Two-year Treasury yields – supposedly the most sensitive to Fed policy – are acting as if they are beginning to price in a December hike. On October 14th, the two-year Treasury bill yielded 0.57 percent; by November 6th, the yield … Continued
U.S. small-caps suddenly came to life last week, and shorts have a decision to make. The Russell 2000 small cap index was up 3.3 percent last week (Chart 1), and IWM, the iShares Russell 2000 ETF, up 3.4 percent. In … Continued
The following are futures positions of non-commercials as of November 3, 2015. Change is week-over-week. 10-year note: Three prominent Fed officials tried to convince the markets this week that December was in play in earnest. Testifying before the House Financial … Continued
In the past month, as U.S. stocks persistently climbed to high altitudes, air has progressively gotten thinner as far as shorts are concerned. With that said, the action last Friday raises the odds that the latter is about to get … Continued
In the latest reporting period, there was a big drop in short interest on IWM, the iShares Russell 2000 ETF. It dropped 10.1 percent period-over-period to 118 million shares – the lowest since the middle of August. Shorts had been … Continued
The S&P 500 index rallied 0.9 percent last week – its third consecutive up week. Off the September 29th intra-day low, it is now up 8.7 percent (Chart 1). That is in 14 sessions! This is too fast, and probably … Continued
A battle is being fought between optimists and pessimists in the land of gold. Of late, the former is winning hands down. Near-term, the latter might at least get some reprieve. In the latest period (September 30), short interest on … Continued
One look at Chart 1, and U.S. equity bulls may have a reason to salivate. Or not. It can be a reason to worry as well. NYSE Group short interest is through the roof. Literally. By the end of September, … Continued
During the September 15-30 reporting period, short interest on SPY, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF, dropped 15 percent period-over-period (Chart 1). This was interesting because the ETF shed 2.9 percent during the period, having just tested the August 25th closing … Continued
Traders – the good ones – must be having a field day. Stocks are swinging wildly. IWM, the iShares Russell 2000 ETF, fell 11 percent during August 17-24, then rallied nearly 10 percent by September 17, fell again – nearly … Continued