A Fresh Burst of Euro-Optimism Ahead of the French Presidential Election

The French people will make a final decision on a President in less than 24 hours from the time of writing. Financial markets are in a much different place now than they were two weeks ago ahead of the initial round of voting. Thanks to the “French Fly” optimism is riding high and all assumptions … Read more

Silver Speculators Beat A Hasty Retreat Just As A Record Ends

In recent weeks I have wondered aloud why silver speculators were so bullish. In the latest Commitment of Traders (CoT) data it appears speculators are finally asking themselves the same thing. Source: Oanda’s CFTC’s Commitments of Traders In just two weeks, the level of net long futures contracts on silver have gone from levels not … Read more

Awful Offerings Confirmed: Acacia Communications and Twilio

A little over six months ago, I made a bearish case for Acacia Communications (ACIA) and Twilio (TWLO) based on the way each company rolled out follow-on stock offerings and the market’s reactions to the selling. Since then, ACIA and TWLO have fully lived up to bearish expectations. ACIA is down 55.1% from its offering … Read more

Above the 40 (May 3, 2017) – Technical Setbacks Masked By Gains for Financials and Apple Comeback

AT40 = 53.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 59.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 10.7 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: bullish Commentary The Federal Reserve effectively reaffirmed its commitment to two more rate hikes this year. The S&P 500 (SPY) yawned, but … Read more

The Fed’s Clarity Extends the Pain for Gold and Silver

Ahead of the May decision on monetary policy from the U.S. Federal Reserve, I concluded that the stars had aligned for a potential (sharp) relief rally for the SPDR® Gold Shares (GLD) and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV). In that post, I extrapolated from the market’s waning enthusiasm for two more rate hikes in 2017. … Read more