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Stock Market Week Ahead: April 17, 2023 - QQQ 325/313 range; quiet economic calendar, busy earnings kickoff.


Economic Calendar
  • Monday: Empire State Index @ 0830, Fed Barkin @ 12:45
  • Tuesday:  Housing Starts @ 0830, Fed Bowman @ 1300
  • Wednesday:  Fed Williams @ 1900
  • Thursday:  Jobless claims + Philly Index @ 0830, Fed speaks throughout the day (I count 4 of them)
  • Friday: PMI (both) @ 0945

  • Here we go again.
  • Smaller banks start off the week
  • NFLX Tuesday AH
  • TSLA Wednesday AH
  • Industrials Thursday and Friday

Market Thoughts:
  • Last week:  I made two trades last week - closing out the MNQ short I had (for 9 days!) for a profit; re-opening it a bit higher - currently holding that.
  • Economic calendar:  There’s some quiet killers on the calendar for this week.  Empire State, PMI, and all those speakers on Thursday.
  • On Wednesday, CPI showed nice headline decline, but stickiness in core - so we got the rip and fade.  That was the low for the week.  Note that a lot of headline was tied to the dip in oil that has now roared back.
  • Nothing has changed in my strategy/view from last three Sundays.  The bulls are still in charge.
  • Exact repeat of last week: Technically though - we’re staring down a pullback.   It tried on Wed & Thu, but then Friday did its normal “nope”
  • Heading into FOMC next month, the bulls can’t scream banking crisis, then report record earnings on Friday.  It’s one or the other.
  • I wouldn’t be surprised to see another bank or two sacrificed to JPow ahead of May 3, worked last time.  Short KRE?
  • Earnings season should be a wide array of big beats and screams of pain
  • Fed is already putting out there they are coming in with higher rates than even were talked about last time.  They didn’t get their 50bps and they know they need to keep going while things are hot.  They’e backstopped the banks/financial sector - so what’s the problem?
  • I’m seeing no pain yet - jobs are insanely strong, I look around while out. not seeing it.  Yes, groceries are expensive as hell, but that’s about it.
  • I remain bearish, just clearly many months early.
  • If you look at the PPO, MACD, RSI - it’s all just looking for a high-volume reason to jump off a cliff.  It just hasn’t had one yet - amazingly - that the market cares about.
  • Fun fact: QQQ is almost exact price it was 1 year ago today.  We’ve gone nowhere despite a wild ride.


Technicals (Latest):
  • QQQ 200 MA: 292.25 (trading way above) 
    • 100MA is about to cross upwards over the 200MA - bullish
  •  
  • SPY 200 MA: 394.07 (trading well above)

Expected move (per options chain)
  • QQQ +/- 6
  • SPY +/- 6

Trading Plan (This Week):
  • Current position: I’ve got MNQ short (mini NASDAQ futures).  Looking at the PPO and negative MACD for some action to the downside.
  • If we get a dip to 313, I’m learning my lesson for the third time, and closing and going long for now - unless it’s on major fundamental news.
  • With VIX @ 17 (incredible), I’m going to stack some puts for September or later, starting Monday.


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Weekly Market Preview - April 16th, 2023

Last Week Recap - 

Sorry for the lack of preview last week. I was traveling for the holiday and was playing catch up all week long. Last week was filled with important marco data from the CPI and PPI to Retail Sales and Bank Earnings. But it was one report that caught the market off guard a bit... that sneaky UoM consumer index report.  The CPI came in sticky, and PPI saw a nice drawdown. Retail Sales came in weak and the UoM report showed a shocking number for the 1 year inflation expectations. Expectations for the number were 3.5%, it came in at 4.6%. The market took a moment to digest it, and then began to sell off on Friday. Throughout the week, dip buyers showed up in full force on the bigger dips, and Friday was no different. We rallied at the end of the day and say us almost finish green for QQQ. 

So let's revisit the bullish and bearish arguments and see how each have changed. 

Bullish Thesis - 

  • 2 Week Outlook
    • PPI came in nice and cool and is considered a leading indicator. We got 25 BPS hike pretty much confirmed with the Jobs data and CPI data, and the market is handling it well. We have taken all the hits from the bears and are still consolidating above 405 and 410. Market is holding up well and not sure what more ammunition the bears have to drag the market down.  We do have major earnings coming up, so we have to be cautious getting too bullish. 
  • 1 Month Outlook 
    • The Fed is set to raise one more time in May and then they will pause. Once the pause is confirmed, we will see a blast higher just on the optimism that the Fed is out of the way. JPow has been clear that he does not want to start, stop, start, stop so once he pauses, he is done for a few meetings. Remember, bulls don't care about inflation, they care about the Fed's reaction to inflation. 
  • 3 Month Outlook
    • If the Fed pauses soon, then we know that only a natural recession will bring the markets down. The Fed will not manufacture the recession and it will be up to whether inflation can stay back long enough for the consumer to stay strong. The theory here is that inflation is and was ultimately a supply side issue and those issues would be resolved by then. If this is the case, and inflation starts to slightly tick down while the Fed has paused, the market will explode higher as they will anticipate that a major recession will not happen. It will only crash or come down once the consumer has slowed down by the sticky inflation, thus causing an economic recession. 

Bearish Thesis - 

  • 2 Week outlook 
    • The market has been range bound for 2 weeks and the momentum in this rally is starting to stall. There is bearish divergence on the daily chart for QQQ and a bearish PPO crossover, so the technicals are saying this rally is on its last legs and is ready to start trending down. The bulls priced in a pause in the May FOMC meeting, and now it looks like 25 BPS is heavily expected. With that rate hike, the bulls have to delay their delusional fantasy of a summer rate cut. 
  • 1 month outlook 
    • Dip buyers are keeping this market up, so to breakdown and create a trend long enough to last a few weeks, the bears need a major gap down. What could cause this? Well, any horrible earnings from big tech could do it. I am not seeing any macro data in the next 2 weeks that will cause it, so it will need to be from the earnings reports or from the geopolitical spectrum. Maybe the rise of the DXY again?
  • 3 months+ outlook 
    • Regardless of the Fed's decision in May, the data is showing that inflation is sticking. So inflation is showing that it is control, so no matter how the market wants to spin the narrative, if inflation is not dealt with, it will crush the consumer. There is no magic bullet that will get it under control outside of a recession. So bears are playing for the inevitable recession. 

I do not agree with one side of this narrative, but it is important to present all sides of the argument. Over the next few weeks, I will keep building and updating these narratives. 

My Prediction - 

I have been mainly playing tech so I am going to stick with that in my updates below. QQQ has been on a crazy run this year and it will be the reason for the next major move in the SPY, so I want to keep track of that closely.  I am looking for the DXY to rebound sharply with the House Majority Leader McCarthy set to unveil the Republicans demands for agreeing to raise the debt ceiling. This should put a little more faith in the DXY. If the DXY does rebound higher, I am expecting the QQQ to break under 313 support and start another range bound trade from 306 to 313. 
If the market gets strong earnings reports from NFLX and TSLA this week, I think we will see QQQ break the 323 level and ultimately hit 330 as earnings optimism will be in full force. 

Economic Data this Week (all times are EST)? - 

  • Check the full calendar here:  stonks.chat/feed/catalysts
  • Monday - ECB LaGarde Speaking at 11:00am (DXY implications)
  • Tuesday - Building Permits and Housing Data at 8:30am
  • Wednesday - UK Inflation Report at 2:00am (DXY implications)
  • Wednesday - EU Inflation Report at 5:00am (DXY implications)
  • Thursday - Jobless Claims at 8:30am
  • Friday - US PMI Data at 9:45am

Earnings This Week:
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Current Positions and Plays -

  • I am net short on the market with positions in MNQ, QQQ June puts, NEM, GE, NVDA, BX. And I have longer dated calls for KR, CAG, and UUP. 
  • I will look at closing most of my puts this week if we do not show some type of weakness in the market. We have just been range bound for 2 weeks, and I entered roughly in the middle of the range. So I need to see some movement this week in my favor, or I will close out and reset. 

QQQ Technicals - 

  • QQQ Technicals - The 30 min, 1 hour, 4 hour and Daily are above neutral.
  • QQQ has been trading in a range for 2 weeks. So it is all about 2 levels to see if they hold as support/resistance. 313 is support and 323 is resistance. If either one of those breaks, we will see a nice 5-8 point move in the direction of the break. 

Levels I am Watching

  • $QQQ  - levels 313 (major), 316, 320, 323
  • This is not financial advice
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Stock Market Week Ahead: April 10, 2023 - QQQ 325/313 range; CPI + PPI - pullback, then run continues into May 3

Economic Calendar
  • Monday: Wholesale inventories @ 1000; Fed Williams @ 1615
  • Tuesday:  Fed Harker @ 1600, Fed Kashkari @ 1930
  • Wednesday:  CPI @ 0830 ⚠️; Fed Barkin @ 0900; Fed Daily @ 1200; FOMC Minutes @ 1400
  • Thursday:  Jobless claims & PPI @ 0830
  • Friday: Retail Sales @ 0830, Fed Waller @ 0845, Industrial Production @ 0915, UMich @ 1000 ⚠️

Market Thoughts:
  • Last week:  I didn’t make any trades after Monday. 🤯
  • Economic calendar:  We’ve got FEd Speakers sprinkled all over the week, CPI & FOMC minutes on Wednesday, PPI Thursday, and Retail Sales Friday.
  • This week is focused on the Fed Trade/Inflation Trade.
  • PCE came in lower than expected - bullish.
  • Jobs came in solid still - bullish for economy, gives Fed a little more room for another hike.
  • CPI is on Wednesday - that one might be tricky for the bulls.  It’s expected to be a bit sticky and even tick up a little. ⚠️
  • Nothing has changed in my strategy/view from last two Sundays.  The bulls are still favored overall and I’m looking for go-long opportunities.
  • Technically though - we’re staring down a pullback.   It tried on Wed & Thu, but then Friday did its normal “nope”
  • We’re very close to the 100 & 200 MA crossing (100 pushing up above 200).  The last time this happened on QQQ daily chart was May 2019.
  • If history repeats, we’re going to get a pullback (now) and then a solid run to 330/340 - which would support the narrative of bull run into May 3 FOMC Meeting (I’ll be on sidelines for that - could go either way)
  • I’ll be looking for this.



Technicals (Latest):
  • QQQ 200 MA: 291.51 (trading way above) 
    • 100MA is about to cross upwards over the 200MA - bullish
  •  
  • SPY 200 MA: 393.46 (trading well above)

Expected move (per options chain)
  • QQQ +/- 7.8
  • SPY +/- 7.6

Trading Plan (This Week):
  • Current position: I’ve got MNQ short (mini NASDAQ futures).  Looking for this pullback I see on the chart.
  • Will let that play out - 313? - then look at Friday’s data to go long.
  • I’m in no rush


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Weekly Market Preview - April 3rd, 2023

Last Week Recap - 

SPY had a range of 393 to 409 with a close at 409. No sugar coating this one, it was a bullish breakout through a few key levels. We had a small pullback at a key level to 393 and just took off to break 400 and almost hit 410 in 3 trading days. Why did it move up that violently? No major news until Friday and the PCE data came in slightly under expectations and it was blast off time. Bears are capitulating, bulls are euphoric. Not a great time for a guy holding puts on QQQ. 

So the question is, are we witnessing the start of a much larger, sustainable move to the upside? Let's revisit the bullish and bearish arguments.  

Bullish Thesis - 

  • 2 Week Outlook
    • With inflation coming down, the possibility of a Fed pause coming in a month, a continued strong consumer, and low unemployment currently, it is hard to argue that the conditions currently are favoring the bulls. With the Fed set to pause soon, the inflation fears are starting to settle down so what can bring down the market? Sticky inflation is present, but it is not slowing down the consumer too much. The volume on the most recent rally has been lighter, but that could also bode well for bulls if the money on the sidelines believes that the worst is behind us. 
  • 1 Month Outlook 
    • Inflation is in control so no landing is here! This will be the bullish narrative to allow them to dismiss the hot inflation data. JPow continues to say that 2% is the mandate, and bulls still do not believe him. We are at a sweet spot where the Fed signals when it is pausing regardless of the current inflation reports, while the consumer is strong and unemployment is low. 
  • 3 Month Outlook
    • The no landing sticks, then we know that only a natural recession will bring the markets down. The Fed will not manufacture the recession and it will be up to whether inflation can stay back long enough for the consumer to stay strong. The theory here is that inflation is and was ultimately a supply side issue and those issues would be resolved by then. If this is the case, and inflation starts to slightly tick down while the Fed has paused, the market will explode higher as they will anticipate that a major recession will not happen. It will only crash or come down once the consumer has slowed down by the sticky inflation, thus causing an economic recession. 

Bearish Thesis - 

  • 2 Week outlook 
    • The market has ran way too hard way too fast on some sketchy macro data. This is due for a pullback to retest some key levels (405, 400, 398). Now dip buyers may show up, but we are technically due for a cool off period. OPEC+ latest news on cutting output could push energy prices higher again, which puts cold water on the deflationary argument. 
  • 1 month outlook 
    • Going to be honest here. Bears needs something to break again and/or some bearish data to show up (high CPI) for the dip buyers to back off. Earnings are around the corner so that could usher in the recession fears again.
  • 3 months+ outlook 
    • Regardless of the Fed's decision in May, the data is showing that inflation is sticking. So inflation is showing that it is control, so no matter how the market wants to spin the narrative, if inflation is not dealt with, it will crush the consumer. There is no magic bullet that will get it under control outside of a recession. So bears are playing for the inevitable recession. 

I do not agree with one side of this narrative, but it is important to present all sides of the argument. Over the next few weeks, I will keep building and updating these narratives. 

My Prediction - 

We have a holiday week ahead of us with major data releasing on Friday when the market is closed. I do think we see a drastic pullback very soon in the form of a gap down. With oil rising on the OPEC news, the play to the downside will be in QQQ as participants look to book profits and rotate back into energy. I have quite a bit of puts that took a hit on Thursday and Friday, so I will be looking at trimming some of the shorter time frame ones on any solid pullback. 

Economic Data this Week (all times are EST)? - 


Current Positions and Plays -

  • I closed out a few positions last week for some gains but still have a large chunk of puts in QQQ. My current positions are QQQ, MU, AMD, NEM, FEZ, BX puts. I am also holding CAG calls as a recession play. Most of the smaller positions are for 4 to 6 weeks out. The larger positions are for June.  

SPY Technicals - 

  • SPY Technicals - The 30 min, 1 hour are overbought. 4 hour is just about there and Daily is above neutral.
  • SPY closed above the bear market trendline and the 200MA on the Daily chart.
  • SPY Fibs for Dec 2022 low to 2023 high (current rally) -  Purple fibs on the chart. 
    • 407 is the .236
    • 401 is the .382
    • 391 is the .618 
    • 396 is the .500
  • SPY Fibs for ATH to June 2022 low - 389 is the .236 line. 407 is the .382 line. Light green fibs on the chart. 
  • SPY Fibs for COVID low to ATH - 380 is the .382 line. 416 is the .236 line. Gold fibs on the chart. 
Screen Shot 2023-04-02 at 9.54.35 PM.png 634.39 KB

Levels I am Watching

  • $SPY  - levels 398 (major), 401, 407, 410
  • $QQQ  - levels 313 (major), 316, 320, 323
  • This is not financial advice

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Stock Market Week Ahead: April 3, 2023 - QQQ small pullback, then raging on

Economic Calendar
  • Monday: OPEC meeting @ 0600, Bullard @ 0830, PMI - Manufacturing @ 0945
  • Tuesday:  JOLTS & Factory Orders @ 1000
  • Wednesday:  ADP @ 0815, PMI Services @ 0945
  • Thursday:  Jobless claims @ 0830; Bullard @ 1000
  • Friday: US markets are closed for Good Friday.  However, Non-Farm Payrolls/Wages are still set to be released @ 0830 and Consumer Credit @ 1500 - will make for an interesting Monday.
  • NEXT Week: CPI

Market Thoughts:
  • Last week:  My plan (as I wrote on Sunday) was to exit my puts/shorts on a pullback and then look for a moment to go long.  I submitted an order to close my QQQ puts on Tuesday around QQQ 305 (small loss) and my order missed by about .05.  I stubbornly held waiting on it to dip just a little more to fill me, never went long and well…it raged on to 320 with me in awe.  I was so right and so wrong.
  • Economic calendar:  The week has some fun every morning.  I’d say JOLTS, OPEC, and Bullard x2 are the highlights.
  • Nothing has changed in my strategy/view from last Sunday - the market only confirmed it - big time - last week.
  • So, on that note, read last week’s Week Ahead: https://stonks.chat/symbol/QQQ/posts/345
  • New information from last week 
    • PCE (favorite indicator of Fed) came in lower than expected on Friday - very bullish.
    • It was end of quarter, so closing out the books - bullish as we saw
    • Some of the smartest traders I know are either capitulating (going long) OR adding more shorts — this is the kettle boiling for a blow off the top
  •  New information tonight 
    • OPEC cutting production by 1M/day - bearish - this impacts inflation and was a surprise - this will hit QQQ the most
    • McDonalds expected to announce layoffs - neither - but points to eventual recession once bad news is a thing again.
  •  Bulls remain in charge until further notice.


Technicals (Latest):
  • QQQ 200 MA: 290.70 (trading way above) 
    • 100MA is about to cross upwards over the 200MA - bullish
  •  SPY 200 MA: 392.62 (trading well above)

Expected move (per options chain)
  • QQQ +/- 6.4
  • SPY +/- 6.2

Trading Plan (This Week):
  • *Repeat from last week…trade didn’t execute 🤡
  • Current position: I’ve got some QQQ puts for June 16.  I will look to exit these on a technical pullback to cut my losses. 
  • I’ll then flip to long bias (in line with my comments above — this means I’ll be looking for reasons to go long vs short at every opportunity)


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Stock Market Week Ahead: March 27, 2023 + Rest of Year Prediction (Fed, Recession)

Economic Calendar
  • Monday: Nothing.
  • Tuesday:  Consumer Confidence + Fed Bar Testimony (Banks) - Senate @ 1000
  • Wednesday:  Pending Home Sales + Fed Bar Testimony (Banks) - House @ 1000; Yellen @ 1545
  • Thursday:  Jobless claims & GDP @ 0830; Fed Collins @ 1245
  • Friday: ⚠️PCE @ 0830; Chicago PMI @ 0945; Fed Waller + UMICH @ 1000; Fed Williams @ 1500; Fed Cook @ 1745
  • NEXT Week: Non-Farm Payrolls/Unemployment + JOLTS

Market Thoughts:

Technicals (Latest):
  • QQQ 200 MA: 290.11 (trading above/hasn’t tested lately)
  • SPY 200 MA: 392.34 (trading above/held)

Expected move (per options chain)
  • QQQ +/- 8.7
  • SPY +/- 9.1

Trading Plan (This Week):
  • Current position: I’ve got some QQQ puts for June 16.  I will look to exit these on a technical pullback to get out with some green.
  • I’ll then flip to long bias (in line with my comments above — this means I’ll be looking for reasons to go long vs short at every opportunity)

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Weekly Market Preview - March 27th, 2023

Last Week Recap - 

SPY had a range of 389 to 402 with a close at 395. We had FOMC and Papa Powell gave us the expected 25 BPS hike and released the Economic Projections. This is where the juicy data was and it showed some interesting data.
Screen Shot 2023-03-26 at 9.27.57 PM.png 200.12 KB

Here are the key things I see:
  • GDP has been lowered in 2023 and 2024
  • Unemployment is expected to go up this year and next from current levels. 
  • PCE Inflation ticked slightly up for 2023 
  • Fed Funds Rate was unchanged at 5.1 for 2023, and that is the first time we have not had a revision upwards in a year. This signals that a pause is coming very very soon. 
  • No Rate cuts for 2023 have been signaled in the projections. 

So the market continues to price in rate cuts in 2023 even after JPow said that is not going to happen. I am honestly sticking with JPow and not trying to side with the market estimates. The market does keep blasting higher in tech so it is clear that this narrative is working.

One thing is for sure, we are in the middle of a transition between inflation to recession theme. The volatility will be wild so keep it light on any trades. Don't pick a side just yet imo. 

My Prediction - 
Play light and fast on any trades. I am building some small positions in longer term put positions in various names including QQQ, AMD, BX and some others.  

Economic Data this Week (all times are EST)? - 


Current Positions and Plays -

  • I am holding some QQQ, AMD, CAT, FEZ, and BX puts for 30+ days out and are close to ITM. I have 2 sets of puts for QQQ, one is in April that is pretty OTM, and June that is not too far out of the money. I am looking at holding these positions this week. If we get a major move down, I will look to book some profits on them. If we continue upward, I will need to move on from the QQQ April puts and roll that money into the June ones. 

SPY Technicals - 

  • SPY Technicals - The 30 min, 1 hour, 4 hour and Daily are neutral.
  • SPY closed above the bear market trendline and the 200MA on the Daily chart.
  • SPY Fibs for Dec 2022 low to 2023 high (current rally) -  Purple fibs on the chart. 
    • 401 is the .382
    • 391 is the .618 
    • 396 is the .500
  • SPY Fibs for ATH to June 2022 low - 389 is the .236 line. 407 is the .382 line. Light green fibs on the chart. 
  • SPY Fibs for COVID low to ATH - 380 is the .382 line. 416 is the .236 line. Gold fibs on the chart. 
Screen Shot 2023-03-26 at 10.09.47 PM.png 631.02 KB

Levels I am Watching

  • $SPY  - levels 390 (major), 393, 396, 398, 401
  • $QQQ  - levels 306, 308, 311, 313 (major), 318
  • This is not financial advice
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Weekly Market Preview - March 20th, 2023

FOMC Preview - 

SPY had a range of 396 to 380 with a close at 390. It was another wild week with major divergence happening from the SPY and QQQ. There are so many mixed signals right now in the market that a major in depth preview is not needed. So I am going to keep this pretty simple and give you 4 scenarios to look out for from FOMC. We all need to wait for JPow on Wednesday and see what he says at FOMC. If you must play before then, keep the plays light and fast. Scalp like your account is on the brink of death and you will be ok. We got banks blowing up and then getting rescued, tech catching a bid like its unlimited QE again, crypto ripping up like it is a legit safehaven, Gold moving like the world is about to end, and Europe looks like the most sensible central bank. It is chaos. 

Here are the 4 FOMC Scenarios I am looking for on FOMC. Shout-out to @homelessdaytrader on the Discord I am in for providing 3 of these. 

  • Option 1 Rate cut - JPow is very scared. Bullish results in stocks. QQQ up 10% in 1 day.
  • Option 2 Rate pause - JPow is scared. Bullish. QQQ up 5%.
  • Option 3 25bps hike = JPow is probably scared, but doesn't want others to know. Bearish. QQQ up 1% then reverses to go down 5%.
  • Option 4 JPow raises rates by 50 and walks up to the mic and says "LaGarde won't outdue me. We won the revolutionary war and carried Europe's ass in the World Wars. No further questions." And walks off. QQQ goes down 15% 

I would love nothing more than Option 4 to play out. 

My Prediction - 

I called out NEM as a solid play and it exploded up. I took profit on this way too early, but a nice win regardless. This week I am going to be looking at some consumer staples, possibly Pepsi, Conagra, McDonalds, or Wal-Mart. These names are slightly down but should fair well in the recession theme. I am not in a hurry to enter any of them, but I will keep an eye on them. 

I will keep my scalps small and. my stops tight heading into Wednesday's big FOMC meeting. 

Economic Data this Week (all times are EST)? - 


Current Positions and Plays -

  • I am holding some QQQ and AMD puts for mid April.  

SPY Technicals - 

  • SPY Technicals - The 30 min, 1 hour, 4 hour and Daily are neutral.
  • SPY broke below the bear market trendline and the 200MA on the Daily chart.
  • SPY Fibs for Dec 2022 low to 2023 high (current rally) -  Purple fibs on the chart. 
    • 401 is the .382
    • 391 is the .618 
    • 396 is the .500
  • SPY Fibs for ATH to June 2022 low - 389 is the .236 line. 407 is the .382 line. Light green fibs on the chart. 
  • SPY Fibs for COVID low to ATH - 380 is the .382 line. 416 is the .236 line. Gold fibs on the chart. 

Screen Shot 2023-03-19 at 9.52.27 PM.png 702.37 KB

Levels I am Watching

  • $SPY  - levels 383, 385, 390 (major), 393, 396
  • $QQQ  - levels 300, 303, 306, 308, 311
  • NOTE: I have turned back into a daytrader. I love playing ES and NQ futures. 
  • This is not financial advice
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Stock Market Week Ahead: March 20, 2023 - QQQ 295-315 range; FOMC + Bank Failures + Emergency Moves

Economic Calendar
  • Monday: Nothing.
  • Tuesday:  Existing Home Sales @ 1000
  • Wednesday:  FOMC @ 2pm, Q&A @ 2:30pm - obviously, even of the week/quarter ⚠️
  • Thursday:  Jobless Claims @ 0830, New Home Sales @ 1000
  • Friday: Core Durable Goods @ 0830, FOMC Bullards @ 0930, PMI @ 0945 (plenty going on near the open)
  • NEXT Week: PCE

Market Thoughts:
  • Last week:  What didn’t happen last week? I got popped on my M-W profits on Thursday due to bad risk management (no stop, which was my final warning point in my Sunday Week Ahead last week 🤦).
  • My overall sentiment is bearish - still.  The banks cracking are part of my bearish thesis, but I didn’t see the Fed coming in and rescuing it so quickly.  That was….fast.
  • Thursday said a lot.  Money always flows somewhere.  If the banks/SPY are failing, then it’s QQQ, Gold, Crypto.  QQQ had its biggest gain of the year on Thursday.
  • I had a theory that may have played out to add fuel to that fire: If you’re worried about your cash at the bank not being insured (>250k), then where can you move it to?  Stocks, gold, crypto.  Is this what we saw on Thursday?
  • Crypto is really having a moment right now - as it should - it was designed for a moment like this.
  • The entire gush into QQQ does all seem like a final hurrah by retail.  I think you can see most institutions are basically short on the market - or at least risk-off.  Retail is just piling in though.
  • Fed has come in and backstopped all depositors 100% - this is historic.  This is not bullish - but just the start of problems.  Which is why they went so extreme.
  • I’m pretty unclear on what the trade is here - so I’m going to be playing it light.  I’ve actually gone back to options because the Futures are so, so volatile at the moment - especially during market hours.  Your stops have to be too wide for comfort right now, candles are just too big.
  • It sure looks like the Fed has said “nothing is going to fail, we’ve got you, keep the party going” — some participants view all this as QE since balance sheet went up a hell of a lot in a week.
  • This doesn’t help with their battle against inflation.  I can’t imagine they are giving up that fight, so what’s their move?
  • I don’t think anybody knows, which is why Wednesday is event of the week/month/quarter. 
  • I’m going to say - for now - the move is long Mon/Tue afternoon.  Wednesday, you’ve got to be on the beach and just wait for the waves to start - then give it a few hours or even a day.  It will be a massively trend setting day.
  • I will note that my inputs — DXY, TNX, 2Y are very broke right now and not lining up like normal - so I’m confused by everything going on - but I don’t think I’m alone…..

Technicals (Latest):
  • QQQ 200 MA: 290.11
  • SPY 200 MA: 392.80

Expected move (per options chain)
  • QQQ +/- 11
  • SPY +/- 12

Trading Plan (This Week):
  • Current position: I’ve got AMD and QQQ puts (June 2023) that I’m holding just to keep my bearish heart alive.  
  • I’m long NQ as of Sunday night expecting a follow on QQQ move Mon-Tue with this ‘everything is OK, nothing fails’ + ‘anything but banks’ tailwind
  • I’ll probably hold my QQQ puts through FOMC (because they are so far out and position size is small), but I’ll otherwise be in cash and waiting several hours after the man speak to see what next move is.

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Stock Market Week Ahead: March 13, 2023 - QQQ 280-300 range; Special Banking Announcements + CPI + PPI + Retail Sales

Economic Calendar
  • Monday: Nothing.
  • Tuesday:  CPI @ 0830, FOMC Bowman @ 1720
  • Wednesday:  PPI, Retail Sales, NY Manu @ 0830
  • Thursday:  Jobless Claims, Housing Data, Philly @ 0830
  • Friday: Industrial Production @ 0915, UMICH @ 1000
  • NEXT Week: FOMC

Market Thoughts:


Technicals (Latest):
  • QQQ 200 MA: 290.09
  • SPY 200 MA: 393.16

Expected move (per options chain)
  • QQQ +/- 12
  • SPY +/- 10

Trading Plan (This Week):
  • Current position: I traded the rip on Sunday night with NQ after I saw Fed announcement.
  • I’m just looking for another spot to go long, expecting a rip up at/before the open.
  • I plan to write a Wednesday update to see where we are then.

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Weekly Market Preview - March 13th, 2023

UPDATE - Fed Has Released the Following Statements on the SIVB Situation

These came out after my preview was done.
federalreserve.gov/newsevents/...
https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20230312b.htm

TLDR - If you are a bank and are doing poor risk management, we will shut you down and make sure the depositers are made whole. Historical...


Last Week Recap - 

What a week... SPY went to a high of 407 to 384. That is a massive range and SPY was actually trading at 401 on Thursday morning. So effectively, we saw a 17 point drop in 2 days as we closed near the lows of the week on Friday. So what happened?

Jerome Powell testified in front of Congress and we saw the hawk come back out. 50 BPS is now back on the table and the Fedswaps actually have it favored above 25 BPS. We also had nonfarm payroll data releasing on Friday, and it came in pretty bullish for the inflation trade. Lower wage rate, and higher unemployment gives a tip to the Fed that their actions may start to be working and thus they can back off some. So with that data, why didn't we blast higher? We had a black swan event. 

Silicon Valley Bank had a bank run. They announced they were looking at raising $2billion and that spooked customers and immediately triggered a bank run. The stock plummeted and the bank is now under FDIC control. This has caused actual fear in the markets that is this a systemic issue or a one off problem. I am no banking expert, nor do I invest in the financial sector so I am going to let the chips fall as they may. There are a lot of theories floating around, and I think 99% of them get debunked by midweek. But... the fear is real and that fear can stick around in the back of people's minds for awhile. So did we just shift into the recession theme?

Let's move on to the bullish and bearish thesis section to see what lies ahead. 

Bearish Thesis - 

  • 2 Week outlook 
    • Bears got a small "something is going to break" event last week with SIVB's bankrun. Now with those fears present, the market took a pretty emphatic move lower. We have CPI and retail sales this week, and FOMC is in two weeks. The technicals also show SPY back under the bear market trendline. With the SIVB fear present, and those major data releases upcoming, the bears look to be back in control. 
  • 1 month outlook 
    • The FOMC meeting now becomes an even more critical meeting. 50 BPS is back on the table and it appears the Fed's policies maybe starting to seeing its impact on the economy. However, it is not slowing inflation down which is the primary enemy. So JPow can get away with one more 50 BPS hike here and then resort back to the 25BPS hikes for future meetings.
      If we get an economic projection of the Fed funds rate over 550 BPS,. This should cause a move back to SPY 380 as long as JPow maintains his 2% inflation mandate stance in the presser. 
  • 3 months+ outlook 
    • Regardless of the Fed's decision in March, the data is showing that inflation is not only sticking, but is also rising again. So inflation is showing that it is control, so no matter how the market wants to spin the narrative, if inflation is not dealt with, it will crush the consumer. There is no magic bullet that will get it under control outside of a recession. So bears are playing for the inevitable recession. (Same as last week)

Bullish Thesis - 

  • 2 Week Outlook
    • Something broke in the economy and that something was SIVB. But... is this a systemic issue or a one off? If the SIVB issues get worked out via a govt. bailout or a private acquisition, the market will look to regain the 390 support and retest the bear market trendline. CPI is on Tuesday, so if that data comes in cooler, we are squeezing all the way until FOMC. What a shift a few days can make where the bulls are now relying on data to save them. Now if SIVB, does not get a timely resolution, the market may react negatively to this. However, SVIB failing could signal the Fed to only do 25 BPS hike in the next FOMC meeting and start the discussion of pausing in the economic projections.  
  • 1 Month Outlook 
    • SIVB be damned, the jobs data gave the Fed a possible soft landing scenario. Low wage rate increase (no wage spiral) and higher unemployment (softening of labor conditions). Inflation is in control so no landing is here! This will be the bullish narrative to allow them to dismiss the hot inflation data. Even if JPow says that 2% is the mandate in the March FOMC meeting, bulls will not believe him due to SIVB breaking. He is closer to pausing rates and then he will just live with the results for a year with the rates at 5 to 5.25%. This will create a sweet spot where the Fed signals when it is pausing regardless of the current inflation reports, while the consumer is strong and unemployment is low.
  • 3 Month Outlook
    • The no landing sticks, then we know that only a natural recession will bring the markets down. The Fed will not manufacture the recession and it will be up to whether inflation can stay back long enough for the consumer to stay strong. The theory here is that inflation is and was ultimately a supply side issue and those issues would be resolved by then. If this is the case, and inflation starts to slightly tick down while the Fed has paused, the market will explode higher as they will anticipate that a major recession will not happen. It will only crash or come down once the consumer has slowed down by the sticky inflation, thus causing an economic recession. (same as last week)

I do not agree with one side of this narrative, but it is important to present all sides of the argument. Over the next few weeks, I will keep building and updating these narratives. 

My Prediction - 

I was wrong last week as we did not see a sustainable pop after the pullback. I got caught holding longs, but my stops kicked in and allowed me to save a green week. 

We have an eventful week ahead. CPI is Tuesday, Retail sales is Wednesday, ECB Rate hike decision is Thursday and the sneaky UoM Sentiment report is Friday. All while, everyone is awaiting the fallout from the SIVB crisis. 

If the CPI data comes in hot, does that put 50 BPS hike back on the table? Does the Fed even consider 50 BPS again since the banking sector is a bit shaky right now. 

I am looking for a rebound on the SIVB situation getting resolved. CPI being Tuesday, so I anticipate some de-risking on Monday. There is no real point to playing any bigger trades until that data is presented. Retail sales on Wednesday will be critical for us to determine how far off is the recession, and if the consumer is still as strong as it has shown in previous months. 

So the play I am looking at getting into is a gold miner, NEM. With risk off getting more attention, Gold looks to be catching a bid. So I will grab some calls for June sometime this week. 
I will continue to scalp the indicies for small plays this week. 

Economic Data this Week (all times are EST)? - 

  • Check the full calendar here. No Fed Speakers this week. They are in a blackout period:  stonks.chat/feed/catalysts
  • Monday - Nothing major
  • Tuesday -CPI at 8:30am
  • Wednesday - Retail Sales at 8:30am
  • Wednesday - PPI Data at 8:30am
  • Wednesday - Business Inventories at 10:00am
  • Thursday - Building Permits at 8:30am
  • Thursday - Import/Export Data at 8:30am
  • Thursday - EU Interest Rate Decision at 9:15am (DXY implications) 
  • Friday - UoM Sentiment at 10am (sneaky report)

Current Positions and Plays -

  • I am all cash and looking at scalping and entering some longer dated calls for Gold miners. 

SPY Technicals - 

  • SPY Technicals - The 30 min, 1 hour, and 4 hour are oversold. Daily is close to oversold.
  • SPY broke below the bear market trendline and the 200MA on the Daily chart.
  • SPY Fibs for Dec 2022 low to 2023 high (current rally) -  Purple fibs on the chart. 
    • 401 is the .382
    • 391 is the .618 
    • 396 is the .500
  • SPY Fibs for ATH to June 2022 low - 389 is the .236 line. 407 is the .382 line. Light green fibs on the chart. 
  • SPY Fibs for COVID low to ATH - 380 is the .382 line. 416 is the .236 line. Gold fibs on the chart. 

Levels I am Watching

  • $SPY  - levels 383, 385, 390 (major), 393, 396
  • $QQQ  - levels 285, 288, 290 (major), 293, 296
  • NOTE: I have turned back into a daytrader. I love playing ES and NQ futures. 
  • This is not financial advice
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Stock Market Week Ahead: Feb 27, 2023 - QQQ 293-308 range; JPow + JOLTS + NFP

Economic Calendar
  • Monday: Factory Orders @ 1000
  • Tuesday:  JPow - Senate @ 1000; Consumer Credit @ 1500
  • Wednesday:  ADP @ 0815 (does this matter anymore?), JPow - House @ 1000, JOLTS @ 1000
  • Thursday:  Jobless Claims @ 0830, Fed Waller @ 1000
  • Friday: Non-Farm Payrolls + Wages @ 0830 (event of the week)
  • NEXT Week: CPI + PPI + Retail Sales + UMICH
  • NEXT NEXT Week: FOMC

Market Thoughts:
  • Last week:  I was at a year high going into Thursday morning - then went short on the morning’s data (bearish) when we broke through 200MA support.  I was dancing.  Then Bostic spoke + we bounced. Hard.  That ripped my head off, I had no stop in.  Then I averaged down on Thursday night, piling in more to the short.  You can look at the Thu/Fri chart to see how this turned out.  Ouch.  I’ve got a new stop policy that will prevent such a screwup in the future.
  • Economic calendar:  We’re getting this party started this week with JPow, JOLTS, NFP; then next week CPI + PPI.  Then FOMC after that.
  • Repeating from last week: My overall sentiment has not changed - I’m bearish and remain so.  It’s going to take months to play out, however, with the unemployment rate and insane consumer spending.  I still think we’re just going to run off a cliff and ‘break’ something.  That’s not today or even this month.
  • The bearish case remains squarely in deteriorating fundamentals in the face of rising rates.
  • The bullish case is technical and narrative shifting - which has been done brilliantly.
  • I have to fight hard with myself to go long in this market, because I don’t believe in it - but the bulls are in charge right now.  The market, by default, just wants to go up.  The vast, vast majority of market participants are buy and hold - not traders.  So the market will always be bent to the upside.
  • Until the market finds that cliff it’s going to run off (eventually), I’m going to bend my brain to the long side.  If I can find any reason to go long - I will. Probably.
  • I have been staying away from events - meaning I’m always out of my position ahead of the ones that matter.  THat’s proven to be effective.  Trading the follow-on wave works very well once you let the market figure out what way it wants to go (not always clear in the first 5-10 min how it wants to process the data)
  • This will be important this week because we’ve got events each day starting on Tuesday.
  • So, technicals.
  • We bounced right off the 200MA on both SPY and QQQ last week.  I don’t see us testing the 200MA again until some seriously bad data drops or FOMC.
  • The Daily on SPY + QQQ say we’ve got plenty of room to run
  • 30M says we need to pullback first (Monday)
  • The Weekly on SPY is neutral.  QQQ says we’ve got room to run.
  • DXY spent the back half of the week cooling off — 105.30 is tough for it to crack.  I expect it to grind sideways in 104 range until Friday on NFP - then it will move big.  It’s going tick for tick on NQ/QQQ though. DXY up, QQQ down.  DXY down, QQQ up.


Technicals (Latest):
  • QQQ 200 MA: 290.06
  • SPY 200 MA: 393.14

Expected move (per options chain)
  • QQQ +/- 7.84
  • SPY +/- 8.50

Trading Plan (This Week):
  • Current position: I’m currently short NQ.  I’ve got 50 point stop loss and a 100 point closing order. (OCO)
  • I’m looking for a pullback overnight/Monday from where we are now
  • I’ll be looking for spots to go long
  • QQQ 293 I’d buy with both hands
  • QQQ 313 I’d short with both hands

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Weekly Market Preview - March 6th, 2023

Last Week Recap - 

SPY had a weekly range of 392 to 404, closing just above 404. It was a wild week with the market starting off with a bounce, and then by Thursday in premarket, SPY was testing the 200 Daily Moving Average near 393. Once it tested it, the buyers stepped and blasted us higher to 404. 

I predicted a bounce last week, but unfortunately I got caught being married to the bearish side midweek. Once we got a revision in the wage data on Thursday morning, I went overly bearish and it cost me. The power of the 200 Moving Day Average was way stronger than that data. Lesson learned, and we move forward. 

I believe I have spotted the missing link in my previews and I will talk more about that in my prediction section. 

Let's move on to the bullish and bearish thesis section to see what lies ahead. 

Bearish Thesis - 

  • 2 Week outlook 
    • We blasted higher last week, but we had more bearish data come out with a massive revision up on the wage rate data. However, that data was not enough to hold back the buyers from the 200 MA bounce. Technicals support a small pullback here back to 400 or even 398, but it appears that will be the extent of it barring a major economic data update. Maybe from the jobs data on Friday? 
  • 1 month outlook 
    • This is all about the FOMC meeting in March. If we get an economic projection of the Fed funds rate over 550 BPS, then that will signal to the market that they were again way too premature on predicting a rate pause or cut to be within the next 2 meetings. This should cause a move back to SPY 380 as long as JPow maintains his 2% inflation mandate stance in the presser. (Same as last week)
  • 3 months+ outlook 
    • Regardless of the Fed's decision in March, the data is showing that inflation is not only sticking, but is also rising again. So inflation is showing that it is control, so no matter how the market wants to spin the narrative, if inflation is not dealt with, it will crush the consumer. There is no magic bullet that will get it under control outside of a recession. So bears are playing for the inevitable recession. (Same as last week)

Bullish Thesis - 

  • 2 Week Outlook
    • Yes, the fundamental data is bearish, but the market is holding up strongly. We are due for a small pullback from the technical standpoint, but that dip should be bought up pretty fast with the 200MA provided firm support. There is a landmine on Friday with the jobs data, but again the fundamental data has not seemed to be slowing the market down this year. The Fed is losing credibility by the day and that is short term bullish. 
  • 1 Month Outlook 
    • Inflation is in control so no landing is here! This will be the bullish narrative to allow them to dismiss the hot inflation data. Even if JPow says that 2% is the mandate in the March FOMC meeting, bulls will not believe him. He is closer to pausing rates and then he will just live with the results for a year with the rates at 5 to 5.25%. This will create a sweet spot where the Fed signals when it is pausing regardless of the current inflation reports, while the consumer is strong and unemployment is low. (same as last week)
  • 3 Month Outlook
    • The no landing sticks, then we know that only a natural recession will bring the markets down. The Fed will not manufacture the recession and it will be up to whether inflation can stay back long enough for the consumer to stay strong. The theory here is that inflation is and was ultimately a supply side issue and those issues would be resolved by then. If this is the case, and inflation starts to slightly tick down while the Fed has paused, the market will explode higher as they will anticipate that a major recession will not happen. It will only crash or come down once the consumer has slowed down by the sticky inflation, thus causing an economic recession. (same as last week)

I do not agree with one side of this narrative, but it is important to present all sides of the argument. Over the next few weeks, I will keep building and updating these narratives. 

My Prediction - 

So let me first present my theory of what is currently happening with why the market is not reacting to fundamental data like last year. 

Volume is now hiding in the option chains. So there are now 3 phases to the market currently. Technicals, fundamentals and now mechanics. They are using the mechanics to counter the fundamental data.

I believe TSLA cracked the mechanics code 4 years ago.

TSLA has always trumped the fundamental case against it. But there was always these crazy call options weekly that tended to push the stock up. The buyer was labeled the Tesla whale.
It was clearly successful and as Tesla continued to workout their issues and continue the hype train, the stock just went crazy. I think this strategy is now being implored in a more broader scope to hold up stocks until fundamental data improves.
Mechanics are working in overdrive to achieve this. Which is why bad news is not creating the moves like last year. The 0DTE changes helped fuel this.

So with that out of the way, I am looking for a pullback before the JPow testimony on Tuesday, and then buyers should step in very fast as the event is a nothing burger. These hearings will make you hate the government officials even more. They all tend to use their time to say how the other party is causing the current issues in the economy and then ask JPow if he agrees. He then simply responds with a "I cannot comment on those matters." The main fear here will be his opening remarks, once those are done, the market should rebound from any dip that may have occurred. 

I will be scalping small wins or losses all week. We have major data on Friday with the nonfarm payrolls, so I will be playing it light this week. So to recap, looking for a pullback, and then a buy the dip moment to push us higher heading into Friday's report. 


Economic Data this Week (all times are EST)? - 

  • Check the full calendar here. We have a lot of Fed Speakers this week:  stonks.chat/feed/catalysts
  • Monday - Factory Orders at 10:00am
  • Tuesday - JPow Hearing at 10:00am
  • Tuesday - TIPP Economic Optimism at 10:00am
  • Wednesday - EU LaGarde Speech at 5:00am (DXY Implications)
  • Wednesday - EU GDP and Employment Change at 5:00am
  • Wednesday - ADP Employment Change at 8:15am
  • Wednesday - Import and Export Data at 8:30am
  • Wednesday - JOLTS Report at 10:00am
  • Wednesday - JPow Hearing at 10:00am
  • Wednesday - ISM Man PMI at 10:00am
  • Thursday - Nothing major 
  • Friday - US Nonfarm Payrolls - 8:30am (the report of the week)

Current Positions and Plays -

  • I am holding a few QQQ puts for Friday. I will hold these into JPow's hearing on Tuesday to see some de-risk. I am looking at scalping with a small amount this week.

SPY Technicals - 

  • SPY Technicals - The 30 min and 1 hour are overbought. 4 hour and daily are neutral.
  • SPY is still above the bear market trendline and the 200MA on the Daily chart.
  • SPY Fibs for Dec 2022 low to 2023 high (current rally) -  Purple fibs on the chart. 407 is the resistance ahead and 401 is support. 
  • SPY Fibs for ATH to June 2022 low - 389 is the .236 line. 407 is the .382 line. Light green fibs on the chart. 
  • SPY Fibs for COVID low to ATH - 380 is the .382 line. 416 is the .236 line. Gold fibs on the chart. 

Levels I am Watching

  • $SPY  - levels 390 (major), 393, 396, 400, 405, 407 (major), 410
  • $QQQ  - levels 290 (major), 293, 296, 298.50, 300, 303, 306, 310
  • NOTE: I have turned back into a daytrader. I love playing ES and NQ futures. 
  • This is not financial advice

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Stock Market Week Ahead: Feb 27, 2023 - QQQ 290-298 range; many small events this week; technicals should drive.

Economic Calendar
  • Monday: Durable Goods @ 0830
  • Tuesday:  S&P Home index @ 0900, Chicago PMI @ 0945, Consumer Confidence @ 1000
  • Wednesday:  FOMC Kashkari @ 0900, ISM - Manufacturing @ 1000
  • Thursday:  Jobless Claims @ 0830, Fed Waller @ 1600, FOMC Kashkar @ 1800
  • Friday: Services PMI @ 0945, ISM Services @ 1000, FOMC Bostic @ 1145, Fed Bowman @ 1500

Market Thoughts:
  • Last week:  I ended the week up.  I didn’t trade much, it was a slow and steady week.  I avoided trading ahead of the events, just the follow on wave after.  No complaints.
  • Economic calendar:  This is more difficult week than it seems.  There’s no major economic event, but many smaller ones.  Keep an eye on the calendar and step out of the way of any of them that might surprise you — ones I see are Kashkari speaking twice, the PMI/ISM data, and Consumer Confidence.
  • Earnings: Target is on Tuesday premarket and Lowes is in Wednesday premarket.
  • There looks to be nothing major in the way of fundamentals this week - though many smaller ones as I noted - so technicals are likely to run the show this week.
  • The bulls got a punch in the face with PCE on Friday.  It came in hotter than expected and the market moved down in response to spike in DXY and TNX.
  • We closed well under 400 on SPY and well under 300 on QQQ — the sentiment took a turn last week.
  • My overall sentiment has not changed - I’m bearish and remain so.  It’s going to take months to play out there with the unemployment rate and insane consumer spending.  I still think we’re just going to run off a cliff and ‘break’ something.  That’s not today, though.
  • We’re going to start hearing more about upcoming FOMC and for good reason.  A 50bps rate hike is back on the table with these strong numbers out.  A 50bps would be a blow to the inflation is dead argument, but more interesting will be the updated SEP numbers at this meeting.  These will, without a doubt, get revised upward yet again.  This should smack the market down.  The next FOMC is March 22, 2023.  JPow is looking over his glasses at us…
  • So, technicals.
  • We bounced right off the 200MA on both SPY and QQQ.  I’d look for it to test it again.  I am not convinced it will break it unless one of these many pieces of data this week is off the charts bad.  
  • It looks like a week of grinding out technicals with 200MA support holding and probably ending higher on the week.  This will be my trade this week.
  • It’s tough to short here (aka shorting in the hole) against that 200MA.  I’d want to see it convincingly broken before I took a short out.
  • Weekly and Daily charts say OK to hold short position though.
  • NOTE: Next Friday is Non-Farm Payrolls - this will move the market.


Technicals (Latest):
  • QQQ 200 MA: 291.15
  • SPY 200 MA: 393.25

Trading Plan (This Week):
  • Current position: I’ve got nothing at the moment.  Traded NQ long tonight for some dinner money to start the week off right.
  • I’ll be eyeing the 200MA tests for a technical bounce/long trade.


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Weekly Market Preview - February 27th, 2023

Last Week Recap - 

SPY had a weekly range of 404 to 393, closing just above 396. This was a week where the bears finally flexed some muscle and pushed the SPY under some key levels. The macro data came in hotter than expected on the inflation front with the PCE release on Friday. Also GDP came in under expectations on the Q4 revision. So that puts CPI, PPI, PCE all coming in hotter in January while GDP got revised lower. That was clean sweep for macro data for the bears in February.

So does the recent macro data open the door for the next leg lower in this bear market? Let's breakdown that question below by visiting the bullish and bearish arguments in a 2 week, 1 month and 3 month outlook. 

Bearish Thesis - 

  • 2 Week outlook 
    • The inflation data we got the past few weeks tells the market that the current rally was completely off base. So there should be a correction back to at least SPY 390 in the near term. This would put us right back in the chop zone that we were in prior to the FOMC February meeting. 
  • 1 month outlook 
    • This is all about the FOMC meeting in March. If we get a economic projection of the Fed funds rate over 550 BPS, then that will signal to the market that they were again way too premature on predicting a rate pause or cut to be within the next 2 meetings. This should cause a move back to SPY 380 as long as JPow maintains his 2% inflation mandate stance in the presser. 
  • 3 months+ outlook 
    • Regardless of the Fed's decision in March, the data is showing that inflation is not only sticking, but is also rising again. So inflation is showing that it is control, so no matter how the market wants to spin the narrative, if inflation is not dealt with, it will crush the consumer. There is no magic bullet that will get it under control outside of a recession. So bears are playing for the inevitable recession. 

Bullish Thesis - 

  • 2 Week Outlook
    • Yes, inflation data came in hotter than expected, however QQQ did not break under its 200 day SMA and the charts are looking slightly oversold on the shorter timeframes. With no major economic data this week, a bounce is likely to happen at the current support. 
  • 1 Month Outlook 
    • Inflation is in control so no landing is here! This will be the bullish narrative to allow them to dismiss the hot inflation data. Even if JPow says that 2% is the mandate in the March FOMC meeting, bulls will not believe him. He is closer to pausing rates and then he will just live with the results for a year with the rates at 5 to 5.25%. This will create a sweet spot where the Fed signals when it is pausing regardless of the current inflation reports, while the consumer is strong and unemployment is low. 
  • 3 Month Outlook
    • The no landing sticks, then we know that only a natural recession will bring the markets down. The Fed will not manufacture the recession and it will be up to whether inflation can stay back long enough for the consumer to stay strong. The theory here is that inflation is and was ultimately a supply side issue and those issues would be resolved by then. If this is the case, and inflation starts to slightly tick down while the Fed has paused, the market will explode higher as they will anticipate that a major recession will not happen. It will only crash or come down once the consumer has slowed down by the sticky inflation, thus causing an economic recession. 

I do not agree with one side of this narrative, but it is important to present all sides of the argument. Over the next few weeks, I will keep building and updating these narratives. 

My Prediction - 

We do see a bounce at support for SPY to ultimately get us back over 400. I am looking for that bounce this week. The bulls have the stronger 2 week outlook imo, while the bears have the stronger 1 month outlook. So I am playing the potential bounce for the next 2 weeks and looking at playing it very cautious with tight stops. 


Economic Data this Week (all times are EST)? - 

  • Check the full calendar here. We have a lot of Fed Speakers this week:  stonks.chat/feed/catalysts
  • Monday - EU Economic Statement at 5am (DXY implications)
  • Monday - Durable Goods Orders at 8:30am
  • Monday - Dallas Fed Man Index at 10:30a
  • Tuesday - Retail and Wholesale Inventories at 8:30am
  • Tuesday - Chicago PMI at 9:45am
  • Tuesday - Consumer Confidence at 10am
  • Wednesday - SP PMI at 9:45am
  • Wednesday - ISM Man PMI at 10:00am
  • Thursday - EU's Inflation Report at 5:00am (DXY implications)
  • Friday - SP and Non-Man PMI at 9:45 and 10am

Current Positions and Plays -

  • I am holding 1 NQ long. Looking at scalping this all the way up if we start to rally. I will close it out ahead of the data releases each day. I am much better at reacting to data, then predicting data. 

SPY Technicals - 

  • SPY Technicals - The 30 min and 1 hour are neutral. 4 hour is close to oversold on RSI but the MACD is curling down. Daily chart is at neutral on the RSI but MACD is curling down.  
  • SPY has closed under its 50 MA average but is still above the bear market trendline and the 200MA on the Daily chart.
  • SPY Fibs for Dec 2022 low to 2023 high (current rally) - We are right in the golden zone for a bounce at the 50 line and 61.8 line. Purple fibs on the chart. Those levels are highlighted in gold. 
  • SPY Fibs for ATH to June 2022 low - 389 is the .236 line. 407 is the .382 line. Light green fibs on the chart. 
  • SPY Fibs for COVID low to ATH - 380 is the .382 line. 416 is the .236 line. Gold fibs on the chart. 

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Percentages from the Highs

  • SPY is approximately -18% (479 HIGH)
  • QQQ is approximately -28% (408 HIGH)
  • DJX is approximately -11% (369 HIGH)
  • IWM is approximately -24% (244 HIGH)

Levels I am Watching

  • $SPY  - levels 390 (major), 393, 396, 400, 405, 407 (major)
  • $QQQ  - levels 290 (major), 293, 296, 298.50, 300
  • NOTE: I have turned back into a daytrader. I love playing ES and NQ futures. 
  • This is not financial advice
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Mentions: SPY QQQ

Stock Market Week Ahead: Feb 20, 2023 - QQQ 295-305 range; FOMC Minutes + PCE.

Economic Calendar
  • Monday: US Markets closed - though Futures are open for a limited session Sun-Mon
  • Tuesday:  PMI @ 0945
  • Wednesday:  FOMC Minutes @ 1400 ⚠️ + FOMC Williams @ 1830
  • Thursday:  Jobless Claims + GDP @ 0830, Fed Bostic @ 1045
  • Friday: PCE @ 0830 ⚠️⚠️ + UMich @ 1000 ⚠️ + FOMC Mester @ 1015

Market Thoughts:
  • Last week:  I ended the week overall down just slightly, but I was very pleased with OPEX.  Traded that well and Friday I was nicely green to finish the week.
  • Economic calendar:  FOMC Minutes (is everybody else as Jolly as JPow?) and PCE will be the headline pieces of data.
  • Earnings: WMT and HD report on Tue/Feb 21.  I expect them to both guide down a bit.
  • From last week: “I think we could see an uptick in CPI (as early as the March 14 report) and JPow to come in with a 50bps with new SEP.  FOMC next meeting + SEP will be March 22.  If not then, then it’ll be during the summer/June meeting.  Inflation is pushing higher at some point.”
  • CPI ticked higher and you’re already hearing rumblings about 50bps may be needed again….it’s coming.  Just may not be as fast as bears want.
  • I’ll be interested in the FOMC minutes on Wednesday to see if everybody is as equally Jolly as JPow has been.  Out in the wild, they are showing some hawkishness.  To me that suggests and upward revision in SEP….again.
  • For now though, this is a bull’s game.  They’ve got the Fed adding fuel to the fire with the 25bps + general tone.  Every dip is being bought for the most part.  There’s many indicators in the bulls favor right now for data that’s known.
  • There was a sentiment change on Thursday/Friday - even if only temporary, when something went splat at exactly 3pm on Thursday.  Then we just went on a typical OpEx Friday ride of big candles going in both directions early on (mechanical).
  • This is a shortened holiday week and likely to be low volume until FOMC minutes and then PCE on Friday.  That normally favors a move to the upside.
  • DXY is going tick for tick with QQQ.  It’s hovering around 104.  A move down to 103 will blast it higher, a move to 105 will smack it down.  The script hasn’t flipped yet on that one.
  • However, there’s some technical indicators pointing towards a pullback.  QQQ looks on a path down, SPY a bit stronger, but it’s not far from its key 405 level.
  • Overall, looks choppy to me.  I don’t see a big move in either direction until Wednesday and then again on Friday.
  • SPY held a key number (closing) - 405
  • QQQ held a key number (closing) - 300

Technicals (Latest):
  • QQQ 200 MA: 291 (well above it)
  • SPY 200 MA: 393.61 (still well above it)

Trading Plan (This Week):
  • Current position: I’ve got nothing at the moment.
  • I just don’t see any clear trade today, but my lean (big surprise) is bearish mostly due to divergence of QQQ with TIP.
  • So I’ll be looking for an entry on a pop to go short and bet on technicals triggering a pull back.
  • Once that happens, I’ll be looking to go long - maybe.

QQQ + TIP overlay - short thesis

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Weekly Market Preview - February 13th, 2023

Last Week Recap - 

SPY had a weekly range of 405 to 416, closing near 408. Another wild week that saw both bulls and bears eat pies in the face. JPow's speech on Tuesday sparked a nice pop and then it immediately got faded back down. Only to then recover again at the close on Tuesday. But from Wednesday until the close of the week, we saw continued selling. I got caught in holding longs thinking we would see some CPI optimism going into next week. That proved to be a big mistake as I completely missed two things, the bond market believing more rate hikes were coming, and the projections for the upcoming CPI came in much hotter than last months. 

We have a lot of important data releasing this week. CPI will get the most attention, but I am more focused on the retail sales data on Wednesday. The CPI reading is expected to be a little hotter than last months, and plays into the sticky inflation narrative. Retail sales, however could hurt the soft landing narrative if they come in cool. This could be the shift of the narrative to recession fears. 

My Prediction - 

All eyes will be on the CPI report early in the week, but I do believe that could be a minor impact on the next trend. I am more interested in the retail sales data on Wednesday to show if the consumer is still showing signs of weakness. I will be squarely focused on the TNX and DXY this week. If those two can maintain their recent strength, there should be a sell off in tech. The 200 Daily SMA for QQQ is 291 and I expect us to test that before a possible bounce. 


Economic Data this Week (all times are EST)? - 


Current Positions and Plays -

  • I am holding 2 NQ shorts. Looking at exiting these on Monday or Tuesday before CPI. I will then start scalping until the retail data comes out on Wednesday. 

SPY Technicals - 

  • SPY Technicals - The 30 min and 1 hour, 4 hour and Daily charts are near or at neutral. 
  • SPY has broken above its 200 MA average and the bear market trendline on the Daily chart.
  • SPY Fibs for ATH to June 2022 low - 407 is the .382 line. Next line higher is 421 which is the .500 line.
  • SPY Fibs for COVID low to ATH - We tested and rejected 418 which was the .236. Next line below is 380. 

Percentages from the Highs

  • SPY is approximately -15% (479 HIGH)
  • QQQ is approximately -25% (408 HIGH)
  • DJX is approximately -8% (369 HIGH)
  • IWM is approximately -20% (244 HIGH)

Levels I am Watching

  • $SPY - levels 396, 400, 405, 407 (major), 410, 413, 415, 418 (major)
  • NOTE: I have turned back into a daytrader. I love playing ES and NQ futures. 
  • This is not financial advice
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Stock Market Week Ahead: Feb 13, 2023 - QQQ 292-305 range; CPI + Retail Sales + Fed Speakers.

Stock Market Week Ahead: Feb 13, 2023 - QQQ 292-305 range; CPI + Retail Sales + Fed Speakers.

Economic Calendar
  • Monday: NY Fed 1 & 5 year inflation @ 1100
  • Tuesday:  CPI @ 0830 ⚠️, FOMC Williams @ 1400
  • Wednesday:  Retail Sales @ 0830 ⚠️
  • Thursday:  Jobless claims + Housing + Philly Fed @ 0830., FOMC Mester @ 0845, FOMC Bullard @ 1330
  • Friday: Nothing.
  • Note: There are more Fed speakers on the calendar, so please check that.  I just noted ones I am interested in.

Market Thoughts:

Technicals (Latest):
  • QQQ 200 MA: 291 (well above it)
  • SPY 200 MA: 394 (still well above it)

Trading Plan (This Week):
  • Current position: I entered an NQ short on Friday at the close and added more to it on Sunday night for an average of 12,320 NQ
  • I’m looking for 12250 at least, but 12200 before CPI
  • I will NOT hold through CPI.  I intend to be neutral on Monday afternoon or early Tuesday at the latest
  • After CPI, I’ll decide what to do - I want to review the data (not the initial market reaction)
  • If warm/higher than expected, I’d expect QQQ 292.  I do not expect a ‘hot’ reading.


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Weekly Market Preview - February 6th, 2023

Last Week Recap - 

SPY had a weekly range of 400 to 418, closing near 412. It was a crazy week with major events happening all over the place, including FOMC and AAPL earnings. Jerome Powell came in very tame in his demeanor and the bulls took that as an indicator that the Fed pain is starting to subside. During his speech on Wednesday, the market blasted higher and set the stage for the soft landing to carry the momentum upward for a few more weeks. 

AAPL, AMZN, and GOOG all released earnings on Thursday in afterhours. The earnings were not great, and the market seemed to handle the reports pretty well in afterhours. Friday in premarket brought a very hot jobs report that sent the market down to test under 411, but the dip was quickly bought up on Friday. 

The internet is filled with reviews of earnings and FOMC from last week, but I want to concentrate on the jobs report for a moment. One bullish note for the jobs data was that wage rates stayed the same and unemployment ticked lower. The wage data  being flat helps ease the inflation fears for the upcoming CPI report on 02/14. However, the jobs number came in scorching hot (comically hot honestly) at +500k. That helps the DXY gain some momentum which is a bearish sign for tech and commodities. So the jobs report may fuel the next pullback if the DXY can keep the upward momentum it grabbed on Friday. 

My Prediction - 

The market is pretty frothy up here and is ripe for a technical pullback. I am going to be looking at the DXY and seeing if it can hold 103 on Monday. I think there is a chance that we get a vey quick pullback on Monday and part of Tuesday where SPY retests 407. That would clear up some of the technicals and allow for any dip buyers to feel more comfortable to enter. 

I believe the catalyst for the dip buying will be the JPow event on Tuesday turning into a nonevent and the dip buyers show up in full force again. This time they will run the market up to 420 before the CPI report. If we get there before next week, then we will consolidate and slowly grind up. 

As a bear, I hate typing this, but it is what it is. There is no major economic events this week that can cause much fear outside of JPow completely flipping his dovish stance on Tuesday.  He is not going to do that in my opinion with FOMC only being 6 days ago. That would kill all credibility he has left. 


Economic Data this Week (all times are EST)? - 

  • Check the full calendar here. We have a lot of Fed Speakers this week:  stonks.chat/feed/catalysts
  • Monday - Nothing major
  • Tuesday - US Balance of Trade at 8:30am
  • Tuesday - JPow speech at 12:40pm
  • Tuesday - CMG earnings in afterhours
  • Wednesday - A lot of Fed Speakers throughout the day
  • Wednesday - UBER earnings in premarket and DIS Earnings in Afterhours
  • Thursday - No major economic data (weekly jobless claims but not major)
  • Friday - UK GDP at 2:00am (DXY implications/ global recession fears)
  • Friday - UoM Consumer at 10am

Current Positions and Plays -

  • All cash for now. 
  • I am sticking with daily scalps for the time being. 

SPY Technicals - 

  • SPY Technicals - The 30 min and 1 hour are neutral. 4 hour and Daily charts are close to overbought. 
  • SPY has broken above its 200 MA average and the bear market trendline on the Daily chart.
  • SPY Fibs for ATH to June 2022 low - 407 is the .382 line. Next line higher is 421 which is the .500 line.
  • SPY Fibs for COVID low to ATH - We tested and rejected 418 which was the .236. Next line below is 380. 

Percentages from the Highs

  • SPY is approximately -15% (479 HIGH)
  • QQQ is approximately -25% (408 HIGH)
  • DJX is approximately -8% (369 HIGH)
  • IWM is approximately -20% (244 HIGH)

Levels I am Watching

  • $SPY - levels 407 (major), 410, 413, 415, 418 (major)
  • NOTE: I have turned back into a daytrader. I love playing ES futures. 
  • This is not financial advice
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Stock Market - Week Ahead: Feb 6, 2023 - SPY 400-420 range; Fed speakers everywhere; macro thoughts.

Economic Calendar
  • Monday: Nothing.
  • Tuesday:  JPow in the wild @ 1240; Fed Barr @ 1400; Consumer Credit @ 1500
  • Wednesday:  Fed spakers: Cook @ 0930, Bostic & Barr @ 1000, Kashkari @ 1230 (one to watch), Waller @ 1345
  • Thursday:  Jobless claims @ 0830
  • Friday: UMICH Inflation Expectations @ 1000, Waller @ 1230, Harker @ 4pm

Earnings Calendar
  • Wednesday: DIS after hours only one of interest to me this week

Market Thoughts:

Technicals (Latest):
  • SPY levels:  400, 408, 410, 416, 420
  • 200 MA: 394

Trading Plan (This Week):
  • Current position: I’m holding nothing.  I scalped some NQ this evening.
  • I would happily go short QQQ at 308 and certainly 313
  • I’ll be watching the technical conditions to see when they get worked out before going long
  • I will stay out of the way on Wednesday - Fed speakers all day.

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Moving to $SPY discussion board

I'm going to move my future market updates over to $SPY discussion board.  I almost exclusively talk about SPX/SPY so it makes more sense, plus we're going to do some snazzy stuff with the view/data there.

https://stonks.chat/symbol/SPY


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Mentions: SPY

Thursday, October 6th Market Preview

What Happened? - 

  • SPY range on Wednesday: 371 to 379.
  • I had pegged Wednesday as a non-event day with little economic data that would impact the markets too much. I was wrong...
  • ADP reports came in hot, with wage rates coming in very hot. OPEC+ agreed to cut production by 2 million barrels a day. And ISM Non-Production came in above expectations. This led to the market to pullback under the 373 support. All was looking good for bears until a big options trade came through for SPX 4500 for Jan 2023. 
  • That trade seemed to spark a rally and pushed SPY all the way back to green for the day. It was another gut wrenching punch for the bears.


What Am I Looking Out For This Week?

  • Fed Pivot Theory is back and better than ever. I hate every part of this, but the markets are rallying on this optimism so we need to take it serious. The next landmine to stop the optimism is the Jobs data on Friday. 
  • Jobs data this week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday) will add gas to the fire for the market as all signs are pointing to a hot jobs number with consumer sentiment still strong. Bears need Jobs to stay hot so the Fed can stay comfortable being aggressive. Bulls need a slowing jobs number to put doubts in the Fed's aggressive approach. 
  • The DXY and TNX is on watch. If these two breakdown then the markets will keep rallying. 

Current Positions and Plays:

  • CORE Position: SPX 3600p for 11/18 - I added to this position when SPY was at 378 and will keep building this position if we keep climbing. 
  • Strangle Play - I will do a strangle for SPX at 3pm today in anticipation of Friday's big jobs release in premarket. I will grab both sides slightly out of the money for Friday's expiration date. 
  • Scalps - I am getting back into scalp trading as well when the setups merit it. This means waiting until 10:30am and let my intraday Fibs have some data to work with. 

Economic Data this Week (all times are EST)?


SPY Technicals - 

  • SPY Technicals - The 30 min and 1 hour is almost overbought. The 4 hour and Daily are neutral.  
  • SPY Fibs for ATH to June 2022 low - 362 is the .000 line. Bulls got this level back today and it was a very big win for them. 
  • SPY Fibs for COVID low to ATH - 380 is the .382. 349 is the .500.
  • SPY - The 200 Weekly SMA is 358. The bulls need to keep this level.

THE PLAYS OF THE DAY for THURSDAY for SPY:

  • We don't much on the calendar today so we could see a choppy day. I am looking for derisking to happen in the second half of the day. 
  • I will be waiting until 10:30am and see if I can set up some intraday Fibs and try and identify any scalps 
  • At 3pm I will enter a strangle for Friday's job data. Depending on the derisking at the end of the day, I may get an opportunity to close this out profitably before the bell and then re-enter at the close. 
  • NOTE: I am turning into a swing trader for various reasons, so please keep that in mind moving forward. My options plays will be always a few weeks out because of this. 
  • This is not financial advice

Levels I am Watching

  • $SPY - levels 360 > 362 > 367 > 370 > 373 > 376 > 380 > 383 > 386
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