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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Gold Still In Bear Cycle?

Well, not a merry Christmas for Gold buyers just yet. We have said in our TMTF forecast service to watch 1190 as KEY support and 1241 would also need to be taken out on a closing basis before we could confirm a new uptrend in Gold and the end to the 5 wave bear cycle. Not quite yet, and in fact in my stock service we have avoided Gold stocks entirely even with the recent temptations to get long because Gold to us is key.

If we are not over 1241 then we are not buyers of Gold equities, plain and simple. With 5000 stocks to choose from, why not stick with the sectors that are in the stronger uptrends and avoid those mired in the mud like Gold? For example you could be looking at Security stocks given all the cyber attacks worldwide that are only getting worse. Gold is money as we all know, but a downtrend is a downtrend. Trust what you see, not what you think for best results.

So right now the problem is we just gave up the 1190 support and the 30 week MA line on the weekly chart is your guide for key resistance to take out. We remain in the sidelines until its taken out. The chart below shows the blue line with the 30 week Moving average resistance, and you can use this same chart for the uptrend in the SP 500 which we have used recently for our subscribers as well. Don’t suffer from history bias and the hay days of Gold stocks and Gold, which ended in 2011…wait for the next Hay days to arrive, watch the 30 week moving average line before acting.



The SP 500 meanwhile is in wave 3 up from 1973 38% shallow wave 2 lows. That was a quick correction and the waves now are likely to be faster and shorter as we are in Primary wave 5 of this bull cycle, the last stages of the Bull if I’m right. 2131-2138 is your bogey ahead for first Fibonacci pivot resistance on the way to the 2181 target I had out over a month or so ago.

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Ray aka the Crude Oil Trader


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Everything You Need to Know About the SP 500 Until Christmas

By Andrey Dashkov

When I need to clear my mind, I put on my beat up Saucony sneakers and drive to nearby Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, British Columbia. After a couple of miles, though, as my body gets into a rhythm, my mind wanders back to the thought that occupy it for hours each day: where will this market go next?

And I’ve thought a lot about what went on this summer. Since June 1st:

•  S&P 500 is up 2.7%, having set a new record high in September;

•  MSCI World index is down 0.5%;

•  10 year Treasury yield is down from 2.54% to 2.50%;

•  Brent Crude 0il is down 12.8%; and

•  Gold is down 2.2%.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that the U.S. economy expanded by 4.6% year on year in the second quarter, up sharply from the first quarter’s disappointing 2.1% annual decline. Consensus estimates for annual GDP growth in the third and fourth quarters of this year are about 3%.

The stage seems to be set for the fifth straight year of positive economic growth in the US; however, we’re always cautious about government supplied information, especially during an election cycle.

At the moment, macro developments seem closely intertwined with stock market performance. Instead of slumping, the market was rather vibrant this summer. The S&P 500 showed resilience, reaching higher highs after a dip in late July and early August that coincided with increased uncertainty surrounding the Ukrainian crisis.

Geopolitics aside, the market was supported by GDP growth, which in turn was underpinned by strong corporate profits and margins. In fact, in the second quarter, the S&P 500 set a new record for profit margins: 9.1%. So much for “sell in May and go away.”

Expanding earnings and margins are great news on the fundamental front. Of the trends we observed this summer, at least two will benefit S&P 500 companies’ profitability. Cheaper oil may keep energy costs down, while consumers are more than willing to swipe their debit and credit cards. In August, consumer confidence jumped to its highest level since October 2007, having increased for four months in a row.

Loose Money Helping Stocks in the Short Term

The Fed has done its part, too. Long-term effects of its prolonged loose monetary policy aside, it’s hard to argue that it hasn’t helped stocks in the short term. With Treasury rates still low, debt options abound, and companies can obtain cheap funding for things like capital expenditures and buying back shares.

In the first quarter, 290 companies from the S&P 500 bought back shares at a cost of $159.3 billion, 59% more than a year ago. Dividends are up as well: in the first quarter, S&P 500 companies spent a record $241.2 billion on dividends and repurchases together, according to Standard & Poor’s.

Second quarter share repurchases were estimated at $106 billion, according to Financial Post. That’s much lower than first-quarter repurchases (though the official numbers aren’t out yet) and down 10% year on year.

Buyback Frenzy Is a Net Positive for Share Prices

However, the most important takeaway is that the cumulative effect of the recent buyback frenzy was positive for share prices and dividends. With fewer shares, it’s easier for companies to maintain dividend payments. Higher share prices may drive down dividend yields, but companies tend to increase dividends over time, which makes up for that in part. And despite the S&P 500’s significant growth over the past five years, dividend yields have not decreased as much as one would expect.

The chart below tracks the S&P 500’s median dividend yield since the first quarter of 2009.

The median dividend yield decreased just slightly over this period: from 1.9% in 1Q09 to 1.7% in 2Q14, and it’s held relatively steady over the past three years.

The good news is that S&P companies aren’t stretching their balance sheets too thin to cover these dividend payments—these payments are backed by earnings. The median dividend payout ratio (the ratio of dividends paid to net income), although up from five years ago, still looks solid.

S&P companies can successfully cover their dividends with earnings, so there’s no reason to fear that they’ll have to borrow to keep paying them. However, a lot of investors worry about leverage. On one hand, financial leverage boosts return on equity (ROE), and prudent borrowing can be a positive for investors. On the other hand, large amounts of leverage leads to volatility in earnings, a less stable balance sheet, and risk that affects valuations.

Debt and Cash Both Up

These are legitimate concerns, but our next chart shows that in the past five years, S&P companies have increased debt while also accumulating a lot of cash on their balance sheets.

Debt and cash grew at about the same pace during the last couple of years. There were many reasons for this trend, but two interrelated ones stand out: the abundance of cheap debt that S&P companies took advantage of (why spend your own cash when you can finance on such great terms and pay it back over a long period?); and the desire to keep interest on that debt as low as possible by making credit rating agencies happy and holding a lot of cash in the bank.

If a correction is in the cards for the near term, this cash, increased earnings, and the support coming from share buybacks will provide some cushion for these companies’ valuations.

Why We’re Not “Permabears”

So what’s ahead? I wish I knew. There are a lot of market bears out there who say this rally will come to a halt sooner rather than later, and the S&P will fall off a cliff. I stay away from calling tops and bottoms and wonder how many pundits actually have any skin in the game. Going short the market requires timing; so any “permabear” who puts money where his mouth is may lose a lot if his timing is wrong.
I’m not saying the rising market is somehow “wrong.” There are solid company level fundamentals and positive macro-level data points here and there that support a significant part of its growth.

Your Plan to Profit

We’re pragmatists at Miller’s Money. Quantitative easing and basement-level interest rates have flooded the market with dollars and eroded yields, but you should use these circumstances to capture some of the benefits they’ve created. No, you can’t earn much on CDs. No, dividend yields might not beat inflation (at least not all of them, and certainly not every estimate of inflation). And yes, the current rally will eventually end, one way or another. We just don’t know when or how. No one does.

What matters is that even in this situation you can protect your financial well being by sticking to our core strategy: diversify geographically and across sectors; and invest in assets that provide robust yield relative to risk and have the potential to rise in price. You can learn more about the Miller’s Money Forever core strategy here—a time-tested plan designed for seniors, savers and like-minded conservative investors.

The article Everything You Need to Know About the S&P Until Christmas was originally published at millers money.

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Weekly Futures Recap With Mike Seery for Week Ending June 6th

We've asked Michael Seery of to give our readers a weekly recap of the futures market. 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 traded in a very tight range this week going out this Friday at 102.70 finishing slightly higher as the volatility is extremely low at the current time as I’m sitting on the sidelines in this market as I do think prices are headed higher but the trend is very weak and I must find another market that is trending stronger. If you look at the chart over the last 6 months longer term it’s still in a bullish trend with the possibility of retesting last Augusts high during the Syrian crisis around 110/112 a barrel as economies around the world are improving and this is supporting the crude oil market with the S&P 500 at all time highs once again today as the United States added 217,000 new jobs which are all supporting crude oil prices so I’d be looking at buying on dips rather than selling on rallies.

If you’re looking to get into this market one recommendation would be if your bullish crude oil prices & think that prices bottomed in yesterday’s trade I would buy today at 102.70 while placing my stop below yesterday’s low which is also the 10 day low at 101.70 risking $1,000 per contract and if you’re looking to get short this market my recommendation would be to sell today’s price while placing my stop above the 10 day high which is 104.20 risking around $1,500 per contract as the chart structure is excellent because of low volatility.
TREND: HIGHER
CHART STRUCTURE: EXCELLENT

Gold futures in the August contract traded in a very tight and narrow trading range this week going out last Friday at 1,246 and settling this Friday at 1,251 up about $5 for the week, however I’m still recommending a short position when prices broke below 1,267 placing your stop loss above the 10 day high which currently stands at 1,290 risking around $40 or $4,000 per contract from today’s price levels. Gold futures are trading below their 20 and 100 day moving average telling you that trend is lower as major support is at 1,240 and if that level is broken I would think you have to retest 1,200 as the same old story continues with the S&P 500 hitting all-time highs once again as money is coming out of the gold sector into equities and I think that trend is going to continue especially with low interest rates staying around for quite some time. At the current time there are no geopolitical events that one must rush into the gold market with the stock market continuing its trend higher it’s difficult for gold to rally at this time so I do see lower prices ahead but make sure you do place your stop loss at the 2 week high in case the trend does change as an investor or trader you always must have an exit strategy.
TREND: LOWER
CHART STRUCTURE: IMPROVING

The S&P 500 continues its bullish momentum trading up another 8 points at 1947 and I continue to harp on the fact that this market is going higher due to several bullish fundamental reasons including stock buybacks, increasing dividends, a Federal government that want higher equity prices while maintaining extremely low interest rates so this is the perfect storm to the upside in the S&P 500 continuing its bullish trend to the upside. S&P 500 futures contract is trading far above its 20 & 100 day moving average with outstanding chart structure I’ve been recommending buying this market for quite some time and I still believe that prices will move higher as this Monday morning as Apple Computer will split 7 to 1 and I think that will bring even more buying pushing this market higher once again as I think 2000 is in the cards in the S&P in the next couple of months and I do believe that the NASDAQ 100 will hit all-time highs breaking above 5000 this year so continue to play this to the upside and if you’re lucky enough to get any type of dip take advantage while placing your stop below the 10 day low of 1880.
TREND: HIGHER
CHART STRUCTURE: EXCELLENT

Coffee futures in the September contract are up 300 points this Friday afternoon in New York currently trading at 174.60 still trading below its 20 and 100 day moving average with relatively low volatility with major support right at the 170 level which is been hit on 6 different occasions and bounces off every single time as traders are awaiting estimates on the Brazilian crop currently being harvested and that will certainly send high volatility back into this market. Coffee prices settled last Friday at 180 finishing down around 500 points for the week continuing its short-term down trend and I’ve been sitting on the sidelines waiting for a buying opportunity around the 165 level as I do think prices to the downside are limited as I still have many contacts in Brazil telling me that they think 43 million bags is on the high estimate but only time will tell so keep a close eye on this market as the sleeping giant will wake once again in my opinion.
TREND: LOWER
CHART STRUCTURE: IMPROVING

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Weekly Futures Recap With Mike Seery - Crude Oil, SP 500, Gold and Coffee

We've ask our trading partner Michael Seery to give our readers a weekly recap of the futures market. He has been Senior Analyst for close to 15 years and has extensive knowledge of all of the commodity and option markets......

Crude oil futures in the July contract finished the week down about $1.50 closing around 102.70 a barrel after hitting 1 year highs earlier in the week. The crude oil market is trading above its 20 & 100 day moving average continuing its bullish trend in recent months as economies around the world are improving as well as the U.S stock market hitting new all time highs on a daily basis helping support crude oil prices. We have entered the strong demand season for unleaded gasoline as there will be a lot of drivers on the road increasing demand which could propel prices back up to last August highs of around 112 a barrel. If you are looking to take advantage of this recent dip in crude oil prices I would remain a buyer as long as prices stay above the 10 day low of 101 a barrel which is about $1.75 away or $900 risk per contract.

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The S&P 500 hit all time highs once again along with the transports this week as the Vix or fear index is at a 7 year low as the S&P 500 traded up another 20 points this week at 1917 as Apple Computer was also up $20 this week currently trading at 635 a share which is propelling the rest of the equity markets higher as the trend seems to be getting stronger and stronger and I’m still recommending a long position in this market .The S&P 500 is trading far above its 20 and 100 day moving average telling you that the trend is higher and with the 10 year note trading at 2.45% which is also propelling stock prices higher as companies are able to borrow large amounts of money at practically nothing while increasing dividends while also buying back their shares decreasing their float therefore increasing earnings per share. I love this market to the upside for one reason because the market has very little volatility and continues to grind higher with solid chart structure to continue to play this to the upside.
TREND: HIGHER
CHART STRUCTURE: SOLID

Gold futures in the August contract finished down for the 5th straight trading session finishing lower by 45 dollars this week at 1,245 an ounce continuing its bearish trend trading below its 20 and 100 day moving average as I remain bearish gold prices as I think there’s a high probability of a retest of 1,200 and if that level is broken look at a re test near the contract low of 1,180 as prices look very bearish in my opinion. You have to ask yourself at this time would you rather own gold or stocks as investors are choosing to sell their gold and are buying stocks and it seems like on a daily basis. The problem with gold right now is everybody’s buying the S&P 500 which hit another all time high today as there is a very little interest in purchasing gold at the current time especially with bond yields continuing to move lower as the money is going into bonds and stocks and out of gold. Gold futures are still higher by about $60 in the year 2014 but traded as high as 1,390 earlier in the year and has given back much of this year’s gains that it had and I do think the trend continues to the downside and if you took my original recommendation place your stop above the 10 day high minimizing risk in case the trend does change. Gold is famous for having large washout days meaning it will sell off $50 in one day and volatility will spike as I said in yesterday’s blog & I sense one of those days is coming as the trend seems to be getting stronger.
TREND: LOWER
CHART STRUCTURE: SOLID

Coffee futures in New York are sharply lower this Friday afternoon trading down 445 points at 177.50 a pound trading down for the week continuing its short term down trend as prices spiked to a low of 170.80 on Tuesday as I have been recommending a long position in this market between 165 – 170 so currently I’m still sitting on the sidelines waiting for the opportunity to arrive. A large coffee exporter named Ipanema Coffee is suggesting that yields could drop by as much as 40% as there are small beans in the cherries which could spike up prices if they are correct on their assessment as the numbers will be coming in the next couple of weeks as in the beginning of the season we were expecting 53 million bags then down to 43 million bags due to the severe drought and anything lower than 43 million bags would be bullish this market and I do expect volatility to rise here in the next couple of weeks. Prices have been going sideways to lower in the last couple of weeks because of the fact that we have very little fresh fundamental news on crop size but that will change quickly so continue to look to be a buyer at 165 – 170 level as you will never pick a bottom in coffee but I do not think prices are headed back down 140 as this whole rally started at 125 as there was significant damage done as I talked to many producers down in Brazil and this was no joke as this was one of the worst droughts in history. Coffee prices are trading below their 20 day moving average in the right near their 100 day moving average which has not happened in more than 4 months telling you that the trend is mixed at the current time as I’m laying in the weeds waiting for an entry.
TREND: LOWER
CHART STRUCTURE: IMPROVING

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SP500 ETF Trading Strategies & Plan of Attack for This Week

Index ETF Trading Strategies: Stocks have kick started this week with a 0.85% pop in price but the big question is if the market can hold up. Last week stocks repeatedly gap higher and sold off with strong volume telling us that institutions are slowing phasing out of stocks (distribution selling) unloading shares into strength and passing them onto the a average investor to be left holding bag.

I want to show you a couple charts which show the price action, volume and money flow of the SP500 so you have a visual of what I am talking about.

30 Minute Intraday SP500 Chart – ETF Trading Strategies

In the chart below you can see the price gaps followed by selling. Why is this important? It is important because during a down trend the market makers and big money plays who have the money and tools to manipulate the markets will allow the market drift higher or they will run price up in overnight or premarket trading when volume is light. Once the 9:30am ET opening bell rings volume and liquidity spike which allows the big money player to sell remaining long positions and or add to short positions they have.

If you look at the blue on balance volume line at the bottom of the chart you can clearly see that more contracts are being sold than bought which is typically an early warning sign that the market is about to fall farther.


 

Automated Trading System – 30 Minute ES Futures Chart

Below is a marked up screen shot of my automated trading system which I use for timing both futures and ETF trading strategies. The color coded bars tell you the market trend along with the strength of buyers and sellers.

When you couple market cycles, trends, volume/money flow, along with chart patterns we can forecast and trade markets with a high degree of accuracy in terms of market direction and timing.


 
My Index ETF Trading Strategies Conclusion:
 
Just to be clear on the current market trend and my overall outlook let me explain a little more. Overall, the broad stock market remains in an uptrend. Thursday and Friday of last week we started getting orange bars on the chart telling us that cycles, volume, and momentum are now neutral. It’s 50/50 on which way the market will go from here, so until the market internals (cycles, volume, breadth) push the odds in our favor enough for a short sell trade or a new long entry we will not add new positions to our portfolio.

It is important to understand that nearly 75% of stocks/investments move with the broad market. So we don’t want to add more long positions when the odds are not in favor of higher prices. Trading in general is not hard to do, but creating, following, executing properly money and position management is. If you have trouble with following or creating an ETF trading strategy you can have my ETF trading system for rising, falling and sideways markets traded automatically in your trading account.

Learn more here about my Automated Trading Systems

See you in the market! 
Chris Vermeulen



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Weekly Futures Recap With Mike Seery - SP 500, Gold, Coffee, Sugar

We’ve asked our trading partner Michael Seery to give our readers a weekly recap of the Futures market. He has been Senior Analyst for close to 15 years and has extensive knowledge of all of the commodity and option markets.

SP 500 Futures
The S&P 500 in the March contract hit another all time record high trading higher by 2 points at 1855 rallying about 16 points in the last 2 trading days as investors are extremely bullish this market due to the fact of low interest rates and a weakening U.S dollar pushing commodity prices higher which also helped push up stock prices. The S&P 500 is trading above its 20 & 100 day moving average telling you that the trend is to the upside as this bull market continues in my opinion as Friday’s remain the most bullish day of the week in equities as investors continue to think that higher prices are ahead with the next major target at 1900 in the next possible couple of months as mergers and acquisitions are taking place with solid earnings across the board and nowhere else to go due to the fact of extremely low interest rates so look to continue to buy the S&P 500 in my opinion especially on dips.

Trend: Higher
Chart Structure: Solid

Gold Futures
Gold futures are trading above their 20 and 100 day moving average basically settling unchanged for the trading week going out this Friday afternoon in New York down about $8 at 1,323 after prices hit 1,345 in Wednesday’s trade as the trend still continues to the upside. I think this is just a possible pause as prices have had a heckuva rally in the last 2 months and I have been recommending a long position in gold for quite some time while placing my stop below the 10 day low which currently stands around 1,315 which is only $8 away so that stop is very tight with a high probability of getting clipped at that price on Monday, however continue to focus on gold and silver to the upside and if you’re lucky enough to get some panic selling I would still be looking at buying as 2013 created the low in gold prices in my opinion.

Trend: Higher
Chart Structure: Excellent

Coffee Futures
This is an actual email that I received from a major coffee producer in Brazil that was sent to me late Thursday night..... “I have been following your comments and suggestions on barchart´s page and have found quite accurate. I live in Machado, state of Minas Gerais, the largest Arabica producing area in Brazil and the lack of rain mixed with unusual hot temperatures are quite scary. However, the worse is yet to come. Even if it the amount of rain gets back to normality by March and April, coffee trees are no longer capable to produce enough energy for the flowering season that must happen between October and November. Having said that, 2015´s crop could be a total disaster if on top of that frost decides to show up by late May".

Coffee could face some corrections but price has no other place to go but up as Brazil alone is consuming around 25 million bags per year. If we´re down to 50 million bags this year ( I like to be optimistic) that will be quite interesting to watch. I continue to recommend a long position either with a futures contract or some type of bull call option spread for the month of July as 2.00 a pound is the next level of resistance as prices closed right as new contract highs at 180.30 a pound in the May contract.

Trend: Higher
Chart Structure: Improving

Sugar Futures
Sugar futures finished lower this Friday afternoon closing around 17.66 a pound in the May contract but rallied about 65 points for the week all due to the drought worsening in central Brazil which is cutting crop estimates which is pushing prices right near 3 ½ month highs. Sugar futures have rallied from 15.00 a pound in late January to all the way above 18.00 in yesterday’s trade as this market remains bullish and I have been recommending a long position when the breakout occurred at 16.58 I would place my stop loss at the 10 day low of 16.00 if you are long. Sugar futures are trading above their 20 and 100 day moving average; however the chart structure is very poor as volatility has entered in the last couple of weeks having wild trading sessions of 80 points or more so make sure you have a proper money management technique in place limiting your risk in case you are wrong but I do believe prices are headed higher.

Trend: Higher
Chart Structure: Poor

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SP 500 Elliott Wave Forecast Unfolding As We Projected, What Is Next?

Back on January 15^th we wrote an article and also a elliott wave forecast for both the public and our subscribers showing a likely top at a maximum of 1868 on the SP 500.  We said that Elliott Wave Major 3 of Primary Wave 3 would top no higher than that level.  In fact, we can go back to September 4^th 2013 and we projected a Major 3 high as 1822-1829.  Turns out we were only about 1% off 4 months in advance of projecting that high, and once again we are on track here with Major 4 commencing from Major 3 highs.

Below is the Major 3 chart we sent out on September 12^th in public articles and private reports



We simply use Fibonacci analysis of wave patterns which are based on human behavioural tendencies that go back centuries. Elliott Wave Theory is often hard to put into practice, so sometimes it gets a bad name.  However, a bad steak at a restaurant doesn’t mean you never have steak again right? The practitioner must hone his or her skills over time and work to improve accuracy.

Our view is pretty simple in that the Major wave 3 was 583 points going from 1267 to 1850, the double top.
Below is the chart we did on January 15^th in advance of this top:



We now know in hindsight that we topped out at 1850.  So what we want to do is simply take the 583 point rally of 1267 to 1850 (major 2 lows to Major 3 highs) and compute a retracement.  We use 23.6%, 31.2%, and 38% Fibonacci figures to come up with estimates. Those come in at 1713 on the shallow end of a correction (wave 4) and 1628 on the lower end.  (See chart below)



Now, assuming we are on track… once this Major 3 completes we will see a Major wave 5 of Primary wave 3 taking us to all-time highs. This will then complete Primary wave 3 of this 5 primary wave bull cycle and then larger Primary wave 4 corrections will ensue from those highs.  We will know we are wrong in our degrees of wave counts if we pierce the 1628 level on the downside. That would indicate Primary 3 topped out 1850 and we are in Primary 4, which is not our current view.

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Telephone Stocks Hang Up and Autos Run Us Over as Markets Head Lower. Here's our Summary - Gold, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, SP 500 and Coffee

The DOW closed sharply lower on Monday as it extends the decline off January's high. Today's sell off was triggered by a sharp decline in telephone stocks, disappointment over auto sales by Ford and General Motors and reports that Jos. A. Bank Clothiers will not enter into takeover talks.

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The SP500 closed sharply lower [March contract] on Monday and below the 2012-2013 uptrend line crossing near 1744.00 confirming that am intermediate trend change is taking place. The low range close sets the stage for a steady to lower opening when Tuesday's night session begins trading. Stochastics and the RSI are oversold but remain neutral to bearish signaling that additional weakness is possible near term. If March extends this year's decline, the 25% retracement level of the 25% retracement level of 2012's rally crossing at 1692.03 is the next downside target. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 1811.38 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. First resistance is the 10 day moving average crossing at 1791.33. Second resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 1811.38. First support is today's low crossing at 1735.50. Second support is the 25% retracement level of 2012's rally crossing at 1692.03.


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Crude oil closed lower due to profit taking on Monday as it consolidated some of the rally off January's low. Today's low range close sets the stage for a steady to lower opening when Tuesday's night session begins. Stochastics and the RSI are overbought but are turning neutral to bearish hinting that a short term top might be in or is near. Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 95.00 would confirm that a short term top has been posted. If March extends the aforementioned rally, the 87% retracement level of the December-January decline crossing at 99.58 is the next upside target. First resistance is the 75% retracement level of the December-January decline crossing at 98.47. Second resistance is the 87% retracement level of the December-January decline crossing at 99.58. First support is today's low crossing at 96.26. Second support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 95.06.

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Natural gas [March contract] closed lower on Monday. The high range close sets the stage for a steady to higher opening on Tuesday. Stochastics and the RSI are bearish hinting that a pause in the rally is possible or that a short term top has been posted. Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.528 would confirm that a short term top has been posted. If March renews this winter's rally, monthly resistance crossing at 6.108 is the next upside target. First resistance is last Wednesday's high crossing at 5.486. Second resistance is monthly resistance crossing at 6.108. First support is the 10 day moving average crossing at 4.843. Second support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.528.

Here's detailed analysis on the March Natural Gas contract

Gold closed higher [April contract] on Monday. The mid range close sets the stage for a steady opening when Tuesday's night session begins trading. Stochastics and the RSI are neutral to bearish signaling that sideways to lower prices are possible near term. If April extends last week's decline, the reaction low crossing at 1215.30 is the next downside target. If April renews the rally off December's low, the 50% retracement level of the August-December decline crossing at 1306.20 is the next upside target. First resistance is last Monday's high crossing at 1280.10. Second resistance is the 50% retracement level of the August-December decline crossing at 1306.20. First support is the reaction low crossing at 1230.80. Second support is the reaction low crossing at 1215.30.

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Coffee closed sharply higher on Monday [March contract] as it extends this rally off November's low. The high range close set the stage for a steady to higher opening on Tuesday. Stochastics and the RSI are bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If March extends the rally off November's low, last July's high crossing at 13.80 is the next upside target. Closes below the 10 day moving average crossing at 11.87 would confirm that a short term top has been posted.

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Is February a Risk On or Risk Off Trade: Equities or Gold & Bonds

Recent price action in the stock market has many traders on edge. With the market closing below our key support trend line last week, the market has now technically starting a down trend.

While trend lines are a great tool for identifying a weakening trend and reversals in the market, I do not put a lot of my analysis weighting on them.

Most of my timing and trading is based around what I call INNER-Market Analysis (Market Stages, Cycles, Momentum and Sentiment). Using these data we can diagnose the overall health of the market. Knowing the strength of the market we can then forecast short term trend reversals before they happen with a high degree of accuracy.

In this report I keep things clean and simple using just trend lines. During the last three weeks we have seen the price of stocks pullback. And because 2013 was such a strong year for stocks most participants are expecting a sharp market correction to take place anytime now.

So with the recent price correction fear is starting to enter the market and money is rotating out of stocks and into the Risk Off assets like gold and bonds.

Stocks tend to fall in times of economic uncertainty or fear. These same factors push investors towards the safety trades (Risk Off) high quality bonds and precious metals. As more money goes from risk on to risk off, stocks will continue to fall and the safety trades will rise. The move by investors to select the safety of gold and bonds compared to the volatility of stocks will result in these risk plays to moving in opposite directions.

Let’s take a look at the chart below for a visual of what looks to be unfolding…...

 

How to Trade These Markets:

 

While these markets look to be starting to reverse trends, it is critical that we understand how the market moves during reversals and understand position/money management.

Getting short stocks and long precious metals in the long run could work out very well, but if you understand the price action that typically happens during reversals you know that the stock market will become choppy and we could see the recent highs tested or possibly even a new high made before price actually starts a down trend. And the opposite situation for gold and bonds. Drawdowns can be huge when investing and why I don’t just change position directions when the first sign of a trend change shows up on the chart.

Price reversals are a process, not an event. So it is important to follow along using a short term time frame like the daily chart and play the intermediate trends that last 4-12 weeks in length. By doing this, you are trading in the direction of the most active cycle in the stock market and positioned properly as new a trend starts.

What I am looking for in the next week or two:

 

1. Stocks to trade sideways or drift higher for 3-6 days, then I will be looking to get short. Again, cycle, sentiment, and momentum analysis must remain down for me to short the market. If they turn back up I will remain in cash until a setup for another short or long entry forms.

2. Gold remains in a down trend but is starting to breakout to the upside. I do have concerns with the daily chart patterns for both gold and silver, so next week will be critical for them. We will be using some ETF Trading Strategies to take advantage of these moves.

3. Bond prices (not yields) look to be forming a bottom “W” pattern. They have had a big run in the last few weeks and are now testing resistance. I think a long bond position is slowly starting to unfold but if we look at the futures price charts for both bonds and gold, they have not yet broken to the upside and have more work to do. As mentioned before ETFs are not really the best tool for charting but I show them because they what the masses follow and trade.

Get these reports every week free at: The Gold & Oil Guy.com

Chris Vermeulen

Author of  “Technical Trading Mastery – 7 Steps To Win With Logic”

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Using 3X ETF's....Maybe this is now Doable

For years we have resisted using the 3X ETF's for our near term and day trading. These can potentially cut your head off over night. The main reason we have not been willing to use these tickers is that our traditional research including the resistance, support and pivot numbers just don't work.

But our friend and trading partner Chris Vermeulen is trying to convince us that he has it figured out. He has been telling us this for years but now he has created a program that....well, in all honesty looks like he was right.

Check out Chris new AlgoTrades Program

Here is his most recent trade using the ES Mini futures contract.....

On Jan 13th 2014 our algorithmic trading system took a long position in the SP500 futures trading contact. In less than 24 hours our algorithm system was able to identify resistance in the market the following session. This invisible overbought market condition which only our algorithmic trading system identified automatically sold 1/3rd of our long position for a quick $1100 profit and adjusted the protective stop to breakeven on the balance of the position.

Quick note: While this trade was executed on the ES mini futures contract using our futures trading system, we do have a 3x automated trading system for ETFs. We know the most of our followers and the general public prefer ETF trading because they understand them more and have less risk. So we built this 3x automated trading system using the 3 times leveraged exchange traded funds.

As of today (Jan 15th) we are sitting with a risk free trade, $1100 in realized gains, and another $2400 in gains on the remainder of our position. This type of trade setup has happened twice in the past 10 days. The first trade took $500 in profit and was stopped out the next day and now this trade.

Click here to read Chris' entire article and check out his chart work on this trade.



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Mid Week Market Summary - Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Gold, SP 500 and Coffee

Crude oil closed lower on Wednesday as it extended the decline off December's high. Today's low range close sets the stage for a steady to lower opening when Thursday's night session begins. Stochastics and the RSI are oversold but remain bearish signaling that additional weakness is possible. If February extends the aforementioned decline, November's low crossing at 92.10 is the next downside target. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 97.37 are needed to temper the near term bearish outlook. First resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 97.37. Second resistance is December's high crossing at 100.75. First support is today's low crossing at 92.26. Second support is November's low crossing at 92.10.

Natural gas closed sharply lower on Wednesday. The low range close sets the stage for a steady to lower opening on Thursday. Stochastics and the RSI remain neutral to bearish signaling that sideways to lower prices are possible near term. If February extends the decline off December's high, the 38% retracement level of the November-December rally crossing at 4.158 is the next downside target. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.353 would temper the near term bearish outlook. First resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.353. Second resistance is December's high crossing at 4.532. First support is last Friday's low crossing at 4.206. Second support is the 38% retracement level of the November-December rally crossing at 4.158.

The March S&P 500 closed slightly higher on Wednesday as it consolidated some of the decline off December's high. The high range close sets the stage for a steady to higher opening when Thursday's night session begins trading. Stochastics and the RSI are neutral to bearish signaling that a short term top might be in or is near. Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 1810.91 are needed to confirm that a short term top has been posted. If March renews 2013's rally into uncharted territory, upside targets will be hard to project. First resistance is December's high crossing at 1846.50. Second resistance is unknown. First support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 1810.91. Second support is December's low crossing at 1755.00.

Gold closed lower on Wednesday as it consolidated some of the rally off December's low. The mid-range close sets the stage for a steady to lower opening when Thursday's night session begins trading. Stochastics and the RSI are neutral to bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If April extends the aforementioned rally, December's high crossing at 1266.70 is the next upside target. If April renews the decline off August's high, weekly support crossing at 1179.40 is the next downside target. First resistance is Monday's high crossing at 1248.20. Second resistance is December's high crossing at 1266.70. First support is December's low crossing at 1182.30. Second support is weekly support crossing at 1179.40.

Coffee closed higher on Wednesday and remains poised to extend the rally off November's low. The high range close set the stage for a steady to higher opening on Thursday. Stochastics and the RSI are diverging but are bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If March extends the aforementioned rally, September's high crossing at 12.40 is the next upside target. Closes below last Thursday's low crossing at 11.02 would confirm that a short term top has been posted.

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Bear Market Cycle Bottom Forming in Gold and Gold Stocks Right Now!

Today our trading partner David Banister takes a look at the Bullish Percent Index chart relative to Gold’s cycle and Gold Stocks.

Essentially it tells you what percentage of Gold sector stocks are at or above a moving average, which normally would be 50 days. When 70% or more are above a 50 day moving average, sectors can be peaking out. If you look at our chart at the bottom, we have labeled various incidents with A, B, C, and D.

A. The precious metal as we all know peaked in the fall of 2011 at $1923 per ounce, and the Bullish percent index was at 80%! Usually at 30% or so, they are bottoming out in most cases.

B. We saw a rare case in the summer of 2013 where the Bullish percent index for Gold stocks was at 0%, yes that is not a miss-print.

C. Gold bottomed at 1181 in late June 2013, and then rallied up to 1434 and we saw Gold stocks rally 40-80% in individual cases and the Bullish percent index rallied up to 55%.

D. If we fast forward to December 2013, we have Gold pulling back in the final 5th wave down from the Bull cycle highs in August 2011 at $1923. The Bullish percent index is back to 10% and heading towards 0 or close once again. At the same time, the Gold miners index ETF (GDX) is at 5 year lows and even lower than June-July 2013 lows.

These types of indicators are coming to a pivot point where Gold is testing the summer 1181 lows and may go a bit lower to the 1090 ranges. At the same time, we see bottoming 5th wave patterns combining with public sentiment, bullish percent indexes, and 5 year lows in Gold stocks. This is how bottom in Bear cycles form and you are witnessing the makings of a huge bottom between now and early February 2014 if we are right.

The time to buy Gold and Gold stocks is now during the next 4 - 5 weeks just as we were recommending stocks in late February 2009 with public articles that nobody paid attention to. This is the time to start accumulating quality gold miner and also the precious metals themselves as the bear cycle winds down and the spring comes back to Gold and Silver in 2014.

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Commodity Markets Summary for Thursday December 19th

Crude oil closed higher on Thursday renewing the rally off November's low. The high range close sets the stage for a steady to higher opening when Friday's night session begins. Stochastics and the RSI are diverging but are turning neutral to bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If January renews the rally off November's low, the 50% retracement level of the August-November decline crossing at 99.87 is the next upside target. Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 96.19 are needed to confirm that a short term top has been posted. First resistance is today's high crossing at 99.17. Second resistance is the 50% retracement level of the August-November decline crossing at 99.87. First support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 96.19. Second support is November's low crossing at 91.77.

Natural gas closed sharply higher on Thursday renewing the rally off November's low. The high range close sets the stage for a steady to higher opening on Friday. Stochastics and the RSI are diverging but are turning neutral signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If January extends the rally off November's low, the 75% retracement level of this year's decline crossing at 4.487 is the next upside target. Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.104 would confirm that a short term top has been posted. First resistance is today's high crossing at 4.471. Second resistance is the 75% retracement level of this year's decline crossing at 4.487. First support is the reaction low crossing at 4.172. Second support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.104.

The March S&P 500 closed lower due to light profit taking on Thursday as it consolidated some of this week's rally. The high range close sets the stage for a steady to higher opening when Friday's night session begins trading. Stochastics and the RSI are bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If March extends this year's rally into uncharted territory, upside targets will be hard to project. If March renews the decline off November's high, the reaction low crossing at 1738.70 is the next downside target. First resistance is today's high crossing at 1806.10. Second resistance is unknown. First support is Monday's low crossing at 1755.00. Second support is the reaction low crossing at 1738.70.

Gold closed lower on Thursday renewing the decline off August's high. The low range close sets the stage for a steady to lower opening when Friday's night session begins trading. Stochastics and the RSI are diverging but bearish signaling that sideways to lower prices are possible near term. If February renews the decline off August high, June's low crossing at 1187.90 is the next downside target. Closes above last Tuesday's high crossing at 1267.50 are needed to confirm that a low has been posted. First resistance is last Tuesday's high crossing at 1267.50. Second resistance is the reaction high crossing at 1294.70. First support is today's low crossing at 1190.00. Second support is June's low crossing at 1187.90.

COT Fund fav coffee closed lower on Thursday as it consolidates some of the rally off November's low. The low range close set the stage for a steady to lower opening on Friday. Stochastics and the RSI are neutral to bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If March extends this month's rally, the reaction high crossing at 12.10 is the next upside target. Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 11.04 would confirm that a short term top has been posted.

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Mid Week Market Summary for Wednesday December 11th

The S&P 500 closed lower on Wednesday. The low range close sets the stage for a steady to lower opening when Thursday's night session begins trading. Stochastics and the RSI are neutral to bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If March renews this year's rally into uncharted territory upside targets will be hard to project. Multiple closes below last Wednesday's low crossing at 1774.80 are needed to confirm that a short term top has been posted. First resistance is November's high crossing at 1805.50. Second resistance is unknown. First support is last Wednesday's low crossing at 1774.80. Second support is the reaction low crossing at 1769.00.

Crude oil closed lower due to profit taking on Wednesday as it consolidated some of the rally off November's low. The low range close sets the stage for a steady to lower opening when Thursday's night session begins. Stochastics and the RSI are overbought but remain neutral to bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near-term. If January extends the rally off November's low, the 50% retracement level of the August-November decline crossing at 99.87 is the next upside target. Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 95.16 would confirm that a short term top has been posted. First resistance is today's high crossing at 98.75. Second resistance is the 50% retracement level of the August-November decline crossing at 99.87. First support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 95.16. Second support is November's low crossing at 91.77.


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Natural gas closed sharply higher on Wednesday and above the 62% retracement level of this year's decline crossing at 4.307 as it extends the rally off November's low. The high range close sets the stage for a steady to higher opening on Thursday. Stochastics and the RSI are overbought but remain neutral to bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If January extends the rally off November's low, the 75% retracement level of this year's decline crossing at 4.487 is the next upside target. Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 3.902 would confirm that a short term top has been posted. First resistance is today's high crossing at 4.340. Second resistance is the 75% retracement level of this year's decline crossing at 4.487. First support is the 10 day moving average crossing at 4.082. Second support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 3.902.

Gold closed lower as it consolidated some of on Tuesday rally but remains above the 20 day moving average crossing at 1250.50. The low range close sets the stage for a steady to lower opening when Thursday's night session begins trading. Stochastics and the RSI are bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If February extends Tuesday's rally, the reaction high crossing at 1294.70 is the next upside target. If February renews the decline off August' high, June's low crossing at 1187.90 is the next downside target. First resistance is Tuesday's high crossing at 1267.50. Second resistance is the reaction high crossing at 1294.70. First support is last Friday's low crossing at 1210.10. Second support is June's low crossing at 1187.90.

Silver closed higher on Wednesday as it extended the rally off last Wednesday's low. The low range close set the stage for a steady to lower opening when Thursday's night session begins trading. Stochastics and the RSI remain bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If January extends this week's rally, the reaction high crossing at 20.805 is the next upside target. If January renews the decline off October's high, June's low crossing at 18.615 is the next downside target. First resistance is today's high crossing at 20.430. Second resistance is the reaction high crossing at 20.805. First support is last Wednesday's low crossing at 18.900. Second support is June's low crossing at 18.615.

The U.S. Dollar closed lower on Wednesday as it extends the decline off November's high. The mid range close sets the stage for a steady to lower opening when Thursday's night session begins trading. Stochastics and the RSI are oversold but remain neutral to bearish signaling that sideways to lower prices are possible near term. If March extends the decline off November's high, October's low crossing at 79.35 is the next downside target. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 80.82 would confirm that a short term low has been posted. First resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 80.82. Second resistance is November's high crossing at 81.73. First support is today's low crossing at 79.87. Second support is October's low crossing at 79.35.

The Japanese Yen closed higher due to short covering on Wednesday. The mid-range close sets the stage for a steady opening when Thursday's night session begins trading. Stochastics and the RSI are diverging but are neutral to bearish signaling that sideways to lower prices are possible near term. If March extends the decline off October's high, weekly support crossing at .9640 is the next downside target. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at .9857 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. First resistance is last Thursday's high crossing at .9845. Second resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at .9857. First support is Tuesday's low crossing at .9678. Second support is weekly support crossing at .9640.

Coffee closed lower on Wednesday. The low range close set the stage for a steady to lower opening on Thursday. Stochastics and the RSI are turning bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. Closes above the reaction high crossing at 11.29 are needed to renew the rally off November's low. If March renews last week's decline, November's low crossing at 10.41 is the next downside target.

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Mish's Mid Week Market Minute $SPY $IWM $DIA $QQQ

Michelle "Mish" Schneider gives a quick run down of this market like no one else can. Here's her Free Market Minute for Wednesday....

Flat has several meanings. 1. Smooth and even, without marked lumps or indentations. I wonder how many can say that about their equity after Tuesday’s session? 2. Lacking interest or emotion; dull and lifeless. That’s a yes! 3. In or to a horizontal position. Describes the market internals or McClellan Oscillator.

The S&P 500 is flat. Flat as a word has several more urban definitions; but I will leave that to your own curiosity to look up online. Speaking of, Google (GOOG), far from flat, did make new highs.

Volume equally flat with an exception to the small caps, Russell 2000s, which posted a rather small distribution day. Remember, when you’re flat on your back, everything looks up!

S&P 500 (SPY) Held the fast moving average, which by the way, is flat.

Russell 2000 (IWM) Broke the fast moving average with 111 an important support level

Dow (DIA) Closed just shy of the fast moving average but also on support. Also have to mention that IWM SPY and DIA did not make new highs recently while QQQs did

Nasdaq (QQQ) Marginally worked off overbought conditions

XLF (Financials) Volcker rule announcement had an impact. Sitting on support

SMH (Semiconductors) Holding the runaway gap

XRT (Retail) With a 6 day correction, 85.60 is pretty much the risk should this start to turn up

IYT (Transportation) Marginally held 128.40

IBB (Biotechnology) Held 219 and still digesting

IYR (Real Estate) 63.20 is the place to hold now

XHB (Homebuilders) Floundering around above the 50 DMA

GLD Gapped up so that reversal candle was good after all-now, 122 great resistance

USO (US Oil Fund) Cleared the 200 DMA-and baby, it’s cold outside!

XLE (Energy) 2 inside days-good one to focus on for range break

TBT (Ultrashort Lehman 20+ Year Treasuries) TLTs doesn’t believe taper talk it seems

EWG (Germany) 30.33 is the low of the island top to clear to negate that pattern


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Weekly Futures Market Recap - SP 500, Bonds, Gold, Coffee

It's the weekend and that means it's time to check in with Michael Seery of INO.com for his weekly recap of the Futures market. Seery has been Senior Analyst for close to 15 years and has extensive knowledge of all of the commodity and option markets......


The S&P 500 rose sharply this Friday afternoon after finishing lower for 5 consecutive trading days which is very rare in the month of December as this Friday afternoon prices finished up 19 points at 1803 and remember the fact we have not have a down day on a Friday since early October as Friday generally is a positive up day going into the weekend.

I’ve been recommending a long position in the S&P 500 for quite some time I do believe we will continue to move higher possibly up to the 1850 level here by New Year’s as there’s no other game in town with excellent earnings and the possibility of tapering coming after the monthly unemployment number which showed 203, 000 new jobs with an unemployment rate of 7.0% which was considered very bullish despite the fact that there could be tapering of US bonds soon , but that story is becoming old sending prices sharply higher right near all time highs once again.

The NASDAQ 100 is up 25 points at 3503 despite the fact that Apple Computer was down nearly $8 as investors are still in love with the technology sector especially after a minor setback that it had the last week and I still suggest you be bullish either with options or outright futures positions. The NASDAQ 100 cash index I believe will break 4500 which is the next stop which will take a couple of months in my opinion but prices remain strong.

Both of these markets are still trading above their 20 and 100 day moving average despite the five day losing streak & that just shows you how far prices have comes to the upside and I do think there’s more good news around the world which should prop up stock prices especially with low interest rates in Europe and the Japanese continuing their QE programs which will prop up the Nikkei so across the world bullish news will continue to push equity prices higher.

Bond Futures

The 5 year note sold off sharply this Friday afternoon hitting a 6 week low before rallying to finish down 3 ticks at 120-08 as the monthly unemployment was construed bullish the stock market and bearish bonds because of the possibility of tapering. I'm recommending a short position in the five year note as the government cannot continue to print forever and one day if you're a long-term investor this will pay off as interest rates will start to rise eventually as the five year note is only yielding 1.50% at the present time. This is an excellent market with low volatility compared to many of the other commodity markets and it has excellent chart structure and I'm recommending outright futures contract to the downside & If you are long term investor I would continue to sell the five year note futures and I would not place a stop because I would hold on continuing to rollover for years to come because the five year note eventually could go back up to 4% or 5% which would be a huge gain if you are short the futures for the entire time and that could take several years but will pay you off in the long run in my opinion. The five year note is now trading below its 20 and 100 day moving average and it looks like a possible head and shoulders top has been formed so take a shot at the downside.

The 10 year note is currently trading at 124-09 in the March contract finishing lower for the 3rd straight trading session and it also looks like its topped out so I'm recommending a short position placing your stop above 125.20 risking around $1,500 per contract as I do think prices will retest at 120 level down the road as the yield on the 10 year stands at 2.89% as people are rotating out of bonds and continue to pour money into the S&P 500 which I think will continue for the rest of the year so sell rallies in the bond market. Trend....mixed. Chart Structure....excellent.

Gold Futures

The monthly unemployment report came out at this morning stating that we added 203, 000 new jobs which was construed very bullish sending the stock market higher and gold lower due to the fact of tapering possibly happening as soon as March as the unemployment rate is now 7.0% as traders see no reasonable to own gold as the economy here in the United States and around the world are improving dramatically sending the S&P right near record highs once again today and selling off gold by $4 at 1,228 currently here on the night session this Friday afternoon in New York. Gold is trading below its 20 & 100 day moving average continuing its bearish trend hitting a 5 month low with major support at 1,210 which was hit twice this week and rebounded but it looks to me that we almost certainly have to retest 1,180 which was last summer’s low. Trend lower....Chart structure....excellant.

Coffee Futures

Coffee in the March contract closed down over 450 points this week at 106.40 reversing earlier gains hitting a 4 week high at 1 point trading up at 112.90 on Wednesday before a major reversal sent it right back down into its recent trading range as many the commodity markets were sharply higher this week but the coffee fundamentals still at this time remain bearish. If your bullish coffee prices as we’ve have had a nice sideways channel for over 4 weeks and that’s what to look for in a bottoming pattern so my recommendation would be to buy a futures contract at today’s price placing a stop below the contract low at 104 risking around $1,100 per contract but I remain neutral on coffee because there really is no trend right now. It would not surprise me if you get a snap back to the upside like we’ve gotten in oil, gold, and silver prices today as massive short covering is taking place and that could happen in coffee as well because of the short interest currently. Trend....neutral. Chart structure excellent.

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Elliott Wave Forecast: Bull Market Nearing Interim Peak on SP500

Back on September 12th with the SP 500 at 1689 we forecasted a run in the SP 500 to 1829, a very specific number. We use Elliott Wave Theory and Analysis in part to come up with projected pivots for the SP 500 and this was our projection.

Elliott Wave Analysis is based largely on Human Behavioral patterns that repeat over and over again throughout time. It’s really crowd behavior or herd mentality as applied to the broader stock markets. This can also apply to individual stocks, precious metals and more. At the end of the day, an individual stock is worth what investors believe it is worth, and it won’t necessarily reflect what a private valuation may accord it.

With that in mind, the stock market as a basket of 500 stocks can pretty easily be patterned out and then we can apply our Elliott Wave Theory to that pattern and predict outcomes. Back in mid-September, we believed we were in a 3rd wave up of the bull market as part of what we call Primary wave 3. The primary waves are 1-5 and Primary 3 is usually the most bullish of the 5 primary waves with 2 and 4 being corrective. Well, within Primary wave 3 you have 5 major waves… and we projected that Major wave 3 would be running to about 1829.

This projection was based on the 1267 pivot for Major wave 2 of Primary Wave Pattern 3 which was a corrective wave. We then simply applied a Fibonacci ratio to the Major wave 1 and assumed that Major wave 3 would be 161% of Major 1. That brings us to about 1822-1829… and here we are a few months later heading into Thanksgiving with the SP 500 hitting 1807 and getting close to our projection.

What will happen afterwards should be a Major wave 4 correction. We expect this to be about 130 points on the shallow side of corrections, and as much as 212 points.

So the Bull Market is not over, but Major Wave Pattern 3 of Primary 3 is coming to an end as we are in a seasonally strong period for the market. We would not be shocked to see a strong January 2014 correction in the markets as part of Major wave 4.

Here is our September 14th elliott wave forecast chart we sent to our subscribers and you can see we continue now along the same path.....Read "Elliott Wave Forecast: Bull Market Nearing Interim Peak on SP500"


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