S&P 500 Struggle To Lift Off Of 200DMA – Short Put For Premium/To Position For Earnings Bounce

Presently, the state of US trade deficit and how the Trump administration is attempting to address it is front and center. In February, the deficit came in at $57.6 billion, with the 12-month total of $589.6 billion, which was the … Continued

CoT: Peek Into Future Through Futures, How Hedge Funds Are Positioned

Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of April 3, 2018. 10-year note: Currently net short 375.4k, up 70.2k. Ten-year Treasury yields (2.78 percent) rose from 2.03 percent last September to 2.94 percent this February.  The 30-year fixed mortgage rate … Continued

S&P 500 Loses 200DMA, But Barely; VIX In Non-Confirmation Mode

The S&P 500 large cap index is testing the lows of February, but VIX acts nowhere near as panicky.  This could be a tell for stocks near term. The ISM manufacturing index dropped 1.5 points month-over-month in March.  February’s 60.8 … Continued

Stocks’ Path Of Least Resistance Up N/T – SPY Weekly Short Put For Premium

posted in: Derivatives, Equities, Technicals | 0

February and March wrought technical damage on major US equity indices, but the path of least resistance increasingly looks up near term. March-quarter earnings season is upon us.  This is the first quarter US companies will be reporting after the … Continued

CoT: Peek Into Future Through Futures, How Hedge Funds Are Positioned

Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of March 27, 2018. 10-year note: Currently net short 305.2k, down 8.1k. For the first time since mid-December last year, 10-year Treasury yields went under the 50-day moving average this week.  On March … Continued

Nasdaq 100 Getting Oversold – Turning XLK Credit Call Spread Into Iron Condor

posted in: Derivatives, Equities, Technicals | 0

Risks are building medium- to long-term, but the Nasdaq 100 is getting oversold on the daily chart. After major U.S. equity indices reversed on February 9, tech-heavy indices were the only ones to rally to new highs. The Nasdaq 100 … Continued

Stocks Once Again Under Pressure, But At/Near Crucial Support – Some Metrics Way Oversold

Stocks are selling off, but major indices are at/near crucial support, testing the will of the bulls. High-yield spreads are tightening.  In Chart 1, the ICE BofAML US high yield BB effective yield is pitted against Moody’s seasoned AAA corporate … Continued

CoT: Peek Into Future Through Futures, How Hedge Funds Are Positioned

Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of March 20, 2018. 10-year note: Currently net short 313.3k, up 41.9k. Chairing his maiden meeting as Fed chief, Jerome Powell probably could not have asked for more insofar as markets’ reaction was … Continued

Some Chinks In Tech’s Armor – XLK Credit Call Spread

Post-February 9 reversal, both the Nasdaq composite and the Nasdaq 100 index went on to surpass the late January highs.  Other indices such as the S&P 500 large cap index and the Dow Industrials could not match that feat.  The … Continued

Ten-Year T-Yield Still Trapped In L/T Channel – TLT As Trading Vehicle N/T

posted in: Credit, Derivatives, Economy, Technicals | 0

Once again, 10-year Treasury yields failed at the top end of a long-term channel, although can push higher near term, creating a trading opportunity in TLT. Close, but no cigar! The 10-year rate came very close to breaking out of … Continued