Author Archives: Jim Kenney
Author Archives: Jim Kenney
August 7, 2020 Option Professor Opinions & Observations
Welcome Back!…This week we got some confirmation as The Dow Jones Transports & the Russell in the last two weeks have taken off like a rocket ship. DJTA blew out the snap back highs at 10,100 closing at 10,576 and the Russell blew out 1540 closing at 1569…Great Stuff!….now we still haven’t taken out the 52 week highs on both BUT for the purpose of NEXT WEEK.. we are feeling a MOMENTUM JUMP in the lower P/E value ETF’s MGV SPYV VYM VONV VBE VOE could see an acceleration and these guys are way UNDER their Feb highs so a lot of potential real estate to make up…..and don’t forget we are getting about 3% and better to watch the movie unfold. Sure the FB AMZN AAPL MSFT GOOG QCOM…telecom..e-commerce-delivery guys (UPS-FDX) are still in the hunt….but sideline cash-income replacement and the rotation-re-balancing crowd are going to like 14 P/E & 3% yields too! Listen the P/E ratio on the 10 Yr Treasury is about 180-1 & Investment Grade is in the 50-1 P/E neighborhood which is why Growth can command 30-40-1. This market is a Momentum junkie and we are getting Momentum in the last 2 weeks and it feels like this week could ACCELERATE with a bang. The EPICENTER stocks hit by the Virus…banks, energy,hotels/airlines/ casinos/ Life & Health insurers/department stores (email us for our Radar List). Having said all this the proof is in the pudding so we are depending upon Moving Averages & Relative Strength indicators to get confirmations….if the prices don’t hold their water…a short leash will allow for risk control-VITAL. BIGGER PICTURE….there remains a risk that Q3 will see a turning point as the economic numbers are slowing from May/June and monetary stimulus goes so far…if incomes contract/spending contracts…the sugar high recedes. Plus..there has been ZERO hedging going into the election and we will see if the UNWIND reversal we began to see in the Dollar-Gold-Silver bleeds into Stocks by the end of the month after Apple’s 4-1 split. Never A Dull Moment!
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Stock Market
The big news this week was the USA/China tussle ass WECHAT & TIKTOC have been voted public enemies Numero Uno. Some things we can count on coming out of this pandemic…people will need state of the art telecom communications…they will buy things online (E-Commerce) and they will need these purchases delivered. So in that light VOX or VZ TMUS AMT CCI plus AMZN SHOP XRT IBUY EBIZ & EMQQ (International) with UPS FDX IYT XTN of our featured RADAR LIST longer term. The VIX is very LOW But we told you MONTHS ago that if they could get the VIX down into the 20-25 range by end of August…it could unleash a LOT of buying in Q4 as BIG money doesn’t want to trade side by side with Robin Hood speculators with the VIX going from 20 to 90 to 25 to 40 …..but calmer waters & T.I.N.A wins! Other stocks had news such as DIS DE TGT plus SQ PYPL & processors. Options Activity was seen in Slack & Lyft (pre-earnings) TMUS added a lot of subs and China stocks got hit in what some say is a buying opportunity ass the bark has been much worse than the bite with the administration so look at BABA JD.COM TCEHY BIDU ect…..BUT we want to leave you with thoughts on 2 companies we spoke to you about….FB & GOOG….advertisers may slow down but are not gone forever and these two are must have stocks LT…Hey check out the STAT of the week…we heard this and it just blew us away…3 Billion global internet users…2.6 Billion FB monthly USERS How can this company NOT be able to Monetize that..stock up $50-2 weeks.
Bond Market
The Big News here is that DEBT is exploding at a 4-5 times normal rate and the FED MUST print & buy as they need about $1 Trillion bought to help pay for the stimulus so far ($278 Billion MORE than estimated or 33%+). It’s laughable that anyone in Washington calls themselves a fiscal conservative ass the Deficit was $1 Trillion BEFORE the Virus (greatest economy ever??) and now it’s in the Ozone…..sure the Dems want more money for social & state relief….but we need a LOT & Longer Term support…so do you want to have tons of stimulus bills or just get one big one…that’s the rub as we see it. Anyhow…could we go negative on rates..who knows..but the bet now is that the negative real yield may TIGHTEN (was .60 went to 1.65) and if it does it could be Sayonara (as Brando once said) to the bulls in Euro-Gold_Silver. Short Term Corporates & Munis have been the play but all DEBT stretched. Watch out for mortgages as the agency debt has gone RECORD levels and it seems low/no money down…take money out…with lower incomes is risky.
Fixed Income questions email [email protected]
US Dollar/International Markets
As we told you in prior updates…we believe the US Dollar will bottom in the 91-92 area and the Euro will top in the 119-120 area temporarily which this week is EXACTLY what has occurred. We turned BULLISH on the Euro around 110 but felt our horse may need a rest…it did. The belief that the negative interest rate differential at 1.65 may be a temporary peak and parabolic spike both favored a bump for the greenback. The Japanese Yen wass hanging on for dear life at 108 and let go of the rope (now 105.106) and the Can$ & Aus$ may fade if the metals fade. Watch Mexico longer term EWW as they may well be the big winner when supply chains get closer to home (they certainly won’t come back to the land of unions & benefits) & VPL VEU VGK (Asia & Europe still haven’t been able to break their ceilings. Lately; the emerging markets better characterized as submerging markets.
Crude Oil/Natural Gas
Inventories declined and the roads are full ass no one is flying and delivery trucks must fulfill all that e-commerce spending…so up she goes….BUT still in the 40’s and we are suspicious short term but fully bullish long term.. check out CVX XOM & VDE for a momentum trade and BP cut their dividend which made them wear a Scarlet Letter (C) but others could follow though CVX seems to rather fall on their sword than cut..XOM @ 8% has got to go. The new kid on the block is Natural Gas which we have been positive on for a month and we were rewarded with a fantastic move to the upside…and may of the stocks have followed suit including our favorite LNG..stay tuned.
Gold Silver Copper & Platinum
We told you that the mining shares (GDX GDXJ SIL SILJ ect) may be telling us that a short term top may be at hand ass they hit our targets and we cashed in some chips. SELLING CALLS against metals positions or COLLARS would have paid handsomely this week (APPLE too) and should always be on the table when markets go parabolic (nice cash flow & down protection). It wasn’t a good Friday for Gold ($40+ bucks off the highs) nor Silver (about $2.50 off the highs)…will it be temporary…until we see that negative rate widen out again which is not what some are expecting near run-stay tuned. Copper…as we told you got turned away at $3.00 and this week accelerated to the downside..our buddy FCX must maintain ABOVE 14 or it’s No Sale. The new kid on the block is Platinum…while it got roughed up Friday with all metals BUT was up over 10% earlier in the week…..the big news is the LT MA”S are crossing upward and suggest a LOT more runway for a metal that is 10X rarer than Gold and used to trade at a substantial premium to Gold & now is at a DISCOUNT of over a GRAND….we hear the same stories about how it’s not used any more..we also heard Silver’s dead-no cameras.
Soybeans Sugar Coffee Cocoa
Well as we said Soybeans are in trouble if they can’t get above 9.00 & 10.00 and this week’s action puts them on life support…not so much so with the other 3 Amigos…..Sugar ssold off the 12.50-13.00 resistance only to hold the 10-11 range and rally back to 13…still hasn’t got thru but if it does…follow the money. Coffee was a friend to us ass we said anything UNDER 100 was a gift and it would spike once it broke 105-110..EXACTLY…that run took it to 128 and of course you got to do the Steve Miller Band trade Take the Money & Run! We backed down to 114 Friday so let’s dust off the buy tickets & get ready to play again possibly….the new kid on this block is Cocoa which this week jumped from 2400 to OVER 2520….good run..let’s see if it continues.
REMEMBER There is a substantial risk of loss in short term trading and option trading and it is not right for everyone. Consult your brokerage firm, broker, advisor to determine your own suitability. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Use Risk Capital Only.
July 31, 2020 Option Professor Opinions & Observations
Welcome!…Before we start…we have provided you with ideas for Tech & Mega Growth in March & April….we provided you with ideas for Value & Cyclicals in May & June….and we provided you with ideas on Gold-Silver-Copper & Euro in June & July…Not Bad….we ask that you direct all the investors/traders you know to our website @ optionprofessor.com and input their emails & they too will receive our Free Weekly Updates..Thanks!
OK..What’s going on now and more importantly what’s happening next? We saw the Big Tech boys blow out earnings this week…AMZN…over $5 billion profits..revenues soared….AAPL…new all time highs-big expectations on a reload of I-Phone users to go to #12 & 5G capability for data & connectivity. Big sales of I=Pads to the schools and almost $200 Bill cash & a 4 to 1 split. Dow Transports had a big reversal (UPS) late Fri. as did much of the market. On a more sobering front Q2 GDP was -33% & unemployment is up ticking. We told you a long time ago that OPERATING LEVERAGE and RIGHT SIZING COMPANIES was the future 3 months ago and that companies would return to peak earnings much faster (less employees & less real estate).Washington better smell the coffee (Fed extended programs thru year end) as Bernacke Yellen & others said we need LOTS of MANY MONTHS support as LOTS of people can’t go back to jobs that don’t exist. Thirty Million people lost benefits today & maybe the rally at the end is a bet a deal will be reached. Revenue growth at GOOG has been slowing since 2017….USA initial pop in the economy has faded and Japan’s NIKKEI has rolled under some MA”s as they depend of export demand which is waning and the TOPIX Machinery Index looks like it threw in the towel. SP earnings decline worst in 12 yrs.
So…..What’s going to happen NEXT and where is the puck GOING….cause that’s our PREPARATION? No Crystal Balls here….Markets are TRANSITORY. HERE’S OUR VIEW…….YES..we are in a BULL Market….YES..with post Covid no visibility the Tech-Mega Cap Growth-Momentum trade has soared big time…..YES…the P/E ratio on the 10 yr Treasury is 180-1 and Investment Grade is 40-1 so by comparative valuation..creates REAL flows of money from pension plans to hit long term requirement…..stocks are cheap… ..YES…POSITIONING suggests that there is a ton of money that has yet to re-enter due to HIGH VOLATILITY but the VIX has slid under 25….. .HOWEVER… YES…..the Nasdaq Volatility Index (VXN) relationship to the Nasdaq Index (NDX) is extreme and corrects by volatility jumping or the NDX coming down or both….YES…the GROWTH valuation relative to VALUE also at historic spreads…..YES…there is a BINARY crowd-positive event on the horizon (vaccine)….YES…CAUTION is the fiber of this rally BUT rates of MORTALITY in NYC have plummeted. YES….We are looking for the UNWIND
OK So RIGHT NOW…..We are PREPARING for the UNWIND TRADE…which in the Stock Market is a DECELERATION of Tech & Mega Cap Growth and RISE in SECTORS such as Mega-Mid-Small Cap Value and Cyclicals-like Staples-Digital REITS, Transports, Russell, Banks, Energy Materials, Industrials, International, Gaming, Travel-Air & Hospitality…..it also includes GOLD & SILVER which hit our TARGETS (Gold above $2000/Silver 26.27/GDX 46) which have gone up 6 to 8 weeks in a row…a rare occurrence typically followed by 3-6-12 months declines….it also includes the US DOLLAR which we believe won’t get UNDER 91 nor the EURO above 120 (as you know we were BULLISH @ 110) & finally the negative yield curve (1st time since 2012) may correct but the FED is capable of intervening to alter that natural outcome but when we re-open..pent up DEMAND & our credit rating/ currency in jeopardy prevails. In CONCLUSION…more PRICE evidence needed to ENGAGE….BUFFETT added BAC not ZM….just like we liked the ODDS about Silver spiking IF ABOVE 19….We believe REPRICING will occur with a RAPID momentum SELL OFF & VALUE RALLY ….BE PREPARED.
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Stock Market
Wild ride Friday in the last 2 hours as the reality of 30 million workers trying to live on $1600 bucks a month & evictions about to soar may have entered the mind of Washington (like Pelosi said…we spent $Trillions on getting the Stock Market back up with FED BUYING JUNK but no $600 for the grunts?…..How do you go back to a hospitality job?…maybe better news. Some of the big stuff thiss week was in the semis ass TSM & ADM soared when INTC said they got big delays & they took over market share. Eastman Kodak went from about 2 bucks to 60 and closed the week at 21+….they got a loan from the Admin that was ridiculous to their company size…plus volume went into the millions & option contract exploded 100X normal BEFORE the announcement…so we think Inspector Clouseu-Maxwell Smart & Barney Fife should be called in or maybe just Phil Mickelson to sort it out. Big news on airlines as many are taking seats out and using the planes for CARGO as they need to make a buck while the wait for travel to return. CALLS activity this week in Dropbox, TEVA, JD.COM HSBC (earnings out this Monday) also EARNINGS from HLT SONY DIS BP BMY CVS HUM BKNG and Saturday…we hear from Berkshire Hathaway…no games no good for DKNG
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Bond Market
Ok..90% of advanced economies bonds yield less than 1% and our 5 yr & our 10 yr Treasuries closed at RECORD LOWS this week. We have BREAKEVEN yields ABOVE the Nominal yields for the first time since 2012. The aftermath (2013-2014) saw Stocks RISE 40+% and Gold DECLINE 40+% so let’s see how this plays out. The US Dollar has been hit hard/Gold Up. Our view is that in the near term what has been working still seems valid as the Fed says programs go on thru year end…so short term corporates, plus Investment grade, asset back and securitized debt seem to be the preferred. Munis saw a big jump in DEFAULTS but still saw a 20 Billion cash inflows. Overseas money needs a home so that demand with the Fed backstop enough…someone is going to get stuck in all this debt when they UNWIND.
US Dollar/International Markets
The EURO has been our horse since 110 but up here at 118-120 it looks like our horse may need a breather…a long way in a short time and Germany looks like they are out of steam. The Aus $ still hanging in there while the Can$ and Japanese Yen are lost some altitude…a big week for the Yen as they need us to buy from them ass their internal economy/demographics have no growth power & their stocks are on the ropes. EWJ may be a short if our S&P doesn’t take out 3300 soon…all the International ETF’s we follow like VEU VGK VPL VXUS were right up against the 1-2-3 yr MA’s..turned back There is a lot of UPSIDE if they can breakout but prices need more juice.
Crude Oil
We’re still in the 40’s but barely & the energy stocks had a lousy week as some companies announced terrible earnings (loss) reports and the XOM dividend (8%) is being debated by some as insecure..a little ridiculous in a world of negative rates. Our view has been suspicious of 40 Crude and a break under 38 would be a negative BUT next year and beyond…prices in the 50’s & beyond and some great values as our economy reopens-DEMAND may pause to refresh but don’t see R.I.P & Frackers/Rig Counts OPEC support
Gold Silver Copper
Last week we said a parabolic move Above $2000 Gold (possible squeeze on deliverable supplies) and $26 Silver may very well happen and it did. You know the story..we been singing this for months BUT what about now. Well it could just keep going but SHORT TERM we have seen 6 to 8 weeks UP and history says that is followed by DECLINES most of the time…the LT MA’s are WELL UNDER current prices and some pros like Gartman are on file saying the run up & sentiment feels like a crowded trade that needs a break PLUS our Target on GDX was 46 area and we hit it and backed off…..unless we run next week…better prices Sept-Nov..prices now..volatile & big bid ask spreads Copper saw big buyer in June out of China but this month as we told you last week is a dud…we couldn’t take out $3 and FCX failed at 14…powder dry
Soybeans, Sugar, Coffee
We’re not farmers or operate a silo but we have been following Soybean prices and have been BULLISH since $8 but not that much to show for it. If we clear 9.05 and the 9.50 and 10.00 we may have been patient for good reasons but if we take out 8.60/8.40 unfortunately you can stick a fork in it Sugar lost steam between 12-13 last month but HELD s support we last mentioned at 10-11 and now it’s right back in our face at 12.64 this week so now same question different time…Can we blow out 13 and accelerate? Momentum clearly has turned up and coming out of a recession some commodities can have good runs…so we remain faithful. Our new buddy Coffee which gave us GREAT up moves in July continue to ACCELERATE as we said a move ABOVE 105-110 could see a spike EXACTLY what occurred.
Shoot us an email if you have any questions on anything in the Updates.
REMEMBER There is a substantial; risk of loss in short term trading and option trading and it is not right for everyone. Consult your brokerage firm, broker, advisor to determine your own suitability. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Use Risk Capital Only.
July 24 2020 OPTION PROFESSOR OPINIONS & OBSERVATIONS
Good Day Everybody!…We had the winds of change hit this week as we double topped around the 10,850 area on Nasdaq. For those of you who contact us during the week; we were happy to tell you about the historic spread between volatility (VNX) and the Index (NDX)…..this was a great tell as this excessive spread is USUALLY resolved with a volatility spike and a DECLINE in the Index…EXACTLY what happened. Since almost half the index is made up of AAPL MSFT AMZN GOOG FB…no need to ask how those stocks did. Other things we noticed was the Jobless claims JUMPED which is exactly what we said would happen as the easy job gains are done (17-20 MIllion remain jobless and that’s not counting the airlines & PPP expiring). July 24 saw the Evictions moratorium run out which can’t be good and next week we could see reduced benefits (bye bye $600)…Sept 30 we end airline payroll supports & student loans must be paid (lawsuits galore on tuition). The value trade held up well in comparisons as the growth vs value differential is about 30% but shrinking in the last 2 weeks. The Big Five are up about 35% while the median stock is -19%..the 495 other stocks in SP -5% so if we lose the momentum trade and the VNX-NDX truly contracts…the decline toward SP 300-3100 not off the table in the month of AUGUST. Causation??….any delay or diminishing of the stimulus…Summers-Yellen-Bernacke all say that MORE is needed and not for weeks but many many months and note that lower earners tend to big spenders in the economy. The recovery is losing certainty and Ackman was using the word cautious near term….who wouldn’t if the Virus…China tensions and more responses like INTC (-16%) occur next week from AAPL AMZN & FB……like Pelosi said..the FED has done a good job bailing out the Stock Market….mayb now it’s time to help the other 99% of our citizens(the Banks have made a killing in the crash/rebound/getting their junk-corp-muni- bonds that they themselves refused to buy got refunded with OUR money and in refis plus all the big donors got their stock values refunded). You want to hear some GOOD NEWS? The Bullish consensus in some survey say only 26% Bulls & 46% Bears which for CONTRARIANS means that participation is not high….if you add the sideline cash ($5Trill) and hedge fund & other POSITIONING…some Quants believe the next 7% move in the market will be to the UPSIDE and see the value trade as short lived until a true corner is turned with the Virus. We say this is a NEWS rich time…follow the money.
Have questions for us? email [email protected]
Stock Market
TSLA went in the toilet after earnings as while we are no experts on TSLA …here’s what we figured….at 1600-1800 the stocks was more than 250% above its 200 day moving average….they sold less cars (revenue drop YOY)…the earnings estimate was .03 and it came in 2.18…..also this was the last nail to qualify for inclusion into the S&P…but mostly what stood out was how much money they make off selling Regulatory Credits to car companies (F GM ect) who can not meet standards or make insufficient amounts of electric cars so they can be in compliance ($594 Mill in 2019). The Regulatory Credits are estimated to go up 80% per yr..this is revenue source with ZERO expense…an they’re expanding to Austin looking to sell 500K cars this year (YTD 180K sold)..good luck with that and with Musk’s Folly. In other sectors…the banks, oil, industrials, staples, mega-mid-small cap value/high dividend payers all seem to hang in there but if w test 3100-3000 in August..we doubt they will be immune. Last week; We said the markets across the board were about 10% above their 50 day moving averages and that may be an area to dust off the buy tickets…..by Thurs of this week better news could come out if not look to about Aug 7th for someone in Washington to scream Uncle. HEDGING is an interesting topic…we suggested investors consider selling out of the money calls BEFORE earnings come out and buy PUTS with the proceeds thus collaring their positions….for tose of you with FRACTIONAL tech shares in the big ones you could look at QQQ puts (400 shares/4 puts) to hedge 100 grand of tech…but ALWAYS consult your brokerage firm for help with suitability ect. Another roatation to keep an eye on is out of stretched areas like Cloud and into some semis that specialize in 5G & EV’s…wild ride for new issue JAMF as it was as low as about 35 bucks ran up to 51 then back toward 39. Unusual options activityy in ZM LRCX FEYE DKNG…let’ss see how they pan out next week. FINAL NOTE….while we like MSFT & others…we are targeting FB & GOOG during this drop for the following reasons…..we can use conventional metrics when valuating them…their multiples are not nosebleed…we have faith in the recovery so we believe ad spend will return big time….and best of all..when you own these stocks you get a lot of extra FREEBIES….like Instagram..What’s App…and about 50+ Google companies on the cutting edge…….these guys got great balance sheets…so when the dust settles…..
Want to know what’s on our radar list..email [email protected]
Bond Market
Yield continue to drop as the market has been taken hostage by Central Banks worldwide and they will decide whatever they want yields to be. We have negative real yields in both the 5 yr & 10 year Treasury markets so if you want to know why the US Dollar has dropped/Gold up…look no further. The issuance of DEBT is 4X normal and no way could it be bought without the Fed check book…OUR money to bid up DEBT that benefits all the way OVERLEVERAGED businesses & investors who should have been forced to have some losses…for heaven’s sake…there’s a risk when you loan money. Here’s our view….we’re looking at a Junk default rate of 10% or put another way 90% will not default and if you combine it with all the Investment grade bonds the overall percentage may drop to 1-2% default…..under that scenario one might find value in high yield to diversify from the extreme low yielding remainder……if we get risk off stocks in August…Treasuryy yields could drop lower BUT the traditional 60-40 stock portfolio may not work in the years ahead as the Bond % may act more like a stable money market account doing little to offset the risk of a stock drop which may mean a 80-20 or 90-10 will be the standard & adding risk is the new norm.
Our Radar List of Fixed Income? email [email protected]
US Dollar/International Markets
The US Dollar accelerated to the downside and our vcall on the EURO has been spot on since we turned BULLISH @ 110….it has been our currency of choice and it did not disappoint….hitting 52 week HIGHS @ 1.1659 and closely within shouting distance. Obviously; the FED has engineered this by collapsing YIELDS & loaning money to every stumble bum who knocks on their door. Europe had a monumental monetary agreement this week that put gasoline on the flame with a 750 Billion deal ( Recovery Fund) and if they follow it up with FISCAL coordination…..the EURO could fly along with their Bonds & Stocks. We have a Golden Cross on Aus$ as they benefit from the Metals run while Can$ & more importantly the Japanese Yen are in a struggle to hold sea level. We told you International Markets (EWJ VEU VPL VGK VXUS ect) were all close to a breakout…this week turned away…I guess the USA is like what Reggie Jackson said about himself “the Straw that Stirs the Drink”….you have to wonder if Billy Martin were alive if he would use his old line that he used to describe Reggie & Steinbrenner on Trump & Roger Stone….One’s a Born Liar & the Other is a Convicted Liar.
Crude Oil
We have been suspicious of oil in the 40’s as we thought it would rest after its run but DEMAND has been good and even with a build in inventories this week price remain comfortably above 40 bucks. HOWEVER; there was a gap on the charts around 43 which has been filled so if we BREAK under 38 this week it could be a weak August as RSI has NOT confirmed the new short term high…stays above 38 and then 43…follow the money…the ETF VDE & the usual suspects are trying to get back to the June highs…if they can we could see a heckuva catch up trade…and get a juicy yield to boot.
Gold Silver Copper
We’re not always right..Who is??….but we NAILED the Silver market and readers who took notice must be VERY happy now as Silver went positive between 16-17 and ACCELERATED when it broke 19…EXACTLY as we did describe in prior updates. Gold broke 1900 the ounce …one is up 23% and the other 80%…not too shabby. Well as Elton John once sang…Where to Now St Peter?…..we see 2 probable outcomes…on Silver we have a high @ about 23.70 surrounded by lower highs….and a short term RSI & the distance from the Moving Averages at a Stretch point…it either holds those highs 7 corrects or it goes parabolic toward 26. On the Gold..a similar story in that we have a high of 1905 and a RSI stretched or unconfirmed and a healthy distance from the Moving Averages….so pullback or parabolic to 2 grand area. The Mining shares GDX GDXJ SIL SILJ lost some steam but regained their footing on Fri….we did some trimming near last weeks highs but are willing to reenter if we see what we like…the GLOBAL MONETARY BASE is exploding and we have negative yields & a declining currency..Enough Said. Copper prices didn’t like the air at $3 bucks nor the saber rattling between the USA & China which took our buddy FCX down a bit with it. USA cos. Construction & big plans from China still should backstop prices …let’s see.
Soybeans Sugar Coffee
Soybeans are sneaking their way up toward 9 bucks but so far can’t knock that door down…we need to take out 950 and 10 to open up the door to substantial upside not unlike Silver had to bust 19….will Soybeans do it? They will need some fundamental news (crop progress/weather/China buys) to generate that commercial & fund manager interest. Sugar went into the fade mode off the 12-13 area but has held the 10-11 area..so stay tuned. Coffee is coming off a lower area and we told you anything under 100 was a gift in our view…had another good week..spike above 110?? Many commodities have had a good time of it hisstorically in the years after a recession so we see metals & oil are off and running……others to follow??
REMEMBER There is a substantial risk of loss in short term trading and option trading and it is not right for everyone. Consult your brokerage firm ,broker, advisor to determine your own suitability. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Use Risk Capital Only.
July 17, 2020 Option Professor Opinions & Observations
Greetings Everybody! Another week of change in leadership for stocks as Value & Cyclical stocks OUTPERFORMED this week particularly in Materials, Transportation stocks & the Russell also known ass the LAGGARDS. The banks announced their earnings this week and on balanced were well received HOWEVER…their Q1 profits came off making money off the CRASH & Q2 profits came from the FED bidding up all their lousy securities…. TRANSLATION…..these two profit centers may not be REPEATABLE ergo a ton of money has been set aside for inevitable loan losses by business & consumers who can not sell JUNK bonds in the public market to raise capital to bridge their circumstances. Deposits were strong (B of A +21%) but PPP is depleted and the extra $600 UI rolls off next Sunday with the effect being 25+ million don’t get about 15+Billion per week and GDP could get dinged by 2.8% and this week claims were at 1.3 Million. Speaking of B of A; they did a survey of fund mangers and the mood was 72% bullish while the VIX is hovering in the area of 25…lowest we’ve seen since the crash……earnings next week & Mnuchin will be begging for more money while Trump tries to attach a payroll tax cut to the deal (budget deficit was a $Trillion+ BEFORE the crash….now an absolute joke). We’ll see if they do better than the EU who met on Friday and were miles apart on a $2 Trillion plus Recovery Fund. NFLX disappointed and traded almost 100 bucks off its recent highs….WED after the close MSFT announces and with a stock bid up like that the numbers better be good (trades 10% off highs). Most of the high flyers (AMZN ZM PTON TSLA TDOC DOCU ect) look like they may have had a short term blow off peak…….with nosebleed P/E ratios….the VALUE stocks got bid up in the last few weeks (ROTATION)…why not??…..the sequence has been tech/growth/stay at home stocks/disruptors/free cash flow won big and if the economy is on a return to regular activity coming (vaccine)…then the laggards could go back to their highs too…..maybe 20-40% higher then today. One investor was saying that rotating out of P/E’s in the 30-50-100+ area to single digit P/E’s was a no brainer…..even if it took time patient money can also be smart money….again not a lot of Buffet buying in TSLA @ $1800, Cloud computing has lost some steam with AMZN & ADBE which could be a tell for the sector……would a trading range at this point be a shocker? Moody’s list of financially troubled companies hit 414 at the end of June which was 42% HIGHER than after GFC in 2008. Delta was burning $100 million a day in March…now ONLY $ 27 Million…how ‘d that happen….job cuts and less routes….across the board…that’s how earnings will return to PEAK levels…no employees & no rents and revenue ultimately rising. Our view is and has been since the LOWS of MARCH the barbell approach…. tech-large cap growth-consumer discretionary combined with materials, industrials, energy, and financials. It’s been the right call so we stay with it. STAY TUNED…next week may be a DOOZY…earnings/stimulus/breakout?????
Want to know what ETF’s we like? email [email protected]
Stock Market
As we said the LEADER BOARD saw some movements as stocks like CAT, JBHT, UNP, RUT, IYT VHT IBB all had strong bids while AZN is expecting news on MONDAY on the trials for their vaccine & MRNA was also bid up big time. This may be bad news for smaller bio techs as it looks like big pharma has a distinct edge in this race on a number of levels. Other ETF’s that had a good week was VALUE like VAW (best of breed) VIS while energy (China says they’re selling out of their stockpiles & OPEC is talking about easing supply restrictions)and Financials as well as maybe the reality of Jamie Dimon’s comment about a “Murky” future visibility & the loan loss provisions sobered up the bulls….and the transitory source of the profits. The DEFENSE contractors did well RTX GD LMT MLM ect so with all the rhetoric with China and an election coming..her’es hoping in addition to blowing up the DEFICIT to get asset prices to rise…..we don’t have a military situation as Barr Pompeo & Trump seem to be getting pre-election anxious. On alighter note…FORD is coming out with the BRONCO again…..first since 1996….word on the street OJ will be getting one for Al Cowlings:):) In the HOUSING sector; ITB & Lumber Liquidators (LL) was the play this week Other areas this week was cyber security FEYE HACK with the Twitter breach and Robin Hood says 40+K accounts involved with TSLA…..spec seems rampant & VIX near lows tells us either we take out 3250 or beware of a MSFT miss……we’ve not seen 3 consecutive down days in 91 sessions.
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Bond Market
The amount of DEBT worldwide is really off the charts. The IG debt issuance has been skyrocketing in part because the FED is viewed as as quasi underwriter and the search for yield has allowed sub prime companies to return to the debt market……the former FDIC Prez was saying some of these companies will not make it or will not grow into their debt liability…. the banking system will ultimately find these problems at their doorstep. Some say TREASURIES will move toward ZERO rates while GOLD marches to INFINITY…we think that’s a bit of a reach BUT we see potential VALUE in looking at TIPS as the rates on the long end may rise due to INFLATION (more dollars chasing fewer goods) while the short end drops (steepening yield curve) which also INFLATES asset prices ass it FORCES everyone on the the RISK dance floor….heaven forbid we save money in a risk free account. The Fed meets on July 29th…we should know a lot more about stimulus packages, more lending programs & other FED shenanigans. We’ll see if JUNK (HYG) Preferred (PFF) & Lev Loans (FFRHX) can clear hurdles. Short term corporates & tax frees are where we have parked mostly now.
Have fixed income questions?? email [email protected]
US Dollar/International Markets
It’s getting exciting in this neck of the woods…..the popular story has been the Dollar was in a SECULAR bear market and we were looking for more EVIDENCE that proved that case. This week we got a move to a 95 handle on DXY but closed above 96….we told you last week that the 3 yr MA was 95.50 and we were hesitant to get bearish at the bottom of the range (101-95)……HOWEVER…we have been BULLISH on the EURO since 110…and said the AUS $ had turned but the Can$ & Japanese Yen seemed stalled. The Euro has majority weight in the DXY and if we break ABOVE 115 EURO & Break DXY UNDER 95.5…then the scales would lean toward Dollar demise. Let’s see how this EU meeting goes over the weekend & the Fed Meeting July 29th to get clarity. We have some yield advantage & all Central Banks imploding. On the international front…as warned , China’s run had a pullback but BABA held 240 but the 270 seemed to reek of exhaustion..target was 300. All other regions of EUROPE/JAPAN/PACIFIC SO KOREA EM close to breakout.
Interested in ETF’s in Global Exposure?..ASK–[email protected]
Crude Oil
We have been suspicious of oil in the 40’s near term and reports that OPEC (Russia-Saudis ect) may relax supply restraints & China loaded up on oil at the lows and now may be dumping underscores our concerns HOWEVER there is a summer driving season among us and DEMAND could outstrip supplies but the oil stocks price blow off in JUNE still holds……longer term we remain bullish but maybe the oil market has gotten a bit complacent. Should we take out this month’s highs….we would go with the flow of $$$$.
Gold Silver Copper
Gold has made new highs this month but the follow thru so far not so great. The mining shares GDX & others are pressing 52 week highs but have a weaker RSI than before (short covering/volume exhaustion) & still are way UNDER levels of yesteryear. Impressive holding of the 1800 level has us still interested in ADDING but by EOM we should know a lot more. IF we see a Closing ABOVE 1820/1830…you can’t fight the tape. Big Support $1624. Silver had a great pop this week and as we told you when the Silver Gold Ratio is in the 100 neighborhood and the 1-2-3 yr MA’s are rising in the 16-18 areas so a jump ABOVE 20-22 could lead to ACCELERATION…SIL SILJ have been kind to us. Copper prices benefited the last month from Chile & Peru not coming back on line as fast as expected & China’s stock market resurgence. We have cleared the 1-2-3 yr MA’s so the next level is 3 bucks and if we do the OUTLOOK is good…FCX & SCCO we identified months ago.
Soybeans Sugar Coffee
Soybeans had a pull back and are mounting an assault of the 9.00-10.00 resistance zone…maybe a combination of weather & China buying could push us thru….time will tell…Sugar has been losing its legs since it was turned back at the resistance zone between 12-13….as long as we hold 10-11..we feel that later in the year it could resume an advance from historically low levels….Coffee is the new kid on the block….we think anything UNDER 100 is value and Friday we got a bang out of that area…still could get bouncy..IF we clear 105-110..sometimes it spikes..keep an eye on it.
REMEMBER …There is a substantial risk of loss in short term trading and options trading and it is not right for everyone. Consult your brokerage firm, broker and advisor to determine your own suitability. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results . Use Risk Capital Only.
July 9th 2020 Option Professor Opinions & Observation
Good Day Everybody!…..ZOOM! The horses were running out of the barn this week as we saw all time highs in FANG and other stocks as well…..forget about valuations & fundamentals….you’ve got a momentum trade and pity the man who has stood in front of it…..Don’t fight the Fed & Don’t fight the tape…2 things we’ve told you here for since March…in fact the high beta portfolio (MGK VCR VGT SMH IBB) brought to your attention had been one of the best places to be….Would you like to know other ETF’s that have been on our Radar List….here you go…ARKQ (autonomous tech/robotics)…SNSR (Internet of Things-5G)…….SKYY CLDR WCLD (cloud computing)…ARKK (AI)…. CIBR (cyber security) ARKG (Genomic Revolution)….DLR (digital realty)….KWEB (China Internet) and a whole lot more…..HOWEVER C’mon…..you got to be getting some feeling of froth ( TSLA up 10%+ Friday on 23 million shares & NFLX up 8+% on 21 million shares). Many shares are 50% or more above their 200 day Moving averages (NVDA-AMZN ) others are 30%+ (AAPL-MSFT) the mere definition of extended. Also: we have noticed a number of things to CAUTION us…namely real estate DELINQUENCIES are soaring….renters are MISSING PAYMENTS and are being DISCOUNTED (Nordstrom says they’ll pay Half rent)…..EVICTIONS are rising (est. 28 million)….JOBLESS numbers are HUGE & many small businesses are letting people go after PPP…..we also see the VIX is ABOVE 25 and there is a DIVERGENCE on RSI suggesting EXHAUSTION while the PUT/CALL RATIO screams overdone and CREDIT SPREADS have been WIDENING. …….NEXT WEEK WE GET EARNINGS…..DAL announces and we’ve seen a 72% DROP in airline travel YOY….the banks 9WFC JPM C BAC WFC GS USB MS) have been sold off going into the numbers so they could catch a bid (up on Friday)…..but Q2 EARNINGS is supposed to be a dud (-50%) and for the year (-25%). NEXT YEAR is supposed to be a banner REBOUND year for small-mid-large cap earnings but the FACT that Value, transports, Russell all lag terribly this advance is cause for concern. The math stinks…last year SP earned about 1.60 X 20 P/E =3200….EXACTLY the area that has been trouble lately. If we drop 25% to 1.20 X 20 P/E – 2400. ……..ADMITTEDLY …This is The WALL of WORRY that will Persist but may not Impede…….we could get surprises in EARNINGS due to OPERATIONAL LEVERAGE (less employees/ less real estate) and the massive switch to work at home and digital living. Also; with the 10 yr Treasury going back into the 1/2% neighborhood the likes of KO NKE SBUX PG WMT trade at high multiples so who the heck knows the normal P/E…..another result of the FED OBSCURING real values. Seasonality; some say, is for the first 2 weeks of July to work & then fade by month’s end as Q# has been known to be the worst performer of the four ……..so the best summation we’ve heard for stock investors..Get on the Plane But Make Sure Your Seat is Close to an Exit!
Questions for us or tell a friend…email us @ [email protected]
Stock Market
There are sector ETF’s BEYOND just tech/mega cap growth & biotech that have cleared their 1-2-3 yr moving averages and have participated in this advance the most such as IPAY VCR VHT VOT VBK KWEB VOO VOX VWILX and a number of others. The catch up trades in energy, banks, restaurants, travel & leisure, real estate continue to labor on in fits and starts. We told you a while ago that the OPERATIONAL LEVERAGE would be the surprise that would return companies back to peak earnings much faster than conventional wisdom. We are and may continue to see a stock market that goes up while the economy & most peoples lives are troubled. We explained months ago to readers that the stocks move BEFORE Earnings & Earnings move BEFORE GDP. The jobs lost were primarily low paying jobs so the Govt programs were able to plug in a relatively modest income hit to the nation’s economy. Technology is great but it has killed a lot of businesses such as conventions….who’s going to want to travel/pay for a booth/hire people when ZOOM will rig up the meeting for pennies on the dollar. Also; with the ease of food delivery….will restaurants bounce back and when? The markets love the subscription model so PTON and WMT and others get a boost from that revenue. On the tech front…forgotten soldiers like CSCO & INTC may start catching a bid. Cloud computing remains front and center because it eliminates employees and improves efficiency..both winners. Some sspeculative isssues on our radar are CRSP WKHS & HEPA for various reasons. Also; Attorney General Bill Barr ws being interviewed about China/Huawei and seemed to think the technology in companies like NOK & ERIC may be worthwhile to compete so we are monitoring those companies in advance of 5G plus this move to digital real estate seems interesting as the New CEO of CLNY wass explaining the new direction that company is trying to take with towers and big data storage figuring prominently. This week is a biggie and by the end of the week we may know whether the SP 3250 area has been surpassed or have we begun our Summer Swoon…..
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Bond Market
The Fed Balance Sheet has actually shrunk in the last 4 weeks and we believe it is under 7 Trillion…but for how long as the job numbers that have excited everyone may stall out as the easy lifting may be done.Credit spreads have been widening…defaults will be rising and revenues still are hard to come by for many distressed firms…many loan sharks (private equity) lay in the shadows willing to loan at high rates or buy assets on the cheap in industries that are not bouncing back. Leveraged Loans & High Yield & even preferred have not recovered ABOVE their 1-2-3 yr MA/s so mas problemas ahead. Mortgages & all the rest on Powell’s Christmas List (IG intermediate & LT plus short term Corps). Powell & Mnuchin are dancing so close to that line in the Fed Act 1913 because the Fed is LENDER of last resort not the grant giver of last resort and are making loans they know won’t be repaid and they are not supposed to lose money when they lend. Short term stuff VUSFX VCSH still look ok while VWLUX (tax free) has done well but what shape are these states really in when the dust settles???
Have fixed income questions? email [email protected]
US Dollar/ International Markets
The US Dollar is on the ledge…ass we told you many have said we are in a SECULAR BEAR market on the Dollar BUT we were not on the wagon despite the fact that the 50 day is now UNDER the 200 day MA (death cross) BUT hold your horses… the 1-2-3 yr MA’s are NOT inverted and the the 3 yr MA is about 95.50!!…So while we RESPECT the fact that we could break DOWN we remember when the S&P was at 2200 & the 1-2-3 yr MA’s never inverted and once back above the 2800 area we were in a BULL market again…so we have precedent to still believe…but we’re getting closer. China’s market went nuts this week with KWEB right in the thick of it with BABA TCEHY JD.COM ect…..BUT be aware that retail investors are plowing in & valuations are absurd in some cases so Caveat Emptor…..the rest of the world is either on the verge of breaking out or will turne DOWN at the RESISTANCE here…VPL VSUS VGK are three of many on our radar.
Have questions? email us at [email protected]
Crude Oil
We are suspicious of prices in the 40’s near term unless our calculation of DEMAND is woefully inadequate…could be as AIRBNB CEO was saying most people are DRIVING to their holidays which make sense. Stockpiles have been bouncing around and Friday both prices & oil stocks turned up…oil stocks have faded off their bounce so let’see if they have legs next week. Longer term; we believe in the recovery and the Supply pinch (Frack/Rigs OPEC)…so into the 50’s + next year is still on our dance card as we speak.
Gold Silver Copper
Gold “broke out” above 1800 (went to 1830) but faded by the end of the week. We have positions we have had for years but have been hesitant to add up here because bullishness, coin premiums, distance away from longer term moving averages, RSI divergence still tells us to be careful. NOW if we sustain ABOVE 1800 then our tune could change but why goof up a great position by ADDING at the wrong time….not on our watch. SILVER is more interesting on many fronts including the MA’s are in the 16’s per ounce and we’re trading 18-19 plus the Gold Silver Ratio iss in the 100 area and the industrial use for Silver could be happening and finally if we clear 20-22 it could rip as the last time Gold was at 1900 Silver was 40-50!!Copper has been a friend to us ass we told you it was going to make a move to 2.50 (it did) then clear 2.80 (it has) and our buddies FCX & SCCO have been matriculating (Hank Stram) up the chart at a nice steady pace.
What’s on our Metals Stock List? email [email protected]
Soybeans & Sugar
After a very good run the resistance has been problematic for both markets. Sugar has to clear 12.50-13.00 (it hasn’t) and Soybeans need to clear 9.50- 10.00 to open up the higher seats otherwise they both stay in te bleachers. Stay tuned…more weather and crop progress ahead so you never know.
REMEMBER..There is a substantial risk of loss in short term trading and option trading and it is not right for everyone. Consult your brokerage firm, broker, advisor to determine your own suitability. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Use Risk Capital Only.
July 2, 2020 Option Professor Opinions & Observations
Hi Everybody…..Big fade on the close BUT We told you last week that if we HELD SUPPORT S&P 2950 area; the market could get on the bicycle. It did. Short Week but a good week as the stats from Q2 were very impressive such as Dow best results since 1987 & the S&P 500 best in 22 yrs.. Of course; most stats sound good until you put them in context (coming out of collapses 1929-1987 2201-2008) the rebounds % is impressive. Today’ unemployment report of plus almost 5 mill jobs sound great but many more are out of work. End of July the extra 600 buck goes out the window possibly and some say over 50% of restaurants on yelp are out of business. HERE”S THE DEAL….earnings and bank losses are coming out BUT if we can settle this market down a little (TRANSLATION get the VIX into the 20-25 area buy end of summer); we could really get a run as big money on the sideline has been SCARED of VIX north of 30..something we’ve told you about for a long time. So the under invested and sideline cash and year end book squaring could help us win. Yeah…we do have an election..the Fed moves markets…Washington talks.
Want to learn what sectors we like? …email [email protected]
Stock Market
We established a HIGH POINT in June of SP 3250 area…now let’s see if July can take it out…if not you have a monthly high surrounded by lower highs and that could set up an August opportunity..keep some powder dry in case. For those who contacted us early this week..the big call was Amgen about breaking 245 and wow did we get a run. Fed Exp popped big and those of you who caught swing trading using moving averages & RSI caught that one BEFORE the blast off. We have our favorites on our Radar List for sectors ect for the second half of the year…..others like GOOG GS Palo Alto RTX (Industrials), CHEGG and the usual suspects 5G, Cyber security & Cloud. Too much to cover so we encourage you to email us at the address below.
Second Half Focus?…email [email protected]
Bond Market
This going to be short and sweet this week. Will Rogers used to say “I’m more concerned about the RETURN OF MY MONEY more than the RETURN OF MY MONEY….Hey that sounds like Powell’s Policy cause that’s what you get. . The Fed has bought so much paper in the 1-3 year maturities that the prices are high. IG and Junk either don’t give much yield or do not pay you enough for loaning money to dodgy companies EXCEPTION is b or BB paper with firms that have GOOD FREE CASH FLOW. Looking for yield?…some say look to bank preferred’s with juicy yields & equities that pay great dividend with GOOD PAYOUT RATIOS. In fact; that may be a theme as yield thirsty investors plow into DIV_PAYERS We got NEGATIVE YIELDS after you back out inflation….How long do you think investors will go for thatNo Brainer for Us.
Got questions on our Fixed Income Radar List? [email protected]
US Dollar/International Markets
The Dollar did a minor fade but not nearly enough to support the SECULAR BEAR market enthusiasts of which we are NOT one nor break the 95-95 SUPPORT wherein we would be more attentive to all this bear talk. The Japanese Yen-Aus$ Can$ all failed to get above their Moving Averages BUT the one we told you TURNED BULLISH @ 111 is the EURO. It has pulled back off the highs but a CLOSE ABOVE 115 could get their currency to spike. That brings us to the Main THEME….It may be TIME TO DIVERSIFY portfolios with exposure to EUROPEAN STOCKS & BONDS! You have every right to ask WHY?? Well; the SHORT ANSWER is the ECB put DOUBLE the expected STIMULUS & the Germans who FINALLY put out a HEFT STIMULUS to boot! The Euro is trending UP and the VALUATIONS are very compelling so keep an eye on it as the weeks unfold ass a diversification and follow the money.
Crude Oil
Stockpiles came out light but we are still suspicious of oil in the 40’s near term. The Virus has people jammed up so demand could be dodgy and the energy shares are holding on for dear life after a 20% pullback (VDC) but was OK Thurs before July 4th…but a lot of beaches are closed ect..so??? Longer term we have said since March…If the RESTART continues Oil in the 50’s next year looks probable as supplies L shaped & Demand V shaped.
Gold Silver Copper
Call us crazy (you wouldn’t be the first) but we think there is a LOT of risk to Gold if doesn’t get its butt above and stay above 1800-1900 spot prices. It got ABOVE this week but was pushed back down. Of course we think LONG TERM the Gold is a long BUT with 1-2-3 yr MOVING AVERAGES still in the 1500’s 1400’s & 1300″s ….and with William Devane is now again a household name (Gold Ads)….everyone thinks its up up up….we say wait for sustained breakout to add & keep powder dry if the stampede that has gone in then becomes movie theatre where someone screams FIRE! Silver moves more with stocks…hold 16 bucks get above $19-21…you may say A Star is BORN! Copper has been on the move as it tries to get above 3 bucks….our buddies at FCX went from 10.75-12 before settling at 11.50..buckle up more to come
What’s on our metals Radar List? simple email [email protected]
Soybean/Sugar
Yee of such little faith…..we began to feel that we were WAITING FOR GODOT in Soybeans…but the planting reports seem to light a fire as prices went from 8.55 to over 9 bucks…..we thought the summer planting season and weather ect. could play a role….let’s see..we’ve been bulls since 8 bucks. Sugar was another slippery one but it followed suit with beans going from 11.40 to 12.25 this week BUT both markets have MORE WOOD TO CHOP as resistance levels loom above..until we see sustained weakness…up is the bet
REMEMBER There is a substantial risk of loss in short term trading and option trading and it is not right for everyone. Consult your brokerage firm, broker and advisor to determine your own suitability. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results Use Risk Capital Only.
June 27, 2020 Option Professor Opinions & Observations
Bingo!!….For those of you who keep in contact with us during the week; we were able to ALERT you to a Short Term SELL SIGNAL on TUESDAY when HEDGING TACTICS (Cutbacks/Covered Calls/Collars/Married Puts ans also Replacement Trades) made a lot of sense. We noticed the VIX hit 29 and was turning back into the 30’s (bearish). We monitored the NEW HIGHS in FANG names and others. We saw the the NEW HIGHS on FB…AAPL….AMZN NFLX-GOOG were ALL accompanied with RSI READINGS that was LAGGING the new high. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?….Well… to us it suggests that much of the VOLUME may be SHORT COVERING & EXHAUSTION…..which at LOFTY LEVELS tends to run out & the market is left to FALL UNDER ITS OWN WEIGHT…..once the algos smell weakness on EITHER SIDE of the market….they PRESS THE WEAK SIDE with the understanding that the WEAK SIDE CANNOT HANDLE THE VOLUME. Also; REVERSION TO THE MEAN has really been the story since the March lows when we hit SP 2174 and the LT MOVING AVERAGES were up near the area of SP 3000 (almost 50% UNDER). Yeah we went up to 3250 (failed to fill gap at 330 & recently failed to fill gap at 3200). We told you in RECENT UPDATES that we must be CAUTIOUS with this rally because the DOW TRANSPORTS & RUSSELL failed to get above the 1-2-3 yr MA’s and now are moving SUBSTANTIALLY below those levels. Q-2 report cards (earnings-revenues-profit margins-losses-guidance ect) will be coming out in July. Also; in July ass benefits RUN OUT…Mnuchin wants more money for PPP & extending BENEFITS thru year end (Trump_Mnuchin-Powell will plow UNLIMITED $$$ into the system to OBSCURE losses of Income & Debt Defaults-Inflate Assets before the election). To do so….scaring America & Congress (stocks drop??) is the BEST WAY to get their way. RIGHT NOW…we are TESTING our SUPPORT zone @ 2950-3000 and if we can HOLD tho levels & get the VIX back UNDER 30….we could BE BACK ON the bicycle. Should the VIX break ABOVE 40 and we BREAK support and the BAD NEWS exacerbates…..then look for our other SUPPORT ZONE 2750-2800 area and CALL the PLUNGE PROTECTION TEAM. For those uninitiated; the Plunge Protection Team (colloquial name) was created by Reagan on March 18 1988 after the Crash of 1987 by Executive Order 12631. It is headed by the Treasury Secretary (Mnuchin), also The Federal Reserve Chairman (Powell), along with heads of the SEC & CFTC. Their mission is to advise the President during times of economic & stock market turbulence. Some skeptics/critics feel it goes beyond into actively intervening and colluding with banks & institutions obscuring real values. It is said they met at Christmas 2018 after stocks plunged 25% in Q4 2018. We would bet they’ve met plenty in Q1 of 2020. Not exactly transparent; and the minutes of their meetings are not released which leads some to believe they go beyond analyzing & advising. Our free market system is supposed to be an open one and not influenced by mysterious forces or obscurity. Many believe that the gains in the second half of the year may come from the EPICENTER STOCKS but not from the weaker but rather the SURVIVORS who will have LESS COMPETITION potentially. If Correct…in the airlines maybe we look toward LUV & ALK…in hotels MAR HLT…in energy CVX XOM in restaurants SBUX CMG MCD YUM DRI…in travel BKNG EXPE…in gaming MGM LVS CHDN…. in housing ITB LEN PHM TOL DHI..rent a car CAR ect. NEXT WEEK…we will get more info on jobs, virus #’s & closures, any such additional rebalancing (was estimated up to $76 Bill by pensions & others Norways’ Norse bank) The consumer has been buying up a storm on durable goods, restaurants and retail sales (Cars-houses-furniture-restaurants). Some furloughed workers in hospitality & other businesses are being terminated and the helicopter money needs reloading. The Fed has gotten away with jawboning that they are buyers..our guess..real money spent soon. Our stimulus % to GDP is 15% vs Japan 42% but remember Japan’s stock market peaked in 1989 and still trades about 40% below the peak today. GOOD NEWS….T.I.N.A is alive and well and so is that $4.7 Trillion in money market plus a vaccine is on the way. Is the stock market train returning to reload?? Sitting in Cash/Dry Powder??..Let’s hope so……
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Stock Market
They hit the BIG FIVE this week and if there’s more to come then more will come. We have told you that basis the MOVING AVERAGES many sectors and stocks had either gotten way ABOVE the MA’s or had rallied to just BELOW their averages and turned down. We spoke of STOP & GO restart story which seems this week was staring to happen. History tells us that a NEGATIVE result for stocks in the FIRST HALF of the year is sometimes followed by the 2nd half having ho hum results. If the spikes in the Virus leads to substantial deaths….then we may see just that HOWEVER if the bad data is transitory then the FISCAL & Financial stimulus could cause EARNINGS & VALUATION surprises which the administration’s objective. The Cloud (CLDR FSLY WCLD XSW SKYY CLOU FTEC) as well as Cyber security (HACK CRWD FEYE FTNT PANW) as well as Virus breakouts (PTON ZM0 still seem to be popular and obviously despite the pullback…analysts still love MSFT AMZN & AAPL. HOWEVER; the bloom came off the rose in FB & GOOG as advertisers are leaving (at least temporarily) which may be problematic for search/social media that depend on their revenues. Nike had a big miss but also had digital did well & store will be reopening. China is hurting them & SBUX…..Tariffs talk & acrimony not helping the situation. Albertson’s deal came to market and was a real thud despite KR is doing great. Investors may seek refuge in COST DG CLX CSCO BBY……while SHOP SPOT have been very strong…the RSI’s are in the blue zone so pricing out covered calls & collars seems appropriate. Others on our radar are BABA TECHY CHEGG & the international markets in Asia & Europe.
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Bond Market
Well the Fed have been jawboning they have all this money to support High Yield & IG, Fallen Angels ect ect…this could be the week when they need to spend some money as HYG has been rolling under some moving averages and the RSI is under 50. Our base case is that TLT topped at 180 and dropped to a 150 handle and now is trading in a range between those two points. International bonds (BNDX) seem to be holding up well as Munis. Mortgages and other instruments on the Fed’s Christmas List. Some are suggesting pricing out convertible bonds and others are suggesting preferred in the banks so they are further up the capital ladder and avoid getting their “feet wet” as stock prices tanked on the banks this week as eliminating buybacks and capping dividends was not welcome news coming out of the multi-lettered (V-U-W shaped recoveries) outlined in the Fed Stress Tests last week. CLO’s are working at 8 to 10X leverage which sounds dangerous…but now days who’s not super leveraged using borrowed money (sometimes a La Cosa Nostra rates) trying to avoid insolvency and bridge themselves to the land of milk and honey awaiting on the other side of this crisis…hope they’re right or otherwise…TIMBER!! Our view remains..don’t stretch for yield..stay short to intermediate term.
Have Bond Market questions??…email us at [email protected]
US Dollar/International Markets
As we have said in prior UPDATES…we are NOT on board the Dollar SECULAR BEAR train as of yet as our base case is that 95-96 is the base and so far we have traded UP off that region and this week was no different as the index went home with a 97 handle (close 97.49). If we break above 98 resistance could be dead ahead at 99 where we broke down from that area (quadruple former lows)..50-200 day MA’s are 98.64 & 98.37..bullish above. The Japanese Yen is slipping as well as the Can$ & Aus$ while te best looking one basis the MA’s remains the EURO ass the ECB & Germany stimulus packages have got the bulls running in places outside of Pamplona. Stock Markets in Japan, South Korea, Emerging Markets, Europe started to roll over last week so let’s see if they accelerate to the downside or hold water. On a relative basis; they seem better valued than USA but we’ll see.
Have questions??..send them along ..email [email protected]
Crude Oil
Our base case was that we’d see in the 40’s this year (Rigs closed/Frackers done/OPEC Cuts-Russia cut this week)) which creates a L shaped supply & a V shaped demand picture…so far so good. Next year; with an economic recovery (vaccine) we could exacerbate the move and see in the 50’s. In the short run; unless we are off on demand, the market looks mature here. So covered call- collars- replacement trades worthy of a look and sticking with SURVIVORS like XOM & CVX ect seems the most prudent way to go right now.
Gold Silver Copper
We are getting the point where Gold ect are either on the verge of breaking out as Gresham’s Law finally materializes or we could be looking at one of the great SHORTING opportunities in a long time. Every trade has two sides so let’s CONSIDER BOTH SIDES. The BULLS have got the MOVING AVERAGES on their side as most are rising & inverted to the UPSIDE. Certainly the amount of money supply growth worldwide is staggering and if spot Gold can breach 1800 & 1900 then we would be in uncharted territory. Also money flow into Gold ETF’s, coins, stocks is at record levels. Finally; The RSI numbers are favorable and in areas preceding up moves. The BEARS can look to the 90 Day TRADING RANGE of $1800 to $1700 area as distribution…..they can acknowledge the money supply spike if the Bulls will admit MONEY VELOCITY has tanked (no inflation) and Gold shares are severely discounted to the last time spot was in the neighborhood. The bullishness is unanimous and coins are being HOARDED pushing premiums up dramatically (froth). LONG TERM MOVING AVERAGES are under prices by SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS (1600’s/1500’s 1400’s 1300’s) which historically is resolved with a PULLBACK…. BOTTOM LINE…..the Fed is OBSCURING VALUES so maybe Gold just goes on….but we would like a little more confirmation before ADDING as the unanimity of bulls beckons a hedge. We thought the move above 16-16.50 got the BULLS in the control position and still believe a move past 19-21 is possible spike…Keep Your Eye on the Ball. Copper has not changed much and suggests that a recovery is still the bet. Staying above 2.50 is good…getting above 2.80 and 3.oo would be better.
Soybeans-Sugar
Both markets lost altitude this week as more bullish news was not forthcoming. Apparently name calling & assignment of blame is not the best way to do business in Asia….so unless we can hold 8-8.60 Soybeans plus get over 9-10 and on Sugar hold 10 and surpass 13….the future may be bleak.
REMEMBER There is a substantial risk of loss in short term trading and option trading and it is not right for everyone. Consult your brokerage firm, broker, advisor to determine your own suitability. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Use Risk Capital Only.
June 19, 2020 Option Professor Opinions & Observations
Well…Do you like old Westerns like High Noon? You could be on the verge of seeing the Stock Market version soon. In the last TEN DAYS we SHARED with you two (2) very valuable observations. #1 This is where we were approaching SP 3250 and our support zones and said that our SUPPORT ZONES were down at 2975 (ball park 61.8% retracement 3400-2175 & former tops of 2017 2018) and 2790-2800 (the 50% retracement/all clear signal). The idea of looking toward hedging (covered calls-collars-married puts) looked reasonable to us. #2 We SHARED with you that SUPPORT ZONE so that one could look to BUY against those levels and we certainly got a ROBUST 180 point RALLY after hitting the 2975 neighborhood. Great Call….. WHAT ABOUT NOW? We have the valuation camp (Lee Cooperman & Warren Buffett ect) having a difficult time reconciling the prices with earnings & growth estimates while the more Quant camp (Mike Wilson-Kolanovic-Tom Lee) having been very bullish in the last 3 months based on things like rebalancing/selling capitulation/the belief that the restart would be sooner/consumer resilient-robust/earnings surprises derived from less employees -real estate. THESE ARE YOUR TWO GUNFIGHTERS. You know which one we have been betting on if you’ve read our UPDATES. Starting in March we told you of our high beta portfolio of VGT MGK SMH VCR and they have gone thru the roof. We also told you of income ETFs like VCSH HYG PFF & funds like VWEAX VUSFX VWLUX and more. We also told you of epicenter stocks like CAR MAR STWD CCL GM JBLU QSR BA HAL & more that had huge rebounds PLUS Oil having a L shaped supply & V shaped demand with prices going toward 40 bucks per barrel…..Great Calls. OK>>>BUT WHAT NOW?…With rates at almost ZERO in money market..11 Programs by the FED….restarts going….1-2-3 YR MA’s are at 3009-2903-2813 RISING c& INVERTED TO THE UPSIDE Plus $1.5 Trillion infrastructure package, UNDER investment by active managers & value guys & an Administration clearly focused ONLY on November to hell with LONG TERM consequences…the bulls have a good story BUT we need to CLOSE the gap @ 3200+ which OPENS THE DOOR to closing the GAP @ 3300 & NEW HIGHS in JULY as some have forecast. The BEARISH CALL is a WINNER IF we see SP take out 2950 & 3018 (50 day & 200 day MA”S which are INVERTED TO THE DOWNSIDE. As we told you LAST WEEK…Our BIG CONCERN is the DOW TRANSPORTS & RUSSELL 2000 FAILED to get above their LT MA’s (DJTA 10,000+ RUT 1540+) which suggests this is a FUGAZI RALLY not based on Earnings GDP & Jobs but OBSCURING. This would set up our NEXT HIGH NOON @ 2790-2800 neighborhood. RIGHT NOW WAIT …we should be ready to HIT the GAS or PULL the RIP CHORD SOON.
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Stock Market
FRIDAY saw remix- quadruple expiration (stock-index-S&P futures-options) NEWS that Apple was closing some stores temporarily put coffee in the booze bowl Friday as Thursday’s 1.5+ Million jobs lost didn’t disturb traders.Many of the epicenter stocks that had big rallies but are UNDER their 1-2-3 yr MA’s have lost their steam…Florida’s virus spike not welcome. The ones that have been best for us are the stocks & sectors who have not only rebounded but have gotten ABOVE their 1-2-3 yr MA’s and have just run & run& run. We have a focus list if you’re interested shoot us an email. The BIGGEST Cash flow recipients YTD have been LQD VOO VTI GLD & QQQ not a bad portfolio as well. The IPO ETF which works with Initial Public Offerings has gone from ball park 20 to 42 in that last few months as stocks like ZM & BYD PTON TDOC DOCU & others have made an IPO banner year. Many believe competition w/ INTERFACE will actually have MANY Winners. TECH (MSFT New Highs) SEMIS (NVDA) Biotech (IBB XBI) as well as CRWD (cyber security & CRM move up. Also; AMAT LAM PYPL MU TME BABA Up. Longer term ITB could hit the double whammy of cheap $$ & new demand. While JP Morgan report credit card activity jumped 4.7% (fueled by Govt $$) the BIG RISK for banks is the June 25 result of their STRESS TEST because they added a COVID twist that centers around BUYBACKS & DIVIDENDS and if they must cut or eliminate either or both..their landscape could change; if not then the selloff could be a huge BUY opportunity ass the FED probably doesn’t have a vested interest in spearheading a mass exodus out of shares. SP LEVELS of support we see as 3080-3050-3018-2950…end of Q2 squaring?? TERRIBLY SAD NOTE: A young man ended his life who apparently was trading at ROBIN HOOD (13 million customers/average age 31 yrs old). They NOW are making changes to enhance SUITABILITY & EDUCATION…Too Bad.
Any questions..shoot us an email ……[email protected]
Bond Market
The Fed announced that on June 16 they would buy bonds and they did just that…of course a good bit of front running seemed to go on and HYG sold off by the end of the week and FAILED @ its 1-2-3 YR MOVING AVERAGES which come in at 85-86 (the highs)….INVERTED TO THE DOWNSIDE will it tank like DJTA RUT…stock sell off coming?? Stay Tuned! As we told you TLT had a blow off top at 180 & subsequent tank to the 150 handle. Our belief is a WIDE trading range could establish now 180-150 as things settle down. International Fixed Income is starting to stabilize a bit VWOB BNDX so there may be opportunity there. Munis are stable with expectation of Fed help BUT Junk/Leveraged Loans hardly out of the wood. IG quality pays not much so yield hungry still linger in HY. What should KEEP YOU UP at night in the debt market is that some believe the 10yr Treasury should be SP dividend yield plus GDP or 2%+2% = 4% yield…it’s about .70% so if these people ever become 1/2 right…TIMBER.. Our focus list has been our friend
Want to know more..email [email protected]
US Dollar/International Markets
As we told you in PRIOR UPDATES; we are NOT on the SECULAR BEAR market for the Dollar & in fact told you that 95 was the BASE. THIS WEEK we put a 97 handle back on it (close 97.66) and while still substantially LOWER than 2 months ago…the Yen-BP-Aus$-Can$ have all FAILED to turn their MA’s around and this week the rally in the EURO went the way of the Buffalo. Time will tell if sustainable foreign currency rallies will materialize Stocks are another matter..it’s time to keep a close eye on Germany Brazil Japan China Australia & Canada as they are attempting to get ABOVE their 1-2-3 yr MA”s…if they FAIL at these levels…back in the soup they go. Mexico & India have more substantial ground to go so you can put on your rally cap
Want to know more…email [email protected]
Crude Oil
The Saudis export to USA fell to a 35 Year low and prices have been stable between 35-40…BUT our target was about $40 upper band …we expected a V Shaped Demand & L Shaped Supplies (Rig counts tank/OPEC cuts/Fracking done) which is EXACTLY what has occurred. NOW the oil stocks that had huge JUMPS as we expected and told you about MONTHS ago have faded so we see a lot of DEMAND returning and IF we underestimated that we could BLOW OUT to the Upside BUT most all oil companies are way under their 1-2-3 yr MA’s….something to consider..REPLACEMENT TRADES…a strategy where you reduce stock exposure and replace it with limited risk Calls.
Got Questions…email [email protected]
Gold Silver Copper
Gold & Silver have been STALLED for 2 BASIC REASONS. #1 In the case of GOLD…the 1-2-3 YR MA”s are 1569-1420-1380 all RISING & INVERTED TO THE UPSIDE…which means to us we are in a BULL MARKET with a lot of potential runway BUT we are OVERBOUGHT. #2 THe MONEY SUPPLY has EXPLODED (good for Gold) BUT MONEY VELOCITY has tanked (bad for Gold)…it’s difficult to have INFLATION with that relationship…you need VELOCITY to RISE. So do we believe in holding LT exposure ABSOLUTELY.. are we CONCERNED this & by the popularity by retail coin buyers & ETF Money flows ….yes….GOLD SHARES GDX GDXJ ect) are holding supports and are still way UNDER their HIGHS from the last run at $1900…not sure if OK or telling us something….if we BLOW OUT 1800-1900 & GDX ABOVE May’s HIGHS…then the train is on it’s own schedule….but until then….wait a bit. Silver got ABOVE $16- $1650 and looks like it’s ready to ROAR as LT MA’s are at 17-16-16.23..a little sloppy by OK…the BIG KAHUNA is 19-21..above that level and you wanna be there. Copper has done pretty much ass we suggested for months which is move toward resistance @ 2.50 and after breaking thru try to make a run at 2.80…LT MA’s are at 2.55-2.66-2.80 so INVERTED to the DOWNSIDE albeit crossing over the first two…if we turn down from here…no good…getting ABOVE and sustaining +2.80 needed.
Soybeans & Sugar
Both Markets have turned up off their lows and have maintained their gains pretty well HOWEVER…more heavy lifting ahead….need to get those pro China buying stories going again…maybe crop interruption via weather to get above 10 buck soybeans to get acceleration…..LT MA’s 8.80-9.15 areas. Sugar prices popped out of the 9-10 area and some tell us commercials have been leaning bullish…the turn formation off 9 looks good to us but again LT MA’s loom ABOVE at between 12.20 and 12.70…by late summer we may either get volatility enough to resolve these markets one way or another.
REMEMBER… There is a substantial risk of loss in short term trading and option trading and it is not right for everyone. Consult your brokerage firm, broker, advisor to determine your own suitability. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Use Risk Capital Only.
June 13, 2020 Option Professor Opinions & Observations
OUR BIGGEST LONG TERM CONCERN is that the Dow Jones TRANSPORTS (DJTA) FAILED at 10,096 which is where their 1-2-3 YR MA”s remain INVERTED to the DOWNSIDE (9800=10,147-10,161) and fell OVER 1,000 points & the RUSSELL 2000 FAILED at 1540 which is where it’s 1-2-3 YR MA’s are INVERTED to the DOWNSIDE (14810-1522-1524) and fell OVER 200 points. These 2 Indexes NEVER made a new high since 2018 & told us to BEWARE of 2020 S&P move to 3400 in Feb. as the Stock Market has NOT seen a sustainable RUN without these 2 indexes participating in the last 20 years! We still subscribe to Recovery & are LT Bullish…CAVEAT EMPTOR! LAST WEEK…..we were riding high and prices were zooming thru the roof… THIS WEEK…we got one of the biggest DROPS in history……What’s going on? We told you last week that BULLISHNESS was getting frothy (our support was 2975 & 2790) and SELLING CALLS & executing COLLARS could be a good idea to HEDGE your portfolio….EXACTLY the right strategy to employ. Campbell Harvey from Duke correctly predicted that the yield curve inverted in June 2019 & that 2020 we would we see a RECESSION that would be BRIEF (1 yr) and VIOLENT which started in Feb and should end in Q1 2021. He also cited risks/concerns that seem important NOW focusing on VALUATION-PROFITABILITY- CASH FLOW-DISCOUNT RISK UNCERTAINTY. You have not heard a PEEP out of Buffett (no buybacks/one time dividend payout/all that cash pile) in our opinion because the Russell 5000 divided by GDP at this point justifies very little value & the FED has OBSCURED real prices so well that even the Oracle of Omaha can’t figure out what stocks are worth. This week Powell & the 2nd Wave fears on the Virus put the risks back in PERSPECTIVE. A DIVERSIFIED portfolio served us well this week as large cap growth & tech did well (AAPL AMZN MSFT NFLX UP on the week) & BONDS did well offsetting weakness in other areas. Powell tapered the enthusiasm from the Jobs Report (revisions coming?) and said no hikes/low rates until employment returns which he knows is not going to happen. Business debt surged to 16.8 trillion surpassing household debt. Major retailers missed May rent payments (40%) & now renege & renegotiate. Simon Prop trying to get out of Taubman buy. GOOD NEWS is forbearance usage DROPS & Car sales were up & bookings on cruises & airlines are Up but keep in PERSPECTIVE still 82% Lower YOY. Most common age in USA is 29 yrs old which means the DEMOGRAPHICS in the next 10 yrs is solid. Houses & Cars will be bought and families created-very good underpinning. BOTTOM LINE…we told you were were way away from shore (3250 vs 2975-2790)…spec was high (Hertz)….Hedging made sense (Sell Calls/Collars) BUT so far the STRESS TEST of level one (2975) held & our WORST CASE is 2790 with a GOOD CHANCE of a TRADING RANGE to develop albeit WIDE with the VIX back in elevated territory (54% jump Thurs). The range for S&P in April (2975-2450) in May (3065-2760) & June so far (3231-2982)..we suspect the 2760 low will hold so we would continue with higher lows & higher highs…many of the epicenter stocks gave back a lot but still are above recent breakout points (banks/hotels/travel/airlines ) Stay Tuned Stay Safe
Questions on Covered Calls-Collars Hedging-Cash Put Selling-Spreads?? Shoot Us an email at [email protected]
Stock Market
The big question now is “Will Mega Cap Growth/Tech/Semis Hold Us Up”? Many feel if they give way then a more substantial drop is in the cards. As usual; it is a market of stocks not a stock market and that proved out in spades last week as stocks like PYPL MSFT AAPL AMZN NFLX NVDA XLK than the oils/banks/epicenter stocks. ATT (T) may be selling Warner games and could fetch $4 billion which would help them get ready for 5G or reduce debt. Gaming stocks loss their luster (WYNN LVS MGM DKNG PENN CHDN) but they could be buys on a pullback as slow or no openings expected to change over time (Singapore/Vegas/Macau/Sports). Best Buy (BBY) is opening 800 stores which is a relief to many while Ross & Tj Max (ROST TJX) should have a field day buying merchandise from retailers drowning in inventories & needing cash flow. Cloud computing, Cyber Security & semi-conductors in vogue. Concerns remain around state restrictions on restart procedures & the shape of consumer demand.
Want to learn more about what sectors/stocks are on our radar list?? send questions to [email protected]
Bond Market
Lower for longer is the message from the Fed as no hike until full employment mandate hit sounds like a pipe dream. Spreads are tight and expected tighter and our warning about duration risk a couple of months ago was EXACTLY appropriate as yields rose off the panic lows of March. NOW it appears investors have overreacted to the rebound with way too much optimism and the TLT going from 180 top to the 50 handle of last week may see a TRADING RANGE develop between the 2 points (180-150). The Fed changed the rules on Main street lending with lowering minimums to $250K & increasing Maximum to $300 Million while extending repayments to 5 years & no principal for 2 years. These things may end up being written off as grants who’s kidding who? Looks like that $500 billion in the muni facility will get some action soon as NYC needs $30 billion for MTA & Port Authority can’t be far behind…Hawaii is a total mess..needs $$$. Getting into High Yield & Leveraged Loans is welcome news to the investors (HYG_FFRHX)…thee still languish BELOW their 1-2-3 YR MA’s suggesting they are FAR from out of the woods…so Powell keep that check book out. Short to Intermediate duration seems to remain the sweet spot for debt.
Questions on what’s on our radar list email [email protected]
US Dollar/International
This week value & international got whacked after having a decent run. One reason was the shift from a 95 handle mid week on the Dollar Index to the 97 handle it finished the week. Like children running home to Mommy…when it hits the fan (Thurs)…the y still come home to the buck. LAT WEEK …We told you we were NOT in the secular bear market camp on the Dollar as we were above 95 support & many currencies had FAILED to get above their 50-200 day MA’s. So far; this patience has paid off. Germany hass a huge stimulus deal as their banks need help & the ECB issued DOUBLE the expected stimulus. IF we are to have an economic REBOUND of growth Europe & EM should do very well BUT VGK & EEM still struggling to get above their 1-2-3 YR MA”S so like their currencies-need more price proof. Aussie$ & Canadian $$ need more up & hope oil & Gold remain hot.
Crude Oil
Well the cops showed up in the oil sector this week (Increased Stockpiles) and took 10%-25% off the recent high prices. We told you last week that our short term Upper band for prices (25-40) had been reached and you could dust off your hedging tactics (Trailing stops/Sell Calls/Collars/Married puts) which would have been handy this week. Longer term…while we admit the demand concerns & stockpile build are concerns…we remain steady that L shaped supplies ( Venezuela output at 1945 level) & V shaped demand (albeit prices have moved up at the pump) portends higher levels in 2021 (40-55). A thieves market but done with $15. For Buffett’s sake we hope so.
Gold Silver Copper
Gold cash prices had their best week since April but GDX still consolidating above the 28-31 support zone. INFLATION is not a concern at the Fed or elsewhere for good reason. MONEY SUPPLY numbers have gone thru the roof in record amounts BUT MONEY VELOCITY has tanked the other way as banks have taken in assets thus curtailing velocity. For Inflation to get going you need to REVERSE this dynamic which will happen in 2021 & 2022 which is when your dreams of FIELDS of GOLD (Sting) have a better probability of happening. IF we take out 1800…a run to 2000 could happen and beyond in years to come. Still run the risk of a big pullback to LT MA’s in cash & stocks. Silver remains above 16-17 which we view ass constructive…it seems to react well when stocks react well (industrial)….UNDER $15…bye bye Silver. Copper is still a believer in the economic turnaround as we told you the last 2 months with increasing ranges (May 2.47/2.28 & June 2.70/2.42) with the 3 yr MA ahead at 2.80. All 3 MA’s remain INVERTED (2.55/2.66/2.80) so still a bit from all clear and if global restart stumbles..back in the soup she goes. The ones on our radar FCX & SCCO are hanging in there pretty good so far.
Soybeans Sugar Ect
Ass we told you…we believe these two markets have been turning up but both need additional strength & sustained price action to confirm. NOW prices UNDER $8 dollar Beans & $9 on Sugar seem unlikely as so there you go…lines in the sand…now we need supplies & demand to feed us bullish information so we can go from a walk to a jog to a sprint…price resistance remains above…if the lows hold/news improves..by year end maybe we go.
REMEMBER ……There is a substantial risk of loss in short term trading and option trading and it is not right for everyone. Consult your brokerage firm, broker, advisor to determine your own suitability. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Use Risk Capital Only
June 6, 2020 Option Professor Opinions & Observations
WOW….the only way to describe this week in stock price across the board. If you are a regular reader you know that after the capitulation selling in March (advance decline line & volume SCREAMING panic low); we have been all over this REBOUND rally. Not only have we told you possible levels of concern (2640/2790/3000…now 3250-3350) but EXPLAINED WHY & HOW it was happening so you wouldn’t get caught BEARISH or OUT like so many who looked at where the PUCK WAS and not where the PUCK WAS GOING! Let’s give newcomers a quick review of base case…..we got a self induced lock down of our economy at a time when stocks were EXHAUSTED by about ALL measures (SP 3400)…..which caused a PANIC unwind of 3 years of buying…..this allowed Trump/Mnuchin/Powell to put their PLAN into action….which was to EXPLODE Fiscal Deficits/National Debt/Money Supply & the Federal Reserve Balance Sheet & to make Money Market Rates ZERO! Not terribly sophisticated..ANYONE can run up DEBT & the FED CONTROLS short term rates……so now then you have investors SHORT or OUT with NO RETURN on cash…..PANIC….ACTION…you give 1200 bucks out to people & more for kids PLUS you jack UNEMPLOYMENT benefits REPLACING LOST INCOME (Personal Income JUMPED in May 11% with 40 Mill+ jobless) & you create PROGRAMS set up by MNUCHIN so POWELL can LEND money and comply with the FEDERAL RESERVE ACT of 1913 which speaks of purchasing TREASURIES…….NOW we have programs for every day (month??) of the week (Municipal Liquidity Facility/Primary Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility/Temporary Asset Backed Securities Loan Facility ECT)……which allows them to by everything from Mortgages IG to Junk Bonds…EXAMPLES of Fed HOLDINGS are ANGL HYG HYLB IGIB IGSB JNK LQD SHYG SLQD SPIB SPSB USHYY USIG VCIT VCSH….a long way from TREASURIES huh?…..RESULT is Investors first plow into high beta names we told you about months ago like MGK VGT SMH VCR and now have plowed into EPICENTER stocks (cyclicals/hotels/airlines/travel/restaurants ect) PLUS small-mid caps and dividend paying stocks & staples-Value. Heck even HERTZ whose stock was at 40 CENTS rallied Friday to almost $4 DOLLARS closing @ $2.57 and they just DECLARED BANKRUPTCY!! We told you the REASONS we rallied #1 RESTART much quicker than expected #2 Consumer quicker to spend #3 STIMULUS (LEVERAGING) is beyond imagination & of course the BULLS BEST FRIEND…T.I.N.A….the FED has created a THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE situation for investors who want or need to make money….that’s OUR View. HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU KNOW UNDERSTAND WHAT’S GOING ON? They understand their ACCOUNTS are UP…for Team Trump-Mission Done!
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Stock Market
What a Ride!! We got the BEST 50 day rally ever/65% of S&P made new 3 month highs & 97% of S&P trade above their 50 day M/A. SURPRISED? You shouldn’t be as history shows us the trajectory or symmetry of the decline can be matched by the recovery (Remember RECORD 15 day DECLINE in March). In March & April the train was leaving the station for the high beta stocks on our radar MGK VGT SMH VCR and accelerate they certainly did (AMZN FB MSFT AAPL GOOG NVDA AMD ect) and they continue to perform well as short interest at CME & under investment by active managers saw a real panic after the employment report shocked the bears. The VIX is comfortably under 30 which we told you was key for this nascent rally. HOWEVER some of these stocks are stretched a bit (trading 20% to 40% ABOVE 200 day M/A’s) which could mean selling Out of The Money Calls to Hedge or Collars would be worth a look (email us if you need explanations). So what areas could be the next in ROTATION….how about the boring Value/Staples/Small cap/Midcap/Industrials/Materials/ Overseas/Gaming and epicenter stocks (banks/travel/restaurants/dept stores ect) ? On our Radar List beyond our higher beta names includes VIOG MGV VTV VONV VOE VOOV VIS VAW VDC VFH VEU VEA VGK VPL VIGI VXUS VYM in addition to many individual names. OUR EXPECTATIONS remain a potential of filling that gap up near 3300-3350 BUT reality is we have rallied almost 50% off the lows and the FEB LOWS were right around FRIDAY’s Highs plus exuberance could be assigned to Friday’s mood. RISKS NOW include #1 VIRUS SPIKE (or BULLISH if no NEW cases by June 15th), #2 CHINA & Trump (he now has his boat legs back w/ market rise), #3 REVISIONS likely in the Unemployment Report (2.5 mill up & 13.3% rate??) as the Bureau of Labor Statistics only had a participation percentage in the survey of households and businesses in the 60’s & numbers they’ve NEVER dealt with so experts paid millions are probably not that far off (8.3 mill down/19+%). #4 VALUATIONS…if you use the Buffet Russell 500- divide by GDP you would need ice & tilt your head back as you would have a NOSE-BLEED:):) BUT our “Three Amigos” Trump Mnuchin Powell still call the shots through keeping short term rates down & giving money away to anybody who asks (PPP extend 24 months & Unemployment likely extended too)…..so if someone wanted to trim or sell fat out of the money calls/collars…no fight here…our 2 big support zones are 2990 & 2790 and with this weeks run up we’re getting further from shore BUT investors have been SELLING BONDS & adding stocks…if this goes from a skip to gallop then we could get the juice for the S&P could to join the Nasdaq by making new highs sooner rather than later.
Questions?? email [email protected]
Bond Market
AS WE WARNED YOU….DURATION may be risky with all this printing & exuberance as we said “Do you want to lend ANYONE money for 30 YEARS at anywhere near 1%??….This week apparently no one else did either as TLT which WE SAID had a blow off (possible generational) BLOWOFF at 180 on March 9 and now trades with a 150 handle. The Fed doesn’t have as much influence on the long end and actually WANTS a steepening yield curve so banks (VFH) can make money & it looks like forward growth expectations are positive. This can be positive to a point for stocks as money flows their way. Forget about old standards…the FED is loaning in manners UNHEARD & UNPRECEDENTED Amounts & Directions and they approved PRIVATE Equity in Retirement Plans (Eugene Keogh rolls over in his grave) Will Powell & the Fed pour Cold Water on this Rally this week….. Election Year….Nah! Team Trump knows they got what they wanted out of this CRISIS…..Our Radar List includes VCSH VCIT VUSFX VMBS VWEAX PFF
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US Dollar/International Markets
We told you in prior UPDATES that the Dollar Index was in a RANGE of 101 & 99…and which ever way it BREAKS may indicate the next trend…well LAST WEEK the DXY broke under 99 & had a LOUSY week…this week was NO BETTER & in fact we closed with a 96 handle (96.95). Some say the Dollar has begun a SECULAR bear market which would be POSITIVE for EARNINGS but at this point we do NOT share that opinion. Gone are our yield & growth advantages plus our deficits & balance sheets are a mess. Our LT 1-2=3 yr MA’s come in at 98/97/95.50 areas so they’re not inverted buy 2 have been BREACHED…..Did we learn anything from STOCKS where we told readers that S&P getting back above 2800 (3yr MA) may result in a 2016/2018 scenario of BULL MARKET as BREACH is not turn down. So before we say SECULAR…let’s see if we can get under 95 and how long it stays there BEFORE we stick a fork in the US Dollar. The Us Dollar is pointing down & It COULD happen as Euro & Yen are closest to getting above MA’s with British Pound/Can$/Aus$ to follow…all need a bit more but this could EXPLAIN the better performance of EEM & FEZ & VWO…more??
Crude Oil
What we told readers was that we would get an L Shaped supply curve (rigs closed/Frackers shuttered/OPEC Cuts) & a V Shaped Demand that could send oil prices back up to 25-40 area this year (fill in March gap) and possibly 40-55 in 2021. This is EXACTLY what is transpiring. HOWEVER we have now 4X the price in Crude (10 bucks to 40 bucks) on lower volume so we would suggest keeping close tabs on your oil stocks (XOM CVX COP XOP XLR VDE ect)) and if you feel they are running out of gas (no pun intended) you could dust off defensive tactics like trailing stops, trimming (if you double on a stock & sell 1/2 you have a free look at the remainder), out of the money covered calls, collars ect….BUT some do say longer term…a lot more runway.
Gold Silver Copper
We have been CLEAR about our concerns about GOLD being OVERBOUGHT basis its 1-2-3 yr moving averages & the failure of cash prices to exceed 1800 & the retail rush to buy coins 150 bucks over spot…..those CONCERNS this month came home to roost as we now have a 1600 handle on spot & GDX has trimmed better than 15% off its highs. NOW…we have the 1 yr MA at 1560 area and GDX tested the breakout point & 50 day MA around 31 area so this week the 50/200 day averages around 28-31 important to hold & let’s see if this weaker Dollar/Debt explosion/Consumer Rebound puts legs under our wobbly fighter. Silver is exciting to us because it’s trading with a 17 handle and its 1-2-3 yr averages come in around 16-17 bucks…not bad….PLUS if we can clear & stay above 19-21 it has the potential to look like Bo Jackson when he turned the corner in Monday Night Football (YouTube it:)…lots of open space and if we’re V Shaped on the economy..well that could be a tailwind…maybe that Gold Silver Ratio will finally tighten. Copper; as we have said has been approaching the 2.50 level & this week it blew it out…will it last??…we’ll see this week but the momentum is ok but getting above 2.60 could be a tough hurdle. FCX & SCCO had a good week.
Soybeans etc.
We told you to keep an eye on Soybeans and with China buying Monday & Tuesday we got a pretty good spike to the upside. Still resistance looms above at 880/900/950/10 so while constructive we need more stronger price evidence upward to get us thru & into higher levels above. Sugar prices have been on our radar and this week they got moving….some say that food supplies could get tighter IF Demand come in way stronger than supply chains are prepared to deliver…..only time will tell….follow the numbers.
REMEMBER There is a substantial risk of loss in short term trading and option trading and it is not right for everyone. Please Consult your brokerage firm, broker, advisor to determine your own suitability. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
Use Risk Capital Only.