Timing & trends

Could Recent FANG Weakness Be Signaling the End of the Bull Run?

As we survey the financial markets and global economic backdrop, it appears that a change in the wind could be slowly taking place. Across the tides of global capital markets, a chillier wind may be starting to blow, ushering in what could soon be some sweeping changes in the major trends for primary capital markets. In China, the air of debt deleveraging seems to be taking root, with tightness in the money markets, bond market collapses, bond market closures, and inverted yield curves. In addition, there are also widespread rumors surrounding the viability of an assortment of wealth management products that have embedded duration mismatch problems baked into the cake.

Here at home in the USA, boom times remain in full swing with stock market averages busting out to new highs seemingly day-after-day. Yet, behind the bullish headlines, there seems to be developing a clear pattern of parabolic (terminal) excess within the technology space, a pattern familiar to those market watchers who recall 1999 and 2008.

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Above: A basket of Large Cap Technology Stocks with Intermediate ARMS (inverted) is also extremely overbought. These types of readings tend to highlight medium term extremes so even if prices recover, there is a larger overtone to this type of bearish reading.

….continue reading HERE


…also from Financial Sense:

Central Banks Are Driving Many to Cryptocurrencies

Global Blast-Off Trade Setup

Asia Custom Monthly F-290x130Our analysis of the global markets and metals markets are prompting us to issue a warning that may not shock a number of our followers – but may surprise others.  We use a number of custom indicators, custom indexes and other specialized features to try to keep our valued members aware of moves before they happen at ActiveTradingPartners.com.  You may recall our recent article warning of a VIX spike between June 9th and June 13th in correlation with a US market correction (NASDAQ).  We nailed this and predicted another VIX spike on June 29th, 2017.

Are you ready for what might become the most opportunistic setup we’ve seen in over a decade?  Well, before we get to the guts of our incredible setup, let’s go over some other data to support our predictions – the global markets.

On May 3rd, 2017, we authored an article regarding Global Economic Shifts that were taking place as a result of Capital Migration and renewed risk factors throughout the global markets.  Our hypothesis was that capital will always attempt to locate and migrate to financial environments where risk is mitigated and returns are sufficient.  We consider this an active and intrinsic role of global capital – the hunt for the ability to thrive and develop success/profits.

Since this research was completed, a number of new and interesting facets have evolved.  Two of the most interesting are the shifts within the Arabic nations with regards to Qatar and the almost total isolation recently enacted on this wealthy nation and the news from Europe that a number of smaller, regional banks are collapsing with broader, tangible relations to the EU banking system.  This type of disruption within a financial environment (think globally) causes capital to migrate rather quickly to more stable locations for self-preservation.

China/Asian markets appear to be developing a level of “moderately healthy financial environment” in terms of global market capital migration.  In the past, I would have warned that Asia/China could become a temporary safe-harbor for capital as it migrates out of riskier environments and I would still support that claim simple because China/Asia are less of a mature market compared to other.  Thus, the likelihood that China/Asia could see dramatic asset revaluation or some type of unexpected market function issues is still near the top of my list.  Yet, we can’t accurately predict when this will happen and until extended signs of weakness cause us to adopt a more concerned stance, we have to understand that capital will move to environments that seem suitable for success.  At this time, we believe China/Asia are viewed as just that – moderately suitable for capital deployment and investment (till things change).

Asia Chart

You will see from our chart that a defined support channel is in place and resistance bands appears to be setting up near the end of June and throughout September 2017.

Asia_Custom_Monthly_F

BRICs Chart

BRICS markets appear to have “rolled over”, as predicted, near resistance bands that indicate pricing levels may be setup for some level of correction.  It is our opinion that an 8~18% correction may be near as capital will likely migrate away from perceived increased risk and towards healthier environments.  This would put a downside target on this chart near $13k~$12.5k.

BRICS_Custom_Monthly_F

 

Europe Chart

The European markets appear to be at a critical juncture near a classic Fibonacci retracement pattern.  Many people do not understand one of the basic concepts of Fibonacci theory that is; price will always attempt to develop new higher highs or lower lows.  Keeping this in mind, any failure to develop higher highs in the European markets within the next 2~3 months will likely result in perceptions being that these markets are developing greater risk.  Thus, capital may migrate away from the uncertainty and risk towards healthier alternatives.

The European markets chart shows clear price channels that originated near July 2016 – the date Theresa May assumed the Prime Minister role.  It is interesting how the perception of an environment of strength, protection, leadership and opportunity can change the way capital migrates from different environments.  In this case, the disruption in Europe with May’s election victory changed the way people saw the future opportunities in Europe.

Now, with recent elections, banking issues, further debt issues and uncertainty with leadership, we can only assume that perception will change, again, towards an environment that is more risky and unstable – prompting capital migration away from these markets.

 

EU_Custom_Monthly_F

US charts

Meanwhile, on another continent…  The US markets appear to be the “Garden of Eden” in terms of capital migration.  It is true that the entire US/Canadian/Mexican conglomerate market is suitable and in perfect financial health, but it is also true that compared to many others, these market present the potential for the best and safest deployment of capital.  The charts show that capital appreciation has been tremendous since the US Presidential Elections and may launch much higher if extended risk exists in other global markets.

Again, capital is always searching for a safe and suitable environment for deployment.  Taken in global terms, there are really only two suitable locations for capital and the others are inherently more risky.  These conditions may change over the next few months, but our analysis points to one critical factor that could disrupt many aspects of this global capital environment.  One thing that could be related to a massively disruptive event.

US_Custom_Weekly_F 768w,
We are now at the point that you have been waiting for.  The incredibly disruptive and opportunistic setup that could change everything in the global markets (or so we hypothesize).  Before we get to the details, we want to make certain that you understand this type of research if far from 100% guaranteed or set in stone.  We develop our analysis based on a number of massively moving components within the global economy and are predicting price moves that may be weeks of month in advance.  We advise you to consider this a learning experiment in the sense that there is absolutely no way we can state with 100% certainty our research/analysis or conclusions will play out exactly as we suggest.  It is impossible for anyone to know what will or may happen, accurately, in the future.  That is what trading is all about – making an educated guess and protecting your trade.

Well, here it is, folks.  

The setup/opportunity that may turn into 

the biggest move in the markets for the next century.  METALS.

Think about this for just one minute. Given the knowledge that capital will migrate to sources of safety and investment return while avoiding environments that are risky.  And, given that we’ve made fairly clear points that much of the global is setting up for some levels of disruption, uncertainty and greater risk – leaving only China/Asia and the US as the safe-harbor capital environments.  We’ve also detailed how the China/Asia markets are setting up for disruption with technical resistance levels and exposure to other global environments.  We’ve highlighted that Europe may enter a period of disruption and uncertainty with recent elections, debt, banking issues and more and illustrated that BRICs markets are rolling over as an early warning that emerging markets might contract as global capital migrates towards safer environments.  This is not doom and gloom stuff, this is just what happens when markets are disrupted.

Now, look at the setup in these custom metals index charts.  A clear Flag formation has setup near historical lows that is nearing the Pinnacle.  My analysis of this pattern shows that we are setup for one more lower price rotation before the rally begins.  One more attempt at buying near ultimate lows before we could see a massive, explosive rally capable of at least a 50%+ run.  Long term, this run could be much bigger..  much, much bigger.  Fibonacci theory shows the potential for 125% or 225% gains are easily possible.

Oddly enough, our research shows that this lower wave of metals prices should complete near or before June 29th.  Remember that date from the beginning of this article?  That’s right, this is the date that we predict would initiate a volatility spike (VIX Spike).  Just how big will this VIX spike be?  If our analysis is correct, the real VIX/volatility expansion won’t begin to happen till near the end of August or near the middle of September, 2017.

Our analysis shows that the Metals will begin to make a move near the end of June or early July 2017.  Our analysis also shows that the US and global markets will begin to see increased volatility near Aug/Sept 2017.  We also believe that any move in Metals will likely be the result of extended risk factors globally.

Metals_Custom_Daily_F 

Chris Vermeulen

If you like receiving this type of analysis and want to continue to receive these advanced research reports, detailed trading signals and more, then visit www.ActiveTradingPartners.com and become a member. 

The Middle East Is Blowing Up

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Every day brings another scary headline from the Middle East — which makes it easy to treat them as background noise rather than a clear and present danger. But the latest batch is reminiscent of the Balkans circa 1914, which means it may be time to tune back in. Some examples: 

A US Navy jet shot down a Syrian warplane. Syria is a Russian client state, so this puts the US and Russia on opposite sides in a shooting war. 

Russia warned the US that it takes the destruction of its client’s military assets seriously.It suspended the hot line Washington and Moscow have used to avoid collisions in Syrian airspace and threatened to target US aircraft.

 

Iran has begun launching missiles into Syria targeting ISIS. This is new in at least two ways: 1) Iran hasn’t used those particular missiles in decades, and 2) it was not previously active in Syria. This escalation from advising the Assad regime to actually killing people and blowing things up adds another player on Russia’s side against the US. 

Iran and the US trade threats. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson accused Iran of destabilizing the region and promised that the United States would support “those elements inside the Islamic Republic which would bring about peaceful government transition.” Iran called those remarks “unwise and clear meddling in Iran’s internal affairs.”

Saudi Arabia claimed to arrest members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard who were attacking a Saudi offshore oil facility, and said that three of the attackers were being interrogated. One day later Iran accused Saudi Arabian border guards of opening fire on Iranian fishermen in the area, killing one of them.

The Saudis and Iranians are leaders of Islam’s two main factions, the Shiites and Sunnis. This makes them natural rivals, but until now they’ve mostly sparred through proxies rather than directly. Here again, the conflict is going from cold to hot. 

And that’s in just the past few days. The old stuff that caused most Americans to tune out hasn’t gone away: The Syrian war continues to rage, the Saudis and their allies continue to bomb Yemen even further back into the Middle Ages, Israel continues to build new settlements in Palestine and threaten to take out Iran’s nuclear facilities, ISIS is still burning and beheading its victims on YouTube, and Turkey keeps slipping further into dictatorship. 

The difference is that the major players are now bumping up against one another. All it will take is for one fighter pilot or destroyer captain to miscalculate and kill another major powers’ soldiers, and – as in World War I – these interlocking alliances might pull in everyone else. And there’s not a thing the average person can do about it.

The resulting chaos will have at least one predictable result: All pretense of fiscal and monetary discipline will go out the window in the rush to move people and machines into the theater. If you think we’re over-indebted and due for a currency crisis now, just wait.

Bob Hoye: Checklist for a Top

The following is part of Pivotal Events that was published for our subscribers June 8, 2017.


Screen Shot 2017-06-19 at 7.09.33 AM


Perspective

The story on Dion’s house sale is that it was listed two years ago at $72.5 million. Other headlines indicate a quickly weakening real estate market. It is worth noting that residential real estate peaked two years before 1929 and one year before the stock market peak in 2007.

The other problem will be the collapse of the debt bubble in cars.

And then there will be the unwinding of all that credit card debt, which is up to the highs of 2007 (Chart follows).

Stock Markets

Understandably, we don’t publish a “Checklist for a Top” all that often. But when we do, it is daunting. Not everyone is a researcher or trader. There are real lives and portfolios out there that are vulnerable.

Financial history calls for a high around now. As we have been noting, London and European exchanges tend to complete big bubbles in May – June. New York can set a good high with this and following correction, rally into September. It is uncertain if that rally would be to a new high.

London (EWU) has rallied strong enough to register an Upside Exhaustion, which relates to momentum. It also registered a Sequential Sell, which is pattern. To have these signals register within the time window for the top is a strong indication that England’s part of the global financial boom is completing.

Much the same holds for Europe (FEZ), so its participation in the boom is maxing out. On schedule. The last such signal was in May 2007.

Shanghai’s (SSEC) rally into April also generated ending action. The low in early 2016 was 2638 and the rally made it to 3395. Now it is at 3100.

Canadian and US banks accomplished technical excesses on the rally into March 1. BKX reached 100 and has declined to 88 last week. This followed the 50-Day ma down and is testing the moving average now. Canada’s biggest bank is RY and its high was 75. For three weeks, it has been declining below the declining 50-Day to 69.

Both may not be successful in testing the 50-Day, as the season when spreads can reverse is at hand.

We have been thinking that the banks would lead the general market down.

The other leader on declines, Transports, peaked on March 1st at 9639 and declined to 8744 in the middle of May. The rebound was to 9406 last week. Now at 9322, breaking below the 50-Day at 9100 would resume the warning.

With Tuesday’s “Checklist for a Top”, we now watch for deterioration that would confirm the rollover. Outside of the stock market itself, this will be found in the credit markets.

Commodities

On the CRB, last week we noted that taking out support at 177 would be a significant break. At 175 now, the action is failing and the 155 level of January 2016 beckons. Will it provide support?

Commodities have been declining since the start of the year—along with the declining dollar. It is probable that the DX will strengthen into later in the year and this will hit most commodities. In which case, one of the features of the post-bubble world is a long bear market in most commodities. Another feature is a chronically firming senior currency, which is still the US dollar.

Quite likely, this will confound central bankers whose commonsense/theory quotient is out of touch with reality.

Crude oil is sliding this week. The rally from 26 in early 2016 to 55 was supported by the 20-Week ema. Since March, the decline has mainly traded below the 20-Week. At 45 now, crude has dropped 10 points as the dollar has declined. There is support at the 42 level and in the meantime crude could trade flat for a while.

Oil stocks (XLE) have been declining well below the 20-Week ema. The spike up to 77 in December registered technical extremes and the low has been 64.60 yesterday. There is support at this level which could hold for a few weeks. As with the product, oil stocks can find seasonal lows later in the year.

As Ross pointed out, lumber likes to set a triple high with technical excesses. This was accomplished in April, with the high at 414, which compares to the cyclical high of 412 in March 2013. Since May, the trade has been below the 20-Week ema.

The initial decline found support at 340, which was at the 200-Day ma. It could trade near this level for some weeks. The sector is vulnerable to liquidity problems in the fall.

Base metals (GYX) have not responded to the weaker dollar. In trading below the 20-Week ema, the action is in line with the other industrial commodities.

However, the index found support at the 309, just above the 200-Day ma. Metals could trade sideways for a few weeks.

Base metal miners (XME) rallied from 11 in early 2016 to overbought at 35 in February. The low was 28 and this week’s jump to 30 gets the index above the 50 and 200-Day moving averages. A trading range could run for some weeks.

Industrial commodities could trade sideways for some weeks. In August, we will begin to officially worry about seasonal weakness into late in the year.

Our other “comfort” for positioning gold stocks is to have the gold/silver ratio going down, which is not the case.

The most important part of this section is the direction of the gold/silver ratio. Up is signaling pending credit problems.

Canadian Household Debt

Averge Credit Card Debt per Household
Source: CNBC

Central Bank Stimilus

Technical Excesses in Europe

First Weekly Upside Exhaustion since May 2007

 

  • First Weekly Upside Exhaustion since May 2007.

 

London FTSE

FTSE - First Weekly Upside Exhaustion since March 2005

 

  • First Weekly Upside Exhaustion since March 2005.

 

Stock Market/GNP

Wilshire 5000

Gold Miners Underperforming Bullion

GD and DX//GLD Dail Charts


Link to June 9, 2017 Bob Hoye interview on TalkDigitalNetwork.com: http://www.howestreet.com/2017/06/09/stock-markets-ok-with-brit-vote-result/

Listen to the Bob Hoye Podcast every Friday afternoon at TalkDigitalNetwork.com

Trading Desk Notes – June 17

Our thoughts on select markets as we wrap up the trading week.

Key events this week:

1) Bank of Canada signaled a change in interest rate policy

2) Federal Reserve was more “hawkish” than expected

3) WTI was hit with more bearish news

4) the CRB commodity index dropped to a 14 month low, down 9% from 2017 highs even as the USD fell 7%

Canadian Dollar: hit a 14 month low May 5 at 72.50 and then rallied in step with crude oil. But when crude oil “topped out” on the May 25th OPEC meeting and turned lower CAD drifted sideways for the next two weeks, taking its que from the weaker USD. On Monday and again on Tuesday this week top Bank of Canada officials indicated that the 2 “emergency” quarter point interest rates cuts made in 2016 had “done their job” and market expectations shifted dramatically to expecting interest rate hikes from the Bank of Canada sooner rather than later.

CAD had its best 4 day rally in over a year rising from 74 to 76 cents Friday through Wednesday…a 3 ½ month high. The trading volume of Canadian dollar futures hit an All Time High on Wednesday June 14 (Fed day.)

We went back to being short CAD at the end of this week because: 1) it had rallied 2 cents in 4 days 2) crude oil had taken another leg down 3) the Fed was a little more hawkish than expected 4) the Canadian stock market dropped to 7 month lows (down 5% from the February All Time Highs) while the major American stock indices were at All Time Highs. We remain short CAD.

CAD-Jun17

The US Dollar Index: dropped to a new 7 month low early Wednesday morning on weaker than expected inflation and retail sales reports and then rebounded sharply later that day and again Thursday on Yellen’s more hawkish than expected press conference remarks. We had been long the USD Index from the previous week and were stopped out on the early morning fall to new lows, but we “stepped up” and bought our positions back as the USD rallied on Yellen’s comments. (This was a “hard” trade to do, but as so many veteran traders will tell you, the “hard” trades often turn out to be your best trades!) We remain long USDX thinking that it may be turning higher after months of bearish pressure.

Crude oil and Gasoline: fell this week on bearish supply/demand/inventory reports with the front month contracts for both markets closing the week at 7 month lows. Gasoline has fallen harder than WTI since the May OPEC meeting as American demand continues to be softer than expected. We have been short WTI since late May and remain short although after this week’s sharp break we wrote OTM puts against our position to moderate our bearishness.

Two “Big Picture” energy insights: 1) American frackers have been hugely successful in ramping up their production and lowering their costs whilethe “rest of the world” has been very slow to embrace fracking. It seems inevitable that they will “step up to the plate” and when they do that’s going to add to the low cost supply of oil. 2) The USA now satisfies 8% of their total electricity demand from wind and 2% from solar and you have to wonder how quickly these alternative energy supplies are going to grow.

Gold: failed to rally above $1300 last week and turned lower, tried to rally this week and got turned back again, ending the week on its lows. This market looks heavy and is struggling with even a slightly firmer USD and rising real rates. We have no position.

American interest rates: the 10 year yield has fallen back to pre-election levels as G5 inflation expectations have been drifting lower since January and the Trump reflation story has faded.

http://www.polarfuturesgroup.com