ONE-TWENTY TWO: Trading Financial Markets
Exploring the poetry in financial markets for students of money and economy since the year 2000.
Bollinger Bands (BBs) are a powerful trading tool. They define an expected range of volatility in a stock based on recent price action. When that volatility contracts, the Bollinger Bands squeeze into a narrow channel. The resolution of that squeeze – to the upside or downside – can create a powerful continuation of or change … Read more
Stock Market Commentary What a week to start the year’s trading. It started with a definitively bearish end to extended overbought conditions. Overbought conditions bullishly resumed in the middle of the week despite an insurrection in Washington D.C. The week ended with a confirmation of the freshly bullish sentiment in the market. The trading action … Read more
Stock Market Commentary One hundred and fifty minutes. The bearish signal that hit the stock market after the last overbought period ended essentially lasted just 150 minutes. Buyers stepped into the market on Monday after lunchtime on the East Coast and essentially barely took a pause until the last 2 hours of trading today (Wednesday, … Read more
Stock Market Commentary The weakening overbought conditions finally gave way to a full breakdown. The abrupt end of the overbought period ushers in the bear. Ironically, trading started well with the S&P 500 (SPY) gapping slightly higher at the open. The selling pressure started after the open and did not relent until lunchtime on the … Read more
Stock Market Commentary The extended overbought period still looks tenuous. For the second trading day in a row, AT40 (T2108), the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs), broke down below the overbought threshold of 70% before closing at 73.0%. The major indices do not reveal these weakening overbought conditions. The … Read more
Stock Market Commentary The refresher for extended overbought conditions quickly transformed back into a close call. Sellers again created weakening overbought conditions for the stock market with the key indicator hitting the threshold. The minor selling in the major indices may mask a broader deterioration in the technical health of the stock market. Unlike the … Read more
Three months ago, I worried that the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) was moving too late to hike interest rates. The Turkish lira (USD/TRY) is now finally working its way lower from those levels as the Turkish lira fever breaks. The path to today’s near 4-month low was fraught with wild volatility, … Read more
Stock Market Commentary The stock market quickly moved away from its close call with overbought conditions to pulling off a refresher for extended overbought conditions. The acquiescence of President Trump in signing a heavily negotiated, highly contentious pandemic relief bill seemed to provide the spark for the buying in the major indices. The Stock Market … Read more
My first “test” trade on Ethereum (ETH/USD) succeeded. I took profits on ETH/USD as it faded from $700 and a 2 1/2 year high. I wanted to hold on, but the clincher triggered with Bitcoin (BTC/USD) fading sharply from its latest all-time high. The fade appeared to signal the beginning of the end of this … Read more
U.S. traders and investors often but into or at least largely ignore news of anti-trust actions against publicly traded companies. Alibaba Group Holdings (BABA) was not as fortunate at least for today. Alibaba stock plunged as much as 17.5% before closing with a 13.3% loss in the wake of news that the State Administration for … Read more