Stock Market Club

Understanding The Basic Language of Option Trading

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:14:00 +0000

The peculiar vocabulary and concepts inhabiting an options trader’s thoughts are often the source of confusion to visitors to my world. I have often pondered that learning to understand options is a lot like learning a foreign language. When you arrive in the country whose language you seek to learn, you need a functional vocabulary immediately.

In order to be able to understand my world, I thought it would be helpful to discuss a bit of my language since it is helpful to grasp a few basics. I want to touch on some of the basic concepts necessary to form the basis for a functional language we can use to communicate concepts underlying a rational (hopefully) thought process leading to trade design and management.

In ruminations to come we will return to these fundamental concepts and begin to understand their function in the dynamic world of an options trader. The nuances of their specific structures are beyond the scope of this blog. We will return to consider these factors in virtually every trade because they re-appear each and every day in my world. For today, just shake their hands and remember their names.

One point not often discussed is the way in which options are priced. The quoted option price is in reality the sum of two separate components. These are referred to as the intrinsic and the extrinsic portions of the premium. I think of these as steak and sizzle respectively.

As I type, AAPL has closed at around $395. The January 390 call has 41 days to expiration and could have been bought for $18.90. Of this sum, $5 represents intrinsic premium and $13.90 represents extrinsic or time premium.

This is an important distinction because it is the extrinsic premium which is subject to time decay and change due to variations in implied volatility. We will get to a discussion of implied volatility in next week’s missive.

The intrinsic premium is subject to change solely due to changes in the price of the underlying security. There is no sizzle in the intrinsic premium; you can buy the option today, exercise it to buy stock, sell the stock, and pocket the $5. Of course, your trading career will not last long with that sort of trade, but my point is that the intrinsic premium has an easily calculable true value.

The situation with the extrinsic premium is quite different. The value changes not only with time to expiration but also with the constantly changing implied volatility. It is for this reason that an option trader must be very careful with this extrinsic component. Depending on the specific option under consideration, extrinsic premium may represent all, a portion, or a trivial amount of the entirety of the option premium.

Another important concept is that of the “moneyness” of an option. An individual option can be classified in one of three categories of “moneyness:”

At the money
In the money
Out of the money

At the money options by definition consist of a single strike price. Both in the money and out of the money strikes usually contain several individual strikes within their groups.

In our example of AAPL, the at the money strike is the 395 strike. The in the money strikes consist of all calls with strike prices below 395 and all puts with strike prices above 395. The out of the money strikes consist of all calls above the 395 strike and all puts below the 395 strike.

Obviously since the price of the underlying defines the category into which an option is classified, the category into which an individual option fits is fluid and changes dynamically with the price of the underlying asset.

The reason for taking the time to discuss in some detail this classification of “moneyness” is that there are important reliable characteristics of each type of option.

At the money options characteristically contain the absolute greatest dollar amount of extrinsic premium. In the money options have the least amount of extrinsic premium. Out of the money options consist entirely of extrinsic premium, and therefore only contain sizzle......no steak can be found there.

Because the functional characteristics of these three categories of options differ, it is a basic strategy to combine options of different “moneyness” to achieve trades with the best probability of success and the highest risk/reward scenarios.

For example, buying an in the money call and selling an at the money call gives birth to a call debit spread, a high probability trade structure for the trader who is bullish in the underlying.

Next week we will cover the stealth concept of option trading, implied volatility. Failure to understand the impact of this variable is the most common cause of beginning options traders’ failure to succeed.

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The Long Term Fundamental Case for Gold

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:31:00 +0000

A quick glance at most of the headlines over the weekend and the primary focus seemed to be either calling a near term top in domestic equity indices or a focus on the Greek debt situation. Why is anyone even paying attention to what is going on over there? Until the ISDA declares a default where the underlying Credit Default Swaps (CDS) are triggered, it is all just noise.

The ECB has broken the rule of law by placing itself as the senior creditor ahead of private creditors, the Greek government is trying to pass retroactive legislation to trap private sector creditors holding out of the PSI, and the leader of Greece was not even elected by the people of Greece – how much more manipulation and insanity do we need to monitor?

Similar to the price action since 2008, central banks around the world control everything from financial markets to the ascent of political leaders. These same political leaders help central bankers and planners control policy and decision making at the highest government levels in Europe and around the world. It would seem that the United States should change the motto from “We the People” to “We the Bankers.”

However, there is one particular asset class that even the central bankers have a hard time controlling. While they can impact short term price action through direct currency manipulation initiatives, in the longer-term gold is likely to move in only one direction, higher.

The price action on Tuesday reminded market participants that actions such as the Greek bailout come at a cost. Quantitative easing and/or printing money (depending on what one wishes to call the practice of producing fiat currency out of thin air) has a direct impact on the price of gold.

Many financial pundits argue that gold has no utility, but what they fail to recognize is that gold is the senior currency to all other fiat currencies. Silver is also a form of currency and is senior to all other fiat currencies as well. While one can draw the utility of gold into question, the idea that gold is the senior most currency to all other fiat currencies is not new.

The Constitution of the United States of America, which is over 200 years old, refers to gold and silver as forms of payment. Looking back thousands of years the Romans used gold coins as a form of currency. The idea that gold and silver are currencies is certainly not a grandiose thought or a stretch of historical concept. Trying to depict gold as a worthless asset depends on your view and consideration of fiat currency.

There are those that would argue that the Federal Reserve of the United States is not actively manipulating economic conditions domestically or abroad. For those that view gold as a poor investment or hedge against currency devaluation need to consider the charts illustrated below. The chart below was produced by Thomas Gresham of Gresham’s Law.

Total Asset Growth of the Federal Reserve System – 1915 – 2012

It is rather obvious by looking at this chart that the Federal Reserve has actively sought to enter domestic and foreign financial markets. The surge in balance sheet assets serves to prove how far the Federal Reserve Bank is willing to go to maintain markets which seemingly are only allowed to move higher over time.

This chart is bearish for nearly any form of paper backed assets. The above referenced chart is long term bearish for the Dollar and Treasuries and long term bullish for physical gold and silver. As the Federal Reserve continues to debase the U.S. Dollar in concert with other central banks’ monetary easing programs, gold and silver prices over time are destined to move higher in virtually every form of fiat currency.

During the same time frame that the Federal Reserve has seen its balance sheet grow exponentially, the rapid rise of M2 money supply is staggering. The long term chart of M2 is compared to gold futures in the charts presented below.

M2 Money Stock

Gold Futures Monthly Chart

It is rather obvious what has happened to the price of gold as the M2 money supply has grown. The idea that the Federal Reserve has not already destroyed a significant amount of the purchasing power of the Dollar can easily be refuted by the two charts shown above.

In the short term, gold and silver could suffer from a pullback, but in the intermediate to longer term it is unlikely that we have seen the highs of this bull market for either metal. As long as central banks around the world continue to print money and expand their balance sheets gold and silver will remain in a long term bull market. The daily chart of gold futures is presented below.

Gold Futures Daily Chart

As can be seen above, it is not out of the question that we could see gold pullback to test one of the key moving averages in coming days/weeks. However, I expect the key support area to hold in the event of a sharp selloff. Ultimately, I expect to see a breakout over the resistance zone in the days/weeks ahead. However, I would not be surprised to see gold consolidate or work marginally lower from current prices before breaking out to the upside. Right now the primary threat in this fledgling gold rally is a short term spike higher in the U.S. Dollar. The primary catalyst which could drive a flight to the Dollar involves the sovereign debt situation in Greece and the Eurozone as a whole.

While the short term price action may be bearish, the intermediate to longer term time frames are quite bullish for metals as central banks will continue to race to debase their currencies. Quantitative easing in the U.S. and around the world will become pervasive and gold prices could potentially soar in value. The data from the Federal Reserve Bank itself suggests that they are indeed increasing the money supply. As time has passed, the money supply and gold have seemingly grown in lockstep with one another. Surely inquiring minds do not consider this mutual relationship between gold and the money supply to be purely coincidental.

As further evidence that the Federal Reserve continues to use quantitative easing to manipulate asset prices through direct entry into financial markets, a chart of the velocity of M2 clearly depicts that the velocity of money is declining. I am not an expert regarding macroeconomic data, but if the velocity of money is declining to 1960’s levels would it be a stretch to say that we may be going through a period of stagflation? The chart below illustrates the Velocity of M2 Money Stock courtesy of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank.

Velocity of M2 Money Stock

For those unfamiliar with the term velocity of money, it is simply the rate of turnover in the overall money supply. The velocity of M2 is expressed as the number of times that a Dollar is used to purchase final goods or services which are included in the total gross domestic product.

Conclusion

The short term technical picture in gold is a bit suspect due to overhead resistance and recent U.S. Dollar strength. However, the longer term macro factors that impact the value of the U.S. Dollar and precious metals are all telling us the same thing.

As time wears on and central banks do even more to prop up the broader economy and failing financial institutions, it is without question in my mind that gold and silver will both benefit handsomely from these decisions being made by central bankers from around the world.

Ultimately, I am very bullish of gold and silver in the intermediate to longer-term, but in the immediate short term frame gold could consolidate or pullback before breaking out to the upside.

By: Chris Vermeulen – Get Chris' Free Weekly ETF Reports & Analysis
Co-Author: JW Jones – Get J.W.s Free Weekly Options Reports & Analysis

Did the SP 500 Just Peak at 1356?

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:42:00 +0000

This is somewhat of a things that make you go hmmmmmm exercise, but lets examine this 1356 number for a second here. The SP 500 hit 1356 today and put on the brakes and reversed down to 1341 in a possible terminal top move.

1356 actually has fibonacci relationships. If we take the last major rally which was from the Summer 2010 lows:

1010-1370 (May 2011 highs)

360 points

.786 of 360 is 283 points

Take 283, add it to the 1074 October lows…. you got 1356/57

That would mean this last rally so far is .786 of the 2010-11 rally.

Also, 1356/57 is right in my 1352-1376 pivot ranges for a Major 3 top as well

Evidence is mounting for a good sized correction here is my point.

Possible count, though many will argue not valid:

Wave 1- 666 to 1221- 555 points

Wave 2- 1221-1010- 211 points, .38% of 1

Wave 3- 1010-1370 360 points, .61% of 1

Wave 4- 1370-1074- 296 points… 38% of 1-3 (A bit more than 38%)

Wave 5- 1074-1356 .786 of 3

Only rule violation here is Wave 4 would have delved into wave 1, which is a no-no for most E wavers. However, I would argue that 4 often does delve into the wave 1 arena and legitimately, but that is a topic for another article.

Nonetheless… pay attention to the fibonacci relationships… if anything they may be warning of 1356 as an interim high and top with correction starting. This would either be a 4th wave down with the 5th and final wave up left… or we topped at 1356. A drop below 1337 will confirm a correction at minimum to 1310 and then 1295 ranges.

Just food for thought…...we have been lightening our positions and raising stops at my ATP trading service. If you’d like to have regular updates on the SP 500, Gold and Silver so you can benefit from major pivots ahead of the crowd, check us out at Market Trend Forecast for a coupon offer.

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Two Short Term Scenarios for the S&P 500 Index

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:59:00 +0000

For the first time since the last week of December of 2011, the S&P 500 Index closed lower on the weekly chart. Recently I have been discussing the overbought nature of stocks based on a variety of indicators. However, the real question that should be asked is whether last week was just a short term event or if we see sustained selling in coming weeks.

The issues occurring in Greece spooked the markets somewhat on Friday as Eurozone fears continue to permeate in the mindset of traders. The U.S. Dollar Index is the real driver regarding risk in the near and intermediate term future. If the Dollar is strong, market participants will likely reduce risk. However a weakening Dollar will be a risk-on type of trading event which could lead to an extended rally in equities, precious metals, and oil.

Friday marked an important day for the U.S. Dollar Index futures as for the first time in several weeks the Dollar held higher prices into a daily close. The U.S. Dollar appears to have carved out a daily swing low on the daily chart from Friday. Furthermore, the potential for a weekly swing low at the end of this week remains quite possible. The chart below illustrates how the 100 period simple moving average has offered short term support for the past few weeks.

U.S. Dollar Index Futures Daily Chart

I would also point out that the MACD is starting to converge which is a bullish signal and the full stochastics are also demonstrating a cross on the daily time frame. As long as the 100 period moving average holds price, a rally is likely in the U.S. Dollar Index in coming weeks.

Should that rally play out, it will likely push risk assets lower. My primary target for the S&P 500 would be around the 1,300 – 1,310 price range if the selloff transpires. It is important to note that headlines coming out of Europe could derail this analysis in short order.

Assuming that a selloff in the S&P 500 occurs it will present a difficult trading environment for market participants. Market participants are going to be in a tough position around the 1,300 price level. A rally from 1,300 could serve to test the 2011 highs. In contrast, a confirmed breakdown of the 1,300 price level could initiate a more significant selloff towards the 1,250 area.

Should price move towards the 1,300 price level the bulls and bears will be battling it out for intermediate control of price action. This is my preferred scenario for the short term time frame, but I would only give it about a 60% chance of success at this point in time. We simply need more time to see how price action behaves the first few session of the forthcoming week.

S&P 500 Index Bearish Scenario

The alternate scenario which has about a 40% chance of success would be a sharp rally higher which likely would be produced by news coming out of Greece and/or the Eurozone that pushes the Euro higher. Right now risk is high due to the sensitivity of price to headline risk. With that said, the bullish alternative scenario is shown below.

S&P 500 Index Bullish Scenario

At this point we just do not have enough price information to give us clarity regarding the most probable outcome. The price action in the Euro is going to drive price action for the S&P 500 and other risk assets in weeks ahead.

Anything is possible in the short term, but I have to give a slight edge to the bears simply based on the price action Friday and the fact that almost every indicator I follow is screaming that the equities market is severely overbought. The price action this week should be telling. Headline risk is excruciatingly high, trade safely in the coming week!

By: Chris Vermeulen – Get Chris' FREE Weekly ETF Reports & Analysis
Co-Author: JW Jones – Get J.W.s FREE Weekly Options Reports & Analysis

Was Friday’s Price Action in Gold Signaling a Top in the S&P 500?

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:05:00 +0000

Friday morning traders and market participants awaited the key January employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The reaction to the supposedly wonderful report was a surge in the S&P 500 E-Mini futures contracts as well as several other key equity index futures.

The overall tenor among the financial punditry was predictable as wildly bullish predictions permeated the morning session on CNBC and in the financial blogosphere. However, after the report had been out for several hours notable independent voices such as Lee Adler of the Wall Street Examiner came out with information that suggested the numbers were an apparition of manipulated statistics.

I am not going to spend a great deal of time discussing the report, but the reaction to the news was decisively bullish on Friday. The question I want to know is whether Friday was a blow off top? In the recent past the S&P 500 has seen several key inflection points and intermediate-term tops form on non-farm payroll monthly announcements.

I follow a variety of indicators to help me decipher more accurately when the market is getting overbought or oversold. For nearly two weeks the market has been extremely overbought, but now we are reaching truly astonishing levels. The following charts represent just a few signals that the market is due for a pullback and a top is likely approaching.

Percentage of NYSE Stocks Trading Above Their 50 Period Moving Average

The chart above clearly illustrates that as of Friday’s closing bell (02/03) over 89% of stocks were trading above their 50 period moving averages. Consequently that reading is one of the highest levels that we have seen in the past 3 years. In addition, over 73% of stocks that trade on the NYSE are currently priced above their longer term 200 period moving averages. Another extremely overbought signal.

S&P 500 Bullish Percent Index Weekly Chart

The S&P 500 Bullish Percent Index is another great tool for measuring the overall position of the S&P 500. It is without question that the longer term time frame is reaching the highest level of overbought conditions in the past 3 years.

McClellan Oscillator Divergence with S&P 500 Price Action

The two charts shown above present an interesting situation regarding the divergence in the McClellan Oscillator and the price action in the S&P 500. The most recent example of this type of divergence occurred in October of 2011 and prices immediately reversed to the upside after several months of selling pressure. In fact, this correlation between reversals in the S&P 500 and divergences in the McClellan Oscillator works relatively well historically.

Clearly there are bullish voices arguing for the 2011 S&P 500 Index high of 1,370.58 to be taken out to the upside in the near future. Additionally, several market technicians in the blogospere have been pointing to the key resistance range between 1,350 and 1,370 on the S&P 500 as a likely price target. Obviously if those price levels are met strong resistance is likely to present itself. However, as a contrarian trader I have found that the more obvious price levels are the more likely it is that they either will not be tested or they will not offer significant resistance.

It is obvious that Chairman Bernanke and the Federal Reserve have embarked on a massive fiat currency printing campaign which has helped buoy risk assets to the upside. Through a combination of reducing interest rates on safety haven investments like Treasury’s and CD’s, the Federal Reserve has forced conservative investors and those living on a fixed income into riskier assets in search of yield.

This process helps elevate stock prices and creates the desired outcome for the Federal Reserve which involves the perception by average individuals that they are wealthier. The Fed calls this the “wealth effect” and they seem poised to insure that U.S. financial markets continue to ride upon a see of cheap money and liquidity.

Ultimately the Federal Reserve’s most recent announcements have served to help flatten the short end of the yield curve further while providing a launching pad for equities and precious metals. However, issues persisting in Europe could have an adverse impact on the short to intermediate term price action of the U.S. Dollar.

Right now everywhere I look I hear market prognosticators commenting on how hated the U.S. Dollar is and how Chairman Bernanke will not allow the Dollar to appreciate markedly in order to protect U.S. exports and financial markets. I think that the Dollar has the potential to rally in the short to intermediate term. Right now the U.S. Dollar Index appears to be trying to form a bottom.

U.S. Dollar Index Daily Chart

Obviously there is good reason to believe that the U.S. Dollar Index could reverse to the upside here. Whether it would have the strength to take out recent highs is unclear, but a correction to the upside not only seems unexpected by most market participants, but it seems plausible based on the weekend news coming out of Greece.

Monday morning the Greek government is set to determine if they will agree to the demands of the Troika in exchange for the next tranche of bailout funds. If the Greek government and the Troika do not come to an agreement, the Euro could sell-off violently.

Additionally there are already concerns about the next LTRO offering from the European Central Bank. The measure is to help provide European banks with additional liquidity, but there are growing concerns that the size and scope of the LTRO could have a dramatic impact on the Euro’s valuation against other currencies. Time will tell, but there are certainly catalysts which could help drive the U.S. Dollar higher.

Another potential indicator that the Dollar could see higher prices in coming days was the largely unnoticed bearish price action on Friday of precious metals. Both gold and silver have been on a tear higher over the past several weeks. Both precious metals have surged since the Federal Reserve announced that interest rates would remain near zero on the short end of the curve through 2014.

However, on Friday gold and silver were both under extreme selling pressure. The move did not get much attention by the financial media. The price action in gold and silver on Friday could be another indication that the U.S. Dollar is set to rally. The daily chart of gold is shown below.

Gold Futures Daily Chart

Obviously the reversal on Friday in gold futures was sharp. The move represented nearly a 2% decline for the session on the price of gold. However, as long term readers know I am a gold bull. I just do not see how gold and silver do not rally in the intermediate to longer term based on the insane levels of fiat currency printing going on at all of the major central banks around the world. The macro case for gold is very strong, but the short term time frame could reveal a brief pullback.

At this point, I suspect a pullback will present a good buying opportunity for those that are patient. However, I think it is critical to point out that this move in gold on Friday could be a signal that the U.S. Dollar is going to find some short to intermediate term strength. If the Dollar does start to push higher, it will likely put downward pressure on risk assets like equities and oil.

While Friday’s price action may not mark a top, nearly every indicator that I follow is screaming that stocks are overbought across all time frames. Pair that with the Greece uncertainty and LTRO considerations and suddenly the Dollar starts to look a bit more attractive. Ultimately I am not going to try to pick a top, but the evidence suggests that it might not be too many days/weeks away.

By: Chris Vermeulen – Get Chris' Free Weekly ETF Reports & Analysis
Co-Author: JW Jones – Get J.W.' Free Weekly Options Reports & Analysis

The Long Term Bull Market "E" Wave Count

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

I have to be honest that I am grappling with a few possible counts since the March 2009 Bull market commenced in terms of the big picture.

With Elliott Wave Analysis, you have to anticipate, monitor, and then adjust. Most of the time I go with my instinct and then only adjust if it looks like I was way off the tracks. The only time I tend to get way off the tracks is when I read too many opinions, so I’ve shut myself off from reading other’s opinions and below is my gut right now:

I know I have labeled one option as the 1074 lows being primary wave 2, with primary wave 3 underway since (1074 to current). However, I have to admit my instincts still tell me that the 1074 lows may have been primary wave 4, and we are in primary wave 5 up now.

Whether it was 2 or 4 is not super important short term because we would either be in a Primary 3 up or Primary 5 up now which is bullish either way. However… if it’s a primary 5 up, then it changes the longer term pictures and also 5th waves can be difficult to assess.

There is another rule that says wave 3 can’t be the shortest of waves 1, 3 and 5 (All up waves). Therefore, if we are in primary 5 up now from the 1074 lows then we can’t rally more than 360 points from the 1074 lows (Wave 3 was 360 points).

So here is the possible count if this is Primary 5 from the March 2009 lows with normal fibonacci relationships:

666 to 1221- 1

1221-1010- 2 (38% of 1)

1010-1370- 3 (61.8% of 1)

1370-1074- 4 (38% of 1-3)

1074-??? – 5 (Normally 50-61% of 1-3)

So if wave 5 cant be longer than wave 3, and let’s say wave 5 is 50% of waves 1-3… that would put a top target at about 1426 on the SP 500 index. That would make wave 5 just shorter than wave 3 following the rules and would complete 5 full waves.

So that is what I’m grappling with because if this is a primary wave 5 up from the Oct 2011 lows of Primary 4… then we would need to be on our toes for a bull market pivot top. If its primary wave 3 up , then we have much further to stretch.

Right now, the evidence is leaning to this being primary 5 up… below is my chart and I will keep you updated. The volume, MACD, and other indicators will help point the way.

Note how the volume has been declining on every primary wave rally 1, 3, and 5 so far. Note how the MACD line uptrends on each primary wave rally as it is now…..Stay tuned.

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The Fed, the S&P 500, & Why Gold Is Shining Bright

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:02:00 +0000

Well here we are, caught between resistance in the S&P 500 around the 1,330 area and support around the 1,300 price level. My last two articles have discussed why I was expecting a top in the coming days and weeks ahead, but prices just continued to work higher.

One of the things that I pride myself in as a person who trades and writes about financial markets in public is that I am always honest. If I blow a call I fess up and admit it. When I have made mistakes in the past, I always try to learn something new from them and I discuss losing trades publicly with readers and members of my service.

This time is different. I honestly do not know if I am going to be right or wrong. The price action in the S&P 500 Thursday was certainly bearish short term, but a back test of 1,300 or possibly even 1,280 could give rise to a Phoenix. Granted, the Phoenix is nothing more than Ben Bernanke’s pet, but that is a topic for a different time.

I have scanned through my list of indicators which discuss sentiment based on momentum, put/call ratio, the advance/decline line, Bullish Percent Indicators, and several ratio based indicators and they are all SCREAMING that a top is near. The interesting thing about the previous statement is that it would have been true a week ago and mostly true two weeks ago, yet prices have continued to climb.

The daily chart of the S&P 500 Index demonstrates the recent price action that has continued to climb the “Wall of Worry” for several weeks:

S&P 500 Daily Chart

The culmination of the massive run higher for the S&P 500 was the dovish comments coming from Ben Bernanke during Wednesday’s press release and press conference.

The U.S. & European Central Banks are seemingly in a perpetual race to debase their underlying fiat currencies. The race will not end well. In fact, this type of situation smells like a Ponzi scheme where Ben Bernanke and Mario Draghi (ECB President) are the wizards behind the curtains. Their loose monetary policies and forced reflation are synthetic drugs that juice risk assets higher and ultimately Mr. Market will have his vengeance in due time.

At this point, it seems like Ben Bernanke will do anything to juice equity prices higher. I think his hope is that they will be able to artificially keep the game going until the recovery is on a more sound footing. However, when the entire recovery is predicated on cheap money and liquidity and is not supported by organic economic growth it just prolongs the inevitable disaster.

As an example, the daily chart of the Dow Jones Industrial Average is shown below. I would point out that that Dow came within 35 points (0.27%) from testing the 2011 highs. Furthermore, the Thursday high for the Dow was only 1,356 points (10.55%) from reaching the all-time 2007 October high.

Dow Jones Industrial Average Daily Chart

I have argued for quite some time that the economy and the stock market are two different things. If Bernanke and his cronies succeed in reflating the financial markets and the Dow reaches its October 2007 high in the near term, more retail investors will regard equity markets as being rigged.

Who could blame them for viewing financial markets as a giant rigged casino that stands to win while they continue to lose their hard earned capital? We all recognize that the current economy is nowhere near as strong as it was in 2007. But alas, the regular retail investor does not recognize that the stock market and the economy do not portray the same meaning.

One specific underlying catalyst that has gone largely unnoticed by most of the financial media during this sharp run higher in stocks is the total lack of volume associated with the march higher. The NYSE volume over the past 2 months has been putrid when compared to historical norms.

As a trader, I am forced to take risk through a variety of trade structures. However, the idea that a crash could be coming seems hard pressed as long as Big Bad Ben is at the wheel.

If the Russell 2000 drops 10%, I am convinced that Ben will be out making announcements that the Fed stands ready to intervene with all of the supposed tools they have at their disposal. Let’s be honest here, they really have one tool comprised of 3 separate functions which are all a mechanism to increase liquidity in the overall system. To express this liquidity, the following chart from the Federal Reserve shows the M2 money supply levels:

Current M2 Money Supply

The 3 functions are the printing of currency, the monetization of U.S. Treasury debt (QE, QE2, QE2.5, Operation Twist), and exceptionally low interest rates (ZIRP) near 0 for an “extended period of time (2014).” Since monetary easing is all that the Federal Reserve has done since the financial crisis began, it begs to reason that the Federal Reserve has no other solutions or tools available. If they did, they seemingly would have used them by now.

The first bubble they created due to loose monetary policy was the massive bubble in oil in 2008. Fast forward to the present, and they are currently supporting another bubble in U.S. Treasury obligations. The bubble that they will create in the future when the game finally ends will be in precious metals. The precious metals bubble will be building while the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Treasury attempt to keep the Treasury Bond bubble from bursting.

At this point in time, if we continue down this path stocks will not protect investors adequately from inflation should the Treasury bubble burst. I would argue that the central planning and monetary policy we have seen the past few years continues in the United States and Europe that gold, silver, and other precious metals are likely to begin their own bubble of potentially epic proportions.

As the weekly chart of gold futures illustrates below, gold has recently pulled back sharply and has broken out. I will likely be looking for any pullbacks in gold as buying opportunities as long as support holds.

Gold Weekly Chart

In closing, for longer term investors the stock market might have some serious short term juice as cheap money and artificially low interest rates should juice returns. However, eventually equities will start to underperform. At that point, gold will be in the final stages of its bubble and the term parabolic could likely be applied.

If central banks around the world continue to print money there are only a few places to hide. Precious metals and other commodities like oil will vastly outperform stocks in the long run if the Dollar continues to slide. The real question we should be asking is who will win the race to debase, Draghi or Bernanke?

By: Chris Vermeulen – Click here to get Chris' Free Weekly ETF Reports & Analysis
Co-Author: JW Jones – Click here to get J.W's Free Weekly Options Reports & Analysis

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Trade School 101....Candlestick Patterns – Engulfing

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:22:00 +0000

Are you using Candlestick patterns in your trading? Candlestick charts have all kinds of potential patterns that technicians are watchful for. One of the easiest to spot is an engulfing pattern. This set up consists of two candlesticks, one of which is “engulfing” the previous one. That means the body of the second candlestick is longer than the first one. It doesn’t have to extend beyond the wicks of that first candlestick, just the real body. period of time.

Spot an engulfing candlestick and you might be seeing a reversal signal

When the real body of a second candlestick extends beyond the previous one, the participants are behaving in a particular way. The candlestick is bigger because some combination of opening price and buying or selling pressure is making it bigger. These combinations can tell you if there is potential for an existing trend to change.

Candlestick fans are watching for an engulfing candlestick of a different color

The reversals are spotted when there is a hollow candlestick engulfing a filled one or vice versa (red and green if you are using a chart program with colors.) Don’t get caught up in anything involving a doji – those are pretty easy to engulf.

If the market was in an apparent uptrend and a hollow (or green) candlestick is engulfed by a filled (or red) one, this might be a signal of a bearish reversal. The second candlestick shows that the market opened above the prior closing price and then selling pressure came in and the market was pushed below the prior opening price.

Finding a hollow (or green) candlestick engulfing a filled (or red) one could be a bullish reversal signal in an established downtrend. In this case, the hollow candlestick would show that the session opened at a price below the prior close, where the real body starts below the filled candlestick from the previous session. Buying ensued and the market price moved through and above the prior opening price.

Engulfing patterns can be easy to spot – look for larger candlestick bodies to indicate firmer potential signals

Remember, watch for the real body of a second candlestick to engulf the first. If it is a contrary to the prevailing trend, you might have a reversal signal on your hands. Look at the buying or selling pressure as an indication of market direction. As with all technical chart patterns, keep an eye on the following trading sessions to confirm the move. Watch for further weakness after a bearish engulfing pattern or continuing strength on a bullish engulfing pattern.

Check out our Free Weekly Low Risk Stock Picks

Gold Appears to Break Out of it's Down Trend

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:21:00 +0000

The stock markets had a very solid session. Most charts shot higher after Apple beat estimates Tuesday night surging over 10%. This set the tone for stocks Wednesday. Also the FOMC said they would keep interest rates low until mid 2014 and projected a 2% inflation rate which took the market by surprise. Looking at the 10 minute intraday charts of gold, silver, oil, and the SP500 you would think it was the 4rth of July with everything shooting higher.

My gut feeling before the FOMC meeting was that there would be no QE3 announced. This I figured would trigger the dollar to rise which in turn would put pressure on stocks and commodities. But the low interest rates until mid 2014 was the wild card trumping that scenario.

Trading around FOMC meetings always brings a heightened level of uncertainty to traders and investors. The news is unpredictable making that much more of beast to try and out smart. I personally do not trade on any news because of the added risk involved.

Let’s take a quick look at gold and silver...

The Weekly Gold Chart:

Gold has started to break out of its down trend and if it can hold up into Friday’s close then it will be a very positive sign for the shiny metal. It is still mid week and a lot can happen, so let’s see how it holds up and go from there.

The Weekly Silver Chart:

Silver has some work to do before it’s back in an uptrend on the weekly chart. I would not be surprised to see it catch up with gold and run toward the $35 resistance level in the next couple days.

Mid-Week Trend Conclusion:

In short, gold is on the move and in the next few weeks I figure we will be getting involved. Silver I think will unfold a little different from a chart pattern point of view, but I do feel there will be a buying opportunity soon also.

Looking more broad based we are seeing the stock market continue to make new highs with solid volume behind it while Crude oil continues to tread water.

Get my free weekly reports and videos here at The Gold and Oil Guy

Chris Vermeulen

Why it Just Might Be a Good Time to Sit on the Sidelines with Gold

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:38:00 +0000

Looking at gold today using our "Trade Triangle Technology" we see a long term downtrend line drawn from the highs of September 5, 2011 and intersecting the November 13th and December 4th highs, continues to be the overriding factor in this market.

That factor along with our negative monthly Trade Triangle continues to act as an inhibitor for this market on the upside. With a Chart Analysis Score of +60, this market is in a trading range.

Long term term traders should be in short positions in gold with appropriate money management stops. Intermediate term traders should be on the sidelines.

Get ready for Fridays trading, check out today's 50 Top Trending Stocks NOW!

The Dollar, Weak Earnings Indicate a Top is Near For The S&P 500

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:24:00 +0000

Can we still look to the financials to guide us on market movements?

Earnings season is now upon us and so far the only major earnings component that has been released is the J.P. Morgan earnings report that came in Friday before the market opened. After the report was digested by the marketplace, prices fell dramatically.

While the charlatans in Washington try to sell the American public into believing that the U.S economy is starting to firm up, the underlying truth is that the recovery has been relatively weak. If it were not for the massive liquidity injections provided by the Federal Reserve through multiple quantitative easing adjustments, risk assets would likely be priced significantly lower.

Inquiring minds combed through the data provided in the J.P. Morgan earnings release and a few major outcomes were placed front and center. Earnings disappointed overall due to a massive decline in investment banking activity. Investment banking profits represent a large portion of all of the major banks’ earnings.

On Friday the guys at Zero Hedge provided the following chart in its article titled, “Charting Disappearing Investment Banking Revenues And Profits, JPM Edition.” The chart below illustrates the massive decline in investment banking revenue:

To make the chart a bit easier to follow, the blue bars represent investment banking revenue. It is rather obvious that investment banking revenue is in free fall having dropped nearly 50% since the first quarter of 2011. In addition, I would point out the sharp declines in total net income (purple) and the massive decline in equity market revenue (green).

It is without question that the other major banks that have a large investment banking presence are likely to experience similar revenue losses. A significant reduction in investment banking gross revenue puts tremendous pressure on total bank revenues in this quarter and looking ahead.

I am of the opinion that major money-center banks like Bank of America and Citigroup are likely to experience similar revenue reductions. We will know for sure in the coming weeks as most of the large banks are set to report earnings in the near term. Clearly this expected reduction in overall revenue will likely have a major impact on the financial sector of the economy.

The financial complex is absolutely critical when looking at broad index returns. It is common knowledge that broad indexes such as the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average struggle to rally when the financial complex lags. The same can be said for the semiconductor sector as well.

Recently financials (XLF) and the semiconductor (SMH) sectors have worked considerably higher on relatively light volume. Both XLF and SMH are trading into major resistance and both are starting to show signs that they are nearing a potential top The daily charts of XLF and SMH are shown below:

XLF Daily Chart

SMH Daily Chart

Both the XLF and SMH daily charts illustrate that a major top may be forming in both sectors. It is widely noted that if the financials and semiconductors are not showing strength in a rising market, a correction or major reversal may not be far away.

I have been writing about the potential for a major top to be forming for several weeks now and I find that I am not in the majority in this viewpoint. Recent sentiment and momentum in U.S. equities demonstrate that we are very overbought at this time. Retail investors are extremely bullish and the Volatility Index (VIX) is trading near recent lows.

I am unsure whether this is a major top that leads to strong selling pressure or whether a correction is a more likely outcome. What I do know is that tops are a process, not a singular event and at this point more and more evidence is supporting the viewpoint that equities may be getting tired and some profit taking is likely.

In addition to the lackluster price action in the charts above, earnings releases have been revised lower in the 4^th quarter of 2011. In fact almost 3.5 companies have announced earnings revisions to the downside for every company that has indicated a stable to rising earnings announcements. This type of scenario has not been present since the first quarter of 2008 which as we know was not exactly a great time frame to be looking to put cash into risk assets.

Furthermore, Goldman Sachs analysts came out with the following commentary, “While the 4^th Quarter is typically the strongest quarter for earnings, estimates have fallen 9% since the summer and are now below both realized 2^nd and 3^rd Quarter results.” Goldman Sachs is also expecting significant price pressure coming from a weak U.S. economy and the fears of a European recession in 2012. Overall, the estimates are far from bullish and are in fact quite concerning when looking at the current valuation of U.S. equities.

The impact that a stronger U.S. Dollar will have on domestic companies which are used to having a competitive advantage when looking at earnings due to currency adjustments could produce negative surprises. Typically positive earnings adjustments are likely to be revised to the downside as the U.S. Dollar has rallied sharply higher in light of the weakening Euro currency. The weekly chart of the U.S. Dollar Index is shown below:

The U.S. Dollar Index is consolidating directly beneath resistance which is generally seen as a bullish development. I expect a breakout over new highs is only a matter of time. It is unlikely that in the long term the U.S. Dollar can rally while stocks trade flat or work their way higher. While this is always possible, the likelihood of that scenario is unlikely due to earnings pressures that would occur if the Dollar pushes higher in the intermediate term.

In addition to the variety of above mentioned factors which could have a major impact on equity valuations, the S&P 500 Index is trading into major resistance. Unless the S&P 500 Index can work above the 1,325 area it is unlikely that a new bull market has begun.

If the S&P 500 Index manages to work above the 1,325 level then my analysis may be proven completely incorrect. However, right now the S&P 500 Index has a lot of overhead resistance at the 1,292, 1,300, and 1,310 price levels. The daily chart of the S&P 500 Index is shown below’

Ultimately we are coming into the final week for the January options contracts which are set to expire at the close of business this coming Friday. I would not be shocked to see some volatility late this week and potentially even higher prices for equities.

However, my expectation is that once the January expiration hangover is behind us, increased volatility and lower prices are likely ahead for U.S. equities. The earnings announcements this week will likely have a large impact on the price action. Heads up, risk is exceptionally high!

To learn more about Options Trading Signals visit J.W. Jones Options Newsletter website.

Check out J.W.s latest articles

Gold Trend Forecast for the 1st Quarter of 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:47:00 +0000

Over the past five months gold has fallen sharply and is no longer headline news which it once dominated back in 2011 when it was making new highs every day. The shiny metal has been under pressure because traders and investors started to pull some money off the table to lock in gains.

Gold prices had surged so fast most advanced traders knew that final high volume surge was not sustainable. But the main reason gold topped out in my opinion was because the US Dollar index had put in a bottom and started to build a base. As we all know a rising dollar typically means lower stocks and commodity prices.

I have posted some charts below covering gold in detail using multiple time frames. The weekly which is long term, daily which is the intermediate trend and the 4 hour chart which shows gold momentum and intraday action. At the very bottom I talk about the US Dollar and what is happening with that.

Gold Weekly Long Term Trend Analysis

The weekly chart is not the most exciting time frame to follow as you will grow old watching it. That being said it is crucial for understanding the long term trend, price and volume analysis.

Below you can see that gold’s recent pullback has been a 3 wave correction, which is a normal pullback for any investment. But taking into account the rally from 2008 – 2011 I feel this pullback will have one more low put in before bottoming out. This would make for a 5 wave correction much like what happened in 2008.

Daily Chart of Gold Showing the Intermediate Trend

The daily chart allows us to see gold intra week price action and use the 150 moving average which is my preferred daily moving average. As you can see we are getting a similar pullback as 2008 with gold now trading under the 150 MA.

I would like to see gold make another lower low in the next 2-3 months. If that happens I feel it complete the correction and trigger a strong multi month or multiyear rally in gold.

4 Hour Intraday Chart of Gold

The 4 hour chart of gold allows us to see all the intraday price action which would normally not be seen with a daily chart. It also gives us enough data to build our analysis upon.

My preferred setup for gold which I feel if happens will trigger major buying in the yellow metal. If/when we get a rally in gold would also likely mean some more economic uncertainty has entered the market either from within the USA, Europe or China…

Weekly Dollar Index Long Term Analysis

The dollar has the potential to rally to the 87 – 88 level before putting in a major top. For this to happen we will need to see the Euro crumble (both currency and countries divide) in my opinion.

If you look at the weekly chart of gold and this chart of the dollar index you will notice that gold topped when the dollar bottomed. Over the past couple year’s gold and the dollar have had an inverse relationship to each other.

With all kinds of crap about to hit the fan overseas I think it’s very possible gold will rally with the dollar. Reason being there is way more people overseas who want to unload their euro’s and with all the negative talk and doubt with the US Dollar individuals will naturally want to buy more gold.

Weekend Trend Trading Conclusion:

In short, I expect a bumpy ride for both stocks and commodities in the first quarter of 2012. With any luck gold will pull back into my price zone shaking the majority of short term traders out just before it bottoms. And we will be positioning ourselves for a strong rally buying into their panic selling.

To just touch base on the general stock market quickly. I have a very bearish outlook for stocks. If the dollar continues to rise it is very likely the stock market will fall into a bear market. So I am VERY cautious with stocks at this time.

If you would like to receive my Weekly reports, updates and trading education videos each week join my free newsletter here at The Gold and Oil Guy

Chris Vermeulen

Is it Time to Pile into the Banks? JP Morgan Misses

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:31:00 +0000

JP Morgan Chase says its income fell 23 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011 after the bank set aside a large sum for litigation reserves and its investment banking income declined.

The largest bank in the nation said Friday it earned $3.7 billion, or 90 cents per share. The results fell short of the 93 cents per share estimated by analysts surveyed by FactSet.

The New York bank set aside $528 million for additional litigation charges related to poorly written mortgages, while an accounting charge led to a $567 million loss. However, as more credit card customers paid on time, the bank was able to take out $730 million from its loan reserves set aside for credit card defaults.

JPMorgan’s stock fell 2.3 percent to $36.01 in pre-market trading.

Today’s Stock Market Club Trading Triangles

Todd Mitchell: A Bit About ‘Price Action’ & What I Expect to See

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:55:00 +0000

Today I talk about what I would expect to see depending on where the market closes today and whether or not the market is able to take out the low of 1281.75. So far the market has matched yesterday’s low of 1281.75.

And once again I agree 100% with what Doc had to say on his video about trading being all about probabilities and patiently waiting for the ‘right’ trade set up. Nobody really knows where the market is going, it’s simply about stacking the odds in your favor and waiting for the right trade set up.

Just Click Here to watch Todd's latest video....

Take a few minutes to see what Todd has going on with his Webinar Series

Could Crude Oil Prices Intensify a Pending SP 500 Sell Off?

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:14:00 +0000

Last week we received reports that the unemployment rate in the United States was improving markedly. In addition, sentiment numbers were released that confirmed my previous speculation that market participants were becoming more and more bullish as prices in the S&P 500 edged higher. The exact numbers that came in demonstrated that bullish sentiment had not reached current lofty levels since February 11, 2011. The table below illustrates the most recent sentiment survey:

Chart Courtesy of the American Association of Individual Investors

Clearly investors are growing considerably more bullish at the present time. The bullishness being exhibited by market participants is rather interesting considering the notable headwinds that exist in the European sovereign debt markets, the geopolitical risk seen in light sweet crude oil futures, and the potential for a recession to play out in Europe.

To further illustrate the complacency in the S&P 500, the daily chart of the Volatility Index is shown below:

The VIX has been falling for several weeks and is on the verge of making new lows this week. If prices work down into the 16 – 18 price range a low risk entry to get long volatility may present itself. For option traders, when the VIX is at present levels or lower there are potentially significant risks associated with increases in volatility.

My expectations have not changed considerably since my article was posted last week. However, I continue to believe that the bulls will push prices higher yet in what I believe could be the mother of all bull traps. Let me explain. As shown above, we have strong bullish sentiment among market participants paired with general complacency regarding risk assets.

As I pointed out last week, my expectation if for the S&P 500 to top somewhere between 1,292 and 1,325. A lot of capital is sitting on the sidelines presently and if prices continue to work higher I suspect that a move above the 1,292 price level will trigger a lot of long entries back into stocks or other risk assets.

We could see prices extend higher while the “smart” money sells into the rally. Retail investors and traders will point to the inverse head and shoulders pattern on the daily chart of the S&P 500 and the breakout above the key 1,292 price level. The pervasive fear of missing a strong move higher will help fuel long entries from retail investors.

At the same time retail investors begin buying, a lot of committed shorts will be stopped out if prices push significantly above the 1,292 area or higher toward the more the obvious 1,300 price level. Thus, there will be few shorts to help support prices should a failed breakout transpire. A perfect storm could essentially be born from the lack of shorts to hold prices higher paired with the trapping of late coming bulls.

The daily chart of the S&P 500 Index below illustrates what I expect to take place in the next few weeks:

I want to reiterate to readers that it is not totally out of the question that the 1,292 price level could hold as resistance or that we could roll over early this coming week. Additionally a breakout over 1,330 will certainly lead to a test of the 2011 highs around the 1,370 area.

If the S&P 500 pushes above the 1,370 area we could witness a strong bull market play out. Ask yourself this question, what reasons could produce such a rally and what are the probabilities of that outcome transpiring in the next few weeks?

Obviously earnings season is going to be upon us shortly and if earnings come in below expectations a potential sell off could intensify. Furthermore, economic data in Europe continues to weaken and slower growth appears to be manifesting within the core Eurozone countries like Germany and France. If most of Europe plunges into a recession, deficits will widen beyond economic forecasts and the strain in the sovereign debt market of the Eurozone will increase dramatically.

One key element that many analysts are not even discussing is the potential for higher oil prices to present additional economic headwinds for developed western economies.

Clearly the situation in the Middle East is unstable, specifically what we are seeing taking place in the Strait of Hormuz involving Iran. If a “black swan” event occurs such as a military conflict between the United States and Iran or Israel and Iran the prices of oil will surge.

In a recent research piece put out by SocGen, nearly every scenario that is referenced involves significantly higher oil prices. According to the report, the Eurozone is considering the banning of imported Iranian oil which could cause Brent crude oil prices to surge to a range of $120 – $150 / barrel according to SocGen.

The other scenario involves the complete shut down of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran. If this shutdown were to persist for several days the expectation at SocGen for Brent crude oil prices is in the $150 – $200 / barrel price range.

Clearly if either of these two scenarios play out in real time, the impact that higher oil prices will have on European and U.S. economies could be catastrophic.

The daily chart of light sweet crude oil futures is shown below:

I want readers to note that I am not suggesting that oil prices are going to rise or fall, just outlining the report from SocGen about where they expect oil prices to go should either of the two scenarios presented above play out. If oil prices were to work to the $125 / barrel level and remain there for a period of time, I would anticipate a very sharp decline in the S&P 500.

Currently there are a lot of headwinds for bulls, some of which could persist for quite some time. I intend to remain objective and focus on collecting time premium as a primary profit engine for my Options Trading service.

Once I see a confirmed move in either direction I will get involved. For now, I intend to let others do the heavy lifting until a low risk, high probability trade setup presents itself. Risk is increasingly high.

Get these weekly reports and trade ideas free here at my Option Signals Website

JW Jones

First Trade Ideas for 2012 to Take Advantage Of

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:30:00 +0000

Happy New Year, from everyone here at The Stock Market Club!

We hope this week's price action didn't catch you off guard? It was profitable but you really had to be on the ball to pocket the gains.....

Anyways, we just wanted to wish you a New Year and thank you for being part of our success in 2011 before it’s too late.

Have you heard of Chris Vermeulen? He is one of our partners here and he has been hitting the cover off the ball when it comes to trading the indexes, commodities and the dollar. His daily pre-market technical analysis videos are interesting, timely, educational and traded with amazing accuracy every week.

Chris is doing his onetime new year’s special offer giving his premium trading & education service away at half price until Dec 31st at midnight. At that price you just cannot go wrong.

Just Click Here to read Chris’ Trade Ideas for 2012

Have a happy and safe New Year's!
Ray @ The Stock Market Club

Five Best Trade Ideas for the Next Two Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:27:00 +0000

The last week of the year volume tends to be light due to the fact that big money traders are busy enjoying the holidays and waiting for their yearend bonuses.

I was not planning on doing much this week because of the low volume but after reviewing some charts and risk levels on my top 5 trading vehicles I could not help but share my findings with everyone last Friday.

You can see what I talked about on Friday here > Holiday Short Squeeze & Crude Oil Trade Idea

This Wednesday turned out to be an exciting session with all 5 of my trade ideas moving in our favour right on queue.

Charts of the 5 investments moving in the directions we anticipated …
- Dollar bounced off support

- Stocks are topping and selling off today

- Oil looks to have topped and is selling off

- Gold and Silver are moving lower

- VIX (Volatility Index) just bounced

Many of my readers took full advantage of my recent analysis and trade ideas which is great to hear. All the different ways individuals used to make money from Friday’s analysis is mind blowin......

The most common trade is the oil one with most traders adding more to Tuesday when the price reached its key resistance level on the chart. Also many traders took partial profits Wednesday locking in 3% or more in two days using the SCO ETF.

It’s amazing how many people like to trade the vix using ETFs. The best trade from followers thus far was an 8% gain in TVIX which was bought 4 days ago anticipating the pop in volatility which I had been talking about last week. Keep in mind ETFs for trading the vix are not very good in general. I stay away from them, but TVIX is the best I found so far.

Currently stocks are oversold falling sharply from the pre-market highs. Meaning stocks have fallen too far too fast and a bounce is likely to take place Thursday.

Also we saw some panic selling hit the market today with 14 sellers to 1 buyer. That level tells me that the market needs some time to recover and build up strength for another selloff later this week or next. We will see this pause unfold when the SP500 drifts higher for a session or two with light buying volume. This will confirm sellers are in control and give us another short setup.

In my Wednesday morning video I explained how/where to set stops when using leveraged ETFs because I know 90% of traders using them do not have a clue as to how to do this and they get shaken out of their trades just before a top or bottom.

I hope this helps you understand things more...... Over time you will pickup on a lot of new trading tips, tools and techniques with this free newsletter so just give it time and keep trades small until you are comfortable with my analysis.

Just click here to get My FREE Weekly Newsletter Here

Chris Vermeulen

Holiday Short Squeeze & Crude Oil Trade Idea

Market Looks Poised to Reverse Hard to Downside Within Days

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:43:00 +0000

The market has been in the process of a near 13 Fibonacci week corrective rally since the October 4th 2011 lows at 1074 on the SP 500. So far the highs reached on the initial rally of 218 points were in October at 1292. That has remained the high water mark as we have consolidated over the last many weeks. I expect the market to complete this counter trend ABC bounce during the Dec 27th-29th window, followed by a good sized correction into Mid-January ahead of the earning season.

The patterns that I am seeing are based on crowd behavioral “Elliott Wave” analysis that I perform at my TMTF and ATP services, and this analysis now favors a 70% probability of a bearish decline beginning very shortly to the 1150’s area on the SP 500 index. To wit, Investment Advisors in recent surveys have over 45% Bulls and only 30% bears with typical tops forming around 47-48% Bulls in surveys. In addition, the rally has been on light volume and recent action seems to be forming a rising “bearish wedge” pattern at the same time.

Reversals in the market often come when few expect it whether they come near bottoms or tops. My most recent forecasts called a bullish turn after Thanksgiving Day when most were bearish in the 1160’s on the SP 500 index. We then rallied 109 points to a 1267 high, which we are retesting now. As we recently pulled back into the low 1200’s, I again said to watch for a major market turn on Dec 20th. We then immediately rallied so far into the 1270 area from the 1203 lows.

Below is a chart I sent to my subscribers on Dec 24th, having projected a continuing rally into the 27th-29th window of trade. If you’d like to benefit from our market turn calls and crowd behavioral based pattern analysis on the SP 500 and Gold and Silver, check us out at Market Trend Forecast to sign up for our free forecast or get 33% holiday discount on our premium gold and silver forcecast.

David A Banister

Get Market Trend Forecast Big Picture Index & Commodity Forecasts Here

Sears and the Trade Triangles

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 04:15:00 +0000

Sears Holding Corp (NASDAQ_SHLD) announced today that it will be closing up to 120 stores in its Kmart and Sears chains to focus on the stronger stores. This news made the stock drop more than 19% today at the open.

Of course MarketClub members were on the right side of this move down well in advance of the news by following the Trade Triangles. The Trade Triangles signaled an entry into a Short position on 12/14/11 @ 51.14.

With a current price of 36.92 members are sitting on a profit of 14.22 per share (+27.80%).

If you are not using the Trade Triangles become a member today!

A Play on SCO This Week.....a Short Squeeze & Crude Oil Trade Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:35:00 +0000

Typically, the week before Christmas, stocks and commodities drift higher due to the lack of participants. Light volume favours higher prices, which is why stocks want to rise going into the holiday season.

The big money players, like hedge fund managers, are finished for the year. They’re sitting on the sidelines enjoying the holiday season while waiting for their year-end bonus checks.

Let’s take a quick look at how the week finished......

Friday was an interesting session as stocks and oil reached some key resistance levels. Below are my thoughts, charts, and a possible trade idea for next week.

Gold & Silver Thoughts:

Looking at the long term charts of gold and silver, I feel they could head much lower in the first quarter of 2012. The inverse relationship between the dollar index and gold makes me think this is a high probability scenario.

The weekly dollar index chart remains strong at this point and could start another very strong rally any day. Once the dollar starts heading higher, expect precious metals to move down along with equities.

SP500, Dollar and Volatility Index

Below are three charts stacked on top of each other. They are marked with my analysis and thoughts for next week. Personally, I don’t feel shorting stocks is a safe play. The last week of the year, we can see the volatility index (VIX), and the dollar, rise without putting pressure on stocks. So be aware of that.

TRADE IDEA – View Chart:

Crude oil looks like a great low risk opportunity (a real “Christmas” present!) from Mr. Market. SCO would be the ETF for US based traders. HOD, which is listed on the TSX, is good for Canadians. I favour this setup because I don’t feel that oil will be as affected from the holiday bulge as will American equities.

Pre-Holiday Trading Conclusion:

I was planning on avoiding the market Friday, but the charts were calling my name...... The session ended with what looked to be a short squeeze. The remaining short positions didn’t get their expected drop in price. Consequently, when the traders all started to cover their shorts (buy) just before the close, it caused a strong surge higher.

I do not recommend shorting stocks next week because of the light volume. However, oil looks good to me.

Just thought I would share my end of the week thoughts, and wish you a Merry Christmas!

Cheers!

Chris Vermeulen

Get Our Free Trading Analysis & Signals Newsletter

The Question Everyone Keeps Asking is When Can I Buy Gold and Silver?

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:08:00 +0000

The past few months have been tough for those holding precious metals stocks, PM futures contracts or physical bullion. With silver is trading down 41%, precious metals stocks down 30% and gold 15%. It has people scratching their head.

The question everyone keeps asking is when can I buy gold and silver?

Unfortunately that is not a simple answer. With what is unfolding across the pond and the bullish outlook for the US Dollar index the next move is a coin toss. That being said, I do feel a large move brewing in the market place so I am preparing for fireworks in the first quarter of 2012.

If you step back and look at the weekly trend charts of the dollar index and the SP500 index you will see the strength in the dollar along with a possible stop in equities forming. What these charts are telling is that in the next 3 months we should know if stocks and commodities are going to start another multi month rally or roll over and start a bear market sell off.

With the holiday season nearing, hedge fund managers sitting on the sidelines just waiting for their yearend performance bonuses, I cannot see any large selloff start until January. Selloffs in the market require strong volume and the second half of December is not a time of heavy trading volume. This leaves us with a light volume holiday season, major issues overseas and no big money players willing to cause waves.

So let’s take a quick look at the charts as to where the line in the sand it for the dollar index, gold and silver.

Dollar Index Daily Chart

This week we have seen a strong shift of money out of risk off assets (Bonds) and into risk off (Stocks). This shift is happening before the dollar has broken down indicating the dollar may be topping and could be an early warning of higher stocks prices going into year end. Also note that light volume market conditions also favour higher prices.

Gold Price Daily Chart

Gold could still head lower but at this point it is holding a key support level. If we see the dollar breakdown below its green support trendline then I expect gold to have a firm bounce to the $1675 – $1700.

Silver Price Daily Chart

Silver continues to hold a key support level. If the dollar breaks down the silver should bounce to the $31.50 – $32 area. But if the dollar continues to rally then silver and gold may drop sharply.

Mid-Week Trend Conclusion:

In short, I think the best thing to do is enjoy the holiday season with family and friends. Trading right now is not that great and with the market giving mixed signals. I am keeping my eyes on the market in case it flashes a low risk setup and I will keep you informed if we get one.

Be aware that Monday is a holiday and once January arrives the market could go crazy again. If you want all my swing trades that I personally do be sure to join my alert service The Gold & Oil Guy.Com

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones!

Cheers,
Chris Vermeulen

Why Are We on High Alert for a Panic Washout Selling Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:40:00 +0000

It’s that time of year again and I’m not talking about the holiday season...... What I am talking about is another major market correction which has been starting to unfold over the past couple weeks.

I have a much different outlook on the markets than everyone else and likely you as well. However, before you stop reading what I have to say hear me out. My outlook and opinion is based strictly on price, volume, inter market analysis, and crowd behavior and you should put some thought as to what I am saying into your current positions.

Two weeks ago I sent my big picture outlook to my subscribers, followers, and financial websites warning of a major pullback. You can take a quick look at what the charts looked like 2 weeks ago......

"The Currency War Big Picture Analysis for Gold, Silver & Stocks"

Since my warning we have seen the financial markets fall:
SP500 down 2.6%
Crude Oil down 4.4%
Gold down 9.6%
and Silver down 12.2%

If you applied any leverage to these then you could double or triple these returns through the use of leveraged exchange traded funds. The amount of followers cashing in on these pullbacks has been very exciting to hear. The exciting part about trading is the fact that moves like this happen all the time so if you missed this one, don’t worry because there is another opportunity just around the corner.

While my negative view on stocks and precious metals will rub the gold and silver bugs the wrong way, I just want to point out what is unfolding so everyone sees both sides of the trade. I also would like to mention that this analysis can, and likely will change on a weekly basis as the financial markets and global economy evolves over time. The point I am trying to get across is that I am not a “Gloom and Doom” kind of guy and I don’t always favor the down side. Rather, I am a technical trader simply providing my analysis and odds for what to expect next.

Let’s take a look at some charts and dig right i........

Dollar Index Daily Chart:

SP500 Futures Index Daily Chart:

Silver Futures Daily Chart:

Gold Futures Daily Chart:

Crude Oil Futures Daily Chart:

Mid-Week Market Madness Trend Analysis Conclusion:

In short, stocks and commodities are under pressure from the rising dollar. We have already seen a sizable pullback but there may be more to come in the next few trading sessions.

Overall, the charts are starting to look very negative which the majority of traders/investors around the world are starting to notice. With any luck they will fuel the market with more selling pressure pushing positions that my subscribers and I are holding deeper into the money.

Now that the masses are starting to get nervous and are beginning to sell out of their positions, I am on high alert for a panic washout selling day. This occurs when everyone around the world panics at the same time and bails out of their long positions. Prices drop sharply, volume shoots through the roof, and my custom indicators for spotting extreme sentiment levels sends me an alert to start covering my shorts and tightening our stops.

Hold on tight as this could be a crazy few trading session........

If you want to get these free weekly reports just click here to join my free newsletter!

Chris Vermeulen

Is The Collapse in Gold Unavoidable?

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:21:00 +0000

Today, we want to take a close look at the gold market. We will see if the big move to the upside is over, and how far this move to the downside is likely to go. Plus, what investors should be doing right now in the gold market.

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Will The Dollar Ruin The Santa Claus Rally in the S&P 500?

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:23:00 +0000

Experienced traders recognize that volume typically dries up going into the holiday season. Light volume and the holiday seasonality generally push equity prices higher. The discussion of whether Santa Claus comes to Wall Street has arrived in earnest.

I do not envy Santa as he has the most arduous task of determining if Wall Street was naughty or nice. I suppose it depends on whether he reviews recent performance, or if past performance comes into play. Clearly coal will likely be found in a few stockings soon enough. If I were John Corzine, I would not expect to get a lump coal, but something far worse potentially.

In all seriousness, the bullishness has gotten pervasive in the media and economic data points such as unemployment and consumer credit have improved according to the government. One way to gauge investor sentiment is to look at the weekly advisor sentiment numbers courtesy of Bloomberg and Investor’s Intelligence.

According to this week’s advisor sentiment numbers, advisors who are bullish advanced to 47.4% from 44.2% last week. Bearish advisors dropped to 29.5% from 30.5% from the previous week. The 29.5% bearish data point matches a level that has not been seen in nearly 4 months. Bullishness has clearly become the leading expectation in the marketplace.

Only one asset has the opportunity to be “The Grinch” and ruin Christmas on Wall Street. If the U.S. Dollar rallies sharply, risk assets are certain to get hammered lower. In addition to the bullish tenor of market participants, most market pundits and gold bugs believe strongly that the U.S. Dollar is doomed fated for lower prices.

When I look at the long term momentum of a stock or commodity contract I will look at a monthly chart and plot the 12 month moving average against the price action. While it seems simple, equity and futures positions adhere to the 12 month moving average quite closely in many cases. The analysis is very simple as prices above the 12 month moving average equate to bullishness and prices below the moving average predict lower prices. The monthly chart of the Dollar Index futures is shown below:

As can be seen above, the Dollar Index futures are showing strength currently. The 12 month moving average is starting to flatten out which is also a bullish indicator. When looking at the daily time frame we can see that price action is trading inside a wedge pattern and is bouncing higher off of support:

An additional catalyst that could push the U.S. Dollar higher is the economic tragedy that is Europe. European political leaders need to come up with a series of strong solutions that will stabilize their economic crisis otherwise the Euro will weaken further. A weakening or potentially crashing Euro will push buyers back into the U.S. Dollar. This would in turn place downward pressure on equities and commodities.

S&P 500

On Thursday the S&P 500 flushed over 2% lower by the close as the European Central Bank disappointed investors with an expected 0.25% rate cut and no new bond purchase announcements. The bulls will tell you that the Thursday the week prior to monthly option expiration usually is volatile and price direction is generally in the opposite direction of the primary trend. We will find out next week whether that axiom holds true. The daily chart of the S&P 500 is shown below:

The strength of Thursday’s move is not going to easily be reversed. The European leaders need to shock the market with tangible decisions and launch a major offensive against their growing fiscal issues. If European leaders disappoint investors, the reaction to the news could be a violent selloff that leaves bulls flatfooted next week.

Those who are leaning long in size should consider that their trading capital is being leveraged on the hope that European leaders can come to a groundbreaking agreement. I will be in cash watching the price action in the S&P 500. However, once the dust settles and others have done the heavy lifting, I will likely get involved with a directional trade. Until then, I am just going to ponder if I were Santa, would Wall Street get a present or a lump of coal?

Get these weekly reports and trade ideas free at Options Trading Signals.com

J.W. Jones

Gold’s 4th Wave Consolidation Nears Completion and Breakout

noreply@blogger.com (Ray C. Parrish) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:43:00 +0000

Back in August with Gold running to parabolic wave 3 sentiment induced highs, I warned of a major top and multi month correction. We all know that the fundamentals for the shiny metal are stronger than ever, but you must keep in mind that the market prices all that in well l in advance. Coupled with excessively bullish sentiment that was capped off by a USA Today cover with Gold on it, it was easy to see a major sentiment correction and therefore price decline was at hand.

If we fast forward a few months from my then blasphemous call for a top and multi month consolidation, we can see that Gold has lost favor with the taxi driving crowd and the shoe shine group both. What has in fact happened is we have had what I call a 4^th wave triangle pattern, which works to consolidate prior gains. Triangle simple let the economics of the underlying security or commodity catch up with the prior bullish price action. In this case, Gold was in a powerful wave 3 stage advance from the October 2008 $681 lows and over a 34 Fibonacci month period of time. When everyone on the stage was convinced this act would continue, it was time for the curtains to draw.

The 4^th wave so far has been characterized by a typical pullback in terms of price and also time. The drop to the $1530’s is a normal 31% Fibonacci retracement of the entire 34 month advance. In addition, the pattern that has clearly emerged lines up as a typical 4^thwave triangle pattern, which has 5 total waves within. Waves 1, 3, and 5 are down and 2 and 4 are up. We are currently finishing wave 4 to the upside from the low $1600’s and likely to see a wave 5 near term to the downside. As long as Gold holds above $1681 levels, I expect we will see a breakout north of $1775 to confirm that wave 5 up in Gold has begun.

Targets for the 5^th and final wave of this suspected 13 year cycle of Gold begin at $2360 and then we will update from there. Below is the chart I sent to my paying subscribers last Thursday and we can see that this pattern is still playing out. Aggressive investors would be wise to get long the metal on this final pullback, with a stop below 1680 to be conservative.

If you would like to have forecasts for price and pivot points in advance on the SP 500, Gold, and Silver that keep you on the right side of the markets, check us out at Market Trend Forecast.com

David Banister

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Charts of the 5 investments moving in the directions we anticipated … - Dollar bounced off support

- Stocks are topping and selling off today

- Oil looks to have topped and is selling off

- Gold and Silver are moving lower

- VIX (Volatility Index) just bounced

Market Looks Poised to Reverse Hard to Downside Within Days

Sears and the Trade Triangles

A Play on SCO This Week.....a Short Squeeze & Crude Oil Trade Idea

The Question Everyone Keeps Asking is When Can I Buy Gold and Silver?

Why Are We on High Alert for a Panic Washout Selling Day?

SP500 Futures Index Daily Chart:

Silver Futures Daily Chart:

Gold Futures Daily Chart:

Crude Oil Futures Daily Chart:

Mid-Week Market Madness Trend Analysis Conclusion:

Is The Collapse in Gold Unavoidable?

Will The Dollar Ruin The Santa Claus Rally in the S&P 500?

Gold’s 4th Wave Consolidation Nears Completion and Breakout

Charts of the 5 investments moving in the directions we anticipated …
- Dollar bounced off support