Possible Bottom as Key Sectors Breaking Out

The past month we have seen stocks pick up momentum to the down side after an already very weak month prior (May – Sell in May and go away). This second wave of high volume selling in June was enough to spook the masses out of the market shifting the sentiment from bullish to bearish. But just recently we are starting to see big money accumulate stocks down at these oversold prices, which has me thinking we just may be headed higher sooner than later.

During market reversals we typically see the more sensitive stocks move first, which are the small cap and tech stocks. Then a couple days later we see the brand name stocks (big cap, energy and banking) follow. It’s these large sectors which provide the power in trends.

Taking a look at the graph below you can see on the far right both tech and small caps are leading the market higher and as of today the power sectors (energy and financials) started to move higher also. So if things play out I expect the SP500 which is a basket of the 500 largest companies to follow the small caps higher over the next 1-3 weeks. My trading buddy David Banister over at ActiveTradingPartners.com focuses mainly on small cap stock trading combining crowd psychology and fundamental analysis. his focus is finding stocks ready to explode during bull market advances which may just be starting…

If we take a look at the charts to see how each of these sectors have been performing you will notice that the small caps (IWM) and tech stocks (XLK) broke out one day before the energy and financials did. This is very typical to see and it also works for playing gold. I have seen gold stocks lead the price of gold bullion up to 7 days before gold bullion started to move. It’s these little golden nuggets of info which can not only save you money but make you even more when put to work.

Mid-Week Trading Conclusion:
In short, I feel the market has been forming a base for almost 3 weeks. Just last week we saw the big sectors (financials and energy) reach their key support levels from several months back and that should trigger a sizable bounce and with any luck the start of another leg higher in the market. If you would like to receive these free weekly updated in your inbox please opt-in to my newsletter here: http://www.thegoldandoilguy.com/trade-money-emotions.php
Chris Vermeulen

Are gold, silver and stocks topping, bottoming or just taking a pause?

The past eight weeks investors and traders have been watching the market wiggle its way lower. Each new low that formed has taken place with panic selling. Panic selling puts the market into a short term oversold condition. These extreme oversold conditions are typically great for a one or two day bounce but after that the down trend takes control once again pulling stocks and commodities back down.

The question everyone is asking is where are stocks and commodities headed next?

To be honest that is a tough question because of the current market conditions. The chart below shows a green indicator at the bottom and when that indicator spikes up it means there is panic selling in the market. Typically after multiple waves of panic selling we see stocks and commodities bounce/rally.

So looking at the SP500 daily chart below you can see there are two possible scenarios. First one for lower prices and wild price swings (consolidation), the second is a dip within the bull market uptrend.

Personally I would prefer to see the market bottom and start a rally here because choppy market conditions make for difficult trading unless you trade options and focus on Theta (time decay). What happens next to the stock market has a lot to do with the US dollar.

Dollar Index 4 Hour Candle Stick Chart
If you take a look at the dollar index you can see there is a large pennant/base forming. If the dollar breaks out and rallies through those resistance levels then I would expect stocks and commodities to continue selling off and then eventually forming a choppy consolidation pattern which will be tougher to trade. If resistance can hold then we are at the beginning of another move higher for stocks and commodities as a falling dollar is good for the market.

Silver and Gold 4 Hour Candle Stick Charts
Both silver and gold have been moving with bearish price and volume patterns since the May selloff. If we see the US Dollar breakout and rally then I figure silver and gold will quickly move lower as stated on the charts.

Weekend Market Wrap-Up:
In short, the market has been trying its hardest to shake traders out of positions. I also feel that the market is also trying to wear us out by taking up so much time before bottoming.

A lot of traders are getting frustrated with the recent choppy intraday price movements and I will admit I’m starting to get really tired of possible setups vanishing hours later because sellers step back into the market. But there is not much we can do at this point but continue to wait for the market to tip its hand giving us an edge for the next major move.

Chris Vermeulen
www.TheGoldAndOilGuy.com

Stock Market Flashing A Buy Signal?

Since the first trading session in May we have seen the stock market sell off. The old saying “sell in May and go away” was dead on again this year. Here we are 7 weeks later with the stock market continuing to lose ground. This extended sell off has everyone all worked up that this is the beginning of another market collapse.

Let’s take a quick look at the SP500 hourly chart covering the month of June.
As you can see, price is still falling but every couple of trading sessions we get some big money players nibbling on stocks accumulating shares and running the market higher. This type of price action is typically an early signal that the market is trying to bottom.

There are two key ingredients for a higher stock market and both have been missing from the mix for a couple months. The two key sectors which have a significant weighting in terms of the broader market are the financial and technology stocks.

Let’s take a look at the financial sector:
As you can see on the bottom of this chart, financials started to lag the market in late January. Ever since then this sector has been in a strong downtrend pulling the broad market averages lower with it. The good news is that this sector has just reached a major support zone and is looking ripe for a bounce and possible rally.

The other main ingredient to a higher stock market is the technology sector.

Looking at the technology sector:
Here we can see technology stocks have been pulling back for several weeks. Tech stocks are now trading down at a major support zone and they look oversold. A bounce from this level is very likely in the coming week.

Weekend Trading Conclusion:
In short, I continue to feel the market is trying to bottom here and we are at the tipping point when things get volatile and choppy just before we get a trend reversal in the S&P 500. Keep an eye on the short term charts of financials and technology sectors. Once they start making higher highs and higher lows on the 60 minute charts I believe it will be the start of a nice bounce and possible rally.

Get my free weekly technical analysis on sectors here: http://www.thegoldandoilguy.com/trade-money-emotions.php

Chris Vermeulen

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The Stocks & Commodity Technical trading Outlook Part I

The coming summer should be exciting for traders! While summer trading generally tends to be slow, this one could be different. A large number of other professional traders I talk with are all feeling the tension building in the market. We all think some big movements are just around the corner and the big question is which way are things going to move?

Depending on your trading style you may be viewing the recent market action as the beginning stages of a bear market (major sell off). A bear market is not necessarily impossible as the U.S. Economy is showing the beginning signs of weakness. The fact that stocks have moved lower for almost 6 weeks straight is a recent reminder that we may not be out of the woods just yet. The recent price action and negative sentiment has been harsh enough to make 99% of traders bearish.

In contrast, some traders may be seeing this market as an oversold dip preparing for a bounce/rally in the bull market which we have been in since 2009. Some traders may see this as a buying opportunity because you are a contrarian. Most contrarians generally want to do the opposite of the masses (herd) who are merely trading purely out of emotional sentiment.

I myself have mixed thoughts on the market at this point in time. I’m not a big picture (long trend forecasting) kind of guy but my trading partner David Banister is great at it. Rather I am a shorter term trader catching extreme sentiment shifts in the market with trades lasting 3-60 days in length. So looking forward 2-5 days I feel as though stocks and commodities are going to bottom and start to head higher for a 2-6% bounce. At that point we need to regroup and analyze how the market got there… Was the buying coming from the herd, institutions, or was it just a short covering rally? Additionally, where are the key resistance levels and did we break through any?

During extreme sentiment shifts in the market we tend to see investments fall out of sync with each other for a few days. I feel the attention will be on stocks and we get a bounce this week. I am expecting commodities to trade relatively flat during the same time period.

OK let’s take a quick look at the charts…

Dollar Index 4 Hour Candles
I feel as though the US Dollar is trying to bottom. It is very possible that we test the May low at which point I would expect another strong bounce and possible multi-month rally. So if the dollar drops to the May lows then we should see higher stocks and commodities, but once the dollar firms up and heads higher it will be game over for risk assets.

Crude Oil Chart – Daily
Oil took a swan dive in early May and has yet to show any signs of moving higher. Actually crude oil is looking more and more bearish as time goes by.

Silver 4 Hour Chart
Silver has formed much of the same pattern that oil has. On a technical basis its pointing to sharply lower prices still. The fact that silver bullion went from an investment to a speculative trading instrument within the past 8 months makes me think it could test the $25 area. The one thing to remember here is that silver is still overall in a bull market. This is a 50/50 guess in my opinion as it nears the apex of this pennant pattern.

Gold 4 Hour Chart
Gold has held up much better than other metals and commodities and I feel that is because it’s still seen at the REAL safe haven. But reviewing the chart Im starting to see bearish price action beginning to take place.

SP500 Futures – 10 Minute Chart Going Back 8 Days
Last week the SP500 continued to show signs of weakness. Any bounce in the market was on light volume and that is because the sellers took a break and let all the small traders buy the market back up. But once the market moved up enough then sellers jumped back in and unloaded their shares.
Last Thursday I sent out an update to members pointing out that lower prices were to be expected. I came to this conclusion because of many data points. Looking at the chart you can see sellers are clearly in control. The SP500 bounces high enough that it reached a key resistance levels going back 5 days. Also the 200 period moving average was at that level. To top that off my sentiment reading for the herd mentality was at a point which sellers like to start dumping their shares again.

Weekly Market Trading Conclusion:
In short, I am getting more bullish for a bounce as the market falls. But once we are into day 3 or 4 of a bounce we must be ready to take profits and/or look for a possible short setup.

Get my free weekly reports here: http://www.thegoldandoilguy.com/trade-money-emotions.php

Chris Vermeulen

Key Support & Resistance Levels for Financials, SP500, Silver and Gold

During the past 4 months we have seen the financial sector (banks) under selling pressure. With real estate prices continuing to fall and foreclosures picking up speed again investors have not been that interested in holding bank stocks. And we all know that without the financial sector moving higher we cannot expect the broad market to make any significant moves higher either.

If you take a look at the financial sector ETF XLF you will notice that it’s now trading near a major support level (fair value) where most shares changed hands in the past. With this sector sliding 13% from the highs in February and the fact that it’s making a parabolic drop into a support zone I can’t help but think a bounce is very likely to form soon.

XLF Financial Sector ETF – Daily Chart

SP500 Futures – 10 Minute Chart
With the financial sector nearing major support and the SP500 staring to show signs of a bottom forming I will admit my heart is starting to pound in excitement for an entry point. I am really hoping that this week we see another sharp drop in the stocks which should spikes the volatility index up (VIX) to 21 or higher. If we can see this take place, then I will be taking a long position to catch a 2-15 days bounce in the broad market.

The chart of the past 10 trading sessions below shows a price and volume pattern which typically leads market bottoms. I’m keeping a close on things these days…

Silver 2 Hour Chart
Silver took a big hair cut last month falling from $50 down to $33 per ounce. Ever since then it has been trying to form a base which will act as the next launch pad for higher prices. So far it is looking good but there is a key resistance level to breakthrough before fireworks. Keep your eye on the silver bullet.


Gold 2 Hour Chart
Gold is back trading up near its high but is starting to struggle with resistance (sellers). We could easily see gold pullback to the $1520 area before taking another run at resistance.

Mid-Week Update Conclusion:
In short, I feel investors are getting very nervous because of the 6 week sell off in stocks. There have been some technical support levels broken on the SP500 and other indexes and its these broken levels which have investors running for the door. The thing is, this type of selling happens every year and generally 2 -3 times. During a bull market I like to see fear in the eyes of investors. Until we are proven wrong about buying extreme oversold dips, they continue to be my focus.

Also if the financial sector can find a bottom and start to rally, then we will see higher stock prices across the board in the coming weeks. I am currently neutral on metals, oil and the dollar. But am getting bullish on financials and the SP500 as they move lower.

Get my free weekly reports here: http://www.thegoldandoilguy.com/trade-money-emotions.php

Chris Vermeulen

Investors are fearful and that means higher prices are around the corner

Everyone knows people make mistakes when rushed to do something or if they are scared of something bad happening. We also know fear and greed is what moves the market each month, week, day and tick… So when the majority of investors are selling their shares at the same time you must recognize the psychology behind it and prepare for a low risk trading opportunity in the days that follow.

Stepping back and looking at the general vibe in the financial arena we hear about Quantitative Easing II coming to an end which should help the dollar gain strength again. A rising dollar means lower stock and commodity prices. Also keep in mind the United States is in so much trouble they will always have quantitative easing even if they are not calling it QE, that’s my opinion anyways…

 

In addition, everyone was talking about the saying “sell in May and go away”. Take a look at the chart of the SP500. The first session in May was the highest point and the SP500 has only gone down since then. The chart below shows my fear indicator and with the masses all selling in the month of May I have to think it’s getting ready to bottom and start another 5-6% rally from down here. Keep in mind I am more neutral on the overall market for the longer term. In the next month or two I figure we see higher prices from here but come August we could see the dollar bottom and stocks sell off in a more significant manner.

 

Last but not least, gold and silver…
Looking back in time and reviewing inter-market relationships with gold and silver I feel more and more investors are becoming bearish and moving their money into safe havens like gold and silver. Recently we saw a sharp pullback in both gold and silver. The price and volume action that took place was a clear sign of distribution selling meaning big money players taking money out of those investments. I see this pattern happen in stocks, indexes and commodities all the time and it generally warrants caution!

My trading buddy JW Jones over at OptionsTradingSignals.com has some very exciting ways to profit from these choppy market conditions with limited risk. If you are into options then check it out.

Typically we will see a few more new highs being reached which are quickly followed with strong selling. What happens is that the big money players allow the price to make a new high and that hits the headline news, CNBC, BNN etc…. drawing in new buyers and a surge of volume for the big money guys to sell into and exit their positions at the top. It also helps cover up their large volume selling.

Below is what I am thinking will take place in gold this summer.

 

Weekend Trend Conclusion:
In short, I feel the dollar will continue to slide lower, both stocks and commodities should have some strength over the next 1-2 months but after that all bets are off and it will be time to re-evaluate things.

The next week in the market will most likely make or break this outlook as the overall market is trading at a tipping point. Let’s see how this week pans out then take another look at the charts.

Get my trading reports free each week here: www.thegoldandoilguy.com/trade-money-emotions.php

Chris Vermeulen

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Market Sentiment and Volume Reach Extreme Panic Levels

It was a crazy session as the stock market slid over 2% on heavy volume. This type of price action means fear has taken control of masses and they are unloading (selling their stocks) in anticipation of much lower prices.
Trading off extreme levels of fear can be very rewarding if done right. That’s because fear is the most powerful reaction we as humans have and it’s somewhat predictable. Fear can make people do crazy and or stupid things and it’s these extreme reaction which investors do in the market that lead to great trading opportunities. Buying into fear and selling into greed is what I focus on.

Gold and Silver Showing Greed and Fear
For example, if we take a look at the 4 hour chart of gold and silver you will see how investments which have a large amount of speculation like Silver move the opposite to what other related investments like gold are doing.

The first chart which is gold, shows how today’s fear had investors moving into this shiny safe haven. Silver on the other hand has been the investment of choice for every Tom, Dick and Harry trying to play the popular headline investment. So on a day like today when prices start to slide in the stock market these speculative holders of silver get scared and dump (sell) their position in stocks and silver. The problem with silver is that the market is still small and its does not take many people hitting the sell button to send it 5% lower which is what took place today. This is one sign which is telling me traders are getting scared of a market selloff.

Evidence #2 Showing Signs Of Fear
These data points below clearly show sellers were in control today. I like to look at the NYSE because it holds all the big brand name stocks which the masses like to buy when they feel lucky. So when I see this many traders selling and so few buying I know the masses are dumping shares and going to a cash.

The NASDAQ had 10 shares being sold to every one share being bought which is half the fear level of what the NYSE and that makes good sense. The NASDAQ has many smaller companies which the masses just don’t know about or own so there was not as much selling taking place on that exchange. So brand name stocks getting dumped all at once is another sign of extreme fear hitting the market.

Evidence #3 Showing Signs Of Fear
This chart below provides the momentum of the market. I think of it as the rubber band effect. If the market selling momentum is strong enough then it pulls this indicator down to a level which it cannot go much further before it gives way and moves back a neutral or positive extreme level. This little hidden gem of an indicator can help time entry and exit points with ease once you understand it. Currently its telling us that a pause or bounce is likely to happen tomorrow.

Evidence #4 Showing Signs of Fear and an Oversold Market Condition
Take a look at the 10 minute SPY (SP500) chart below. Simple visual analysis shows that today’s strong selling which has brought the market down into a support zone should provide a pause or a bounce very soon. The question is how big will the bounce or rally be?

Given all the confirming is looking ready for a bounce and I feel we could be nearing not a bounce but an intermediate bottom and higher prices going forward. But if we break strongly below this support level then all bets are off and much lower prices should occur.

Mid-Week Trading Conclusion:
In short, today’s sharp move lower has put the market in a short term oversold condition. Meaning, a bounce is very likely to take place within the next 1-3 sessions. With the masses selling all their positions in stocks and commodities it generally takes 1-3 days after a day like this for the selling pressure to dissipate and for value buyers to step back into the market providing support.

I think both stocks and commodities will strengthen in the next few days and we will see if the market can get some traction and start a new rally. But until everyone has sold out of the market giving their shares to the big money (smart money) at a sharp discount I feel we have a rough road ahead.

Get these trading reports free each week here: http://www.thegoldandoilguy.com/trade-money-emotions.php

Chris Vermeulen