Get started

Community ideas

How to Trade with Andrews’ PitchforkIn the world of trading, tools like Andrews’ Pitchfork stand out for their precision and versatility. Dive in to discover how to use the Pitchfork for stock analysis and more with this comprehensive article, including how it’s drawn, its applications, and its limitations. What Is the Andrews' Pitchfork Indicator? Andrews' Pitchfork is a popular technical indicator in the financial markets, designed by Dr. Alan Andrews. This tool helps traders visualise price channels and anticipate possible trend directions. At its most basic, the Pitchfork is composed of three parallel lines that trace the journey of an asset's price on a chart. To plot this tool, traders begin by identifying three significant points: a notable high, a low, and a subsequent high or low. The central line, known as the "median line," connects the first point to the midpoint of the second and third points. This median line represents the heart of the market's momentum over a given period. On either side of the median line, two parallel lines are drawn, stemming from the second and third points. These lines act as boundaries, indicating possible areas where the price may encounter support or resistance. In other words, the upper line showcases where the price might face hurdles in an uptrend, while the lower line pinpoints regions where the price could hold strong or face obstacles during downtrends. Together, these three lines create a channel that offers traders insights into potential price movements, making Andrews' Pitchfork a powerful tool in technical analysis. How to Draw Andrews' Pitchfork in Technical Analysis To effectively employ Andrews' Pitchfork in a strategy, one must first establish its foundation: the three pivotal points. Here's a systematic approach: Identify the Initial Point: Start with a significant high or low on the price chart. This point will form the base of the Pitchfork. Locate the Subsequent Points: After the initial point, identify the next major high and low in sequence. These points provide the width of the Pitchfork and help establish its angle. Draw the Median Line: Connect the initial point to the midpoint of the line formed by the two subsequent points. This becomes your median line. Form the Parallel Lines: Draw two lines, starting from the two subsequent points, running parallel to the median line. These will create the potential support and resistance boundaries of the Pitchfork. With these steps, Andrews' Pitchfork is plotted on the chart, offering a structured view of potential price movements and trends. If you’d like to practise drawing Andrews’ Pitchfork, head over to FXOpen’s free TickTrader platform to get started in minutes. How to Trade with Andrews' Pitchfork The Andrews' Pitchfork trading pattern offers a strategic lens to interpret market movements. Traders aren’t restricted to just using Andrews’ Pitchfork for day trading; it’s flexible enough to suit a wide range of timeframes and strategies. Leveraging this tool can be broken down into two primary strategies based on the price's interaction with the Pitchfork's lines. Support and Resistance (Trading Ranges) The outer lines of the Pitchfork chart pattern often act as dynamic levels of support and resistance: Support Levels: When the price is in a downtrend and approaches the lower line of the Pitchfork, traders watch for potential buying opportunities. A bounce off this line might indicate strong support, presenting a chance to buy in anticipation of a price increase. Resistance Levels: In an uptrend, the upper line represents a potential resistance point. If the price struggles to move past this line or shows signs of reversing, traders might consider selling or taking short positions, anticipating a price drop. Breakouts and Breakdowns (Trending Markets) Occasionally, prices can breach the boundaries of the Pitchfork: Breakouts: If the price convincingly moves above the upper line during an uptrend, it may signal a strong bullish momentum. Traders can consider buying or adding to long positions, expecting further upward movement. Breakdowns: Conversely, if the price closes below the lower line in a downtrend, it indicates heightened bearish sentiment. This can be an opportunity for traders to sell or initiate short positions, anticipating continued declines. In all scenarios, it's essential to incorporate other technical indicators and maintain stop-loss orders to manage risks effectively. Limitations of Using Andrews' Pitchfork While Andrews' Pitchfork is a valuable tool for technical analysts, it's crucial to be aware of its limitations. Firstly, the accuracy of the Pitchfork heavily depends on the correct identification of the three pivotal points. An incorrect selection can lead to misleading channels and false signals. Additionally, in highly volatile markets, the price may frequently breach the Pitchfork's boundaries, making predictions challenging. The tool also assumes that the market will respect the defined channels, which isn't always the case, especially during unexpected news events. Therefore, traders use Andrews' Pitchfork in conjunction with other technical indicators to enhance decision-making and minimise potential pitfalls. Final Thoughts Understanding the Pitchfork in technical analysis can provide traders with a strong framework to anticipate potential market movements. Its structured approach to visualising price channels is invaluable, yet it's essential to remember its limitations. To kickstart your trading journey with this tool, you can open an FXOpen account to gain access to a wide variety of markets, lightning-fast execution speeds, and competitive trading costs. Good luck! This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.
Education
by FXOpen
10
Where is the Euro Headed?Despite unprecedented rate hikes up to 450 basis points over the last 12 months the Euro has lost ground to the US Dollar for the last nine straight weeks. As a result, the Eurozone interest rates are historical highs. Currencies desire nothing more than higher rates. The Euro should have popped but instead it flopped after the ECB’s rate hiking decision last Thursday. That says something about the underlying economy and the expectations for interest rates ahead. This note puts forth data backed arguments that macroeconomic fundamentals in Europe is visibly weak. In sharp contrast, the robust economic fundamentals in the US provide strong tailwinds to the US dollar. Consequently, the Fed has great monetary manoeuvring space which will impose bearish pressure on the Euro. Having cranked up rates to a peak unseen before, the ECB’s hands are tied with little room for further hikes despite its hawkish tone. This paper posits a short position in CME Micro EUR/USD Futures expiring in Dec 2023. To seize opportunity from a weakening Euro, a short position with an entry at 1.071 combined with a target at 1.035 and hedged by a stop at 1.1025 will deliver an expected reward-to-risk ratio of 1.14x. MONETARY POLICY TRANSMISSION TAKES TIME Over the last year, the ECB has increased interest rates, an unprecedented ten times to combat surging inflation. That is a full 450 basis points. Yet inflation remains sticky and persistent. Why? One obvious reason is monetary policy transmission. Monetary policy transmission is the process through which a Central Bank’s monetary decisions impact the economy and the price levels. The mechanism is characterised by long, variable, and indefinite time lags. As a result, it is difficult to predict the precise timing of monetary policy actions on economy and inflation. DATAPOINTS SIGNAL WEAKENING ECONOMY Selected data from the minutes of the Monetary Policy Meeting of ECB Governing Council held in July points to growing weakness in Europe. 1. Yield Curve Inversion Deepening: Together with negative euro area data, the inversion has reignited recession concerns. For now, the Euro area’s equity & credit markets remain resilient, hoping for a soft landing. 2. Sharp Contraction in Euro Area: Euro Area Composite PMI has been declining since April 2023 and in July it has fallen below 50. The dynamics are consistent with a weak GDP performance for the second and third quarters of the year. Housing and business investments are estimated to have declined. 3. Shrinking Demand for Loans: The latest bank lending survey signals further tightening of credit standards and sharp drop in loan demand in Q2 across businesses and households. The reported demand for loans among corporations had fallen to an all-time low since the start of the survey in 2003 and, for the first time, was lower than at the height of the global financial crisis. 4. Growth could stall due to over correction: Growth could slow far more sharply if effects of monetary policy were more forceful than expected, or if the world economy weakens dampening demand for euro area exports. AFTER UNPRECEDENTED RATE HIKES, WHAT’S NEXT? As evident from weakening signals cited above, the ECBs hands are tied. ECB President Lagarde has little option other than maintaining a hawkish tone to manage expectations. When the ECB regroups again in December, the likelihood of rate hike is thin. Hawkish pause? Maybe. As Katie Martin writes in her weekly opinion piece for the Financial Times, “few truly believe the central bank really would raise rates further, especially while the region’s economy feels the strain from the tighter policy enacted so far and from the impact of weaker Chinese demand on German manufacturing.” ECB’s euro area growth forecasts are on the decline. The central bank expects 0.7% growth for this year (down from 0.9% as previously estimated). For 2024, the ECB now forecasts 1% growth (compared to 1.5% growth projected previously). Forecasting the future is hard. It is evident from a survey of economists (see chart below) conducted by Bloomberg earlier this month. The market expectations are for rates to stay flat at 4% for now with rate reductions from Q2 next year. When these expectations become consensus, Euro weakening will accelerate. DOLLAR CONTINUED STRENGTH AGAINST THE EURO The Euro has shed more than 5% against the greenback since mid-July. Shaky fundamentals and an elevated risk of recession have raised questions on ECB’s ability to continue hiking. Contrast this against the conditions in the US. The US economy has been marvellously resilient and set to have one of its best years yet. This backdrop emboldens the US Fed to take on an aggressive monetary posture. TRADE SET UP Interest rates at record elevated levels combined with weakening economy and feeble prospects, collectively pushes recession risks higher in the eurozone. This will corner the ECB into a pause or even cause it to hint at rate cuts during the December meeting. As a result, the Euro will be pressured lower against the US dollar. To ride on the opportunities from a weakening Euro, this paper posits a hypothetical short position in CME Micro EUR/USD Futures expiring in Dec 2023 (M6EZ2023) with an entry at 1.071 combined with a target at 1.035 and hedged by a stop at 1.1025, delivering an expected reward-to-risk ratio of 1.14x. Each lot of CME Micro Euro Futures contract provides exposure to 12,500 Euros. It is quoted in USD per Euro increment. Each pip i.e., 0.0001 per Euro delivers a P&L of USD 1.25. • Entry: 1.071 • Target: 1.035 • Stop: 1.1025 • Profit at Target (hypothetical): USD 450 ( = 0.036; 360 pips; 360 x 1.25 = 450) • Loss at Stop (hypothetical): USD 393.75 ( = -0.0315; -315 pips; -315 x 1.25 = -393.75) • Reward-to-Risk (hypothetical): 1.14x MARKET DATA CME Real-time Market Data helps identify trading set-ups and express market views better. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com DISCLAIMER This case study is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. Trading or investment ideas cited here are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management or trading under the market scenarios being discussed. Please read the FULL DISCLAIMER the link to which is provided in our profile description.
CME_MINI:M6E1!Short
by mintdotfinance
8
Crude Oil versus Stock PricesDrops in crude oil have an impact on stocks in a positive way. The important point to remember is that falling crude oil prices have a lagged effect on the overall equity market. How long is that lag? It changes over time but it is approximately 6 months. When oil prices rise, it too has a lagged effect on the market by a variable amount of time. Of course, it depends on many factors, regulatory and global risks constantly change. I am not covering the risk of rising oil price with this chart, only reinforcing the positive impacts of falling oil prices. Oil prices are the most-watched price since we see them on gas station signs everywhere we drive and yet it doesn't have instant impact on the economy. Look at the history of the price of crude oil and the price of stocks. They are related as you can see when I plot the large drops in crude and the price level of stocks when that drop occurred. Tim 9/18/2023 10:19AM EST
FX:SPX500
by timwest
4
Big Citibank Opportunity Citibank Opportunity - NYSE:C Company Market Cap: $82.2 billion Share Price Today: $42.68 Dividend: 0.53c per quarter (Annual Dividend of c.$2.06) Annual Dividend Yield: 4.82% Next Earnings Report: Friday 13th October 2023 Citibank (Citigroup) is the 20th largest bank in the world & a member of Global Systemically Important Financial Institutions (G-SIFIs) meaning it has stricter prudential regulation such as higher capital requirements and extra surcharges and more stringent stress tests. under the scheme deposits can be 100% guaranteed in the event of a crisis, which is not the case for smaller banks that are not considered systemically important. This additional security can add weight to a longer term hold for Citibank combined with a good 4.82% dividend yield. Citibank has recently been in the headlines with negative news for completing a management re-org with substantial lay-offs. Whilst the news is interpreted as negative, the chart appears to reaching a point of exhaustion after 31 months of downward price pressure and a roughly 50% reduction in price from $81 down to $42. We may be forming a 3rd higher price cluster or price launch pad here at $42. Earnings release is in a 4 and half weeks on 13thOctober and after 13 quarters of positive earnings the trend is green. Its worth noting that upon earnings release, the price can capitulate or ascend aggressively (historically this has been the way), this is why it is important to be placing bids or positions well in advance of the release (now) and on the day of the release we should be nimble and on our toes to capitalize or reduce risk with stop losses. Obviously for long term position players this is not all that important, we have our long term target and stop loss on the chart. There is a long term trade opportunity with a stop loss at BASE 2 at $34.37. As you can see the trade has a Risk/Reward of 4:1. People who want to play it even safer could wait for a bounce off BASE 2 but for me a retracement this low could mean lower price momentum and a break of the RSI resistance. This is why I am inclined to take a position now off this base well in advance of the earnings release. This is not my typical style of trade however I could not pass up the chart given the mid-term 31 month 50% reduction and exhaustion in price combined with the higher bases on the longer term trajectory, and to be honest the negative news really got me the contrarian in me rustled. If you look hard enough you can see a potential long term ascending triangle forming out into the 5 year time horizon. As a cherry to the trade, the dividend yield is considerably high at 4.82% for a systemically important institution – to big to fail. In Summary - Citigroup is one of the top 20 banks in the world and is considered systemically important. - Citigroup share price has been declining 31 months with an approx. 50% reduction in price. - Three Price Bases establishing higher lows are reinforced by a rising RSI support line. - To fully take advantage of the earnings release on 13th October 2023 positions need to be placed now as the stock is extremely volatile on the day of release. - If the RSI support line fails to hold this could be a warning signal of a break down into STRONG SUPPORT ZONE (Red). - The dividend yield is considerably high at 4.82% for a systemically important institution offering a little incentive for a longer term hold.
NYSE:CLong
by PukaCharts
21
TradingView Masterclass: How To Use The Top ToolbarIn this guide, you’ll learn about all the different tools that are available to you on the chart. Specifically, we’ll be looking at the toolbars that are located at the top, bottom, left and right of the chart: To summarize the chart above, the breakdown looks like this: Top toolbar: Chart tools Left-side toolbar: Drawing tools Right-side toolbar: Community tools Bottom toolbar: Advanced tools Now, let’s dive into each one starting with the top toolbar where you’ll find many of the most important chart tools for all your research needs. Keep in mind that we’ve ordered each item below as if we are moving from the furthest point at the top left to the furthest point to the top right. Let’s begin! Symbol Search (Keyboard shortcut: type the ticker) Open the symbol search at the top left-hand corner to access over 100,000 global assets across equities, forex, crypto, futures, and more. You can find them by their ticker (e.g., type NVDA for NVIDIA Corporation) or by their description names (e.g., type the name Apple to find AAPL stock). It’s also possible to find your favorite symbols with partial searches, that is, to write part of the ticker or description name and then select the corresponding asset in the search results. If you want to filter by asset type, you can select one of the following: Stocks, Funds, Futures, Forex, Crypto, Indices, Bonds and Economy (economic indicators). Time Intervals (Keyboard shortcut: press ,) Select the time interval for the chart. For instance, say you’re looking at a candlestick chart and you choose a daily chart. That means each trading day will be represented by 1 candle. The most common time intervals are: 1m, 5m, 30m (intraday setups) 1h, 4h (swing trading setups) and 1D, 1W and 1M (long-term trading setups). Traders can create custom intervals as well by clicking on the Time Interval arrow and then selecting the specific parameters needed. Don’t forget to add it to your favorites if you want it to be featured in the Quick Access toolbar. Chart types We have more than 15 chart types available to analyze all price movements, including the new HLC area, Line with markers and Step line. Most traders prefer to use Bars, Candles and Area charts, but everyone has a different approach to markets. Be sure to find the chart type that fits your style. Indicators, Strategies, and Metrics (Keyboard shortcut: press /) Indicators, Strategies, and Metrics are designed to provide additional insight and information that may otherwise be difficult to see. We have over 200 technical and financial indicators while also supporting over 100,000 custom scripts coded by our community. The best way to get started here is to start exploring the Indicators, Strategies, and Metrics menu as soon as possible. Indicator Templates Here, you can save your custom indicator setups so that you can load them at any point in time. This tool is essential if you utilize different forms of analysis. For example, if you chart technicals and fundamentals, you can make two separate templates that can be loaded at any point depending on your need. Alert (Keyboard shortcut: Alt + A) Alerts are used to create custom price alerts. Instead of watching markets 24/7, go ahead and create an alert at a precise level and then wait for that alert to trigger. Let our alerts do the heavy lifting. They’re always watching markets for you. It is also possible to configure them different notifications so that you can be alerted through email, our free app or with a webhook. Bar Replay Bar Replay is a powerful, yet simple tool for backtesting. All experience levels can use Bar Replay for backtesting, practicing or learning about price history. To get started, click the Bar Replay button and then select a historical moment to rewind the chart backward to that point in time. Then, you can press play or pause, and retrade that moment to see how your strategy performs. Undo/Redo Scroll (Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y) Any changes made to the charts such as drawings or indicators can be deleted or recreated. This works just like a Word document you might create on Microsoft or Google. Use the keyboard shortcuts to quickly undo or redo specific actions. Multi-chart Layout If you have an Essential, Plus, Premium, or Ultimate plan, you can analyze multiple charts on your screen at the same time. Simply choose one of the available layouts from the menu to get started. You can also synchronize symbols, intervals, crosshairs, time and data ranges with the selected layout. Manage Layouts Create, rename and load all the layouts that you save. You can also share your layout and enable the autosave option, which is very handy so that all of your work is saved automatically. Managing your layouts is an essential part of your analytical process because it enables multiple different chart layouts to be accessed as quickly and easily as possible. Quick Search Need to find a function or tool on your chart? Open and use Quick Search to do that. The name of the tool is just as it can be used: quickly search for the things you need to edit, add or remove on your chart, and do it in a flash. Chart Settings This is where you can customize all of the fine details about your chart. The Chart Settings menu has everything from the chart color, to the gridlines and labels, the text of the scales, and more. Fullscreen Mode (Shift + F) When this is enabled, you will see only the chart. To exit Full screen mode, click ‘Esc’. Snapshot and Publish Here you can download your charts as images, copy links, share tweets, publish ideas, create live streaming video content, and comment on assets with our latest feature Minds. If you want to share your expert analysis or get feedback from others, you’ll surely want to learn how these social tools work. Go ahead and give it a try - join our community of traders. Thanks for reading and we hope this post helps all traders and investors. Whether you’re an experienced professional or someone just getting started, we plan to create more guides like this to ensure you know how to maximize the features on our platform. Next week, we’ll share part two of this series, and cover the drawing tools menu on the left-side of the chart. - Team TradingView
NASDAQ:NVDAEducation
by TradingView
40
Oil Reserves Plummet to 40-year LowThe Biden Administration is treading on dangerous ground as it continues to deplete the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to levels not seen in decades, as geopolitical tensions flare and as global crude prices remain high. The chart above shows that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve has declined to levels not seen since the early 1980s. The SPR is a tool used to alleviate the market impacts of both domestic and international disruptions, caused by among other things: weather, natural disasters, labor strikes, technical failures/accidents, or geopolitical conflicts. Source: U.S. Department of Energy. Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response. This image is in the public domain. Since the start of 2023, the SPR has drained by another 6.5% or 24 million barrels. Source: U.S. Department of Energy. Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response. This image is in the public domain. The SPR is comprised of 60 caverns, each one of which can fit the Willis Tower, one of the world's tallest skyscrapers. Source: U.S. Department of Energy. Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response. This image is in the public domain. The decision to withdraw crude oil from the SPR in the event of an energy emergency is made by the President under the authority of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) and done through competitive sale. Perhaps what is so remarkable is that over the past 2 years, the Biden Administration has released nearly 300 million barrels of crude oil from the SPR, concurrent with the Federal Reserve undertaking the most extreme pace of monetary tightening on record in its attempt to maintain price stability, and yet crude oil prices have barely subsided. In fact, in recent months, crude oil prices have surged, as shown in the chart below. The global crude benchmark, TVC:UKOIL has been on an upward trajectory in recent months, soaring nearly 30% since June. On the higher timeframe chart, we can see that crude oil prices show strong upward momentum. As soon as the Federal Reserve pivots back to monetary easing crude oil prices will likely resurge. A log-linear regression channel is applied to the quarterly (3-month) chart of NYSE:OXY Petroleum, showing the current bull rally could just be the first leg of a multi-year upward trend. The red line in the middle represents the mean price and each gray line represents one standard deviation from the mean. Perhaps the tendency of crude oil to rise in price over the coming years is why the Oracle of Omaha , Warren Buffet, began purchasing a large number of NYSE:OXY Petroleum shares in 2022, accumulating more than a 25% ownership stake in the company by mid-2023. Some financial experts are sounding the alarm about the SPR depletion. The founder of The Bear Traps Report , Larry McDonald, has indicated that the drastic decline in U.S. oil stockpiles, a critical asset in times of conflict, undermines America's energy security. McDonald is warning that diminishing domestic oil reserves heighten America's dependence on imports, potentially exposing the nation to severe supply disruptions and extreme price volatility in the international oil market. Each time the price of crude oil subsides, petroleum exporting countries, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, cut production to keep prices higher for longer. To some, it may seem that these production cuts are a gray zone tactic meant to deplete an adversary of its strategic oil reserves before engaging them in a conflict. There is also collateral damage occurring to the U.S. dollar. The petrodollar system, which emerged in the 1970s when the U.S. abandoned the last vestiges of its gold standard, was a series of agreements between the U.S. and petroleum exporting countries to use the U.S. dollar for cross-border oil transactions. Since almost every country needed to import or export some amount of petroleum, the petrodollar system was a means of ensuring a perpetual global demand for U.S. dollars despite the currency not being redeemable at the Federal Reserve for anything of value. As crude oil prices continue to surge, despite the Federal Reserve tightening monetary conditions at the fastest pace on record, a crisis is unfolding for developing countries that lack access to dollars. These countries are on the precipice of hyperinflation. In essence, by tightening the supply of dollars the Federal Reserve is exporting inflation abroad, especially to those that lack easy access to dollars. Consequently, countries at the periphery of the dollar access hierarchy are being incentivized, now more than ever, to turn to alternative currencies, thereby accelerating de-dollarization. As oil prices continue their relentless march upward, the scenario continues to exacerbate inflationary pressures in the U.S., and even more so, abroad. Higher prices could compel the Federal Reserve to maintain higher interest rates for much longer than anticipated, even in the face of deteriorating economic conditions and rising unemployment, resulting in stagflation. Exacerbating the situation further are global climate change policy objectives, which act as a disincentive for countries to increase domestic oil production. If a major geopolitical conflict occurs when petroleum reserves are depleted and production is constrained, the outcome could result in severe stagflation, as prices spiral higher even though economic growth stagnates in the face of a fragmenting world. * * * Important Disclaimer Nothing in this post should be considered financial advice. Trading and investing always involve risks and one should carefully review all such risks before making a trade or investment decision. Do not buy or sell any security based on anything in this post. Please consult with a financial advisor before making any financial decisions. This post is for educational purposes only.
ECONOMICS:USCOSPRE
by SpyMasterTrades
49
The Cash BubbleHistory repeats itself, and we should learn from it, however sometimes history is so far away that it spans generations before we're able to grasp the experience first hand. We hear about 1929, but we can't imagine what it was to survive the struggle, we hear about the pandemics during the 20's, same deal, we have heard about recessions, and those who went through the big recession of 2008 triggered by the immobiliary crisis know better, some veterans from the dot com bubble, others from the Black monday in 87, and probably very few from earlier crisis. But I don't think anybody has gone through a halt in the economy due to a pandemic at the level we witnessed in 2020. Let's put it in context, 2020 was an election year, the incumbent government was losing the battle against the pandemic and the halt in the economy. He had the support of the congress and the wallet at his will, the former President Trump flooded the market with freshly printed dollars in an attempt to reignite the economy as soon as possible, and let's say, it worked for the purpose of reactivating the economy and not having to wait for a painful period of a lengthy recovery, however this created an unprecedented scenario, a huge flood of dollars to the market. The biggest cash inflow ever in the history of the world. The M1 metric went to $7.2T, to put it in perspective, since the 60's this has been oscillating in the $480B to $580B in the 70's when Nixon cancelled the convertibility of the Gold and Paul Volcker had to apply unprecedented meassures to fight the stagflation that followed after the dollar became fiat currency. The M1 increased 120% from its 60's level, the increase after the housing bubble burst went from $668B to $1.5T, approximately 225%. After the COVID halt it went from $1.5T to $7.25 T, an increase of 485%, inedit scenario in the history of the United States. The crisis sent the price of oil in the market of futures to a negative value, something that has never been seen, the unemployment reached record levels, the SP500 index fell to a range close to that when Trump became president, wiping off the rally that started shortly after that event, the inflation didn't react immediately, since this is a lagging indicator that reacts to the economy growth, and the access to currency. The amount of printed fiat currency flooding the market created the immediate wanted effect, the economy jumpstart that put everybody to work and reignited the economic machinery, the unemployment started to go down, the inflation ticked up, still within range, the price of gold ticked up, the price of oil started to recover, also within range. However we witnessed shortly after that the inflation was not stabilizing, we witnessed the traffic jam at the ports of entry to the United States, lines and lines of cargo ships waiting to unload at the ports of entry, stuck there just idling. The news blamed the Evergreen ship that blocked the Suez Canal, and affected the distribution lines, but the truth was an excessive demand of products from the Pacific producers that overwhelmed the existing port infrastructure. This was the root reason that affected the production lines in the US and contributed to a galloping inflation. Also, during the recovery cycle, let's remember that one commodity in high demand is oil, since the world moves on it. We saw unprecedented gas prices at the pump. Presidents don't have the power to increase or decrease the prices of gas, that is pure supply/demand, but they can be blamed for increases or take the credit for decreases. In a high demand environment, oil goes along the demand cycle, that is why in a recovery environment the oil prices go higher. Let's remember in the 70's during the stagflation period oil was a highly valued commodity and people were making large lines to load gas. The prices were upticking fast and the media blamed the arab world for it, but it was mere propaganda, what really happened it was just an economy running freely on cash and jacking up the prices. The Trump administration was at the peak of the economic cycle that started in 2009, with low inflation, full employment, low gas prices. After the pandemic the variables changed, the economy went to a sudden halt world wide, and in a desperate attempt to keep the presidency the administration authorized the humongous cash flow in an attempt to prevent the negative effects of the economy to affect the election. At the end Trump lost the election. The economy continued its extremely fast paced recovery path and it overshoot. The Fed chairman was purposely in "Denial" regarding inflation, neglecting it and calling it "transitory", which was more of a Greenspan "laissez faire" economic policy, let the wild animals in their "irrational exuberance" take over and later on we'll pick up the pieces and start the recovery process. This is how we got here now. Where do we go from here?, that is an interesting question, the flood of cash should have been made in a way that there was a recovery but not a rampant inflation, however this would have taken longer and the previous administration was not willing to wait. We have an amount of cash that the economy hasn't been able to absorb. Money is supported basically by the productivity, the working force, the commercial transactions, but there must be a correspondence so the economic variables are kept in check. The GDP vs the M1 is still at an outstanding level. The inflation is heading to the 2-2.5% goal, we're still at full employment, which basically puts us in what the fed have been calling a "soft landing". Will it be?? I suppose initially it will, but we risk facing the same scenario that happened during the stagflation in the 70's, Paul Volcker had a big dilemma, he increased the interest rates, but the inflation was completely out of control, people noticed they could buy an asset and basically turn around and sell it at a higher price, and they still found a buyer. Houses were on the rise, the agriculture also participated of the inflation benefits, farmers could buy a tractor, use it and resell it at a higher price. People in New York City were waiting in line before the jewelries opened so they could buy gold, and sell it later at a higher price. When Volcker decreased the interest rates after the message he sent was of stability and it backfired and inflation was reignited. Taking a look at the CBOE:SPX in the long run, we see there is a negative momentum divergence forming after it reached the All Time High (ATH). The indicators signal a downturn, that could possibly happen after the interest rates reach its pivot, the inflation is at the Fed Goals, unemployment goes beyond the full employment level and the economy shows signs of stalling. Bubbles happen all the time, we enjoy the ride until they burst. We're in a new bubble, the Cash Bubble. The cash should be enough to allow the economy to support it having a healthy inflation level of 2%, as defined by the Fed targets. If there is too much cash and the economy is not able to support it, it will dilute automatically until the economy growth catches up. For decades the ratio of M1 to GDP has been between 9% and 18% as we can see in the chart. After the cash flood it peaked to 85% and currently it is at 68%. I don't think the problem is far from over, even if we reach the 2% inflation target. The challenge for the Fed now is to keep the interest rates low for longer without stalling the economy. It is rumored that the Fed will pause the interest rate hike for their September FOMC meeting. It is expected considering the recent increases have been in the 1/4 of a point followed by a pause. If the pause is prolonged, the inflation reaches its 2-2.5% target and the unemployment is kept within the 4-5% range then the fed can call it a "Soft Landing" up to this point which could be a telegraphed signal to start reducing the interest rates, and the financial market may anticipate this pivot to create a bear market and shake the tree to dislocate and reallocate assets at a discount using all the big cash flood out there. Next year is a presidential election year, and not making it a priority has happened before. During the Volcker's period, he didn't mind pulling the rug on Carter. The Fed does what it has to do. "What has happened before will happen again. What has been done before will be done again. There is nothing new in the whole world." ~ Ecclesiastes 1:9 Patterns repeat because human nature hasn't changed for thousands of years. ~ Jesse Livermore. References Secrets of the Temple: How the Federal Reserve Runs the Country. William Greider. January, 1989 How the economic machinery works. by Ray Dalio. youtu.be Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order by Ray Dalio. youtu.be
SP:SPX
by Madrid
55
Role of Risk Management in Trading and How to calculate riskThe Foundations of Solid Risk Management 🛡️📊: Risk management in trading involves a series of strategic decisions aimed at minimizing potential losses. It revolves around understanding the risks associated with each trade and employing measures to mitigate them. Whether you're a novice or an experienced trader, risk management remains a non-negotiable aspect of sustainable trading. 👍 Pros of Effective Risk Management: Shields your trading capital from significant losses. Provides a structured framework for decision-making. Fosters discipline and rationality in the face of market fluctuations. 👎 Cons of Neglecting Risk Management: Exposes your portfolio to undue risks that can lead to substantial losses. Increases the likelihood of emotional decision-making driven by fear and greed. The Emotional and Financial Benefits of Risk Management 🧘‍♂️❤️: Effective risk management isn't just about preserving your financial resources; it's also about maintaining emotional equilibrium. When traders implement robust risk management strategies, they reduce the psychological stress and anxiety that often accompany trading. This enables traders to make more logical decisions, avoiding impulsive actions triggered by heightened emotions. Calculating Position Size and Setting Stop Losses 📈🛑: Two key elements of risk management are calculating the appropriate position size and setting stop-loss levels. These practices are integral to controlling the amount of capital at risk in each trade. By determining the position size based on a percentage of your capital and setting stop-loss orders to limit potential losses, traders ensure that no single trade can significantly erode their account balance. Comparing Potential Losses and Gains for Different Risk Management Scenarios 💹📉: Let's explore how the 2% rule affects potential outcomes for different risk management scenarios: Risking 2% of a $1000 Deposit: Maximum Risk per Trade: $20 (2% of $1000) Potential Loss: Limited to $20 per trade Potential Gain: Can vary, but the focus is on maintaining risk control Risking 5% of a $1000 Deposit: Maximum Risk per Trade: $50 (5% of $1000) Potential Loss: Larger at $50 per trade Potential Gain: Higher, but the risk of significant losses is elevated Risking 10% of a $1000 Deposit: Maximum Risk per Trade: $100 (10% of $1000) Potential Loss: Considerably larger at $100 per trade Potential Gain: Higher compared to 2% risk, but risk of capital depletion is significant How to calculate your position size ? You can easily calculate risk directly in TradingView using the built-in calculator! Choose the direction of your position - long or short. The next step is to set up according to your deposit and risk per trade. After that, simply drag it onto the chart in line with your stop loss and take profit (more on this in the upcoming article), and it will automatically calculate the position size for you!
Education
by Yaroslav_Krasko
11
Natural Gas from Pipelines to PortfoliosNatural gas was once considered a byproduct of oil production. It is now becoming increasingly important as one of the cleanest burning fossil fuels and a key piece of the clean energy transition. Today, it forms the backbone of global energy production. This paper delves into the supply and demand factors affecting natural gas prices and proposes a long position in Henry Hub Natural Gas Futures (NG1!) to harness gains from seasonal price trends with an entry of 2.484 with a target of 3.099 and a stop loss at 2.172 delivering risk/reward ratio of 2x. Natural Gas Supply and Demand Supply Largest producers and exporters of Natural Gas are US, Russia, Iran, China, Canada, Qatar, Australia, Norway, and Saudi Arabia. The standout in the list is Russia. Following the conflict in Ukraine, gas exports from Russia plummeted 58% in 2022. This led to price shocks in EU natural gas (TTF). US supply is unable to adequately bridge this deficit as transporting natural gas using ships requires converting it to Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and using special refrigerated vessels which is not economical for large quantities of natural gas. This is also why the spread between EU and US natural gas is much wider than EU and US oil. Notably, US shale reserves have a high concentration of natural gas. Along with newly developed fracking techniques, this has led to increasing gas production in the US. Moreover, natural gas is also obtained in the process of oil extraction, which means gas production is linked to oil production. This has interesting ramifications when looking at present supply. Despite low natural gas prices over the past few months, production in the US has remained high as a result of high oil production. Similarly, higher prices do not readily translate to higher production. This suggests that Natural Gas price-supply relationship is inelastic. Demand Demand for Natural Gas comes from: • Energy Production – Natural Gas is used in power plants to generate electricity. Natural Gas electricity production has been rising over the last decade as it replaces Coal. Notably, manufacturers using natural gas as an energy source can switch to other energy sources during price spike, which provides some elasticity to demand. • Commercial and Residential Heating – Natural Gas is used for heating homes in winter. This can lead to a seasonal demand during winter months in the Northern Hemisphere. • Industrial Use – Natural Gas is used as a raw material for industrial products such as plastics, ammonia, and methanol. Natural gas demand is heavily affected by weather. Unusually warm summers in the Northern Hemisphere drive higher energy usage from air conditioners while colder winters drive higher demand for heating. Inventories Gas can be injected into storage facilities and stored for later use. These inventory levels play a major role in balancing supply-demand. Summer months (April-October) are referred to as injection periods while winter months (November-March) are withdrawal periods. Inventory levels help even out the surge in winter demand. However, natural gas is much harder to store than oil as it is less dense. This means the inventory effect is not as apparent which explains the larger seasonal variation in natural gas prices as compared to oil prices. Seasonality in Natural Gas Prices Seasonal price action of Natural Gas shows two distinct price rallies. A large rally during winter in the US and EU driven by surge in supply for heating in winters, during this period, prices peak in early-December before declining. The other, smaller spike is during summers in the US and EU when demand for electricity rises, during this period, prices peak in early-June before declining. Further, prices show the highest deviation from the seasonal trend in late-September. Over the past five years, the winter rally has become wider, with prices staying elevated from August to early-December. Additionally, seasonal trend points to a price appreciation of +11% between September and December. However, investors should note that past seasonal trends are not representative of current or future market performance. Henry Hub Futures Henry Hub is the most prominent gas trading hub in the world. It is located at the intersection of major on-shore and off-shore production regions and connected by an extensive pipeline network. This is also where US natural gas exports are dispatched. CME’s benchmark Natural Gas futures (NG) deliver to Henry Hub and is the largest gas futures contract in the world. Other notable Natural Gas futures contracts are TTF (EU) and JKM (Asia). Futures from both regions are also available for trading on CME. Asset Managers are Bullish Commercial traders are heavily net short on Natural Gas futures, short positioning in July was at its highest level since 2021 but has since reduced. Overall, net short commercial positioning points to bullish sentiment. Asset managers have switched positioning in Natural Gas futures from net short to net long since May. Last week net long positioning reached its highest level since May 2022. Options markets OI points to a neutral market view on natural gas with Put/Call ratio close to 1. Options P/C has stayed close to 1 for the past 3 months. At the same time, Implied Volatility on Natural Gas options has been rising in August. A rally last week failed to break past a key support level but vols remain elevated suggesting that price may retest that level again. Henry Hub Gas Dynamics with European Gas Last week, EU Natural Gas futures (TTF1!) spiked by almost 28% due to a strike at Australia’s second largest LNG plant, still the rally soon retraced almost entirely. LNG supply disruption, especially at the key transition to the winter season can lead to volatility spikes. Though, EU gas inventories are 90% full, supply disruptions like this can still have a major effect on gas prices but especially on volatility. Over the past few years, higher flexibility and capacity in the global LNG supply chain has led to the various global natural gas benchmarks tracking each other more closely. This means that Henry Hub natural gas futures are exposed not just to US and Canada Natural Gas production but also to disruptions in global supply. However, the effect is comparatively limited due to ample supply in the US. This can be seen in the price action of Henry Hub natural gas futures which rose by 6% on the same day. Recent Trend in Natural Gas Inventories As per the EIA, Natural Gas supply fell 0.1% WoW last week. At the same time demand rose by 0.3% WoW. Note that working natural gas in underground storage has started to flatten over the past 4 weeks, rising by just 94 billion cubic feet (BCf) compared to the 5Y average increase of 140 BCf during the same period. Still, inventory levels are close to the top of their 5-year maximum, elevated by high US gas production during the summer driven by higher oil production. EIA forecasts that the depletion season will end with inventories 7% higher than their 5-year average. EIA expects production to remain flat for the remainder of the year, so watching weekly consumption reports could point to early indicators of seasonal inventory depletion. However, due to elevated inventory levels, the seasonal effect may not be as strong as prior years. In a longer-term trend, gas rigs in the US have started to decline this year after surging over the past year. This will likely lead to lower production over the next year. Trade Setup With options markets pointing bullish and seasonal trends suggesting price appreciation during this period, a long position in Natural Gas futures expiring in October (NGV) allows investors to benefit from an increase in Natural Gas prices. Each contract of CME Henry Hub Natural Gas Futures provide exposure to 10,000 MMBtu of Natural Gas while the October contract has maintenance margin of USD 5,070 for a long position. A USD 0.001 MMBtu change in quoted price per MMBtu leads to a PnL change of USD 10 in one Henry Hub Natural Gas Futures. Entry: 2.484 Target: 3.099 Stop Loss: 2.172 Profit at Target: USD 6,150 Loss at Stop: USD 3,120 Reward/Risk: 2x MARKET DATA CME Real-time Market Data helps identify trading set-ups and express market views better. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com DISCLAIMER This case study is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. Trading or investment ideas cited here are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management or trading under the market scenarios being discussed. Please read the FULL DISCLAIMER the link to which is provided in our profile description.
NYMEX:NG1!Long
by mintdotfinance
17
Are Chips Losing Their Edge to Software Stocks?Semiconductor stocks have surged this year, thanks in large part to NASDAQ:NVDA Nvidia. But they could be losing relative strength to software makers within the technology sector. Today’s main chart focuses on the NASDAQ:SMH VanEck Semiconductor ETF, which closely tracks the NASDAQ:SOX Philadelphia Semiconductor Index. It recently slipped below the 50-day simple moving average (SMA), which may signal weakness over the intermediate term. The lower study shows its relative strength versus the NASDAQ:NDX Nasdaq-100. Notice how it’s mostly lagged the broader index since late June. Next, consider the same chart and studies for the AMEX:IGV iShares Software ETF. It’s shown the opposite patterns. Price is above the 50-day SMA and relative strength against the Nasdaq-100 has recently improved. The last chart compares these two ETFs as a ratio (IGV/SMH). It uses monthly candles to provide a long-term view. Software could be turning up from a 17-year low, which may also suggest relative strength is shifting between these two major groups within the key technology sector. Standardized Performances for ETF mentioned above: VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH): 1-year: +45.61% 5-years: +186.80% 10-years: +741.25% iShares Expanded Tech Software ETF (IGV): 1-year: +28% 5-years: +79.25% 10-years: +390.50% (As of August 31, 2023) Performance data shown reflects past performance and is no guarantee of future performance. The information provided is not meant to predict or project the performance of a specific investment or investment strategy and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data shown. Accordingly, this information should not be relied upon when making an investment decision. Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”) are subject to management fees and other expenses. Before making investment decisions, investors should carefully read information found in the prospectus or summary prospectus, if available, including investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Click here to find the prospectus. TradeStation has, for decades, advanced the trading industry, providing access to stocks, options, futures and cryptocurrencies. See our Overview for more. Important Information TradeStation Securities, Inc., TradeStation Crypto, Inc., and TradeStation Technologies, Inc. are each wholly owned subsidiaries of TradeStation Group, Inc., all operating, and providing products and services, under the TradeStation brand and trademark. TradeStation Crypto, Inc. offers to self-directed investors and traders cryptocurrency brokerage services. It is neither licensed with the SEC or the CFTC nor is it a Member of NFA. When applying for, or purchasing, accounts, subscriptions, products, and services, it is important that you know which company you will be dealing with. Please click here for further important information explaining what this means. This content is for informational and educational purposes only. This is not a recommendation regarding any investment or investment strategy. Any opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of TradeStation or any of its affiliates. Investing involves risks. Past performance, whether actual or indicated by historical tests of strategies, is no guarantee of future performance or success. There is a possibility that you may sustain a loss equal to or greater than your entire investment regardless of which asset class you trade (equities, options, futures, or digital assets); therefore, you should not invest or risk money that you cannot afford to lose. Before trading any asset class, first read the relevant risk disclosure statements on the Important Documents page, found here: www.tradestation.com .
NASDAQ:SMH
by TradeStation
4
A Simple Method Of Evaluating Trade Setups For Everyone - PART IThis is a simple example of how anyone can attempt to understand price action, trade setups, and determine if the current trade setup is valid for any trading action. Unless you have a trading system that helps you identify highly successful trade setups, most people struggle to find opportunities before they turn into breakout trends (up or down). Ideally, most traders want to get into trades before the big breakout, or breakdown, happens. This video, part I of an extended series, will help you learn to use simple tools to identify qualified trade setups from invalid setups. You can trade whatever you want. But remember, the trend is your friend, and learning to understand price theory, trends, channels, and support/resistance is all you need to make better decisions. Watch this video to see if it helps you. Over the next few weeks, I'll create more videos highlighting simple techniques to help you become a better trader. I'll review dozens of charts and highlight what works and what doesn't. Trading is a matter of managing risks while attempting to generate profits. This will be a great way for me to share my thoughts with all of you while trying to help you learn techniques to help you build solid skills. Hope you enjoy this first video.
NASDAQ:CSCOEducation
by BradMatheny
19
Soft Landing?A lot of market participants are falling for the Fed's illusion that a soft landing has been achieved. However, the charts are still warning that a recession is coming. The chart below shows the extreme degree of inversion between the 10-year Treasury bond and the 3-month Treasury bill. The current inversion is the worst in over 40 years. A yield curve inversion reduces bank lending for various reasons, one of which is the removal of the incentive for banks to borrow at lower short-term rates and lend at higher long-term rates. Since bank credit is how most money comes into creation, a yield curve inversion is, therefore, a sign that monetary conditions are deteriorating. Indeed, manipulating the interest rate is how the central bank controls the money supply and induces a recession. The impact of rate hikes always occurs on a lagging basis. The lag can last anywhere from several quarters to several years. As the infographic below shows, an economic recession will likely begin in the U.S. between Q4 2023 and Q4 2024. The warning signs of the coming liquidity crisis are everywhere. In a prior post (shown below), @SquishTrade and I pointed out that a major disparity between the volatility of bond prices and the volatility of equity prices is occurring. This extreme disparity could be a warning that much greater volatility for equity markets has yet to come. Even for stocks that have experienced a strong rally in 2023, the basis of their surge is largely unsupported by dollar liquidity levels. In the chart below, the price of NASDAQ:NVDA is compared against the dollar liquidity index. This is further confirmed by the below chart, which shows how extreme the price of NASDAQ:NVDA as a ratio to the price of a risk-free 10-year Treasury bond has become. Never before have investors been willing to pay so high of a risk premium to hold Nvidia's stock. While anything is possible, the charts suggest that there isn't enough money in the economy to support the payment of debt at current yields. The below chart shows the price of long-term government Treasurys (adjusted for interest payments) as a ratio to the M2 money supply. There is simply not enough money in the M2 money stock for market participants to be able to pay all newly issued debt at the current high rates. When the liquidity issues begin to mount, the Fed will quickly pivot back to new money creation, as it did in March 2023 when it abruptly created the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP), which is the latest of the many tools that the Fed uses to create new money. However, when the economy begins to slow, this time around central banks will get trapped because of commodity price inflation. Although commodity prices are generally disinflating at the present time, this slow disinflation is merely forming a bull flag on the higher timeframes. With unemployment also bull flagging on the higher timeframes, when commodity prices and unemployment concurrently break out, the result will definitionally be stagflation. Important Disclaimer Nothing in this post should be considered financial advice. Trading and investing always involve risks and one should carefully review all such risks before making a trade or investment decision. Do not buy or sell any security based on anything in this post. Please consult with a financial advisor before making any financial decisions. This post is for educational purposes only.
FRED:T10Y3M
by SpyMasterTrades
89
Yen Rises Sharply after Hawkish Government Announcements USD/JPY Analysis: Yen Rises Sharply after Hawkish Government Announcements Since 2016, the interest rate in Japan has been in the negative zone and has remained unchanged — for more than 7 years it has been -0.10%. This makes Japan fundamentally different from other countries. But over the weekend the Yomiuri newspaper published an interview with Bank of Japan CEO Kazuo Ueda. He said the central bank could end the era of negative interest rates once it becomes clear that the 2% inflation target has been achieved. Suppose these words may not be a declaration of intentions that will become reality, but just a verbal intervention aimed at supporting the yen. One way or another, the USD/JPY chart clearly shows signs of a change in sentiment: → last week, the bulls put pressure on the upper boundary of the ascending channel (shown in blue), increasing the likelihood of reaching the psychological level of 150 yen per US dollar; → last week’s close was near the high, but the current week began with a bearish gap, after which the yen weakened by 0.8% within just a few hours; → level 146.66, which served as support last week, now appears to be offering resistance. A similar action can be expected from the level of 147 yen per US dollar. In the near future, the price may realize a scenario where it reaches important support from the median line of the ascending channel with a subsequent rebound from it. If this rebound does form, but it is no more than 50% of the unfolding decline, then we will have more arguments that bears are taking more control in the USD/JPY market amid government announcements. This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.
by FXOpen
5