like we see in trading textbooks.

The (short) entry signal was: Breakout to all-time highs, then, next day printing a new daily low (not advice, not a recommendation).

Now, today, we have another daily low.

Positioning

An initial (small size) short was opened late yesterday, XLF-25-04. As price action rose into its test early this session, the short was increased (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

Financial Sector, XLF, Highs

July 28, 2025 By in BAC-25-04, CRWD-25-09, CVNA-25-08, Financial Sector, Positions, SOXX-25-08, Up-Thrust, XLF 1 Comment

Then, A New Daily Low

On Friday, financial sector XLF, posted all-time-highs.

Then, today in the late session, XLF, just posted a new daily low.

We’re at the extreme, The Danger Point®, where the risk of being wrong (on a short), is least (not advice not a recommendation).

There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest the market indices are stretched. The latest installment is here.

Financial Sector ETF, XLF, Daily

The XLF, is in up-thrust condition.

Posting a new daily low provides the risk on a short trade; yesterday’s high (not advice, not a recommendation).

That new daily low, puts XLF in a minor spring position; there’s a probability of some upside going into the close.

If so, that further narrows the risk on a short.

Positioning

All other positions have been closed except, SOXX-25-08.

Depending on price action, the plan is short XLF, if it rises into the close (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

Financial Sector XLF … Set-Up

July 22, 2025 By in Financial Sector, Positions, SOXX, SOXX-25-07, Spring-to-Up-Thrust, Up-Thrust, XLF

In The Pattern

Depending on price action, we’ll get into the long-term view of Finacial Sector XLF, later.

For now, on the hourly timeframe, we’ve seen it before: Spring-to-Up-Thrust.

With about forty minutes before the open, it looks as if XLF, will come back up to resistance for a test.

Financial Sector ETF, XLF, Hourly

Spring and Up-Thrust, are labeled ‘S’ and ‘U’ respectively.

In other markets, the SOXX posted lower overnight; it’s trying its best to rally pre-market, into a higher open.

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

Assessing The (market) Damage

April 5, 2025 By in Car Questions Answered, CVNA, DIA, IBB, IWM, IYM, IYR, KMX, QQQ, SOXX, SPBIO, SPY, XLF, XOP 1 Comment

Sifting Through The Rubble

There are sure to be plenty of post-mortems over the weekend; usual suspects giving us their assessment on what’s already happened. 🙂

Sometimes the question, is not ‘what’s happened’, but ‘what has not happened’.

That’s where the opportunity may lie.

Market Implosion

Over the past week, there were wide price bars, with action unstable in all major indices (ETFs): DIA, IBB, IWM, IYM, IYR, QQQ, SOXX, SPBIO, SPY, XLF, and XOP.

However, what did not implode (completely), are the car dealerships; specifically, CarMax and Carvana.

For this update, we’ll look at CarMax.

CarMax, KMX, Weekly Close

On a close basis, KMX, has bounced off the lower wedge boundary and is near the resistance area (magenta line).

Price action could be positively biased in the coming week as a result of ‘tax refund’ car buying (not advice, not a recommendation)

According to ‘Car Questions Answered‘, it’s a yearly ‘thing’.

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

History Repeats (again)

February 10, 2025 By in DRV, DRV-25-04, FAZ, FAZ-25-01, Financial Sector, PLD, Positions, Real Estate, Spring-to-Up-Thrust, XLF

Another (repeating) Set-Up

This time, it’s the financial sector, XLF.

Top ten components for XLF, are listed here.

For today’s session (as of 12:27 p.m., EST), all but one of the ten are trading lower.

Financial, XLF, Daily

When looking at the chart, the set-up is obvious (not advice, not a recommendation).

Similar to yesterday’s update with ProLogis, XLF, made two attempts to push past resistance … that so far have failed.

Today’s action has ‘ease of movement’ to the downside.

The sidebar notes and open (short) position in XLF, as FAZ-25-01 (not advice, not a recommendation).

Separately:

The short in IYR, via DRV, was closed early in this session as PLD, made a (very slight) new daily high, indicating possible hesitation to the downside (not advice, not a recommendation)..

It may still work out but the market that’s moving to the downside now, is XLF (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

Real Estate … Tops-Out?

August 12, 2024 By in Dr. Elder, DRV, DRV-24-02, FAZ, FAZ-24-01, Financial Sector, IYR, Real Estate, XLF, ZeroHedge

Series of Lower Highs

Real estate may have been held up by the expectation of lower rates.

With those rates, it’s been on-again, off-again, then back on again, only to go back off again.

Let’s not forget the real possibility, the entire dataset (employment, jobless claims et al.) could be fake. 🙂

So, it’s a good thing with Wyckoff, we’re not looking at so-called ‘data’ but the truth; the price action itself.

Real Estate IYR, Daily

We’ve got a series of lower highs.

No doubt, the price action is very subtle … slowing eroding away without much fanfare.

With this morning’s session, we have a new daily low.

If short, a good place for a stop would be yesterday’s high (not advice, not a recommendation).

Housekeeping.

From the last post on XLF, today’s session has essentially been a combination of the two scenarios.

As a result (and according to the trading plan), the short FAZ-24-01, was closed with a marginal profit of 0.62%.

The sector may still go into a sustained decline. However, it did not perform to expectations and therefore, exited.

As Elder said years ago, ‘when in doubt get out.’

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