IO Weekly Technicals Review [2024/44]: Set For Large Move SGX TSI Iron Ore CFR China (62% Fe Fines) Index Futures (“SGX IO Futures”) expiring in December rose last week, up by USD 0.54/ton on Friday, though prices gave up some gains by the end of the week.
SGX IO Futures opened at USD 101.60/ton on 28/Oct (Mon) and closed at USD 102.14/ton on 01/Nov (Fri).
Prices briefly touched a weekly high of USD 104.60/ton on 29/Oct (Tue) and a low of USD 101.30/ton on 28/Oct (Mon). It traded in a range of USD 3.30/ton during the week, which was smaller than the prior week.
Prices traded just above the pivot point of USD 103.70/ton for most of the week before falling below it on Friday.
Volumes were noticeably lower in the later part of the week. Highest volume was observed on 30/Oct (Wed).
SGX Iron Ore Futures Fundamentals in Summary
China’s parliament has started its five-day meeting on 4/Nov (Mon) and is expected to announce the details of the fiscal support on 8/Nov (Fri). Analysts suggest the fiscal plan could reach 10 trillion yuan (USD 1.4 trillion), with most funds likely allocated to refinancing local government debt. The outcome is likely to drive significant volatility during the week.
China’s manufacturing PMI rose from 49.8 to 50.1 in Oct as the manufacturing sector shifted into expansion after 5 months of contraction. Non-manufacturing PMI also rose to 50.2 from 50.0.
Steel industry PMI rose to 54.6 from 49 in prior month. The PMI reading was the highest since July 2018. The output index rose to 63.6 suggesting the stimulus helped boost steel production.
Caxin’s China manufacturing PMI rose from 49.3 to 50.3 in October recovering from the dip in September.
IO China Portside inventories rose by 770k tons to 150.1 million tons last week. The pickup volume declined further by 13k tons. Accumulating inventories pose a risk to IO demand.
Based on seasonality, SGX IO Futures Dec contract trades 3.6% higher than its last 5-year average (USD 99.31/ton).
Short-Term Moving Averages Signal Bearish Trend
Prices recovered following the bearish MA crossover on 22/Oct but failed to rise above the 21-day moving average. The 21-day moving average served as a resistance level throughout last week.
Long-Term Averages Provide Support
Prices shot above the 100-day moving average on 28/Oct (Mon) and managed to hold above this level for the rest of the week. Price re-tested this support level on 4/Nov (Mon) but seems to be holding above it for now.
MACD Points to Fading Decline
The MACD suggests a weakening bearish trend, with the short-term MA positioned just below the long-term MA. However, both MAs are trending downward, making a bullish crossover unlikely without a sharp rally. The long-term MA may serve as support. The RSI is near a neutral level at 51.02.
Fibonacci 38.2% Tested Last Week
Following the retracement of the bearish trend since the start of October, prices rallied to the 38.2% Fib level but failed to surpass it. This could indicate a continuation of the bearish trend. Though, the USD 100/ton level may provide psychological support.
Price Trading Just Below Volume Point of Control
Sellers continued to dominate trading despite an uptick in buyers early last week. Price faced resistance at the volume point of control for October (USD 103.55/ton). There is another area of volume concentration at (USD 101.15/ton) which could provide near-term support.
Bollinger Bands Narrowing with Low Volatility
Bollinger Bands for IO futures are narrowing and their width is near the lowest contraction since August, increasing the likelihood of a sharp breakout. Price is currently at the mid-point of the Bollinger Bands. Historical Volatility also continued to decline last week and reached its lowest level since August.
Iron Ore Options Favor Calls
SGX IO options expiring in December have an OI put/call ratio of 0.86 as of 1/Nov which favors calls. Over the past week, trading in this contract was heavily skewed towards call with a volume put/call ratio of 0.38. Additionally, last week, near-term options expiring in November saw a large buildup of call options around the USD 105 strike suggesting bullish sentiment in the near-term. The delta-25 options skew for December options also shows a sharp increase in call IV alongside a narrowing skew suggesting high demand for calls.
Hypothetical Trade Setup
Iron Ore volatility has reached its lowest level since August. The rally last week failed to continue past the short-term moving average and the volume profile point of control and IO gave up substantial gains in the later part of the week despite the encouraging data from PMI releases. The results of the ongoing parliamentary meeting are expected on 9/Nov (Fri) and are likely to drive substantial moves in prices. Options activity over the last week showed a high concentration of activity for call options, especially at the strike level of USD 105/ton. The IV for IO options has also been rising unlike the historical volatility. A sharp upside move is likely, though, if the fiscal stimulus disappoints, prices may also decline sharply.
Expressing the bullish view through a long futures exposes the position to higher risk if stimulus disappoints. Investors can instead express the bullish view using SGX IO options. A bullish call spread benefits from an increase in prices and offers a fixed upside and fixed downside along with a smaller premium cost than a long call position. Bullish call spread consists of long call at a lower strike and short call at a higher strike. A hypothetical trade setup consisting of USD 105/ton for the long call leg and USD 109/ton for the short call leg on the options contract expiring on 31/Dec offers a reward to risk ratio of 3x. The USD 109/ton level coincides with the peak during the last rally in mid-October and is close to the 200-day moving average, prices could face resistance above this level. This position offers a max profit of USD 299/lot and a max loss of USD 101/lot and breaks even when prices rise above USD 106.1/ton.
DISCLAIMER
This case study is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services.
Trading or investment ideas cited here are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management or trading under the market scenarios being discussed. Please read the FULL DISCLAIMER the link to which is provided in our profile description.
Ironore
IO Weekly Technicals Review [2024/43]: Term Structure Divergence
SGX TSI Iron Ore CFR China (62% Fe Fines) Index Futures (“SGX IO Futures”) closed nearly flat last week, down by just USD 0.10/ton on Friday after recovering from a mid-week decline.
SGX IO Futures opened at USD 101.65/ton on 21/Oct (Mon) and closed at USD 101.55/ton on 25/Oct (Fri).
Prices briefly touched a weekly high of USD 103.45/ton on 21/Oct (Mon) and a low of USD 98.10/ton on 24/Oct (Thu). It traded in a range of USD 5.35/ton during the week, which was smaller than the prior week.
Prices traded below the pivot point of USD 103.35/ton for the entire week but managed to hold support above the S1 pivot point at 97.65.
Volume peaked on 25/Oct (Fri) as Iron Ore prices rallied from near their low following the announcement of a parliamentary meeting to discuss the stimulus package between 4/Nov and 8/Nov.
SGX Iron Ore Futures Fundamentals in Summary
Iron Ore received support in the later part of the week from the announcement of a parliamentary meeting to discuss the stimulus package in China which will take place between 4/Nov and 8/Nov.
The People's Bank of China also said in a statement it had activated the open market outright reverse repo operations facility to "maintain a reasonable abundance of liquidity in the banking system and further enrich the central bank's policy toolbox“ ahead of a significant loan expiry at the end of the year.
IO China Portside inventories declined by 400k tons to 149.33 million tons last week. The decline was driven by slower arrivals as pickup volume declined week on week and steel mill’s restocking pace was below analyst expectations.
Based on seasonality, SGX IO Futures Nov contract trades 2.6% below its last 5-year average (USD 105.58/ton).
Seasonal Trend also suggests a price low is expected in the next few weeks.
Short-Term Moving Averages Signal Reversal of Bullish Trend
Prices began the week on a downward trend, marked by a bearish moving average (MA) crossover on 22/Oct (Tue). After the crossover, prices declined 3%, briefly dipping just above the S1 Pivot Point before recovering sharply on 25/Oct (Fri). On 28/Oct (Mon), prices are trading slightly below the 21-day moving average and the R1 Pivot Point for the week.
Long-Term Averages Signal Bearish Trend
Last week, the price traded below the 100-day moving average, closing just under this level. On 28/Oct (Mon), it rose sharply above the 100-day moving average but remains about 5% below the 200-day moving average.
MACD Points to Fading Decline, RSI Trending Higher
MACD indicates that the bearish trend is weakening, with the short-term MA beginning to curve upward toward the long-term MA. This suggests a potential consolidation around the long-term MA or a bullish crossover if momentum strengthens. Meanwhile, the RSI recently crossed above its 14-day average but remains near the midpoint at 53.84.
Fibonacci 61.8% Maintained Support Last Week
Volatility increased throughout the week but remains below early October levels. Last week, the price tested and held support at the 61.8% Fibonacci level from the prior uptrend. Fib levels from the recent downtrend suggest that the price may next retest the 38.2% level. The 61.8% level remains noteworthy, as it has previously acted as a key area of interest.
Low-Volume Node May Drive Sharp Upward Move
Despite ongoing selling pressure, buyers rebounded sharply in the latter part of the week. The price is currently at a low-volume node and could rise quickly toward the point of control, which aligns with the 50% Fibonacci level.
Calendar Spread Shows Deviation from Backwardation
The recent price movement has created a premium on the April 2025 contract compared to the second-month contract (Nov 2024). A return to the usual backwardation structure is expected. Additionally, speculation over the next two weeks, driven by the upcoming parliamentary meeting, will likely focus on the more liquid Nov 2024 contract, which should further support the spread.
Hypothetical Trade Setup
Iron Ore prices received some support from the announcement of further monetary easing and hopes of further stimulus at the parliamentary meeting next week. The rally has reversed the consistent decline in IO over the past 3 weeks but outlook remains bearish as the impact of stimulus on prices has weakened since early October. In the near-term, stimulus expectations may drive a rally clouding the outlook for a straightforward short position.
We propose a hypothetical trade set up of buying SGX IO November Futures Contract at USD 102.90/ton and selling the SGX IO April 2025 Futures contract at USD 103.60/ton to capitalize on the normalization of the backwardated term structure.
Presently the Nov/April ratio is at 0.99324. An increase to 1.025 presents a 3.25% increase in the spread which results in a gain of USD 321 to USD 330. A stop loss at the ratio of 0.975 protects in case of further decline with a potential loss of USD 189 to USD 194. This calculation excludes transaction costs comprising of clearing broker fees and exchange clearing fees. The SGX requires a minimum initial margin of USD 320/lot and a maintenance margin of USD 352/lot for this intra-commodity spread.
DISCLAIMER
This case study is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services.
Trading or investment ideas cited here are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management or trading under the market scenarios being discussed. Please read the FULL DISCLAIMER the link to which is provided in our profile description.
IO Weekly Technicals Review [2024/42]: IO Reversal Deepens
SGX TSI Iron Ore CFR China (62% Fe Fines) Index Futures (“SGX IO Futures”) fell last week for a second week in a row, closing USD 4.15/ton lower by Friday.
SGX IO Futures opened at USD 105.85/ton on 14/Oct (Mon) and closed at USD 101.70/ton on 18/Oct (Fri).
Prices briefly touched a weekly high of USD 109.05/ton on 14/Oct (Mon) and a low of USD 99.30/ton on 17/Oct (Thu). It traded in a range of USD 9.75/ton during the week, which was smaller than the prior week.
Prices traded below the pivot point of USD 108.10/ton for the entire week but managed to hold support above the S1 pivot point at 101.15.
Volume peaked on 17/Oct (Thu) as Iron Ore prices declined despite the announcement of expanded housing stimulus measures.
SGX Iron Ore Futures Fundamentals in Summary
Further measures to support the housing industry in China were announced on 17/Oct (Thu). The measures included widened support under the “white list” program to 4 trillion Yuan.
PBoC started the week with a 25 bps cut to the 5-year loan prime rate and a 25 basis point cut to the 1-year loan prime rate offering additional easing measures. Despite an early rally, IO pared gains by the end of the day.
China's GDP growth in Q3 was 0.9%, falling short of analyst expectations but exceeding the 0.5% growth recorded in Q2, which was revised downward. Annual GDP growth reached 4.6%, significantly below the 5% target.
IO China Portside inventories rose by 1.89M tons to 149.73 million tons last week. The increase was driven by significantly higher arrivals and low pace of pickup due to slower restocking.
Based on seasonality, SGX IO Futures Nov contract trades 3.5% below its last 5-year average (USD 105.58/ton). Seasonal performance also suggests there could be a price dip with a low in the next couple of weeks.
Short-Term Moving Averages Signal Reversal of Bullish Trend
The 9-day moving average is continuing its downward trend and marked a bearish crossover on 21/Oct (Mon). Last week, the price held support above the S1 pivot point but faced rejection at the P pivot point on 21/Oct (Mon).
Long-Term Averages Signal Bearish Trend
Price fell below the 100-day moving average on 17/Oct (Thu). Despite reaching highs above this level, price has failed to close above the MA.
MACD Points to Downturn, RSI Flat
MACD signals an ongoing bearish trend since 16/Oct (Wed) with the distance between long and short-term MA continuing to expand as of 21/Oct (Mon). RSI is at the mid-point level of 49.5 signaling neutral trend.
Volatility Eases, Fibonacci 50% Maintained Support Last Week
Volatility briefly edged up in the middle of last week but now continues to decline and has reached the lowest level in October. The 50% Fibonacci level was tested last week but managed to maintain support. With a continued downward trend, the 61.8% Fibonacci level at 97.55 is the next major support level to watch if price declined below 50%.
Selling Pressure Dominates, Price Gap Likely to be Tested This Week
Heavy selling pressure dominates IO trading according to the Accumulation/Distribution indicator (A/D). Price trades at a high volume node which was dominated by sell volume and below a low volume valley which could be tested during the week. The bullish flag failed to maintain last week as prices fell further instead of consolidating.
Hypothetical Trade Setup
Iron Ore prices continued to decline last week as the expanded stimulus measures disappointed market expectations once again. Bearish trend in IO continues as fundamentals signal more pain in store and short-term MA signaled a bearish crossover.
We propose a hypothetical trade set up of selling SGX IO November Futures Contract at USD 101.2/ton with a stop at USD 104.05/ton and target at USD 97.5/ton resulting in reward-to-risk ratio of 1.30x.
Entry: USD 101.2/ton
Target: USD 104.05/ton
Stop Loss: USD 97.5/ton
Profit at Target: USD 370/lot ((101.2-97.5) x 100)
Loss at Stop: USD 285/lot ((101.2-104.05) x 100)
Reward to Risk: 1.30x
This calculation excludes transaction costs comprising of clearing broker fees and exchange clearing fees. The SGX requires a minimum initial margin of USD 1,232/lot and a maintenance margin of USD 1,120/lot.
DISCLAIMER
This case study is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services.
Trading or investment ideas cited here are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management or trading under the market scenarios being discussed. Please read the FULL DISCLAIMER the link to which is provided in our profile description.
$CLF metals get a bounce as market steady & value catch-upCleveland-Cliffs the steel producer looks cheap here. CEO has been working to reduce the blast furnace emissions which gets them a lot of praise. Cleanest steel produces in the world. CLF is vertically integrated and the fact it produces its own ore is huge. May acquire US Steel before year ends which would give this company a lot of power when it comes to the steel market. Looking for at least 18 in the short-term.
China Property Stimulus to Boost Aus200 IndexThe recent announcement of a stimulus package by the Chinese government to boost the property sector is expected to have a positive impact on the Australian stock market, particularly the Aus200 index. The stimulus package includes measures such as lower down payments for home purchases and tax breaks for developers. These measures are expected to increase demand for property in China, which will in turn benefit Australian companies that export goods and services to the Chinese market.
In addition, the stimulus package is also expected to boost the Chinese economy, which is Australia's largest trading partner. A stronger Chinese economy will mean more demand for Australian goods and services, which will support corporate profits and earnings growth. As a result, the Aus200 index is expected to rise in the coming months.
Of course, there are also some risks associated with the China property stimulus. If the stimulus is too successful, it could lead to an overheating of the Chinese economy and a resurgence of inflation. This would be negative for Australian companies that export to China, as it would make their goods and services less competitive. However, at this stage, it appears that the risks are outweighed by the potential rewards.
Overall, the China property stimulus is a positive development for the Australian stock market. The stimulus is expected to boost demand for Australian goods and services, support corporate profits and earnings growth, and lift the Aus200 index.
CIA ~ Snapshot TA / Psychotic Yo-Yo YOLO (Weekly Chart)Title pretty much sums up Champion Iron's recent price action lol.
Reminds me of similar movements exhibited in Mineral Resources chart before getting pumped after diversifying into Lithium.
Held onto a trend-line that's been running since 2015, crazy.
Appears ~$8 is established resistance level, as it continues to put in Higher Lows off trend-line while 200DMA climbs higher to act as dynamic support/confluence..
ASX:CIA ASX:MIN
Iron Ore Futures ~ Snapshot TA / Coiling like a Steel RollIron Ore Futures coiling like a steel roll in a series of Lower Highs & Higher Lows since October 2022.
Break above 116.60 = Bullish momentum towards 134.85 (38.2% Fib Retracement)
Break below 99.40 = Bearish momentum towards 77.60 (78.6% Fib Extension)
Seasonality typically favours the Bulls running strong into end of year - we'll see if it still rings true this year, given China's current economic woes..
Boost/Follow appreciated.
Futures: SGX:FEF1! SGX:FEF2! COMEX:TIO1! COMEX:TIO2!
ASX: ASX:BHP ASX:RIO ASX:FMG ASX:MIN ASX:CIA
NYSE: NYSE:VALE
Iron ore hits record-low as demand drops By the end of 2022, the price of iron ore is expected to hit their lowest level in three or four years as global demand for the commodity continues to slow down, particularly from China, the world's largest consumer of iron ore.
In recent years, China has been cutting down its iron ore demand especially after the government placed restrictions on the industry to reduce carbon emissions. In 2021, the country's iron ore import fell to 1.12 billion tons from 1.17 billion tons in the prior-year period.
Expectations for 2022 from the production side are no better with Australia, the world's biggest exporter of iron ore, projecting a 0.6% drop in global steel output to 1.947 billion tons.
"Combined with growing global recessionary fears, new COVID-19 outbreaks and weakness in China's housing sector have dampened world steel and iron ore demand in recent months," the Australian government said in its October quarterly report.
A Reuters survey in October showed that prices are expected within the $90/ton to $115/ton range by the end of the year. MetalMiner data shows the price in early 2022 were at $160.30/ton at the beginning of Russia's war against Ukraine.
The decline comes despite forecasts of growth in the demand for iron ore through to 2026. The global market for iron ore is estimated to reach 2.7 billion metric tons, while production is expected to reach 3.17 billion metric tons.
Until definite signs of recovery are observed, maybe it is best to err on the side of caution regarding iron ore prices, especially considering the threats of a recession in Europe and the persisting problems in China's property sector, which could heavily impact on the demand for the key steelmaking ingredient.
Iron Ore Prices at Risk as Prices Trade in Descending Triangle Iron ore prices have carved out a Descending Triangle pattern. That puts a breakdown on the table if prices pierce below wedge support. The measured move puts a downside target well below the 90 psychological level, leaving the 2021 low in focus.
AUD/CAD 700 Pips Bargain: AUSSIE's Plight Deteriorates FurtherFundamentals :
The China Factor : Australia's economy is intimately linked to trade with China.
(1) China's lack of demand for iron ore as their economy undergoes a recession.
" Disaster looming in Australian economy as iron ore demand falls " (Daily Telegraph: www.dailytelegraph.com.au )
www.imf.org
fred.stlouisfed.org
markets.businessinsider.com
(2) Deterioration of China's economy due to a zero-covid strategy
(3) China's property sector is cooling
(4) Aussie's Housing data becomes " haunting ": stockhead.com.au
Technicals :
Past support becoming future resistance
Weekly BBT
Monthly BBT
Hit Bollinger Band 2nd Deviation in a slightly ranging market with a downward slope
Medium-term trend direction is downward
dHd
SHORT FMGThanks for viewing
Just a simple technical analysis of the share price of FMG assuming continued correction from all time highs. Mostly just based on the Iron ore price having lost 55% from 2021 highs and still being 50% (while FMG is only down only 28%) down presently.
Mapped out some support / demand and resistance / supply zones. Thinking something around sub-$12 would be a good short-term target (although I expect a bounce at the $14 level). Also based on 1:1 extension of the deep correction and retrace and a 1.618 extension of what may be wave 1 & 2 of the last 5 waves down to complete the correction. They line up relatively closely, so it seems like a good spot.
Price may push above the 200EMA before continuing correction, although near-term upside potentially $19.50. We will see.
Fundamental... more and more speculation about the debt crisis unfolding in China in the property and banking sectors. We can never get the full picture. However, that combination of issues could seriously dent imports - especially construction steel.
Increasing possibility that anecdotal evidence of a steep drop-off in residential construction in China is accurate. But, we don't have to speculate that far given the weakness in global iron ore prices. While FMG's cost of production is around $15 per ton it will clearly still be profitable, there will be less profit and earnings forecasts due later this month are lower than the previous Q1 and any further weakness in global iron ore prices will probably prompt at least some investors to sell up and continue the downside correction.
Protect those funds.
A Kangaroo Hop!Things seem to be going well down under. With Iron Ore prices jumping close to 8% last week, Australia, the largest exporter of the raw material stands to benefit greatly. In 2021, Iron Ore exports totaled close to US$120 billion. This contributes greatly to the demand side pressure on the Australian dollar.
Looking at the charts, the AUDUSD pair is currently trading at the bottom of the channel support on the 1-hr time frame. With the 200-period moving average right below current levels, we think downside resistance will prove strong and prices will bounce off the bottom of the rising channel quickly.
Stay tuned to the Reserve Bank of Australia’s meeting tomorrow and time your entry there! Assuming no surprises and the technical supports are intact, we favor the long side for the AUDUSD pair.
Entry at 0.7190, stop below 0.712. Targets are 0.7346 and 0.7460.
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.
Is FMG in a Livermore Accumulation Cylinder?So I'm most of the way through Jessie Livermore's classic books on audible Reminiscences of a Stock Operator & Jesse Livermore’s Methods of Trading in Stocks . Looking back at this FMG chart could this be considered a Livermore accumulation cylinder? Love to know your thoughts! Comment / Find me on Twitter.
AUD/USD & AUD/JPY Analysis / Iron Ore & InflationThe Australian Dollar has weakened in recent weeks due to Iron Ore prices declining as China's zero covid policy has caused investors to fear a slowdown in the world's second-biggest economy.
Australia exports 80% of Iron ore to China, so any slowdown in China will hit demand for Australia's commodity exports and put downward pressure on the currency.
We also have Australian inflation data out tomorrow, which could surprise to the upside and beat economists' forecast, causing a rally higher in the Australian Dollar on rate hike expectations.
In this video I break down what could play out and how to make money from the potential outcomes.
Australian Dollar Iron Ore Prices Causing AUD to StrengthenIn this video I break down why the Australian Dollar is bullish because Iron Ore prices are rallying due to the war in Ukraine.
Iron Ore is Australia's key commodity export, therefore higher prices increases the demand for Australian Dollars.
Watch this video to learn how commodities have an impact on certain currencies in the Forex market.
Commodity prices: Iron OreFrom mid-September until the end of October, Iron Ore appeared to have found a safe space above US $100. Now, after a steep decline beginning October 27, 2021, Iron Ore has started to test May 2020 lows, close to US $90 per metric tonne. The commodity is grating against predictions by ANZ Bank (ASX: ANZ) for it to “find a floor around current levels”.
Demand (or lack thereof) from China is what has driven the price of Iron Ore sub-100 dollars. Chinese authorities have ordered its steel manufacturers (large consumers of Iron Ore) to cut production to meet targets to reduce energy consumption and pollution across its provinces. China’s production restrictions are scheduled to last until mid-March 2022.
According to S&P Global, Iron Ore outlook is unfavourable, with “pricing risk is to the downside” as supply tends to increase in the latter half of the year.
FMG / Fortescue holding supportFortescue has been in a steady downtrend since the drop of iron ore prices in August. Since October, however, it was able to hold support at around 14 over and over again. With the recent drop in SGX:FEF1! this especially notable.
I am fundamentally bullish on Fortescue due to its fundamentals (balance sheet, green hydrogen ambitions, autonomous hauling) but it's hard to find a good entry point with iron ore prices plunging this rapidly.