22ND, 23RD, 24TH TRADING STRATEGY: GBPUSD - BREXIT/ REFERENDUMIn the previous post we have used the Price Action data from the Scottish UK Referendum for GBPUSD for the 3-days on and around the vote so the 17th, 18th (vote day) and 19th (result day) of September 2014 as a gauge to forecast whats in store for Price action on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week (the parallel days for both of the referendums).
Reliability of the estimates made in the previous post:
1. Given the excessive absolute implied volatility (larger than 2007 levels) which is likely to be anywhere between 40-60% on the day(s) as we currently trade near 30%; and the excessive relative implied vol levels compared to the SUR, which only realised 9% at the time, which is 5-8x less than the market expects for the Brexit vote, the daily range estimate of 340-480pips for each of the 3 days on average is warranted - especially as we have already realised an ATR of 371 last week on the 17th, thus making a 480 pip range not particularly unlikely.
- Historical Vol for UER has also traded 80%+ higher already in the last 3 days compared to SUR.
- these implied and realised volatility differentials in mind, I also think the range of 1.35-1.57 is also prudent, though i think the risks are skewed to the downside of the model rather than the upside.
Trading Summary:
- For 22nd, 23rd, 24th we predict an ATR of 340pips, currently trading at 1.47 which is a 4x resistance level on the Daily, i think this range will be skewed to the downside, so I advise shorting GBPUSD >1.47 with SL at 1.484, TP anywhere from 1.46 to 1.40 for 2 reasons:
1) range trading in mind, a scalping 50-100pip strategy may also be useful given the high expected volatility and range, shorting all pullbacks to 1.47 may enable several 50-100pip TP trades.
2) Given the high expected range (340-480pips) and 500pip Standard deviation, the long-term play e.g. 1.40tp is also one I am trading as GU is likely to reach these levels in this environment of unparalleled volatility.
-Currently I am splitting my margin between scalp trades and long-term GU positions (good for portfolio diversification) at this point in time, e.g. I have a few GBP shorts with close TP and a few with longer TP targets, this reduces my macro portfolio risk:reward as you reduce the risk of the shorter trades, but increase the reward of the longer trades.
- ATM I am 8.5/10 short GBP vs USD and CHF (JPY is too volatile - 25% more so than GU and GCHF)
Risks to the Trading strategy:
- If GU breaks and holds above 1.485, my short play conviction falls massively to 2/10 (from 8.5/10) as for me it signals a potential trend reversal for GU to price higher since 1.47 has held for 6 months - I will cut all shorts past 1.485 and I am not interested in shorting GU if it holds past 1.48.
- Further, there are risks that due to massive expected volatility/ uncertainty, game theory fears everyone out of the market e.g. everyone is too scared to trade, thus the spot market trades paradoxically against the volatility and realises flat price action since there is no volume.
- This forecast and strategy is based purely on range bound trading (as guessing the direction IMO is too difficult giving the volatility/ uncertainty in the market and also as I believe the market should realise large ranges - thus validating the strat), however if the range/ price action assumptions do not hold true to some degree e.g. we trade flat or just rocket north, then the Short only strategy is obviously flawed.
*See the 22nd, 23rd, 24th Forecast PA post attached to this one which shows the forecast used*
ON
22ND, 23RD, 24TH FORECAST: GBPUSD - BREXIT PRICE ACTION ANALYSISUK EU Referendum (Brexit) vs Scottish UK Referendum Price Action Forecast:
- We will use the difference in ATR and volatility between the 3-day run up into UK EU Referendum (UER) and the Scottish UK Referendum (SUR) in order to forecast what we expect price action to show on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th.
2014 SUR 3-DAY EVENT (17,18.19)
1. 1-Period ATR for the 17th 18th and 19th was 110pips, 163pips and 241pips - average of 171pips
2. 3-Day range was: 280pips - 1.6240 to 1.6520
3. On the day 12noon Implied ATM vol 17th-19th was: 8.8% 79th, 8.01% 52nd, 6.97% 22nd
4. On the day 10-period Historical Vol was: 10.4%, 10.4%, 11.1%
2014 SUR 3-DAY LEAD UP (14,15,16)
1. 1-Period ATR for the 12th 15th and 16th was 73pips, 53pips and 149pips - average of 91pips
2. 3-Day range was: 150pips - 1.6150 to 1.6300
3. On the day 12noon Implied ATM vol 12, 15, 16th was: 8.82% 76th, 9.34% 87th and 8.45% 65th
4. On the day (12,15,16) 10-period Historical Vol was: 10.9%, 10.8%, 10.4%
vs
2016 UER 3-DAY LEAD UP (17, 20, 21)
1. 1-Period ATR for the 17th, 20th and 21st was 195pips, 371pips 155pips - Average of 255pips
2. 3-day Range was: 580pips - 1.4195 to 1.4775
3. On the day 12noon Implied ATM vol was: 23.2% 100th, 24.3% 100th and 20.16% 99th
4. On the day 10-period Historical Vol was: 14.1%, 19.4%, 19.2%;
*2016 UER 3-DAY EVENT (22, 23, 24) FORECAST*
1. 1-Period ATR for the 22nd, 23rd and 24th FORECAST: `293pips, 1141pips, 250pips; (171pips/91pips)*255pips = average 480pips (average adj 340pips), SD of 500pips
2. 3-day Range FORECAST: +/-1100pips - 1.4600 to 1.3500-1.5700
3. On the day Implied/ Realised ATM vol FORECAST: Event Volatility has been implying anywhere from 30%-60% over the brexit 3 day period, with ATM currently trading at 26% already.
Evaluation:
1. The price action forecast around the event suggests that we could see a 1100pip range over the next 3 days (22, 23, 24) - given that we dont know the direction of the range, we can assume a distribution of 1100pip +/- at the current trading price thus forecasting GBPUSD to trade anywhere between 1.35-1.46-1.57.
- Further, the model expects an average daily range of 480pips, with the vote day skewing the average significantly (1141pips), therefore i think a 340pip (average adjusted) daily range is more likely.
2. Combining the estimated distribution range of 1.35-1.46-1.57 with the standard deviation of the foretasted daily ranges = 500pips, the model ends up showing significant statistical relevance by backward validating itself e.g. +/- 2SD of the mean at 1.4600 is 1.5600 and 1.3600 (+/- 2*500pip).
Before knowing this the model had already forecasted a 1.35-1.57 range thus this is somewhat reassuring as the model held true when back tested using +/- 2SD. 2SD is significant as it accounts for 95% of outcomes.
- The model also estimates that the tail risk of a BREXIT would cause GBPUSD to fall -3SD which is down to <1.31 (1.46 minus 1500pips) - this is also somewhat close to what I would have expected the day after the vote.
*See the 22nd, 23rd, 24th Trading strategy post where I link this information to execution*
BREXIT GBP: USE USDJPY AS A RISK-BAROMETER & WAIT FOR LONDON 8AMIndicators to check BEFORE GBP Shorting for confirmation
I also suggest using two other key pieces of information BEFORE shorting GBP.
1. Use USDJPY as a measure of market risk appetite and stability
- As you can see below UJ has traded with a tight 38pip range vs GBP$ at 180pips. Therefore we can use UJ as a measure of stability and risk appetite:
1) because of its stability - UJ isn't acting as susceptible to the volatility "noise" - with 4.5x less range; and
2) because as we know UJ is the "safe haven" FX pair which is sold massively when markets are trading risk-off. or risk averse.
- How to use UJ for GBP direction: Assuming UJ is the stable measure of risk (which has been true for the past week) it is fair to ALSO assume:
1) A rise in UJ means increased JPY selling which means there is a stronger risk-on attitude in the market as investors shed "safe yen" - buying GBP in the uncertain BREXIT environment IMO is considered the "risk-on" move - SO we can confirm GBP rallies with a rise in UJ
2) Conversely a fall in UJ means JPY buying, which means investors are seeking risk-off/ safer currency plays - selling GBP in the BREXIT uncertainty environment IMO is considered the "risk-off/ low risk" move - SO we can confirm new GBP shorts with a fall in UJ
*If you believe that the risk-on/ risk-off moves are the other way round e.g. GBP upside is the low risk play - then you can STILL use UJ as the indicator, just the other way around than above.
IMO and logically, GBP lower in this uncertain UK environment is the LOW RISK trade - especially given we traded at 1.46 8wks ago (not much downside is priced at these levels thus GBP moves lower are lower risk)
2. Wait for London open between 8am-10am GMT (4-6 hours from now)
- In these past weeks, the London open has been a key catalyst for GBP direction ESPECIALLY on the Sunday-Monday Asia which over as all of the weekend information is priced in for the biggest FX clients in LDN.
- Therefore it is prudent NOT to take a position until the big money volatility/ fluctuations/ noise is out of the way otherwise SL's may be susceptible to being hit AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, we may misjudge the market direction/ sentiment (given LDN is the largest FX Flow session).
- Several times the market direction and momentum has changed or been confirmed aggressively during the London open 8am-10am GMT so I think this indicator is a vital determinant
UK EU REFERENDUM/ BREXIT: BUY EQUITY RISK AND GOLD DISCOUNTEDThe UK EU Referendum has presented significant discounted buying opportunities, with many blue chip names anywhere from 5-15% down in the last 2wks.
The uncertainty regarding the UK position in the European Union has pushed investors to see Gold, Treasuries and JPY, whilst fleeing risk equities.
- IMO the next week or two will form a trend of oscillating risk-on/ risk-off asset price swings as the markets reflect the volatile investor sentiment - this opens up significant arbitrage opportunities within the equity markets and Gold - by owning both on pullbacks you then TP as the investor sentiment switches into the favour of each - as it is bound to do.
- Essentially this strategy is a volatility play (ATM volatility for Gold almost double since last month), you naturally own both "sides" of the market (risk-on and risk off), thus taking profit when the sentiment swings in the way of each of the assets.
1. My personal Favourite GOOG and FB are currently trading at an average of apprx 10% down - I advise buying GOOG and FB at these levels, in a pyramid (increase lots if further downside occurs).
- Long GOOG and FB can be used as an event scalp as I expect their values to climb 2-5% back within the week, or you can hold longer for the full 10%. GOOG and FB discounted 5-10% are high alpha and low beta trades since IMO fundamentally they operate monopoly's over the Online Marketing Market and have significant Top and bottom line figures.
- Alternatively you could pick up Nasdaq 100 Index at a 5% discount, and own the market which in the long run will pay off - although I do not advise this trade so much (3/10) as I believe equities are due a correction - especially coming into earnings.
2. Long Gold on any 2-5% pullback, which i think we will see by Tuesday is a good trade: 1) as Gold will rally on Wednesday/ Thursday as global Macro risk is hedged for the vote day. 2) In the longer run, Risk assets (spx) are due a correction, thus Gold is due to outperform and have a bull run. 3) By holding Gold on pullbacks you can benefit from the tail risk of the UK actually REALISING BREXIT where IMO Gold would rally 10% as the Global Macro environment flees to safety.
3. By playing both the long Gold and Equity on pull backs you benefit from: 1) the natural hedge of owning long risk and Risk-off assets, thus your portfolio is diversified to perform in the short run for any outcome but also in the long run. 2) you own both assets at a discount so probability is on your portfolios side.
GBP DOWNSIDE BREXIT POSITIONING & VOLATILITY UPDATEMy FX portfolio currently consists of :
- 2Long x USDJPY @ 106.8; 2Short x GBPJPY @ 151.2 (dynamic hedge for long UJ); 2Short x GBPUSD @ 1.4570. I will add to my short GBPUSD holdings if i can get a similar price & I may add to short GBPCHF or EURCHF downside if markets make a turn for the worst as IMO CHF denominations are under-priced relatively (as discussed in the attached article).
ATM Implied Volatility and Historical Volatility:
- GBPUSD ATM IV continues to rally today, despite being in the 2 year 100th percentile, to trade at 19.15% (0.6 up) currently, 1wks 20.5% (up 1.5), 1m 29% (up 0.5) from yesterday, whilst HV continues to trade relatively flat at 10%, with ATR increasing about 10 pips on the week.
- This positive divergence in IV and HV means that GU potentiallly has almost 2x as much more volatility to show in its price action - so I expect the market to get much more rangy in the coming weeks, so anyone day trading i advise to leave GBP crosses alone and i advise a MINIMUM SL of 1 ATR which is 150 pips, as IV implies such moves will become less and less uncommon in the coming weeks.
Therefore I also suggest only play longer term 2/3wk positions so that the 150pip SL can be justified with 300+pips of upside tp.
- GU Risk Reversals on the 1wk increased to -2 (from -1.8) with the 1m trading flat at -8.7, so we can expect further downside in the pair as puts in the nearterm continue to be demanded more so than the calls - which makes sense in this highly volatile and fundamentally short environment.
Vol demand
- GBPJPY and GBPCHF1wk and 1m risk reversals in the long run are becoming negative at a higher rate/ momentum compare to USD e.g. investors are buying GBPJPY and GBPCHF Puts at an increasingly faster rate than GBPUSD puts (the change of the RR values are increasingly negative more than the GU - The GU RRs are almost already fully priced). Hence, from a future value point of view (since the demand for downside is not outpacing that of GU) we can expect, GCHF and GJPY to in the future fall at a faster rate than GU, which makes sense given the room let until the next support levels.
- GJ 1wk and 1m are at -0.9 and -7.4, whilst GCHF are at -1.2 and -5.6 (compared to GU at the above -2 and -8.7), we can see that the put demand for GJ and GCHF still has room to increase until it reaches the levels that GU is trading at hence why I like expressing GJ and GCHF even more so.
- Finally, GJ and GCHF HV trade at 19 and 15 respectively. However GJ vols are begging to trade lower, (perhaps indicating the pair is now becoming oversold) and GBPCHF HV is trending higher (indicating that sell side demand may be picking up now that the GJ expression is reaching its fully priced state, after selling off since sunday).
This supports my view from my last piece about getting short GBPCHF now vs adding shorts to GU or GJ since they are much more overweight to the downside.
Fed/Brexit - Risk on vs Risk-off assets, convergence?? :Ssomethings not right - All time low volume too, JPY booming, Bonds rallying - low liquidity is artificially driving the market up???
The market will tank soon... the financial conditions are gonna tighten like post 2009
this bull move isnt backed by non-risk assets
in true bull markets we see 3 things 1. Low GOLD 2. LOW JPY 3. Low US Bonds
today we only see 1. Low gold.. missing the other two.
This market "confusion" is likely caused by the uncertainty regarding the Fed hike cycle and possible Brexit risks spilling over - Low volume shows people do not want to hold risk - be careful with longs here
Hang Seng If the recent developments in the markets hold and fear dissipates, I think a play on Hang Seng index would be terrific opportunity. To be sure, I am still expecting a slight pull back to around 18500.
This index is peculiar in the sense it has some good correlation with China but is not as violent as CSI index.
For someone with high risk appetite, this should work well. Some risk money could be allocated here.
Note: This is not exactly a China play. It's more of decoupling from the ridiculously elevated level of coupling play.
DSKX Begins To Rally After The Conference CallShares of DSKX continues to rally from last week after they held a conference call to discuss the recently announced agreement to acquire Radiancy, Inc., a leading developer of consumer medical devices and the Neova® dermatological products.
It appears investors are beginning to notice the financial value this new deal brings and the future outlook of the company, so if you haven't already, I highly encourage you to listen to today's conference call as soon as possible. Much larger company structure overall, significant increase in revenue, assets, cash flow and working capital with a very reputable management team to move the company forward. The fact that the current market cap is only 33M is what really gets me excited. Listen to the call to learn more:
The replay of the conference call can be heard by dialing 1-888-286-8010 in the United States and Canada or +1-617-801-6888 internationally, then referencing the Conference Passcode "56187013" A recording of the call can also be heard on the company website.
In the call, the DS Healthcare Group management team shared their motivations and answered questions relating to the business fundamentals on the Radiancy & Neova® deal, explaining how natural strategy alignment and synergies will lead to significant bottom line contribution.
The call was hosted by Mark Brockelman (CFO), Manny Gonzeles (CCO) and Renee Barch-Niles (CEO) and took place on Thursday, February 25th, 2016, at 8:30 a.m. EST.
-Renee Barch-Niles (CEO), an experienced CPG Executive who drove double-digit year-over-year growth in global food, drug, mass, club and specialty channels for Global companies such as Daymon Worldwide and Emilia Personal Care.
-Mark Brockelman (CFO) who has great experience in mergers and acquisitions, systems integration expertise and highly astute financial acumen. Mr. Brockelman Brockelman served as the Chief Financial Officer for National Dentex Corporation as well as the Senior Vice President/Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of the Miami Dolphins.
-Manny Gonzalez (CCO), a former top (NASDAQ: PG) Procter & Gamble executive managing a team of 7,000 sales representatives in the U.S., who has direct access to every major retailer in the country.
Acquisition Press Release Below:
finance.yahoo.com
For full disclose please visit: www.stockpicksnyc.com
USD / CHF Cypher pattern on playUSD / CHF Cypher pattern on play
YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ME ON
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com
SKYPE: infoparasuram
IG: www.instagram.com
FB: facebook.com/pmandelbaum]https://www. facebook-2.97% .com/pmandelbaum
TWTR: twitter.com
WEB : forextradersclub.wordpress.com
LIVE TRADING ROOM - CHART SIGNALS - ONE TO ONE MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS