Monday, February 28, 2011

Are we in the Late Stages of a Major Trend?

Last weeks crude oil spike created some exciting trading and so far 2011 has been interesting to say the least. Stocks and commodities have been jumping around with high volatility generating mixed trading signals. This choppy price action typically indicates trends are in their late stages. The late stages of a trend is very difficult to trade because volatility rises meaning larger day to day price swings, and at any time the price could either drop like a rock or go parabolic surging higher in value. Generally the largest moves take place during the final 10% of trend, but with a sharp rise in price keep in mind the day to day gyrations are much larger than normal, hence the false buy and sell signals back to back on some investment vehicles.

Taking a look at the charts it’s clear that we are on the edge of some sizable moves in both stocks and commodities. It’s just a matter of time before a correction is confirmed or this current pullback in stocks is just a dip (buying opportunity). I am in favor of the longer term trend at work here (bull market) but it only takes a 1 or 2 bid down days and that could change.

SPY (SP500 Price Action) – 60 Minute Chart
This chart shows intraday price action with my market internals. It is signaling a short term bottom within the overall uptrend on the equities market. The big question is if this is a just an opportunity to buy into this Fed induced bull market or the start of a larger correction?

Currently I am bullish but the next couple trading sessions could confirm my bullish view or a correction could be unfolding. Until then, we must remain cautious.


Price Of Gold – Weekly Chart
Gold has staged a strong recovery in the past four weeks. But it has yet to break to a new high. I do feel as though it will head higher because of the way silver has been performing (new highs). But it is very possible we get a pause for a week or two before continuing higher.

Because of the international concerns in the Middle East both gold and silver should hold up well even if the US dollar bounces off support. But, if the US dollar breaks down below its key support level we could see stocks and commodities go parabolic and surge higher in the coming months. It’s going to be interesting year to say least…....


Dollar Weekly Chart
This long term view of the dollar shows a MAJOR level which if penetrated will cause some very large movements across the board (stocks, commodities and currencies).

In short, a breakdown will most likely cause a spike in stocks and commodities across the board which could last up to 12 months in length. On the flip side a bounce from this support zone will trigger a pullback in both stocks and commodities. This weekly chart is something we must keep our eye on each Friday as the weekly candle closes on the chart.


Weekend Trend Report:
In short, 2011 has been interesting but trading wise it’s has yet to provide any real low risk trade setups which I am willing to put much money on. There are times when trading is great and times when it’s not. It all comes down to managing money/risk by trading small during choppy times (late stages of trends), and times when we add to positions as they mature building a sizable portfolio of investments which I think will start to unfold over the next few months.

I continue to analyze the market probing it for small positions as this market flashes short term buy and sell signals. Last week we say a lot of emotional trading and that typically indicates large daily price swings should continue for some time still so keep trades small and manage you positions.

You can get our FREE Weekly Analysis here at The Gold and Oil Guy.Com


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Saturday, February 26, 2011

J.W. Jones: Mr. Market Sends Oil Investors Mix Signals

While this week was shortened due to the President’s Day holiday, it has been quite a ride for traders and investors. The 24 hour news cycle certainly intensifies current market conditions as any news focusing on oil or the Middle East protests moves markets. Thursday the International Energy Agency came out and indicated that the expected drawdown in crude oil supplies coming from Libya was being exaggerated. Immediately upon the release of this information light sweet crude oil got hammered and stocks rallied from day lows.

By now most market prognosticators and the punditry will be out declaring that oil prices are going to continue lower and equities are on sale and primed for a snapback rally. I’m not sure that it is that easy. Mr. Market makes a habit of confusing investors with mixed signals. One thing is certainly clear from the recent price action, rising oil prices are not positive for equities here in the United States. What is also clear when looking at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) version of inflation data (http://bpp.mit.edu) for the United States, it becomes rather obvious that inflation continues to ramp higher in the short term and also on monthly and annual time frames.

If inflation continues to work higher, it would be expected that light sweet crude oil futures prices would work higher as well. The dollar index futures have been selling off while oil and precious metals have rallied until the IEA news came out on Thursday. What should be noted from the recent uncertainty in the marketplace is that the U.S. Dollar Index futures did not rally. This is the “dog that didn’t bark.” During recent periods of market uncertainty such as the European sovereign debt crisis, the U.S. Dollar was considered a safe haven. This most recent market uncertainty caused by political instability in the Middle East has seen the U.S. Dollar Index futures sell off while gold and silver rallied as investors looked to the shiny metals for safety.


So what do all of the mixed signals relating to financial markets really mean? It’s simple, the U.S. economy is not on solid ground, rising oil prices will damage the economy, the world does not necessarily view the U.S. Dollar as a safe haven, and inflation is rising. With all of that being said, what if this is just the beginning of a major rally in energy and the metals? What if prices are going to pull back to key breakout levels, test them successfully, and probe to new highs? As can be seen from the chart above, the U.S. Dollar Index is poised to test recent lows. Should price test the lows and breakdown, oil and the metals could rally in lockstep in a parabolic move.

The daily chart of light sweet crude oil futures illustrates the breakout level that oil prices surged from.


I am expecting a test of that level at some point in the near future. If that level holds, oil prices could be poised to take off to the upside. If prices were to move considerably higher it could place downward pressure on equities and would correspond with the U.S. Dollar cycle lows which are expected by most sophisticated analysts sometime this spring. The intermediate to longer term fundamentals in the oil space are strong and technical analysis could also affirm higher prices very soon. If we see the key breakout level hold and a new rally takes shape on the heels of a lower dollar, the equity market could be vulnerable.

The next few days/weeks are going to prove critical as a lower dollar could change everything. A quick look at the silver futures daily chart illustrates the key breakout level which will likely offer a solid risk / reward type of setup.


As can be seen, silver has had a huge run higher and has broken out to new all-time highs. Gold has moved higher but has yet to breakout and could play catch up while silver consolidates. Longer term I remain bullish on precious metals and oil, but volatility is likely to increase in both asset classes going forward, particularly if inflation continues to increase. Patience and discipline will be critical in order to enter positions where the risk / reward validates an entry.

As for the equity market, it remains to be seen what we will see next week. I am not convinced that the issues in the Middle East are over and that oil is going to come crashing back down to previous price levels. Oil has broken out and if the breakout levels hold I would expect a continuation move higher. If we see price action in oil transpire in that fashion, equities will be for sale and prices could plummet tremendously.

I will be watching to see how much of the recent move lower is retraced. If we see a 50% retracement and prices rollover the S&P 500 will likely be magnetized to the 1275-1285 price range. If that price level is tested and fails, we are likely going to see a 10% correction and potentially more. The daily charts of SPX listed below illustrate the key Fibonacci retracement levels as well as the key longer term price levels that could be tested if prices rollover.



While lower prices are possible, if we see a retracement of the recent move which exceeds the 50% retracement level in short order prices will likely test recent highs and begin working higher yet again. The price action on Friday and next week is going to be critical to evaluate as many traders and market participants are going to be watching the price action closely looking for any clues that might help indicate directionality.

For right now, I am going to be patient and sit in cash and wait for high probability low risk setups to emerge. As I have said many times, sitting on the sidelines can be the best trade of all!

Get More Trade Ideas J.W. Jones visit Options Trading Signals.Com


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Friday, February 25, 2011

Is it Really That Easy to Replace Libyan Oil

If you listen to the TV news man we have nothing to worry about. Saudi Arabia will make up for the Libyan crude oil not making it to the market. Well, we know it's just not that simple. Most European refiners that rely on this sweet light crude coming out of Libya cannot handle the high sulphur content and sour nature of the Saudi crude. And that's if the Saudis can even back up the ability to increase their production on the drop of the dime.

Here's how the oil producing countries stack up in quality of oil they produce......



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Thursday, February 24, 2011

High Oil Prices Have Fund Managers Moving Into "Risk Off" Mode

Let's ask ourselves "what is the true cost of oil". Economists are furiously downsizing their economic growth forecasts for 2011 in the wake of the oil price spike, both for the US and for the world at large. Since last week, West Texas crude prices have soared $12 from $86 to $98. Each $1 increase in the price of oil jumps gasoline prices by 2.5 cents. Each one cent rise in the cost of gasoline takes $1 billion out of the pockets of consumers.

If oil stays at this price, it removes $30 billion from the pockets of consumers. At $110 a barrel, it short changes them by $60 billion, or 4.1% of GDP. Subtract this out from even the most optimistic GDP forecasts for this year, and you end up with negative numbers. That, my friends, is what they call a recession. If you wonder why hedge fund managers have lurched into an aggressive "RISK OFF" mode, are throwing their babies out with the bathwater, and why the volatility index is spiking to three month highs, this is why.



Posted courtesy of our partner John Thomas, "The Mad Hedge Fund Trader"


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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

WIA: The Resurrection of Peak Oil

1) The Resurrection of Peak Oil

It has been a long wait for “peak oilers,” whose passionate belief is that the world will run out of oil in coming years, sending prices through the roof.

This splinter religion came into being in 1956 when M. King Hubbert produced some simple supply/demand charts showing that US reserves of Texas tea would dry up by 1965-70, forcing a heavy reliance on imports with which we have become all too familiar. This was later expanded globally, implying that Western civilization would come to a grinding halt.


It all seemed very prescient, when in 1973 OPEC raised prices from $3/barrel to $12 in the wake of the Yom Kippur war, and the resulting boycott caused enormous lines at American gas stations. It happened again in 1979 with the fall of the Shah of Iran, taking crude from $12 to $40. Then Saudi overproduction kicked in big time, bring 20 years of falling prices, all the way down to $8. At the 1998 low, oil was selling for less than the barrel that contained it.

Then came China and the commodities boom, which suddenly sent the value of all things “hard” skyward. Virtually overnight, the Middle Kingdom became the world’s largest marginal consumer of not only oil, but all energy sources. By 2008, peak oilers had the second coming in sight, with prices soaring to $150/barrel.

Enter the Great Recession. The real damage this caused was not the temporary collapse of prices down to $28/barrel and the wiping out of many industry participants. It was the two year freeze on the financing of new exploration and development, a byproduct of the Wall Street crash. BP’s Gulf oil spill didn’t help matters either. These events have combined to create a bubble in the energy pipeline, the implications of which we may only just now be seeing.

Now the Middle East is blowing up. With populations exploding, per capita incomes plunging, and a religion that mires them in the 14th century, this sort of viral, grass roots revolution could have, and should have happened any time over the last 40 years. It took cell phones, social media, and the Internet to provide the spark. At first, the world didn’t care, as Egypt and Tunisia produce little oil, and are non-factors in the global economy.

Now it’s Libya’s turn, and it’s a different kettle of fish. Having dealt with the Libyan government myself since 1968—Muammar Khadafi overthrew the government just before I was about to cross the border —I can only say this couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. I missed the Pan Am flight he blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland by a week and lost a few friends. The sooner he is found hanging by his heels from a lamp post, the better.

The revolution there raises broader, far more concerning questions. If it can happen in Libya, why not in Saudi Arabia, where the government is still essentially tribal in nature and will not be winning any prizes for their human rights record anytime soon. Women are still not allowed to drive. Take their 12 million barrels/day off the market, even for a few days, and the geopolitical implications are large.

Which brings me back to peak oil. After a quiet, long term downsizing, the US now only imports 2 million barrels a day from the Middle East. Canada is now our largest foreign supplier, followed by Mexico and Venezuela. But oil is a globally traded commodity, and if you prick the supply line in one place we all have to pay. Remove Saudi Arabia from the picture, and the results could be catastrophic, for China first, but for ourselves as well.

Even without these “Armageddon” scenarios, we are still facing a huge problem. World oil production today is 82-83 million barrels/day. There is probably another 5 million barrels/day in reserve. By 2015, an additional 3 million barrels/ day in will come on stream that was financed prior to the Wall Street melt down. After that, new supplies become very problematic.

Even if the US can keep its own demand relatively flat through modest economic growth, conservation, new efficiencies, alternatives, and switching to natural gas, China promises to eat up all of this increase. That’s when the sushi hits the fan. I think oil could hit $300/barrel by 2020, or $225 in today’s prices. If you are wondering why I have become so cautious about investing lately, this is a major reason why.

Which leads us all to the bigger question of how do we make a buck out of all of this? Brent crude, which trades in Europe, is already at $104.40/barrel, a $12/barrel premium to our own West Texas intermediate. Prices here have stayed low because of a shortage of storage facilities. My buddies in the field also tell me there is some elaborate conspiracy to keep West Texas artificially low, because the prices for Middle Eastern imports are priced off of that highly manipulated benchmark. It is far more likely that West Texas trades up to Brent than the other way around.

I missed the window to get in last week at $85/barrel. But if you believe it’s going substantially higher, it is not too late to get involved. For a start, do notbuy the oil ETF (USO). The tracking error caused by the contango will kill you, assuring that you will take all of the risk but get few of the benefits.

Individual oil major stocks that I have been recommending, like ExxonMobil (XOM), BP (BP), and ConocoPhillips (COP) are great vehicles. A simple alternative is to pick up the double long oil majors ETF (DIG). These guys have massive supplies in the pipeline that are about to be revalued by higher prices. So are independents like Occidental Petroleum (OXY). You can throw oil service companies into the mix as well through the ETF (OIH). Higher oil prices almost make alternative energy producers like First Solar (FSLR) much more profitable.

As (OXY) founder, Dr. Armand Hammer, told me when I was a kid, “Keep your eye on oil, because everything stems from that.” Some 40 years later, and I think the old man is still right.




Quote of the Day

“The American hegemon knows no limits, it seems, when it comes to other people’s money for their own consumption….The American answer to a bulging waste line is always manana,” said Bill Gross, managing direct at the bond giant, PIMCO.

Posted courtesy of our partners at The Wealth Insider Alliance

Check out Macro Millionaire John Thomas


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An Interesting Twist on Shorting Gold

In todays short 4 minute video we explain exactly what we mean by a "short gold position." It does not mean we are bearish on gold, however the scenario we point out in this video could make money by being short gold and long another important market.

The video points out what the scenario is, and which market you should be long in, against a short gold position. This is an interesting twist and a video you shouldn't miss.

As always our videos are free to watch and there is no registration required. Please feel free to re-tweet this video on Twitter or share this video on Facebook. Also take a minute to leave a comment and let us know what you think about the video.

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Monday, February 21, 2011

Dian Chu: A Tale of Crudes.....Anybody Got A Big Rig?

From guest blogger By Dian L. Chu at the EconForecast......

On Wednesday, Feb. 16 Israel said Iran is sending two warships into the Suez Canal on way to Syria, and that the action is considered a “provocation.” Due to the long history of bad blood between Israel and Iran, this very possible scenario was enough to even send the bear infested NYMEX crude oil futures volume surging midday.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) on Nymex rose to just below $85, while Brent crude on the ICE futures exchange spiked $2.17 higher to $103.81 a barrel, a 29 month high, widening the WTI Brent spread to a new record near $19.

High Middle East Tension

Then on Friday, Feb. 18, AFP reported that permission has been granted for Iranian warships to transit the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean. Canal officials say it would be the first time Iranian warships have made the passage since the 1979 Islamic revolution, while Israel has labeled the Iranian action as "hostile' and said Israel was closely monitoring the situation.
As the worst Israel-Iran conflict scenario failed to materialize, at the close Friday Feb. 18, Brent crude oil for April settled at $102.79 while WTI for April delivery rose to $89.71, narrowing the spread to $13.11.

Crude Glut at Cushing, OK

Since WTI is lighter and sweeter crude which requires less processing, it has historically enjoyed a $1 – $2 a barrel price premium to Brent crude oil. According to Bloomberg, the WTI Brent gap averaged only 76 cents last year.

However, WTI’s premium disappeared about a year ago and in recent days it has been trading at more than a $10/bbl discount to Brent mainly due to rising inventory levels at Cushing OK, the delivery and price settling point of Nymex crude futures.....Click Here to Read The Entire Article and View Dian's Charts.



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Thursday, February 17, 2011

Technical Formations You Shouldn't Miss

Experienced traders have been using this particular technical formation for many years and it continues to produce profits for those who can spot it, and better yet, take advantage of it.

In this new short video we are going to share the market, the pattern, and a price projection where we think this market is headed based the MarketClub Trade Triangle technology.

We hope that this educational video will help you spot this very same technical formation in the future. The video is extremely short and will only take a few minutes of your time, however, the lesson is priceless.

As always our videos are free to watch and there are no registration requirements. Our only request is that you tell your friends about The Crude Oil Trader by Tweeting and sharing this post on Facebook and other social networking sites. We would also enjoy hearing from you, so please feel free to comment here about this video.

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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Do You Know Where to Find our MarketClub Webinar Archives?

MarketClub webinars are a great free, educational and sales tool that allows users interact with Adam. Not everyone can make it to the live webinars whether it be because of the user limit, scheduling etc so I wanted to make sure you knew where you could find our webinar archives.

Here is a link to our latest webinar from February 9th...."Strategy Trading Webinar"

Here is a link to our "Upcoming Webinar Page". It will update with the latest webinar and information so you can continue to use the same link for your users for multiple webinars. It also has a list of archived webinars so that users can see all past webinars.


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Monday, February 14, 2011

Just When the Bears Think They are Home Free, Mr. Market Reminds Them Who is in Charge

While it may be bear season in the equity markets as Mr. Market continues to punish the ursine, the oil futures market has produced a new home and a new river for eager bears to feed. Mr. Market has had an appetite for S&P 500 bears for several months now. In each instance in which the bears think they are going to get away, Mr. Market draws up his high powered rifle and drops the bears just before they can comfortably return to their caves. Just when the bears think they have escaped and are home free, Mr. Market reminds them who is in charge.

However, Mr. Market’s appetite for oil bears has diminished tremendously over the past week as the U.S. Dollar and geopolitical news coming out of Egypt pushed oil prices lower. Mr. Market’s appetite is always changing it would seem, but right now he is enamored with S&P 500 bear meat and not really that interested in the oily bear meat. The question remains whether his tastes will change in the near term, or if he will continue to turn S&P 500 bears into fodder and steak.

S&P 500
With all metaphors and short stories aside, the price action in the S&P 500 for the past several months has been devastating for bears. Going back to November of 2010, every key resistance level ended up being taken out by the bulls and prices pushed higher and they push higher still. Last Friday’s close pushed prices to new recent highs and in time prices may challenge long term overhead resistance levels. The table below shows just how extended the equity market is:


As can be seen above, 82.73% of all stocks are currently trading above their 200 period moving average and over 68% of equities are above the 20 and 50 period moving averages. While this certainly does not mean that prices are going to rollover, it is hard to refute the conclusion that prices in the equity market are overbought.

A quick glance at the SPX daily chart reveals the recent price action.


It is obvious when looking at the SPX daily chart that prices are extended to the upside in this bull market run. However, as I pointed out in a recent article the distance between current price action and the 200 period moving average is significant. There is a total of 167.79 SPX points between Friday’s close at 1329.15 and the 200 period moving average at 1161.36. Based on Friday’s closing price a reversion to the mean (200 period moving average) would produce a decline of around 12.62%. The SPX weekly chart is shown below:


It is worthy of note that the May 2008 swing high of 1,440 coincides with the upper band of the rising channel that is obvious when looking at the weekly chart of SPX. While price action may or may not get to SPX 1,440 during this bullish run higher, it is likely not coincidental that both key trend lines coincide at the same price point. The intersection of the long term rising trend lines corresponding with the upper band of the current rising channel and the 1,440 swing high may be something of import, or it might turn out to be nothing. However, it certainly is an eery coincidence on the chart if you believe in coincidences.

I am still convinced that stocks need to pullback at some point if they are to continue higher. Consolidation or a 5-10% correction would likely be healthy for the market and might prove to be a launchpad for another thrust higher in price. From the underlying strength in the domestic market, a correction or pullback will likely be an opportunity to get long barring price breaking down through the lower level of the rising channel located on the weekly chart.

I am not sure that I am going to get involved in the short side if we see bearish price action in coming weeks, instead I will likely be looking for opportunities to get long equities at more attractive prices. Right now risk to the downside appears to be increasing as the S&P 500 continues to probe higher.

Light Sweet Crude Oil
Oil prices surged when Egyptian protests intensified and have sold off recently as President Mubarak has stepped down and demonstrations have turned into nationwide celebrations. In addition, the U.S. Dollar has strengthened considerably the past few days which has also put price pressure on oil. The daily chart of light sweet crude oil futures is illustrated below:


Oil price are hanging onto a key support level by a thread and price action in the coming week could see prices push lower through the support area and an eventual test of the 200 period moving average. I am not considering a short in oil, but I am looking at lower prices as a solid risk / reward long entry. I am going to be patient, but envision building a longer term trade using options to profit from a possible rally after putting in a clear bottom.

Right now, price could hold above current support levels and bounce higher, but I think the more likely scenario is a brief bounce early this week and then a flush out lower running stops and reaching panic level selling. As is customary for my trading methodology, I will be looking to buy into panic selling should that take place, however at this point I am not interested in getting involved just yet. I intend to remain cautious and will patiently wait for a low risk, high probability trading setup to emerge. Until then, I will be watching the price action from the sidelines letting others do the heavy lifting.

Conclusion
While it may be bear season in the equity markets as Mr. Market continues to punish the ursine, the oil futures market has produced a new home and a new river for eager bears to feed. The question continues to remain how long will Mr. Market punish the short traders in equities while rewarding them in the oil futures pits. Mr. Market may be losing his appetite for bear meat in equities and he might just decide to feast on some bears covered in oil. Time as usual will be the final arbiter, but for right now I’m sitting on the sidelines waiting for Mr. Market to tell me his next order.

Just Click Here to Get More of J.W. Jones' trading ideas at Options Trading Signals.Com


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Sunday, February 13, 2011

Has the Yen and Dollar Projection Changed.....What Does the Yen and Dollar Rally Have in Store For Us?

We've been asked by an overwhelming number of readers for Chris's take on the currency markets and we think this is an amazing look he has shared with us today! Most of what you read about the currency markets and Forex trading is thin and lacks value. This is MUCH different...

Over the past few years Forex traders have really had to step up their game in order to continue making money in the currency market. Back in the day before currency trading was main stream, currencies used to trend in a direction for a long period of time with a low level of volatility. But with so many individuals now involved speculating on price action coupled with international concerns in most countries, the once slow and steady currency market now moves like the stock market with large price swings on a weekly and even daily basis.

With currency trading growing at an incredibly fast rate, stock traders have been giving tools to trade currencies using ETFs. If you are familiar with leveraged ETFS then you have most likely seen the huge opportunities (100,200 even 400% gains) which they can provide during major trends. Below are a couple major trends that both Forex and ETF traders should be keeping their eye on.

Japanese Yen – 30 year Monthly Chart
Over the last couple years China has taken most of Japan’s manufacturing, creating some terrible fundamentals overall for the Yen. With a weakening economy and the Yen making a major top in 1995, I feel we could be seeing a 16 year double top forming. This means shorting the Yen for a multiyear correction (bear market). This could generate some serious gains in the coming 2-5 years with very little work.


YCS 200% Short Yen Exchange Traded Fund – Daily Chart Setup
This fund allows stock/ETF traders to play the currency market within a regular trading account. The YCS fund is a 200% leveraged inverse fund, meaning this fund goes up in value as the Yen declines. For example, if the Yen drops 10% in value YCS will rise 20%.
Everyone has seen that infomercial to cook food with the saying “Set-It-And-Forget-It!” Well that’s more or less what this position will be like if we get a setup to buy this fund. This trade could easily last 5+ years with the potential to generate 150% – 400% gain.


US Dollar Weekly Chart Setup
Taking a look at the more common currency “The Dollar”. It has been forming a similar price pattern and is trying to form a base and bottom. The dollar does have one major issue which will most likely cause a breakdown thus an even lower value in the coming year. The problem is that the fed reserve constantly prints money increasing the money supply and devaluing the dollar (quantitative easing).

Currently, the dollar is trading within a large range and is poised for a short term bounce. There will not be any major trends until a breakout of this trading range to either the up or down side.


Major Currency Trends for Major Gains
In short, while playing shorter term trends is exciting and rewarding and keeps us busy on a daily/weekly basis, it is nice to have some long term positions at work which slowly mature into large percentage gains which boost you’re overall portfolio value each year with little work. Both the Yen and Dollar look like there is big potential just around the corner using the buy and hold mentality.

Each year I find 3-5 major opportunities where I can put some money to work, not tie up much capital and if they move 150% or more in my favor then those small investments boost my overall yearly portfolio gains substantially.

I do have another major trend setup forming which I’m calling the “Holy Cow” setup… which could be a real money maker this year. The exciting thing about it is that I have not seen ANYONE talk about this investment in years…

Just click here to get Chris Vermeulen's Trading Setups, Daily Pre-Market Videos, Intraday Analysis and Updates.

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Wednesday, February 9, 2011

USO Options Trade Setting UP.....High Altitude Bombing in Crude Oil

Our regular readers know that we follow options guru J.W. Jones very closely. And what a treat for us today as he gives us a blue print for trading options in the most fluid ETF for crude oil, the USO.

At the risk of stating the obvious, the recent market action in the commodities has been manic with wild gyrations of price in a wide variety of basic materials, metals, and energy. Given these wild fluctuations in price, I thought we could look at an options trade in USO that gives a high probability of success.

In order to give a bit of a conceptual framework for this sort of trade, let me share the way I look at these. Development of precision high altitude bombing during World War II resulted in a dramatic reduction in casualties while inflicting devastating consequences to enemy forces. I view the sort of option strategy described below as the equivalent of high altitude precision bombing. We will extract substantial profit without putting ourselves at high risk of damaging anti-aircraft fire.

As is shown on the daily price chart below, there is substantial support in the region of 35.60-36 provided by a recent swing low and the 200 period moving average.


In selecting the structure of option trades, I usually like to consider the volatility environment in which we currently operate. This is important because a very strong tendency of implied volatility is reversion to its mean. The knowledgeable trader factors this into his trades in order to put the wind at his back as much as possible. Trades can be selected and constructed to benefit (positive vega trades) or suffer (negative vega trades) from increases in implied volatility. As you can see in the chart below, implied volatility is currently in the lower quartile of its historic value for this specific underlying:


Given the current low volatility, let us look at a strategy that gives us substantial profit from an altitude of 50,000 feet and the ability to roll the trade forward for additional substantial profit. This trade is structured as a “ratio calendar spread”. Now don’t go getting hung up on the name, it is simply a two legged trade in which we buy a longer dated in-the-money call and sell a smaller number of out-of-the-money calls. The trade is diagrammed below:


For those getting used to these sorts of trades and trying to form an organizational framework, the trade can be thought of as a basic calendar spread where an additional contract of the long options is purchased. The addition of this extra contract removes the upside limit on our profitability which would exist in an ordinary calendar spread. As is often the case in option trading, this trade can also be thought of as a “first cousin” to a covered call structure where the long in-the-money contracts serve as a surrogate for long stock. I find it helpful to think of the various option constructions as individual members of several different families. Each family has a number of “family traits” that help make sense of the large number of potential constructions available to the options trader.

One of the characteristics of this family under discussion is the “Sham Wow” factor- “but wait-there’s more”. The “more” in this trade is the ability to “roll” the short calls forward as they expire or, more prudently, as they reach inconsequential value. For example, this trade would have been initiated by selling the February 37 calls at a value of around 57¢. When these calls reach minimal value, let us say 10¢ for discussion, they could be bought back, and the March calls sold to capture substantial additional premium. This process can continue for April, May, June, and July. These additional sales give the opportunity to reap additional profit for the trade.

The risks in the trade are:
1.USO breaks support and continues to sell off
2. Volatility collapses on the long leg of the trade

I have discussed both of these factors in the price chart and volatility chart above when I was developing the logic of the trade. While no guarantees exist for the behavior of either price or volatility, the current trade represents a reasonable balance between risk and probability in my opinion.

As with all our discussions, these considerations are presented for educational purposes and do not represent a recommendation. This is not a solicitation nor should it be considered financial advice. I am simply trying to demonstrate how to use the knowledge of option behavior to construct trades that benefit from high probability events. Bombs away!

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New Video: Let's Rate The Precious Metals Market

If some one was to ask "which has the strongest trend right now, Gold, silver or rare earth"? What would your answer be and how would you come up with your answer? In today's video we will be looking at the gold market, analyzing the silver market, and finally, checking into the rare earth market.

Before you look at the video, you may want to consider doing this as an exercise: Write down which market has the strongest trend, up or down. Then rate the markets. Number 1....Number 2....Number 3.... Once you see the video it will become clear to you how we rate these markets. It might surprise you.

If you're using MarketClub's "Trade Triangle" technology the answer is simple and you'll discover it in a matter of seconds. If you haven't used our "Trade Triangle" technology, this will be a good exercise for you to look and see just how powerful this technology is and how it can help your trading.

We all know that gold has had a big move, but so have silver and rare earth stocks. So what's next? We hope this video helps outline some ideas that you can put to good use in the future.

As always our videos are free to watch and there are no registration requirements. All we ask in return is that you Tweet about us and share this video with your friends. Also, please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what you are thinking. Enjoy the video and every success in trading,

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Could One Fed President Spoil The Crude Oil Bull Run

It appears the first shot has been taken at QE2 as Richmond Fed President Lacker, not a voting member, has become the first to call for a roll back in the program. A program that virtually every investor believes the recent bull market relies on 100%. Lacker got the markets attention this week when he said the central bank should consider unwinding QE2, the 600 billion dollar asset buying program announced last November.

He said the "distinct improvement in the economic outlook since the program was initiated suggests taking revaluation quite seriously". But Lacker tried to make it clear he is still not ready to stop the program entirely right now since "strong readings on jobs and sustained consumer spending would warrant a rethink on growth".

World oil and commodity traders did consolidate oil prices overnight as most expect to see the same upward revisions in OPEC's and IEA's reports on Thursday as they saw in the US Energy Departments monthly report published yesterday which predicted increases in oil price and global demand.

Retail gas customers may get some relief this week as gasoline supplies gained 3.2 million barrels to 239.7 million barrels, the API said. The higher inventory numbers would put stockpiles at the highest level since February 26th 1993. Motor fuel inventories also increased 2.6 million barrels from 236.2 million a week earlier.

Here's your pivot, resistance and support numbers for Wednesdays trading.....

Crude oil was higher due to short covering overnight as it consolidates some of the decline off last week's high. Stochastics and the RSI remain bearish signaling that sideways to lower prices are possible near term. If March extends the decline off last week's high, January's low crossing at 85.11 is the next downside target. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 89.60 would signal that a short term low has been posted. First resistance is the 10 day moving average crossing at 89.00. Second resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 89.60. First support is Tuesday's low crossing at 85.88. Second support is January's low crossing at 85.11. Crude oil pivot point for Wednesday morning is 86.98.

Natural gas was lower overnight as it extends the decline off January's high. Stochastics and the RSI are oversold but remain bearish signaling that additional weakness is possible near term. If March renews the decline off January's high, the 87% retracement level of the October-January rally crossing at 3.975 is the next downside target. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.405 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. First resistance is the 10 day moving average crossing at 4.262. Second resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.405. First support is the overnight low crossing at 3.996. Second support is the 87% retracement level of the October-January rally crossing at 3.975. Natural gas pivot point for Wednesday morning is 4.065.

Gold was slightly lower due to light profit taking overnight as it consolidates some of Tuesday's rally but remains above the 20 day moving average crossing at 1351.50. Stochastics and the RSI remain bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If February extends the rebound off January's low, the reaction high crossing at 1394.70 is the next upside target. Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 1344.60 would temper the near term bullish outlook. First resistance is Tuesday's high crossing at 1368.70. Second resistance is the reaction high crossing at 1394.70. First support is the 10 day moving average crossing at 1344.50. Second support is January's low crossing at 1309.10. Gold pivot point for Wednesday morning is 1360.60.


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Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Peoples Bank of China "Resets" Crude Oil and Commodity Prices

Yes, that is about what it amounts to, the Chinese will determine world commodity prices. We are reminded again what really matters when it comes to oil and commodity prices now and in the future as the People's Bank of China announced it will raise the one year yuan lending rate to 6.06% from 5.81%, and the one year yuan deposit rate to 3.00% from 2.75%. Obviously the government in China is showing that they are much more serious about the recent inflationary issues that are threatening their economy than most investors thought. And the traders in the crude oil pits are paying attention.

This is shaping up to be a trade war and currency battle like has never been seen before as the U.S. Federal Reserve policy of QE2 keeps driving commodity inflation and demand while emerging markets around the world and especially the Chinese are looking to reel in their inflation woes and drive down those same commodity prices. So who is really in the drivers seat, who has the upper hand? We say the bank is the one that calls the shots and we all know who that is, this is what we get for depending on China to buy our debt while maintaining such a trade imbalance.

Crude oil was lower overnight as it extends the decline off last week's high. Stochastics and the RSI are bearish signaling that sideways to lower prices are possible near term. If March extends the decline off last week's high, January's low crossing at 85.11 is the next downside target. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 89.82 would signal that a short term low has been posted. First resistance is the 10 day moving average crossing at 88.95. Second resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 89.82. First support is the overnight low crossing at 85.88. Second support is January's low crossing at 85.11. Crude oil pivot point for Tuesday morning is 88.07.

Natural gas was lower overnight as it extends the decline off January's high. Stochastics and the RSI are oversold but remain bearish signaling that additional weakness is possible near term. If March renews the decline off January's high, the 87% retracement level of the October-January rally crossing at 3.975 is the next downside target. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.430 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. First resistance is the 10 day moving average crossing at 4.316. Second resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.430. First support is the overnight low crossing at 4.069. Second support is the 87% retracement level of the October-January rally crossing at 3.975. Natural gas pivot point for Tuesday morning is 4.160.

Gold was higher overnight and trading above resistance marked by the 20 day moving average crossing at 1350.90. Stochastics and the RSI remain bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 1350.90 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. If February renews the decline off January's high, the 25% retracement level of the 2009-2010 rally crossing at 1296.40 is the next downside target. First resistance is last Friday's high crossing at 1360.00. Second resistance is the reaction high crossing at 1394.70. First support is January's low crossing at 1309.10. Second support is the 25% retracement level of the 2009-2010 rally crossing at 1296.40. Gold pivot point for Tuesday morning is 1348.90.


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Monday, February 7, 2011

Is Gold Playing Out The "Buy The Rumor Sell The News" Trade?

Do any of us really believe our fearless leader at the Federal Reserve when he makes statements like "we are not seeing any inflation". We think most traders and even the average investor knows this is just not true. As countries like Egypt see food prices surging. Over the past couple years everyone has been talking about how inflation will soon start and that has been one of the main driving forces for higher precious metals prices.

As we all know the market does the opposite as to what the majority of investors are doing. And while everyone has been buying metals in anticipation of inflation, we find it amusing how inflation for the first time is clearly presented on TV (Egypt issues) and we see gold and silver trading lower than they were a month ago. Seems like the buy the rumor sell the news lives is playing out. But the question everyone is starting to ask is how far will the metals correct?

We do not think they will drop much further but we do think it’s going to take 6-8 months before we see new highs in both gold and silver. They have had a nice run but now it looks as though they may cool off for a while. We could see some strength in the dollar for a little while and that should keep some pressure on metals even though inflation is clearly starting to show up around the world. Then the metals should start to climb the wall or worry again.

Below you'll find our updated charts on gold, silver and the gold miners index. Not much has really changed from last week analysis other than both gold and gold miners are getting deeper into a resistance level forming a bear flag pattern.

Gold Daily Chart
Gold is working its way up into a key resistance level and forming a possible bear flag.


Silver Daily Chart
Silver has been testing its key resistance level for a few days. It is normal to see silver push the limits and make larger moves simply because it is thinly traded and much more volatile. It looks ripe for a pullback at this area.


Gold Miners Daily Chart Index
Gold stocks have put in a nice bounce from the strong selling in January. As it pushes up into a resistance level it’s starting to look more attractive as a short play also. I still think the market has a couple more days to upward/chop before metals see possibly another thrust down, but that also depends on what the dollar does this week. The dollar does look ready to rally this coming week and that will put pressure on metals.


Conclusion For Gold Trading This Week:
In short, we an still neutral to bearish on gold, silver and gold stocks. Last week’s report showed these same patterns and it takes time for patterns to mature. The market always tends to take longer than we think to start a move.

At the moment we are waiting for metals to form a low risk entry point which looks to me like we could take a short position for another downward thrust in the market unfolds as the charts are hinting to before we buy gold for another long term hold as inflation rises.

To get our daily trading videos, intraday updates and trade alerts just click here to subscribe to our newsletter The Gold and Oil Guy.



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Higher Food Prices Supports Gold....Can it do the Same for Crude Oil?

Crude oil is trading slightly higher as oil is trying to recover from Fridays beating on disappointing U.S. non-farm payrolls data, still below the psychological barrier of $90. But gold takes the center stage with commodity traders again as higher food prices gives gold bulls a reason to cheer. Higher food prices usually supports gold prices due to increased inflation and political unrest like we are seeing in Egypt. And traders are asking "Is OPEC member Algeria next?" as food prices there soar.

Crude oil stochastics and the RSI are turning bearish hinting that a short term top might be in or is near. Closes below the 10 day moving average crossing at 89.13 would temper the near term friendly outlook. If March renews the rally off January's low, January's high crossing at 93.46 is the next upside target. First resistance is last Monday's high crossing at 92.84. Second resistance is January's high crossing at 93.46. First support is the 10 day moving average crossing at 89.13. Second support is January's low crossing at 85.11. Crude oil pivot point for Monday morning is 89.72.

Natural gas gapped down and was lower overnight as it renewed the decline off January's high. Stochastics and the RSI are oversold but are bearish signaling that additional weakness is possible near term. If March renews the decline off January's high, the 75% retracement level of the October-January rally crossing at 4.097 is the next downside target. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.453 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. First resistance is the 10 day moving average crossing at 4.372. Second resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.453. First support is the overnight low crossing at 4.187. Second support is the 75% retracement level of the October-January rally crossing at 4.097. Natural gas pivot point for Monday morning is 4.322.

Gold was lower overnight as it consolidates some of the rally off January's low. Stochastics and the RSI remain bullish hinting that a low might be in or is near. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 1353.20 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. If February renews the decline off January's high, the 25% retracement level of the 2009-2010 rally crossing at 1296.40 is the next downside target. First resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 1353.20. Second resistance is the reaction high crossing at 1394.70. First support is January's low crossing at 1309.10. Second support is the 25% retracement level of the 2009-2010 rally crossing at 1296.40. Gold pivot point for Monday morning is 1351.80.


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Friday, February 4, 2011

How Much Violence is to Much Violence For Crude Oil Prices?

World oil markets took prices higher overnight as pro Mubarak demonstrators took the streets of Egypt Thursday bringing a new level of violence and adding to the tension. But the added tension does not appear to get the attention of Suez Canal operators or customers as the canal maintains it's normal 50 ships a day average. 49 on Thursday and even 56 one day this week. Traders in the U.S. still seem to be more concerned with gasoline inventories being at an 18 year high in this country.

Maybe the news should be focused on the natural gas trade at this point. Record cold temps in my region, the desert southwestern U.S., have us experiencing natural gas shortages. A wake up call for those calling for wide spread use of natural gas as a vehicle fuel. We have a lot to do in the form of getting infrastructure in place before we can even begin to make that move. Is Washington listening? Gold may be the trade of the day as gold miner stocks continue to under perform. Gold stocks underperformed the price of gold this week and are also forming a bearish chart pattern. If this plays out then we can expect another sizable pullback in both gold stocks and the price of gold because this index typically leads the gold. And it looks like Fridays employment data will be front and center for gold and the markets today.

But we are ready and here is our numbers for the last day of trading this week......

Crude oil was slightly higher overnight as it extends this week's trading range. Stochastics and the RSI remain neutral to bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If March renews the rally off last Friday's low, January's high crossing at 93.46 is the next upside target. Closes below the 10 day moving average crossing at 89.14 would temper the near term friendly outlook. First resistance is Monday's high crossing at 92.84. Second resistance is January's high crossing at 93.46. First support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 90.20. Second support is the 10 day moving average crossing at 89.14. Crude oil pivot point for Friday morning is 90.86.

Natural gas was steady to slightly higher overnight as it consolidates below key resistance marked by the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.463. Stochastics and the RSI are oversold but are neutral hinting that a short term low might be in or is near. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.463 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. If March renews the decline off January's high, the 62% retracement level of the October-January rally crossing at 4.225 is the next downside target. First resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.463. Second resistance is the reaction high crossing at 4.601. First support is last Friday's low crossing at 4.252. Second support is the 62% retracement level of the October-January rally crossing at 4.225. Natural gas pivot point for Friday morning is 4.386.

Gold was lower overnight as it consolidates some of Thursday's rally. Stochastics and the RSI are bullish hinting that a low might be in or is near. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 1354.45 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. If February renews the decline off January's high, the 25% retracement level of the 2009-2010 rally crossing at 1296.40 is the next downside target. First resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 1354.45. Second resistance is the reaction high crossing at 1394.70. First support is last Friday's low crossing at 1309.10. Second support is the 25% retracement level of the 2009-2010 rally crossing at 1296.40. Gold pivot point for Friday morning is 1345.00.


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Thursday, February 3, 2011

The Gold and Oil Guy......Are Stocks and Gold Set to Move Higher?

Chris Vermeulen of The Gold and Oil.Com continues to bring us the best market analysis available anywhere. And today he shows us how he is trading this market with one foot in the bull camp and one foot in the bear camp.....

As most sophisticated investors and traders are aware, the U.S. Federal government has run up significant deficits and the long term debt burden is becoming a drain on Gross Domestic Product. That being said, most economists are discussing the possibility of a major decline in the value of the U.S. Dollar going forward as inflationary monetary policy begins to strangle growth. While that view point may prove right over the long haul, in the short run most traders are not likely expecting the U.S. Dollar to rally.

The U.S. Dollar is expected to reach a multi year cycle low in the near future. From the cyclical low, I expect the U.S. Dollar to regain a strong footing and work higher against the crowd. This is not to say that the U.S. Dollar will not eventually decline, but financial markets do not work that easily. Shorting the U.S. Dollar is a crowded trade and Mr. Market punishes crowded trades quite often by pushing prices the opposite of what the heard is expecting. Should the U.S. Dollar find a strong underlying bid, precious metals and domestic equities would feel the brunt force of such a move. While it remains to be seen if the U.S. Dollar rallies, if it does it will catch many traders and economists by surprise and the unwinding of the short dollar trade could unleash a wave of buying that we have not seen for quite some time.

Let’s take a look inside the market.....

Major Index Price Action Over The Past 12 Trading Sessions – Bearish
Below is a table showing the main indexes used for tracking the market. The interesting thing about this data is that the indexes which typically lead the market have been deteriorating for the past 12 days and no one has noticed.

In short, the Nasdaq, Russell and Dow Transport indexes typically lead the market

Every radio station and business channel covers the Dow and SP500 indexes therefor the general public hears the market performance based on the those indexes. The problem here is that the Dow only consists of 30 stocks and the SP500 only holds the top 500 companies which is not a full view of the overall market because there are thousands of stocks listed on the exchanges.

The analysis below can be taken two ways depending which boat you are in… which I will explain in just a minute. The way I see things is a bit of both, I’m not really in or boat or the other....rather I have one foot in each because I have seen the market do things which support both sides (manipulation and measured technical moves) during my 14 years trading.

Ok here are my thoughts/opinions/forecasts.....

Idea #1: Dow and SP500 indexes which 99% of the public use to gauge the market are moving higher on light volume. I feel because these indexes hold the stocks which everyone knows and is comfortable buying that this is the reason why they keep going up while the rest of the market silently erodes. It’s the simple thought that big money is moving out of leveraged positions (small cap stocks, transports, technology) in anticipation of a market correction, and the Average Joe continue to buy into brand name stocks boosting the Dow and SP500 thinking things are peachy.

Idea #2: We all know there is market manipulation, the question is how much of the price action is manipulation and how much is real supply and demand? No one will ever really know and that’s just part of the market and trading we have to deal with as traders. But I know there are traders out there blaming the Feds, POMO, and PPT for pushing the market up month after month. So the question is if these invisible forces manipulating the top 30-500 stock prices by buying them up which naturally boosts the Dow and SP500 indexes to keep everyone bullish on the market?

My thinking is that it’s a bit of both and that a correction is just around the corner.


Gold Miner Stocks Underperform Gold – Not a good sign
Gold stocks today (Wednesday) underperformed the price of gold and are also forming a bearish chart pattern. If this plays out then we can expect another sizable pullback in both gold stocks and the price of gold because this index typically leads the gold.


US Dollar Multi Year Support Trendline
The US Dollar is trading down at a key support level and if we get a bounce and possibly even a rally then we could see a sizable correction in stocks and commodities across the board. As we all know everyone is shorting the dollar, buying gold and buying food commodities…. So it makes sense that all these crowded plays are about to see a major shift. Now this is just my contrarian point of view and those of you who follow my work know I’m not bias in my trading. I just take the market one day or week at a time and play the setups. But you must step back and look at the larger picture and at least give it some thought....


Concluding Thoughts:
In short, the major indexes are moving higher on light volume which is not a strong sign, and other key indexes are pointing to lower prices. The question everyone wants to know is how low will this correction be? The answer to that is that you must play the trend as you never know if a trend will last 2 days or a year. I take the market one day at a time continually analyzing price action.

If you would like to get my detailed reports and daily videos covering my analysis please sign up for my newsletter at The Gold and Oil Guy.com

Chris Vermeulen


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Where is Crude Oil Headed on Thursday?

With all of the news coming out of Egypt and Brent Oil finding a new home above $100 you would think it was no where but up for WTI Crude. But Americans are finding little interest in the news out of the middle east as they are more concerned about weather or not the interstate system in the U.S. staying open then the Suez Canal staying open at this point. Most of the U.S. is being rocked by a severe winter storm and oil inventories continue to rise. Crude oil has moved higher this morning, topping $92 dollars as we go to print. But a quick slash of the magic crayon is still telling us that crude may have put in a double top in the first two weeks of the year and will have to top the January high of 93.46 to force us on the bull bus.

Winter storms or news out of Egypt, we'll still use the same numbers. Here's your pivot, support and resistance numbers for Thursday morning.....

Crude oil was higher overnight and poised to renew the rally off last Friday's low. Stochastics and the RSI remain bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If March extends the rally off last Friday's low, January's high crossing at 93.46 is the next upside target. Closes below the 10 day moving average crossing at 89.12 would temper the near term friendly outlook. First resistance is Monday's high crossing at 92.84. Second resistance is January's high crossing at 93.46. First support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 90.23. Second support is the 10 day moving average crossing at 89.12. Crude oil pivot point for Thursday morning is 90.91.

Natural gas was lower overnight as it consolidates below key resistance marked by the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.470. However, stochastics and the RSI are oversold and are turning bullish hinting that a short term low might be in or is near. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.470 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. If March renews the decline off January's high, the 62% retracement level of the October-January rally crossing at 4.225 is the next downside target. First resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.470. Second resistance is the reaction high crossing at 4.601. First support is last Friday's low crossing at 4.252. Second support is the 62% retracement level of the October-January rally crossing at 4.225. Natural gas pivot point for Thursday morning is 4.404.

Gold was slightly higher overnight but continues to consolidate above the 25% retracement level of the 2009-2010 rally crossing at 1296.40. Stochastics and the RSI are neutral to bullish hinting that a low might be in or is near. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 1354.60 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. If February renews the decline off January's high, the 25% retracement level of the 2009-2010 rally crossing at 1296.40 is the next downside target. First resistance is the reaction high crossing at 1349.00. Second resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 1354.60. First support is last Friday's low crossing at 1309.10. Second support is the 25% retracement level of the 2009-2010 rally crossing at 1296.40. Gold pivot point for Thursday morning is 1335.00.


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Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Crude Oil Cools Off While Gold Never Even Warmed up.....Is Gold Going Lower Yet?

It seems the announcement by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down by not running for office in September has given commodity traders some reason to take pressure off of oil prices. But where was gold in all of this? Why didn't gold rocket higher like it has during every other middle east crisis over the last 60 years? Despite all the turmoil in Egypt and the Arab world, gold has stubbornly refused to rally. This probably causes great concern amongst the gold bugs and the folks who are bullish on gold. As we have mentioned before many times on this blog, "perception is more powerful than fundamentals."

While the gold permabulls argue that the market is being manipulated, we are more realistic and respect what the market is actually doing. The big question on everyone's mind is....Why are food prices and other commodity markets soaring, while gold is plummeting into the $1,330 area? Our best estimation at this point in time is that we are going to see more sideways action and probably some recovery from current levels. However, we would like to see some concrete evidence that the market has actually put in a low and that we will see a recovery in this yellow metal in the future.

In todays short video, we explained what we mean and show you some concrete examples of our strategy and how to make money on this move lower in gold. And of course we have your pivot, support and resistance numbers for crude oil, natural gas and gold for Wednesdays trading......


Crude oil was higher overnight as it consolidates some of Tuesday's decline. Stochastics and the RSI remain bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If March extends the rally off last Friday's low, January's high crossing at 93.46 is the next upside target. Closes below the 10 day moving average crossing at 88.88 would temper the near term friendly outlook. First resistance is Monday's high crossing at 92.84. Second resistance is January's high crossing at 93.46. First support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 90.20. Second support is the 10 day moving average crossing at 88.88. Crude oil pivot point for Wednesday morning is 91.18.

Natural gas was higher overnight as it consolidates some of the decline off January's high. Stochastics and the RSI are oversold and are turning neutral to bullish hinting that a short term low might be in or is near. Closes above the 10 day moving average crossing at 4.481 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. If March extends the decline off January's high, the 62% retracement level of the October-January rally crossing at 4.225 is the next downside target. First resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.469. Second resistance is the 10 day moving average crossing at 4.481. First support is last Friday's low crossing at 4.252. Second support is the 62% retracement level of the October-January rally crossing at 4.225. Natural gas pivot point for Wednesday morning is 4.364.

Gold was lower overnight but continues to consolidate above the 25% retracement level of the 2009-2010 rally crossing at 1296.40. Stochastics and the RSI are turning bullish hinting that a low might be in or is near. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 1356.90 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. If February extends the decline off January's high, the 25% retracement level of the 2009-2010 rally crossing at 1296.40 is the next downside target. First resistance is the 10 day moving average crossing at 1337.50. Second resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 1356.90. First support is last Friday's low crossing at 1309.10. Second support is the 25% retracement level of the 2009-2010 rally crossing at 1296.40. Gold pivot point for Wednesday morning is 1336.80.

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