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USD/CAD rises to 22-week high, BoC decision loomsUSD/CAD is trading quietly in Europe at 1.3651, up 0.06%. I expect to see stronger movement in the North American session, with the Bank of Canada making its rate announcement and the US releasing the ISM Services PMI which is expected to show little change. The Bank of Canada is virtually certain to hold rates at today's meeting, with just a 6% probability of a rate hike, according to the TMX Group. That would leave the benchmark cash rate at an even 5.0%. BoC Governor Macklem would certainly like to call it quits on the central bank's aggressive tightening cycle and perhaps he can look for advice from his peers at the Federal Reserve and the Reserve Bank of Australia. Both the US and Australian economies have seen inflation fall significantly, but Jerome Powell at the Fed and Peter Lowe at the RBA have sent the markets a hawkish message that inflation isn't beaten and the door is open for further rate hikes if necessary. The markets have taken a more dovish stance and are already looking ahead to possible rate cuts. Macklem appears to face the same challenge of acknowledging that rate hikes have cooled the economy and curbed inflation while sounding credible about keeping open the option of further rate hikes. Last week's GDP report indicated that the economy contracted by 0.2%, compared to the BoC's forecast of 1.5% growth. The BoC has hiked repeatedly in order to lower inflation but there are concerns that the rate hikes in June and July may have tilted the risk toward a recession. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to pause at the September 20th meeting. The pause could signal that rates have finally peaked, although don't expect any Fed members to publicly state that the rate-tightening cycle is over. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said on Tuesday that the Fed can afford to “proceed carefully” with rate hikes, given that inflation has been falling, and if the downtrend continues, "we are in pretty good condition". USD/CAD tested resistance at 1.3657 earlier. The next resistance line is 1.3721 1.3573 and 1.3509 are providing support
by OANDA
Exploring the Weekly OptionsCME: E-Mini Nasdaq 100 Weekly Options ($Q1D-$Q5D) When I first started trading two decades ago, I was overwhelmed by the amount of data that was available. I had a hard time correlating how data relates to price movement. While observing the stock market, I have one question in particular: why does the market often moves drastically immediately after the release of a major report? Over time, I learnt that these reports provide insight into how the economy works. New data validates our assumptions about the future. Take the United States as an example: • Consumers drive the U.S. economy; • Consumers need jobs to be able to buy things and keep the economy going; • The ebb and flow between the degree of joblessness and full employment drive economic activity up or down; • How easy or difficult for households and businesses to get credit affects consumption, jobs, and investment. The following reports have an outsized impact on global financial markets: • The Nonfarm Payroll Report, released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); • The Consumer Price Index, also published by the BLS; • Personal Income and Outlays, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); • Gross Domestic Product (GDP), also by the BEA; • Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, this is where the Federal Reserve sets the Fed Funds interest rates, ten times a year; • Interest rate actions by other central banks, including European Central Bank, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, and the People’s Bank of China. Binary Outcomes: Ideal Setting for Options Trading For these highly anticipated reports, investors usually reach a consensus on the expected impact of the new data prior to its release. Market price tends to price in such investor expectations. The next FOMC meeting is on September 20th. According to CME Group’s FedWatch tool, the futures market currently expects a 94% probability that the Fed would keep the Fed Funds rate unchanged at the 5.25%-5.50% range. The September contract of CME Fed Funds Futures (ZQU3) is last settled at 94.665. This implies a Fed Funds rate of 5.335%, right in the middle of the target range. When new data is released, investors focus less on the actual data, but more on how it compares to the consensus. Because the prevailing price already reflected market expectation, new data serves to either confirm or dispute it. We could use a range of -1 to +1 to categorize these outcomes: • Well Below Expectations, -1; • Meet Expectations, 0; • Well Above Expectations, +1. The sign of the outcome does not necessarily correspond to a positive or negative price movement. It differs by the type of data and the respective financial instrument. We could further simplify the results into binary outcomes: • Within Expectation: 0, where actual data approximates previous expectation; • Beyond Expectation: 1, either below or above expectation by a pre-defined margin. Both human and computer think in binary terms: Light switch On or Off, Price goes Up or Down, Risk turns On or Off. In derivatives market, we could buy a Call Options if we expect the price to go up, and a Put Options if we think the price will decline. Weekly Options for Event-Driven Strategies The FOMC meeting is the most significant event that affects global markets. Market may stay calm if the Fed keeps rate unchanged (within expectation). However, if the Fed raises rate unexpectedly, you could hear investors screaming all around the world! To trade the Fed decision, investors could form different strategies using a wild variety of instruments, such as stock market indexes, Treasury bonds, forex futures, gold, WTI crude oil, and even bitcoin. Today, we focus on the Nasdaq 100 index. Here are some alternatives to consider: • Nasdaq 100 ETF: many asset managers offer them, including Invesco, iShares and ProShares. From a trader’s perspective, ETFs offer no leverage. A $100K exposure requires $100K upfront investment. If the market moves up 1%, you also gain 1%, minus the fees. • Nasdaq 100 Futures: CME Micro Nasdaq 100 ($MNQ) has a notional value of 2 times the index, valuing it at $31025, given the Nasdaq’s last close at 15512.5. Each contract requires initial margin of $1680. The futures contract is embedded with an 18.5-to-1 leverage. • Nasdaq 100 Options: As the nearby September contract expires on the 3rd Friday, or the 15th, ahead of the FOMC meeting date, we could not use it for our strategy. Instead, we could apply it with the December contract ($NQU3). On September 1st, the 15800-strike Call is quoted $541.50, and the 15400-strike Put is quoted $535. • Weekly Options: On September 1st, the 15800-strike Call to expire in one week is quoted $14.25, while the 15400-strike Put to expire in one week is quoted $54.50. Premiums for the standard American-style Options are expensive. They come with quarterly contracts and quarterly expirations. While our target date is September 20th, we have to use the December contract and acquire 3-1/2-month worth of time value. Weekly options, on the other hand, offer more precise trading and risk management with more expirations. Investors pay low premium to get the exposure they need and avoid the unnecessary and costly time value. For E-Mini Nasdaq 100, the weekly options that expire on Wednesday, September 20th will be listed on the prior Thursday, September 14th. If an investor forms an opinion about the FOMC decision, he could implement it with a weekly call or put next week. Nasdaq Weekly Options are deliverable contracts. If an investor owns a call and it expires in the money, he will settle the contract with a long position in E-Mini Nasdaq 100 futures. Likewise, if he owns an in-the-money put, he will get a short futures position. If the market moves in favor of an investor’s expectation, the potential payoff could be significant due to the leverage in weekly options. If the investor is incorrect, he could lose money, up to the amount of the entire premium. However, the low-premium nature in weekly options helps contain such loss at a tolerable level. Happy Trading. Disclaimers *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
CME_MINI:NQ1!Education
by JimHuangChicago
3
Cracking the Fed Rate-Setting CodeCME: Micro Russell 2000 ( CME_MINI:M2K1! ) On August 25th, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivered his annual policy remark, “Inflation: Progress and the Path Ahead”, at the Jackson Hole Symposium. The message is very clear: It is the Fed's job to bring inflation down to the 2% policy goal. The Fed is prepared to raise rates further if appropriate and intends to hold policy at a restrictive level until inflation is moving sustainably down toward its objective. In my opinion, there is a constraint when the Fed considers its policy choices. If monetary tightening pushes the US economy into a recession, it will likely pause or pivot. The Fed aims to cool the economy, not to put the flame out. The Fed Chair maintains that he iterates his decision at each FOMC meeting based on latest available data. I liken this process to a “For Loop” and an “If Statement” in computer programming. Below is my pseudo code in human readable form: • for (i = 0; i < n; n++), where n is the number of FOMC meetings; • if (inflation goes down to 2%), then execute “End Rate Hikes”; • else if (the US economy tanks), also execute “End Rate Hikes”; • else, execute “Continue with Restrictive Monetary Policy”); In other words, the only two conditions that could trigger the end of rate hikes are: • Rate hikes successfully bring the inflation down to 2%; or • Rate hikes break the US economy. To crack the code of the Fed rate-setting decisions, we need to gain some understanding of the US inflation trajectory and the economic growth potential. Inflation Outlook: Coming Down but Still Too High According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the US Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% in July to 3.2% on an annualized basis. • CPI peaked at 9.1% in June 2022. The declining inflation in the past year is a welcome development and signals that the Fed tightening policy is working; • The key driver of low CPI reading is the double-digit decline in energy cost when compared to the record gasoline price last year. This is misleading and lagging data. Gasoline and diesel prices are both on the way up for months; • The Core CPI, excluding energy and food, is 4.7%. Compared to 5.9% in July 2022, the decline is not fast enough, and it is still too high; • At 7.7%, Shelter leads all categories and has the highest price increases. Higher interest rates pushed up mortgage payments and rents. This could lift overall inflation higher in the coming months. The Fed’s preferred inflation metric is the PCE price index. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), PCE price index for June increased 3.0% on an annualized basis. Excluding food and energy, the core PCE increased 4.1% from one year ago. The BEA is scheduled to release July PCE data this week. The new reading would influence the Fed as it debates whether to pause or continue raising rates in the September 20th FOMC meeting. US Economic Outlook: Very Resilient According to the BEA, US real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.4% in the second quarter of 2023. In the first quarter, real GDP increased 2.0%. • Current‑dollar GDP increased 4.7% at an annual rate, or $305.2 billion, in the second quarter to a level of $26.84 trillion; • After the US central bank aggressively raised interest rates from 0.25% to 5.50% in a year and a half, the US economy shows remarkable strength. According to the BLS, total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 187,000 in July, and US the unemployment rate changed little at 3.5%. Job gains occurred in health care, social assistance, financial activities, and wholesale trade. As long as unemployment remains low, American consumers would continue to buy goods and services, pay their bills, and service their debts. • US mortgage delinquency rate was 1.72% in Q2, the lowest in 17 years (vs. 1.74% in Q3 2006), according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; • Auto loan delinquency rates have risen from Q1 2021's 1.43% to 1.69% in Q1 2023, according to a recent Credit Industry Insight Report (CIIR) by TransUnion. • US credit card loan delinquency rate was 2.77% in Q2, up from 2.43% in Q1 and 1.59% from year-ago quarter; Why are we seeing different trends? I think that most homeowners locked into low 15- or 30-year fixed mortgage rates before the Fed rate hikes. Auto loans have shorter duration, usually between 4 to 7 years. Since last year, car buyers now were hit by both higher prices and higher interest rates. Credit card default is elevated, but still low from a historical perspective. In the 1990s and early 2000s, delinquency rates hovered around 3-5%. It peaked at 6.77% in 2009 after the financial crisis. Credit card companies charge floating interest rates. In January 2022, before the rate hikes, interest rates averaged around 16%. They are now above 24%. My takeaways Overall, my assessment is that US inflation is not likely to go down to 2% by 2024. While consumers are under stress, it’s not enough to push the US economy into a recession. Therefore, I believe that the Fed would keep higher interest rates for a longer period. At each meeting, it would iterate whether to raise or to pause, but not to cut rates. Impacts to US Stock Market Valuation Up to now, investors were obsessed with the unrealistic assumptions of Fed cutting rates three to four times in 2024. The Jackson Hole speech is a wake-up call. Stock market valuation will have to be repriced based on new long-term interest rate assumptions. Higher interest rates raise the cost of capital for all US corporations. Using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) stock valuation method, a company’s present value will decline as a higher rate discounts all future cash flows by a greater percentage. The S&P 500 index has gained 14.75% year-to-date. In recent weeks, it has retreated 200 points (-4.4%) from its 52-week high. The prospect of higher long-term interest rates could put further pressure on the Blue-chip US stock market index. The Nasdaq composite index has gained 29.85% year-to-date. It has a drawdown of 850 points (-5.9%) from its 52-week high. Even a blowout quarterly profit from chip giant Nvidia failed to lift the leading technology stock index higher last week. Trade Ideas On August 11th, 2022, I published a trade idea, “A Tale of Two Americas”. In assessing the impact of Fed rate hikes, I concluded that smaller companies would be hit harder than their larger counterparts. I explored the idea of shorting the lofty valued Russell 2000. At the time, the Russell was quoted at 1,974 and had a trailing Price/Earnings Ratio of 68.96. Fast-forwarding to August 25th, Russell was settled at 1,853 (-6.1%) and the P/E has collapsed to just 27.61, according to Birinyi Associates and Dow Jones Market Data. Today, I still favor the idea of shorting the CME Micro Russell 2000 ( FWB:M2K ). Why? A year ago, the US Corporate BBB Effective Yield was 5.04%. It rose 112 basis points to 6.16% last week, according to Fed data. After the Jackson Hole speech, I expect the bond yield to move up with the new assessment of higher long-term interest rate. Therefore, Russell 2000 would face further downward pressure. The March Rusell 2000 contract (M2KH4) was settled at 1,888 last Friday. Each contract is $5 x Index and has a notional value of $9,440 at current market price. CME requires an initial margin of $620. While shorting a futures contract, an investor could consider setting a stop loss. Hypothetically, a stop loss at 1,800 would limit the loss to $440 (= (1888-1800) * 5). Happy Trading. Disclaimers *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
CBOT:ZQ1!Long
by JimHuangChicago
5
EUR/USD slips to 10-week low after soft German business climateThe euro has posted limited gains at the start of the trading week. In the North American session, EUR/USD is trading at 1.0803, up 0.08%. The week ended on a sour note as German Ifo Business Climate fell for a fourth straight month in August to 85.7, down from an upwardly revised 87.4 and shy of the market consensus of 86.7. Germany's GDP flatlined in the second quarter, after two straight declines. The eurozone's largest economy is sputtering and a string of weak data provides support for the ECB to take a pause at the September meeting. Federal Chair Jerome Powell delivered the keynote speech at the Jackson Hole summit on Friday and his message was one of caution and on the hawkish side. Powell reiterated that the battle to lower inflation to the 2% target "still has a long way to go". The Fed has lowered inflation to around 3% but the hardest part could be bringing it down to 2%. With regard to rate policy, Powell was cautious, saying that the Fed would "proceed carefully" in deciding whether to raise rates or pause and wait for additional data. There was no mention of rate cuts, a signal that the Fed isn't looking to trim rates anytime soon. The markets raised the odds of a rate hike in September in response to the speech, from 14% a week ago to 21% at the time of writing. ECB President Christine Lagarde also attended the Jackson Hole meeting but like Powell, played it safe with remarks that we've heard more than once in the past. Lagarde said that the ECB's rate path would be data-dependent at each meeting and that it was critical that inflation expectations remained anchored at the 2% target. Lagarde tried to sound optimistic, saying she was confident that inflation numbers would look different at the end of 2023. Eurozone inflation is heading in the right direction but is still high at 5.3%. The central bank meets next on September 14th and it's unclear whether the ECB will raise rates for an eighth straight time or take a pause and monitor how the economy is performing. The benchmark rate is relatively low at 3.75%, but the eurozone economy has not looked good and higher rates increase the chances of the weak economy falling into recession. . EUR/USD is putting pressure on resistance at 1.0831. The next resistance line is 1.0896 1.0795 is a weak support level. Below, there is support at 1.0731
by OANDA
Why the EURUSD might trade higherFollowing Powell's statement at the annual Jackson Hole symposium – “We are prepared to raise rates further if appropriate and intend to hold policy at a restrictive level until we are confident that inflation is moving sustainably down toward our objective.” – markets seem more inclined towards expecting another rate hike in the US. This move, in our analysis, provides the Federal Reserve (the Fed) with added flexibility for future decisions. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank (ECB) echoes a similar sentiment, insisting on remaining stringent as the battle against inflation is ongoing. A dive into headline & core inflation shows a decline in the former for both the EU and US. However, Europe's core inflation remains stubbornly high, without evident signs of decreasing. Further, Europe's robust PMI, in contrast to the sub-50 US print, paired with this sticky core inflation, indicates that the ECB might maintain its tight monetary stance to combat inflation. The Futures and OIS market can give us some insights on market participants’ expectation of the forward rate path. Here we see similar expectations of an increase in rates before cuts are priced in. Generally speaking, interest rate differential is inversely related to the EURUSD, hence in the chart above we see this relationship in play with the US-EU Interest Rate, roughly marking out the inverted EURUSD path. From 2019 to 2022, where we saw the rate differential held constant after a period of decrease, the EURUSD traded higher during that period. Hence whether the ECB tightens further or keep in line with market expectations, we see potential for the EURUSD to trade higher given historical precedence. The US dollar is currently hovering near the upper threshold of a descending channel. The previous 3-times when RSI reached such levels marked the turnaround point for the dollar. On a longer-term chart, we see the EURUSD trading right above the 1.08 level which has been a key support & resistance level going back to 1970s. Zooming in, the EURUSD pair now trades on the lower band of an ascending channel with RSI pointing oversold. Again, the past 3 times when RSI were at this level marked the reversal point for the EURUSD. Hence, whether the ECB reacts with more hikes as expected by market participants, or it stays the expected course, the EURUSD is likely to trade higher as we look back in history. Supported by technical, and the potential for a weaker dollar as it trades near resistance, we favour a long position in the EURUSD Futures at the current levels of 1.0827 with a stop loss at 1.05 and take profit at 1.130. Each 0.00005 increment per EUR in the EURUSD futures contract equals to 6.25$. The charts above were generated using CME’s Real-Time data available on TradingView. Inspirante Trading Solutions is subscribed to both TradingView Premium and CME Real-time Market Data which allows us to identify trading set-ups in real-time and express our market opinions. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com Disclaimer: The contents in this Idea are intended for information purpose only and do not constitute investment recommendation or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products or services. They serve as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate fundamental concepts in risk management under given market scenarios. A full version of the disclaimer is available in our profile description. Reference: www.cmegroup.com www.cmegroup.com
CME:6E1!Long
by inspirante
🎯S&P 500 - weakness aheadA month ago SPX topped close by the previous ATH at a resistance area with an engulfing candle, a clear reversal signal, just a couple of weeks after DXY (dollar index) started to raise again. Yesterday we had the exact same pattern occur, an engulfing candle to the downside, at a previous resistance level. Today Jerome Powell presented a hawkish stance of the Fed for the foreseeable future. Combine the above with a DXY on the raise that broke its downtrend last week and it looks like we are in for more downside on the S&P. Zooming out, where do you think we are on the Wall Street Cheat Sheet? Here is an unpopular opinion from Gareth Soloway that I tend to agree with. Maybe even Bitcoin's double top in '21 is something relatable to S&P today - and BTC found its potential bottom one year later. What do you think? Share your thoughts below.
SP:SPXShort
by opripom
How is Your Trading This Year?30Y Micro Yield ( CBOT_MINI:30Y1! ), Micro Nasdaq ( CME_MINI:MNQ1! ), Chinese Yuan ( CME:CNH1! ), Live Cattle ( CME:LE1! ) On January 2nd, I published an idea titled “Year of the Rabbit: ‘Short-tailed’ Trading”. My outlook for the new year was: “In the new year, uncertainties will remain the key price drivers of global stock markets: central bank policy, inflation, economic growth, geopolitical crisis, and China reopening. Depending on the specific outcome, the impact of a given factor could range from very positive to very negative, and anything in between.” Eight months into 2023, we have witnessed some extraordinary events playing out: • US regional bank crisis shocked the global financial markets. However, swift government actions helped starve off a chain reaction that could trigger systemic risk; • Decades-high US inflation has quickly come down. Fed tightening policy does work, even though it usually has a 10-month lag; • The US debt ceiling has found a resolution. Instead of raising the debt limit, Congress suspected it for two years. In a matter of two months, the national debt has increased by $1.3 trillion. This helped push Fitch to downgrade the US sovereignty rating; • China reopened after three years of Zero-Covid policy. While the economy rebounded in Q1, it quickly deteriorated in Q2. The economic engine seems to lose steam quickly. Trading Strategies Revisited Under these macro backdrops, it’s a good time to revisit some of my own trade ideas. I write on TradingView weekly and have published 31 ideas so far in 2023. Of these ideas, TradingView selected 13 to be featured on “Editors’ Picks”. Below are recaps of four ideas published in July and August. July 10th: Housing Cost Jumps Amid Falling Inflation Trade Idea: Long CBOT 30-Year Micro Yield Futures ($30Y) My theory: • The decline in home sales countered the effect of rising funding cost, putting the mortgage rates in sideway moves. • Now that the housing market recovers, 30-year Fixed could be on the way up. • July FOMC meeting could provide a boost if the Fed raises 25 bp as as indicated by the Fed Watch tool? . Hypothetical Result for Illustration Purpose Only: • Changes in market prices: August contract (30YQ3) was quoted 4.012 on July 7th and 4.381 on August 18th, an increase of 369 points; • Gain (Loss): Each point is worth $1. Therefore, 1 long 30YQ3 would gain $369; • Return: Using the $290 margin as cost base, this trade would have a return of 127%. Where are we now? It’s my long-held belief that the negative yield curve environment would reverse back to normal. Yield spread is finally narrowing. 30Y yield is now higher than 10Y yield. July 24th: Implications of Nasdaq 100 Rebalancing Trade Idea: Spread trade – Buy S&P Technology Select Sector Futures ($XAK) and Sell Micro Nasdaq 100 Futures ($MNQ) My theory: • The Nasdaq 100 rebalancing is a unique issue with the Nasdaq 100 index. It has nothing to do with the fundamentals of these companies and has no impact on other Tech sector stock indexes which also include the same component companies; • In the long run, Nasdaq 100 rebalance will dilute the impact of the largest stocks. Strong growth in Big Tech will be fully represented in XAK but capped in MNQ. Hypothetical Result for Illustration Purpose Only: • Market prices: MNQ and XAK were quoted 1,786.60 and 15,555 respectively on July 21st. On August 18th, they were settled on 1,665.20 and 14,744, respectively. • Trade setup: 1 XAK - 6 MNQ = (1 * 1786.6 * 100) - (6 * 15555 * 2) = 8,000 • Initial margins: 9500 + 1680 * 6 = $19,580 • New Spread value = (1 * 1665.2 * 100) - (6 * 14744 * 2) = 10,408 • Gain (Loss):10,408 – 8,000 = $2,408; • Return: Using the $19,580 margin as cost base, this trade would have a return of 12%. Where are we now? As expected, XAK held up better than MNQ even though both were trending down. August 7th: What Disinflation: Beef Price Went Up 64% in 5 Years Trade Idea: Short Cattle-Hog Spread – Sell Live Cattle ( NASDAQ:LE ) and Buy Lean Hog ( NYSE:HE ) My theory: • In my opinion, the cost factor pushing pork prices up in the short run is greater than the supply-demand force that drives up beef prices in the long run. • There may be room to short the cattle-hog spread, until pork prices stabilize in a new equilibrium. Hypothetical Result for Illustration Purpose Only: • Market prices: LE and HE were quoted 183.10 and 83.25 respectively on August 4th. The cattle-hog spread was 99.85; On August 18th, the new spread was 96.41 (LE 178.53 vs. HE 82.13) • Gain (Loss): The cattle-hog spread was narrowed by 3.44. Since we short the spread, we would gain $1,378 (=3.44 x 400); • Return: Using the $3,200 margin as cost base, this trade would have a return of 43%. Where are we now? Cattle futures were down 2.5% while hog lost 1.4%, which helped narrow the spread. August 14th: CNH – Hedging Currency Risks Trade Idea: Long USD/Offshore RMB Futures ( FWB:CNH ) My theory: • The key drivers in the US/China currency exchange rate: relative interest rates; relative stock market performance; relative economic strength; and the dynamics of the US-China relations. • Yuan could break out of the recent range with USDCNH going above 7.50, if there are more headwinds ahead Hypothetical Result for Illustration Purpose Only: • Market prices: September contract (CNHU3) was quoted 7.2646 on August 11th and 7.2921 on August 18th, an increase of 275 points; • Gain (Loss): Each point is worth 10 yuan. The gain would be 2750 yuan, or $377 at current market price; • Return: Using the $21,100 margin as cost base, this trade would have a return of 1.8%. Where are we now? • Since I published this idea a week ago, the CNH exchange rate broke critical support levels of 7.27, 7.28, 7.29 and 7.30 sequentially; • In my opinion, the government would prioritize stabilizing the economy and monetary easing policies over the task of defending its currency; • A weaker Yuan may be even preferable as a policy tool to support China’s export. Happy Trading. Disclaimers *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
CBOT_MINI:30Y1!Long
by JimHuangChicago
3
KOG - JACKSON HOLE Part 1Jackson Hole Symposium: What is the Jackson Hole Symposium? The Jackson Hole symposium (Economic Policy Symposium) is held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming USA. It is an event attended by the worlds top financial professionals including ministers, bankers and academics. It is a closed event so no press are allowed access to the meetings or talks. Instead, press conferences are held throughout the event where any comments from financial professionals usually move the markets and cause extreme volatility. This is not the usual analysis we provide. Instead, what we wanted to show you is the last 3-4yrs of market data illustrated on the charts, giving you an idea of what this event can do and cause on the markets. In this example, on Gold. So, lets start with last year, 2021. We can see the price was at a similar price point to where we are today, just slightly higher at around the 1780 level. The early sessions were quiet, however, after a retest of the low look at the aggressive move to the upside! Price started at 1780 and the move completed at 1836. 500+ pip move in a matter of days. Lets look at the top right chart, 2020. Again, look at the choppy price action, the whipsaw up and down, then the rested of the low before an aggressive move to the upside. Price started at 1904 and the move completed at 1994. 900pip movement in a matter of days. Now 2019, a slow start in the early sessions, all of a sudden, a rested on the low and then another aggressive move to the upside. Price started at 1491 and completed the move 1557. Over 500pip movement in a matter of days! What we’re trying to show you here is that its going to be a very difficult event to trade for new traders. Its going to be choppy, its going to be volatile, its going to whipsaw and its likely to move. If you’re caught the wrong side of it its going to kill your account. Best practice here is to let the market make the moves it wants to, wait for the price to settle in whatever level they want to drive it to, once this has happened then look for the setup to get in to the trade. Hope this helps. As always, trade safe. KOG
FOREXCOM:XAUUSDEducation
by KnightsofGold
32
Weaker China Data and Fed Interest Rate Rumors Trigger Oil PriceIntroduction: In recent weeks, the global oil market has experienced significant turbulence, with oil prices plummeting due to weaker-than-expected economic data from China and mounting rumors surrounding the Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions. As traders, it is crucial to exercise caution and carefully evaluate the potential risks associated with oil investing in light of these developments. 1. Weaker China Data 2. Fed Interest Rate Rumors Call-to-Action: Pause Oil Investing and Assess Risks Given the current market conditions and the uncertainties surrounding both China's economic performance and the Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions, it is prudent for traders to exercise caution when considering oil investments. Here are a few steps to help you navigate this challenging environment: 1. Evaluate Your Risk Tolerance: Assess your risk appetite and consider the potential impact of further oil price drops on your investment portfolio. Diversify your holdings to mitigate potential losses and explore alternative investment opportunities that may be less susceptible to oil market volatility. 2. Stay Informed: Stay abreast of the latest developments in the Chinese economy and the Federal Reserve's interest rate policies. Monitor vital economic indicators, such as China's GDP growth, industrial production, retail sales figures, and any official statements or actions from the Federal Reserve. 3. Seek Professional Advice: Consult with financial advisors or industry experts who can provide personalized guidance tailored to your investment goals and risk tolerance. Their insights and expertise can help you make informed decisions in this uncertain market environment. Conclusion: The oil market is facing considerable volatility in light of weaker China data and the ongoing speculation surrounding the Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions. As traders, it is crucial to exercise caution and carefully assess the potential risks associated with oil investing. By pausing and reevaluating your investment strategy, diversifying your portfolio, staying informed, and seeking professional advice, you can navigate this challenging environment more effectively and safeguard your investments.
TVC:USOIL
by bryandowningqln
📈MY TAKE ON THE FED, INFLATION AND CREDIT📊 TLDR: I think the price increase we are seeing is not inflation, the economy is going from bad to worse and the FED's actions don't make any sense. At the peak of the great inflation of the 70s in USA while both long and short term interest rates were going up together with inflation, so was the aggregate credit. In fact loans to businesses were growing faster than inflation. Whereas now, while the short term rates are going up the aggregate credit is going down. Businesses aren’t borrowing and the banks aren’t lending. And as it was established by Milton Friedman, inflation is exclusively a MONETARY phenomenon. Therefore price increase followed by unchanged or decreased aggregate credit in not inflation. Which is exactly what we are seeing right now. It might be attributed to the ongoing effects of the Covid era supply shock which created long lasting bottlenecks, the war in Ukraine or some other fundamental systemic economic problem but it’s not conventional inflation which means that raising interest rates will do nothing but further damage the already weak economy (which is reflected in the unprecedented drop in demand for credit) So, the further rate hikes that were hinted yesterday by the FED don’t make any sense and we should be expecting a fast race to the zero with more QE when the economic sh*t hits the political fan. But, let’s wait and see.
OANDA:XAUUSDShort
by TopTradingSignals
4
XAU USD | GOLD | DECRYPTERSGREETINGS people Welcome to "TEAM DECRYPTERS" Lets Get to the ANALYSIS AND DECODE THE MARKETS ;) FEW TECHNICALS TO CONSIDER :- 1- ELLIOT WAVE CORECTIVE STRUCTURE 2- DECEDNING TRAINGLE 3 - POSSIBLE H & S ON DAILY / WEEKLY 4- BEARISH ORDER FLOW 5 - SMC INDICATIONS FOW DOWN SIDE AS WELL 6- WE Expecting MONTHLY AS BEARISH FOR GOLD FUNDAMENTALS IN FAVOUR :- 1- DXY TARGET 105 -107 ( So we Are Expecting Gold to Be Consolidating or Bearish ) 2- We Are Expecting 1 MORE RATE HIKE OF 25 BPS So gold seems Bearish 3- Rate cuts Surprise Matter will Add Additional Fuel to it ( AS We Expect Rates to be Held MUCH longer At least MARCH - JUNE 2024) 4- Banks Still Need to Book profits on Their positions and also to get GOLD On Cheaper prices In order to USE As collateral 5- Risk of Recession Getting Lower can *PRICED OUT* The effect of Gold bullishness FUNDAMENTALS FROM COUNTER BIAS :- 1 - BANKS RUNS / COLLAPSE CAN MAKE Counter Move- 2- "Margin call" ( No Data posting on this Matter)- 3 - Any Sort of Geopolitical Dis Order ( EXP :- WAR)- NOTE :- We Can Retrace 300 - 400 PIPS ON Upside But it still Will be Valid (considering 1900 ISH level ) Hope it Helps you all in Your long Term view and Analysis
OANDA:XAUUSDShort
by DECRYPTERS
GBP/USD steady ahead of jobs dataThe British pound is quiet at the start of the week. In the European session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2701, up 0.05%. The UK releases key employment numbers on Tuesday and the data is expected to show that the UK labour market remains tight. The economy is expected to have created 50,000 jobs in the three months to June. That number is down from 125,000 previously, but unemployment claims are expected to drop by 7,300, down from a gain of 25,700 previously. Most importantly, wage growth including bonuses is expected to jump to 7.3% in the three months to May, compared to 6.9% in the previous three months. A jump in wage growth will not be welcome news for the Bank of England, which has had limited success in its battle to rein in inflation. Wage growth has been elevated due to high inflation and the tight labour market and an acceleration in wages will support a rate hike at the September meeting. The BoE has raised rates to 5.25%, but inflation has fallen more slowly than expected and is currently at 7.9%, the worst in the G-7. Over in the US, the markets are widely expecting the Fed to pause at the September 20th meeting. That will allow the markets to focus on key releases and try to determine if the economy is too strong, which could mean further rate hikes late in the year. Retail sales, which will be released on Tuesday, will provide a snapshot of whether consumers are still spending despite inflation and rising interest rates. Both the headline and core rates are expected to rise by 0.4% in July after a 0.2% gain in June. GBP/USD is putting pressure on resistance at 1.2726. The next resistance line is 1.2787  1.2634 and 1.2573 are providing support
by OANDA
GBP/USD dips lower as US inflation risesThe British pound showed some strength earlier on Thursday but reversed directions and lost ground after the US inflation report. In the North American session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2725, up 0.05%. The US inflation report was somewhat of a mix, but most important was that both headline and core inflation were within expectations. This meant that the reaction of the US dollar was muted following the inflation release. Headline CPI climbed to 3.2% y/y in July, above the June reading of 3.0% but shy of the consensus estimate of 3.0%. This marked the first time in 13 months that headline CPI accelerated, but the upswing isn't all that significant, as it was due to base effects. Core CPI ticked lower to 4.7% y/y in July, down from 4.8% in June. The Fed will be encouraged by the fact that on a monthly basis, both headline and core CPI posted a very modest gain of 0.2%, matching the estimate and unchanged from June. Inflation has fallen sharply in recent months, but the Fed will find it more difficult to bring core inflation down to the 2% target. The sharp drop in energy prices has sent headline CPI lower, but the core rate excludes food and energy prices. Inflation is being driven by services and wages, which explains why core CPI is so much higher than headline CPI. The inflation report has cemented the Fed holding rates in September, barring a huge surprise. The odds of a pause have risen to 90%, up from 86% prior to the inflation report, according to the CME FedWatch tool. The Fed may well be done with the current rate-tightening cycle, but don't expect to hear that from anyone at the Fed, which does not want the markets to become too complacent about inflation. The UK will post preliminary GDP on Friday. The consensus estimate stands at 0.1% q/q for the second quarter. If GDP misses the estimate and falls into negative territory, investors could get nervous and send the pound lower. Conversely, if GDP beats the estimate, the pound could gain ground. The Bank of England will be watching carefully, as it digests key economic data ahead of the next meeting on September 21st. GBP/USD is testing resistance at 1.2747. The next resistance line is 1.2874  1.2622 and 1.2495 are providing support
by OANDA
GOLD (XAUUSD): Expecting a strong reaction from hereIn my view we're getting to the end of Gold's sell-off, testing the weekly support, testing the daily descending fall line, coming to the end of a falling wedge. We're oversold on the lower timeframes, what's not to like about this buying opportunity! DXY is hanging on in there, with CPI tomorrow, like the news on Friday, I still don't expect DXY to break the falling resistance line, this should catapult gold. So, I'm waiting to get in on gold for a big move up!!
OANDA:XAUUSDLong
by Finchcliffe
5
Australian dollar edges higher after mixed confidence dataThe New Zealand dollar is showing limited movement on Wednesday, trading at 0.6060 in the European session. Like most major central banks, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has been waging a long and tough battle against inflation by raising interest rates. CPI fell to 6.0% in the second quarter, down from 6.7%. That's certainly good news, but let's remember that inflation is still rising sharply and is much higher than the RBNZ's 2% target. The central bank is also concerned about inflation expectations, which can become embedded when inflation is high and translate into even higher inflation. Wednesday's 2-year inflation expectations release showed a rise to 2.83% in the third quarter, up from 2.79% in the second quarter. One-year inflation expectations fell to 4.17% in Q3, down from 4.17% in Q2. The data indicates that inflation expectations remain high, and that perception could make the life of policy makers more difficult in the fight to bring down inflation. The RBNZ has a long way to go before inflation falls to the 2% target, and that will likely mean further rate hikes unless inflation levels fall sharply. The RBNZ held rates at 5 .50% in July and meets next on August 16th. China is experiencing a bumpy recovery, and that is bad news for the global economy. Commodity currencies such as the New Zealand dollar are sensitive to Chinese economic releases and a soft Chinese trade release on Tuesday sent NZD/USD lower by as much as 80 basis points. The bad news continued on Wednesday as China's CPI for July declined by 0.3% y/y, down from 0.0% in June and just above the consensus estimate of -0.4%. This marked the first decrease in CPI since February 2021 and points to weakness in the Chinese economy, which will likely mean less demand for New Zealand exports, a negative scenario for the New Zealand dollar. NZD/USD continues to put pressure on support at 0.6031. Below, there is support at 0.5964 0.6129 and 0.6196 are the next resistance lines
by OANDA
GBPUSD: The beginning of the end?I'm expecting full on GBP weakness over the coming weeks, regardless of what happens with the dollar. We've broken below the months of ascending trendline and so far failed to break back above, we have a beautiful bearish engulfing candle on the 4hr close from Friday. I get this pair wrong a lot (because I live in the UK and can see a car crash happening in slow motion...), so will definitely not be jumping in. We have big US CPI data on Thursday at 13.30 GMT, if inflation figures are worse (lower) than forecast then this will be good for the GBP in the short term - however I'm thinking that the best will happen is a failed retest of the trendline and I'm thinking we're starting the move back down - just deserts for how the BoE have performed imho.
Short
by Finchcliffe
EURUSD: Still seeing some strength hereEven writing this I’m thinking it could be a crazy idea with USD strength in play, but let’s see... I think we’ll see some early weakness from the USD before a momentum shift that will see DXY reverse up (maybe by end of the week). I think the EURO is still looking strong, bouncing back from the falling following the ECB rate hike pause. ECB are hawkish around further hikes and USD CPI numbers this week may indicate a pause is coming from the FED, this idea may have played out by then. I’ll be tightening my SL at 13.30 GMT this Thursday. So for now looking to go long provided we breakout and retest the falling trendline on the daily from the 1.275 high. We’ve been in a strong uptrend for months and I think the moves in the next few weeks could start to show reversal back down, but for now we still have higher highs and higher lows, support held nicely last week and had confluence to not break the 100 and 200 EMA on the daily, so I'm still bullish with this one for now. I’ll hopefully be tp’ing around 1.124 to see if we get a double top or continuation up, which would bring the 1.14 centre line of the rising channel quickly into play (which could well happen if the US CPI is better / lower than expectation).
Long
by Finchcliffe