Showing posts with label REAL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label REAL. Show all posts

Monday, December 14, 2015

Evaluating Brazil

By Doug Casey

Editor’s Note: Casey Research originally published this article in January 2013. We’ve updated it with new, timely commentary. Doug’s analysis of Brazil is still vital today. They are timeless lessons on what happens to a country when a currency collapses.

Let’s explore Brazil, the “B” in the BRIC countries. It’s been getting a lot of applause as the new breadbasket of the world, and Brazilians are viewed as taking their place among the world’s new rich guys. I recently spent a week in São Paulo. I’d been to Brazil a half dozen times over the years, but never to São Paulo, a gigantic city that could easily be mistaken for L.A., except that it lacks the charm, is said to have vastly more crime, and speaks Portuguese, not Spanish. I was there to play in the Brazil Series of Poker, but also because I just wanted to see the place, since it vies with Mexico City to be the biggest agglomeration of people in the Western Hemisphere and is one of the biggest cities in the world. And it’s only a two hour flight from Buenos Aires.

It’s fairly easy to generalize about the other countries in South America. They’re all quite different from one another, but, relative to Brazil, each is small and homogeneous. For an American, getting to know Brazil is much harder than for a Brazilian to get to know the U.S. For one thing, it’s vastly more difficult to get around; you’ll basically have to fly everywhere. And the country hasn’t yet been homogenized with the franchise clones making cities and towns indistinguishable from one another. Brazil is a veritable subcontinent. Let me recall a few facts that almost everybody knows (and therefore are hardly worth mentioning), and also some that relatively few know (and that may, therefore, offer you some edge).

Brazil is somewhat larger than the continental U.S., has 5,000 miles of beachfront, and 190 million people. Nearly half of them are concentrated in the southeast, in just 10% of the country’s area. The countryside there roughly resembles Georgia in the U.S. One-third of Brazil’s GDP comes from in and around São Paulo, which is the functional center of the region. That city is where the action is, but it truly has no soul. It’s almost entirely of recent construction; what’s left of the quaint old downtown is now just a hangout for beggars, bums, and pickpockets. I consider the burg devoid of attraction, unlivable, and have no urgent desire to go back.

Only businesspeople go to São Paulo; tourists go to Rio, a much more appealing place. Surprisingly, Brazil only gets about 5 million tourists a year, and most of them are from neighboring Argentina. This is a very low number. France gets 80 million, the U.S. 60 million, Thailand 20 million, and Singapore 10 million. Cuba and Uruguay get about 2.5 million apiece. Even Syria reported 5 million in 2011 - a number I find hard to credit and which may include numbers of tourists who are heavily armed. Further proof you have to take all government statistics with a grain of salt; all the bureaucrats know is what someone casually puts on a form.

The good news is that a tourist number as low as Brazil’s can only go up, which is favorable, unlike most of what I’ll have to say about the place. And it will go up, because they’re hosting the FIFA World Cup soccer contest in 2014 and then the Summer Olympics in 2016. It’s completely unclear to me, however, where they’re going to put all the sports fans or how the visitors are going to get around and get on generally, even though the government plans on spending $20 billion on stadiums, airport upgrades, and road building to accommodate the crowds. Most of the money will inevitably be frittered away on monument construction, as opposed to things that make life easier or more pleasant.

Doug Casey: You might want to read my editorial about the ongoing FIFA so-called scandal.
I haven’t found Brazil to be convenient for anything. It’s extremely difficult to find a place to exchange even dollars - forget about other currencies. Except at major hotels, where you’ll pay a 15% fee. But there aren’t a whole lot of hotels, reflecting the low number of arrivers. And the average Brazilian speaks only Portuguese, although kids are learning either Spanish or English in schools. But how well did you speak a foreign language when you got out of high school? If I didn’t have some Spanish (which is much more comprehensible to a Portuguese speaker than vice versa), I would have been reduced to hand gestures.

That’s apart from the fact that illiteracy is officially figured at 10%, although my guess is that it’s much higher.

Demography, Cities & Race

São Paulo is different from Rio in every aspect. It’s flat, as opposed to mountainous. It’s non-centered, with numerous subcities, rather than being focused on the beach. It’s purely about business and getting ahead, as opposed to having a good time. Both cities are famous for their high rates of violent crime, emanating from the favelas, which are the shantytowns that ring all the major cities. They originated in the ’50s, when poor people started moving into the cities looking for opportunity. The cities were much more pleasant and more livable before the favelas arose - but they’re actually good things. They’re the first step to urbanization. And in the Third World, that’s essential for increasing literacy, improving incomes, and slowing the production of waifs and street kids.

When you think of the favelas, you might imagine the population is swelling. Just the opposite, actually. As people move into the cities, they redirect their attention from family to work, and women take advantage of modern birth control. Women find jobs, and there are few grandparents around to help raise the kids - who are now seen as an expense, as opposed to cheap labor for the farm.

So here’s a shocking statistic. As late as 1980, the average Brazilian woman had four children; the country was in the midst of a population explosion. As of 2011, however, the average was down to 1.8. The government estimates that in 15 years, it will drop to 1.5, which is far below the replacement rate of 2.2. This is happening almost everywhere in the world now, not just in Europe, North America, China, Japan, and other developed countries. The implications of this trend - which I believe will accelerate worldwide - are profound. But that’s for another article. Brazil is now essentially an urban country, with almost 85% of its 190 million inhabitants living in towns and cities.

The degree of urbanization relates not just to the birth rate, but to other phenomena, like racism and even slavery. Brazil has long had a reputation as a non-racist society. I think that’s true, even though it was the last major country in the world where the slavery of blacks as a group was abolished, in 1888. An event which is, in my view, irrefutable proof that the U.S. War Between the States was neither necessary nor essentially about slavery.

One reason there’s little antagonism between the races in Brazil is that the country never had a Lincoln, or a war, to polarize them. I think there’s going to be ever more racial harmony as more people live in cities and almost necessarily start seeing each other as individuals, as economic units, rather than as members of a racial group. There was no racial hostility that I could see. Slavery is still said to exist in the Muslim world, but only on an individual, as opposed to a legalized and institutional, basis. That’s because it’s completely uneconomic today; it’s hard to incentivize slaves to work productively in a high-tech economy.
Doug Casey: Actually, it does exist. I spent 10 days in Mauritania in June, where it was only officially abolished in 1987. But it still exists. Mostly because the slaves are well treated, and don’t have a better alternative.
And common laborers, doing grunt work, are less and less either necessary or desirable. Within a generation from now, intelligent robots will be doing most menial labor, making human muscular input almost redundant. But that’s just the culmination of a trend that’s been in motion since the start of the Industrial Revolution, when people started moving into cities on a grand scale. In those days, London had its own versions of the favela, as New York City later also did.

The fact is that the southeast of the country - the area from Rio on down - is socially very European, while the rural and undeveloped northeast is quite African. It’s mild de facto segregation. At the poker tournament I played in, there couldn’t have been more than 10 blacks among the 1,800 players. That’s partly a reflection of São Paulo’s demographics (even though, as a national event, people were from all over the country) and partly because the 1,800 real (US$900) entrance fee was prohibitive for those who aren’t solidly in the middle class. And in Brazil, that still leaves out almost all the blacks.
Doug Casey: You’ll notice the real has lost over half of its value in only three years. This is one reason why the average person here - who saves in reals - can’t get ahead.
But a rising tide raises all boats. The question is: What’s going to happen to the economy in Brazil? And how can you profit from it?

The Economy

Brazil has, from its very beginning, been plagued with dirigiste government. When it comes to papers to fill out, stamps and approvals to garner, layers of taxes to pay, and bureaucrats to soothe, it may be the worst place in Latin America. I think anyone who runs a business in the country is both a saint and a hero, although that’s becoming the case almost anywhere. The country has done as well as it has mainly because it’s so big, and Brazilians are used to dealing with Brazilians, mostly within Brazil.

The place has a lot of native wealth. You’d think it almost couldn’t help but be prosperous. But that would be untrue, as demonstrated by the Congo, which is a basket case despite being at least as rich in resources as Brazil; and with the counterexample of Japan, which is extremely wealthy despite having no resources at all except its people. Brazil is midway between them. For what it’s worth, the largest Japanese community in the world outside Japan lives in Brazil.

Except for the very recent past, the country’s history is all about dictators, military governments, and currency destruction - but its promoters overlook these things. You might think history would have taught Brazilians a lesson and shown them what not to do, so that they don’t repeat the same mistakes. But that’s not the way it seems to work. Instead, every disaster becomes ingrained as part of the culture. I admire the makers of the surreal movie Brazil for capturing much of the essence of the place.

There’s an old saying about Brazil: It’s the country of the future - and always will be. That may be true partly because it’s a closed economy and always has been. Brazil is essentially an island, cut off from the rest of the continent by a jungle. And the southeast, the developed part of the country, is cut off from the interior by the highlands. And it’s rather unlikely that a bridge is ever going to cross the Amazon anywhere near the coast; the river’s 200 miles wide at its mouth. The place could plausibly be at least two or three different countries. Brazil’s mainland links to the rest of the continent are Uruguay and Paraguay - both small, quiet, backward countries that offer little in the way of trade possibilities but do present a language difference.

China is now Brazil’s big export destination for iron ore, soybeans, beef, and chicken. But the China bubble is overdue to burst, and the country’s imports of iron ore are going to collapse. Brazil will feel it especially, partly because of shipping costs, since it’s literally on the other side of the planet from China, and partly because producing anything in Brazil has become expensive.

Iron ore neared $200 a tonne at the peak of the recent boom, up from about $20 at the 2001 bottom. It probably costs Vale, by far Brazil’s largest producer and largest company, about $40 to produce the stuff and perhaps $20 more to ship it. The ore currently trades at around $120 in China, but I don’t see why the price couldn’t collapse to less than production cost. Further, Australia not only produces the stuff for less than $30 a tonne, but is much closer to the Orient, so the shipping cost is half of Brazil’s. Vale is a heavily touted stock today. I wouldn’t touch it, for that and other reasons covered below.
Doug Casey: This, I’ve got to say, was an accurate call.
Brazil’s second-largest trade partner is the U.S. But what’s going to happen as the U.S. economy winds down? Third is Argentina, where exports are already collapsing because of the Kirchner regime. But it’s really incorrect to think of Brazil as a major force in trading. According to World Bank data, Brazil’s exports in 2011 amounted to only 12% of its GDP. The figures for Russia, India, and China were, respectively, 31%, 25%, and 31%. A few ag sectors qualify as exceptions, but overall the country is an isolated, self-contained island.

Brazil has made real progress over the last 13 years, since the bottom of the commodity cycle in 2001. Average prices of its commodities have gone up 2.5 times, and volumes have grown 50%. National income has boomed, more than trebled, in real terms. So, of course, the country has done well. But mostly for reasons extraneous to itself.

Agriculture

Over the last two decades, Latin America has become an increasingly important supplier of agricultural commodities to the rest of the world. In 1980, Latin America accounted for 30% of global soybean exports (oilseed, meal, and oil); in 2012, it accounted for over 60%. That’s mostly Brazil, in that while Argentine production has risen, punitive taxes under the Kirchners have kept it from rising by much. U.S. producers, meanwhile, have lost half their market share. Brazilian corn exports have gone from 11% of the world total in 1980 to 29% in 2012, while U.S. export numbers have collapsed due to the insane policy of turning corn into ethanol fuel.

Brazilian export numbers have boomed for coffee, sugar, beef, chicken, and orange juice as well. So a major argument by Brazil promoters is that it’s become the world’s food storehouse, and it’s going to grow from here. Unlike many of their arguments, this makes some sense, I think. But it’s not a good enough reason to invest there anytime soon.

Over the short term, global demand for agricultural commodities is likely to increase because, despite the downturn in world economic growth, world population is still going up. But even in Africa and the Muslim world, the population growth rate is slowing radically and will soon head down. The main driver for agriculture, in the long run, won’t be rising populations but rising standards of living.

Since the 1960s, world per-capita consumption of grains has increased at 0.5% per year compounded, on top of the growth in population. Planted area per capita has been declining, however, because of the expansion of the world’s cities, most of which were founded in prime agricultural areas. To compensate, new land has had to be cleared, and most of that has been in Brazil. Fortunately, advances in plant genetics, ag techniques, fertilizers, pesticides, and the like have increased production by something like slightly over 2% per year from 1970 to 1991, but at only half that rate since then. The result has been the commodity boom, mainly reflected in grains. But grains are poor people’s food. And they’re also highly political commodities, almost on a par with oil. I’m disinclined to invest in farmland for the grains.

I’m much more interested in specialty products, like grapes, olives, and other fruits. And cattle. Interestingly, cattle producers really haven’t participated in the recent ag boom, partly because they’ve been pushed onto less productive land, reflecting the weak profits for many, many years. Because of that, herds have been liquidated, and headcounts all around the world are at their lowest levels in three generations. That’s why I’m especially bullish on cattle. But that’s another story.

In the last five years, land prices in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and southern Brazil have risen 15% to 20% per annum. That’s mostly because, of course, grain prices have exploded. In the U.S., by comparison, farmland prices have only risen 10% per annum. Land in Latin America has done better partly because infrastructure had room to improve, and partly because the market is becoming ever more global because of generally lower tariffs and bigger, more efficient ships.

Will there be a worldwide shortage of arable land? I doubt it. The demand for grain is likely to flatten out. There’s an immense amount of underused farmland everywhere (especially in Africa). And I have no doubt technology will again increase productivity. So Brazil will grow in importance for food, but that’s not the bonanza a lot of promoters seem to think.

Stocks

Around 400 companies are listed on Brazil’s main exchange, the Bovespa, for about US$1.2 trillion of market cap. By far the biggest are iron miner Vale and Petrobras, the national, state-controlled oil company.
Those two and 27 other Brazilian stocks are traded in the U.S. They’ve historically always traded at a discount to their foreign peers because of the country’s well-known problems - high taxes, intense bureaucracy, onerous import restrictions and duties, high crime rate, uneducated population, and subpar infrastructure.

As well as Brazil has done, it’s been a laggard by comparison to its peers in Latin America. In the last 10 years, corporate earnings in Latin America have grown on average by 18% annually. The countries that have recorded the highest earnings growth rates are Peru (28%), Colombia (23%), Chile (13%), and Mexico (12%). Brazil trails the list with 11% growth. During that time, Latin American stocks averaged a 10-to-1 P/E ratio. Most expensive (but deservedly so, as by far the most liberal economy in the region) was Chile, at 15, followed by Mexico, Colombia, and Peru with P/Es of 12. Brazil has historically traded cheaper, with an average P/E of 8. I attribute that to the country’s tax and regulatory structure.

According to the World Bank’s Doing Business 2011 report, Brazil is ranked 127th out of 183 countries for business friendliness. Mexico ranks 35th and Chile 43rd. Brazil scores particularly badly in categories related to starting a business, registering property, paying taxes, and closing a business. It’s Kafkaesque here, as in many other Third World countries, in that they make it nearly impossible to open a business (because they’re trying to protect those already in existence), and equally hard to close one (because they’re trying to protect the workers).

Say what one will about how screwed up Argentina is - and its economy is a real mess and getting worse - at least the country has a strong tradition of classical liberalism. There are a lot of Argentines who know who Mises, Hayek, and Rothbard are and who study their work; that offers some hope for a renaissance. That just doesn’t seem to be the case in Brazil.

Based on all of this, I can’t see buying Brazilian stocks. Actually, the place to look is Argentina, which currently has some of the world’s most tempting market statistics - a P/E ratio of 3 (whereas its average over the last 10 years has been 12); a price-to-book-value ratio of 0.9 (versus an average of 2.0 over the last 10 years); and a dividend yield of 13% (versus an average of 4.2% over the last 10 years). Argentina is a bargain. But, like most bargains, nobody wants to touch it.
Nick Giambruno: Casey Research originally published this article in January 2013, and the Argentine market went up by more than 200% over the next 33 months.

Taxes

I’ve mentioned how brutal Brazilian taxes are. They’re a major reason everything in the country is so expensive - especially imported items. I decided to find out just how Byzantine the regime might be. Suppose you decide to import something to take advantage of the country’s vaunted growth. It had better be a highly desirable, extremely high margin item, because there are six levels of tax on imports, and they compound, each tax being levied upon the previous taxes. Nothing leaves the harbor before your check clears.

I’ll list them in the order they’re applied. On top of one another. They’re generally referred to by their Portuguese acronyms, in parentheses, to avoid confusion.
  • Merchant Marine Renewal Tax (AFRMM) - 25% of the shipping and port handling costs. Used to subsidize the merchant marine and shipbuilding industries.
  • Import Tax (II) - From zero to 35%, depending on the product. The level depends largely on which domestic industry they’re trying to protect.
  • Industrialized Products Tax (IPI) - From zero to 20%. Another protectionist tax.
  • Merchandise and Services Circulation Tax (ICMS) - This is essentially a VAT, levied by the states. It averages 18%, but ranges from zero for some “essential” items, to 25% for “luxury” goods.
  • Contribution to the Social Integration Program and Civil Service Asset Formation Program (PIS/PASEP) - 1.65%.
  • Contribution to Social Security Financing (COFINS) - 7.6%.

More Taxes

But I’ve only mentioned the import duties. The Corporate Income Tax (CIT) runs from 25% to 34%. Plus there are lots of rules regarding deals with related companies, companies in low-tax jurisdictions, and outbound interest payments. This is because, living in both a Latin culture and a high-tax jurisdiction, the Brazilians have grown expert at denying revenue to their voracious government. The government, in turn, adds more layers of rules.

Of course there’s also a personal income tax ranging to 35%. Then, on top of it, is Social Security (INSS) tax of 20%, accident insurance (SAT) of 1% to 3%, Employee Indemnity Guarantee Fund (FGTS) and Education Fund (SE) of 2.5%, plus assorted other taxes adding up to another 3.3% of income. There’s even a 10% tax on the acquisition of foreign technologies. This isn’t a treatise on Brazilian tax law, so I haven’t researched the limits, exclusions, exemptions, and deductions. But if you’re going to do anything here, you’d better have a good accountant.

Total import taxes can easily add up to 100% or more. It’s actually quite insane. Countries like Cuba and Iran complain about being placed under trade embargo and suffering from the dearth of imports. But Brazil - and, for that matter, almost every country in Latin America and Africa - effectively puts itself under embargo with its own tariffs. Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina are by far the worst self-tormentors.

Restricting purchases to things made within the arbitrary borders of one country (almost always to subsidize some inefficient local industry) makes about as much sense as limiting purchases to things made within a state, a county, or a city - or within a city block, for that matter. What’s happened in Brazil, as with all these places, is that it’s full of uneconomic industries, which turn out relatively high-cost/low-quality products. And often with a surfeit of workers - since keeping lots of workers on the payroll is considered smart public policy. That makes it very hard to make a sensible investment in these places.

It’s all happened before. Eventually reality wins out, and out of either intelligence or simple necessity, the duties come down, the protected industries collapse, and lots of workers become unemployed. The bigger and richer a country is, however, the more mistakes it can make before its eventual comeuppance. And Brazil is a rich country. In other words, Brazil has created some artificial and temporary prosperity in exchange for a very real depression sometime in the future. Neither an individual nor a country can get rich by producing inefficiently and wasting resources.

So Brazil should be doing vastly better than it is now and be on a much sounder foundation. But first it’s going to have to liquidate a lot of malinvestment and allow the severe distortions that have built up over the decades to unwind themselves. It won’t be fun, and it’s going to happen regardless of what’s going on in the rest of the world. This is a major factor that Brazil’s lately arrived cheerleaders either don’t see or don’t understand. It’s why Brazil - as with all controlled, politicized markets - has to be treated as a speculation, not as an investment.

History Equals Culture

Let’s take a look at where Brazil has been to get a better grip on where it’s likely to go.
Brazil split from Portugal in 1822 (about the time the rest of Latin America was breaking political ties with Spain), but remained a monarchy. After independence, the head of state was styled “Emperor” until 1889. (Would the U.S. be the country it is today - yes, the description is loaded with irony - if it had been a monarchy that late in its life?) The next 40 years saw political instability, with alternating military and oligarchical governments, essentially all financed with coffee exports. In 1930, a military coup installed the Vargas dictatorship, typical of governments the world over in the ’30s in its promotion of industrialization by state-owned companies. It survived coups by both pro-Communist and pro-Nazi elements while resembling both.

Another general was elected president in 1946, followed by one headstrong statist after another promising the era’s version of hope and change, by making “50 years’ progress in 5 years.” Part of that promise included moving the capital from Rio to Brasilia, a city built from whole cloth in the middle of the jungle, in the middle of nowhere, starting in 1956. Three million people now live there, so it has been construed a success by some. I think it’s better described as an ongoing disaster and a monument to the gigantic size, complexity, and cost of the Brazilian government.

Brazil was again a military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985, with all the things that have come to be expected from a banana republic ruled by generals - repression, torture, corruption, and runaway inflation. This brings us to the current era, with the ascension of Fernando Collor de Mello in 1985, then the first elected leader in 29 years. He started a trend toward liberalization - beginning the privatization of companies like Vale, Embraer, and Telebras - and toward political moderation that’s been in motion since.

Predictably, Collor de Mello was tried on corruption charges. I say it’s predictable both because enemies of liberalization wanted to punish him and because it was inevitable that, with lots of new capital being liberated, some of it would stick to the president and his cronies. That’s what politics is all about everywhere.

A big change came in 1994 with the invention of the real, the present currency, which was initially priced at US$1.25. Brazilians were overwhelmed at the thought of their currency being worth more than a dollar, even if only for a while. Surprisingly, the currency has been managed fairly prudently, losing just 60% against the dollar over 20 years. Part of the real’s comparative durability was that Brazilians were reacting against the immense inconvenience of one currency destruction after another; part was the simultaneous partial liberalization of the economy on a number of fronts, especially imports.

But when Lula da Silva (who’d run for president twice before) was elected in 2002, the real collapsed to US$0.25, because he and his leftist party had long promised to roll back what reforms had been made and return to a more closed economy. Surprisingly, da Silva proved quite moderate. And he had the singular good luck to be elected at the beginning of the great commodity boom, which brought lots of capital into Brazil, facilitated nearly full employment, and increased the value of the real to its current two to the U.S. dollar.

It was a given that his protégé, Dilma Rousseff, would easily be elected in 2011. Rousseff used to be a communist radical, but like da Silva, she’s acted in a fairly responsible and reasonable way so far. She’s even talked about freeing the economy further and reducing some taxes. These things are possible. But so far she’s been presiding over good times. When things get tough, it’s likely she’ll return to her intellectual and psychological roots, and the government will act the way it usually has.

So I wouldn’t plan my life around meaningful liberalization in Brazil. Or good times in any of its markets. One reason is that the commodity boom has already run a long way, and further gains are likely to be marginal in real terms. But a bigger reason is simply the country’s history and culture - dictators, generals, chronic inflation, and consistently destructive economic policies. When the world economy turns down in the near future, it’s not going to help Brazil. They’ll likely revert to form. Or simply act like almost every other government in the world today and “do something.” Brazil is a prime example of the wisdom of the old saw “Never invest in a country that has the color green in its flag.”

Culture and Currency

Four recently published books promote Brazil as the place to be, mainly because it’s a BRIC that has established a great “track record” since 2001. This is typical of what happens at the top of a bubble. When stocks are at a peak, people want a book about how the Dow is going to 40,000; this is true across all times, places, and markets. People are now writing books on Brazil.

But it’s almost always a mistake to buy popular investments and speculations. In order to make serious money, you have to buy while something is cheap and unwanted, even unknown - better yet, despised. Not after it’s expensive and everyone’s hungry for it. People tend to confuse investments with people. When it comes to people, track records are critical. With people, past performance isn’t just the best, it’s essentially the only predictor of future performance.

Someone who has exemplified the Boy Scout virtues in the past is likely to continue on that course; someone with a panoply of vices and bad habits is likely to carry them to a bad end. The same is true of companies, at least until management changes. But even when it does, corporate culture lingers for a considerable period. This is even more the case with countries. Change in a country’s culture takes generations, if it happens at all.

Everyone talks (quite correctly) about how totally irresponsible Argentina has been with its currency, but Brazil’s follies have been forgotten in the celebrating of its success over the last 15 years. You may find a comparison of interest.

Argentina has had only five currencies in its modern history - the peso moneda nacional (PMN), the peso ley, the peso argentino, the austral, and the current peso convertible. The PMN was used from before WWI until 1970. In its early days, it was tied to gold, and the PMN traded at about 2.25 pesos to the dollar. It started slipping after the Great Depression began in 1929 and then went from 4.2 (to the dollar) in 1947 to 15 in 1950. At that point Peronism, a peculiar blend of corporatism, populism, socialism, fascism, Keynesianism, militarism, nationalism, and other variants of statism that seemed like good ideas at various times, took over. And the ideas have never let go of the popular Argentine psyche.

In 1970, the PMN was replaced by the peso ley, for a 100-1 rollback.
In 1983, the peso ley was replaced by the peso argentino, for a 10,000-1 rollback.
In 1985, the peso argentino was replaced by the austral, for a 1,000-1 rollback.
In 1992, the austral was replaced by the peso convertible, for a 10,000-1 rollback.

This happened with the election of Carlos Menem, who greatly liberalized the economy (while facilitating grand larceny among his cronies). Menem maintained this peso’s relative value with a currency board, wherein the central bank was supposed to take in and hold one U.S. dollar for every peso it issued. They kept to that for a while, then started fraudulently issuing extra pesos, which led to the famous crisis of 2001, with a 75% devaluation.

If you’d held Argentine currency through its various replacements over the last 100 years, you’d have retained only 1/70 trillionth of its original value. At the moment, the peso has an “official” value of 4.7 to the dollar, but trades on the semi-illegal free market for 7 to 1. It’s on its way to zero again. The history of currency in Brazil is even worse, despite the Banco do Brasil mission statement’s talk of “ensur[ing] the stability of the currency’s purchasing power and a solid and efficient financial system.” But all central banks say that.

Brazil long maintained its original real from the 18th century and then replaced it with the cruzeiro in 1942, for a 100-1 rollback.
In 1965, the cruzeiro novo replaced the cruzeiro, for a 1,000-1 rollback.
In 1986, the cruzeiro novo was replaced with the cruzado, for a 1,000-1 rollback.
In 1993, the cruzado was replaced with the cruzeiro real, for a 1,000-1 rollback.
In 1994, the cruzeiro real was replaced with the real, for a 2,750-1 rollback.

Since then, the real has lost about two thirds of its value relative to the dollar. I see no reason why it shouldn’t meet the fate of its predecessors. I calculate destruction against the dollar so far at about a quadrillion to one. But numbers of this order of magnitude are academic. I fully expect that, when the pressure for revenue and economic stimulus next arises, the Brazilians will once again destroy their currency.

The Bottom Line

My view is that in today’s world, it’s extremely hard and risky to invest. You must remember the correct definition of investing: to allocate capital to produce new wealth. Essentially that amounts to buying equipment, hiring people, renting real estate, and seeing that a business is run sensibly over the long term.

Investing is all about funding successful businesses. In order for that to be possible, you need some predictability and a certain amount of stability. Unfortunately, those are ingredients that go into short supply whenever government gets involved in the economy. And today, from what are already the highest levels in modern history, governments all over the world are becoming much more virulent. And since most of them are now manifestly bankrupt but are burdened by huge promises for welfare and transfer payments to the masses who voted them in, you can expect things to get even worse.

When there are no opportunities for investing, you can only speculate, which means, look for politically caused bubbles, collapses, and distortions. Brazil should only be viewed as a speculation. As chronically and pathetically mismanaged as Brazil has always been and continues to be, it’s astonishing how well it’s done. And there’s no reason that it shouldn’t continue progressing, despite the weight of government and its seeming inability to learn from its mistakes. People will keep producing, and technology evolving.

Am I negative on Brazil? No. I highly recommend you visit, especially before FIFA in 2014. I really like the country (notwithstanding São Paulo). But it’s not a sure ticket to wealth. In fact, over the next decade, I’d recommend you stay away from Brazilian markets. But armed with this information, hopefully we’ll recognize the Bovespa’s next bottom.
Doug Casey: Hmm...maybe the bottom is close now. Or certainly closer.

Editor’s Note: Doug Casey has been warning of a currency collapse. He believes a collapse of major currencies could wipe out trillions of dollars in wealth, including pensions. Here’s Doug:
It’s going to be much more severe, different, and longer lasting than what we saw in 2008 and 2009…The U.S. created trillions of dollars to fight the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. Most of those dollars are still sitting in the banking system and aren’t in the economy. Some have found their way into the stock markets and the bond markets, creating a stock bubble and a bond super-bubble. The higher stocks and bonds go, the harder they’re going to fall.

Unlike most people, Doug Casey has actually lived through a currency crisis. He was in Argentina when its currency collapsed in 2001 during the largest sovereign debt default ever. By making smart investments, he even managed to make a large gain on his money in the aftermath of the crisis.

We recently recorded a video presentation with Doug on this topic. In the video, Doug shares his advice on how to position your money and investments for the collapse of a major currency like the U.S. dollar. Click here to watch the video.

The article was originally published at internationalman.com.


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Saturday, October 31, 2015

Mike Seerys Weekly Recap of the Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Silver, Dollar, Coffee and Sugar Markets

Is being on the sidelines a good trade? Of course it is and sometimes we just have to step back and being honest with ourselves when there just is not any trends that work to our advantage. And that's never been more the case than it is right now in the commodity markets. So who better to have than our trading partner Mike Seery back to give our readers a recap of this weeks trading and help us put together a plan for the upcoming week. 

Crude oil futures in the December contract are trading below its 20 and 100 day moving average hitting an eight week low in Tuesdays trade only to rebound in Wednesdays trade off of a bullish API report as prices remain choppy as I’m currently sitting on the sidelines just like I have been in many different markets as there are very few trends that are currently developing.

Crude oil prices settled last Friday in New York at 44.60 while currently trading at 46.18 slightly higher for the trading week as the U.S dollar is at an eight week high putting pressure on many commodities especially the precious metals over the last several days, but it looks to me that crude oil prices are stabilizing around the mid-40 level.

Gasoline prices have fallen dramatically over the last several months and has put pressure on crude oil prices as I paid $2.14 in the suburb of Chicago yesterday for gas which was the lowest price since 2009 but at the current time this market remains choppy, but the chart structure still remains very solid as there could be a possible trade in the next week or two.
Trend: Mixed
Chart Structure: Solid

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Natural gas futures in the December contract are trading lower for the 8th consecutive trading session finishing down 25 points for the trading week hitting a 3 ½ year low currently trading at 2.25 as I’ve been recommending a short position for the last eight weeks and if you took that trade congratulations as this market has completely collapsed due to the fact of extremely warm weather in the Midwestern part of the United States. Natural gas prices are trading far below their 20 and 100 day moving average telling you that the trend is sharply lower as the November contract right before expiration actually traded below 2.00 as the next level of support on the December contract is this Fridays low of 2.18 and if that is broken I think we can retest 2.00 once again as the forecast of warmer weather continues.

The chart structure will start to improve dramatically in Wednesdays trade as the 10 day high currently stands at 2.70 but that will be lowered on a daily basis so be patient as the risk will come down so accept the monetary risk. Many of the commodity markets are dictated by a strong or weak U.S dollar, but natural gas is a domestic product as price fluctuations depend on weather conditions as the weather in the Midwest has been extremely warm therefore depressing demand lowering prices as well so remain short in my opinion, however if you have missed this trade move on as you have missed the boat.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Poor

Silver futures in the December contract settled the trading week on a sour note closing around 15.55 an ounce unchanged this Friday afternoon after hitting a 4 month high in Wednesdays trade, but then the Federal Reserve stated that they will possibly raise interest rates in the month of December sending silver prices sharply lower hitting a three week low in today’s trade.

I was recommending a long position from around 16.25 while getting stopped out around 15.60 taking a small loss as I can’t remember the last time the Federal Reserve actually benefited my trades which is very frustrating as I just wish they would raise interest rates and get it over with.

At the current time I’m sitting on the sidelines waiting for another trend to develop as gold prices look very weak in my opinion as I’m sitting on the sidelines in that market as well while focusing at other markets that are beginning to trend as silver prices remain extremely choppy despite the recent bullish momentum.
Ttend: Mixed
Chart Structure: Solid

The U.S dollar is trading above its 20 and 100 day moving average in a very volatile trading week surging higher in Wednesdays trade as the Federal Reserve stated that they might possibly raise interest rates in the month of December, however prices have fallen back 100 points in the last two trading days finishing down on the week by about 50 points. The dollar hit a 10 week high in Wednesday’s trade as I’ve been sitting on the sidelines in this market as well as this remains extremely choppy as the 10 day low is over 200 points away therefore not meeting my risk criteria.

The problem with many of the commodity markets at the current time is that they remain choppy as the U.S dollar is sharply higher one day and then sharply lower the next day so be patient. I’m still looking at a possible bullish position but the chart structure has to improve and that’s going to take another five days so keep a close eye on this market to the upside, but at this point in time look at other markets that are beginning to trend. One bullish fundamental factor that could prop up the dollar is fact that the U.S will raise interest rates it’s just a matter of time while Europe and many other foreign countries continue to lower interest rates.
Trend: Higher - Mixed
Chart Structure: Poor

Coffee futures in the December contract settled last Friday in New York at 118.45 a pound while currently trading at 121.15 as I’m currently sitting on the sidelines waiting for another trend to develop. I was recommending a bullish position several weeks ago when prices traded as high as 138 on concerns about dry weather in Brazil but adequate rains hit key coffee growing regions sending prices to today’s levels.

Major support in coffee is at the contract low around 115 which was hit in the month of September as I think I will be on the sidelines for quite some time as the chart structure is very poor which means that the monetary risk is too high to enter into the trade so look at other markets that are beginning to trend. Volatility in coffee is relatively high as that’s not surprising as coffee historically speaking is one of the most volatile commodities as in 2014 a drought hit Brazil sending prices up about 80% very quickly, but at the current time there are no weather problems existing.

In my opinion I do believe coffee prices are bottoming out as it would surprise me if we headed much lower and if you are a producer I would still be buying at today’s prices as I think the downside is limited.
Trend: Mixed - Lower
Chart Structure: Poor

Sugar futures in the March contract settled last Friday in New York at 14.28 a pound while currently trading at 14.68 up 40 points for the trading week continuing its bullish momentum hitting a 5 1/2 month high. Sugar prices are trading far above their 20 and 100 day moving average telling you that the short term trend is to the upside as I have missed this trade due to the fact that the chart structure was poor at the time of the breakout, but my recommendation would be if you are currently long a futures contract place your stop loss below the 10 day low which stands at 13.94 as the chart structure will start to improve in next week’s trade therefore lowering monetary risk.

The next major level of resistance is at 15.00 as prices bottomed out around 11.50 in September due to less production coming out of Brazil due to heavy rains as well as strong demand changing the supply/demand table very quickly as we will not produce a record crop in 2016 like we have over the last several growing seasons.

As a trader you must have an exit strategy as I had many short positions in sugar over the last year, however I always use the 10 day high if I am short as an exit strategy because holding on and never getting out is a very dangerous way to trade because commodity prices can change very quickly.
Trend: Higher
Chart Structure: Improving

What does Mike mean when he talks about chart structure and why does he think it’s so important when deciding to enter or exit a trade?

Mike tells us "I define chart structure as a slow grinding up or down trend with low volatility and no chart gaps. Many of the great trends that develop have very good chart structure with many low percentage daily moves over a course of at least 4 weeks thus allowing you to enter a market allowing you to place a stop loss relatively close due to small moves thus reducing risk. Charts that have violent up and down swings are not considered to have solid chart structure as I like to place my stops at 10 day highs or 10 day lows and if the charts have a tight pattern that will allow the trader to minimize risk which is what trading is all about and if the chart has big swings your stop will be further away allowing the possibility of larger monetary loss."

Mike has been a senior analyst for close to 15 years and has extensive knowledge of all of the commodity and option markets. Get more of Mike's calls on this Weeks Commodity Markets


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Saturday, October 3, 2015

Mike Seerys Weekly Recap of the Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Gold, Silver, Dollar and Coffee Markets

Traders reacted to a very bad monthly unemployment number pushing the U.S dollar sharply lower supporting many markets on Friday afternoon. So who better to have than our trading partner Mike Seery back to give our readers a recap of this weeks trading and help us put together a plan for the upcoming week. 

Crude oil futures in the November contract are trading below their 20 and 100 day moving average telling you that the short term trend is to the downside as prices have been consolidating in recent weeks settling last Friday in New York at 45.70 a barrel while currently trading at 45.10 down around $.60 for the trading week. Traders reacted to a very bad monthly unemployment number pushing the U.S dollar sharply lower supporting many markets this Friday afternoon as I’m recommending a short position if prices break 44.00 while placing your stop loss above the 10 day high which now stands at 47.15 risking around $1,600 per contract plus slippage and commission, as prices have not broken out at this point so keep a close eye as this as this could happen any minute.

Many of the commodity markets are mixed this Friday afternoon as a weak U.S dollar has supported many different markets as the S&P 500 is sharply lower and that’s usually a negative influence towards oil prices, but they are stuck in a consolidation and I don’t like to trade choppy markets so be patient and wait for the breakout to occur. Oil prices have been relatively volatile especially with the fact that Russia is bombing Syria sending prices sharply higher yesterday and then falling out of bed towards the end of the day, so make sure you respect this market placing the proper amount of contracts therefore respecting risk which is high at the current time.
Trend: Sideways
Chart Structure: Improving

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Natural gas futures in the November contract settled last Friday in New York at 2.63 while currently trading at 2.43 hitting a 3 ½ year low as I’ve been recommending a short position from around the 2.70 level and if you took that trade continue to place your stop loss above the 10 day high which currently stands at 2.72 as the chart structure is poor at the current time due to the fact that prices continue to move lower.

Mild temperatures in the Midwestern part of the United States is causing demand problems therefore putting pressure on short term prices as the next major level of support is around 2.25 and if that is broken we can retest the 2012 lows around 2.00 in my opinion as the trend is your friend and this trend is getting stronger to the downside on a weekly basis.

At the time of the recommendation the chart structure was outstanding and was one of the main reasons I took that trade, however if you have missed this trade the chart structure is poor as the risk is too high as you have missed the boat so look at other markets that are beginning to trend. If you take a look at the weekly chart pattern natural gas has broken out of major consolidation as I’m looking to add more positions to this trade once the chart structure tightens up which will take another week or so.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Poor

Gold futures in the December contract settled last Friday in New York at 1,145 an ounce while currently trading at 1,131 down about $14 this week but reacting sharply higher today on a poor monthly unemployment number but continuing its long term down trend while trading below its 20 and 100 day moving average retesting major support at 1,100 near an eight week low as I’m currently sitting on the sidelines as this market remains choppy with poor chart structure.

I still see no reason to own gold currently as the risk/reward is not your favor so look at other markets that are starting to trend. Gold prices had a significant rally in the month of August bottoming out around 1,080 then rallying to 1,170 which was impressive in my opinion due to short covering and a flight to quality as the stock market has experienced volatility in recent weeks sending money out of stocks and into gold as a safe haven, but things have settled down putting short term pressure on gold.

As I’ve talked about in many previous blogs I am a trend follower and I do not like to trade choppy markets because they are extremely difficult in my opinion so avoid this market at the current time and wait for better chart structure to develop before entering.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Poor

Silver futures in the December contract settled last Friday in New York at 15.11 an ounce while currently trading at 15.00 down about $.10 reacting sharply higher due to a poor monthly unemployment number today continuing its remarkable choppy trend over the last several months as prices are right near a four week low.

At the current time I’m sitting on the sidelines as I hate trade choppy markets as prices are still trading below their 20 and 100 day moving average telling you that the short term trend is to the downside and the long term down trend is still intact in my opinion as this market has been frustrating as prices seem to go nowhere.

I’ll keep a close eye and wait for better chart structure to develop as platinum prices hit another contract low and I think that will continue to pressure silver, but I will wait for a breakout to occur as the 10 day high is too far away risking too much money at the current time so be patient as the trend clearly remains bearish.

The U.S dollar has remained strong throughout 2015 as that’s put pressure on the precious metals and many other commodities as I think the U.S dollar is about to breakout to the upside and if that does occur look for silver prices to possibly head back down to the $13 level.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Poor

The dollar index futures in the December contract are trading above their 20 day and right at their 100 day average telling you that the trend has turned to the upside as I’m currently sitting on the sidelines waiting for a breakout above 96.88 to occur before entering a bullish position while then placing your stop loss at the 10 day low which would be 95.57.

The dollar settled last Friday at 96.43 while currently trading at 96.45 basically unchanged for the trading week as investors are awaiting the monthly unemployment number which will be released this morning at 7:30 sending high volatility back into this market. I have not traded the dollar index for quite some time but when I do see excellent chart structure coupled with a solid risk/reward situation I will trade the market, but at this point patience is the key waiting for the true breakout to occur before entering as we could be entering a bullish position any day now.
Trend: Mixed
Chart Structure: Improving

Coffee futures in the December contract are trading above their 20 day but still below their 100 day moving average telling you that the short term trend is mixed as I was recommending a short position getting stopped out last Friday around the 122 level as I’m now sitting on the sidelines waiting for another trend to develop as I have been stopped out of the last two recommendations. Coffee settled last Friday at 122.70 a pound while currently trading at 121 down slightly for the trading week with very low volatility as prices are still right near a 4 week high waiting for some fresh fundamental news to dictate short term price action.

Generally speaking coffee is one of the most volatile commodities historically speaking, but with low volatility at the current time as prices have been going sideways for the last month or so, but a new trend could be developing as prices look to be bottoming out around this level in my opinion. The Brazilian Real has stabilized against the U.S dollar in the past week and that’s also helped push up coffee prices here in the short term, but only time will tell to see if that trend remains, but I expect high volatility to emerge in the coming months.
Trend: Higher
Chart Structure: Solid

Mike has been a senior analyst for close to 15 years and has extensive knowledge of all of the commodity and option markets. Get more of Mike's calls on this Weeks Commodity Markets


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Saturday, September 19, 2015

Mike Seerys Weekly Recap of the Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Gold, Silver, Dollar and Coffee Markets

The fed showed it's lack of confidence in the economy by keeping rates unchanged and traders made it clear how they feel about it. So who better to have than our trading partner Mike Seery back to give our readers a recap of this weeks trading and help us put together a plan for the upcoming week. 

Crude oil futures in the October contract settled last Friday in New York at 44.63 a barrel while currently trading at 46.40 up nearly $2 for the trading week as the short term trend seems to be gaining traction to the upside.

I’m currently sitting on the sidelines in this market as prices are trading above their 20 but below their 100 day moving average telling you that the trend is mixed as a bullish API report on Wednesday sent prices up sharply as it looks to me that prices want to go higher but the risk is too high at the current time to enter into a position. The U.S dollar was sharply lower this week as that supported the precious metals and the energy sector as prices are still consolidating last month’s rally from $38/$49 as volatility is relatively high at the current time.

The Federal Reserve announced yesterday that they will not raise interest rates helping push up many commodities here in the short term, but the problem with oil at the current time is the fact that we have massive worldwide supplies which have sent prices sharply lower in 2015 but that’s already reflected into the price, but wait for better chart structure to develop as it might take a couple more weeks so keep a close eye on this market.
Trend: Mixed
Chart Structure: Improving

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Natural gas futures in the October contract are trading below their 20 and 100 telling you that the trend is to the downside as I’m now recommending a short position at 2.63 while placing your stop loss above the 10 day high which currently stands at 2.80 risking $1,700 per contract plus slippage and commission.

The chart structure will not improve for another 6 days so you’re going to have to accept the risk as prices are down about 6 points for the trading week as the energy sector is lower this Friday afternoon. Natural gas prices bottomed out around the 263 level on over a dozen occasions only to rally every single time but this time we broke major support and that’s why I am taking a short position as I think the risk/reward is in your favor but I would like to see a little better chart structure as we had a false rally earlier in the week to the upside and that’s why the stop loss is relatively high.

If the risk is too high for your trading account take advantage of any price rally therefore lowering monetary risk as who knows how low prices go as huge supplies continue to put pressure on this market coupled with mild weather conditions therefore decreasing demand here in the United States so stay short in my opinion as this is a major breakdown in price technically speaking.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Solid

Gold futures in the December contract are sharply higher this Friday in New York trading up $20 at 1,137 an ounce after settling last Friday at 1,103 reacting to the Federal Reserve yesterday not raising interest rates sending gold sharply higher with high volatility. Gold is trading above its 20 day but still below its 100 day moving average telling you that the trend is mixed as I’ve been sitting on the sidelines for quite some time as this trend is extremely choppy as I’m advising investors to avoid this market at the current time and wait for better chart structure before entering.

I was recommending a silver trade getting stopped out a couple of days back as the precious metals as a whole have rallied as it looks like the Federal Reserve is very hesitant to raise interest rates which is bullish commodity markets at least here in the short term, but the true breakout in gold is above 1,170 but look at other markets that are beginning to trend with less risk.

The U.S dollar has been down 150 points in the last three days which has been very supportive to the precious metals as money is coming out of the S&P 500 and into gold but time will tell us if this trend is for real.
Trend: Mixed
Chart Structure: Poor

Silver futures in the December contract settled last Friday in New York at 14.50 an ounce while currently trading at 15.25 up $.75 this week reacting to the Federal Reserve not raising interest rates sending silver prices sharply higher. I was recommending a short position in silver from around 14.70 getting stopped out in Wednesdays trade around 14.95 as prices are now trading above their 20 day but still below their 100 day moving average telling you that the trend is mixed so sit on the sidelines and look at other markets that are beginning to trend.

The chart structure in silver at the time of the recommendation was outstanding, however currently the chart structure is poor with high risk as the true breakout does not occur until prices break 15.77 as silver may have bottomed in the short term.

Many of the commodity markets have been choppy in recent weeks as I was stopped out of many of my trade recommendations as my only two positions at current time are short coffee and cattle as I will wait and be patient as sometimes not trading is the best thing to do.
Trend: Mixed
Chart Structure: Poor

The dollar index futures in the December contract are trading below their 20 & 100 day average telling you that the trend is to the downside reacting negatively to the Federal Reserve’s decision not to raise interest rates sending the dollar down over 100 points for the trading week.

I’m currently sitting on the sidelines waiting for a breakout above 96.63 to occur before entering a bullish position but it looks to me that prices look to retest last month’s low of around 93 but the chart structure is poor at the current time so avoid this market as the risk is too high in my opinion.

I have not traded the currencies in quite some time but when I do see excellent chart structure coupled with a solid risk/reward situation I will trade the currency market but at this point the chart structure does not meet my criteria so find another market that is trending.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Poor

Coffee futures in the December contract are trading below their 20 and 100 day moving average telling you that the trend is bearish in the short term after settling in New York last Friday at 116.55 while currently trading at 118.25 in a very nonvolatile trading week. I am currently recommending a short position and if you took that recommendation continue to place your stop loss above the 10 day high which currently stands at 122.50 as the chart structure is outstanding at the current time while the risk/reward is in your favor in my opinion.

Coffee prices continue their bearish trend as traders are concerned that Brazil will continue to sell reserves due to the fact that of the Brazilian Real weakness versus the U.S dollar, but only time will tell to see if this comes to fruition. I’m a trend follower and the trend is to the downside as I think volatility will start to increase as coffee historically speaking is one of most volatile commodities in the world but at this point remains very dormant.

As I talked about in yesterday’s blog anytime you can risk three or four points in coffee you must take that trade as I think that’s a special situation that does not happen very often over the course of the year due to the fact that volatility is usually much higher than it is presently.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Outstanding

Mike has been a senior analyst for close to 15 years and has extensive knowledge of all of the commodity and option markets. Get more of Mike's calls on this Weeks Commodity Markets


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Saturday, September 12, 2015

Weekly Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Gold, Silver, Dollar and Coffee Markets Recap with Mike Seery

The institutional traders are back from vacation and trading volume is picking up. So who better to have than our trading partner Mike Seery back to give our readers a recap of this weeks trading and help us put together a plan for the upcoming week. 

Crude oil futures in the October contract settled last Friday in New York at 46.05 a barrel while currently trading at 45.20 as this market has been highly volatile as I probably will not be trading crude oil for quite some time as the chart structure is terrible so look at other markets that are beginning to trend with less risk. Prices are currently trading above their 20 day moving average for the first time in months but still below their 100 day average as the trend remains mixed.

Crude oil prices have been following the stock market as when the S&P 500 is sharply lower you can rest assured crude oil prices will be lower and vice versa as everything comes to and as we were short this market from $59 as the trend was our friend for three months before turning on a dime, as this is why you must have an exit strategy as mine is placing a stop at the 10 day high if I am short as never getting out is very dangerous in my opinion. Goldman Sachs cut demand for crude oil sending prices lower this Friday afternoon as experts are calling for lower prices and the possibly of breaking $30 a barrel due to massive oversupply but I will wait for a trend to develop.
Trend: Mixed
Chart Structure: Poor

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Natural gas futures settled in New York at 2.65 last Friday afternoon while currently trading at 2.67 in a very nonvolatile trading week as prices are stuck in an incredibly tight three-week channel looking to breakout one direction and my feeling is to the downside and if prices break 2.63 I’m recommending a short position while placing your stop loss above the 10 day high at 2.73 risking $1,000 per contract plus slippage and commission. Natural gas futures are still trading below their 20 and 100 day moving average as this has been a bearish trend over the last several years due to oversupply issues here in the United States as we are a massive supplier and exporter of natural gas and I don’t think that situation is going to change, so keep a close eye on this market as a breakout is in the cards in my opinion. As a trader you have to look for special situations as my consolidation rule states that a consolidation must be 8 weeks or longer so this does not meet criteria, however the chart structure is outstanding therefore lowering monetary risk as I’m looking forward to getting into this trade either on the short side or possibly even on the long side as the risk/reward is your favor once the breakout occurs but you must be patient.
Trend: Sideways
Chart Structure: Outstanding

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Gold futures in the December contract settled last Friday in New York at 1,121 an ounce while currently trading at 1,106 down about $15 this week trading below its 20 and 100 day moving average near a 3 week low as I’m currently sitting on the sidelines as this market remains choppy with poor chart structure. I still see no reason to own gold currently as the risk/reward is not your favor so look at other markets that are starting to trend such as the silver market which I am currently recommending a short position because the chart structure is outstanding. Gold prices had a significant rally in the month of August bottoming out around 1,080 then rallying to 1,170 which was impressive in my opinion due to short covering and a flight to quality as the stock market has experienced volatility in recent weeks sending money out of stocks and into gold as a safe haven but things have settled down putting short-term pressure on gold. As I’ve talked about in many previous blogs I am a trend follower and I do not like to trade choppy markets because they are extremely difficult in my opinion so avoid this market at the current time and focus on silver.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Poor

Silver futures in the December contract are trading lower by about $.30 this Friday afternoon in New York currently trading at 14.33 an ounce as I’ve been recommending a short position from around 14.70 and if you took that trade place your stop loss above the 10 day high which currently stands at 14.95 as you’re going to have to be patient as that stop loss will not be lower for quite some time. The next major level of support is at the contract low around the $14 mark and I do think that’s a possibility that could be retested in next week’s trade as the chart structure is still very solid at the current time. Silver prices settled last Friday at 14.55 while currently at 14.33 down over $.20 for the trading week as prices have been consolidating the recent downdraft in prices over the last three weeks, but the long-term and short-term trend still remain bearish in my opinion, so continue to play this to the downside while taking advantage of any price rally while maintaining the proper risk management strategy. Silver futures are trading below their 20 and 100 day moving average closing at 3 week low in today’s trade as the commodity markets still looks bearish in my opinion.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Solid

The U.S. dollar index futures in the September contract are trading below their 20 day but still above their 100 day average telling you that the trend is mixed and has remained choppy for the last two weeks as I’m currently sitting on the sidelines waiting for a breakout above 96.63 to occur before entering a bullish position. The dollar settled last Friday at 96.24 while currently trading at 95.50 as investors are awaiting the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision which will come out next week and will certainly send high volatility into this market so keep a close eye on this trade as we could be involved in next week’s trade. I have not traded the currencies in quite some time but when I do see excellent chart structure coupled with a solid risk/reward situation I will trade the currency market but at this point the chart structure does not meet my criteria so sit on the sidelines and see what the Federal Reserve states, and in my opinion I think they will not raise interest rates at the current time as there is too much uncertainty especially in the stock market.
Trend: Mixed
Chart Structure: Improving

Coffee futures in the December contract are trading below their 20 and 100 day moving average hitting a multi year low while settling in New York last Friday at 119.15 a pound while currently trading at 117.50 down slightly for the week in low volatility. I’m currently sitting on the sidelines kicking myself as we should be entering a short position but the 10 day high is too far away and does not meet my risk/reward criteria, however I’m certainly not recommending any type of bullish position in this market as I do think prices could break 100 in the next month or so as ample supplies worldwide continue to keep a lid on prices. Many of the soft commodities including sugar and cocoa have rallied in recent weeks but has not help support coffee prices at all as this trend remains your friend and certainly the short-term trend is to the downside and if the chart structure does improve I will be recommending a short position which could happen in the next couple of days especially if a price rally occurs. I would imagine that volatility in coffee will start to increase as historically speaking coffee is one of the top five most volatile commodities in the world as this low volatility will not last.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Improving

Mike has been a senior analyst for close to 15 years and has extensive knowledge of all of the commodity and option markets. Get more of Mike's calls on this Weeks Commodity Markets


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Saturday, August 29, 2015

Weekly Crude Oil, Gold and Silver Markets Recap with Mike Seery

The markets end a wild week in about the same place it started. Another wild ride that makes us so thankful to have our trading partner Mike Seery back to give our readers a recap of this weeks stressful trading and help us put together a plan for the upcoming week. 

Mike has been a senior analyst for close to 15 years and has extensive knowledge of all of the commodity and option markets.

Crude oil futures in the October contract settled last Friday in New York at 40.45 a barrel while currently trading at 45.00 sharply higher for the trading week as a hurricane is entering the Gulf of Mexico sending prices sharply higher as I have been recommending a short position from 59 over the last three months getting stopped out in today’s trade as everything comes to an end as this market has bottomed in the short term so sit on the sidelines and look at other markets that are beginning to trend.

Many investors are running for the hills today as a relief rally has occurred in many of the commodity markets, however I’m still not bullish, but I’m not recommending any type of bullish position in this market at the current time as the chart structure is extremely poor and the risk is too high currently.

Political tensions with Yemen have also set prices higher but I truly believe this was just massive short covering as many of the funds have been short over many months and exited in today’s trade pushing prices higher but we will have to take a look if the open interest is declining or rising but in my opinion I think we will see the open interest decline which means short covering occurred.
Trend: Mixed
Chart Structure: Poor

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Gold futures in the December contract settled last Friday at 1,159 while currently trading at 1,133 in a wild and volatile trading week as I’ve been sitting on the sidelines as the chart structure is terrible at the current time as the risk/reward is not your favor so look at other markets.

Gold futures are trading above their 20 but still below their 100 day moving average rallying about $90 from their monthly low around 1,080 up to 1,170 in Monday’s trade as the stock market has sent shockwaves throughout the commodities and especially in gold. This market remains extremely choppy as I like trading markets with very tight chart structure as this will take some time to develop so keep an eye on this market but there is no recommendation at this time.

The problem with gold was the fact that the stock market was down dramatically in Monday’s trade but gold was unable to rally as over the course of time as I still see no reason to own gold but there is no trend and as a trend follower I will stick to my rules and look at other markets that are starting to develop.
Trend: Mixed
Chart Structure: Poor

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Silver futures in the December contract settled last Friday at 15.34 an ounce while currently trading at 14.53 down about $.80 for the trading week continuing its bearish momentum and traded slightly below $14 for the first time in 6 years. I am currently sitting on the sidelines as the chart structure is very poor as the 10 day high currently stands at 15.77 as the risk/reward is not in your favor, however I remain bearish so I want to keep a close eye on this as the chart structure will start to improve later next week therefore lowering monetary risk.

Silver futures are trading below their 20 and 100 day moving average telling you that the short term trend is to the downside as volatility is very high as many commodities have rallied this week as silver and gold have followed the footsteps of crude oil which was up about $8 for the trading week as the commodity washout may have stalled for the time being.

In my opinion take advantage of any sharp spike up in silver prices near the $15 level to enter into a short position as the trend is your friend when you trade the commodity markets but make sure you risk 2% of your account balance on any given trade so avoid this market at the current time but we could be entering a short position later next week.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Poor

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Friday, August 21, 2015

Weekly Crude Oil, Gold, SP 500, Coffee and Sugar Markets Recap with Mike Seery

The markets closed out the week in brutal fashion for the bulls this week so we are happy to have our trading partner Mike Seery back to give our readers a recap of this weeks trading and help us put together a plan for the upcoming week. Mike has been a senior analyst for close to 15 years and has extensive knowledge of all of the commodity and option markets.

Crude oil futures in the October contract settled last Friday in New York at 43.11 a barrel while currently trading at 41.00 continuing its bearish momentum hitting a 6 ½ year low as I’ve been recommending a short position from $59 as we have now rolled over three times as we are now currently in the October contract as we started in July contract as prices still have not hit a 10 day high which currently stands at 46.00.

The chart structure will start to improve on a daily basis starting next week as prices are trading far below their 20 and 100 day moving average telling you that the trend is to the downside as the commodity markets continue to look weak as heating oil and gasoline prices continue to hit new lows as well as who knows how low prices could actually go, however if you have missed the original recommendation sit on the sidelines as you do not want to chase markets as you have missed the boat in my opinion.

The stock market has hit a 7 month low which is also putting pressure on commodity markets as everything looks weak in my opinion so continue to place the proper stop loss as worldwide supplies are overwhelming at the current time coupled with the fact of a relatively strong U.S dollar as there is very little bullish fundamental news except for possible shortcoming to push prices up here in the short term as this trade has been tremendous over the last three months.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Improving

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Gold futures in the December contract settled in New York last Friday at 1,112 an ounce while currently trading at 1,157 up about $45 for the trading week on massive concerns of global slowdowns pushing stock prices to a 7 month low therefore putting money back into the precious metals as I’m currently sitting on the sidelines in this market getting stopped out around 1,105 or 10 day high around 10 days ago as Monday’s trade certainly will be interesting in my opinion.

The chart structure is extremely poor at the current time as we’ve had about an $80 rally from recent lows as prices traded as high as 1,168 earlier in the trading session but this market concerns me due to the fact that many of the commodity markets are headed lower as this is just a flight to quality here in the short term in my opinion.

Gold futures are trading above their 20 and 100 day moving average for the first time in several months as it looks to me that prices might head up to the $1,200 level but I have a hard time believing that gold will rally as demand from China and India at the current time are weak so look at other markets that are beginning to trend as I went through this before especially in 2008 when stock and commodity markets kept going down including gold as everybody had to sell everything because of margin calls and liquidity issues so keep a close eye on this market but at this time continue to look at other markets to sell which has been shooting fish in a barrel over the last 6 weeks.
Trend: Higher
Chart Structure: Poor

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The S&P 500 in the September contract is trading below its 20 and 100 day moving average for the first time in several months hitting a 7 month low settling last Friday in Chicago at 2089 while currently trading at 2001 down 88 points for the trading week as I’ve been recommending a short position from 2080 and if you took that trade place your stop loss above the 10 day high which currently stands at 2103 as the chart structure which once was excellent is now terrible.

If you have missed the original recommendation do not chase this market as the risk/reward is not the favor at the current time so look at other markets that are beginning to trend as the energy sector is pulling down the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 rather dramatically in the last couple of days as the commodity markets are showing real worldwide weakness as I will continue to remain short while taking advantage of any price rally.

As I’ve talked about in many previous blogs I hate selling the S&P 500 and I’ve only done it 2 times in the last 10 years but the risk/reward was highly in your favor so I took a shot and who knows how low prices can go as we are still only 5% from the record high as I think the next major resistance level is at 1950 which could be hit next week as volatility is extremely high with major risk at the current time.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Terrible

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Coffee futures in the December contract settled last Friday in New York at 141.15 a pound while currently trading at 132.50 in a highly volatile last couple of weeks as prices are trading right at their 20 but still below their 100 day moving average telling you that the trend is mixed at the current time.

I’m currently sitting on the sidelines in this market as I was recommending a short position several weeks ago getting stopped out at the 10 day high which at the time was at 128 as the chart structure is very poor currently so I will be sitting on the sidelines for some time as prices did hit a 6 week high last Friday but unable to hold those levels due to the fact of a weak Brazilian Real and weak commodity prices throughout the world.

Volatility in coffee is extremely high as coffee historically speaking is one of the most volatile commodities, but I do not like trading choppy markets and at the current time this market is very choppy so I will wait for tighter chart structure to develop therefore lowering monetary risk with the next major level of support around the contract low of 120 as the soft commodities still look very weak as I’m currently recommending a short position in sugar and cocoa.
Trend: Mixed
Chart Structure: Poor

Sugar futures in the October contract settled last Friday in New York at 10.68 a pound while currently trading at 10.56 trading slightly lower for the trading week on very low volatility as I have been recommending a short position from 11.50 and if you took that trade continue to place your stop loss above the 10 day high which currently stands at 10.93 risking around 37 points or $400 per contract plus slippage and commission from today’s price levels.

Sugar futures are trading far below their 20 and 100 day moving average telling you that the trend is to the downside as the daily chart structure is excellent allowing a tight monetary stop therefore lowering risk as a weak Brazilian Real continues to put pressure on prices coupled with the fact that crude oil has hit a six year low which is also a negative influence on sugar prices as sugar is also used as a biodiesel so continue to play this to the downside in my opinion.

The next major level of support is 10.40 and if that is broken I think we could break 10.00 a pound possibly next week as I see no reason to own any commodity at the current time as worldwide deflation currently exists.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Excellent

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Saturday, August 8, 2015

Weekly Crude Oil, Gold, SP 500, Coffee and Sugar Markets Recap with Mike Seery

Fridays can be very telling, and while Fridays close in crude oil was not a clean break through support commodity traders need to be on their toes for Mondays open. So there is no better time to have our trading partner Mike Seery back to give our readers a recap of last weeks commodity futures market and help us put together a plan for the upcoming week. Mike has been a senior analyst for close to 15 years and has extensive knowledge of all of the commodity and option markets.

Crude oil futures in the September contract settled last Friday in New York at 47.12 a barrel while currently trading at 44.10 trading lower for the 3rd consecutive trading session as I’ve been recommending a short position over the last 8 weeks and if you took that trade place your stop loss above the 10 day high which currently stands at 49.52 as the trend seems to be getting stronger to the downside. Crude oil futures are trading far below their 20 and 100 day moving average telling you that the trend is sharply lower as the chart structure will not improve until later next week as it certainly looks to me that oil prices will retest $40 a barrel as a strong U.S dollar continues to put pressure on oil and many of the commodity markets.

Remember as a trader you must trade with the path of least resistance and the oil market is clearly to the downside as picking bottoms and picking tops is extremely difficult to do successfully over the course of time. Traders reacted to Friday mornings monthly unemployment report showing around 215,000 new jobs created as it certainly looks like an interest rate hike could be eminent in the month of September which is also very bearish the commodity markets in general so continue to play this to the downside, however if you did not take the original trade you have missed the boat as I don’t like to chase markets so look at other markets that are beginning to trend.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Solid

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Gold futures in the December contract settled last Friday in New York at 1,095 an ounce currently trading at 1,095 as this market has been incredibly nonvolatile at the current time as prices have gone nowhere over the last three weeks as I’ve been recommending a short position from 1,170 & if you took that trade place your stop loss above the 10 day high which currently stands at 1,103 risking around $8 dollars or $250 per mini contract plus slippage and commission as the chart structure is outstanding.

I have been trading the commodity markets for a longtime and I can’t remember gold trading in such a nonvolatile manner as prices continually go nowhere which is putting me to sleep as I’m getting frustrated in this market because as a trader you want to look at markets that are moving but the risk/reward is in your favor so I will just keep the proper stop loss and if you are stopped out move on and look at other markets.

Gold futures are still trading below their 20 and 100 day moving average telling you that the trend is to the downside as a strong U.S dollar continues to keep a lid on the precious metal prices and I think that’s going to continue in 2015, however the stock market has hit a six month low and I think that’s starting to support prices as gold has had a very difficult time breaking 1,080 which is been hit on a half dozen occasions only to rally as prices remain in a very tight consolidation but continue to remain short.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Outstanding

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The S&P 500 reacted negatively toward the monthly unemployment report and is trading lower for the 2nd consecutive trading session down another 14 points this afternoon in Chicago trading at 2064 in the September contract as I recommended a short position in Thursday trade while placing your stop loss above the 10 day high at 2110 now risking 44 points or $ 2,200 per mini contract plus slippage and commission as the chart structure is very tight at the current time.

If you have been following my previous blogs you understand I like to sell breakouts as this has not broken out to the downside, however the Dow Jones industrial has hit a six month low and has broken out so I chose the S&P 500 so take a shot as the commodity and stock markets around the world look vulnerable to another leg down.

If you take this trade my recommendation is to place your stop above the 10 day high, however you can also place the stop above the all time high which is 2127 which might be a better place if your account balance can withstand that loss in case we are wrong but it seems hard to believe with commodity prices plunging on a daily basis that the stock market can retain these lofty levels in my opinion as I've been recommending short positions in many of the commodity markets for several months as I think there are problems developing that we don't know just yet.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Solid

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Coffee futures in the September contract settled last Friday at 125.25 while currently trading at 128 a pound up around 300 points for the trading week now trading above its 20 day but still below its 100 day moving average as I’ve been recommending a short position getting stopped out breaking even on this recommendation as this trade fizzled out at the very end.

I’m currently recommending to sit on the sidelines in the coffee market at this time as I’m a little disappointed getting stopped out, however we must move on and look at other markets that are beginning to trend as I’m still recommending a short position in sugar, cocoa, and cotton at the current time but keep a close eye on coffee as the trend can still remain bearish in the next couple of days as the chart structure still remains extremely tight so I’m not giving up on this trade but when prices hit a 10 day high it’s time to move on.

Many of the commodity markets were higher this afternoon as the U.S dollar reversed earlier gains but we are not seeing any real strength in the coffee market at the current time as the long term down trend line is still intact but I’m a short term trader which means I look for a four week high and four week lows as an entry point as you must be nimble and flexible and not always have a biased opinion as prices can change on a dime.
Trend: Mixed
Chart Structure: Solid

Sugar futures in the October contract settled in New York last Friday at 11.14 while currently trading at 10.65 a pound as I’ve been recommending a short position from around 11.50 and if you took that trade continue to place your stop loss above the 10 day high which now stands at 11.64 as the chart structure will start to improve later next week. Sugar futures are trading far below their 20 and 100 day moving average as the trend seems to be getting stronger on a weekly basis trading lower for the 2nd consecutive trading session as I think there is a possibility that sugar will crack 10.00 in next week’s trade as crude oil prices continue to plunge therefore pressuring sugar so continue to play this to the downside in my opinion as the risk/reward is still in your favor.

Many of the commodity markets were higher today including several soft commodities as the U.S dollar reversed earlier gains as many markets were probably oversold but to predict day to day action is extremely difficult as I would rather follow the path of least resistance which is to the downside as I’m strictly a trend follower so continue to take advantage of any rallies as I still think lower prices are ahead as supply issues continue to keep a lid on prices and unless lower production happens in 2016 I think prices grind much lower over the course of time.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Solid

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