PEP Beats But Futures Red This Morning

Stocks gapped between a half a percent and a percent lower at the open.  From there we had a sideways grind with a slight bullish trend right up until 2 pm, when a selloff kicked in and drove us back to the lows at the close.  With that said, the T-line (8ema) is fighting to hold as support for all 3 major indices.  So, on the daily candles, the DIA and SPY are looking like indecisive Spinning Top or Doji candles while the QQQ is printing a black-bodied candle with a lower wick.  Nine of the 10 sectors are bearish for the day with the Utilities fairing best (barely green) and Consumer Cyclical by far the worst-performing (down almost 3%).  On the day, SPY lost 1.12%, DIA lost 0.55%, and QQQ lost 2.14%.  The VXX gained 1% on the day to 22.21 and T2122 fell into the top of the oversold territory at 18.63.  10-year bond yields fell back below the key 3% level to 2.984% and Oil (WTI) fell a little most than 1% to $103.61/barrel.  All-in-all, Monday was just another lackluster, low-volume day of chop as Mr. Market decides whether or not we’ve put in a bottom.

In energy news, the Texas grid operator (ERCOT) told state residents to curb electric use between 2 pm and 8 pm Monday to avoid major outages.  This comes as the state is experiencing a heatwave with a 110+ degree heat index over the entire Southeast part of the state.  In addition, ERCOT has a variable rate pricing plan.  So, the cost of power has gotten ridiculous again with a single megawatt hour reaching as high as $2,000 at one point Sunday (compared to an average of just $69 year-to-date).  With no market solution (not connected to national grid) and wind production significantly below normal generation levels, ERCOT has no option other than rolling brownouts and blackouts to deal with record electric demand.  However, blackouts were barely avoided Monday as crypto miners across the state all shut down in addition to other usage curbing that allowed ERCOT to narrowly avoid a worst-case scenario. With that backdrop, Bloomberg reports that nationwide, electric utilities are poised for the most profitable summer in two decades as soaring electric rates are outpacing the cost of natural gas and coal.   Among these are AEP, WEC, CMS, AEE, ES, EIX, etc.

In business news, late in the afternoon, Bloomberg reported that RIVN is planning to lay off 5% of its roughly 14,000-member workforce.  However, the report said the cuts would not affect manufacturing.  RIVN stock was down 6.5% during the day.  After the close, GPS announced its CEO is stepping down, effective immediately.  GPS stock fell 4.6% during the day and as much as another 4.25% after-hours on the news.  This morning PEP raised its revenue guidance for the year, but decided to leave earnings guidance as it was due to inflation, recession, and Russia-Ukraine risks.

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In stock news, TWTR got hammered (-11.30%) Monday in reaction to Elon Musk’s electing to walk away from his $54.20 offer to buy TWTR.  The company replied with lawyers saying the termination letter was invalid and they still expect him to close the deal.  Litigation is undoubtedly ensuing.  TWTR closed at $32.65, meaning that if the deal were to somehow go through, a buyer at the close would make 66% on the sale to Musk.  Other tickers that took heavy hits Monday include DISH (-6.92%), MTCH (-6.70%), TSLA (-6.55%), WYNN (-6.46%), and LVS (-6.31%).  So far this morning PEP reported beating on both the revenue and earnings lines.  PTON also announced that it is shutting down all in-house manufacturing and instead will outsource to Taiwanese partner Rexon Industrial. Also this morning, DG announced its CEO will retire and be replaced by the current COO.

On the Russian invasion story, Europe is worried as the planned maintenance shutdown of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline began Monday.  The fear is that Russia will hold the resumption of gas shipments hostage and without cheap natural gas, the German economy is at serious threat.  Overnight, the US reported that Iran is set to supply Russia with “weapon-capable” drones (a feature Russian drones have lacked) as early as later this month.  On the ground, Russian forces are making incremental gains around Kharkiv and Donetsk and continue artillery assaults on the supply routes to the cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk according to the UK Ministry of Defence.  However, Ukraine announced (propaganda or reality) it is launching a major offensive to liberate Southern Ukraine from Kherson to Mykolaiv.

In Forex news, the Euro remains on the brink of parity with the Dollar as fear rages in Europe over inflation, recession, and the Ukraine war impacts.  The natural gas supply issue and more talk of tightening out of ECB officials are the most recent driver of this trend.  However, analysts say another “hidden” underlying fear is the increasing number of Covid cases in Chinese cities (and the impact that could have on global supply chains as well as Chinese demand).  So, for now, the dollar safe-haven trade remains in play with the EUR/USD at 1.005.

Overnight, Asian markets leaned heavily to the red side again Tuesday.  Taiwan (-2.72%), Japan (-1.77%), and Shenzhen (-1.41%) paced the losses.  However, the red was widespread, with only Singapore (+0.46%) posting any appreciable gain.  In Europe, again we see a similar story taking shape at mid-day.  With just 3 exchanges barely in the green, the FTSE (-0.60%), DAX (-0.91%), and CAC (-0.46%) are leading the region lower in early afternoon trading.  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing toward another gap down to start the day.  The DIA implies a -0.86% open, the SPY is implying a -0.78% open, and the QQQ implies a -0.52% open at this hour.  10-year bond yields are back up slightly to 2.921% and Oil (WTI) is down hard (almost 5%) on recession fears to $99.03/barrel in early trading.

The major economic news events scheduled for release Tuesday we get the WASDE Report (noon) and the 10-year bond auction (1 pm).  The only major earnings reports scheduled for the day are PEP before the open and AMX after the close.

In economic news coming later this week, on Wednesday, the June CPI, Crude Oil Inventories, the Fed Beige Book, and the June Federal Budget Balance are announced.  On Thursday, we see the June PPI and Weekly Jobless Claims.  Finally, on Friday we get June Retail Sales, June Import/Export Price Index, NY Empire State Mfg. Index, June Industrial Production, May Business Inventories, and Michigan Consumer Sentiment.

In earnings reports later this week, Wednesday we get reports from DAL and FAST.  On Thursday, earnings season kicks off again with reports from CTAS, CAG, ERIC, FRC, JPM, MS, and TSM.  Finally, on Friday we hear from BK, BLK, C, PNC, PGR, STT, USB, UNH, and WFC.  

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Earnings season is just a couple of days away and tomorrow we get June CPI. With both inflation and recession at top of mind for traders, it would not be surprising to continue seeing choppy “wait and see” action until we get more clues later in the week. At this point, it looks like a gap down will take us back below the T-line (8ema) in all 3 major indices at the open. However, keep in mind that regardless of how we start the day, intraday reversals and general market chop has been the norm lately. The longer-term trend remains bearish and we have resistance from recent highs and the mid-term downtrend not far overhead.

Demonstrate patience and wait for confirmation. Stick with your trading rules, trade with the trend, and take those profits when you have them. Remember that trading is our job. So, do the work and follow the process. Always move your stops in your favor and remember the “Legend of the man in the green bathrobe“…it is NOT house money, it’s all our money! One way to put this is Buffett’s first rule of making big money in the market, which is to not lose big money in the market. So, don’t be stubborn. If you have a loss, just admit you were wrong, respect your stop, and take the loss before it grows. Lastly, remember that you get rich slowly and steadily in Trading…not by striking it rich on one or two trades. So, give up that lottery ticket mentality. Lastly, remember it is Friday. So, be prepared for the weekend news cycle.

See you in the trading room.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: CHGG, GM, TRGP, IRM, UPRO, OXY, TNA, PXD, CPE. You can find Rick’s review of tickers on his YouTube Channel here. Trade your plan, take profits along the way, and smart. Also, remember to check for impending earnings reports. Finally, remember that any tickers we mention and talk about in the trading room are not recommendations to buy or sell.

TC2000 Discount

🎯 Mike Probst: Rick, Got CTL off the scanner today. Already up 30%. Love it.

🎯 Dick Carp: the scanner paid for the year with HES-thank you

🎯 Arnoldo Bolanos: LTA scanner really works $$, thanks Ed.

🎯 Bob S: LTA is incredible…. I use it … would not trade without it

🎯 Malcolm .: Posted in room 2, @Rick… I used the LTA Scanner to go through hundreds of stocks this weekend and picked out three to trade:  PYPL, TGT, and ZS.   Quality patterns and with my trading, up 24%, 7% and 12%…. this program is gold.

🎯 Friday 6/21/19  (10:09 am) Aaron B: Today, my account is at +190% since January. Thanks, RWO HRC Flash Malcolm Thomas Steve Ed Bob S Bob C Mike P and everyone that contributes every day. I love our job.

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Disclosure: We do not act on all trades we mention, and not all mentions acted on the day of the mention. All trades we mention are for your consideration only.

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DISCLAIMER: Investing / Trading involves significant financial risk and is not suitable for everyone. No communication from Hit and Run Candlesticks Inc, its affiliates or representatives is not financial or trading advice. All information provided by Hit and Run Candlesticks Inc, its affiliates and representatives are intended for educational purposes only. You are advised to test any new trading approach before implementing it.  Past performance does not guarantee future results.  Terms of Service

Calm Before the Storm

The good news is that the low-volume chop is likely coming to an end, but this calm before the storm could prove equally challenging for traders.  Uncertainty about what comes next will play a significant role in the Monday and Tuesday market as we wait for CPI, PPI, Retails Sales and the big bank reports to kick off on Thursday.  According to the Fed and many talking heads, the consumer is in great shape!  We will soon find out if this is true or if earnings prove this to be another “transitory” tall tale. 

Asian markets closed mostly lower overnight, with the tech-heavy Hang Seng index leading the selling down 2.77%.  Across the pond, as Europe’s natural gas supplies shut down, their markets trade red across the board this morning.  As we wait for a big week of market-moving economic reports and the beginning of the earnings season, U.S. futures point to a bearish open with the uncertainty of what lies ahead. 

Economic Calendar

Earnings Calendar

The official kick-off of 3rd quarter earnings is Thursday, but we will have a few as we build-up to the big bank reports.  Notable reports include AZZ< PSMT & VOXX.

News & Technicals’

Operator Nord Stream AG confirmed the maintenance works, which are scheduled to run from Monday through to July 21, got underway as planned on Monday morning.  As a result, Russian gas flows to Germany are expected to drop to zero later in the day.  Klaus Mueller, the head of Germany’s energy regulator, believes that the Kremlin may continue to throttle Europe’s energy supplies beyond the scheduled end of the maintenance works.  Johnson formally resigned as leader of the Conservative Party on Thursday but said he would stay in Downing Street until a successor was chosen.  The prime minister’s ousting coincides with a particularly perilous period for the U.K. economy.  Inflation hit a new 40-year high of 9.1% in May, and the country is facing a cost of living crisis.  “The immediate outlook is likely to hinge on whether Johnson manages to stay on for the next two months – in which case markets risk a period of additional volatility going into the summer,” AXA IM’s Adegbembo said.  Shares of the company fell nearly 9% in the U.S. premarket before paring some losses to trade around 7% lower.  Musk’s attorney notified Twitter’s board on Friday that he wanted to cancel the deal.  Musk on Monday posted a meme mocking Twitter management over the botched deal.  “They said I couldn’t buy Twitter.  Then they wouldn’t disclose bot info.  Now they want to force me to buy Twitter in court.  Now they have to disclose bot info in court,” the meme read.  Bret Taylor, Twitter’s chairman, said he intends to see the deal through and said the company plans to take legal action against Musk.  If Twitter files a lawsuit against Musk, the parties will likely face a long legal battle ahead.  Chinese manufacturers are starting to see demand for consumer goods in developed economies tail off after a strong rebound from pandemic shocks.  Spot ocean freight rates between China and major U.S. and European markets are falling as consumer demand retreats.  Goods demand is “normalizing,” leading to significant global growth and slow trade but not quite a recession yet.  Treasury yields eased slightly in the early Monday trading, with the 10-year dipping to 3.07% and the 30-year slipped to 3.24%. 

Uncertainty is likely in abundance in Monday and Tuesday’s market, which could be described as the calm before the storm.  Market moving reports such as CPI, PPI, Retail Sales, and the beginning of 3rd quarter earnings with the big banks starting on Thursday morning.  We can expect considerable price volatility peppered with intraday whipsaws and full overnight reversals in the days and weeks ahead.  How have companies performed in the current economic downturn facing a possible recession?  We have been told repeatedly that the consumer is in good shape, but now we find out if that’s true or just another “transitory” moment.  The good news is that the low-volume chop will likely end soon but expect the price action to remain highly challenging as the drama unfolds.

Trade Wisely,

Doug

Recession Fear and Musk-TWTR Top of Mind

On Friday, a much stronger-than-expected June Payrolls report (assuming this keeps the Fed on track to rate hikes in 2.5 weeks) resulted in a gap lower at the open (0.2% in the DIA, 0.5% in the SPY, and 1% in the QQQ).  From that point, we got seesaw action that oscillated around the opening gap the rest of the day.  As a result, we got indecisive candles in the DIA and SPY as well as a white candle with wicks on both ends for the QQQ.  This gave us a flat day in an otherwise strong week for the bulls.  33% of stocks are trading above their 40-day average, with Energy and Healthcare being the strongest while Basic Materials was by far the weakest sector on the day.  Movers of note include ENPH, MCK, TSLA, and SEDG to the upside and TWTR, CZR, and AOS to the downside.  On the day, SPY lost 0.12%, DIA lost 0.16%, and QQQ gained 0.13%.  The VXX fell 1.5% to 21.99 and T2122 dropped back into the mid-range at 63.38.  10-year bond yields climbed slightly to 3.084% and Oil (WTI) jumped 2% to $104.86/barrel (on reduced supply out of Kazakhstan).  There also remains a bond yield inversion between the 2s and 10s, which may be a recession indicator.

On the commodities front, Dr. Copper is ringing the recession warning bell.  The price of copper has been falling sharply and steadily since the first of June, down almost 23% over that period.  Cotton has fallen 35% over the same period.  The price of steel (rebar) has been falling since early May but is falling more slowly, down just 18% over twice the length of time.  And despite complaints about inflation, even the price of gas has fallen 19% in the last month (having fallen 26 straight days).  Taken cumulatively, it is clear major buyers are slowing and reducing their orders for raw materials in anticipation of a slowdown in demand soon.

However, it should be noted that some of the fall in prices is not just related to demand.  For example, the release of US Strategic Oil Reserves has had an impact on oil (and thus gasoline prices).  In addition, a global flight to safety has resulted in an increasingly strong dollar, which in turn makes commodities cheaper in dollar terms.  For example, the dollar is up over 11% versus the Euro since the Euro peak in early February.  The dollar is also up a little over 12% against the British Pound since mid-January.  Finally, the dollar is up almost 20% against the Japanese Yen since mid-January.

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In business news, during the day Friday, GOOGL offered concessions (up to selling off its ad placement business) in order to avoid a potential US antitrust lawsuit.  Then after the close, the NHTSA announced it will open a special investigation into a Wednesday Florida crash of a TSLA with a pedestrian while the “Drivers Assist” system was engaged.  Also after the close, Elon Musk notified TWTR that he is ending the deal to purchase their company, claiming TWTR hasn’t complied with contractual obligations and thus voiding the required $1 billion walk-away fee.  Finally, a German Union (Verdi) has called for a strike of the workers at 7 AMZN distribution centers in Germany for Prime Day (July 12).  

In China news, Macau has closed all its casinos for a week as of today due to rising Covid-19 case numbers.  This is the first closure in two years for the casinos, but the closure order does not impact restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacies, or other venues deemed “essential.” The South China Morning Post also reported on Sunday that Hong Kong (and its new mainland-backed government) are “considering” implementing a new health policy very similar to the mainland’s “Zero Covid” policy.  This comes as cases in Hong Kong are on the rise and several mainland cities are in the “circuit breaker” area, close to being forced to reenter city-wide lockdowns.  (That includes major cities like Shanghai and Xi’an.)  Finally, on Sunday the US Sec. of State Blinken told Bloomberg that President Biden and Chinese President Jinping are set to speak in the next couple of weeks.  The topics will include Chinese support of Russia and the potential lifting of US trade tariffs.

In terms of technical analysis, 142 of the SPY 501 are currently trading above their 50sma.  In order of liquidity, these include TSLA, AAPL, AMZN, MSFT, GOOGL, GOOG, UNH, QCOM, V, JNJ, KO, MRK, BA, ABBV, NFLX, COST, PFE, and VZ.  In addition, 316 of the 501 are trading above their T-line (8ema), including TSLA, AAPL, NVDA, AMZN, AMD, MSFT, META, GOOGL, GOOG, OXY, INTC, UNH, BAC, JPM, QCOM, V, JNJ, MU, AVGO, KO, MRK, BA, WMT, PG, ADBE, C, ABBV, NFLX, COST, PFE, TXN, MA, and HD.  Only 3 of the 501 SPY components are very near their 52-week high, including CI, VRTX, and HUM.  Meanwhile, only CE is trading very near its 52-week low.  However, more broadly, 33% of stocks are above their 40sma while only 16.92% are trading above their 200sma.

Overnight, Asian markets were mixed but leaned heavily to the red side.  Japan (+1.11%) and Malaysia (+0.50%) were the only appreciable green among exchanges in the region.  Meanwhile, Hong Kong (-2.77%), Shenzhen (-1,87%), and Shanghai (-1.27%) led the region lower.  In Europe, we see a similar pattern taking shape at mid-day.  The FTSE (-0.24%), DAX (-0.72%), and CAC (-0.56%) are representative of the region with the glaring exception of Norway (+1.46%) in early afternoon trading.  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing toward a down start to the day.  The DIA implies a -0.33% open, the SPY is implying a -0.44% open, and the QQQ implies a -0.61% open at this hour.  10-year bond yields are down to 3.052% and Oil (WTI) is off more than 2% to $102.54/barrel in early trading.

The major economic news events scheduled for release Monday are limited to a Fed speaker (Williams at 2 pm).  The only major earnings report scheduled for the day is GBX before the open. And GBX reported a beat on the revenue line while missing on the earnings line.

In economic news coming later this week, on Tuesday we get the WASDE Report and 10-year bond auction.  Then Wednesday, the June CPI, Crude Oil Inventories, the Fed Beige Book, and the June Federal Budget Balance are announced.  On Thursday, we see the June PPI and Weekly Jobless Claims.  Finally, on Friday we get June Retail Sales, June Import/Export Price Index, NY Empire State Mfg. Index, June Industrial Production, May Business Inventories, and Michigan Consumer Sentiment.

In earnings reports later this week, on Tuesday we hear from PEP and AMX.  Then Wednesday we get reports from DAL and FAST.  On Thursday, earnings season kicks off again with reports from CTAS, CAG, ERIC, FRC, JPM, MS, and TSM.  Finally, on Friday we hear from BK, BLK, C, PNC, PGR, STT, USB, UNH, and WFC.  

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Earnings season is back upon us later this week. That, combined with recession fears have center stage in most traders’ minds. As a result, it would not be surprising to see choppy “wait and see” action until we get more clues later in the week. At this point, it looks like we will follow the rest of the world lower on recession, supply chain, and Chinee market (Covid) fears. Remember, regardless of how we start the day, intraday reversals and general market chop tends to be the norm lately. However, the longer-term trend remains bearish and we have resistance from recent highs and the mid-term downtrend not far overhead.

Demonstrate patience and wait for confirmation. Stick with your trading rules, trade with the trend, and take those profits when you have them. Remember that trading is our job. So, do the work and follow the process. Always move your stops in your favor and remember the “Legend of the man in the green bathrobe“…it is NOT house money, it’s all our money! One way to put this is Buffett’s first rule of making big money in the market, which is to not lose big money in the market. So, don’t be stubborn. If you have a loss, just admit you were wrong, respect your stop, and take the loss before it grows. Lastly, remember that you get rich slowly and steadily in Trading…not by striking it rich on one or two trades. So, give up that lottery ticket mentality. Lastly, remember it is Friday. So, be prepared for the weekend news cycle.

See you in the trading room.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: VEEV, ZM, LLY, SBUX, VSCO, INTU, RIVN, LCID, PENN, AI, PLTR, TDOC, TROW, RBLX, PGEN, ACCD, NIO, WYNN, GM. You can find Rick’s review of tickers on his YouTube Channel here. Trade your plan, take profits along the way, and smart. Also, remember to check for impending earnings reports. Finally, remember that any tickers we mention and talk about in the trading room are not recommendations to buy or sell.

TC2000 Discount

🎯 Mike Probst: Rick, Got CTL off the scanner today. Already up 30%. Love it.

🎯 Dick Carp: the scanner paid for the year with HES-thank you

🎯 Arnoldo Bolanos: LTA scanner really works $$, thanks Ed.

🎯 Bob S: LTA is incredible…. I use it … would not trade without it

🎯 Malcolm .: Posted in room 2, @Rick… I used the LTA Scanner to go through hundreds of stocks this weekend and picked out three to trade:  PYPL, TGT, and ZS.   Quality patterns and with my trading, up 24%, 7% and 12%…. this program is gold.

🎯 Friday 6/21/19  (10:09 am) Aaron B: Today, my account is at +190% since January. Thanks, RWO HRC Flash Malcolm Thomas Steve Ed Bob S Bob C Mike P and everyone that contributes every day. I love our job.

Hit and Run Candlesticks / Road To Wealth Youtube videos

Disclosure: We do not act on all trades we mention, and not all mentions acted on the day of the mention. All trades we mention are for your consideration only.

Free YouTube Education  •  Subscription PlansPrivate 2-Hour Coaching

DISCLAIMER: Investing / Trading involves significant financial risk and is not suitable for everyone. No communication from Hit and Run Candlesticks Inc, its affiliates or representatives is not financial or trading advice. All information provided by Hit and Run Candlesticks Inc, its affiliates and representatives are intended for educational purposes only. You are advised to test any new trading approach before implementing it.  Past performance does not guarantee future results.  Terms of Service

Nice Relief Rally

The bulls went to work on Thursday, with the tech giants enjoying the majority of the buy-side activity that finally produced a nice relief rally with very anemic volume.  That raises some uncertainty on the conviction of the rally and if it can produce enough buyer momentum to deal with the technical and price resistance levels above.  With the Employment Situation report before the bell, we will have to see if it continues to inspire the bulls or if the bears will become reengaged at resistance heading into the uncertainty of the weekend.

Asian markets traded mixed to close the week with muted gains and losses in reaction to the shooting death of PM Shinzo Abe.  European markets trade mainly bullish this morning, trying to finish the week on a positive note.  U.S. futures have fluctuated between slightly bullish to slightly bearish as we wait on the Employment Situation report, likely to create some premaket volatility as we finish this short trading week. 

Economic Calendar

Earnings Calendar

We have no confirmed earnings reports for today.

News & Technicals’

Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, died Friday after being shot.  The former prime minister was shot while delivering a speech in the city of Nara, near Kyoto.  The incident has sent shockwaves through Japan, where gun violence is extremely rare.  Crypto lender Celsius artificially inflated the price of its digital coin, failed to hedge risk, and engaged in activities that amounted to fraud, a lawsuit alleges.  Former investment manager Jason Stone sued Celsius on Thursday as pressure continues to mount on the firm amid a crash in cryptocurrency prices.  Stone alleges in the lawsuit that Celsius was running a “Ponzi scheme.”  Shares of Twitter fell after markets closed on Thursday following a report from The Washington Post that said billionaire Elon Musk’s deal to buy the company is in jeopardy.  The deal was already uncertain since Musk had demanded more information on the percentage of spam accounts on the platform.  Twitter held a virtual briefing with reporters earlier on Thursday to explain which accounts on its platform are bots or spam accounts.  GameStop has fired its Chief Financial Officer, Mike Recupero.  It’s making staff cuts across departments as part of an effort to turn around the videogame retailer.  CEO Matt Furlong explained the changes in the memo to employees and said the company has to take bold steps as it invests in its digital future.  Johnson resigned as Conservative Party leader on Thursday, finally bowing to immense political pressure after an unprecedented flood of government resignations and a Cabinet revolt.  Political analysts believe most potential party leaders have secretly planned their campaigns for several weeks.  Likely contenders include former Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi, former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.  Treasury yields dip slightly in early Friday trading though the 2/10 remains inverted with the 2-year at 3.00%, 10-year at 2.99%, and the 30-year trading at 3.18%.

Thursday finally delivered a nice relief rally but did so on extremely light volume, raising questions of conviction as the indexes approach overhead resistance.  Again, the tech giants lead the rally as traders hope with a dose of speculation that earnings from the tech leaders will perform despite the inflation-stressed consumer.  This morning we will turn our attention to the Employment situation number consensus expects a payroll number to decline.  However, there is still confidence it will not show signs of recession.  We will soon find out with the release before the bell with some fed speaks from John Willams tossed in for good measure.  Finally, the T2122 indicator says we still have room for some upside price action, but the question is will it be enough to overcome the technical and price resistance levels as we slide into the weekend?  So, get ready; the show is about to begin!

Trade Wisley,

Doug

All Eyes on June Payrolls

Thursday, we saw about a half of a percent higher in all 3 major indices despite the Weekly Jobless Claims and May Trade Balance both coming in higher than expected.  After that, we saw a slow steady rally that lasted the whole day and closed not far off the highs.  As a result, we had gap-up large white-bodied candles and are now about to approach a retest of the 6/27-6/28 highs.  We also have not broken the longer-term downtrend or put in a higher-high to go with our higher low (create a new bullish trend). On the day, SPY gained 1.50%, DIA gained 1.14%, and QQQ gained 2.14%.  (This was the largest winning streak since March for SPY and QQQ.)  The VXX climbed about three-quarters of a percent to 22.33 and T2122 jumped back up to just inside the lower edge of the overbought territory at 80.68.  10-year bond yields climbed back above 3% to settle at 3.002% and Oil (WTI) spiked 3.7% to $102.16.

In economic news, as mentioned, Weekly Jobless claims came in 5k above forecast (to a 16-month high) and the May Trade Balance came in $600 million above forecast.  Later in the day, crude oil inventories showed a huge inventory build.  Estimates had expected a drawdown of over 1 million barrels.  However, inventories actually climbed 8.24 million barrels, indicating massively decreased demand last week.  Also, Fed members Waller and Bullard said today that they will support a 75-basis-point rate hike later this month.  However, both also said they are currently leaning toward a half-percent hike in September.

In stock news, after the close, LEVI reported a beat on both lines and reaffirmed its forward guidance.  The stock was up more than 5% in after-hours trading.  Elsewhere, GME announced its CFO is leaving the company and more importantly they will launch a program to cut costs and reduce staff (layoffs).  During the day, GME closed up 15% but traded down as much as 10.5% in post-market trade.  In a non-surprise, a report came out after-hours saying the $44 billion TWTR buyout is in serious jeopardy.  It seems Elon Musk and his team have put the efforts to get funding for the deal on hold.  TWTR was down as much as 7.5% in post-market trade.

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In China news, following yesterday’s reports of falling GDP and later of a potential Covid resurgence in Shanghai, the Chinese government is considering a stimulus package. Multiple outlets report the Chinese Ministry of Finance has authorized the sale of $220 billion (dollars) of special bonds with all proceeds going toward the acceleration of infrastructure projects.  These bond sales would be brought forward from 2023 in order to get projects started during the second half of this year.  Not mentioned is the fact that China has already accelerated bond sales to fund projects.  This is evident from the fact that the 2022 bond sales quota was completed during the first half of the year.  Elsewhere, FBI Director Wray and his UK counterpart (MI-5 Director-General McCallum) held a joint press conference in London to warn that the Chinese government is engaged in a massive hacking program.  They described the Chinese hacking as bigger than that of every other country on the planet combined.  The pair said the program was designed to systematically steal technologies and other intellectual property for use in making China economically more prosperous and competitive in the global market.

On the Russian invasion story, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that the German Economic Minister is considering expropriating the portion of the unapproved Nord Stream 2 pipeline that is located in Germany.  The idea is that Germany would convert that for use as part of a natural gas pipeline from Baltic sources.  On the ground, Russian missile attacks continue at a high pace.  On Thursday, the Russians blew up two large grain storage facilities (hangars) in Odessa. Finally, today the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov was (for some reason) allowed to speak at the G-20 Meeting in Indonesia.  He used the opportunity to accus the West of spreading “rabid Russophobia.”

In technical analysis news, 145 of the 495 members of the S&P500 are now trading above their 50sma.  This includes AAPL, AMZN, MSFT, GOOGL, GOOG, UNH, QCOM, JNJ, CRM, MRK, PFE, BA, ABBV, NFLX, COST, and VZ.  However, 375 of the 495 are trading above their T-line (8ema).  This includes TSLA, AAPL, NVDA, AMZN, AMD, MSFT, META, GOOGL, GOOG, OXY, INTC, UNH, BAC, JPM, QCOM, JNJ, V, PYPL, AVGO, DIS, MU, CRM, and C.  However, only CI and VRTX are trading very near their 52-week high.  None of the SPY components are trading very near their 52-week lows.

Overnight, Asian markets were mixed but lean to the green side.  Taiwan (+0.89%), India (+0.54%), and New Zealand (+0.51%) led the gains.  Meanwhile, Shenzhen (-0.61%), Shanghai (-0.25%), and Thailand (-0.29%) were the only exchanges in the red across that region.  In Europe, we see the same story taking shape at mid-day.  The FTSE (-0.44%), Russia (-0.68%), and Norway (-0.61%) are the only exchanges in the red in early afternoon trading.  However, the DAX (+0.78%) and CAC (+0.16%) are typical of the range across the rest of the region at this point.  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing toward a mixed start to the day.  The DIA implies a flat +0.02% open, the SPY is implying a -0.16% open, and the QQQ implies a -0.44% open at this hour (in front of the long-awaited June Payroll data).  10-year bonds are back slightly below 3% and Oil (WTI) is flat as we await the big data dump.

The major economic news events scheduled for release Friday include June Nonfarm Payrolls, June Avg. Hourly Earnings, June Participation Rate, and June Unemployment Rate (all at 8:30 am), and a Fed speaker (Williams at 11 am).  There are no major earnings reports scheduled for the day.

LTA Scanning Software

At this point, it looks like at least the start of the day will be all about the June Payrolls data. It seems both global and US markets are treading water while waiting on that further clue. Personally, I can’t imagine a seismic shock. We know that there have not been massive layoffs, that we are still in a very tight labor market (2 openings for every applicant), but economic growth is slowing or halted. So, I can image we’ll see a modest increase in Unemployment Rate and a modest increase in average hourly wages. The more important question is the unknown “how will Mr. Market react?” Remember that (Thursday aside) intraday reversals and general market chop continues to be the norm. However, the longer-term trend remains bearish and we have resistance from recent highs and the mid-term downtrend not far overhead. Also, don’t forget that earnings season starts again at the end of next week.

Remember that trading is our job. So, do the work and follow the process. Demonstrate patience and wait for confirmation. Stick with your trading rules, trade with the trend, and consistently take profits when you have them. Always move your stops in your favor and remember the “Legend of the man in the green bathrobe“…it is NOT house money, it’s all our money! (So don’t give very damn much of it back while hoping for a home run.) Another way to put this is Buffett’s first rule of making big money in the market, which is to not lose big money in the market. So, don’t be stubborn. If you have a loss, just admit you were wrong, respect your stop, and take the loss before it grows. Lastly, remember that you get rich slowly and steadily in Trading…not by striking it rich on one or two trades. So, give up that lottery ticket mentality. Lastly, remember it is Friday. So, be prepared for the weekend news cycle.

See you in the trading room.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: No tickers today. You can find Rick’s review of tickers on his YouTube Channel here. Trade your plan, take profits along the way, and smart. Also, remember to check for impending earnings reports. Finally, remember that any tickers we mention and talk about in the trading room are not recommendations to buy or sell.

TC2000 Discount

🎯 Mike Probst: Rick, Got CTL off the scanner today. Already up 30%. Love it.

🎯 Dick Carp: the scanner paid for the year with HES-thank you

🎯 Arnoldo Bolanos: LTA scanner really works $$, thanks Ed.

🎯 Bob S: LTA is incredible…. I use it … would not trade without it

🎯 Malcolm .: Posted in room 2, @Rick… I used the LTA Scanner to go through hundreds of stocks this weekend and picked out three to trade:  PYPL, TGT, and ZS.   Quality patterns and with my trading, up 24%, 7% and 12%…. this program is gold.

🎯 Friday 6/21/19  (10:09 am) Aaron B: Today, my account is at +190% since January. Thanks, RWO HRC Flash Malcolm Thomas Steve Ed Bob S Bob C Mike P and everyone that contributes every day. I love our job.

Hit and Run Candlesticks / Road To Wealth Youtube videos

Disclosure: We do not act on all trades we mention, and not all mentions acted on the day of the mention. All trades we mention are for your consideration only.

Free YouTube Education  •  Subscription PlansPrivate 2-Hour Coaching

DISCLAIMER: Investing / Trading involves significant financial risk and is not suitable for everyone. No communication from Hit and Run Candlesticks Inc, its affiliates or representatives is not financial or trading advice. All information provided by Hit and Run Candlesticks Inc, its affiliates and representatives are intended for educational purposes only. You are advised to test any new trading approach before implementing it.  Past performance does not guarantee future results.  Terms of Service

Volatile Range-Bound Chop

Volatile Range-Bound Chop

Though the last several days of trading have ended on a positive note, the index charts tell the real story of a data-driven volatile range-bound chop.  With ADP, International Trade, Jobless Claims, and Petroleum numbers just around the corner, we can likely expect more of the same today.  The T2122 indicator favors a relief rally, but the overhead, technical and downtrend resistance remains a substantial obstacle to overcome.  As you plan forward, remember the Employment Situation number Friday before the bell consensus expects to show a decline. 

Asia markets closed green across the board with muted results as they reacted to the Fed minutes indicating more rate increases on the way.  European markets trade higher this morning in what seems a celebration that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to resign.   Ahead of several potential market-moving economic reports, the U.S. futures point to a bullish open despite the 2/10 bond inversion suggesting recession. 

Economic Calendar

Earnings Calendar

As usual, Thursday is the week’s most significant day of earnings reports, but it’s still a pretty light day as we move toward the beginning of the 3rd quarter season next week.  Notable reports include HELE, LEVI, and WDFC.

News & Technicals’

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to resign on Thursday after more than 50 members of parliament resign from his government within 48 hours.  A Downing Street spokesperson told NBC News that Johnson would make a statement on Thursday, and Sky News reported that it would take place around midday London time.  A Sky News tally put the total number of government departures at 59 as of 10 a.m. London time.  Federal Reserve officials at their June meeting said another interest rate increase of 50 or 75 basis points is likely at the July meeting, according to minutes released Wednesday.  Policymakers “recognized the possibility that an even more restrictive stance could be appropriate if elevated inflation pressures were to persist,” the document said.  The prospect of an economic slowdown also casts a specter of doubt over whether the European Central Bank can tighten monetary policy sufficiently to rein in record-high inflation.  Deutsche Bank suggested that the euro could fall into the $0.95-0.97 range if “Europe and the U.S. find themselves slip-sliding into a (deeper) recession in Q3 while the Fed is still hiking rates.”  The American Gaming Association says illegal operators are a “serious threat.”  The industry trade group asks Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice to enforce existing laws.  FanDuel’s CEO says unregulated; offshore sites have an unfair advantage because they don’t pay state and local taxes and don’t invest in compliance or lobbying for the expansion of sports gambling in the U.S.  Treasury yields increased in early Thursday trading with the 2/10 inverted suggesting recession.  The 2-year rose to 3.01%, the 10-year stood at 2.96%, and the 30-year climbed to 3.14% on Thursday morning. 

With a data-filled day, price action displayed uncertainty with a volatile range-bound chop that resembled the excitement of watching grass grow.   However, the bulls did mount a late-day rally, with the tech giants enjoying the majority of buying activity.  Downtrends, technical, and overhead price resistance remain the challenge for the bulls, while the economic data and an aggressive Fed keep the bears active.  Unfortunately, we may have to wait until the beginning of the earnings season for this logjam to break even though the T2122 indicator favors an upside move.   In addition, traders can expect another dose of volatility with ADP, International Trade, Jobless Claims, and Petroleum Numbers just around the corner.   If that’s not enough, be prepared for the Employment situation number Friday morning before the bell. 

Trade Wisely,

Doug

ADP Payrolls and Weekly Claims on Tap

On Wednesday, stocks opened flat and then chopped sideways for an hour before slowly trending lower the rest of the morning.  However, at noon a slight bullish trend took over up until 2pm.  The FOMC Minutes released caused a return to that morning volatility for about a half of an hour before the bullish trend took back over driving us to the highs of the day about 3:30pm and then backing off again into the close.  This left us with white-bodied, indecisive (Spinning Top) candles sitting on top of the T-line in all 3 major indices.  Six of the sectors were in the red and four in the green on what was a risk-off day (growth sectors in the red, value sectors in the green).  This all happened on another low-volume day.  On the day, SPY gained 0.34%, DIA gained 0.23%, and QQQ gained 0.64%.  The VXX fell almost 2% to 22.16 and T2122 stayed in the lower end of the mid-range at 28.40.  10-year bond yields climbed back up to 2.932% and Oil (WTI) fell 1.6% to $97.93/barrel.

In economic news, both Services PMI and ISM Non-Mfg. PMI for June came in above forecast on Wednesday.  At the same time May Job Openings fell from the prior month, but were still above forecast.  More importantly, those openings still outnumber job seekers by a 2-to-1 margin.  (So, wage inflation will remain strong.) There was also nothing of note in the FOMC Minutes from June.  As they have publicly said, they discussed “more restrictive” policy being needed unless inflation abates.  They also said that they expect a 50-75 basis point hike will be needed in July.  (Futures markets have priced in a 75-basis point hike in July.)

In stock news, during the day Wednesday, PTON made a couple of financial gestures in hopes of retaining workers at the beleaguered company.  PTON repriced stock options (which were issued with a $27.62 exercise price) to the July 1 price of $9.13.  The company also accelerated the vesting requirement by one year.  The company also issued one-time cash bonuses to all hourly employees as long as they stay through January 2023.  Elsewhere, after the close, GME announced a 4-for-1 split for holders of record as of July 18.  GME stock surged as much as 10% in after-hours trading on the news.  AMZN also partnered with GRUB to offer a free year of unlimited food deliveries ($9.99/mo. after 12 months).  The deal allows AMZN to take a 2% stake in GRUB with the possibility to acquire up to 15% of GRUB if certain metrics are met by the partnership.  GRUB now trades under the pink sheet JTKWY and was up 14% on the news.  GRUB competitor DOOR was down 1.4% on the news.

SNAP Case Study | Actual Trade

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In China news, Bloomberg reports that the Chinese GDP shrank in Q2 for the first time since 2020 (and only the second time on record).  This conclusion was reached after official and unofficial sources showed a large downturn in retail spending, 20% fewer trucks on the roads compared to a year earlier, and a continuing slump in the property sector (which accounts for one-fifth of the economy).  However, Bloomberg also expects the official numbers to hide the slump.  This contraction will be a serious challenge to President Xi Jinping’s ambitious target of 5.5% growth for the year.  The country’s “Zero Covid” policy, with only lockdowns and mass-testing as tools, continues to be another threat to that growth in the months ahead.  In addition, both US and European GDPs are both tied to China (the world’s second-largest economy) by globalization.

In energy news, Oil fell to a 12-week low on Wednesday.  This came as the Dollar reached a new 20-year high and the Euro fell to another 20-year low.  Oil traders seem more and more worried about recession demand destruction in the months ahead.   This came as Reuters forecasts that today’s inventory report will show a reduction of 1.0 million barrels last week.  This came even as the API reported an unexpected inventory build of 3.8 million barrels for the week ended June 30.  (Economists were expecting that 1.0 million reduction noted above.)

In technical analysis news, 10 of the Dow 30 are trading above their 50sma, including MSFT, UNH, JNJ, CRM, KO, MRK, VZ, AMGN, IBM, and MCD.  Exactly half of the 30 are trading above their T-line (8ema) including AAPL, MSFT, UNH, JNJ, V, CRM, KO, HD, MRK, WMT, PG, VZ, AMGN, MCD, and TRV.  CAT is still trading near a 52-week low.

Overnight, Asian markets were mostly in the green.  Taiwan (+2.51%), South Korea (+1.84%), and Japan (+1.47%) led the region higher, but the gains were widespread with only 2 exchanges modestly in the red.  In Europe, stocks are green across the board as of mid-day.  The FTSE (+1.05%), DAX (+1.43%), and CAC (+1.26%) lead the region higher on breadth alone with some of the smaller exchanges moving faster in early afternoon trading.  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing toward a modestly green open ahead of data.  The DIA implies a +0.32% open, the SPY is implying a +0.24% open, and the QQQ implies a +0.34% open at this hour.  Meanwhile, 10-year bond prices are up to 2.937% and Oil (WTI) is up 1% to $99.47/barrel in early trading.

The major economic news events scheduled for release Thursday include June ADP Nonfarm Employment, Imports/Exports, May Trade Balance, and Weekly Initial Jobless Claims (all at 8:30 am), Crude Oil Inventories (11 am), and a couple of Fed speakers (Waller at 1 pm and Bullard at 1 pm).  Major scheduled earnings reports include HELE before the open and then after the close LEVI reports.

In economic news coming later this week, on Finally, get June Avg. Hourly Earnings, June Nonfarm Payrolls, June Participation Rate, June Unemployment Rate, and a Fed speaker.

In a very slow earnings week (with earnings season kicking off at the end of next week) there are no reports scheduled for Friday.

LTA Scanning Software

On the Russian invasion story, the Center for Strategic and International Studies released research claiming that Russia is still bringing in $1 billion/day in revenue from oil and gas exports.  (The most recent figures showed they were spending $325 million per day on the war in April.)  GS raised its Natural Gas price forecast, saying that “Russia restoring full flow through Nord Stream 1 pipeline after the maintenance shutdown is no longer the most likely scenario.”

With this backdrop, the bulls look like they want to make another push to start the day. However, ADP Payrolls for June and Weekly Jobless Claims may change that mood (either direction). Remember that intraday reversals and general market chop continues to be the norm. However, the longer-term trend remains bearish and even if we are making the turn in the trend, there is a lot of resistance to work through after the recent protracted move to the downside. So, focus on the trend, support/resistance, and price action. (Also, for swing positions, don’t forget that earnings season starts anew at the end of next week. In addition, we are likely to continue getting pre-reports to manage market expectations every day now.)

Remember that trading is our job. So, do the work and follow the process. Demonstrate patience and wait for confirmation. Stick with your trading rules, trade with the trend, and consistently take profits when you have them. Always move your stops in your favor and remember the “Legend of the man in the green bathrobe“…it’s NOT house money, it’s all our money! (So don’t give very damn much of it back while hoping for a home run.) Another way to put this is Buffett’s first rule of making big money in the market, which is to not lose big money in the market. So, don’t be stubborn. If you have a loss, just admit you were wrong, respect your stop, and take the loss before it grows. Lastly, remember that you get rich slowly and steadily in Trading…not by striking it rich on one or two trades. So, give up that lottery ticket mentality.

See you in the trading room.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: watchlist to come in room today. You can find Rick’s review of tickers on his YouTube Channel here. Trade your plan, take profits along the way, and smart. Also, remember to check for impending earnings reports. Finally, remember that any tickers we mention and talk about in the trading room are not recommendations to buy or sell.

TC2000 Discount

🎯 Mike Probst: Rick, Got CTL off the scanner today. Already up 30%. Love it.

🎯 Dick Carp: the scanner paid for the year with HES-thank you

🎯 Arnoldo Bolanos: LTA scanner really works $$, thanks Ed.

🎯 Bob S: LTA is incredible…. I use it … would not trade without it

🎯 Malcolm .: Posted in room 2, @Rick… I used the LTA Scanner to go through hundreds of stocks this weekend and picked out three to trade:  PYPL, TGT, and ZS.   Quality patterns and with my trading, up 24%, 7% and 12%…. this program is gold.

🎯 Friday 6/21/19  (10:09 am) Aaron B: Today, my account is at +190% since January. Thanks, RWO HRC Flash Malcolm Thomas Steve Ed Bob S Bob C Mike P and everyone that contributes every day. I love our job.

Hit and Run Candlesticks / Road To Wealth Youtube videos

Disclosure: We do not act on all trades we mention, and not all mentions acted on the day of the mention. All trades we mention are for your consideration only.

Free YouTube Education  •  Subscription PlansPrivate 2-Hour Coaching

DISCLAIMER: Investing / Trading involves significant financial risk and is not suitable for everyone. No communication from Hit and Run Candlesticks Inc, its affiliates or representatives is not financial or trading advice. All information provided by Hit and Run Candlesticks Inc, its affiliates and representatives are intended for educational purposes only. You are advised to test any new trading approach before implementing it.  Past performance does not guarantee future results.  Terms of Service

Recession Fears

Recession Fears

Though reports sparked recession fears that reversed Friday’s rally, the bullish buyers in big tech-inspired defense of the recent market lows.  However, one day does not make a trend, so the question is, can they find some follow-through bullish energy today?  Facing a possible 2/10 bond yield inversion and reading on Factory Orders later this morning with substantial overhead resistance and downtrends adding to the uncertainty of the day.  Traders should also consider the possibility of a choppy range-bound environment as we wait for the earnings season to begin. 

Asian markets struggled while we slept as China pandemic concerns reemerged, triggering selling across the board.  However, European markets are in rally mode this morning, with the FTSE leading the way, up 1.72%.  Interestingly the U.S. futures seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach this morning, currently flat to slightly bearish ahead of the Factory Orders report and watching for a possible bond yield inversion.

Economic Calendar

Earnings Calendar

We are currently in a slow period of earnings waiting on the 3rd quarter earnings season to begin later next week.  Notables for today include SAR and SLP.

News & Technicals’

On Tuesday, Voyager commenced bankruptcy proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York.  The company suffered huge losses from its exposure to crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, which went bust last week.  Sam Bankman-Fried’s Alameda Research is listed as Voyager’s largest creditor, with an unsecured claim of $75 million.  U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s leadership is hanging by a thread after resigning two of his most high-profile ministers and several other top officials and ministerial aides in the last 24 hours.  British Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid resigned Tuesday in protest against Johnson’s leadership.  But despite calls to resign, the prime minister shows no signs of being ready to stand down.  Instead, he reshuffled his ministerial team last night to fill the vacancies created by the shock resignations.  Sales contracts for Manhattan apartments plunged by nearly a third in June as the city’s scorching real-estate market started to cool.  “The gradually slowing sales market manifests in all boroughs and at all price points throughout the city,” one industry figure said.  Prices haven’t started falling yet — at least not broadly.  But brokers say buyer attendance at open houses and multiple bids have all but evaporated.  Washington leaders on both sides of the aisle acknowledge Social Security needs to be fixed before it cannot pay full benefits in 13 years.  While Democrats want to raise taxes on high earners, Republicans are staunchly opposed to those proposals.  “To get real progress, it’s going to require people sitting across the table from each other,” one expert says.  Treasury yields increased in early Wednesday trading, with the 2-year at 2.83%, the 10-year at 2.83%, and the 30-year trading at 3.06%.  Economists closely watch the 2/10 inversion. 

Traders that picked up long positions on last Friday’s rally felt the sting of a punishing reversal as trading resumed on Tuesday with recession fears growing.  After that, however, the bulls went to work defending recent lows, with buyers of big tech stocks leading the way.  But, because one day does not make a trend, can the bulls find the energy to follow through with another day of bullishness to test downtrends and overhead resistance levels?  Today we will get the latest read on the Factory Orders and expect the possible 2/10 bond yield inversion also to be a subject of uncertainty for the day.  As we wait on the beginning of 3rd quarter earnings, be prepared for possible downward earnings revisions and a choppy consolidation that could occur in the index charts as we wait. 

Trade Wisely,

Doug

Services PMI, JOLTs, and Fed Minutes Today

On Tuesday, the major indices all gapped down strongly on recession fear (following Europe which had the same fears).  After an hour or two (depending on the index) of bobbing along the lows, the bulls stepped in to drive a rally that lasted the rest of the day.  This caused the DIA to mostly close the morning gap, the SPY to fully close the opening gap, and the QQQ to close the gap and then travel the gap distance higher yet.  All 3 of those major indices closed on their highs with the SPY and QQQ printing outside day candles (and both closing above their T-line).  On the day, SPY gained 0.18%, DIA lost 0.36%, and QQQ gained 1.72%.  The VXX was flat at 22.55 and T2122 fell to just outside the oversold territory at 23.59.  10-year bond yields ell to 2.829% and Oil (WTI) plummeted 8.13% on that recession (demand destruction) fears to $99.59/barrel (closing below $100 for the first time since May).  

In economic news, May Factory Orders came in much higher than expected.  May was up 1.6% while a 0.5% gain was forecast and April had seen a 0.7% increase.  Unfilled orders also increased 0.4% (indicating strong demand) while orders for electrical equipment, appliances, and components declined 1.0%.  Meanwhile, bond yields again flashed a recession warning sign when the 2-year and 10-year bond yields closed inverted.  Related to President Biden dropping tariffs on Chinese goods, analysts are now estimating that eliminating those tariffs would only provide a one-time inflation reduction of 0.3%.  The small size of the reduction also makes the lifting less likely.

In business news, XOM raised its Q2 profit estimates, nearly doubling Q1 earnings. In an odd legal move, Ben & Jerry’s sued their parent company UL on Tuesday.  B&J is fighting to prevent the sale of its business to an Israeli licensee, saying that selling its ice cream in the occupied West Bank is against the company’s values.  In other legal news, JPM was fined $850,000 for not reporting certain types of forex swap trades to the CFTC.

SNAP Case Study | Actual Trade

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In energy news, on Tuesday, offshore oil and gas workers in Norway went on strike over pay, only to have the strike end a few hours later.  The Norwegian government stepped in to force a settlement.  This avoids what would have been a 1.2 million barrel per day loss of oil (almost exclusively in the European market).  Elsewhere, analysts at C are now predicting that oil prices that have soared this year will drop to $65/barrel before year-end (as a result of a recession).

In technical analysis news, today we will look at the QQQ 100.  Of those 99 stocks, 33 are trading above their 50sma.  The largest of these are GOOG, COST, AMGN, PEP, SBUX, MRNA, TMUS, CRWD, INTU, and GILD.  65 of that 99 are trading above their T-line (8ema), including the same 10, plus CHTR, PANW, PDD, VRTX, AZN, ORLY, ZM, BIDU, DDOG, and ATVI.  Of the QQQ 100, only ASML is trading at/near its own 52-week low.  None of those stocks are trading at/near their 52-week highs.

Mortgage demand fell for the second straight week and this decline could not even be stopped by a second straight week of rate drops.  The average 30-year, fixed-rate, conforming loan rate fell to 5.74% (down from 5.84% last week).  Nonetheless, loan applications fell 5.4% week-on-week.  Home purchase loan applications fell 4% for the week (17% year-on-year) while refinance applications dropped 8% for the week (down 78% from on year ago).

Overnight, Asian markets leaned heavily to the red side.  Taiwan (-2.53%), South Korea (-2.13%), and Shanghai (-1.43%) led the region lower.  However, New Zealand (+1.60%) and India (+1.13%) diverged from the rest of the region.  In Europe, stocks are strongly green across the board at mid-day.  The FTSE (+1.79%), DAX (+1.51%), and CAC (+1.56%) are leading the region higher with some of the minor exchanges moving either faster to the upside in early afternoon trading.  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing towards a slightly red open.  The DIA implies a -0.15% open, the SPY is implying a -0.20% open, and the QQQ implies a -0.28% open at this hour.  10-year bond yields are down again to 2.809% while Oil (WTI)  has rebounded to $100.18/barrel in early trading.

The major economic news events scheduled for release Wednesday include June Services PMI (9:45 am), June ISM Non-Mfg. PMI and May JOLTs (10 am), and FOMC Meeting Minutes (2 pm).  We also get a Fed speaker (Williams at 9 am).  There are no major scheduled earnings reports either before the open or after the close.

In economic news coming later this week, on Thursday we get June ADP Nonfarm Employment, Imports/Exports, May Trade Balance, Weekly Initial Jobless Claims, Crude Oil Inventories and a couple of Fed speakers.  Finally, on Friday we get June Avg. Hourly Earnings, June Nonfarm Payrolls, June Participation Rate, June Unemployment Rate, and a Fed speaker.

On the earnings front, it is a very slow week.  On Thursday we do get a report from HELE and LEVI.  Then once again, there are no reports on Friday.

LTA Scanning Software

On the Russian invasion story, Ukraine has asked Turkey to investigate and seize 3 more cargo ships suspected of carrying grain stolen from Ukraine and shipped from Sevastopol in Crimea.  Meanwhile, Ukraine held back Russian ground forces at the border of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.  Elsewhere, the strain is starting to show on the Russian military.  The Russian Duma passed two laws that demonstrate this strain.  The first law requires businesses to supply goods to the military for the war effort.  The second law changes Russian labor law allowing companies who supply the military to force workers to work nights, weekends, and holidays in addition to revoking vacation leaves if the company deems it necessary to support the war effort.  These laws are also a clue that the Kremlin expects this war to continue for at least months and likely longer.

With this backdrop, the market continues to chop around the respective T-lines the last 4-5 days. However, the longer-term trend remains bearish and it looks like price is having trouble getting past the resistance caused by the long, downward move. Normally, the FOMC Minutes can cause a reaction. However, we have had so many Fed speakers telling us how they each see things that it is unlikely any new clues come from the minutes today. So, focus on the trend, support/resistance, and price action. (Also, for swing positions, don’t forget that earnings season starts anew at the end of next week. In addition, we are likely to continue getting pre-reports to manage market expectations every day now.)

Remember that trading is our job. So, do the work and follow the process. Demonstrate patience and wait for confirmation. Stick with your trading rules, trade with the trend, and consistently take profits when you have them. Always move your stops in your favor and remember the “Legend of the man in the green bathrobe“…it’s NOT house money, it’s all our money! (So don’t give very damn much of it back while hoping for a home run.) Another way to put this is Buffett’s first rule of making big money in the market, which is to not lose big money in the market. So, don’t be stubborn. If you have a loss, just admit you were wrong, respect your stop, and take the loss before it grows. Lastly, remember that you get rich slowly and steadily in Trading…not by striking it rich on one or two trades. So, give up that lottery ticket mentality.

See you in the trading room.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: INTC, AMZN, XBI, KR, USO, ETSY, TUP. You can find Rick’s review of tickers on his YouTube Channel here. Trade your plan, take profits along the way, and smart. Also, remember to check for impending earnings reports. Finally, remember that any tickers we mention and talk about in the trading room are not recommendations to buy or sell.

TC2000 Discount

🎯 Mike Probst: Rick, Got CTL off the scanner today. Already up 30%. Love it.

🎯 Dick Carp: the scanner paid for the year with HES-thank you

🎯 Arnoldo Bolanos: LTA scanner really works $$, thanks Ed.

🎯 Bob S: LTA is incredible…. I use it … would not trade without it

🎯 Malcolm .: Posted in room 2, @Rick… I used the LTA Scanner to go through hundreds of stocks this weekend and picked out three to trade:  PYPL, TGT, and ZS.   Quality patterns and with my trading, up 24%, 7% and 12%…. this program is gold.

🎯 Friday 6/21/19  (10:09 am) Aaron B: Today, my account is at +190% since January. Thanks, RWO HRC Flash Malcolm Thomas Steve Ed Bob S Bob C Mike P and everyone that contributes every day. I love our job.

Hit and Run Candlesticks / Road To Wealth Youtube videos

Disclosure: We do not act on all trades we mention, and not all mentions acted on the day of the mention. All trades we mention are for your consideration only.

Free YouTube Education  •  Subscription PlansPrivate 2-Hour Coaching

DISCLAIMER: Investing / Trading involves significant financial risk and is not suitable for everyone. No communication from Hit and Run Candlesticks Inc, its affiliates or representatives is not financial or trading advice. All information provided by Hit and Run Candlesticks Inc, its affiliates and representatives are intended for educational purposes only. You are advised to test any new trading approach before implementing it.  Past performance does not guarantee future results.  Terms of Service

Recession Fears Welcome Traders Back

On Friday, markets opened roughly flat but sold off from 10 am to the lows of the day at about 10:45 am.  From that point forward the bulls rallied the rest of the day, closing very near the highs.  This left us with white candles having lower wicks in all 3 major averages.  The QQQ managed to print a Bullish Engulfing (of a Doji) candle and both the SPY and DIA managed to close back above their T-lines (8ema).  On the day, SPY gained 1.06%, DIA gained 0.98%, and QQQ gained 0.66%.  The VXX fell 2.34% to 22.54 and T2122 surged up into the mid-range at 49.53.  10-year bonds plunged to 2.889% and Oil (WTI) surged 2.5% to $108.47/barrel.

On the economic data front, June Manufacturing PMI came in better than expected (52.7 vs 52.4 est.).  However, ISM Manufacturing PMI came in well below estimates just 15 minutes later (53 vs. 54.9 expected).  Then the Atlanta Fed GDP tracker reported that we are likely in a recession now.  It estimates that Q2 GDP was -2.1% after Q1 GDP was officially announced as -1.6%.  This came after a massive 0.3% drop in the indicator on 6-27.

In business news, TLSA has temporarily closed its factories in both Germany and China, for several weeks to come.  This comes after the company also announced disappointing vehicle delivery numbers for Q2 (short of analyst estimates) over the weekend.  In China, the Model Y assembly lines will close for the next 2 weeks and then halt the Model 3 lines for 20 days starting on July 18.  Meanwhile, in Germany, the TSLA plant in Berlin will close for 2 weeks starting July 11.  However, sources told Bloomberg the company still expects to roughly double production at the Berlin plant in August

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In cryptocurrency news, on Friday afternoon, more turmoil hit the crypto market as major crypto broker Voyager Digital suspended all trading, deposits, and withdrawals. On Sunday, that company said it was pursuing “strategic alternatives” (i.e. buyout or bankruptcy).  This came as Bitcoin closed the day at about $19,300 (which, to be fair, was actually up 2.3% for the day).  In another story that does not help, it was reported Sunday that COIN has been selling geographic tracking data to the US government.  In this case, specifically selling it to the US ICE agency.  ICE has apparently been buying the ability to track every transaction of a dozen different cryptocurrencies (including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether) that were processed through the COIN network since August 2021.  Then on Monday, yet another crypto lender (Vauld) also halted deposits, withdrawals, and trading. 

On the Russian invasion story, on the ground, Russian forces advanced to capture all of the Luhansk oblast (Eastern Ukraine) over the weekend.  This was a larger territorial gain than the invaders had made in the previous 2 months combined.  Meanwhile, on Sunday, Turkey seized a Russian cargo ship filled with grain stolen from the Ukraine port of Berdiansk.  On Monday, Russia is preparing to shut down the main natural gas pipeline (Nord Stream 1) to Europe for annual maintenance from July 11-July 21.  The fear in Europe is that the pipeline might not come back online if Putin plays games.  (If this happened, the European plan to fill gas storage tanks this summer in expectation of a Russian cutoff during winter would likely fail and Europe would be at serious risk.)

In Forex news, the Euro fell to its lowest level (against the dollar) since 2002 on fears of a major recession and potential natural gas shortages.  A July survey (Sentix) shows that European investor confidence has fallen to the lowest level since the early days of the pandemic shutdowns.  Meanwhile, dollar strength continues as global investors seek a safe haven for their cash reserves.

Overnight, Asian markets were mixed.  South Korea (+1.80%), Japan (+1.03%), and Taiwan (+0.93%) led the gainers.  Meanwhile, Thailand (-1.22%), Singapore (-0.52%), and Shenzhen (-0.41%) paced the losses.  In Europe, with the exception of Russia (+0.72%), the entire continent is in the red at mid-day.  The FTSE (-0.90%), DAX (-0.93%), and CAC (-1.19%) are leading the region lower in early afternoon trading.  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing toward a red start to the day.  The DIA implies a -0.39% open, the SPY is implying a -0.43% open, and the QQQ implies a -0.57% open at this hour.  10-year bond yields are up to 2.919% and Oil (WTI) is down a half of a percent to $107.89/barrel in early trading.

The major economic news events scheduled for release Tuesday are limited to May Factory Orders (10 am).  There are no scheduled earnings reports either before the open or after the close.

In economic news coming later this week, on Wednesday we get June Services PMI, June ISM Non-Mfg. PMI, May JOLTs, FOMC Meeting Minutes, and a Fed speaker.  Then on Thursday we get June ADP Nonfarm Employment, Imports/Exports, May Trade Balance, Weekly Initial Jobless Claims, Crude Oil Inventories and a couple of more Fed speakers.  Finally, on Friday we get June Avg. Hourly Earnings, June Nonfarm Payrolls, June Participation Rate, June Unemployment Rate, and a Fed speaker.

On the earnings front, it is a very slow week.  There are no major earnings reports scheduled for either Tuesday or Wednesday.  On Thursday we do get a report from HELE and LEVI.  Then once again, there are no reports on Friday.

LTA Scanning Software

As July really starts, markets are still expecting a 75-basis-point rate hike on July 28 and recession fears continue to grow, although the major banks and Fed say that still is not the base case for their forecasting. With a week two before earnings season kicks off again, do not be surprised if we get pre-announcements and the lowering of forecasts as companies scramble to lower expectations not only for the Q2 reports, but also for the rest of the year. Yet, there are also some indications that (in places) inflation rates (if not prices) may have peaked.

With this backdrop, the market trend is still bearish and it looks like price is having trouble getting past the resistance of the T-line in all 3 major indices (at least in pre-market today). So, while traders typically come back from a long weekend in a good mood (and that spirit tends to lift markets for at least a day), I don’t think that will necessarily be the case today. I’m just not so sure that the current environment with growing fears of recession will lend itself to a “feeling refreshed” bounce.

Either way, don’t chase gaps. Demonstrate patience and wait for confirmation. Stick with your trading rules, trade with the trend, and consistently take profits when you have them. Remember that trading is our job. So, do the work and follow the process. Always, always, always move your stops in your favor and remember the “Legend of the man in the green bathrobe“…it’s NOT house money, it’s all our money! (So don’t give very damn much of it back while hoping for a home run.) Another way to put this is Buffett’s first rule of making big money in the market, which is to not lose big money in the market. So, don’t be stubborn. If you have a loss, just admit you were wrong, respect your stop, and take the loss before it grows. Lastly, remember that you get rich slowly and steadily in Trading…not by striking it rich on one or two trades. So, give up that lottery ticket mentality.

See you in the trading room.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: No trade ideas today. You can find Rick’s review of tickers on his YouTube Channel here. Trade your plan, take profits along the way, and smart. Also, remember to check for impending earnings reports. Finally, remember that any tickers we mention and talk about in the trading room are not recommendations to buy or sell.

TC2000 Discount

🎯 Mike Probst: Rick, Got CTL off the scanner today. Already up 30%. Love it.

🎯 Dick Carp: the scanner paid for the year with HES-thank you

🎯 Arnoldo Bolanos: LTA scanner really works $$, thanks Ed.

🎯 Bob S: LTA is incredible…. I use it … would not trade without it

🎯 Malcolm .: Posted in room 2, @Rick… I used the LTA Scanner to go through hundreds of stocks this weekend and picked out three to trade:  PYPL, TGT, and ZS.   Quality patterns and with my trading, up 24%, 7% and 12%…. this program is gold.

🎯 Friday 6/21/19  (10:09 am) Aaron B: Today, my account is at +190% since January. Thanks, RWO HRC Flash Malcolm Thomas Steve Ed Bob S Bob C Mike P and everyone that contributes every day. I love our job.

Hit and Run Candlesticks / Road To Wealth Youtube videos

Disclosure: We do not act on all trades we mention, and not all mentions acted on the day of the mention. All trades we mention are for your consideration only.

Free YouTube Education  •  Subscription PlansPrivate 2-Hour Coaching

DISCLAIMER: Investing / Trading involves significant financial risk and is not suitable for everyone. No communication from Hit and Run Candlesticks Inc, its affiliates or representatives is not financial or trading advice. All information provided by Hit and Run Candlesticks Inc, its affiliates and representatives are intended for educational purposes only. You are advised to test any new trading approach before implementing it.  Past performance does not guarantee future results.  Terms of Service