Bank Earnings, TWTR Drama, and Ukraine

Markets opened basically flat on Thursday and then sold off the rest of the day.  This resulted in black, Bearish Engulfing candles and Oreo Cookie patterns in the SPY and QQQ, with DIA putting in a black candle with all 3 closing on the lows of the day.  On the day, SPY lost 1.25%, DIA lost 0.43%, and QQQ lost 2.29%.  The VXX rose to 24.99 and T2122 dropped to right in the middle at 50.67.  The 10-year bond yields spiked again to 2.827% and Oil (WTI) rose more than 2% to $106.44/barrel.

On Friday, we got some positive economic news.  The NY Empire State Mfg. Index came in above expectations.  The same was true of March Industrial Production, which came in almost double the forecast value (+0.9% vs 0.4% forecast).

SNAP Case Study | Actual Trade

Click for video

Related to Elon Musk’s hostile TWTR takeover bid, the stock traded in a volatile way Thursday, but never got even close to the offered $54.20/share.  It actually closed down 1.68% to $45.08.  This seems to imply that the market does not believe the deal will ever happen.  Friday, a couple of analysts downgraded the stock as now “being in the middle in an Elon circus.”  Also on Friday, a Saudi Prince offered to match Musk’s deal and buy the company at the same price (perhaps offering a more palatable buyer).  However, late in the day TWTR board unanimously passed a “poison pill” policy.  This means if anybody acquires 15% of company stock without board approval, then other TWTR holders will be allowed to buy additional shares at a deep discount.  This would flood the market with shares of TWTR, driving down the price and making a takeover much harder, slower, and more expensive.     

So far this morning, BAC and SYF have both reported beating on both lines.  At the same time, BK printed a beat on revenue while reporting in-line earnings.  However, we should note that BK’s in-line report was still down 11.3% from the prior quarter.

On the Russian invasion story, Russia is continuing to fire missiles at major Ukrainian cities like Karkhiv, Kiyv, and Lviv. Meanwhile, Ukrainian resistance continues to hold out in the last stronghold of the destroyed city of Mariupol. The Russian Donbas offensive is underway with heavy fighting in the town of Kreminna, which is located Southeast of Karkhiv in the Luhansk region. On the economic side, Ukraine has submitted its application questionnaire to join the EU. More importantly, many analysts are now saying that renewed aid is desperately needed as Ukraine is in need of more heavy weapons and, in particular, more ammunition to maintain its fight in the face of the massive Russian assault. So, look for more aid to be coming from NATO countries and new orders to be placed in turn with companies like GD, WCHS, NOC, and RTX.

Overnight, the Asian markets were mixed but leaned to the red side.  India (-1.73%), Japan (-1.08%), and Singapore (-0.98%) paced the losses.  Meanwhile, Hong Kong (+0.67%), Australia (+0.59%), and Shenzhen (+0.37%) led the gainers.  In Europe, stocks are also mixed, but in this case, lean to the upside at mid-day.  The FTSE (+0.47%), DAX (+0.62%), and CAC (+0.72%) lead as usual while Russia (-1.76%) is an outlier to the downside in early afternoon trading.  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing toward a modestly lower start to the day.  The DIA implies a -0.12% open, the SPY is implying a -0.26% open, and the QQQ implies a -0.33% open at this hour.  10-year bond yields are up again to 2.837% and Oil (WTI) is down fractionally in early trading.

The major economic news scheduled for release on Monday is limited to a Fed speaker (Bullard at 4 pm).  Major earnings reports scheduled for the day include BAC, BK, SCHW, and SYF before the open.  Then after the close, JBHT reports.

In economic news later this week, on Tuesday we get March Building Permits and March Housing Starts.  Then Wednesday, we see March Existing Home Sales, Crude Oil Inventories, and Fed Beige Book will be released.  On Thursday, we get Initial Weekly Jobless Claims, Philly Fed Mfg. Index and Fed Chair Powell speaks.  Finally, on Friday we get Mfg. PMI and Services PMI.

LTA Scanning Software

Coming off the 3-day break, it was Elon Musk’s TWTR drama that maintained the spotlight all weekend. Yet, we also find ourselves at the start of another earnings season. And this quarter’s earnings may be more important than many recent quarters’ numbers (and especially guidance) as traders try to read through how well firms will be able to cope with the rising rates and fear of a hard landing. Recently, both major intraday and day-to-day reversals have been the rule. So, continue to be either being very nimble/quick, hedged, or have stops that are loose enough to ride out the whipsaw (and be ready to withstand that short-term pain). Trade carefully and position yourself for the long weekend news cycle.

Stick with those trading rules and manage the things that you can control while trying not to worry about the things you have no control over at all. Trade with the trend, don’t chase, keep consistently taking profits when you have them, and move your stops in your favor. Remember that the first rule of making big money in the market is to not lose big money in the market. Don’t be stubborn, and protect yourself from yourself. If you are wrong, just admit it and take your loss. Trading is a marathon, not a sprint. So, focus on the process and enjoy yourself.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: GPN, TWTR, VLO, IP, OXY, GPS, BP, HON, MMM, TGT, ZTS, EBAY, OTIS, AME, MAS, SHW, SLB. 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

Earnings, Bird Flu, TWTR Bid and Claims

Despite a record 11.2% Year-on-Year PPI report before the opening bell, stocks opened flat on Wednesday.  However, at that point, we started a slow, steady rally that lasted the rest of the day.  This left us with large white candles in all 3 major indices and the SPY and DIA both printing Bullish Engulfing candles.  On the day, SPY gained 1.15%, DIA gained 1.03%, and QQQ gained 2.03%.  The VXX fell 4.5% to 24.59 and T2122 shot back up to close just outside the overbought territory at 75.61.  10-year bond yields fell slightly to 2.,701%, and Oil (WTI) gained 3.47% to $104.09/barrel.

AMZN announced Wednesday afternoon that they will be adding a 5% “fuel and inflation” surcharge to all sellers as of April 28 for all users of “Fulfillment By Amazon.”  The vast majority of sellers are expected to raise the price of goods sold through AMZN in response.  (89% of all AMZN sellers use FBA.)  AMZN said their fee amounts to 24 cents per package, which is less than the USP surcharge of 42 cents and the FDX surcharge of 49 cents.

SNAP Case Study | Actual Trade

Click for video

As if food inflation were not bad enough already, the US is suffering from an outbreak of the bird flu.  So far, 23 million chickens have died across 24 states.  Iowa seems to be the worst-hit state with over 13 million chickens culled in that state so far.  The last outbreak, in 2015, saw 50 million birds die over a six-month period.  So, this outbreak appears to be worse than the last outbreak.  The largest chicken-producer stocks are PPC, SAFM, and TSN, while the largest egg-producing stock is CALM.  Among the companies that consume the most chicken as inputs, we see SYY, HRL, PPC, and TSN. Second-level users of chicken and eggs include MCD, WEN, GIS, and KHC.

In earnings news, so far this morning ALLY, GS, MS, STT, TSM, UNH, and USB have all reported beats on both the revenue and earnings lines.  Meanwhile, RAD beat on revenue, but missed on earnings.  On the other side, PNC and WFC both missed on revenue while beating on earnings.  However, ERIC missed on both lines.

In other stock news, Elon Musk has launched a hostile takeover bid to take TWTR private.  Musk has offered $54.20/share (roughly $43 billion), which is a small 18% premium on Wednesday’s closing price of $45.85.  This move comes less than 24 hours after TWTR investors sued Musk for violating SEC rules and not disclosing he had taken more than a 5% stake in the stock without notifying the SEC within 10 days.  TWTR is wildly volatile in premarket, now at $48.88.

On the Russian invasion story, the Biden Administration confirmed another round of military assistance for Ukraine as reported here yesterday.  The $800 million package includes howitzer artillery, armored personnel carriers, 500 more Javelin missiles, and 300 more Switchblade Kamikaze Drones. Elsewhere, the major defense contractors met with Pentagon officials, who told them to ramp up production of weapons for Ukraine and to expect at least a 2-year war.  These include BA, LHX, RTX, LMT, HII, GD, and NOC.  Interestingly, India’s largest oil refiner has suddenly stopped buying Russian oil and the world’s largest oil trader (Vitol) announced it would also stop buying crude from Russia.  This may indicate they are bowing to pressure from the Biden Admin.

Overnight, the Asian markets were mixed.  Shenzhen (+1.27%), Shanghai (+1.22%), and Japan (+1.22%) led the gainers.  Meanwhile, the broad but modest losses were paced by Taiwan (-0.32%), India (-0.31%), and Thailand (-0.25%).  In Europe, stocks are mostly modestly green at mid-day.  The FTSE (+0.03%), DAX (+0.24%), and CAC (+0.52%) lead the way as usual in early afternoon trading. Russia (-2.16%) is an outlier to the downside for obvious reasons.  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing toward an opening just on the green side of flat.  The DIA implies a +0.21% open, the SPY is implying a +0.04% open, and the QQQ implies a +0.08% open at this hour.  10-year bond yields are down slightly to 2.684% and Oil (WTI) is off eight-tenths of a percent to $103.24/barrel in early trading.

The major economic news scheduled for release on Thursday includes March Retail Sales, March Import/Export Indices, and Weekly Jobless Claims (all at 8:30 am), Feb. Bus. Inventories and Michigan Consumer Sentiment (both at 10 am), and a couple of Fed speakers (Mester at 3:50 pm and Harker at 6 pm).  Earnings season is back as ALLY, C, ERIC, GS, MS, PNC, PGR, RAD, STT, TSM, USB, UNH, and WFC all reporting before the open. There are no major earnings scheduled for after the close.

Also remember that US Markets are closed tomorrow for Good Friday, but we still get NY Empire State Mfg. Index and March Industrial Production numbers.  Also, Friday is Tax Day in the US.

LTA Scanning Software

There is a flurry of news to start off the last day of the week. The buzz in the premarket is over earnings and Musk’s TWTR buyout bid. It seemed like markets took the PPI number in stride yesterday, so perhaps the focus has shifted away from economic news and back to specific sectors and charts. With a 3-day holiday weekend ahead, don’t be surprised if volume dries up a bit today in the afternoon. Major intraday reversals have been the rule lately, so beware chasing anything at the open. Continue to be either being very nimble/quick, hedged, or have stops that are loose enough to ride out the whipsaw (and be ready to withstand that short-term pain). Trade carefully and position yourself for the long weekend news cycle.

Remember, earnings season is starting again (check those earnings dates) and also that markets are closed Friday (Good Friday). So, you don’t have to chase trades early this week. Stick to those trading rules and manage the things that you can control while trying not to worry about the things you have no control over at all. Trade with the trend, don’t chase, keep consistently taking profits when you have them, and move your stops in your favor. Remember that the first rule of making big money in the market is to not lose big money in the market. Don’t be stubborn, and protect yourself from yourself. If you are wrong, just admit it and take your loss. Trading is a marathon, not a sprint. So, focus on the process and enjoy yourself.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: NVCR, ZBH, DAL, CRSP, FSLR, LUV, CMCSA, DASH, ORCL, NEM, ERX. 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

Earnings Start and March PPI at 8:30

Stocks gapped higher at the open Tuesday, presumably on the fact that March CPI “only” came in at 8.5%.  There was even a little follow-through during the first half-hour of the day.  However, markets then rethought their position and this led to a steady selloff that lasted the entire rest of the day.  This left us with black candles with plenty of wicks at both ends in all 3 major indices.  On the day, SPY lost 0.37%, DIA lost 0.29%, and QQQ lost 0.42%.  The VXX also lost 1.4% to 25.74 and T2122 climbed a bit, but remains in the lower half of the mid-range at 39.32.  10-year bond yields fell back to 2.72% after being at a 3-year high early in the day. 

Tuesday also saw Oil (WTI) spike massively (over 7%) to $100.98 after being up “only 5%” most of the day.  This seemed to initially be related to lockdown easing in Shanghai leading traders to expect higher demand.  Yet, more talk of European sanctions on Russian oil and OPEC slashing the forecast for Russian oil exports led to fears about supply as well.  President Biden’s easing of maximum ethanol percentage regulations seemed to do little to impact either oil or gas prices, at least for the day.

SNAP Case Study | Actual Trade

Click for video

On the Russian invasion story, after-hours Reuters reported that the US will announce another $750 million in weapons aid for Ukraine today, including heavy ground artillery such as howitzer cannons.  Among the winners of contracts to resupply the US military will be RTX, LMT, RTN, BA, NOC, GD, and LHX who have all been invited to the Pentagon to discuss their capacity to supply Ukraine and refill American stockpiles.  Overnight, Sweden’s ruling party decided to back entry into NATO in a direct afront to Putin’s demands and threats.

So far this morning, DAL, FAST, and FRC have reported beats on both revenue and earnings.  JPM and BBBY both beat on revenue but missed on earnings.  JPM did so after taking over a $525 million hit from Russian sanctions and BBBY blamed supply chain woes (low inventories) for a poor holiday quarter.  Finally, BLK missed on revenue while reporting a massive beat on earnings ($9.52 actual vs. $8.92 est.).

Overnight, the Asian markets were mixed.  Japan (+1.93%), South Korea (+1.86%), and Taiwan (+1.83%) led the gainers.  Meanwhile, Shenzhen (-1.60%) and Shanghai (-0.82%) paced the losses.  In Europe, stocks are mostly red at mid-day.  The FTSE (+0.08%), DAX (-0.89%), and CAC (-0.51%) lead the way with only Norway (+1.62%) being a significant winner in early afternoon trading.  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing to a green start to the day.  The DIA implies a +0.42% open, the SPY is implying a +0.51% open, and the QQQ implies a +0.67% open at this hour.  10-year bond yields are flat at 2.725% and Oil (WTI) is up almost 1.8% to $102.44/barrel in early trading.

The major economic news scheduled for release on Wednesday is limited to March PPI (8:30 am) and Oil Inventories (10:30 am).  However, earnings season kicks off in earnest today with these major earnings reports scheduled before the open, BBBY, BLK, DAL, FAST, FRC, INFY, JPM, and SJR.  There are no major earnings scheduled for after the close.

LTA Scanning Software

Everybody expects a very hot PPI number this morning, but as usual, it won’t be as hot as yesterday’s 8.5% CPI number. (Business always passes on more than the hit they take.) Yesterday’s number led to an initial gap up, but then a rethink. Will we get the same today? It’s hard to say, especially since we are starting back into earnings season and eyeballs will be focusing on the rearview mirror for a while, gauging the impact of Russian sanctions (on companies that shut Russian operations or lost business due to embargoes) and inflation. This will be even more evident in consumer names as markets try to read through “just how badly has consumer spending been hurt by rising prices.” We should still expect volatility (like yesterday morning’s big reversal) and be prepared. That means continuing to be either being very nimble/quick, being hedged, or having loose enough stops (and the ability to withstand short-term pain) to ride out the whipsaw action. Trade carefully and position yourself so that shocks in either direction don’t throw you into a panic.

Remember, earnings season is starting again (check those earnings dates) and also that markets are closed Friday (Good Friday). So, you don’t have to chase trades early this week. Stick to those trading rules and manage the things that you can control while trying not to worry about the things you have no control over at all. Trade with the trend, don’t chase, keep consistently taking profits when you have them, and move your stops in your favor. Remember that the first rule of making big money in the market is to not lose big money in the market. Don’t be stubborn, and protect yourself from yourself. If you are wrong, just admit it and take your loss. Trading is a marathon, not a sprint. So, focus on the process and enjoy yourself.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: EXR, MRO, SHEL, OXY, X, DRE, CF, KGC, FE, MDT, DVN, TWTR, ZBH, LULU, EOG, APA, FIS, XLU, CVX, ET. 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

March CPI Number Looming at 8:30

Markets gapped down Monday after bond yields spiked then managed to hang on for about an hour.  However, then a long, slow selloff took over that ran into the end of the day.  This left us with big, ugly, gap-down black candles that closed not far off the lows in all 3 major indices.  All 3 also managed to drop through their 50sma, although to be fair the DIA only fell about 50 cents below its 50sma.  On the Day, SPY lost 1.66%, DIA lost 1.18%, and QQQ lost 2.32% as money fled from the high-growth tech names.  The VXX rose almost 6% to 26.10 and T2122 fell toward the bottom of the mid-range to 26.60.  As mentioned, 10-year bond yields spiked to 2.771% while Oil (WTI) fell over 3.5% to $94.80/barrel.

During the afternoon, the Biden Admin. began preparing the public for a Consumer Price Index report that will show that “inflation is extraordinarily elevated.”  This will be a follow-up on February’s CPI coming in a 7.9%, which was the highest level recorded since January 1982.  The March CPI Index will come out this morning. In that same vein, the Biden Administration announced is set to allow fuel to contain a higher percentage of ethanol in an effort to reduce gas prices.

SNAP Case Study | Actual Trade

Click for video

On the Russian invasion story, Russia defaulted on its foreign debt, because it offered to pay the bondholders in Rubles (held in a Russian bank account and not movable during sanctions).  However, it also became clear that limited/targeted sanctions were not having much strategic impact so far, although they may be hurting the Russian Mains Street.  It seems the rise in energy and food price spikes have greatly increased the value of Russian energy (Nat. Gas, Oil, and Coal) and Ag (Wheat) exports, while current sanctions have limited many imports.  The upshot of all this is that the Russian current-account surplus is the largest it has been since at least 1994 according to Bloomberg.  As a result, Russia added $3.4 billion to its war chest in the first quarter. On this news, Ukrainian President Zelensky again called for Western sanctions on Russian oil sales. Overnight, the WTO lowered its estimate of international trade growth from +4.7% to +3.0% due to the impacts of the Russian invasion.

On the ground, Russia began its renewed offensive in the Donbas overnight. The US and UK are investigating reports that Russians used chemical weapons in Mariupol on Monday. However, Russia vehemently denies the allegation.

Overnight, the Asian markets were mostly red, with the exception of mainland China.  Shenzhen (+2.05%), Shanghai (+1.46%), and Hong Kong (+0.52%) were the only green in the region.  Meanwhile, Japan (-1.81%), Singapore (-0.99%), and South Korea (-0.98%) paced broader losses.  The same is true in Europe, where stocks are mostly red at mid-day.  The FTSE (-0.43%), DAX (-0.93%), and CAC (-0.64%) are typical of the continent in early afternoon trading.  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing toward a flat start to the day.  The DIA implies a -0.03% open, the SPY is implying a -0.03% open, and the QQQ implies a +0.02% open at this hour.  However, 10-year bond yields are on the move higher again to 2.792% and Oil (WTI) is up 4.1% to $98.14 in early trading.

The major economic news scheduled for release on Tuesday includes March CPI (8:30 am), 10-year Bond Auction (1 pm), and Federal Budget Balance (2 pm).  There is also a Fed speaker (Brainard at 12:10 pm).  The only major earnings reports scheduled for the day are ACI and KMX, both before the open.

LTA Scanning Software

The big CPI number is likely to drive at least the start of the day as markets are flat until the print at 8:30 am. What is harder to gauge is whether the expectations of an “extraordinarily high” number are already baked into the market (resulting in a muted response) or whether traders will be “shocked” by the news. If it is already baked in, we may be in a “wait and see” mode until earnings start again Wednesday. In either case, we should expect more volatility and be prepared for intraday reversals. That means continuing to be either being very nimble/quick, being hedged, or having loose enough stops (and the ability to withstand short-term pain) to ride out the whipsaw action. Trade carefully and position yourself so that shocks in either direction don’t throw you into a panic.

Remember, big bank earnings start Wednesday and markets are closed Friday (Good Friday). So, you don’t have to chase trades early this week. Stick to those trading rules and manage the things that you can control while trying not to worry about the things you have no control over at all. Trade with the trend, don’t chase, keep consistently taking profits when you have them, and move your stops in your favor. Remember that the first rule of making big money in the market is to not lose big money in the market. Don’t be stubborn, and protect yourself from yourself. If you are wrong, just admit it and take your loss. Trading is a marathon, not a sprint. So, focus on the process and enjoy yourself.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: GPN, AMCR, CCI, EOG, GFL, MRO, XOM, CMCSA, MNST, HES, TGT, CLX, FIS, LUMN. 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

Musk Rejects Bd Seat But Has TWTR Ideas

On Friday, the large-caps opened flat and then put in a volatile day.  Meanwhile, the QQQ gapped down about a half of a percent and then after a morning bounce spent the afternoon selling off.  This left us with a black Doji in the SPY, a white Spinning Top in the DIA, and a black candle in the QQQ.  On the day, SPY lost 0.27%, DIA gained 0.40%, and QQQ lost 1.40% as money rotated out of the high-growth tech stocks and into defensive sectors.  The VXX rose over 2.5% to 24.57 and T2122 came back up to near mid-range at 53.47.  10-year bond yields ended up again to 2.704% and Oil (WTI) gained almost 2% to $97.90/barrel.

In miscellaneous business news, Elon Musk made the surprise announcement that he has rejected a seat on the TWTR board.  This came a day after he suggested a number of changes to the TWTR Blue subscription program, including having the company add the ability to accept payments in dogecoin.  Bloomberg reports that F may reopen the factories it closed in India to make electric vehicles.  This news comes 2 days after the company’s joint venture in Turkey has begun production of an electric version of the company’s Transit van. Elsewhere, Chinese EV maker NIO raised prices by about $1,600. That company has also had to halt production due to Covid closure of their plant.

SNAP Case Study | Actual Trade

Click for video

On the Russian invasion story, on Saturday, UK PM Johnson visited Kyiv to promise the Ukrainians armored vehicles, anti-ship missile systems, and $500 million in added World Bank loan guarantees.  This brings Britain’s loan guarantees for Ukraine to $1 billion.  Meanwhile, S&P downgraded Russia to “selective default” on Saturday.  Most analysts believe the country will at least partially default on the $649 to bond holders that is due today.  As of now, Russia has only promised to place the equivalent in Rubles in its own National Settlement Depository (meaning it would be inaccessible to the lenders until after sanctions).  Still, the World Bank said on Sunday that despite the “heavy sanctions” Russia faces, they expect the Russian economy to contract by only 11% for 2022 (compared to 45% for Ukraine).

Economic news for later this holiday-shortened week includes March CPI, 10-year note auction, and Federal Budget Balance on Tuesday.  Wednesday brings March PPI and Oil Inventories.  On Thursday we get March Retail Sales, March Import/Export Indices, Weekly Jobless Claims, February Bus. Inventories, Michigan Consumer Sentiment, and a Fed speaker.  US Markets are closed for Good Friday, but we get NY Empire State Mfg. Index and March Industrial Production numbers.  Also, remember that Friday is Tax Day in the US.

Overnight, the Asian markets were red across the board, with the lone exception of Australia (+0.10%) which eked out a small gain.  Shenzhen (-3.67%), Hong Kong (-3.03%), and Shanghai (-2.61%) led the region lower after higher-than-expected Chinese Consumer and Producer Price news showed that inflation is running at 8.3% in that country.  In Europe, stocks are mixed at mid-day.  The FTSE (-0.28%), DAX (-0.19%), and CAC (+0.74%) are typical of the spread across the continent in early afternoon trading.  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing to a red start to the morning.  The DIA implies a flat -0.04% open, the SPY is implying a -0.34% open, and the QQQ implies a -0.71% open at this hour.  10-year bond yields are also spiking again to 2.759% and Oil (WTI) is down more than 3.75% to $94.58/barrel in early trading.

There is no major economic news scheduled for release on Monday.  However, Fed member Bostic speaks at 9:30 am.  There are also no major earnings reports scheduled for the day.

Notable Earnings Reports for this week include a slow start with none on Monday.  However, on Tuesday we get ACI and KMX.  Then Wednesday earnings ramp back up with BBBY, BLKL, DAL, FAST, FRC, INFY, JPM, and SJR.  On Thursday we get ALLY, C, ERIC, GS, MS, PNC, PGR, RAD, STT, TSM, USB, UNH, and WFC.  There are no earnings scheduled for Friday.

LTA Scanning Software

The lack of economic news or earnings this morning has traders searching for a clue ahead of the open. Still, the war continues in Ukraine, China has realized they have serious inflation (which is a problem given that they are still easing to promote growth), and earnings season kicks off again on Wednesday. So, we may see more tepid moves and volume today as markets wait for the next shoe to drop. With all this said, we should expect more volatility and be prepared for intraday reversals. That means either being very nimble/quick, being hedged, or having loose enough stops (and the ability to withstand short-term pain) to ride out the whipsaw action. Trade carefully and position yourself so that shocks in either direction don’t throw you into a panic.

Remember, big bank earnings start Wednesday and markets are closed Friday (Good Friday). So, you don’t have to chase trades early this week. Stick to those trading rules and manage the things that you can control while trying not to worry about the things you have no control over at all. Trade with the trend, don’t chase, keep consistently taking profits when you have them, and move your stops in your favor. Remember that the first rule of making big money in the market is to not lose big money in the market. Don’t be stubborn, and protect yourself from yourself. If you are wrong, just admit it and take your loss. Trading is a marathon, not a sprint. So, focus on the process and enjoy yourself.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: WEAT, AAP, STX, TGT, NKE, SYY, DIS, CSCO, KLAC, AMAT, HAS, ROKU. 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

Little News But Downgrades Galore

Stocks opened just on the Southside of flat on Thursday before selling off slightly in the morning.  Then we saw a reversal and strong rally that lasted until we got a pullback the last half hour of the day.  This left us with indecisive, Spinning Top candles in all 3 major indices.  On the day, SPY gained 0.50%, DIA gained 0.35%, and QQQ gained 0.24%.  The VXX fell 1.35% to 24.05 and T2122 rose a bit to 36.96.  10-year bond yields surged again to 2.665% and Oil (WTI) rose just less than 1% to $97.13/barrel.

US Consumer debt jumped by almost $42 billion in February.  Debt levels rose to a record $4.5 trillion.  That was a much higher rate than the January increase and signals the impacts on consumers, which are being stretched thin by inflation.  Credit card debt alone jumped almost 21% in the month, compared to a 4% increase back in January.  This begins investors worrying about missed payments and bad debt collection and write-off impacts on creditors and especially regional banks (card issuers). This probably accounts for the fact that consumer confidence is at a 10-year low.

SNAP Case Study | Actual Trade

Click for video

BAC market analysts turned bearish on the economy overnight, lowering ratings on the entire transportation and homebuilding industries.  They also expressed concern over the banking sector not showing the profit gains that are expected in typical rising rate environments.  The bottom line is that they now expect a recession and almost immediate rotation into defensive sectors and assets (such as bonds).  Are they late to the party…you be the judge?

On the Russian invasion story, Congress voted to approve the stripping of Russia of its most-favored-nation trade status and also banned Russian oil and gas imports.  Less reported but more importantly, earlier the US re-enacted (by unanimous Senate vote) the World War II “Lend-Lease” program and has removed the 5-year limit on the duration of loans.  The bill also declares the conflict in Ukraine began with the ceasing of Crimea.  This implies the US will back Ukraine through the end of the conflict (years if needed), including the recapture of Crimea.  On the other side of things, Germany urged their banks and gas purchasing companies to keep their contracts with Russia Gazprom.  In addition, Hungary bought a stake in Russian Sberbank in a sign of support for Putin by his friend Hungarian PM Orban.  MSFT also announced it had used a court order to disable 7 internet domains used by Russia to hack Ukrainian targets such as media organizations and government agencies.

Overnight, the Asian markets were mixed but leaned to the upside in modest trading.  India (+0.82%), Taiwan (+0.62%), Shanghai and Australia (both +0.47%) led the gains.  Meanwhile, Singapore (-0.62%) was the main loser with a couple of other exchanges just on the red side of flat.  However, in Europe, we see green across the board (with the lone exception of Russia’s -1.18%) at mid-day. The FTSE (+0.97%), DAX (+1.31%), and CAC (+1/37%) are typical of the continent in early afternoon trading.  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing toward a modestly green start to the day.  The DIA implies a +0.40% open, the SPY is implying a +0.33% open, and the QQQ implies a +0.34% open at this hour.  10-year bond yields are up again to 2.688% and Oil (WTI) is down to $95.95/barrel in early trading.

Major economic news scheduled for release on Friday is limited to the WASDE (World Agriculture) Report at noon.  There are no major earnings reports scheduled for the day.

LTA Scanning Software

As the premarkets look modestly higher this morning, we are still looking at a down week at this point. A lack of economic news and/or earnings leaves traders to focus on news such as the Russian overnight bombing of a railway station full of evacuees and market analysts becoming more convinced recession is coming to an economy near you sometime in the next two quarters. These will be limited headwinds for the bulls. With all this said, we should expect more volatility (just like yesterday’s big intraday reversal) and be prepared. That means either being very nimble/quick, being hedged, or having loose enough stops (and the ability to withstand short-term pain) to ride out the whipsaw action. Trade carefully and position yourself so that shocks in either direction don’t throw you into a panic.

Remember that it’s Friday and we have a weekend news cycle ahead. Stick to those trading rules and manage the things that you can control while trying not to worry about the things you have no control over at all. Trade with the trend, don’t chase, keep consistently taking profits when you have them, and move your stops in your favor. Remember that the first rule of making big money in the market is to not lose big money in the market. So, don’t be stubborn, and protect yourself from yourself. If you are wrong, just admit it and take your loss. Trading is a marathon, not a sprint. So, focus on the process and enjoy yourself.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: OLLI, HBIO, TLRY, X, ORCL, MRO, BITO, XLF. 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

Jobless Claims and Fed’s Bullard Ahead

Markets gapped down significantly Wednesday and then ground sideways, first in a fairly tight range, but then in a very volatile way to end the day.  This left us with gap-down, indecisive candles in all 3 major indices.  The SPY printed a Doji while the DIA and QQQ printed Spinning Top candles.  On the day, SPY lost 0.99%, DIA lost 0.43%, and QQQ lost 2.17%.  The VXX fell 1% to 24.55 and T2122 dropped to 28.39.  10-year bond yields pulled back over the day but still spiked higher to 2.59% and Oil (WTI) fell 4.85% to $97.02/barrel.

The Fed minutes released Wednesday afternoon told us that the Fed has reached a consensus to begin reducing the FOMC Balance Sheet by $95 billion/month probably starting in May.  This is twice the rate compared to the last time the Fed shrunk its balance sheet and may leave bond markets starved for supply even as traders try to flee to the safety of bonds.  (This will fight against the Fed’s attempt to raise rates since higher bond prices mean lower yields.)  There was also a strong hint that at least some of the interest rate hikes ahead will be 0.50% hikes.  These are clear signs the Fed is now hawkish and will be aggressive in its fight against inflation.  While this caused considerable volatility in the afternoon today, buckle up as the most Hawkish member of the Fed (Bullard) will be speaking today.  (He previously called for a full percentage hike by the first of July.)

SNAP Case Study | Actual Trade

Click for video

During the day, Oil Inventories came in much higher than expected.  The consensus forecast had called for a 2 million barrel drawdown, but inventories came in showing a 2.4-million-barrel increase.  This came the same day that Congress took turns blasting top executives from major oil companies.  Executives from XOM, CVX, BP, SHEL, PXD, and DVN all took turns being berated for windfall profits as well as increasing their buyback plans and dividends rather than increasing production.  The companies were also blasted for investing in Russian projects after Russia ceased and annexed Crimea.

In other market news, BRKB (Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway) revealed that it has taken a $4.2 billion position in HPQ, causing the computer and printer company stock to soar as much as 17% in premarket trading.  Elsewhere, Chinese company Tencent has shut down its fledgling rival to AMZN subsidiary Twitch (video game streaming platform).  This comes after Chinese regulators killed a merger between the two video game streaming platforms that Tencent had major stakes in.  This eliminates the only major global rival to AMZN in that growing niche market. Also this morning, CAG reported beats on both lines while STZ beat on revenue at the same time it reported a miss on earnings.

Overnight, the Asian markets red across the board.  Taiwan (-1.96%), Japan (-1.65%), and Shenzhen (-1.65%) led the region lower.  However, losses were widespread and only New Zealand (-0.03%) was anywhere near flat on the day.  In Europe, we see a different story altogether.  Stocks are green across the board with only two minor exceptions of the FTSE (-0.07%) and Norway (-0.27%) at mid-day.  The DAX (+0.71%) and CAC (+0.70%) are typical of the continent with even Russia (+1.17%) gaining in early afternoon trading.  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing toward a slightly green start to the day.  The DIA implies a +0.04% open, the SPY is implying a +0.18% open, and the QQQ implies a +0.31% open at this hour.  10-year bond yields are up slightly to 2.607% and Oil (WTI) is up 2.23% to $98.35 in early trading.

Major economic news scheduled for release on Thursday is limited to Weekly Initial Jobless Claims (8:30 am) and 4 speakers (Fed member Bullard at 9 am, Treasury Sec. Yellen at 10:30 am, Fed member Bostic at 2 pm, and Fed member Williams at 4:05 pm.  The only major earnings reports scheduled for the day are CAG, STZ, and LW all before the open.  There are no major earnings announcements scheduled for after the close.

LTA Scanning Software

After a day and a half of markets being spooked by Fed doves, this morning we hear from the staunchest hawk among Fed members. Premarkets are not running scared in the face of this prospect. So, it may be a case of investors already “cooking in” a worst-case and feeling like Bullard’s proposed medicine won’t be so bad. At any rate, stocks are on the green side of flat heading into his talk. That and Weekly Jobless claims are the only news to worry about in premarket. However, we also have 3 other Fed speakers who might rock the boat later in the day. So, maybe markets have found a level to consolidate or find some support. However, expect more volatility as traders continue to try to guess how inflation, rising interest rates, and a potential hard landing will shake out across the market. Trade carefully and position yourself so that shocks in either direction don’t throw you into a panic.

Stick to those trading rules and manage the things that you can control while trying not to worry about the things you have no control over at all. Trade with the trend, don’t chase, keep consistently taking profits when you have them, and move your stops in your favor. Remember that the first rule of making big money in the market is to not lose big money in the market. So, don’t be stubborn, and protect yourself from yourself. If you are wrong, just admit it and take your loss. Trading is a marathon, not a sprint. So, focus on the process and enjoy yourself.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: FIGS, HBIO, PYPL, SQ, DOCU, BABA, MCD, ORCL, PFE, TT. 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

Fed Doves Scare Markets In Reality Check

Stocks gapped modestly lower Tuesday. At that point, both the large-cap indices immediately filled the gap before joining QQQ in an all-day selloff that closed just up off the lows. In the process, all 3 major indices gave back all of Monday’s gains as well as falling through their respective T-lines.  All 3 printed black candles.  On the day, SPY lost 1.26%, DIA lost 0.83%, and QQQ lost 2.22%.  The VXX gained 1.5% to 24.81 and T2122 fell all the way back to 32.34, still in the mid-range but approaching the lower end of the range.  10-year bond yields spiked higher to 2.552%, which allowed them to get the “2s vs 10s” out of inversion, but the “5s vs. 30s” still remains inverted.  Oil (WTI) fell 2.15% to $101.06/barrel. 

The main story driving markets Tuesday was Minneapolis Fed President (and Vice-Chair nominee) Lael Brainard (normally a dove who favors loose FOMC policy) spooking markets mid-day when said she expects the Fed to start reducing its balance sheet in May.  What really gave the bears strength was that she said she foresees the FOMC doing so at “a rapid pace.”  She also said that rate hikes may come at a more aggressive pace than the 0.25% increments the Fed did in March and has been normal.  Later in the day, San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly (also a dove) told a different group that rates are going higher and said she does not think this will cause a recession. This news and hawkish tone from two of the FOMC’s doves raised fears among investors. this continues to scare markets this morning as futures bets are now pricing in half percent hikes at several Fed meetings over the remainder of the year.

SNAP Case Study | Actual Trade

Click for video

On the Russian invasion story, President Biden, the EU, and G7 are set to announce another round of coordinated sanctions on Russia in response to the recently found war crimes.  This round will include targeting more Russian Banks, Kremlin officials, and their family members.  A ban on new investment in Russian state-owned firms will also be included.  Most importantly, the EC will ban $4.3 billion of Russian coal in phases. This will be the first real hit to Russia’s most important sector, Energy. In fact, early this morning European Council President Von der Leyen said she expects eventual sanctions directly on Russian oil and gas imports to Europe.

Spiking rates continue to crush mortgage demand.  The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose from 4.80% to 4.90% during the week.  They even went above 5% on Tuesday, a first since 2018.  This caused refinance loan applications to fall another 10% week on week, while new home purchase applications fell 3%.  Overall, mortgage demand is down 40% from one year ago.

Overnight, the Asian markets leaned heavily to the red side.  Only Malaysia (+0.50%) managed any real gain.  Meanwhile, Hong Kong (-1.87%), Japan (-1.58%), and South Korea (-0.88%) paced the losses.  In Europe, the lone, minor exception of Russia (+0.20%) stocks are red across the board at mid-day.  The FTSE (-0.33%) lags again, but the DAX (-1.69%) and CAC (-1.88%) are typical of the continent in early afternoon trading.  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing to a gap lower at the open.  The DIA implies a -0.57% open, the SPY is implying a -0.81% open, and the QQQ implies a -1.35% open to start the day.  10-year bond yields are spiking again to 2.633% and Oil (WTI) is up 1.35% to $103.32 in early trading.

Major economic news scheduled for release on Wednesday is limited to Crude Oil Inventories (10:30 am) and FOMC Meeting Minutes (2 pm).  There will also be a Fed speaker (Harker at 9:30 am).  The only major earnings reports scheduled for the day are RPM, SCHN, and GBX before the open as well as LEVI after the close. 

LTA Scanning Software

The words of two Fed doves gave markets a scare Tuesday and apparently, markets came to realize this was not something we should shake off overnight. So, we are looking for a gap down after yesterday/s all-day reversal of Monday. Again we have basically no market-moving news scheduled and basically no earnings which might drive markets. So, traders’ eyes will continue to focus on interest rates, the fear of recession, and the talking heads (fund managers) are likely to promote the idea that the Fed should not do half-percent raises. Volatility still remains a concern, but the very short-term trend is back in control of the bears. Position yourself accordingly.

The first rule of making big money in the market is to not lose big money in the market. Don’t be stubborn, and protect yourself from yourself. If you are wrong, just admit it and take your loss. Stick to those trading rules and manage the things that you can control while trying not to worry about the things you have no control over at all. Trade with the trend, don’t chase, keep consistently taking profits when you have them, and move your stops in your favor. Trading is a marathon, not a sprint. So, focus on the process and enjoy yourself.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: ZBH, DG, GSK, DRE, JNJ, ALL, IP, GILD, ABBV, NWL, FMC, WFC, AEO, STX, DISCA, COF, SYF, PATH, AIG. 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

XOM Profit, Inverted Rates, and Sanctions

Markets opened relatively flat on Monday.  However, at that point, stocks went on a slow, steady, all-day rally.  The SPY, DIA, and QQQ all closed very near their highs.  This gave us a definite Morning Star signal in the QQQ and 3-candle patterns you could at least say were “Morning Star-like” in the SPY and DIA.  With that said, the QQQ sits right at it 200sma and the DIA just below that major average.  On the day, SPY gained 0.88%, DIA (the weakest of the trio today) gained 0.35%, and QQQ gained a strong 2.06%.  It is worth noting that today’s action took place on volumes that were less than half the normal average across all 3 major indices.  The VXX fell 2.4% to 24.43 and T2122 climbed just inside the overbought territory at 83.24.  10-year bond yields rose to 2.41% and Oil (WTI) spiked yet again by 4.4% to $103.64/barrel.

TWTR (+27.12%) had its best day since the company’s IPO in November 2013.  This happened (mostly on a gap higher) as an SEC filing revealed that Elon Musk had taken a 9.2% passive position in the stock.  That position makes him the largest shareholder, but represents less than 1% of his wealth.  This, plus the fact that Musk has said he is considering creating his own social media platform has led analysts to believe he will increase his stake in TWTR and eventually take a more active role in the running of the company.  Interestingly, Musk seems to be picking another fight with the SEC. His disclosure came 20 days after Musk accumulated his position and that is a violation of SEC rules requiring large passive positions to be disclosed in 10 days or less.

SNAP Case Study | Actual Trade

Click for video

The 2-year versus 10-year bond yields inverted again Monday.  This means that the 2-year bond pays a higher rate than the 10-year, which is not normal and implies there is greater risk in the short term.  Every recession since 1950 has been preceded by such an inversion, although the lag time can be as long as 2 years.  There was also one “false positive” where there was an inversion, but no recession followed.

Regarding the Russian invasion, the EU will propose a ban on Russian coal imports as part of its “post war crime” round of sanctions. French President Macron also proposed sanctions against Russian oil.  However, these will both be very difficult proposals to get passed since Russia supplies 70% of the EU’s coal and 30% of the EU’s oil. Germany is particularly dependent on Russia for energy.  Meanwhile, the US is also preparing another round of sanctions, which is said to include prohibiting Russia from paying its debt payments in US Dollars through American banks.  This will just make it harder for Russia to avoid defaulting on loans.

XOM disclosed Monday that they expect to report record profits on April 29.  This comes as oil prices have soared and padded the company’s bottom line by at least $2.3 billion for the quarter.  However, the company said they also expect to write down its $4 billion investment for a Russian drilling project that the company is in the process of discontinuing as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  Executives from XOM, CVX, BP, DVN, SHEL, and PXD have all been called to testify before Congress about price gouging on Wednesday.

Overnight, the Asian markets were mixed but leaned more to the upside.  Hong Kong (+2.10%) was an outlier to the upside, but Shanghai (+0.94%), Shenzhen (+0.91%), and Singapore (+0.82%) led the region higher.  AT the same time, India (-0.53%) and Taiwan (-0.38%) paced the losers.  In Europe, stocks are mixed but lean to the downside at mid-day.  The FTSE (-0.10%) is an outlier, but the DAX (-0.56%), and CAC (-1.67%) are typical to the downside.  Russia (-4.68%) is, of course, also an outlier.  Gainers include Denmark (+1.60%) and Portugal (+1.27%).  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing toward a modestly red start to the day.  The DIA implies a -0.28% open, the SPY is implying a -0.27% open, and the QQQ implies a -0.30% open at this hour.  10-year bond yields are up strongly again to 2.463% and oil (WTI) is up nearly another percent in early trading this morning.

Major economic news scheduled for release on Tuesday includes Imports/Exports and Feb. Trade Balance (both at 8:30 am), March Services PMI (9:45 am), March ISM Non-Mfg. PMI (10 am), and a trio of Fed speakers (Kashkari at 10 am, Brainard at 10:05 am, and Williams at 2 pm.   The only major earnings report scheduled for the day is AYI before the open. 

LTA Scanning Software

Premarket action seems to indicate a rest after Monday’s tech-led rally. Again we have minimal impactful news and basically no earnings which might drive markets. Eyes will continue to focus on interest rate inversions and the talking heads (fund managers) are likely to promote the idea that the Fed should not do half-percent raises with the dual pressures of inflation and the war in Ukraine hanging over the economy. Volatility still remains a concern, but the trend is definitely still bullish and yesterday’s action (Morning Star signals on small pullbacks in a strong trend) implies that we will see some follow-through, although not necessarily today. So, all traders can do is focus on the chart and be prepared for volatility-caused short-term pain.

The first rule of making big money in the market is to not lose big money in the market. Don’t be stubborn, and protect yourself from yourself. If you are wrong, just admit it and take your loss. Stick to those trading rules and manage the things that you can control while trying not to worry about the things you have no control over at all. Trade with the trend, don’t chase, keep consistently taking profits when you have them, and move your stops in your favor. Trading is a marathon, not a sprint. So, focus on the process and enjoy yourself.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: GSK, CVLT, PYPL, MRO, DG, FB, BE, TWLO, AAPL, MSFT, APA, DKNG, PINS, CLF, MTTR, CLOV 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

Musk Gets Into TWTR, TSLA Ships Record Amount

Markets made a modest gap higher on Friday after the March Payrolls report came in with fewer jobs added than expected.  However, it makes the 11th straight month of more than 400k jobs added, the participation rate is essentially where it was pre-pandemic, and the unemployment rate fell to 3.6%.  After the open stocks meandered their way back down to the lows at about 1:30 pm before an afternoon rally took all 3 major indices back up off the lows.  This left us with black Hammer-type candles in all 3, although you could make a strong argument for a Doji in the DIA.  All 3 are close to their T-lines as of the close, after testing that level.  On the day, SPY gained 0.28%, DIA gained 0.34%, and QQQ lost 0.20%.  The VXX fell 2.6% to 25.03 and T2122 climbed back just outside the overbought territory to 75.53.  10-year bond yield retreated during the day but still closed up at 2.371%.  It is worth noting that both the 2s vs 10s and 5s vs 30s bond yields are inverted, which is broadly seen as an indicator that there will be a future recession. Oil (WTI) fell seven-tenths of a percent to $99.56/barrel as the UK followed President Biden’s example and announced they will be releasing oil from their strategic reserves as well.

On Friday, the Labor Relations Board announced that Staten Island NY AMZN workers voted in favor of a union (with not enough disputed votes to flip the vote).  The re-vote in Bessemer AL is still undecided with the company ahead in the voting, but over 400 votes now going to a ballot dispute process. Meanwhile, in Congress, the House voted to decriminalize marijuana nationally, expunge marijuana conviction records, and levy a tax on marijuana sales (starting at 5% and eventually moving to 8%).  This sends the bill to the Senate where passage will be more difficult to get passed.  Elsewhere, on Saturday TSLA announced that they had delivered a record 310k cars during Q1.

SNAP Case Study | Actual Trade

Click for video

TWTR shares spiked as much as 30% in premarket trading after a 13G public filing revealed that Elon Musk has acquired a 9.2% stake in the company.  That purchase makes him the largest outside shareholder in the company.  However, this purchase was classified as a “passive stake” in the company.  Nonetheless, shares are spiking at the prospect of him buying more or taking an active role.  His purchase comes less than two weeks after Musk criticized the company over its acceptable speech policies and then conducted a TWTR poll on whether the company adheres to free speech principles and what should be done about it.

On the Russian invasion story, over the weekend it was announced by both sides that the negotiations have progressed to a point where a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky makes sense.  This meeting will take place in Turkey in the unspecified not-too-distant future.  However, then Sunday, Russia announced that negotiations have not arrived at that point and their original positions still stand.  So, this is either negotiating tactics or disarray between the Russian negotiation team and the Kremlin.  Meanwhile, several mass graves and evidence of Russian war crimes emerged in liberated regions over the weekend.  On Sunday the EU warned they are likely to levy additional sanctions over those crimes.  However, the sanction threat again stops short of blocking ALL Russian banks from the SWIFT payments system or stopping the flow of Russian Gas and Oil to Europe

Overnight, the Asian markets were mostly green.  India (+2.17%), Hong Kong (+2.10%), and Shanghai (+0.91%) led the region higher while Taiwan (-0.38%) and New Zealand (-0.30%) were the most appreciable losers.  In Europe, stocks are leaning to the upside at mid-day.  The FTSE (+0.21%), DAX (+0.16%), and CAC (+0.17%) are lagging, but as always far exceed the rest of the continent in volume.  Switzerland (+1.09%) is an outlier to the upside as is Denmark (-1.30%) to the downside in early afternoon trading.  As of 7:30 am, US Futures are pointing toward a modestly green start to the day.  The DIA implies a +0.05% open, the SPY is implying a +0.19% open, and the QQQ implies a +0.40% open at this hour.  10-year bond yields are modestly higher to 2.39% and Oil (WTI) is up less than 50 cents in early trading.

Major economic news scheduled for release on Monday is limited to Feb. Factory Orders (10 am).  There are no major earnings reports scheduled for the day. 

The economic news later this week includes Imports/Exports, Feb. Trade Balance, Mar. Services PMI, ISM Non-Mfg. PMI, and a couple of Fed speakers all on Tuesday.  Wednesday is limited to Crude Oil Inventories and Feb. FOMC Minutes.  Thursday brings Weekly Jobless Claims and 4 different speeches from 3 Fed members.  Friday will also be limited to the WASDE global agriculture report.

LTA Scanning Software

April is statistically the best month for stocks and it starts off with a week of little news and very light earnings activity. MS made a point this weekend to tell their customers they believe the “bear market rally” is now over. JPM’s Jamie Dimon seems to agree, saying that the confluence of inflation and the war in Ukraine creates a dramatic increase in market risk. Still, stocks are up 10% from the lows and have been very strong since mid-March. Volatility has plateaued off recently, but is still far off the lows and remains a concern. Many eyes will be on the interest rate inversions (and the implied future recession) as well as how the Fed is going to get from here to where they end up on rates. With all that said, it is probably time to be back in the market, perhaps on both sides, and cautiously riding the trend. Just be prepared for volatility-caused short-term pain and watch that herd mentality.

The first rule of making big money in the market is to not lose big money in the market. Don’t be stubborn, and protect yourself from yourself. If you are wrong, just admit it and take your loss. Stick to those trading rules and manage the things that you can control while trying not to worry about the things you have no control over at all. Trade with the trend, don’t chase, keep consistently taking profits when you have them, and move your stops in your favor. Trading is a marathon, not a sprint. So, focus on the process and enjoy yourself.

Ed

Swing Trade Ideas for your consideration and watchlist: TWTR, EYE, CELH, PSFE, SPT, AIZ, PLTK, AUY, AAPL, MSFT, LLY, DBX, IWM, ZBH, BMY, JNJ, FCX. 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