Friday, March 15, 2013

Is it time to be sweet on Sugar SGG

Our friends at the MarketClub have posted that they are seeing a bullish uptrend arrow for sugar coming from their Trade Triangle technology. MarketClub contributor Jim Robinson says.......

"Sugar looks to be making a Head and Shoulder base and a breakout to the upside would be bullish. A Head and Shoulders pattern isn't a completed pattern until there is a neckline breakout. Waiting for the neckline breakout helps to confirm the pattern is good and will keep us from buying into what looks like a head and shoulders base, but then fails. The weekly MarketClub Trade Triangle is pointing up which is bullish. If sugar trades higher and makes a strong move through the neckline, that puts the odds with higher prices, making this a great chart to watch as big bull move is possibly on the way for sugar"

Here is Jim's chart and technical view of the Trade Triangles for May sugar using SF.K13.E

We are long sugar using ETN ticker SGG




Click here to check out the MarketClub Trade Triangles for yourself!

 

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The Stock Market Trend & Hot Sector ETF’s

Trading with the trend should be your main focus for long term success no matter what type of trader you are (Options Trader, Stock Trader, or ETF Trader) although it’s not as easy as it sounds.

The good news is that there is a simple trading model that removes 95% of trading analysis and greatly reduces trading related emotions because the key technical analysis rules based on one of the world’s best chart technicians (John Murphy) technical analysis methods have been applied to the chart automatically. The key is to identify the trend of the market. Once that is known you can focus on trading strategies that take advantage of the current trend.

Over the past few years I have been creating this indicator/chart layout tool which converts my chart reading experience, tips and tricks into a simple system removing analysis paralysis which cause most individuals to second guess what they see and don’t pull the trigger. Using too many indicators or read/listening several other traders commentaries with different views than you causes this paralysis.

My simple red light, green light model clearly shows a viewer the current trend and expected price range (high and low) looking forward a couple days. I uses a series of data points like volatility, volume, cycles, momentum, chart patterns and logic rules. It even shows extreme pivot points helping you find low risk entry prices for both bull and bear market conditions.

Recent trends and signals for the SP500 Index Daily Chart:

SPY1

Trading With the Trend – The Sweet Spots

Knowing the direction of the market is simple using the chart system above but trading with the trend is not that simple because of natural human behavior. Instead traders fall victim to trying to pick a top or bottom because they think the price is overbought or oversold and they want to catch the next big trend change.

We all know the saying “the market climbs a wall of worry”. Well, the biggest worry most traders have is buying long in a bull market because stocks and price always look overbought and ready to top each week… This leads to people trying to get fancy picking a top only to get their head handed to them a few days or weeks later depending on how stubborn they are to exit a losing position.

The key to long term success is to buy during broad market (SP500) corrections once sentiment, cycles and momentum are starting to flash extreme oversold conditions. These show up as green arrows on the trend chart. At that point most sectors and high beta stocks like IBM, GOOG etc… should be at a key entry points with most of the downside risk removed already. Remember ¾ stocks follow the broad market so it only makes sense to follow it also.

What about a runaway stock market? This is when the stock market does not pullback but just keep grinding its way higher and higher… The only thing you can do is sit in cash, or look for a stock or sector that is having a small pause or pullback and get long with a small position until you get that broad market pullback and major by signal to add more.

Below are a few sectors showing a minor pause/pullback within this bull market:

XLP
XLI XLU  XLF

Mid-Week Trend Conclusion:

Overall, the broad market remains in an uptrend. While I would like to see the SP500 pullback and give us another major buy signal like it did in December and February I do mind that much if prices keep running higher as it just give us more cushion and potential profits for when the trend does eventually roll over and flip signals. I hope you found this report interesting. It’s just scratching the surface of this topic but it’s a start. Know the stock market trends by joining my free newsletter at The Gold & Oil Guy.com

Chris Vermeulen


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Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Chevron CEO on CNBC.... Keep Cash Reserves If Oil Prices Fall

Chevron CEO John Watson discusses where the biggest production growth is occurring globally and what his company plans to do with its $22 billion in cash.



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How to Find High Probability Trades

The last time we shared a webinar hosted by John Carter he gave out a trade for attendees to take, if they felt like it, that netted John 86k. And he's hosting another webinar this week

No promises on trade recommendations as he only takes what the market gives him, but I really recommend you sign up for this event for Thursday at 8 p.m. est.

Click here for Webinar Sign up

Here is just an idea of what John will be covering......

*    His favorite options trading strategies,
*    How to find high probability trades,
*    How to manage options trades,
*    How to trade options to generate wealth or income from any account size and more.

If you have decided that it's time to start making real money trading, make time for this event.


John Carter's "How to Find High Probability Trades"

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Silver Miners, Gold Miners and the Price Of Gold

Silver and silver mining stocks are front and center for investors and active traders. Because of silvers high volatility (large price swings) it naturally attracts a lot of attention.

First you have seasoned investors who are waiting for the right opportunity to get long or short for the next move. Then you have the active traders playing the day to day price swings. Finally you get the gamblers who are salivating over the potential to double their accounts and are riding the commodity on pure emotions (Fear & Greed). All these things compound the volatility for the investment making it headline news and what everyone wants to be involved in.

The focus of this report is show you where the price of gold, silver and miner stocks are currently trading and what to lookout for in the coming days/weeks. Below is a chart of gold but silver has a similar pattern and will follow or should I say lead the price of gold in percentage terms because of its volatility.

Gold Weekly Chart:

Gold has been testing its long term support level for three weeks. I expect we see price start to move quickly sooner than later but there is potential for it to tread water here until the second half of April. We all know the saying “Sell in May and Go Away” and as we get closer to that date we should start to see money flow into the “Safe Havens” being gold, silver, and miners. While this has not happened many times on the charts I am thinking beyond them and of what the masses are likely to flock to when stocks lose their luster.

Also if you have been following the price of the dollar index you know that its getting a little overbought and when it starts to correct the falling dollar should help send precious metals higher.

Gold3


Gold & Silver Miners VS Gold Bullion Performance:

The stock market has certain chart patterns that tell chart readers what the holders of that particular investment is feeling emotionally. Knowing how to read these extreme patterns can yield some big gains and works for most investments types (stocks, bonds, commodities and currencies).

Without getting into the boring technical details precious metal stocks are starting show signs of panic selling which typically happens before a major bottom is put in place. A bottom generally takes a week or two for some type of bottoming pattern or base building to form. This is the most volatile time to be trading these investments so trade with caution.

Gold1

Gold Miners Bullish Percent Index:

Bullish percent indexes are a great way to see how popular an investment is. If you do not know what a bullish percent chart is then you can look it up online and learn more. The way I read it is when it’s up over 75-80 it’s a popular investment and everyone is buying it. It also means it’s in a major uptrend. But you must be aware that when everyone is buying something once price starts to turn down you better be one of the first few out the door before everyone else runs for the door and price crashes.

It’s similar but reversed for investments that are below 20. Everyone is selling, no one wants to own it but once the selling momentum stops price should rebound and rally. Keep in mind this indicator is not great for timing, but confirms that what you are looking at is either oversold, neutral or overbought in the BIG picture.

Gold2

Weekend Precious Metals Trading Conclusion:

In short, I still like gold, silver, and their related mining stocks. I am watching them very closely for signs of a bottom and will be jumping on that train when the selling momentum looks to have stalled. Keep in mind that all these investments are still in a VERY STRONG DOWN TREND and trying to catch a falling knife is not what I do. Waiting for momentum to shift is my focus as there should be big upside if metals and stocks can find a bottom soon. If gold breaks down below key support as posted on the weekly chart then the uptrend may be over and it will be time to start looking for short positions.

You can get my free weekly reports and ideas here at The Gold & Oil Guy.com

Chris Vermeulen


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Saturday, March 9, 2013

Are you using the "Squeeze Trade"

We have had a huge response to John Carters options trading video that we posted on Thursday. Because of some of the feedback and input that has come in John has decided to release a follow up video. Here's a little advice though, before watching the video get out a pen and paper. Personally I think you'll want to take some notes this time around.

Today's video will include more details on individual trades John has been doing. Including how he made 43k trading MA options. The video is only 13 minutes long so no excuses. Here is just a sample of what John will be covering.......

- Three (3) strategies to trade "The Squeeze"
- The secret behind 39 minute charts
- The "Porsche Trade Setup"

Whether you trade options as an expert or beginner we would love to hear your feedback so please feel free to leave a comment.

Just click here to watch John's video

See you in the markets!
Ray C. Parrish
President/CEO The Crude Oil Trader


Exact Setup of a 43k Options Trade



Friday, March 8, 2013

Natural Gas....Is it time to trust the bullish Trade Triangles?

Today we are going to take a look at the technical picture of Natural Gas (NG.J13.E) and analyzing it using the MarketClub Trade Triangles. Natural gas found support at a double bottom level, has moved higher, and put in a weekly MarketClub green Trade Triangle, which is bullish.

If natural gas continues higher and breaks through resistance, it would put in a monthly MarketClub green Trade Triangle, which would be even more bullish. The MACD is on a buy signal and right now everything is pointing to higher prices for natural gas. This is a chart to watch, as big things look to possibly be in store on the upside for natural gas.



Click here to sign up for your own trial of the MarketClub Trade Triangle technology!

EIA: Saudi Arabia was world's largest petroleum producer and net exporter in 2012

Saudi Arabia was the world's largest producer and exporter of petroleum and other liquids in 2012, producing an average of 11.6 million barrels per day (bbl/d) and exporting an estimated 8.6 million bbl/d (net). Saudi Arabia produces more than three times as much of these liquids as the next largest member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Iran), and as much as the rest of the Arab Middle East put together.

In addition to leading the world in production and exports, Saudi Arabia has an estimated 268 billion barrels of proved oil reserves, over 16% of the global total, and is the only country in the world with extensive spare oil production capacity, which can help cushion market disruptions. While Saudi Arabia has about a hundred major oil and natural gas fields, more than half of its proved reserves are contained in eight fields. Saudi Arabia's (and the world's) largest oil field (Ghawar) alone contains an estimated 70 billion barrels of proved reserves, more than the proved reserves in all but seven other countries.

Graph of total petroleum liquid production, as explained in the article text 

In 2012, 16% of Saudi liquids exports were sent to the United States, accounting for 13% of total U.S. liquids imports. While Canada is the prime supplier of U.S. liquids imports, Saudi Arabia remains an important supplier.

Although leading the world in exports, Saudi Arabia's own liquids consumption is growing. Unlike the United States, Saudi Arabia uses significant amounts of oil for electricity generation, reaching as much as one million bbl/d during hot summer months. Electric demand has doubled since 2000 and is expected to continue its rapid growth. Without initiatives to facilitate fuel switching and increase efficiency, growing volumes of oil, expensive in relation to other fuels, will be consumed domestically.

Finally, as EIA has previously discussed, the choice of accounting conventions for measuring liquids production can also affect which country is considered the world's leading producer at a given date.

Get John Carter's new "Options Trading Strategies for 2013"


Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Size Doesn't Matter.....Your Account Size that Is

More and more traders are trying their luck in the options trading game. But it has nothing to do with luck. It simply has to do with "time decay", the inevitable passing of time and the hope of reducing your risk and improving your odds of taking a profit before the clock runs out.

This is not an area of the market that anyone should blindly take a spin at. You need to understand the adjustability and broad range of trade structure that allows you to profit whether you are confronting a low volatility market, sideways or consolidating conditions, or a high volatility marketplace.

We get messages here at The Crude Oil Trader on a regular basis asking us to recommend options set ups and make suggestions on our members trades. We pass these messages on to one of two options traders that have become the most highly regarded options traders around. J.W. Jones and John Carter.

This week John has put together a video for us explaining how he is using options as income trades, no matter what the account size. What's interesting is he literally "gives" us the set ups that he uses on his own accounts. You need to see why these trades can be used on any size account and still be profitable. I think this will interest a lot of home gamers and pros alike who are trying to break into options trading. A market that has grown by 500% in the last decade.

One of the things that has made so many people resistant to options trading is just how complicated the talking heads on TV make options trading sound as they rush through their trade of the week. John teaches more about options income trading in a few minutes then you've read in most books.

Here's just a sample of what John will show us in this short video......

* How he made $52,875.00 last week trading Google Options

* His favorite options trading strategy for generating income

* Trading Setups with a probability of 75%

* How to limit your risk when the trade goes against you and much more

Grab a pen and paper so you can take some notes then just click here to watch the video. It's only 12 minutes long and in that short time I think John will change your mindset when it comes to options.



Final Stages of the Advance on SP 500....The Wave Pattern

Our trading partner David Banister has been projecting a potential rally pivot at 1552-1576 for many weeks now. The recent drop to 1485 although harrowing, was a normal fibonacci retracement of the last major rally leg to 1531 pivot highs. Banister believes that this 5 wave advance 1343 pivot lows is nearing an end based on mathematics and relationships to prior waves 1-3.

At 1569 the SP 500 would mark a perfect fibonacci relationships to waves 1-3 for this final 5th wave to the upside. In the big picture, we are still working higher off the 1010 pivot lows on the SP 500, and this rally takes 5 full waves to complete. He thinks we are near wave 3 highs, and wave 4 correction would be up next, followed by another thrust to highs if all goes well this year.

That all said, a multi-week correction and consolidation wave 4 pattern is likely once we pivot at 1552-1576. We should expect this correction to retrace anywhere from 80 -100 points on the SP 500, but one week at a time.

Click here to see his updated pattern views and sign up for free reports.





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Sunday, March 3, 2013

Gold, Crude Oil & the SPX Trends and Setups

Over the past year our long term trends and outlooks have not changed for gold, oil or the SP500. Though there has been a lot of sideways price action to keep everyone one their toes and focused on the short term charts.

As we all know if the market does not shake you out, it will wait you out, and sometimes it will do both. So stepping back to review the bigger picture each weeks is crucial in keeping a level trading/investing strategy in motion.

The key to investing success is to always trade with the long term trend and stick with it until price and volume clearly signals a reversal/down trend. Doing this means you truly never catch the market top nor do you catch market bottoms. But the important thing is that you do catch the low risk trending stage of an investment (stage 2 – Bull Market, Stage 4 Bear Market).

Lets take a look at the charts and see where prices stand in the grand scheme of things.

Gold Weekly Futures Trading Chart:

Last week to talk about about how precious metals are nearing a major tipping point and to be aware of those levels because the next move is likely to be huge and you do not want to miss it.

Overall gold and silver remain in a secular bull market and has gone through many similar pauses to what we are watching unfold over the past year. As mentioned above the gold market looks to be trying to not only shake investors out but to wait them out also with this 18 month volatile sideways trend.

A lot of gold bugs, gold and stock investors of mining stocks are starting to give up which can been seen in the price and selling volume for these investments recently. We are contrarians by nature so when we see the masses running for the door we start to become interested in what everyone is unloading at bargain prices.

Gold is now entering an oversold panic selling phase which happens to be at major long term support. This bodes well for a strong bounce or start of a new bull market leg higher for this shiny metal. If gold breaks below $1500 – 1530 levels it could trigger a bear market for precious metals but until then we're bullish at this price. We think we could see another spike lower in gold to test the $1500- $1530 level this week but after that it could be off to the races to new highs.

GoldWeekly 

Crude Oil Weekly Trading Chart:

Crude oil had a huge bull market from 2009 until 2011 but since then has been trading sideways in a narrowing bullish range. We expect some big moves this year for oil and technical analysis puts the odds on higher prices. If we do get a breakout and rally then $130 will likely be reached. But if price breaks down then a sharp drop to $50 per barrel looks likely.

OilWeekly

Utility & Energy Stocks – XLU – XLE – Weekly Investing Chart

The utility sector has done well and continues to look very bullish for 2013. This high dividend paying sector is liked by many and the price action speaks for its self. If the overall financial market starts to peak then these sectors should hold up well because they are services, dividend and a commodity play wrapped in one.

XLURally
XLERally 

SP500 Trend Daily Chart:

The SP500 continues to be in an uptrend which we are trading with until price and volume tells us otherwise. But there are some early warning signs that another correction or a full blown bear market may be just around the corner.

Again, sticking with the uptrend is key, but knowing what to look for and prepare for is important so that when the trend does change your transition from long positions to short positions is a simple measured move in your portfolios.

SPYTrend

Weekend Trend Conclusion:

In short, we remain bullish on stocks and commodity related stocks until I see a trend change in the SP500.

Energy sector is doing well and looks bullish for the next month. As for gold and gold miners, we feel they are entering a low risk entry point to start building a new long position. Risk is low compared to potential reward.

When the price of a commodity or index trade near the apex of a narrowing range or major long term support/resistance level volatility typically increases as fear and greed become heightened which creates larger daily price swings. So be prepared for some turbulence in the coming weeks while the market shakes things up.

If you like our work then be sure to get on our free mailing list to get these emails each week on various investments and investment ideas.



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Friday, March 1, 2013

How to Trade POMO Manipulation

This week I talked about how the uptrend is to be the focus of trading positions until a down trend is actually confirmed via price and volume action. The SP500 was very close to reversing down this week but with the POMO’s (permanent open market operations) scheduled largest injection of money for February of over $5 billion dollars sent stocks soaring jamming stocks back up into its uptrend.

Take a look at the normal daily injections and then look at Feb 27th’s....

pomo2

SP500 Futures 10 Minute Chart Zoomed Back 48 Hours....

MarketPomoPush

SP500 Trend – Green, Orange, Red candles indicate trend direction....

PomomSavesUpTrend

Short Term Trading Conclusion:

Following the bigger underlying trend of the market along with the big money will keep you on the right side of the market more times than not. My trading strategy which is now programmed into my trading system clearly tells me the current market trend, entry signals, profit taking, stop adjustments and exit prices.

Creating a proven trading strategy which works in all market conditions and having it programmed to do 95% of the analysis for you keep my trading emotions in check, saves me time and money and keeps things simple which is the key for long term success. So keep your eye on the POMO’s injection schedule each month for days to focus on long day trades or entry points for swing trades.

Receive Free Weekly Reports, Trading Tips and my Book at The Gold & Oil Guy.com

Chris Vermeulen
 

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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Gold, Silver and Miners Remain Junk Grade Investments

Since silver and gold topped in 2011 investors have been struggling with these positions hoping this cyclical bull market for metals continues. The simple truth is no one knows for sure if prices will continue and make new highs and those who say its a for sure thing we all know deep down is full of bull crap.

All investments move in cycles, waves or trends which ever you want to call it. The market has 4 simple yet distinct stages each require a completely different skill set and trading tactics to navigate.

Stage 1 – After a period of decline a stock consolidates at a contracted price range as buyers step into the market and fight for control over the exhausted sellers. Price action is neutral as sellers exit their positions and buyers begin to accumulate the stock.

Stage 2 – Upon gaining control of price movement, buyers overwhelm sellers and a stock enters a period of higher highs and higher lows. A bull market begins and the path of least resistance is higher. Traders should aggressively trade the long side, taking advantage of any pullback or dips in the stock’s price.

Stage 3 – After a prolonged increase in share price the buyers now become exhausted and the sellers again move in. This period of consolidation and distribution produces neutral price action and precedes a decline in the stock’s price.

Stage 4 – When the lows of Stage 3 are breached a stock enters a decline as sellers overwhelm buyers. A pattern of lower highs and lower lows emerges as a stock enters a bear market. A well positioned trader would be aggressively trading the short side and taking advantage of the often quick declines in the stock’s price. More times than not all of stage 2 gains are given back in a short period of time.

Stages

Now that you know the stages and what it looks like its time to review the gold, silver and miners charts.

Gold Chart – Weekly

Gold has been in a bull market for several years but is starting to show its age in terms of the size of the price patterns, volume levels and extreme bullish sentiment. Back in 2011 a week before price topped we exited precious metals because the short term charts and volume levels were warning of a sharp drop. Since then I have not done many trades in either gold or silver because I do not like shorting in bull markets. Waiting for a bullish setup/price pattern before getting involved is my focus.

Gold has pulled back with a bullish 5 wave correction the last 5 months and at key support. While the long term charts are pointing to higher gold prices you must be aware that if gold and silver start to breakdown things will likely get ugly quickly. To be honest I do not care which way it goes, I just want it to either rally from support here and make new highs or breakdown and crash. Both will be very profitable if traded properly.

Gold

Silver Chart – Weekly

Silver has a very similar chart to that of its big sister (yellow gold). This shiny metal has the energy of a 3 year old making it a very volatile investment. I have touched on the topic of gold and silver being so called safe havens and if you have been reading my work for a while you know that any investment that can move 18-45% in value within 1 month is NOT a safe haven.

While it has done well in the past decade and boosted a lot of retirement accounts the day will come with these things collapse and most people holding them will give back most if not all the gains they had simply because people get attached to large positions and most do not know when to just exit a position.

Silver

Gold Miners Chart – Monthly

This chart gives me cold sweats because I know how many people own gold mining stocks and I know how fast these things can move. If the price closed below the green support line the bottom could fall out and be very painful for those who get paralyzed by denial and do nothing but watch their accounts lose value week after week.

Miners

Precious Metals Investing Conclusion:

In short, this report is to show you the very basics of how investments move in stages. It is also to show a warning that precious metals are technically very close to a major breakdown which the big money players are watching closely. This thinly traded sector can move extremely fast when everyone rushes for the door.

Do not get me wrong, I am not saying a crash is about to happen, actually it’s the opposite. All I am doing is planning the idea in your subconscious so that if prices continue to move lower you will remember that these price levels and take action with your investments. Remember, you can always buy the investment back at any time again if the outlook changes in a week, month or year.

Just click here to get My FREE Weekly Gold, Silver and Mining Reports and Trade with the Stages

Chris Vermeulen

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Playing the ABC Gap fill for swing trading entry at ATP

From guest analyst David Banister....

One of my favorite “Crowd Behavioral” patterns is the ABC Gap fill pattern. This is a normal correction pattern in the stock market that works off overbought sentiment. You can apply this to liquid individual stocks in most cases, and look ahead to spot potential entries on your watch list for trading.

A sample we will use today is KORS, a fast growth stock of the leading luxury retailer Michael Kors. We notified our subscribers several days in advance to watch for a gap fill at $57 on this stock before entering a long trade. We also spotted what looked like a classic C wave pattern coming down from a B wave interim top.

Sure enough it took several days but the stock worked its way down to $57 and hit the gap on the nose on February 26th. It immediately reversed to end the day $2.25 higher or about 4-5% swing gains on this pattern. The chart below shows a 1, 2, 3, and 4 pattern with ABC making up the 4 pattern on KORS stock.

ATPfeb27


At ATP, we look for ABC and other patterns in growth plays and swing trade them long for reversals, just as the crowd of traders has stopped out and gone sour on the stock. Consider joining us by learning more at The Active Trading Partners.com



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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Gold, Copper, and Crude Oil Forecasted the Recent Selloff in the S&P 500

Nobody better in the industry at understanding herd mentality then the staff at The Technical Traders. And of course they have been telling us it would be like this.....you just have to know which herd to watch and when.....

For the past several weeks, everywhere I looked all I could find was bullish articles. After the fiscal cliff was patched at the last second, prices surged into the 2013 and have since climbed higher all the way into late February.

I warned members of my service that this runaway move to the upside which was characterized by a slow grinding move higher on excessively low volume and low volatility would eventually end violently. I do not have a crystal ball, this is just based on my experience as a trader over the years.

Unfortunately when markets run higher for a long period of time and just keep grinding shorts what typically follows is a violent selloff. I warned members that when the selloff showed up, it was likely that weeks of positive returns would be destroyed in a matter of days.

The price action in the S&P 500 Index since February 20th has erased most of the gains that were created in the entire month of February already and lower prices are possible, if not likely. However, there are opportunities to learn from this recent price action.

There were several warning signs over the past few weeks that were indicating that a risk-off type of environment was around the corner. As a trader, I am constantly monitoring the price action in a variety of futures contracts in equities, currencies, metals, energy, and agriculture to name a few.

Besides looking for trading opportunities, it is important to monitor the price action in commodities even if you only trade equities. In many cases, commodity volatility will occur immediately prior to equity volatility. Ultimately the recent rally was no different.

As an example, metals were showing major weakness overall with both gold and silver selling off violently. However, what caught my eye even further was the dramatic selloff in copper futures which is shown below.

Copper Futures Daily Chart

Chart1

As can be seen above, copper futures had rallied along with equities since the lows back in November. However, prices peaked in copper at the beginning of February and a move lower from 3.7845 on 02/04 down to recent lows around 3.5195 on 02/25 resulted in roughly a 7% decline in copper prices over a 3 week period.

As stated above, commodity volatility often precedes equity volatility. As can be seen above, copper futures appear to be reversing during the action today and many times commodities will bottom ahead of equities.

I want to be clear in stating that equities will not necessarily mirror the action in commodities or copper specifically, but some major volatility was seen in several commodity contracts besides just metals. Oil futures were also coming under selling pressure as well.

Crude Oil Futures Daily Chart

Chart2

As can be seen above, oil futures topped right at the end of January and then sold off briefly only to selloff sharply lower a few weeks later. Oil futures gave back roughly 6% – 7% as well which is quite similar to copper’s recent correction. I have simply highlighted some key support / resistance levels on the oil futures chart for future reference and for possible price targets.

In equity terms, since February 20th the S&P 500 futures have sold off from a high of around 1,529 to Monday’s low of 1481.75. Thus far we are seeing a move lower of about 3.10% since 02/20 in the S&P 500 E-Mini futures contract. While I am not calling for perfect correlation with commodities, I do believe that a 5% correction here not only makes sense, but actually would be healthy for equities.

S&P 500 E-Mini Futures Daily Chart

Chart3

If we assume the S&P 500 E-Mini contracts were to lose 5% from their recent highs, the price that would correspond with that type of move would be around 1,453.

As shown above, while 1,453 does represent a consolidation zone in the S&P 500 which occurred in the beginning of January of 2013, there is a major support level that corresponds with the 1,460 – 1,470 price range.

I am expecting to see the S&P 500 test the 1,460 – 1,470 price range in the futures contract, however the outcome at that support level will be important for future price action. If that level holds, I think we likely reverse and move higher and we could even take out recent highs potentially. In contrast, if we see a major breakdown below 1,460 I believe things could get interesting quickly for the bears.

I am watching the price action today closely as I am interested in what kind of retracement we will get based on yesterday’s large bullish engulfing candlestick on the daily chart of the S&P 500 futures.

Ultimately if the retracement remains below the .500 Fibonacci Retracement area into the bell we could see some stronger selling pressure setting in later this week. The Fibonacci retracement of the 02/25 candlestick can be seen below.

S&P 500 E-Mini Futures Hourly Chart

Chart4

So far today we have not been able to crack the 0.382 Fibonacci retracement area. This is generally considered a relatively weak retracement and can precede a strong reversal which in this case would be to the downside in coming days.

It is always possible to see strength on Wednesday and a move up to the .500 retracement level. As long as price stays under the .500 Fibonacci retracement level, I think the bears will remain in control in the short-term. However, should we see the highs from 02/25 taken out in the near term the bulls will be in complete control again.

Right now I think it is early to be getting long unless a trader is looking to scale in on the way down. I think the more logical price level to watch carefully is down around 1,460 – 1,470 on the S&P 500. If that level is tested, the resulting price action will be critical in shaping the intermediate and long-term price action in the broad equity indexes.

If you have to trade, keep position sizes small and define your risk. Risk is elevated at this time.

If you would like to get our detailed trading videos each week and know what is just around the corner test out here:

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Chris Vermeulen & JW Jones
The "Traders Video Playbook"


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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Question & Answer Per Your Request

I just received an email from trading legend, Todd Mitchell, that his PowerStock Mentoring Program is filling up.

That's pretty remarkable considering he just started accepting new students last week. But questions remain and he fired up his computer camera with his partners Doc and Dave, and answered all your questions.

I'm not sure if it's Todd's 100%, one year Performance Guarantee, the fact you get ALL of his highly coveted stock trading strategies, or that he's making himself personally available to you. Including giving them his cell phone number. I think that's what has so many traders excited.

Either way, I'm sure it's only a matter of a couple of days before the entire course is sold out. But before you enroll in PowerStock Trading, click here to check out this 5 minute video he just created.

It's answers the 3 most popular questions about the course and how you can personally get in contact with Todd for additional questions.

Watch the 5 Minute Question & Answer Video Here

Friday, February 22, 2013

GOLD Should be Completing a Cyclical Low in February

David A. Banister of Market Trend Forecast has been our go to trader when it comes to gold. Here's what he says about the bottoming process in gold.....

Over the past 5 calendar years we have seen GOLD either complete an intermediate cyclical top or bottom in each February. My forecast was for February of 2013 to be no different and for Gold and Silver to make trough lows this month. With that said, I did not expect the drop in GOLD to go much below $1,620 per ounce at worst, but in fact it has. Where does that leave us now on the technical patterns and crowd behavioral views?

First let’s examine the last 5 years and you can see how I noted tops and bottoms in the chart below

ATP1


That brings us forward to todays $1,573 spot pricing and trying to determine where the next move will go. To help with that end, some of our work centers on Elliott Wave Theory, along with fundamentals and traditional technical patterns of course.

In this case, the recent action around Gold has been very difficult to ascertain, and I will be the first to admit as much. With that said, one pattern we can surmise is a rare pattern Elliott termed the “Double Three” pattern. Essentially you have two ABC type moves, and in the middle what is dubbed an “X” wave, which breaks up the ABC’s on each end of the pattern.

That brings us forward to todays $1,573 spot pricing and trying to determine where the next move will go. To help with that end, some of our work centers on Elliott Wave Theory, along with fundamentals and traditional technical patterns of course. In this case, the recent action around Gold has been very difficult to ascertain, and I will be the first to admit as much. With that said, one pattern we can surmise is a rare pattern Elliott termed the “Double Three” pattern.

Essentially you have two ABC type moves, and in the middle what is dubbed an “X” wave, which breaks up the ABC’s on each end of the pattern. For sure, if we add in traditional technical indicators along with sentiment, we can see very oversold levels coupled with the potential Double Three pattern and probably start getting long here for a trade back to the 1650’s as possible....

ATP2


Obviously this chart shows oversold readings in the lower right corner using the CCI indicator. That said we would like to see 1550 hold on a weekly closing basis to remain optimistic for a strong rebound.

Consider our free weekly reports or a 33% discount, just click here and go to Market Trend Forecast


Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Gold and Silver Nearing MAJOR Long Term Support

Gold and silver along with their related miners have been under a lot of selling pressure the last few months. Prices have fallen far enough to make most traders and investors start to panic and close out their long term positions which is a bullish signal in my opinion.

My trading tactic for both swing trading and day trading thrive on entering and exiting positions when panic trading hits an investment. General rule of thumb is to buy when others are extremely fearful and cannot hold on to a losing position any longer. When they are selling I am usually slowly accumulating a long position.

Looking at the charts below of gold and silver you can see the strong selling over the past two weeks. When you get drops this sharp investors tend to focus on their account statements watching the value drop at an accelerated rate to the point where they ignore the charts and just liquidate everything they have to preserve their capital.

Gold Bullion Weekly Chart: 

The price and outlook of gold has not really changed much in the past year. It remains in a major bull market and has been taking a breather, nothing more. Stepping back and reviewing the weekly chart it’s clear that gold is nearing long term support. With panic selling hitting the gold market and long term support only $20 - $30 dollars away this investment starts to look really tasty.

But if price breaks below the $1540 level and closed down there on a weekly basis then all bets are off as this would trigger a wave of selling that would make the recent selling look insignificant. And the uptrend in gold would now be over.



Silver Bullion Weekly Chart:

Silver price is in the same boat as its big sister (Yellow Gold). Only difference is that silver has larger price swings of 2-3x more than gold. This is what attracts more traders and investors but unfortunately the masses do not know how to manage leveraged investments like this and end up losing their shirts. A breakdown below the $26.11 price would likely trigger a sharp drop back down to the $17.50 level so be careful.



Gold Mining Stocks – Monthly Chart:

If you wanna see a scary chart then look at what could happen or is happening to gold miner stocks. This very could be happening as we speak and why I have been pounding the table for months no to get long gold, silver or miners until we see complete panic selling or a bullish basing pattern form on the charts. We have not seen either of these things take place although panic selling is slowly ramping up this week.

There will be some very frustrated gold bugs if they take another 33% hair cut in value.



Precious Metals Trend and Trading Conclusion:

In short, the precious metal sector remains in a cyclical bull market. That being said and looking at the daily charts the prices have been consolidating and are in a down trend currently. Until we see some type of bottoming pattern or price action form it is best to sit on the side lines and watch the emotional traders get caught up and do the wrong thing.

The next two weeks will be crucial for gold, silver and miner stocks. If metals cannot find support and close below the key support levels things could get really ugly fast. If you would like to receive my daily analysis and know what I am trading then check out my newsletter at The Gold& Oil Guy.com

Chris Vermeulen


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Enrollment is open....the PowerStock 2.0 Mentoring Program

Legendary trading mentor, Todd Mitchell, just opened his PowerStock 2.0 Mentoring Program for the very first time this year. He’s doing things with stock trading that most people have never even heard of.

Todd limits the size of the program so Watch this presentation and get signed up today!

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But don't wait, act fast because people are piling in and he will be closing enrollment down in approximately a week. Click here and let Todd explain all the details.

Finally, get your hands on a proven, robust trading methodology that just makes perfect sense. There’s nothing better than to be mentored by someone that really knows what they’re talking about and knows how to explain advanced trading in simple language. Todd is making himself personally available to you and you get his unprecedented one year, 100% money back performance guarantee.

2013 is the year you change your trading success....Get PowerStock 2.0 Mentoring Live


WTI holds range support....Brent bears take the advantage

With Brent breaking below it's upward trend line it's time to check in with Dominick Chirichella at the CME Group......

The spot WTI contract held range support and has now moved back to the middle of its trading range on the last day of trading for the March Nymex WTI contract. The soon to be spot April contract has been in a trading range (since the middle of January) of about $99/bbl on the upside and $95.40/bbl on the lower end. At the moment the contract is trading in the middle of its trading range. Both range support and resistance have been successfully defended several times since January. For now I would expect more of the same unless a strong directional catalyst emerges.

On the other hand the spot Brent contract has broken below its upward trending channel that was in play since mid-January. It is trading below the key technical level of $118/bbl with the possibility of the contract moving to test the next support level of about $115/bbl. It has now been trading below the $118/bbl level for five trading sessions and barring a surprise upside price direction catalyst emerging Brent should remain biased to the bearish side.

As I discussed in yesterday's newsletter the April Brent/WTI spread failed to breach the upside range resistance level and has traded down toward the $19.70/bbl support level. For those who entered the spread from the short side the market is close to the original objective and if the $19.70/bbl support level holds we could get another move back to the upside. If support is breached the next support level for the spread will be around the $18.25/bbl level.

The Seaway Pipeline operator indicated in a FERC filing that they expect to be able to average about 295,000 bpd flow through the line for the period February through May. They also went on to say that they hope to raise the throughput to 335,000 bpd but it is not expected to increase above that level due to the anticipated mix of light and heavy crude oil. This is slightly bearish for the Brent/WTI spread as it is an increase of movement of oil out of Cushing over January's levels.....Read Dominicks entire article.


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