Trump Turmoil Takes 2017 Rate Hikes Down to Just June

I am surprised Fed futures traders still firmly expect a rate hike from the U.S. Federal Reserve in June. Source: CME FedWatch Tool After the stock market sell-off in the wake of more Trump turmoil, the market pegged the odds of a June rate hike from the U.S. Federal Reserve at 64.6%. Above 50% means … Read more

Trading Panic: Rushing Past the Exit from Brazil

Another Presidential-level scandal has engulfed Brazil. On the morning of Thursday, May 18th, news hit the wires that Brazilian President Michel Temer was accused of bribery. The crisis deepened after Brazil’s Supreme Court gave the go-ahead for an investigation into the bribery allegations From Reuters: “Brazil’s President Michel Temer on Thursday defiantly said he would … Read more

Above the 40 (May 17, 2017) – One Day Suffices: S&P 500 Breakdown Lands the French Fly With A Thud

AT40 = 36.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 51.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 15.6 (volatility index) – a 46.4% increase!!! Short-term Trading Call: neutral (downgrade from cautiously bullish) Commentary Time to downgrade my cautious bullishness to neutral. The S&P 500 (SPY) … Read more

Above the 40 (May 16, 2017) – Stock Market Drag

AT40 = 48.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 55.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 10.7 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish (downgrade from bullish) Commentary Time to downgrade my bullishness to “cautiously bullish.” While the S&P 500 (SPY) made a new … Read more

Forex Critical: A Breakdown for the U.S. Dollar

I may have flipped outright bearish on the U.S. dollar index (DXY0) just in time. My change in sentiment started with my increasing bullishness on the euro (FXE). With the euro constituting about 51% of the U.S. dollar index, I realized that it would be hard to remain bullish on the dollar overall while adopting … Read more