Minute by Minute

The Fed will release its June minutes this afternoon, potentially shedding some light on why they paused their rate hikes. But, thanks to plenty of Fedspeak – including Jay Powell’s testimony – we already know that they are as confused and conflicted as everyone else. As always, they are more concerned about markets than anything … continue reading →

The Big Picture: Feb 27, 2023

Last week completed the backtests we’d been expecting, with ES, SPX, COMP, DJIA and NKD all holding important technical support.While the fundamental picture might not justify these prices, the algos are satisfied. And, until price discovery reemerges (if it does), the algos are all that matter. continued for members… … continue reading →

Q3 GDP Beats Estimates

Q3 GDP came in at 2.6%, beating the 2.3% consensus and of course Q2’s -0.6%. While good news for the economy, it does little to advance the narrative that the Fed might be ready to pare future rate hikes. Nevertheless, VIX fell… …so futures rose slightly on the news.continued for members… … continue reading →

Good News is Bad News

We’ve been used to the bad news is good news meme for such a long time, it feels weird to even type that. That’s the reality, however, when investors are already counting the days till the Fed’s easing cycle and we get 528,000 new jobs instead of the 258,000 expected. The tightening might just have … continue reading →

Waiting in the Wings

This morning feels a whole lot like yesterday morning, with futures ramping higher on the latest smackdown in VIX. Of course, these maneuvers can be an effort to force a breakout in stocks. But, they can also be an effort to put a little more air under stocks in advance of a downturn.  With plenty … continue reading →

Oil: Back in the Groove

WTI spent May 2020 through Feb 2022 in a fairly well-defined channel (below, in white) as it recovered from its pandemic lows. It broke out on Mar 1, however, topping 100 and taking only 5 sessions to reach our 130 target which wasn’t schedule to happen until December.Since then, it’s seen a series of fits … continue reading →