The following are futures positions of non-commercials as of September 1, 2015. Change is week-over-week. 10-year note: The IMF is at it again. This week, it reiterated its stance that advanced economies should maintain accommodative monetary policies. By that it … Continued
U.S. exports have been under pressure since they peaked at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2.36 trillion in 3Q14; 2Q15 was $2.28 trillion. As a percent of nominal GDP, exports’ share in 2Q15 was a full percentage point lower … Continued
While the debate continues as to whether or not the Fed will hike in its upcoming meeting in two weeks, gold is giving off vibes as if it expects one. Yesterday was a risk-off session as far as equities were … Continued
It is damage control time for small-cap investors. When on August 14 August 21st weekly 119 puts were hypothetically sold for $0.92, IWM, the iShares Russell 2000 Index, was trading at $119.62. If the short put got assigned, it was … Continued
The following are futures positions of non-commercials as of August 25, 2015. Change is week-over-week. (Please keep in mind that these holdings are as of Tuesday. By then, from high to low the S&P 500 was down 12.5 percent. In … Continued
Gold is having a golden moment. Relatively, that is. It acts well, but given that it has rallied eight-plus percent in a month, it is probably in need of a breather near-term for its own good. The metal has had … Continued
After last week’s bloodbath in stocks, Friday brought a small consolation for small-cap investors. Maybe. During the week, IWM, the iShares Russell 2000 ETF, lost major support – which is three percent away. The 118-119 support goes back to March last … Continued
Of late, volatility has been volatile. Twice in the past 15 sessions, VIX, the S&P 500 Volatility Index, has surpassed 16, only to quickly reverse to the downside, and broken below 12 three times, only to reverse to the upside. … Continued
The following are futures positions of non-commercials as of August 11, 2015. Change is week-over-week. 10-year note: How might the renminbi devaluation impact the Fed’s desire to hike rates this year? The devaluation is at least disinflationary as far U.S. … Continued
An options trade may be brewing on IWM, the iShares Russell 2000 ETF. In the July 15-31 period, shorts’ bearish bet on IWM paid off. Short interest went up nearly five percent during the period. The ETF fell 2.1 percent, … Continued