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Natural Gas: A look at term structureLast week , we examined Natural Gas from a seasonality perspective. This week, we aim to extend that discussion and explore other ways to implement a similar view. To quickly recap: From a seasonality standpoint, we identified short-term opportunities for a downward move in Natural Gas. Factors such as higher-than-normal storage levels, unseasonably warm weather, and the typical price trends from December to January suggest a potential decline in prices. Additionally, prices have recently broken past initial short-term support, now trading below the $3 handle. Another perspective worth considering is the term structure. Term structure refers to the difference between futures prices of various maturities of commodity futures. It is visualized by plotting the prices of different expiry contracts, forming what we refer to as the term structure curve. The term structure reveals other insight that we can explore, starting with the basic slope, which can be categorized as flat, upward sloping, or downward sloping. Understanding these can reveal potential mispricing or provide a clearer picture of market expectations at different future points. Contango An upward-sloping term structure, known as "Contango", occurs where contracts closer to expiry are priced cheaper relative to those further from expiry. This can be attributed to factors like storage costs where contracts further from expiry might trade at higher prices due to the associated storage expenses. Sellers, therefore, demand higher prices to offset these costs. Backwardation A downward-sloping term structure, termed “Backwardation,” happens when prices in the near months are higher than those further from expiry. This might occur for various reasons such as a benefit to owning the physical material, also known as convenience yield or even just short-term demand pressures. Term Structure With a rough idea of contango and backwardation in mind, we can now look at Natural Gas term structure. The chart above shows the term structure for natural gas 1 year ago, 6 months ago and yesterday. Here we can see the 3 distinct shapes for the term structure, especially when we focus on the front part of the term structure. With the term structure a year ago deeply in backwardation, 6 months ago in contango and current term structure in a generally flat shape. We also observe that term structure shapes can change quite rapidly hence it can be valuable to look at the shape of the curve to place strategies on the term structure. For instance, if we maintain a short-term bearish but long-term bullish view, one strategy could be to short the front part of the curve while going long on the back part. This can be achieved by creating a Jan – Jun 2024 calendar spread, going short on the Jan 2024 contract and long on the Jun 2024 contract. What’s interesting when we look at the Calendar spread vs the outright price moves in the individual leg is that the direction of the outright contract moves generally dictates the direction of the calendar spread. Again, this could happen for a couple of reasons, one being that trading activity often concentrates on the front part of the term structure for liquidity reasons, hence, making the front part of the term structure generally more reactive than the back part of the term structure. But why trade the calendar spread instead of the outright? Reduced Margin Benefits of trading the calendar spread instead of the individual month contract include lowered margin requirements due to margin offsets from CME, reducing the margin needed compared to outright positions. Reduced sensitivity to risk/black swan events Both long and short positions in a spread will react together to risk events, albeit to different magnitudes, mitigating overall exposure. For example, during the Natural Gas rally in 2021, while outright prices increased from $2.5 to $9.5, the Jan – Jun 2023 calendar spread only increased by $1 over the same period. Similarly, on the decline, outright prices fell close to $8, but the calendar spread fell by only $0.74. This relatively controlled price swing allows for more manageable risk compared to outright contracts. Hence to express our short-term bearish but long-term bullish view, we can take a short position on the CME Henry Hub Natural Gas January 2024 Futures and a long position on the CME Henry Hub Natural Gas June 2024 Futures at the current level of 0.11. The same position can also be expressed using the newly launched (on 6 November 2023) CME Micro Natural Gas. At 1/10 the size of the full-sized contract, the margin requirements to set up a position become more manageable. Micro Natural Gas Futures Margin Requirements Alongside the lowered margin requirements, it offers the opportunity to tactically average into a position to achieve a better average entry price for the same amount of capital. Each 0.001 point move in the full-sized Henry Hub Natural Gas Futures is 10 USD while a move in the Micro Henry Hub Natural Gas Futures is 1 USD. 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 www.cmegroup.com www.cmegroup.com
NYMEX:NGF2024Short
by inspirante
Yield Curve Bottom (10s minus 2s) This is called the "Steepener" trade and refers to a mean reversion in the yield curve. From current level of (-38 basis points, or -0.38%), I'm targeting a move back to 1.00%, or ~70bp, risking down to about (-45bp), or about (-13bp) downside. Yield curve steepeners seek to gain from a greater spread between short- and long-term yields-to-maturity by combining a “long” short-dated bond position with a “short” long-dated bond position, while a flattener involves sale of short-term bonds and purchase of long-term bonds. - CFA Institute
TVC:US10YLong
by jBTCkingaling
1
The Turning TidesGermany, Europe's economic powerhouse, has consistently delivered impressive performance since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and the European debt crisis. This strong performance is rooted in Germany's strong manufacturing sectors and robust export activities. The country's economic strength is exemplified by the DAX's considerable outperformance of other European indices since the early 2000s. DAX (Deutscher Aktienindex) is a blue-chip stock market index comprising the 40 largest German companies traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Top constituents include internationally renowned firms such as SAP, Siemens, Allianz, Airbus, and Bayer. On the other hand, the STOXX50 index represents a much broader scope, encompassing 50 of the most liquid blue-chip companies in the Eurozone, including ASML, LVMH, and others. Since the dawn of the new millennium, the DAX index has surged by more than 180%, whereas the STOXX50 is only now approaching pre-2008 GFC levels. The DAX's relative outperformance becomes evident when looking at the regression channel of the ratio between these two indices. However, the prevailing narrative may be on the cusp of a significant shift. On a closer examination of the factors underpinning Germany's superior performance, it emerges that sector weightings and macroeconomic conditions have played pivotal roles. Notably, the DAX has consistently underweighted financials as compared to the STOXX50 index. Post-2008, the Eurozone's interest rates have witnessed a consistent downtrend. This period of extraordinarily loose financial conditions and low bond yields, largely a by-product of Quantitative Easing (QE), has favored technology and growth stocks. The main drivers are the availability of cheap capital and a stronger emphasis on growth potential over current valuations. Conversely, the same conditions have exerted considerable pressure on financials, as their earnings capabilities have been seriously compromised. This is precisely why the European banking sector has lagged considerably behind its US counterparts and has yet to recover to pre-GFC levels. This whole dynamics began to falter last year as inflationary pressures mounted, especially in European countries grappling with additional challenges, such as the Russian-Ukraine war and an energy crisis. The European Central Bank, following in the footsteps of the Federal Reserve and other central banks, finally embarked on a journey to raise interest rates, leading to one of the fastest-paced interest rate increases in modern history. Furthermore, Germany's export sector is encountering headwinds as the global economy edges closer to a potential recession, triggered by the tightening measures undertaken by central banks. Demand for products such as automobiles is likely to dwindle, particularly from major trading partners like China and the US. On the other hand, a healthier, more normalized yield curve is finally offering some respite to European financial institutions. This shift could eventually curtail DAX's persistent outperformance compared to other European indices like STOXX50. From a technical perspective, the price action also implies an impending change. The DAX/STOXX50 ratio has arguably completed a Head-and-Shoulder top and is currently sitting on the lower bound of the regression channel. A breakout to the downside could potentially signal the end of a two-decade-long uptrend, leading to a significant reversal in relative performance between DAX and STOXX50. A hypothetical investor looking to express this view could consider establishing a short Micro DAX and long Micro STOXX50 spread at a notionally equivalent amount. The added advantage of this relative trade is that beta exposure is substantially reduced. For example, if a global recession causes most equity markets to decline, this relative trade could still benefit if the DAX falls more than the STOXX50. Do note that a spread-trading strategy may incur additional commission fees versus a traditional outright strategy. Hot tip: Phillip Nova is currently offering zero-commission trading of the EUREX Micro-DAX® Futures and Micro-EURO STOXX 50® Futures. Click here to learn more. To create a notionally equivalent DAX/STOXX50 spread, an investor might short 1 Micro DAX futures (EUR 1 per index point) and go long on 4 Micro STOXX50 futures (EUR 1 per index point). The notional amount of the Micro-DAX futures would approximately be 15,800 EUR. Meanwhile, the notional amount of the 3 STOXX50 futures would approximately be 3 x 4280 = 17,120 EUR. The margin required for each contract of Micro-DAX would be 1,588 EUR while the Micro-STOXX50 would be 380 EUR (as of 10 July 2023). Disclaimer: The contents of this Idea are intended for information purposes only and do not constitute investment recommendations 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.
EUREX:FDAX1!
by inspirante
Nifty / CNX 500Hello and welcome to this analysis CNX 500 after a very lengthy period of sideways correction that started in OCT 2021 has shown a very strong reversal in APRIL 2023. The relative strength chart has now given a fresh signal of further strengthening of CNX 500 over NIFTY, suggesting that CNX 500 stocks shall outperform NIFTY stocks for quite some time. It also means that if there is a correction in markets, the Nifty stocks will correct more than CNX 500 stocks. From levels point of view today's close has happened at 1.18. As long as the ratio sustains below 1.20 this can move down towards 1.13 and more. The balance part of this month could lead by the segment. Trade and Invest wisely
NSE:NIFTY
by Dinesh_C_Nagpal
3
Gone Too Far…As the world remains engrossed in the unfolding drama of the debt ceiling, we believe another event of significance deserves our attention. Let's take a brief detour into the annals of economic history, looking at the era of Abenomics. This term refers to the monetary policy instituted during Shinzo Abe's second term as Prime Minister of Japan. Abenomics rested on the foundation of "Three Arrows" - aggressive monetary policy, fiscal consolidation, and a robust growth strategy. The outcome? The Nikkei embarked on an impressive bull run, seemingly unstoppable in its upward trajectory. This performance becomes all the more remarkable when compared to the S&P500, which managed a modest gain of only 12% over the same period. This comparison sparked an intriguing question: How do these two indices compare now, especially with the Nikkei shattering two-decade highs? When we chart the spread, the ratio of Nikkei 225 to S&P 500 stands on the brink of upper resistance, a boundary that has proven significant for nearly a decade. A more granular exploration of each index reveals some compelling details. For the S&P 500, we observe a break of the upper resistance as well as a break from an ascending triangle, both of which signify a bullish continuation. While RSI has not yet reached the overbought territory. On the other hand, the recent surge in the Nikkei 225 index has been robust and swift, surpassing the 2021 highs, with the RSI indicating an extreme overbought scenario. Thus, we suspect that the Nikkei's meteoric ascent may have overshot its mark. This situation presents an intriguing trading opportunity: shorting the Nikkei 225 / S&P 500 spread. This can be executed by shorting the Nikkei 225 Futures and going long on the S&P 500 Futures. To match the Nikkei 225 USD contract size at the current price of 31,300 with a contract value of 31,300 x 5 = 156,500 USD, we could utilize the Micro E-Mini S&P 500 Index Futures at the current price of 4,215 with a contract value of 4,125 x 5 = 21,075 USD. Hence, to balance the position size, we could employ 1 Nikkei 225 contract and 7 Micro S&P 500 contracts. The Nikkei 225 USD Futures represents 5 USD x Nikkei Stock Average. Prices are quoted in US dollars and cents per index point, each 5 point move is equal to 25 USD. The Micro E-Mini S&P 500 Futures represents 5 USD x S&P 500 index. Prices are quoted in US dollars and cents per index point, each 0.25 index point move is equal to 1.25 USD. 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.adb.org www.cmegroup.com www.cmegroup.com
TVC:NI225Short
by inspirante
Natural Gas: Has it Found a Bottom?Natural gas made a stunning rally to an all-time high, only to come crashing back down again. It's been a while since we last covered natural gas, so let's take a look at what's happened since then. The previous technical & seasonality setup played out perfectly with the RSI bouncing off the low and the rally into the winter season, hitting our profit target and extending further. This time, we're seeing a similar setup on a different timescale. Zooming out, natural gas has retraced the entire move it made in the past three years and is now back to pre-COVID levels. The question is, has natural gas found a bottom here? Looking at the weekly chart for natural gas over the past 20 years, we see an interesting picture. The weekly RSI has only broken past the 30 level five times over this two-decade period, and each time marked the rough bottom for natural gas. Fortunately, we're seeing this exact setup now, with prices seeming to find resistance at the $2 handle, which has also proven to be a reliable resistance level. Comparing the Henry Hub natural gas against the Dutch TTF natural gas, we can see the spread back to the lows when adjusting for the same unit measurement of MMBtu and in USD. On the fundamental side, this excerpt from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) sums up the outlook for Natural Gas vs Coal: “Natural gas-fired generation capacity in the United States has grown in recent years, although coal-fired generation has continued to decline. Lower coal-fired generation is due to a long-term trend of coal power plant retirements and increased competition with natural gas-fired combined-cycle plants when natural gas prices are low. A total of 11.5 gigawatts (GW) of U.S. coal-fired electricity generating capacity retired in 2022. No new coal-fired capacity has come online since 2013, and developers have not reported any plans to build new U.S. coal-fired capacity in the future. In contrast, nearly 6.1 GW of natural gas-fired capacity was added in 2022, according to our Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory.” Natural Gas saw a record high for the winter heating season. Additionally, close to 23% of US coal plants have plans to retire by 2029, and the last new coal plant that came online in the US was in 2013, 10 years ago. With coal plants being the second-largest source of electricity in the US and supply being cut, energy has to come from somewhere else. While the push for renewable energy continues, natural gas remains the main source of energy production. The dissipation of supply from retiring coal plants will likely be filled by natural gas. The reason being? Natural Gas currently remains most reliable form of energy source, while nuclear faces political pushbacks and Wind, Hydro & Solar have unpredictable/intermittent generation capacity. Lastly, the Dollar sits on a key level now. If broken, the weakening dollar could drive commodities prices higher en masse. All in all, the case to long natural gas from here seems reasonable, with the fundamental outlook for Natural gas still positive and the technical set-up pointing to a low. Taking a long position at the current levels of 2.186 and setting our stops at 1.85 and our first take profit level at 3.1 gives us a reasonable halfway point while setting our next take profit level at 3.8 gives us a higher profit potential if prices continue to rise. CME’s Henry Hub Natural gas is quoted in U.S. dollars and cents per MMBtu. Each 0.001 increment equal to 10$. 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.eia.gov www.eia.gov blogs.worldbank.org
NYMEX:NG1!Long
by inspirante
4
A Beefy Premium.Live cattle recently hit an all-time high, leaving us wondering if the rally has gone too far. The front month contract reached 177 on April 13, surpassing the previous record set in November 2014. Meanwhile, lean hogs have been trading lower since last year. One way to assess this trend is to look at the spread between the two livestock markets. Both the absolute price difference and the Live Cattle/Lean Hog ratio are currently at highs. The absolute price difference is at its second-highest level ever, with only March 2015 having a higher reading. The ratio spread, meanwhile, is trading at the higher end of the range since 2015. So, what's driving this trend? Well, we could start by looking at what caused the surge in 2015. A mix of live cattle rising and lean hog prices falling contributed to the surge in the spread as cattle inventories bottomed in 2014. Looking at the current supply dynamics, we see the smallest cattle herd in eight years, with the previous low marked by the 2014 episode and hog supplies on a downtrend but still above the previous decade’s average. As consumers become more environmentally conscious, they may prefer pork over beef due to the former’s lower environmental impact per calorie. Additionally, with the price gap between beef and pork increasing, price-sensitive consumers may switch to other protein sources as inflation continues to weigh on their mind. In the longer term, consumer preferences could flip to favour hogs over cattle. Seasonality effects are also pointing towards an unusual year. Historically, May marks the low point for the spread as hog prices run up towards the middle of the year. However, with May already underway, the spread is not close to any lows and lean hogs are still trading down. This suggests that the current year’s spread is trading abnormally high compared to past trends. Given that both Lean Hog & Live Cattle Futures have the same contract unit of 40,000 pounds and price quotation of US cents per pound, we can trade the spread of the two contracts using a 1:1 ratio. To express our bearish bias on the spread we can sell one contract of the Live Cattle Futures and buy one contract of the Lean Hog Futures. Keeping in mind the 2015 run took close to 1.5 years to bottom, we will place our stops further out at 110 and take profit at 45, giving the spread a longer horizon and more room to play out. Each 0.00025 increment equal to 10$. So, will you be switching from steaks to pork chops anytime soon? 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: usda.library.cornell.edu usda.library.cornell.edu www.cmegroup.com www.cmegroup.com ourworldindata.org
CME:LE1!Short
by inspirante
Gold Shines as Nasdaq DeclinesGold glows as risk blows. Multiple bank failures and shotgun bank marriages are bringing back scary memories of 2008. Amid gloom, demand for gold blooms. Gold is a resilient store of wealth, offers durable portfolio diversification, exhibits lower volatility relative to equities, and serves as an inflation hedge. As described in our last paper , among the six ways of investing in gold, CME COMEX's Gold Futures ("Gold Futures") is most optimal among them. This paper is set in two parts. Part 1 delves into Gold Futures. Part 2 articulates a spread trade case study comprising of long gold and short Nasdaq yielding a reward to risk ratio >1.4x . COMPREHENDING GOLD FUTURES AND ITS PARTICIPANTS Gold Futures is the world’s most liquid gold derivatives. Fifty billion USD notional is traded daily on average. This leads to unrivalled bid-ask spreads enabling investors to gain capital efficient exposure to the price of gold. Launched in 1974 and trading over nearly 50 years, Gold Futures offer tight correlation to physical gold prices. Gold Futures trade 23 hours a day. Trading starts every Sunday 5pm Chicago Time (6am Monday in Singapore) to Friday 4pm Chicago time (5am Saturday in Singapore) providing near round-the-clock access. Gold Futures provide superior capital efficiency with a leverage of nearly 25x at current prices. Gold Futures come in two sizes. Each lot of the full contract provides exposure to 100 oz. of Gold requiring $8,000 in margins per lot. However, each lot of Micro Gold contract delivers 10 oz. of gold price exposure. Micro contracts which require only $800 per lot in margins provides affordable access to investors while helping hedgers fine-tune their risk management strategies with more precious exposure. When trading spreads, investors can further boost return through margin credits. Broadly speaking, investors, hedgers, and speculators form the active participants in the gold futures market. Hedgers use futures to manage their overall gold portfolio risk exposure. They use derivatives to lock in price for future transactions or to effectively hedge against price fluctuations. Speculators participate in Gold Futures with the intent of punting on gold price moves to generate profits. Investors use gold futures for generating return on capital over an extended period. They tend to focus on underlying fundamentals rather than short-term price movements. All three types of market participants are essential for effective financial market operation. Together they help build deep liquidity pools thereby facilitating robust price discovery. GOLD IS SET TO OUTSHINE NASDAQ The Nasdaq Index comprises of one hundred large and most actively traded U.S firms listed on the Nasdaq exchange. The index includes firms from a variety of industries except financials. These include tech, health care, retail, biotech, and industrial companies. The index is weighted by market capitalisation. During risk-off phases, investors rush to shelter in safe-havens. Gold prices rise. Also, when rates rise, companies whose values hinge on future distant cash flows suffer. As those cash flows get discounted at steeper rates diminishing its present value, share prices plunge. As risks and rates rise & remain high, Gold will outperform Nasdaq. Validating this view is the positioning of participants based on CFTC’s Commitment of Traders (COT) report dated March 13th. It shows that managed money and speculators are net long on Gold. COT report of the same date shows that leveraged funds are net short in the CME E-Mini Nasdaq-100 futures. However, asset managers remain net long. The options market also vindicates the above views. Options on Gold Futures have a put/call ratio of 0.6x which signifies bullishness in gold. For every 10 bullish gold investors, there are only 6 bearish ones. However, for Nasdaq, options exhibit a put/call ratio of 2x meaning that for every 10 bullish Nasdaq investors, there are 20 bearish ones. Is a long position in Gold Futures a solid trade? Questionable, given that gold has rallied 10% since the start of banking crises. Current gold prices are overbought based on RSI. If crisis deepen, gold may continue its ascent. However, if market gains comfort from bailout assurances, gold prices will soften. Therefore, a directional long position in gold is beset with risk. However, as rates continue to rise or remain high, Nasdaq will struggle as growth firms get punished with discounted present value. Hence, this case study argues that a spread trade to long gold & short Nasdaq will deliver a compelling positive yield. Yes, growth stocks in Nasdaq have outperformed gold over the past twenty years. Yet, these stocks will struggle during times of crisis and elevated rates. The Gold-Nasdaq Ratio (“GNR”) had a golden crossover in January 2022 as equities came off its peak with rates rising. Since then, long-term (200-day) moving average has been a strong support for GNR. With GNR trading above this level, it provides investors a compelling spread trading opportunity with strong upside and limited downside. A long position in CME Micro Gold Futures expiring in June 2023 (MGCM3) provides exposure to 10 oz of Gold with a minimum margin requirement of $800 per lot. Each contract of MGCM3 represents a notional of $19,940. A short position in CME Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 Futures expiring in June 2023 (MNQM3) provides exposure to $2 x Nasdaq-100 index with a minimum margin requirement of $1,680 per lot. Each contract of Micro Nasdaq-100 represents a notional of $25,750. Spread trade requires notional values of each leg to be identical. Therefore, a long position of five lots of MGCM3 is required to offset a short position of four contracts of MNQM3 . Margin offsets are available for this spread. The trade entry, target, stoploss, and reward to risk ratio are set out below: • Entry: 15.27% • Target: 16.90% • Stop: 14.20% • Profit at Target: $10,172 • Loss at Stop: $7,230 • Reward-to-Risk Ratio: 1.4x MARKET DATA CME Real-time Market Data helps identify trading set-ups and express market views better. 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 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.
COMEX:GC1!Long
by mintdotfinance
Long AI Short HypeFighting innovation is a fool’s errand. Getting entangled in hype is no less. Generative AI is drawing attention. ChatGPT skyrocketed in popularity since launch last November. With its intuitive responses, it has become the fastest-growing app in history reaching one million users in five days and 100 million in two months. In contrast, Google took 12 months and Facebook required four years to get there. The virality highlights the potential disruptive power of generative AI. Disruptive innovation is not new. Railways in 1800s to Blockchain in the recent past provide ample history. As observed before, innovation takes time to mature. Yet the hype cycle races ahead only to plunge in time to normalise. This paper uses iShares Exponential Technologies ETF (XT) as a proxy to cutting edge innovation. XT invests in global firms with exposure to exponential tech, which displaces older tech. It invests across nine themes comprising of firms in both developed and emerging markets that create or use exponential tech. This paper argues for gains to be harvested from sinking hype using a spread trade. A long position in CME Micro E-Mini Nasdaq Futures (MNQ) combined with a short position in XT will deliver a compelling 1.49x reward to risk ratio. HISTORY OF HYPED INNOVATION Gartner hype cycle graphically depicts disruptive innovation journey. First comes the climb to peak hype. Second, fall to trough of disillusion. Third, slope of enlightenment followed by plateau of productivity. Using Google Trends as a proxy for hype cycle, it shows that market mania around AI is not new. AI searches surged in 2011 with the launch of Siri, Cortana, and IBM’s Watson. With natural language processing tech still in infancy, practical applications were limited then. And soon, the frenzy fizzled. Innovation in new machine learning algo such as convolutional neural networks and deep learning led to the launch of ChatGPT. Its potential is clear. Yet the tech is in early stages requiring a lot more work before it can mount serious challenge to existing tools. Tech parity will take considerable time let alone the meaningful monetisation which requires legal and ethical AI use hurdles to be cleared. One of the foremost examples of Gartner’s Hype Cycle is the boom in US Railways between 1840-1860. Hopes of ever-increasing returns attracted large scale investments only to result in eventual disappointment. Illustrations from recent past (Crypto, IoT, and Blockchain) shows similar fate of over-hyped tech. CURRENT HYPE IN XT, C3 AI, AND BEIJING DEEP GLINT A 23% surge in price in iShares Exponential Technologies ETF since mid-October last year is emblematic of Gartner’s hype cycle. This is even more evident in the share price of C3.ai. Founded by legendary entrepreneur Tom Siebel, this company was named C3 Energy when formed. It changed its name to C3 IoT in 2016 and then renamed again to C3.ai in 2019 to ride the waves of hype. US equities cannot claim monopoly over hype. Equities elsewhere get swayed too. Shares in Beijing Deep Glint Technology also rallied 80% spurred by ChatGPT. However, last week, the company announced challenges in offering ChatGPT-linked products causing its shares to tank 10%. ROAD AHEAD FOR GENERATIVE AI Generative AI is here to stay. Infancy for now but the tech will mature. Competition will rise. Winners will emerge. But monetization is another story altogether. Favouring innovation while frowning on hype fuelled by inflated expectations, this case study proposes a spread trade. A long position in CME Micro E-Mini Nasdaq Futures (MNQ) combined with a short position in iShares Exponential Technologies ETF (XT) delivers a compelling 1.49 reward to risk ratio. TRADE SET UP Why a spread trade? In the short term, elevated levels of uncertainty have left experts puzzled on whether we are in a bull market or a bear market rally. Hence, to extract pure alpha (by neutralising beta) of securing gains from diminishing hype, this case study proposes a spread trade. The spread will gain in a bullish market when MNQ rises relative to XT. Similarly, the spread will gain in a bearish market when XT falls more than MNQ. CME’s Micro E-Mini Nasdaq-100 Index Futures expiring in June 2023 (MNQM2023) provides a notional exposure to $2 x Nasdaq-100 index. With MNQM2023 settling at 12,525.50 on February 17th, the futures provide a notional exposure of $25,051. XT settled at $52.58 on the same day. A spread requires notional value of both the legs to be identical. Therefore, this requires short selling 476 units of XT for a short exposure of $25,028. • Entry: 238.218 • Target: 255 • Stop: 227 • Profit at Target: $ 1,760 • Loss at Stop: $ 1,180 • Reward-to-Risk Ratio: 1.49x MARKET DATA CME Real-time Market Data helps identify trading set-ups and express market views better. 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 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. REFERENCES www.cmegroup.com www.cmegroup.com
CME_MINI:MNQM2023Long
by mintdotfinance
18
Inter-exchanges spread is an interesting volatility indicatorAfter observing how much price could be different between exchanges especially during times of high volatility and emotion, I wondered whether I could reliably aggreggate and display concisely this information to improve my trading without having to frenetically check a dozen tickers of the same symbol across a dozen different exchanges, as most traders do, myself included. This led me to create two indicators based on this idea. Here is the first indicator, which summarizes the inter-exchanges spread by calculating the deviation (standard deviation or median absolute deviation, the latter being more robust against outliers - exchanges that saw scamwicks due to low liquidity or an unusually large whale doing an exceptional transaction): And here is the second one, which instead displays clouds of min-max values overlaid on the price data, so that we preserve the price data, which can be directly used to define stop losses or entries: The subject of this idea is what I highlighted by a red arrow in the chart above, from the second indicator applied to BTCUSD in the first half of March 2023, post SVB bank collapse. BTCUSD saw an unexpected face-ripping rally. No indicator I know of could predict it, and no price action was indicative, except from experience knowing that we were in the lows of the range and that it was a potential time for a rally up, but I could not predict the proportions. I knew that because of SVB being a black swan event, the pump could be big, but I had no indication it could be bigger than the post FTX rally. However, the second indicator linked above provided a convincing evidence of a much bigger volatility in the highs (green cloud) than in the lows (red cloud), which suggested that, in addition to an overall high volatility and hence emotions and hence likelihood of a big move potentially happening soon, the bigger green cloud suggested a bigger interest in longs than in sales (red cloud). Hence, it seems the second indicator's green and red clouds can also be seen as representative of buying-selling pressure in some ways that even buying and selling pressure indicators can't show (see also my other indicator which is a merge of several buying-selling pressure indicators): This is a very interesting observation that I don't think I saw before. I will keep investigating inter-exchanges metrics, as this may provide a new way to detect early market inefficiencies.
INDEX:BTCUSD
by tartigradia
1
Financials Gain With Tech In PainWhen central banks raise rates, financial sector outperforms. That is until credit crumbles by which time all bets are off. As federal funds rates spike and stay elevated for longer, lending rates will climb higher relative to deposit rates. Net Interest Margin ("NIM") which is the difference between lending and borrowing rates continues to favour financial services firms. Inflation while softening remains high in developed and emerging markets. Hopes of Fed pivot on rates is fading as inflation is starting to spike again in some countries. Central banks on either side of the Atlantic are determined to tame it down. Continued rate hikes push economies into recession, crush consumer demand while increasing credit (corporate & personal) defaults. At that stage, even the financial industry (“financials”) starts to feel the pinch. But growth and tech stocks will be hurt even more. These stocks will plummet as present values of future distant profits get discounted at higher rates. As financials gain from attractive NIMs, growth stocks meanwhile are likely to get hammered from elevated rates. This case study articulates a spread trade to harness yields from these anticipated market moves. Investors with portfolio exposure to S&P Financial Select Sector Index ("Financials Index") can participate in industry's outperformance. This index provides exposure to banks, mortgage firms, consumer financial firms, capital markets and insurance firms, among others. A long position in CME E-Mini Financial Select Sector Futures and a short position in CME Micro E-Mini Nasdaq-100 Index Futures will deliver >2.7x reward to risk ratio. HISTORICAL NEXUS BETWEEN TECH-HEAVY NASDAQ & FINANCIALS INDEX Over the last 10 years, the ratio of the Financials Index relative to Nasdaq-100 touched a high of 0.0917 in July 2013 and a low of 0.0342 in November 2020. The ratio rises when financials outperform Nasdaq. The ratio hovered around 0.072 on average from 2013 until the onset of pandemic linked monetary stimulus. It plunged when the monetary policy taps were let loose. Valuations of tech, high-growth, non-profitable firms soared relative to staid financials. However, with QE substituted by QT i.e., from monetary easing to tightening, financials are set to fight back. Frail demand with layoffs is the uncertain path ahead for tech. In contrast, financials appear poised with resilient balance sheets to swing the ratio back in its favour. DEMYSTIFYING S&P FINANCIAL SELECT SECTOR INDEX The Financials Index is market cap weighted and rebalanced quarterly. As of end February 2023, there were sixty-seven companies in total with the top-10 representing 53% of the index. Top-10 index constituents by weight and their 12-month price targets are summarised below. Price targets (PT) for the top-10 point to an average appreciation of 12%. The average of maximum PT among the top-10 delivers a spectacular gain of 29%. However, the average of minimum PT among the same group shows a drop of 8%. Clearly analyst targets are skewed towards a healthy upside gain with limited downside risk. FEDERAL FUNDS RATE TO STAY HIGHER FOR LONGER In speaking to Barron’s, Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America said that the Fed is going to have to leave the rates at a higher structure than people may believe. The Fed were late to the game, and they have got to keep rates high for long until it works through the system. ELEVATED RATES HURTING DEMAND BUT INVESTORS REMAIN EERILY BULLISH Tech sector is feeling the heat of melting demand. Revenues of S&P 500 tech firms is expected to grow only 2% this year. It is the slowest since 2016 as per Bloomberg Intelligence. Q4 earnings have been sending worrying signals for the largest tech companies. Earnings from Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon & Meta missed estimates by 8% on average, as per Bank of America. Despite cracks in Q4 earnings, investors’ enthusiasm for tech stocks remains bubbly. Nasdaq is up 13% this year. Rising share prices coupled with shrinking earnings estimates is pushing Nasdaq valuations into lofty zone. The Nasdaq is now priced at 24-times one-year forward earnings, compared to an average of 20-times over the last decade. Overpriced by 20% based on historical standards. In contrast, financials price-earnings ratios, as represented by Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF is at a humble14.5-times. Every dollar of earnings per year requires $14.5 in financials compared to $24 in Nasdaq. In theory, the Nasdaq is 66% more expensive than financials. Bullish markets this year has pushed Nasdaq stocks well ahead of price targets. This phenomenon might be the result of a bear market rally or short covering or rising retail participation or all of them. Consequently, ratio of financials to Nasdaq has slumped 9% so far this year setting the scene for an attractive spread trade entry. TRADE SET UP As central banks are determined to keep inflation down by keeping rates higher for longer, this paper demonstrates a long position in CME E-Mini Financial Select Sector Futures expiring in June 2023 (“financial futures”) and a short position in CME Micro E-Mini Nasdaq-100 Index Futures expiring in June 2023 (“Micro Nasdaq”) will deliver >2.7x reward to risk ratio. Spreads require that the notional values of each leg of the trade to be identical. Each financial futures provides an exposure to $250 x S&P Financial Select Sector Index. Meanwhile, each Micro Nasdaq provides an exposure of $2 x Nasdaq-100 Index. As of March 3rd, financial futures expiring in June 2023 settled at 446.4 while the Micro Nasdaq settled at 12,446.50. Balancing each leg of the trade requires 2-lots of financial futures (2 lots x $250 x 446.4 = $223,200) and 9-lots of Micro Nasdaq (9 lots x $2 x 12,446.50 = $224,037). Entry: 0.0359 (446.4/12,446.5) Target: 0.0405 Stop: 0.0342 Profit at Target: $ 28,800 Loss at Stop: $10,350 Reward-to-Risk Ratio: >2.7x MARKET DATA CME Real-time Market Data helps identify trading set-ups and express market views better. 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 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.
CME_MINI:XAFM2023Long
by mintdotfinance
The Bollinger Bands are Squeezing the Juice out of GrainsSoybean short swing trade: The Bollinger Bands width has narrowed to 2.56% of price which is a level not seen in over a year. A new 6-month or greater low in bandwidth indicates that a volatility squeeze breakout is likely upon us. Similar volatility squeeze situations exist in wheat and corn but they both broke to the downside significantly last week. Wheat was -6.42% on the week, corn -4.21%, and soybeans lagged at -0.20%. Soybean price reached the lower parabolic SAR which is a signal to short the volatility squeeze. The stop loss is positioned at the upper SAR for this trade. A stop above the 20-day SMA would be more conservative. The overarching price pattern is a rising wedge with what appears to be a fake breakdown in late January. If we hold below the 20-day SMA it will roll over in 3 days. Wheat shows a similar setup already occurred a couple weeks ago but it was a head fake to the upside. There is risk in wheat being at the recent low pivot for the 3rd time. It could moon from here like gold did after making a triple bottom. Note the gigantic head and shoulders. Wheat: Gold: Note the lack of a Bollinger Band squeeze at the pre-moon triple bottom: Corn also shows a similar setup, but there was no head fake, it just broke down out of the band squeeze. Corn: Soybean Crush spread: It appears positioned for a big move in either direction. Seems likely to bounce back up in concert with a soybean drop. It’s in volatility squeeze territory as well. Oil: The mother of all commodities has an inverse head and shoulders continuation pattern suggesting more downside: tldr; short soybeans
CBOT:ZS1!Short
by Skipper86
2
A simple sell strategy for Heating OilWith price and “commodity premiums” that we track showing signs of a structural shift, we think these represents potential tradeable set-up in the mid to long term as supply and demand finds some way to normalization after the pandemic & war shocks over the past 2 years. Hence, we think commodities will continue to be where the actions at. With winter just about over, we thought it would be perfect time to look at the ‘talk’ of pre-winter, Heating Oil. After a staggering 600% run-up from the depths of 2020 to the peak pre-winter last year, Heating Oil might just be on the opposite journey now. On a weekly timeframe, Heating oil has decisively broken the uptrend established since 2020 and now sits on the support level for the 2011-2014 period of 2.75. Zooming closer on the RSI, the current level proves to be a pivotal point for heating oil’s trend, as each time the RSI crosses below the 40-level, it is followed by an accelerated move lower. In fact, taking a short position every time the RSI crosses below the 40-level would have netted an average of 27%, if you manage to catch the bottom! Even if you can’t catch the bottom, following the strategy, where we build a short position in heating oil when RSI crosses below 40, and hold it until RSI crosses back above 40, would still make a respectable 18.3% average return. On a shorter timeframe, Heating Oil seems to be trading within a descending channel, with the trend pointing lower. Another thing we like to look at is the relationship/premium between Heating Oil and Crude Oil. However, as the two types of contracts are quoted differently, we have some work to do to rebase the prices into a comparable format. Given that Heating Oil is quoted in US Dollars and Cents per gallon, while Crude Oil is quoted as US Dollars and Cents per barrel, we can convert Heating Oil to be denominated in barrels. 1 barrel equals to roughly 42 gallons, therefore, we can simply multiply Heating Oil price per gallon by 42 to get its price per Barrel. Given Heating Oil is 2.7505 USD per gallon, this works out to be roughly 115.52 USD per barrel. This allows us to see the relationship between Heating Oil and Crude oil. The former is trading at a premium to latter. Over the past winter the Heating Oil premium reached it’s all time high, toping out close to 100 USD per barrel more than Crude Oil. With Spring now in sight, it appears a new season has dawned upon this premium, with the Heating Oil - Crude Oil premium now falling below the previous highs in 2011-2012. Should this continue, then we can expect the price gap between the 2 types of oil to close, with Heating Oil being the likely culprit to drive it lower. The general downward trend in current Heating Oil prices, falling Heating Oil premiums and historical RSI-based sell trigger, all point towards a potentially lower Heating Oil. We would consider setting up the trade in the following 2 ways to express our view: 1) Wait for the RSI to cross below 40 and sell, setting the take-profit based on the RSI crossing back above 40 again to close the position. Each 0.0001-point move in Heating Oil Futures Contract is $4.20 USD 2) Trade the spread between Heating Oil and Crude Oil by taking a short position in the CME Heating Oil Futures Contract and a long position in the CME Crude Oil Futures Contract. Given that 1 Heating Oil Contract is for 42,000 gallons, which is equivalent to 1000 barrels, we can Short 1 Heating Oil and Long 1 Crude Oil to form the spread, in order to match the position size of the contracts. 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
NYMEX:HO1!Short
by inspirante
4
Fading the Soybean Oil premium.Jumping straight into the technicals, we see a head and shoulder pattern on the daily Soybean Oil chart. With the neckline now broken, it seems a bearish set-up might be possible. While the technicals are important, understanding where the current price level of soybean oil is in context to other products could help us build further conviction on this idea. Firstly, the Soybean crush components. Currently, Soybean Oil trades at a pretty large premium against Soybean and Soybean Meal. Looking at the price ratios of Soybean Oil/Soybean & Soybean Oil/Soybean Meal, we also see that both have been trading out of the ‘normal’ range since 2021. With both ratios now trending lower and knocking on the door of the normal range again, we will watch closely to see what happens as we approach this critical juncture. Secondly, Soybean Oil vs its substitute, Crude Palm Oil. Again, we see Soybean Oil as the outlier here, as prices diverge from Crude Palm Oil, with Soybean Oil trading higher. Looking at the bottom chart, we can clearly see the Soybean Oil/Crude Palm Oil ratio deviating from the average range established in 2018 – 2021. With this ratio recently trending lower, a break below the upper level of the range established (dotted line) could accelerate the closing of this premium, as seen in the 2021 to 2022 period, where the ratio collapsed swiftly. The technically bearish setup, coupled with Soybean Oil’s relative valuation against the soybean complex and Crude Palm Oil on fundamental standpoint, makes a decent case to short Soybean Oil Futures from here. To express this view, we can consider setting up the trade in a few ways: 1) An outright short on Soybean Oil using the CME Soybean Oil Futures, at the current level of 60.05, setting our stop at 67 and taking profit at 42, with each 1-point move in the Soybean Oil Futures contract equal to 600 USD. 2) A spread trade between Soybean Oil & Crude Palm Oil, by taking a short position in the CME Soybean Oil Futures contract and a long position in the CME Crude Palm Oil futures contract. Such a setup could potentially allow you to stay profitable even if you turn out to be ‘wrong’ in your market views if it eventually proves that crude palm oil has been underpriced and the soybean premium is closed by crude palm oil rallying. For this trade, it is trickier to set up due to the contract size and tick value difference. Interested readers can check out one of our previous ideas where we have covered this trade in further detail: 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 www.cmegroup.com
CBOT:ZL1!Short
by inspirante
15
Soybean Crush Processor Margin w CalcThe soybean crush spread calculates how much profit a soybean processing plant can generate by crushing a bushel of soybeans into soybean meal and oil. The profit margin is that profit number divided by the revenue which is the price of the meal and oil outputs. I prefer to look at profit margin as opposed to just profit as it adjusts for large market fluctuations over time and is more meaningful from a business and analysis perspective. I was not able to come up with any tradable theories based on this analysis. I added live cattle and lean hogs to try and figure out what’s going on with soybean meal reaching multi-year highs this week. It appears that move is correlated with live cattle reaching new highs. Soybean meal is rising while soybean oil is falling. Soybeans are pretty flat although slowly rising. I will continue to monitor this spread for clues about future soybean, soybean meal, and soybean oil movements. If anyone has any insights on crush spreads, please share. The calculation of the spread is shown below:
CBOT:ZMH2023
by Skipper86
5
Factor Forex Spread into Trades: A Guide to Bid & Ask PricesHave you ever found yourself in a situation where trade was closed out before reaching your intended stop loss level, or where the market reaches your profit target but the trade never closes in your favour? It can be frustrating and confusing, leaving you wondering what went wrong. You may even start to blame your broker or the market itself, thinking they are conspiring against you. But the truth is, it's not the market or your broker - it's you. The key issue is that you're not taking the market spread into account when setting your trade levels. A professional trader must always factor in the spread to avoid inconsistencies and mishaps in their trades. In this post, we will discuss the difference between the BID and ASK price, understand what the market spread is and show you how to factor it into your trade levels for a smoother and more successful trading experience. As a professional trader, it is crucial to understand the BID and ASK prices. Failure to do so can result in costly mistakes when setting up trades. When placing a trade, these two prices are crucial to consider. The BID Price The BID price is something that every trader should have a good understanding of. The BID price is the price that is displayed on the charts, for example, if the USD/JPY pair was displaying 110.00 on your chart, then the BID price is 110.00. The BID price is the price that you deal with every time you press the sell button. This is because it is the price at which your broker is willing to purchase the currency from you. In other words, you are selling the currency to your broker at the BID price. The ASK Price The ASK price can be a little more complex, as it is often the cause of unexpected outcomes in trade orders. Typically, you do not see the ASK price when you have your charts open, it is only visible when you open your trade order window or enable that option in your trading software. The ASK price is the price at which your broker is willing to sell you the currency, and it is a completely different price than what you see on the charts. The ASK price is what you deal with every time the BUY button is pressed and it is typically more expensive than the BID price you are viewing on the chart. Therefore, the ASK price is the price your broker is "asking" for to sell the currency. The BID price may be 1.45000 on the charts but your broker's ASK price may be something like 1.45030. This is where the concept of calculated Forex spread comes into play. How to Incorporate Spread into Trade Planning When placing trade orders, it is important to remember two key principles. These principles must be applied every time you enter and exit a trade, so it is essential to memorize them or keep them in a visible place for reference. ~ When going long, the market is entered at the ASK price and exited at the BID price. ~ When going short, the market is entered at the BID price and exited at the ASK price. For instance, let's say you want to set a pending order to go long when USD/CAD reaches 1.30000 on the chart, you don’t simply place the pending order entry price at 1.30000. Remember the rule for long trades, you ‘enter the market at the ASK price because the ASK price is what your broker is willing to sell you the currency for. Whenever you are the buyer – the ASK price is quoted. If your broker's spread is roughly 2 pips for USD/CAD, when the market reaches 1.30000 your broker will be "asking" for 1.30020. So when the price on the chart reaches 1.30000 (this is the BID price), your broker will be willing to sell the currency for 1.30020 (when the spread is 2 pips). Therefore, if you place your pending order with an entry price of 1.30000, your trade will not be triggered because your broker is not willing to sell you the currency for that price at that point in time. In this case, you would have to wait for the BID price to reach 1.29980, at which point the broker's ASK price would be 1.30000 and your trade will be filled. In order to ensure that the trade is triggered when the BID price reaches 1.30000, you must factor in the market spread and set your entry order at 1.30020. Determining Stop Loss and Exit Prices for Long Positions Determining stop loss and exit levels for long positions is made relatively simple by utilizing the BID price. The BID price, which is the price at which your broker is willing to buy the currency back from you, reflects the prices that are commonly obtainable from the Interbank Market. When exiting a trade, the currency is sold back to the broker at the BID price. The BID price is the one that is visible on the charts, and there is no additional commission to be taken into account. Therefore, stop and target levels can be set directly off the BID prices displayed on the charts, making the process straightforward. Setting Up Short Trades When executing short trades, the process is reversed. Short trades are entered at the BID price, so the price displayed on the chart is used for the short entry order. However, the stop loss and target prices for short trades must take into account the Forex spread, as the trade will be exited at the ASK price, which is typically higher than the BID price due to the broker's commission. To ensure that stop loss levels are not triggered prematurely, the Forex spread must be calculated and added to the stop loss value. This will allow the trade to move freely to its stop-loss level before being closed. Additionally, the Forex spread must also be factored in for the target price levels of short trades. The target price should be found on the chart, the spread added, and that value should be used as the target price level for every short trade order. By following the proper procedures for calculating and factoring in the Forex spread, you can now confidently place trade orders and enter the Forex market in an effective manner. This will prevent frustration and disappointment by ensuring that pending orders are executed correctly and that trades exit at the intended price levels.
COINBASE:BTCUSDEducation
by TradingEdgeHQ
NQ Power Range Report with FIB Ext - 2/3/2023 SessionCME_MINI:NQH2023 - PR High: 12761.50 - PR Low: 12655.25 - NZ Spread: 238.25 Evening Stats (As of 1:25 AM) - Weekend Gap: N/A - 2/3 Session Gap: +0.61% (closed) - 8/19 Session Gap: -0.04% (open > 13237) - Session Open ATR: 290.60 - Volume: 39K - Open Int: 276K - Trend Grade: Bear - From ATH: -24.5% (Rounded) Key Levels (Rounded - Think of these as ranges) - Long: 12959 - Mid: 12392 - Short: 11820 Keep in mind this is not speculation or a prediction. Only a report of the Power Range with Fib extensions for target hunting. Do your DD! You determine your risk tolerance. You are fully capable of making your own decisions.
CME_MINI:NQH2023
by mv3trader5
Making Hay in the Land of the Rising SunLong Japan; Short US. Market conditions exist for Nikkei-225 index (“Nikkei”) to remain resilient over the next quarter relative to S&P 500 (“S&P”). BoJ's unflinching commitment to negative rates benefits Japanese firms with a weak Yen. Meanwhile, worsening economic conditions in the US with feeble growth outlook and likely recession could send S&P lower. This case study illustrates a spread trade between Nikkei and S&P to extract positive yield with compelling upside and limited downside. Entry at 7.011 with target at 7.402 and stop-loss at 6.787. TAILWINDS SUPPORTING NIKKEI In a year of crumbling global markets, Nikkei has shown remarkable resilience. YTD Nikkei is down 6% relative to 18% decline in the S&P. Three reasons why: 1. Consistent low interest rates in Japan: Loose monetary policies inflate asset prices. Thanks to a benign monetary stance from the Bank of Japan (BoJ), Nikkei has been and continues to benefit. The BoJ has set its short-term rates at -0.1% and long-term rates at 0%. 2. Weak and weakening Yen: YTD 2022, the Yen is down 20% relative to USD. This helps boost profits for Japanese firms. While most central banks have gone hawkish, the BoJ is resolute in keeping its monetary policy loose. A weak yen makes Japanese assets cheaper. Rising demand for real estate, and a policy framework that incentivises foreign investment boost capital inflow into Japan (e.g.: TSMC new plant in Japan). 3. Pent-up tourism demand boosting travel industry and local spending: Easing pandemic restrictions and opening of borders unlocking pent-up tourism demand is turning the outlook of tourism industry bright. NIKKEI TECHNICALS Since October, Nikkei has rallied 11% to its peak on November 25th and 6.5% to its current levels post correction. The index sits gently above its 200-day moving average which perhaps serves as a support. The stochastic indicator is at 7.4 suggesting that Nikkei may be oversold and positioning for an upward correction. HEADWINDS FACING S&P 500 While Nikkei sets to soar, S&P appears feeble. US outlook is bleak with structural shifts pointing to slowing demand and job losses. Hawkish Fed with its stance on raising rates to fend off still hot inflation is likely to tip US economy into recession. a. Growing Recession Fears Recession looks likely after FOMC rate hike last week. As Chair Powell remarked, while a soft landing was still possible (skirting a recession), the runway for that was becoming shorter. Fed's stance remains firm and rightfully so. In the last eight (8) rate hike cycles, not once has the Fed eased until inflation print came lower to Fed funds rate. Expecting more rate hikes in 2023 creates downward pressure on the broader economy and the S&P. US growth outlook for the next year is a mere 0.5%. About 1.6m more could go jobless. In a sign of growing weakness, last Friday, Goldman announced 8,000 staff retrenchment comprising 8% of its workforce. b. Shrinking Consumer Spending Uncertain outlook makes consumers wary. Wary consumers spend less. Forecast by Walmart point to structural weaknesses. Weak retail sales are starting to show with no relief signs in sight. c. While King Dollar has lost some shine, it remains strong The US Dollar is enjoying a solid performance in decades. Flight to safety amid a world faced with poly-crisis and compounded by a hawkish fed committed to controlling inflation, the dollar remains king. A strong dollar is not necessarily good news. Rapid dollar ascent has made US goods & services less attractive hurting offshore earnings for the US firms. TECHNICALS FAVOR NIKKEI OVER S&P Notwithstanding the above, S&P is up since October rising nearly 20% to its peak on December 13th and 11% to current levels. However, unlike the Nikkei, the S&P is trading below its 200-day moving average which seemingly is impeding as resistance. S&P fell below its ascending channel suggesting that the rally might have lost steam. INSIGHTS FROM COMMITMENT OF TRADERS REPORT As seen in the CME Commitment of Traders Report, Hedge Fund positions vindicates our outlook for Nikkei and S&P. Over the last 12 weeks, hedge funds have increased their net short positions by 34% in the CME's E-mini Futures and Micro E-mini futures . In sharp contrast, during the same period, these participants have increased their net long positions by 18% in CME Nikkei USD and Yen Futures combined. TRADE CONSTRUCTION Spread trades using futures require equal notional exposures across both legs. With S&P at $3,852, one lot of CME's Micro E-Mini contract provides $19,260 in notional exposure while each CME's Nikkei USD futures contract gives $136,160 exposure. At current levels, equalising notional value requires 7 lots of Micro E-Mini S&P futures for each lot of CME Nikkei Dollar Index Futures . One (1) lot of long Nikkei 225 futures is required to offset against Seven (7) lots of short Micro E-Mini S&P500 futures . Entry: 7.013 Target: 7.402, Potential Profit: $7,783 Stop Loss: 6.776, Potential Loss: $4,177 Reward/Risk Ratio: 1.86 When Nikkei outperforms S&P500, the spread trade delivers positive returns. Outperformance could manifest in one of three ways: (a) Nikkei rises while S&P falls, or (b) Both Nikkei and S&P rise but Nikkei rises more than S&P, or (c) Both Nikkei and S&P fall but Nikkei falls lesser than S&P. If the reverse of these three scenarios occurs, then the spread trade loses money. MARKET DATA CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express market views better. 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 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. This material has been published for general education and circulation only. It does not offer or solicit to buy or sell and does not address specific investment or risk management objectives, financial situation, or particular needs of any person. Advice should be sought from a financial advisor regarding the suitability of any investment or risk management product before investing or adopting any investment or hedging strategies. Past performance is not indicative of the future performance. All examples used in this workshop are hypothetical and are used for explanation purposes only. Contents in this material is not investment advice and/or may or may not be the results of actual market experience. Mint Finance does not endorse or shall not be liable for the content of information provided by third parties. Use of and/or reliance on such information is entirely at the reader’s own risk. These materials are not intended for distribution to, or for use by or to be acted on by any person or entity located in any jurisdiction where such distribution, use or action would be contrary to applicable laws or regulations or would subject Mint Finance to any registration or licensing requirement.
CME:NKD1!Long
by mintdotfinance