Category: Financial Markets 2021
The analysis published under this category are as follows.
Friday, April 02, 2021
Markets, Mayhem and Elliott Waves / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: EWI
Dear reader,
We are one year into the bull market that began in March 2020 -- and 12 years into the bigger bull market than began in early 2009.
You are probably getting anxious -- what's next for stocks, interest rates, gold and other commodities?
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Thursday, April 01, 2021
How To Spot Market Boom and Bust Cycles / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: Chris_Vermeulen
One of the most important aspects of trading is being able to properly identify major market cycles and trends. The markets will typically move between four separate stages: Bottoming/Basing, Rallying, Topping/Distribution, and Bearish Trending. Each of these phases of market trends is often associated with various degrees of market segment trending as well. For example, one of the most telling phrases of when the stock market is nearing an eventual Topping/Distribution phase is when the housing market gets super-heated. Yet, one of the most difficult aspects of this Excess Phase rally trend is that it can last many months or years, and usually longer than many people expect.
Until Gold Really Starts To Rally, Expect A Continued Rally In The Stock Market
When an Excess Phase rally is taking place in the stock market, we expect to see the Lumber vs. Gold ratio moving higher and typically see the RSI indicator stay above 50. Demand for lumber, a commodity necessary for building, remodeling, and other consumer essential spending, translates well as an economic barometer for big-ticket consumer spending. Extreme peaks in this ratio can often warn of a pending shift in consumer spending and how the stock market reacts to an Excess Phase Peak. Let’s take a look at some of the historical reference points on this longer-term Weekly Lumber vs. Gold chart below.
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Thursday, April 01, 2021
What Could Slay the Stock & Gold Bulls / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: Monica_Kingsley
Put/call ratio didn‘t lie, and the anticipated S&P 500 upswing came on Friday – fireworks till the closing bell. Starting on Thursday, with the rising yields dynamic sending value stocks higher – and this time technology didn‘t stand in the way. What an understatement given the strong Friday sectoral showing, acocmpanied by the defensives swinging higher as well. And that‘s the characterization of the stock market rise – it‘s led by the defensive sectors with value stocks coming in close second now.
Still last week, the market confirmed my early Friday‘s take:
(…) While it‘s far from full steam ahead, it‘s a welcome sight that the reflation trade dynamic has returned, and that technology isn‘t standing in the way. I think we‘re on the doorstep of another upswing establishing itself, which would be apparent latest Monday. Credit markets support such a conclusion, and so does the premarket turn higher in commodities – yes, I am referring also to yesterday‘s renewed uptick in inflation expectation.
Neither running out of control, nor declaring the inflation scare (as some might term it but not me, for I view the markets as transitioning to a higher inflation environment) as over, inflation isn‘t yet strong enough to break the bull run, where both stocks and commodities benefit. It isn‘t yet forcing the Fed‘s hand enough, but look for it to change – we got a slight preview in the recent emergency support withdrawal and taper entertainment talking points, however distant from today‘s situation.
Sunday, March 28, 2021
Investors, Speculators, Gamblers, Instigators / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: Kelsey_Williams
Nowadays, it seems that anyone who owns anything fancies themselves to be an investor. However, does buying a fractional unit of bitcoin in an online trading account qualify someone as an investor?
Are fanciful dreams of striking it rich by running with the social media herd the foundation of fundamental investing? Maybe there is more to it than that. Let’s take a look.
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Sunday, March 28, 2021
Why Retreating Yields Don‘t Lift All Market Boats / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: Monica_Kingsley
Stocks declined but won‘t they run higher next? Tuesday‘s downswing changed precious little, and the Congressional testimony was a non-event. The key happening was in long-dated Treasuries, which rose yet again – the much awaited rebound is here, and brings consequences to quite a few S&P 500 sectors.
The index is likely to advance, but the engine is going to be tech this time – not value stocks. I view this as a deceptive, fake strength in the bull market leadership passing over to value inevitably next. That‘s why I expect the S&P 500 advance to unfold still, a bit rockier than it could have been otherwise. This will hold true for as long as TLT is at least somewhat rising:
(…) technology would recover some of the lost ground on rates stabilization. ...the $UST10Y move has been a very sharp one, more than tripling from the Aug 2020 lows.
Technology though declined yesterday, and so did value stocks. Many markets went through selloffs yesterday, among commodities most notably oil. While nothing has substantially changed, we got a serious whiff of risk-off environment, pertaining precious metals too.
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Tide Is Turning in Stocks and Gold / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: Monica_Kingsley
Friday‘s session ended in a tie, but it‘s the bears who missed an opportunity to win. Markets however dialed back their doubting of the Fed, which has been apparent in the long-term Treasuries the most. One daily move doesn‘t make a trend change likely though, especially since the Mar pace of TLT decline is on par with Feb‘s and higher than in Jan. While Treasuries paused in early Mar, they‘re now once again as extended vs. their 50-day moving average as before.
And that poses a challenge for interest rate sensitive stocks and to some degree also for tech - while I expect value to continue to lead over growth, technology would recover some of the lost ground on rates stabilization. And it‘s true that the $UST10Y move has been a very sharp one, more than tripling from the Aug 2020 lows.
Inflation expectations are rising, and so is inflation – PPI under the hood thus far only. Financial assets are rising, perfectly reflected in (this month consolidating) commodity prices. Cost-driven inflation is in our immediate future, not one joined at the hip with job market pressures – that‘s waiting for 2022-3. The story of coming weeks and months is the stimulus avalanche hitting while the Fed still merrily ignores the bond market pressures.
Sunday, March 14, 2021
Stocks Bulls Can Take a Rest – But Gold Ones Can‘t / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: Monica_Kingsley
The daily banging on the 3,900 threshold shows in yesterday‘s upper knot, and this milestone has very good chances of being conquered today. More important than the exact timing though, are the internals marking the setup – we‘ve indeed progressed very far into this correction. While not historically among the longest ones, it‘s still getting long in the tooth – just as I was writing throughout the week.
And it is getting stale, even if I look at the star non-cofirnation, the high yield corporate bonds. Relatively modest daily upswing, outshined by investment grade corporate bonds. Yes, the credit markets are calming down, and the tiny daily long-term Treasuries upswing doesn‘t reflect that fully just yet. Besides giving breathing room to defensives such as utilities and consumer staples, it‘s also very conducive to the precious metals sector.
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Monday, March 08, 2021
The Future of FINRA, Regulatory Defense and Bad Stockbrokers / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: Steve_Barker
FINRA stands for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. This tends to be the first line of defense against a bad experience with a securities broker, and it also has many other benefits. FINRA is an independent nongovernmental organization that focuses on the root of problems, securities sold to investors, and selling them to investors. It is the single largest independent regulatory body for securities firms operating in the United States. It writes and enforces the rules governing broker-dealer and registered brokers firms in the United States.
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Thursday, March 04, 2021
Stocks, Gold – Rebound or Dead Cat Bounce? / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: Submissions
None of Friday‘s intraday attempts to recapture 3,850 stuck, and the last hour‘s selling pressure is an ill omen. Especially since it was accompanied by high yield corporate bondsh weakening. It‘s as if the markets only now noticed the surging long-end Treasury yields, declining steeply on Thursday as the 10y Treasury yield made it through 1.50% before retreating. And on Friday, stocks didn‘t trust the intraday reversal higher in 20+ year Treasuries either.
Instead, the options traders took the put/call ratio to levels unseen since early Nov. The VIX however doesn‘t reflect the nervousness, having remained near Thursday‘s closing values. Its long lower knot looks encouraging, and the coming few days would decide the shape of this correction which I have not called shallow since Wed‘s suspicious tech upswing. Here we are, the tech has pulled the 500-strong index down, and remains perched in a precarious position. Could have rebounded, didn‘t – instead showing that its risk-on (high beta) segments such as semiconductors, are ready to do well regardless.
That‘s the same about any high beta sector or stock such as financials – these tend to do well in rising rates environments. Regardless of any coming stabilization / retreat in long-term Treasury yields, it‘s my view that we‘re going to have to get used to rising spreads such as 2y over 10y as the long end still steepens. The markets and especially commodities aren‘t buying Fed‘s nonchalant attitude towards inflation. Stocks have felt the tremors, and will keep rising regardless, as it has been historically much higher rates that have caused serious issues (think 4% in 10y Treasuries).
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Sunday, February 21, 2021
Owning Real Assets Amid Surreal Financial Markets / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: MoneyMetals
In the current market environment, little else matters other than momentum. What’s moving up gets chased higher still by investors. And what can be moved up by any means is pursued by speculators who hope to jump-start a momentum trade.
It’s all being fueled by cheap money and government “stimulus.”
The consequences?
The U.S. stock market trades at an historically high premium to GDP (the so-called “Buffett indicator”).
Speculative trading frenzies in stocks such as GameStop defy any kind of fundamental analysis.
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Thursday, February 18, 2021
S&P 500 Correction Delayed Again While Silver Runs / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: Submissions
The window of opportunity for the stock bears is slowly but surely closing down as Friday‘s gentle intraday peek higher turned into a buying spree before the closing bell. The sentiment readings and put/call ratio are at the greed, euphoric and compacent end of the spectrum again.
I asked on Friday:
(…) How long can it last, and what shape the upcoming correction would have? Right now, the warning signs are mounting, yet the bears shouldn‘t put all their eggs into the correction basket really, for it shapes to be a shallow one – one in time, rather than in price.
Today, I‘ll say that waiting for a correction is like waiting for Godot. Trust me, I have come to experience quite some absurd and Kafkaesque drama not too long ago. What an understatement.
One week ago, I called the dollar as making a local top, and look where we are in the process. Coupled with the steepening pace of rising long-dated Treasury yields, that‘s a great environment for financials (XLF ETF) as they benefit from the widening yield curve.
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Monday, February 08, 2021
Prepare for "The Changing World Order in 2021" / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: EWI
Dear Reader,
Every so often, the financial markets -- and usually, the entire world -- come to important pivot points.
You can think back to the year 2000, or 2007, or 2009 as recent examples.
And now, our friends at Elliott Wave International -- the world's largest independent market-forecasting firm -- say that 2021 may also join that list.
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Friday, February 05, 2021
Stocks Need to Consolidate Now, And Gold Will Anyway / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: Submissions
After Monday‘s great rise, stocks continued without much of a pause yesterday too. Did they get ahead of themselves, or not really? And what about those correction calls, is the alarm over now? As said yesterday, the bulk of the correction in stocks, is over.
Is it clear skies ahead now? In my very first 2021 analysis 10 days ago, I‘ve called for a not so rosy February ahead. Last Friday, options expired with stocks taking a plunge, so the current month will get an optical boost. I am looking for higher prices, and no correction around the corner.
Gold is in a different situation, still basing and unable to keep intraday gains. Having predictably given up the silver short squeeze boost, the search for the local bottom in largely sideways price action continues. That‘s likely to be the case given that the dollar has stabilized and is peeking higher (before eventually moving to new lows, is still my call).
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Wednesday, February 03, 2021
Here’s What’s More Important than the Recent Reddit GameStop Mania / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: P_Radomski_CFA
GameStop! Reddit! Silver manipulation (that’s been discussed for over two decades)! It’s exciting but pay attention to these more important factors.
Is the above really the key thing that’s happening in the markets right now? No, it’s only the most interesting thing. I admit, what we’re seeing on the Internet right now is truly absorbing, but one should realize that it’s what used to happen multiple times in history. This time it’s simply more visible as the conversations and associated images are publicly available and widely distributed.
In yesterday’s intraday Alert , I commented on the issue of the likely implications of these cumulative purchases on the precious metals market as a whole and what difference they are likely to make over the course of the following months and weeks – next to none.
Well, there is one effect that I’m expecting to see. It’s the increased volatility during the following price declines – likely proportionate to what was so vigorously bought in the last few days.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2021
How To Find Market Momentum Trades for Explosive Gains / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: Chris_Vermeulen
Every morning before the markets open I share my video chart analysis of the day’s price action in the indexes, metals, bonds, and more for members of the BAN Trader Pro service. Today we look at the futures of the major indexes, bonds, gold, silver, and miners. I review our open trades and I go through my BAN Hotlist in detail, showing members how to take advantage of the hottest sectors. Learn how we manage risk and implement our BAN (Best Asset Now) strategy to consistently beat the market.
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Monday, January 18, 2021
More Stock Market Speculative Signs, Energy Rebound, Commodities Breakout / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: Troy_Bombardia
More speculative signs
Speculative signs keep piling up. Contrarian investors and traders have focused on surging penny stocks and micro-cap stocks in recent days. The smallest of small cap stocks are now more than 40% above their 200 day moving average! The last time this happened was in February – March 2000, near the peak of the dot-com bubble.
*This is the Dow Jones Micro-Cap Index, which is the smallest 50% of the Wilshire 5000 index:
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Saturday, January 16, 2021
Three Financial Markets Price Drivers in a Globalized World / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: P_Radomski_CFA
Do you want to know how gold will be doing soon? Or the USDX? You have to look at the German and French economies. You may ask “What? How can they be tied together?” Well, the globalization of markets is one of the core foundations of the modern world. With everything interrelated, nothing in economics can be examined in a vacuum state. That includes the three precious metals price drivers: stocks, yields and currencies.
The EUR/USD currency pair is a perfect example of this interconnectivity. Being the most popular and most traded currency pair in the world, the EUR/USD is influenced by many factors, including the price action in the USD Index as well as the strength of the European and American economies at any given time. The same level of interconnectedness can be applied to the other price drivers.
Let’s take a fundamental look at stocks, yields and currencies.
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Thursday, January 14, 2021
US Yield Curve Relentlessly Steepens, Whilst Gold Price Builds a Handle / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: Gary_Tanashian
Another week, another yield curve steepener and continuation of the trend that began in August, 2019.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Stocks, Bitcoin, Gold – How Much Are They Worth? / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: Kelsey_Williams
Stock prices, according to the S&P 500, are up seventy percent from their lows last April. The Nasdaq Composite at its most recent high point was up even more, sporting a ninety-five percent increase from its nadir. A number of individual stocks have done even better.
For the entire year 2020, however, stocks were up a more modest sixteen percent (S&P 500) and only seven percent for the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
However, the outsized performance of the Nasdaq was even more apparent on a full calendar year basis. For 2020 the Nasdaq was up forty-three percent. Relative to its peers, the average Nasdaq stock was up more than three to four times as much as non-Nasdaq stocks.
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Sunday, January 10, 2021
Financial Market Forecasts 2021: Navigation in Uncharted Waters / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2021
By: The_Gold_Report
Sector expert Michael Ballanger lays out the foundation for his investment strategy in the new year, with uranium and copper augmenting his focus on the precious metals.
As I sat down in mid-December to formulate the draft outline for my 2021 Forecast Issue, I was immediately engulfed with a feeling of impending dread, not by way of dissatisfaction with the investments currently being held in my portfolio and trading accounts, but by being confronted with such a vast array of possible outcomes in the upcoming year 2021. Adding insult to injury, it is also the uncertainty of outcomes that places forecasts directly in the crosshairs of failure and embarrassment, resulting in fewer and less happy subscribers.
In contrast, during the same period one year ago, I knew that the single greatest issue facing us was managing the rapidly approaching debt monster, which allowed me to assume that markets would not look kindly upon the U.S. Fed chairman Jerome Powell and his sudden about-face in monetary policy. When the REPO fiasco began in Q3/2019, it was as plain as the nose on his face that Powell looked into the crystal ball and was horrified with what he saw. His vain (and lame) attempt to "normalize" the Fed balance sheet earlier that year had laid to bare a pitifully fragile debt structure teetering on the brink of implosion. He and his global central bank brethren sprang to action, flooding the world with wave after wave of counterfeit cash otherwise known as "liquidity."
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