pebblewriter

Tag: fed

  • Charts I’m Watching: Aug 22, 2023

    Futures are up 0.40% largely on bullish algo positioning……with VIX now down 13.4% since Friday’s 200-day moving average tag.

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  • Charts I’m Watching: Aug 21, 2023

    Futures are up modestly in advance of the Jackson Hole symposium. continued for members… (more…)

  • VIX: Decision Time

    VIX’s constant slide has been one of the best indicators of the runaway bullishness over the past 10 months. Over the past week, however, it has soared to new highs, reaching our 200-day moving average target well ahead of schedule. What does it portend for equities?

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  • Blowout Retail Sales Nudge Rates Higher

    We’ve stuck stubbornly to our forecast for the 10Y to reach 4.75 for nearly a year, betting that sticky inflation would force the Fed’s hand. We came within 6 bps of new highs this morning after retail sales soared 0.7% (expected 0.4%) in July.

    Futures held on to their lows, though the pre-opening shenanigans haven’t yet begun (keep a close eye on DXY and VIX.) We don’t expect the bulls to give up SPX’s 50-day (4443.43) without a fight.

    The challenge for bears now, as back in October 2022 when the 10Y tagged our 4.26 target [see: More OPEX Games] is that we’re up against OPEX (Friday.)  Back then, it meant the 10Y’s channel collapsed and the next leg higher was postponed until after equities’ year-end run for the barn. If TPTB have their way, SPX’s 50-day backtest would be a springboard for a nice bounce.

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  • Charts I’m Watching: Aug 8, 2023

    Futures are down sharply as yesterday’s currency moves and VIX smackdown are being unwound by Moody’s banking downgrades.  At least banks aren’t waking up to a 40% windfall profit tax such as Italy just imposed.

    This timely bit of truthiness certainly has the potential to get ES to our SMA50 target in the lead up to Thursday’s CPI print. As for XLF, the timing couldn’t be worse.

    Fear not, the Fed is already tapping the brakes.

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  • Powell Doesn’t Disappoint

    He could have gone full hawk, but he didn’t. Even in the face of economic data (that the rest of us can now see) which was uniformly positive and a coming bump in inflation, Powell chose the route that best supported stocks. ES bounced at its SMA10 and is surging toward its .886 Fib retracement.

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  • FOMC Day: Jul 26, 2023

    Equities have ramped almost 12% since the last Fed meeting – ignoring the prospect of higher interest rates for a longer period of time. Given the oil market’s recent breakout and the obvious base effect on inflation, we see a good chance of Powell presenting a more hawkish stance than the overbought market is prepared for…

    …raising the prospect of spike in the 10Y to 4.76% by mid-August. One of the few developments that could prevent it: a collapse in oil/gas prices.

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  • Forcing Their Hand

    The recent breakout in oil/gas prices has now inspired a breakout in the 10Y.

    It’s an important headwind for the Fed, which had relied on falling energy prices to keep inflation and interest rates at an acceptable level.

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  • Inflation Not Done

    We might be done with inflation, but judging by the oil/gas markets, it’s not done with us. Both CL and RB have now broken out of channels dating back to early 2022 – with CL pushing above its 200-day moving average this morning.

    The Fed has its work cut out for it this week – and for the next several months.

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  • Charts I’m Watching: Jul 21, 2023

    Just saw that the great Tony Bennett passed early this morning. It was always a thrill to see him perform. He was one of the last great ones, and will be missed.

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    Futures are leaking higher on this OPEX Friday following SPX’s bounce off its .786 Fib.

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