March 13 2010
Last weeks price action unfolded just as we expected. Money poured into stocks with the focus being on small cap, banks and technology stocks. The fact that these sectors are showing strength while utilities, health care and consumer staples lag is a good sign that investors are once again taking risks in the market.
Because investors and traders are bullish on the stock market again the money flow into the safe havens like precious metals and energy has decreased. I believe this is the reason stocks moved up last week while precious metals drifted lower.
Below are weekly charts (Natural Gas, Crude Oil and the Dollar) showing what I think is most likely to happen in the next few weeks and what should fuel the fire.
Natural Gas – Weekly Chart
Natural has been out of favor for the past 3 months with most of the selling happening recently as seen on the chart. In my opinion natural gas is over sold and about ready for a bounce.
The price of NG is now trading at a key support level but until the selling momentum stops and reverses back up I would steer clear of this commodity play. Natural gas is known for taking peoples money time and time again so trade this commodity very carefully.
Crude Oil – Weekly Chart
Crude oil has been trading in a channel for several months and is now testing the upper level. If we see the US Dollar drop in the coming weeks then I expect oil to surge higher along with natural gas. If oil breaks out then I expect to see the $90 level reached within a month.
US Dollar Index – Daily Chart
The US Dollar has put in a very nice bounce/rally since the low in November 2009. Last month the dollar finally reached a key resistance level of 81. I have been talking about this major resistance level since January as the Dollar would find it difficult to break above this level.
There is a strong chance we could see 78 reached which is the measured move down. If we get follow through selling next week then I would expect 78 to be reached within 1-2 weeks and over the next few months we could very well test the 2008 low of 72.50.
Natural Gas – It’s the Season
Natural gas’ seasonal price action shows that the price tends to strengthen between February and April. So with NG at support and we are in March you can guess what I’m thinking… higher prices are where the odds are pointing.
Crude Oil – It’s the Season
It’s the same story as natural gas above….
Higher prices seem to be where the best odds are.
Energy Trading Conclusion:
As a technical analyst the above charts are pointing to higher prices in the coming weeks for natural gas and crude oil, which is exciting for us all. BUT when things are this perfect looking we must be very cautious as the market has way to suck traders into these “perfect setups” and spit us out a couple days later for a nasty loss.
Understanding how the market moves is crucial for avoiding and/or minimizing losses when trades go against us. That is why I continue to wait for my signature low risk setup before putting any money to work.
My focus is to take the least amount of trades possible each year, only focusing on the best of the best setups. My low risk setups require risk downside risk to be under 3% for the investment of choice. and the broad market needs to be showing signs of strength as well. I use several different types of analysis to confirm if a setup has a high probability of winning and those which do are the trades I take along with my subscribers.
It is very important to wait for the market to confirm a move higher before taking a position when there is this type of setup. The market could go either way quickly and jumping the gun is not a safe bet.
If you would like to receive my Free energy Trading Reports fill out the form below:
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March 3th
It’s been a great year for trading!
So far February, last week and this week have being absolutely amazing for both swing traders and intraday traders.
On February 5th we had extreme panic selling with nearly 35 sell orders for every 1 buy order on the NYSE. That extreme panic and dumping of shares was the day we jumped into the market and we nailed the bottom.
As my trading buddy David Banister from ActiveTradingPartners would say “Buy When They Cry!” and that is exactly what subscribers did. Since then our gold, silver and the index funds have been moving up nicely.
I would like to note that there were several more technical reasons why we jumped into the market that day but I won’t get into the nitty-gritty cause this mid-week update would be a trading book…
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Explanation of What happened Last Week & This Week
Ok this may get a little confusing but try to stick with me here…
If you recall last Wednesday’s mid-week report which was called “Gold, Silver & Stock Indices on the Verge of Rolling Over”, I talked about how I was bearish on the overall market. This report has a bunch of detailed charts explaining what was most likely to happen next and some trading.
Well, the market played out just as we had expected. The market dropped 1.35% in over night trading and the following trading session providing intraday traders using ETF’s, Futures or CFD’s a net profit between 1.35% to over 100% return within 17 hours of entering a trade depending on which trading vehicle you used. Check out how this trade was executed by reading my report titled “How To Use Multiple Time Frames For Setups” which I send out the next day. Understanding how to trade using different time frames is a must for all traders and this report shows you how.
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Now here is the part that has thrown a lot of traders off
Just to recap, I posted an extremely bearish report saying the sky is falling on Wednesday. Thursday morning the market moved down as expected, and then late Thursday afternoon I sent out a trade alerts to buy a bunch of precious metal and stock etfs.
I understand why emails flooded my inbox that afternoon…. Everyone wanted to know how I can say the market is falling then turn around and buy the very next day.
It’s actually a really simple answer. “I don’t fall in love with my positions” and “I re-evaluate the market after each new candlestick on the chart”.
Trading is not an easy task, that we all know. The market tests and bends my brain to the limit on a regular basis and if one cannot control their emotions and stick with a set of trading rules, then you will eventually lose all your money.
I have placed thousands of trades in my lifetime and pulling the trigger to get in and out of a position does not phase me anymore. But the problem is most people don’t want to exit a losing trade because then they are proven wrong and most people hate being wrong. If that’s what you are feeling, then you need fix it or get out of trading.
My general rule is “when in doubt, get out”. I would rather watch a trade move without me knowing I had it right, than be stuck in a losing trade, saying to myself, “Why the hell did I get into this trade?”
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Re-Evaluating the Market or Your Investment
After each new candle is formed on a chart it is crucial to re-evaluate the charts. In other words if your main focus is to trade the daily chart then you better re-evaluate the strength of the chart each day and also check the 1 hour intraday chart for possible bullish or bearish patterns.
On the other hand, if you are an intraday trader focusing on trading the 1 hour chart, then you better be evaluating things every hour, and also check the 5 or 10 minute charts for patterns to keep an eye on price and volume action.
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Below are daily charts of some ETF’s I trade showing how we have been trading the market. You can see February 25th the market reversed to the upside and that is when we went long again as prices formed an outside reversal candle and these funds have been moving higher ever since.
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Mid-Week Trading Conclusion:
In short, it’s been a great start to the year with the market performing within its regular trading patterns between fear and greed.
I believe 2010 is going to be very tough for individuals who do not fully understand the market and how to manage risk. I figure the market is about to top in the next week or so then start to head lower. 2010 will most likely trade in a large sideways range for 8-10 months and maybe even longer. Being able to spot market reversals and trade them actively is were the money is this year. No grand slams, just a bunch of single base hits.
I would like to see the market rally and makes new highs but I am ready for what ever the market dishes out in the coming months.
I hope this report helped you to understand that trading is an active sport and being able to change directions one day to another is just part of the game.
If you are interested in my Trading Alert Service for ETFs check out TheGoldAndOilGuy at www.TheTechnicalTraders.com
On another note, if you would like to trade all the setups I do in real-time I will be launching a service where I provide all my personal trades and analysis for your to follow along in real-time. Members will receive all my intraday and swing trade alerts for indexes and commodities Futures allowing you to trade which ever vehicle you want whether it’s an ETF, Leveraged ETF, Futures Contract or CFD. This way your timing is accurate and you can trade which ever investment you are comfortable trading with.
There will be a 24/7 chatroom allowing us to trade around the clock when setups arise. Also, members can swap ideas, ask me questions, make new trading buddies etc… There is even a squawk box feature! I can talk live with audio to everyone in the chatroom to the site can hear me for important news or trades alerts.
All trade alerts are instantly posted in the members area, chat-room and sent via email making it one of the most powerful trading services I have seen available online.
If you are interested please fill out the form to be notified for this service which will start the last week of March or the first week of April. It will have limited availability to keep it personal:
Chris Vermeulen
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This week has been playing out as we expected. Last week we saw the market rally on light volume into a resistance zone on the daily chart. Light volume rallies are always a warning sign, much like the “Calm before a Storm”.
The way I look at bearish price action:
The First Heavy Selling Volume Day – I see this as large institution selling massive amounts of investments (stocks & commodities) because prices have risen enough for them to book profits OR they know something we don’t and they are getting out before the majority of traders find out.
Light Volume Rally/Drift Higher – After a heavy volume sell off we tend to see prices drift higher on light volume. This is when the institutions stop dumping investments and allow the retail investors (Un-educated Traders) to buy the market back up.
Bear Market Trend – In a down trend we see these two phases enter and exit the market. These patterns happen on every time frame from tick charts to yearly charts. Trends vary in length from 1-2 cycles and sometimes 10-20 cycles and more…
Current Market Conditions
So far this week we have seen the market sell down on increasing volume which is bearish and is pointing to lower prices. On Wednesday we saw prices move up on light volume with volatility rising into the close with a short wave of selling. This was indicating to me that sellers were starting to enter the market again.
The daily chart below clearly shows the heavy selling and drift higher on declining volume. The market is now trading deep into a resistance zone and looking ready to drop.
SP500 Intraday 2 Hour Candle Charts
You can see the same selling patterns repeat themselves. Since the Feb 5th bottom we have been forming a much larger bear flag which makes me think a BIG drop is only days away.
SP500 Trend Trading Conclusion:
Both stocks and precious metals are trading with the same chart patterns and volume levels. So if you are wondering about gold, silver and oil, I am seeing a similar scenario playing out for them also.
The reason I keep bringing these bearish patterns up in my reports is because once you master trading in a down market then you can make money during some of the fasted moving times in the market. I have always preferred shorting the market because prices drop much quicker then they rise. So profits are made quickly.
Also, if the broad market does eventually roll over later this year, and I am not saying it is, but “IF” it does, then you will feel somewhat comfortable with the positions we will be taking.
If you would like to receive these Free Bi-Weekly Trading Reports please visit my service for TheGoldAndOilGuy at: www.TheTechnicalTraders.com
Chris Vermeulen
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Last week ended on a positive note with stocks and commodities pushing higher into Friday’s close. The market overall is looking very unstable here and this week I figure there will be some big price movement.
Below are the charts on the DIA, GLD, SLV, UNG and USO funds so you can get a feel for the trend and additionally what I am looking for this week with respect to prices.
DIA – Daily & 60 Minute Chart
The Dow, along with the other indexes, has formed a bear flag and can be seen on the daily and 60 minute intraday charts below. This price pattern is a negative one and points to lower prices in the coming week.
If we get one more thrust down I figure it will spook the rest of the weak hands which in turn is a setup for a very nice multi week rally. If this flag turns into a rally then we will simply wait for a pullback and buy when there is a low risk setup.
GLD – Daily Chart
Gold has been doing much the same as the over stock indexes and I feel the same will happen here. We could see price rise for another day or two as it tests our blue resistance level before heading lower.
SLV – Daily Silver Chart
Silver has formed an interesting pattern the past few months and has now broken down. Silver’s chart continues to look weak as it drifts up to test resistance with a bear flag pattern that points to lower prices in the coming days, much the same as gold.
UNG – Daily Natural Gas Chart
Sorry for all the lines on this chart. It looks like a mess, I know, but it does show a possible trend change in UNG.
The trend has been down for over a year but now it looks as though it’s forming a reverse head & shoulders pattern and possible bull flag. These two patterns point to much higher prices in the coming months.
Natural Gas seasonally rallies in mid February into mid April. So this could be something we could catch for a multi month play. I may provide a stock to trade this rally in gas in addition to the ETF fund in the coming days or weeks, when ever this play unfolds.
USO – Daily Crude Oil Chart
Oil has been selling down very strong for the past 6 weeks but it is now trading at a key pivot point. Oil looks as though it’s trying to bottom here and in the next 1-2 weeks I think the energy sector will provide some great trades.
Weekend Trading Conclusion:
Overall, the market and metals bottomed last week or they have another leg down which I expect would happen this week if that’s the case. The charts are pointing to lower prices still. If the market does rally then we will simply watch the breaking and buy the pullback in 1-2 weeks once there is a low risk setup.
I hope everyone had a great weekend and valentines day. My daughter Mirabelle was born this weekend on Feb 14th (Valentines Day). Everyone is healthy and happy!
You can get my weekly trading report sent via email to your inbox if you visit my website: www.TheGoldAndOilGuy.com
Over the past month the gold and silver markets have taken a good drubbing. Silver has dropped from 19.50 to 15.00 and gold from 1227 to 1044 as the US Dollar has finally rallied after a long drawn out correction.
Since the advent of ETF’s market players have been able to invest in gold and silver for the first time without using Futures and investors have made the gold and silver ETF’s a very popular way of investing in the precious metals. The advantages of ETF’s are many versus buying a futures contract. Investors can hold them for the long haul, there is no contract switching every few months, investors can buy as much or as little as they want and there is no need to worry about a leveraged position. But are there any disadvantages to ETF’s versus a futures contract?
The chart below is the silver ETF with the symbol (SLV). Because the precious metals are a global commodity and one that has been in the spotlight lately, like most commodities they trade on a world wide scale 22-24 hours per day. Since ETF’s only trade during stock market hours there can be drastic changes to price when local markets open up the following day.
The arrows I’ve drawn show how the price of silver has been vulnerable to severe price drops on the open of trade in these stocks. The recent severe correction in silver is an excellent example of how prices can open much lower than the previous day’s close. Technicians call them price gaps when they appear on a chart pattern. Investors who are using the ETF’s to be long the metals call them EQUITY gaps because of the drop in price that occur affect their bottom line.
When investors awake to learn that gold or silver is down heavy overseas, the natural tendency for short term traders is to bail out on the open for fear of losing more money than they already have. Since these ETF’s have been closed for trading about 16 hours previously, big price changes can and do happen.
Now let’s look at a futures chart of silver. The chart below is a 1000 ounce silver futures contract.
Notice how there is only one price gap on the entire chart since the top price in January. That is because this contract trades 22 hours per day and price gaps only reflect the changes that occur from about 5 PM to 7:20 PM EST time. The remainder of the time the market is open somewhere in the world and the globex market is linked to all of them. Therefore an investor can avoid nasty drops in price over night by choosing to trade a futures contract.
Futures contracts are not for everyone as the mini contract has 1000 ounces as a minimum and most be rolled over every three months or so to a new contract. Most of the time there is a few cents difference in price as well and this is called a premium. For someone who is buying 1000 shares of the silver ETF and is an in and out short term trader might want to consider trading futures. The commissions can be much cheaper if you have the right broker charging under $3.00 commissions to trade a 1000 ounce contract which only requires a minimum margin of $1600 to trade $16,000 dollars worth of silver and the cost to fund an account is as low as $5000 dollars to open.
Probably the best advantage is that trading on these contracts begins on Sunday evening (in USA), a full 14 hours before the ETF’s open up for New York trading. On weeks such as we’ve seen this can be a marked advantage, especially when a severe correction begins to develop as the markets reopen from a weekend or Holiday.
Another advantage is the ease of which one can short these contracts. Unlike ETF’s one can short a contract just as fast and as easy as going long. It only requires a click of the button.
What about disadvantages?
Trading in futures is a leveraged game and while the gains can be magnified, so can the losses. However, if you’re already trading 1000 shares of SLV there is no difference. If you’ve never traded futures before it can be at times more emotional. Probably the biggest advantage is the ability to trade with ease and this can cause the user to overtrade and therefore accumulate more losses if you don’t have a game plan.
What about liquidity?
I’ve traded these contracts and have never ever had a problem getting in and getting out. However once in a while these contracts can fluctuate a bit more in after hours when trading is thin. I’ve seen 10-20 cent price rises after the market closes only to pullback to its original price before the markets close for those few hours a day in which there is no trading.
If you’ve been frustrated with your silver ETF when it opens down 50 cents in the morning you might want to look into trading a futures contract instead. But be sure to read up on futures and possibly try a demo trading package so as to get used to the ebb and flow and psychology of trading futures versus ETF’s. They are not for everyone, but for those who are disciplined and experienced traders; futures can offer advantages that the ETF counterparts don’t.
While we are on the subject, let’s take a look at the silver chart from a technical standpoint.
The chart below shows that silver has suffered some technical damage on the charts that should have technicians concerned.
Over the past 14 months silver has been in an uptrend defined by a parallel channel that has recently been broken on the downside and it has done so on heavy volume. As you can see by the chart, silver’s Friday lows were comparable to prices from April 2009, almost a full year ago. The correction from December has wiped out almost a year’s worth of gain in two short months. The break of the lower channel line confirms this downside momentum and has considerably weakened the technical picture.
We can see how the 16 dollar area was a key support level and when it got taken out a lot of stop loss orders were probably lying underneath that target area. Investors who had bought last spring saw all of their gains taken away in a few short months and the panic selling that ensued can be witnessed by looking at the volume spike.
Investors should not be totally surprised. The January/February period for the precious metals tend to form tops in price from which late winter corrections are born and from which spring or summer bottoms are formed. This pattern has been more often than not the modus operandi during the bull market run of the past 9 years.
We can see by the seasonal chart below that this time period is usually met with a sell-off that lasts unto month end. Readers of my past articles have been shown the following chart before in other updates.
As we have stated in the past, the month of February is not usually a good time to be in precious metals and this month’s action confirms that very well.
What about Gold ?
The chart above shows that gold recently took out a very important support area. For a few months the 1075 area in gold and the 105 area in the gold ETF (GLD) has been a key point technicians have been focused on. Last week’s rout finally took that area out. We can see that last week’s lows were below that line and that gold is trying to now climb back above it and maintain price in order to regain its support area. The important thing about a channel or support line is not whether it is penetrated by price but what price does immediately afterward. For the moment gold is trying to make its mind up as to whether it will forge forward here or breakdown to the next support area on the chart.
The next major channel line on our chart is all the way down at the 95 area on the chart. However, if we look at the September high and the October low during this rally we can make a case for support at the 100 area. For gold this would equate to the 975-980 area in spot gold. So at this current moment we remain neutral in the precious metals waiting for gold to make its decision on the next leg it is to embark on. Let’s look at the short term pattern by zooming in on the 60 minute chart of the April Gold Futures contract.
Ever since the December peak at 1227 the gold market has been in a correction that has shaved off about 180 dollars from peak to bottom. We can see that each attempted rally above the moving averages has ended up in failure. Last week, spot gold touched the 1143 area, just 10 dollars shy of the original breakout point of 1033. This return move to the point of breakout is not a rare occurrence in the commodity world and there are myriad examples of such a move before the “big” one came after the breakout. The 1044 area is also the place where India made their large purchase of gold last fall and from which the news launched the market much higher when it was announced they had purchased 200 tons of the precious metal.
Thus there are two key areas for gold to watch for. First a move back above the support shelf of 1075-1090 in gold would at least put gold back in a neutral pattern instead of a downtrend. Then if gold can above the 1100-1110 area it would provide impetus for a potential test of the highs at 1125 and 1163.
In summary, the February time frame is usually a weak time for gold and usually leads to a spring rally. The early peak in December opens up the potential for gold to attempt a March or April rally. In the meantime, one would be wise to watch the current areas of support.
1075-1090 – previous support area we need to get back above.
1010-1033 – The 200 day moving average and the original breakout point.
975-980 – The first support area of the last up leg in price that began in September.
Finally let’s look at the crude oil market.
In my past few updates I have advocated that a great play is to sell some precious metal holdings in early winter and raise some cash into the spring. Not only is this good due to the seasonal tendencies of gold to correct but it allows one to begin to deploy some of that cash into the crude oil market in late February. As you can see the oil market is usually much more seasonal in trend and that time of the year is approaching.
As you can see below, the crude oil chart shows price from March2007, 2008 and 2009. All three times oil turned out to be a great buy. The current pullback from the 83 area got as low as 71 before reversing this week and price is right at the 200 and 50 day averages. Thus the 200 day average is one place we should be on watch for as support. We are close enough now that we should be on guard for a seasonal low. Should there be a selloff as in the precious metals; the 58-60 area would offer a good chance at a seasonal bottom. If the rally has already begun the 200 day average or more importantly about 5 dollars below it would be a good support area.
We are constantly watching for low risk set-ups to get our subscribers into plays like this. Feel free to check this website for my past reports. They have advocated the same strategy as I have in this article. Why not drop by our website and see what we might have for low risk entry opportunities as we await the potential seasonal trend changes and position ourselves to take advantage of them.
Deciphering the SP500 Trend
The SP 500 and the markets topped one day after my Jan 18th forecast to our subscribers that the market had met all conditions for an interim top. This followed my Feb 25th, 2009 forecast for a huge bull market rally which we rode with aggressive stock trading. I am now forecasting an ABC correction likely lasting 3-5 months into June. We have adjusted our trading plans from individual stocks to Leveraged ETF’s to take advantage of the increase in volatility. Our ETF trading is designed to work in high volatility bull or bear cycles and has a 90% historical accuracy rate with profits typically within 24-48 hours of entry. The market moves in very clear herding behavioral patterns, and we identify those early and trade accordingly at David Banister. Here are his latest views, and you can read more at www.activetradingpartners.com/articles
If you would like to receive our Free Weekly Trading Charts and Analysis please visit our website at:
Understanding market psychology is crucial for a trader’s success. But so many people get caught up in the daily market volatility, media coverage and “noise” of the trading environment, it’s almost impossible to not think and trade in agreement with the majority of traders.
However, effective technical analysis allows us to use trends, patterns and other indicators to evaluate the market’s current psychological state. Fortunately, this analysis can both enable us to independently forecast whether the market is heading in an upward or downward trend and do so against the grain of the majority.
It takes a disciplined trader to be able to watch and listen to the market doing one thing, filter out the noise, then do the opposite – all in a controlled manor. To this day I still find myself fighting the herd mentality at times and that is when I step away from the computer and regroup.
I have a simple rule that has saved me thousands over the years. I would rather miss a trade and learn what caused me to get confused, then to take a loss.
Rule # 1 – When in Doubt, Stay Out!
There are two types of traders:
1. Herd Mentality Trader – Someone who trades off fear and greed buying near tops and panic selling out at the bottom with the masses.
2. Black Sheep Trader – A trader who stand out from the masses and trades opposite to the “herd” during extreme levels.
Last weeks market action really allowed us to see which way the masses were moving. The extremely high selling volume and sharp price decline notified us that the market was trading off FEAR. And, last Thursday we actually saw PANIC which tells us the balance of the market (retail investors, John Doe’s, The “Herd”) were exiting their positions.
When we see this happen, it’s generally a good time to start scaling into long positions, as most of the down side has already happened.
I have been talking about an ABC retrace pattern for the indexes and gold for some time and last week we got just that. An ABC retrace is when we have 3 waves which are, down, small up, then another leg down.
In short this wave breaks the uptrend of higher highs and lows, as it forms a lower low telling novice traders to sell and go short. This is what causes the high volume and sharp sell offs.
Below are a few charts showing the 2009 July lows and where we are now, February 2010:
Market Psychology Trading Conclusion:
Most get involved with the stock market because it looks like something they can quickly learn and start making money from home. But it doesn’t take long before they quickly realize there is more to trading than meets the eye.
While trading looks easy from a glance, in actuality I think its one of the toughest jobs out there.
Why? Well, this is what you are up against:
1. You are trying to predict something that is unpredictable
2. You are trading against millions of other highly skilled traders
3. You are trading against automated computers with complex algorithms
4. You are trading with your hard earned money which causes fear and greed
5. You must accept losing trades as that is part of the business
6. You must trade with a proven trading strategy and follow the system
7. You must understand money management and apply it to every trade
8. You must truly love the market cause it will break you down mentally
I don’t want to say you must be a contrarian, but in reality you must do the opposite of the masses during times of extreme price behavior.
These extremes happen on a daily basis when trading intraday charts and every 4-6 weeks when looking at daily charts. The toughest part is to pull the trigger when emotions are flying high in the market and you are looking to do the opposite. It takes several trades before you even start to get comfortable doing this.
I hope this helps shed some light on market psychology.
If you would like to Receive My Gold Trading Newsletter and Analysis please visit my website:
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Last week was an incredible week for trading the intraday charts. With rising volume and volatility prices began to move up or down for extended periods of time allowing traders to profit from these powerful short term price swings.
During times like these traders using the daily charts for their guide found the market very difficult to time because of the whipsaw action each day. In this case, it is definitely best to stay clear of the market until the dust settles. But for a trader who watches the intraday charts, this is when serious money is made on a daily and consistent basis.
Most traders avoid using intraday charts because they either:
1. Think it’s day trading and do not want to sit in front of the computer all day
2. Do not understand how to trade in these “intraday” time frames.
Intraday trading is one of the most over looked yet most profitable trading strategies, in my opinion. One of the reasons I like/love it so much is the fact that it provides high probability setups on a weekly basis and trades generally last 2 -36 hours. Also, this strategy carries very low risk simply because you are in cash most of the time, putting your money to work only when high probability setups form.
If you are an active trader you should have been making money hand over fist last week. Below are close up shots of my charts:
My eSignal Trading Platform
This is my main trading screen which allows me to see the entire market. This, to me, is like a dashboard of an airplane. Each mini intraday chart is like a gauge hinting to what the plane in doing (horizon indicator, fuel, air speed etc.) My custom dashboards quickly allow me know if the market is heading up or down, what speed it is moving measured by volume and momentum, and if all pistons are firing which sector is really moving.
My Custom Dashboard
Quotes for every index and sector
Top Row: 60 minute charts with volume of: DIA, SPY, QQQQ and NYSE
Second Row: 60 min chart of NYSE TRIN, NYSE Adv/Dec, 60min Gold, 60min Oil
Bottom Row: 120 minute chart of the US Dollar, Interactive Brokers Trade Window
In short, I can see waves of money flowing in and out of each sector. These views give me a strong sense as to the strength of momentum. From these observations I determine whether the setup is favorable for shorting into light volume rallies, shorting into resistance levels or buying oversold sell offs in up trends.
Also, the chart patterns on the 60, 240 and 480 minutes charts are so powerful and accurate that you only need 2-3 trades a week in order to make decent money.
I would like to note that I do have 4 larger charts with different time frames allowing me to really get a feel for a trade before I commit money. These charts are Weekly, Daily, 240 minute and the 60 minute chart.
SP500 Day Trading Futures Signal – 30 Minute Chart
The SP500 ES mini contract, or you could have traded the SPY exchange traded fund, provided an excellent intraday short trade last Wednesday.
All the indexes (NYSE, NASDAQ, SP500, DOW) drifted higher on light volume. While you can play the long side of these low volume rallies I prefer to stay in cash and wait for another short setup. Trading with the short term trend (240, 480minute charts) is crucial. Counter trend plays tend to be weak and short lived.
In short, the SP500 drifted into a resistance level on light volume and the NYSE TRIN indicator was rising in a very strong way. The combined information of price, volume and the TRIN indicator were screaming – short the market.
When the TRIN is above 1.00 it means the majority of the trades being executed on high volume NYSE stocks are sell orders. You don’t see the TRIN rise this high without the market selling off as it did on Feb 3rd. But when it does, Bombs Away – time to go short!
The next day the index crashed with panic selling across the board. The NYSE had over 30 sell orders for every 1 buy order. Now that is panic selling and, coincidentally, exactly as has happened at each bottom formed throughout 2009.
Intraday Trading SP500 – 60 Minute Chart
This chart clearly shows the high probability setup which took a few days to form. A short position was taken during the small bear flag pattern. My short position was covered on the break of a new high formed on heavy buying volume.
Intraday Trading Gold Futures – 120 Minute Chart
Gold had virtually the same setup as the SP500.
Intraday Trading Gold & SP500 Futures or ETF’s Conclusion:
As you can see intraday trading is nothing like what most people think it is. Trading using the 60, 240 and 480 minute charts really opens one’s eyes, allowing a panoramic view of the price action the market has to offer.
As most of you know, my goal is to trade low-risk, high-probability setups. And, the less time my money has to be in the market, the better.
If you are interested in getting more Intraday Analysis and Setups for ETF’s, futures and CFD’s be sure to join my free newsletter for Trading Futures and ETF’s:
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Stocks and metals have been on a steady rise this week. The US Dollar drifting lower has helped to add fuel to the oversold bounce in equities and metals we are seeing.
Stocks – NYSE 65 Minute Chart
Stocks have started to show signs of a possible reversal to the upside. So far this week we have seen the major indices form a higher high and as of today are stuck under the key resistance level shown on the chart below. The rally seen this week has been on light volume indicating there is not much strength behind it at this time.
If buying volume picks up and we see the NYSE break this resistance level then money should start to pour back into the market as the first set up of higher highs and lows will have formed and that is the definition of an up trend.
Gold – 24 Hour Trading Chart Using 8 Hour Bars
This chart allows us to look far enough back to see key support and resistance levels. Today we saw gold sell down with rising volume which is bearish.
Oil – 10 Hour Candle Chart
The Oil fund is currently in the same situation as gold. It had a nice rally/bounce which was expected from the rather large sell off over the past couple weeks.
US Dollar Index – 2 Hour Chart
This chart shows the dollar rally that triggered the recent sell off in gold & silver from Jan 25th to Jan 31st. So far in February, the dollar has drifted lower into a support level and bounced sharply on Wednesday. This is very bullish price action and points to higher dollar prices in the near future.
Stock & Commodity Trading Conclusion:
In short, stocks and metals rallied on light volume which is a sign of weakness. They are both stuck under a key resistance level and selling volume has started to pickup. To add more logs to the fire, the US Dollar appears to be picking up speed for another surge higher in the next couple days.
All of this leads me to believe this weeks rally is just a dead cat bounce and lower prices are just around the corner. But, because the 60 minute intraday charts have made a higher high, the down trend is now in question. When in doubt, just stay out. During possible tops or bottoms I find it best to stay clear of the market, even for day traders unless there are very strong price and volume surges occurring.
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Jan 31, 2010
The past two months have been tough on the precious metals sector. We saw precious metals lead the market higher all of last year until December 2009 when prices plummeted as the US Dollar started to bounce. The continued rise in stocks indicated an extreme overbought condition and alerted us that a sharp pullback was going to take place.
Many traders including myself were surprised that the broad market did not sell down with the metals. In December the market looked and felt ready for a sharp pullback but new money continued to flow into stocks, pushing the market higher. This slow and steady grind higher was very frustrating to watch because the market was making new highs day after day while obviously needing to take a breather at any time.
It’s this grind higher that sucks in the last retail buyers before prices collapse, unfortunately leaving many holding overpriced securities and commodities for sale another day.
Since gold lead the market up last year it should be the first to correct and also pullback quicker and deeper than its followers (stock market). This is what we are seeing now which I explain below using charts.
HUI – Gold Stock Index – Monthly Gold Trading Chart
I use this exact month chart for helping to time long term trends for gold and gold stocks. It looks as though we have temporarily formed a double top with this current breakdown. It will most likely take several months to repair the damage done to this chart and possibly more than a year.
There are two options for this chart: 1 – It will form a bullish flag or pennant then continue its move higher.
2 – Or will continue to slide, indicating sellers are in control and that we are looking at a multi year trading range as the market digests the 10 year rally in gold.
The HUI:GOLD Ratio – Weekly Gold Trading Chart
This chart goes up if gold stocks are out performing the price of gold and down if they are underperforming. From 2001 – 2006 the chart looked very bullish but as time went on the ratio really started to look weaker and weaker.
The 2008 meltdown crushed precious metal stocks and the recent rally back up to resistance looks very bearish. It looks like a large bear market rally (test of breakdown level). This also goes for the monthly chart above. I cannot say either chart is looking bullish anymore. Things really depend on how strong the next bounce/rally is so we can gauge the strength behind the move (dead cat bounce, or legitimate rally).
Gold GLD ETF – Daily GLD Trading Chart
The next three charts really pull things together in my opinion in terms of how much selling is left in the market on the daily chart time frame.
Here I have drawn on a daily chart showing what I figure will unfold over time. This is the same pattern that I have been talking about since early December. I love trading ABC retrace patterns because of their accuracy and follow through on trend reversals.
In short, if we see gold break this support level then traders are going to panic out of the market sending the GLD fund towards the $101-$103 level. This panic selling is exactly what is needed if we want to see gold continue a sustainable and strong bull market rally higher.
Silver SLV ETF – Silver Trading Chart
Silver has been a little more difficult to trade as the chart clearly shows the choppy price action. I feel that if silver breaks this level of support we should expect to see $14-$14.50 quickly.
US Dollar Trading – Daily Dollar Trading Chart
This chart pulls the above GLD and SLV charts together. Both gold and silver have more room to fall before reaching a major support level. Knowing that and looking at this chart of the Dollar you can see the Dollar has approximately the same amount of room to rally.
So in a perfect trading scenario, the dollar will continue to climb for a few more days to reach resistance and in return that will push gold and silver down for a few more days.
Precious Metals Trading Conclusion:
I think this week will be a pivotal one. I can see the dollar moving higher sending precious metals and stocks down enough to shake traders out of their long positions in gold, silver and stocks. Once the sentiment turns bearish we will begin looking for an oversold speculative trade and possibly a low risk trend trade setup.
As for the energy sector, both crude oil and natural gas look weak and I continue to patiently await a low risk setup for each.
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The stock indexes have been trading very choppy making it difficult for swing/trend traders. It’s during times like this when seasoned traders rise above the herd of average traders.
If you only trade one strategy like swing trading or trend trading then you are likely finding it difficult to make money right now. On the other hand, day traders are having a blast right now as they take advantage of the powerful intraday rallies and sell offs.
I personally like swing trading but during times like this, when I know it will not work, I have to switch my strategy to day trading and focus on the 60 minute and 5 minute charts.
SP500 Index Fund – Intraday Setup
I posted this chart earlier this week and I want to be sure everyone takes something away from this chart as I believe it shows a perfect low risk setup for shorting the market, or you could buy a reverse fund which goes up as the market moves down.
At first glance this chart is noisy, but if you simply focus on the all the different color analysis separately you will notice how simple trading can be and what you should be looking for.
Red Analysis:
1. Overall market trend is down so we are looking for a short trade, signs of weakness.
2. First we see a light volume test of the previous high set earlier in the day. The low volume indicates there are not many participants in the move up and that is a weak sign.
3. Between 14:30- 15:30 we notice the price start to drift higher on very light volume. Also, the price moved up into a resistance level. This to me is a perfect setup.
4. You would sell short or buy a reverse index fund at this point hoping for the market to start selling. You could also wait until it started to drop before taking a position but when a chart looks this good I try to get in at the highest price possible.
Blue Analysis:
1. The price starts to drop forming several small bear flags going into 14:30 before bouncing. Also note the volume began to rise as more selling was happening. This tells us that trading activity is predominately selling and that we should also focus on shorting when the time is right.
2. Again, the price starts to drop forming several small bear flags going from 15:00 – 15:45 before bouncing. Also note the volume began to rise as more sellers took part in this short term trend.
Black Analysis:
1. This shows more or less the resistance level, area to short the index and the nice trend down.
Gold GLD ETF Trading
Gold has been under selling pressure since early December. That powerful drop and the chart pattern it has formed will generally resolves itself after an ABC retrace pattern. I have drawn this on the chart which is what I think will happen in the near term. This daily chart of GLD ETF has a small 4 day bear flag and bearish reversal candle which is pointing to lower prices in the near term.
Silver SLV ETF Trading
Silver has a funky looking chart. It has formed a large megaphone pattern and possible head & shoulders pattern. Both are bearish and if we use the Head & Shoulders to calculate where silver could end up trading if it continues to break down, then $14.00 would be a level to look for a bounce.
Natural Gas UNG Fund
The natural gas fund UNG has been in a down trend for over a year and the recent drop looks to be the start of another sell off. This could possibly form a reverse head & shoulders pattern with this drop moving UNG down to the $8.75 – $9.00 area. We will have to wait and watch things unfold for now.
Crude Oil USO Fund
USO looks to be trading at support. I am inclined to patiently wait another session before possibly taking a position.
Mid-Week Trading Conclusion:
In short, I feel the overall market could bounce including stocks and possibly commodities, but the selling is not over yet in my opinion. The drop we have seen in the past week is the half way mark. So this bounce would be the starting of an ABC retrace for stock indexes. During choppy times I like to be sitting in cash and or day trading for short term profits.
Precious metals do look oversold and ready for a small bounce or sideways move; I do think they will head lower. Too many traders are still holding on to their gold positions and until a large number of them get scared out of their positions, we will not see gold rocket higher.
Natural gas looks like it’s about to head much lower this week while oil looks ready for a solid bounce off support.
We continue to wait for new low risk setups as different investment scenarios unfold.