Let’s talk about the dollar for a moment… The US Dollar has been stuck in a very large trading range during the past 4 months. But when the dollar actually breaks out of this pattern in either direction we should see some big price movements across the board in stocks and commodities.

From July through mid-August I was bearish on the dollar. But over the past 2 weeks the price action has become more neutral/bullish in my opinion. Its clear there is still indecision with the dollar value because every surge in price either up or down is quickly followed by a surge in the opposite direction. The key here is that the support level down at the 73.50 area has held more than three times and now I think the downward momentum is about to shift. The UUP bullish dollar etf is a good option.

Dollar Index Chart

Gold Chart:
Looking at the gold chart I see potential for another sharp drop to the low $1600’s. While I like the look of this chart for lower prices there is still a wild card which is the Euro-Land issues… I’m not willing to bet on lower prices because we could wake up any day to some poor news which instantly sends gold higher. Rather I am waiting for things to unfold then look to buy again for another 10-20% gain on the next rally.

Crude Oil Chart:
This chart is straight forward… The trend is down and at this time all bounces are to be looked at as shorting opportunities.


SP500 Index:

The equities market has broken down sharply over the past couple months and now we are seeing a rebound and small cap stocks are making big gains. With the dollar looking bullish and stocks trading up at resistance I have a feeling we may see another downward move within the next week or so to test the lows or make a new low before putting in a real bottom.

Mid-Week Trend Trading Conclusion:
In short, I feel the market overall is leaning towards lower prices in the coming week or two. After that we will have to re-analyze because it may be a fantastic buying opportunity for stocks and commodities.

Consider joining me at TheGoldAndOilGuy for ETF trade ideas on the SP500, Oil, Gold, and Silver with great accuracy. Check it out at http://www.thegoldandoilguy.com/free-preview.php

Chris Vermeulen

JW Jones & Chris Vermeulen – http://www.optionstradingsignals.com/specials/index.php

Now that Mr. Bernanke’s speech is old news, what was the financial media thinking exactly? A significant number of financial writers have been anticipating discussion of QE III or QE III Lite which clearly were never even on the Fed Chief’s radar this week. The focus of the Jackson Hole Summit was how to achieve long-run growth, not conduct discussion of monetary policy.

QE III will not be discussed openly until the next FOMC meeting in September, which noticeably was extended to two days. Besides the extension and the Fed Chairman’s prediction of growth in the back half of the year, the remainder of Mr. Bernanke’s speech was nothing more than a brief synopsis of what he has already said in the recent past.

While Chairman Bernanke focuses on the U.S. economy, I have been more inclined to monitor the action across the pond. Price action in Europe is having a major impact on financial markets here in the United States. Traders are monitoring credit default swap (CDS) spreads on European sovereign debt as well as on domestic and European banks.

Recently U.S. banks have seen the CDS swaps on their debt rising indicating that the marketplace believes their debt is a greater risk to investors. While the price action is nowhere near the 2008 & 2009 levels, current prices are relatively consistent with what was seen during the correction in the late spring of 2010. While there is no reason to panic at this point, this is a trend that I will be monitoring closely going forward.

For now, I continue to believe that equity markets will rally in coming weeks as conditions are extremely oversold. The price action so far today makes sense as the wild price swings helped flush out weak hands that were long. Consequently, the snap back rally pushed shorts into stop levels as well.

A significant move lower does not seem likely at this point, but a retest of the recent lows is possible, if not probable. I would remind readers that stock market crashes generally happen within the context of an oversold market. While the likelihood of a crash is remote, it is still possible and tight risk definition in this environment is warranted regardless of which side of the tape a trader is playing.

One price chart that I have been watching closely is the German DAX. The German DAX is presently a thermometer for traders to monitor the situation in Europe. The reason the German stock market index is so important is due to the financial strength of Germany within the Eurozone. Without Germany, the Eurozone would crumble in on itself and the Euro currency would be in trouble. Recently Germany’s equity markets have been crushed and the daily chart below illustrates the recent carnage:

Another metric I monitor regularly is market momentum. The chart below illustrates the number of domestic stocks trading above their 200 period moving averages. As can be seen below, the U.S. equity market has not been this “oversold” since back in 2009. Chart courtesy of Barchart.com.

In my previous article posted back on August 18th, I discussed the likelihood for stocks to pullback and put in some form of a basing pattern. I wrote the following statement in that article:

“It is entirely plausible that Mr. Market thrusts lower from here to shake out longs. If that scenario plays out it could potentially carve out a double bottom or another basing pattern which would give active traders another entry point to get long.”

Since August 18th, we have seen the S&P 500 push lower and there is a double bottom on the daily chart which is capturing quite a bit of attention in the trading community. I would also draw your attention to the wedge pattern that is also present. A breakout higher or lower out of this wedge pattern will be the clue that will indicate Mr. Market’s short term price direction. I continue to believe we will see a breakout higher, but a retest of the lows is always a possibility. The daily chart of the S&P 500 Index is shown below:

In the short to intermediate term, I believe we will see higher prices and a test of the key S&P 1,220 area or possibly a re-test of the key S&P 1,250 price level which corresponds with the March 2011 pivot lows. Additional resistance would come in around the 1,260 – 1.270 area which marks the neckline of the recent head and shoulders pattern which triggered the selloff in the S&P 500. The daily chart of the SPX below illustrates the key resistance areas:

Gold Analysis
My most recent article argued that gold prices were going parabolic and that a pullback was likely. We have seen a major pullback in gold prices. Admittedly, I was about $200 an ounce early on my call, but members of my service were able to capitalize on an option trade that captured 32% based on maximum risk through the use of a double calendar spread. While my timing was not precise, the juiced volatility in the GLD options allowed me to roll contracts forward and make additional adjustments to produce a strong gain for the service.

Some traders argue that gold prices are going to rally back sharply in short order, which I find hard to believe. Instead, I am of the opinion that we could see additional downside in the weeks/months ahead in gold prices. There is an ominous pattern starting to form on the gold daily chart which if it is carved out and triggered, it could produce the next leg of this selloff. The daily chart of gold is shown below:

While it is far too early to determine if a head and shoulders pattern will be carved out or if lower prices take place, I am of the opinion that this selloff will offer an attractive entry point for longer term investors. At this point it is a bit too early to get involved, but if my analysis is accurate the next leg of the gold bull market will be potentially extreme.

While I believe stocks will rally in the short to intermediate term, I am of the opinion that we have officially entered the next phase of the bear market. The next wave lower in stocks is going to be just as severe as the likely rally in gold.

The reason I believe gold will rally is primarily due to future weakness in Europe. If European banks have a credit crisis, a sovereign nation unexpectedly defaults, Germany leaves the Eurozone, or a currency crisis transpires gold prices should soar while U.S. equity prices tank.

While it is far too early to make that determination, if the S&P 500 puts in a lower high on this next advance higher and consequently takes out the recent lows on a selloff, the bear will be in full swing and gold prices should take off. The chart below illustrates my expectations for the S&P 500 in the future:

The next few weeks are going to be very telling about the future in domestic markets. Is this just a correction that pushes stocks higher by the end of the year, or is this the beginning of something far worse?

For now I am going with the latter, but price action in coming weeks will offer clues about what lies ahead for U.S. equity markets. Right now this is nothing more than speculation, but the next few months should be very interesting. Risk remains exceedingly high.

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JW Jones & Chris Vermeulen

This material should not be considered investment advice. J.W. Jones is not a registered investment advisor. Under no circumstances should any content from this article or the OptionsTradingSignals.com website be used or interpreted as a recommendation to buy or sell any type of security or commodity contract. This material is not a solicitation for a trading approach to financial markets. Any investment decisions must in all cases be made by the reader or by his or her registered investment advisor. This information is for educational purposes only.

The past month investors have been hit hard from the falling stock market. Those who owned gold and bonds have been rewarded. During times of economic fear which leads to selling of stock shares investors and traders find safety in gold and bonds. It was this surge of money coming out of stocks that propelled the price of gold and bonds sharply higher through-out this selloff.

On Sunday I warned subscribers that any day now gold should start to correct and there is potential for it to drop all the way back down to the $1640 – $1670 area depending how much of the recent buying volume was investment versus speculative money which will quickly sell out if prices began to fall.

Take a look at the intraday charts below to get a visual of how money is moving around the market and how economic fear plays a roll on investment decisions:

Seven Day 10 Minute Chart Pre-Market Selloff This Past July
Here you can see investors became fearful of the stock market/economic environment. Money started to get pulled out of the high risk (Risk On Trade) equities market and put to work in the Low risk (Risk Off Trade) to earn small but steady income and to help fight inflation (Gold & Bonds).

After this shift the stock market sold off very strong for a couple weeks before finding a bottom.

Three Day 10 Minute Chart Post-Market Selloff – Todays Prices
If you compare these two charts you will notice they are both opposites to each other…

Meaning money is now getting pulled out of the risk off (gold & bonds) and put to work in the potentially high yielding stocks (risk on).This could be the start of a big upside move starting to unfold and I will be keeping my eye on some charts for possible entry points like SPY and TBT.

Mid-Week Trading Conclusion:
In short, the overall market seems to be entering another pivot point. It is likely that another big move is brewing… After this type of technical damage on the charts and heightened fear/emotions out there, it may cause prices to trade sideways in a large trading rage for a few weeks still so I’m not getting overly excited just yet.

Consider joining us at TheGoldAndOilGuy for ETF trade ideas on the SP500, Oil, Gold, and Silver with great accuracy. Check us out at www.TheGoldAndOilGuy.com

Chris Vermeulen

The past few weeks have been fast moving with fearful investors clearly in control. As we all know fear is the most powerful force in the financial market and when the hedge funds and the masses get spooked they all dart in one direction like a school of fish. Watching the charts and volume levels it’s clear that money was/is flowing out of stocks and into precious metals as the risk off safe play. This was explained in last week’s report on how the GLD etf can be used as a fear/sentiment indicator (read here).

To make a long story short, I feel as though Euro-Land is going through something similar to what we (the USA) went through in late 2008 and first quarter of 2009. Keeping my analysis simple and to the point it’s very likely that Euro-Land will resolve their financial issues and their stock markets will bottom in the next month or so… If their market bottoms, so will the US market, which will be perfect timing as the market is currently oversold, sentiment is now turning bearish and we have had a sizable pullback in line with normal bull market corrections.

My thinking looking forward 2-6 weeks is that stocks rally, financials rocket higher, bond prices fall, gold falls and oil rises as it will be a risk off trading environment again. Of course all this would happen after Euro-Land resolves some of their key financial issues. I’m being very optimistic here but we could be nearing a major low that could kick start another massive 1 year rally.

Stepping away from that longer term outlook let’s take a peek at the shorter term trends for oil, gold and stocks.

Crude Oil 60 Minute Chart (1 month view)
The recent price action for crude oil remains bearish/neutral in my opinion. We saw a drift higher into resistance with declining volume then a sharp pullback on heavy volume. This tells me oil remains in a down trend. It may be forming a base which would act as a launch pad in the coming weeks for higher prices but only time will tell and I will update as price unfolds.

 

Gold 4 Hour Chart (One Month View)
Gold has been performing very well for our entry point but the recent price action is starting to look toppy. Gold and many commodities regularly form this pattern of three wave pushes to new highs just before a sizable correction takes place. I am bullish on gold long term and for a few more weeks, but I do feel as though there will be a multi month correction in the price of gold (Read More) soon so be sure to tighten your protective stops as price moves higher.

 

SPY ETF Weekly Chart (Two Year View)
The stock market has been hit hard and a lot of damage has also been done to the charts on a technical stand point. The amount of damage and fear that has happening generally takes some time to stabilize and heal before another move takes place. Until Euro-Land resolves some of their major issues the US market will be held hostage and under pressure. So I anticipate several weeks of volatility and wild daily price swings similar to what we saw in July of 2010. This type of trading environment can work very well for options traders (Read More).

 

Weekly Trading Conclusion:
In short, the market price action is favoring very short term traders (day traders). We are seeing complete price swings which can normally be swing traded happen in just hours… Until we get another extreme setup or stabilization (less big headline news) in the market we will be more of a spectator than a trader to preserve capital.

Consider subscribing so that you will be consistently informed, have 24/7 Email access to me with questions, and also get Gold, Silver, SP500 and Oil Trend Analysis on a regular basis. Subscribe now http://www.thegoldandoilguy.com/trade-money-emotions.php

Chris Vermeulen

The past few weeks traders and investors have been completely spooked from the surge of negative news and collapsing stock prices. This fear can be seen by looking at the volume on the GLD gold ETF fund. With gold being in the spot light for several years now and the fact that anyone can own gold simply through buying some GLD shares. It only makes sense that reading the volume on this chart gives us a good feel for what the masses are feeling emotionally.

If we step back to trading basics we know that fear is the strongest force in the financial market for moving prices. And that there are a few ways to read fear in the market and the more which line up at the same time means there is a higher probability of trend reversal in the near future.

The first thing I look for is a rising volatility index (VIX). This index rises when investors become fearful of stock prices falling be hedging positions or flat out buying put options to profit from a falling market.

Second, I look for a high selling volume ratio meaning at least 3:1 shares traded are from individuals hitting the sell button in a panic thinking that the market is about to collapse.

And last but not least… I look at the GLD gold etf volume and price action. A surge in GLD volume after a strong move up means everyone is scared and dumping their money into a safe haven.

Let’s take a look at some charts to get a better feel.

GLD Weekly Gold Chart:
As you can see there are sizable price movements which ended with strong volume surges. Those volume surges mean that the majority of investors have reached the same emotional level and bought gold for safety (GLD ETF). Keep in mind that the big money players and market makers can see this taking place and that is when they start selling into that surge of buying volume locking in maximum gains before there are no more buyers left to hold the price up. Tops generally take a few weeks to form so don’t expect a one day collapse.

The recent rally in gold has taken place when stocks have fallen sharply. Money has been pulled out of stocks and pushing into gold but I think that is about to change…

SPY Weekly SPX Chart:
The past month has been a blood bath for stocks. But from looking at the charts, volume and the fear in the market I can’t help but think we are going to see higher stock prices as investors see stocks moving higher, they will pull money out of gold and dump it back into stocks and likely high dividend paying stocks…

Mid-Week Trading Conclusion:
In short, everyone piled into gold sending it rocketing higher and I feel it has moved to far – to fast and is ready for a pullback (pause lasting 2-12 weeks). In association with gold’s pullback I feel investors are now realizing they sold their stocks at the bottom of this correction because fear took hold of their investing decisions. Now they are starting to think about getting long stocks but it still may be a bumpy ride for a few weeks yet…

Consider subscribing so that you will be consistently informed, have 24/7 Email access to me with questions, and also get Gold, Silver, SP500 and Oil Trend Analysis on a regular basis. Subscribe now http://www.thegoldandoilguy.com/trade-money-emotions.php

Chris Vermeulen