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

Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of May 1, 2018. 10-year note: Currently net short 445.7k, down 16.5k. US inflation of late has firmed up.  Core PCE – the Fed’s favorite measure of consumer inflation – jumped 1.88 percent … Continued

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

Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of April 24, 2018. 10-year note: Currently net short 462.1k, up 90.4k. Now what? The 10-year Treasury rate (2.96) crossed three percent this week – the first time this has happened since January … Continued

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

Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of March 13, 2018. 10-year note: Currently net short 271.4k, down 90.8k. Once again, 10-year Treasury yields are retreating from important resistance.  Caught in a three-decade-old descending channel, the 10-year rate came very … Continued

Amidst Signs Of Excesses, Momentum Intact – Watching Shorter-Term Averages For Clues N/T

A P/E of 17x on the S&P 500 large cap index cannot be called euphoric.  A little above average, sure, but not euphoric.  On forward operating earnings using next year’s estimates, that is what the index is currently trading at. … Continued

IWM Ratio Put Spread For Possible Slightly Down Move N/T

posted in: Derivatives, Equities, Technicals | 0

Non-commercial futures traders tend to be trend followers, and do a pretty good job of it except at inflection points. Chart 1 plots these traders’ holdings in Russell 2000 mini-index futures (ICE and CME combined) with the cash.  The two … Continued

Sentiment Is Giddy, But Small-Caps Not Getting Fair Share

posted in: Derivatives, Equities, Technicals | 0

Driven by tax-cut optimism and favorable seasonality, trader/investor sentiment is giddy, but small-caps are not getting their fair share. The latest Investors Intelligence numbers will be out later today, but as of last week, bulls have been 60 percent or … Continued

Proposed Tax Measures On Verge Of Becoming Law – ’18 Earnings Estimates For S&P 600 Companies Yet To Stabilize

posted in: Economy, Equities | 0

Even as passage of tax measures in Congress looks like a done deal, 2018 operating earnings estimates for S&P 600 small cap companies are yet to show signs of stability. Post-presidential election in November last year, U.S. small-caps outperformed – … Continued

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

Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of Nov 7, 2017. 10-year note: Currently net long 50.1k, up 47.3k. It was yet another instance of 10-year Treasury yields wilting well before even getting close to 2.6 percent.  Are they sending … Continued