A Wavering Economic Backdrop Suggests A Top for the Australian Dollar

Australia just celebrated setting a (modern era) world record for the longest string of quarters without a recession. Yet Australia’s economic backdrop appears to be wavering. This week’s labor force survey could provide a critical point of relief or pile on yet more concern. Iron Ore’s Latest Plunge I begin with iron ore – Australia’s … Read more

Above the 40 (April 7, 2017) – An Incrementally More Dangerous Stock Market

AT40 = 46.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 62.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 12.9 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish (notable caveats explained below) Commentary The timetable for a May end to this period of extremely low volatility looks like … Read more

Eyeing the Stock Market Disconnect As Optimism Keeps Blocking Bears

Nice Save Bears have taken numerous shots yet the bulls have consistently blocked them all. The S&P 500 (SPY) is barely off its all-time highs and has survived all number of setbacks. These setbacks seem to get more and more shallow. Monday, April 3rd, 2017 delivered another classic example. The morning began with very convincing … Read more

Forex Critical: Speculators Hold Positions Even As Backdrops Shift

In my last posts on the euro (FXE), the Canadian dollar (FXC), and the British pound (FXB), I noted significant trading moves by speculators in foreign exchange as reported by the CFTC’s Commitments of Traders (CoT). The latest CFTC CoT report shows more of the same for these currencies but the backdrops may be shifting … Read more

Above the 40 (March 31, 2017) – Synched Junctures In Financial Markets As A Bullish Divergence Tries to Shine

AT40 = 49.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 63.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 12.4 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish (see caveats below) Commentary On Thursday, March 30 (2017), the S&P 500 (SPY) closed above its downtrending 20-day moving average … Read more