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SVB: Understanding and Managing Interest Rate Risks CBOT: 10-Year Treasury Futures ( CBOT:ZN1! ) Last Wednesday, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) NASDAQ:SIVB announced that it incurred $1.8 billion loss in the sales of its bond portfolio and sought to issue new shares. Within 48 hours, a bank-run induced by panic customers brought down the legendary bank. On Friday, US banking regulators seized control of SVB. By Sunday, the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve, and Federal Depository Insurance Corporation (FDIC) jointly announced a rescue plan that would make whole all depositors. However, SVB shareholders are not protected. Why has happened to the well-respected and once well-capitalized bank? Opportunity and Risk Go Side-by-Side Traditional banks seldom extend credit to startups, which are mostly under-collateralized, with little or no profit and big uncertainties about their future survival. SVB developed a niche competitive edge to provide banking services to companies funded by venture capitals. In the past 40 years, it nurtured many high-profiled tech startups through their entire life cycle, from early-stage to IPO and to Big-Tech giants. If Sequoia Capital invested in your firm and you apply for a loan from a commercial bank, you can expect the loan officer to ask: “Sequoia Who?” But if you go to SVB, they would say: “$10 million will be in your account tomorrow.” VCs are exceptionally good at spotting future technological trends, and they follow a rigorous due diligence process to pick investing targets. By working with VCs and startups closely, SVB created an ecosystem that foster technological innovations, and grew to become the 16th largest US bank by deposit. However, SVB’s concentration in the high-tech sector also make it vulnerable to a boom-and-bust cycle. Last year, bear market hit the industry hard. Publicly traded firms couldn’t raise money with falling share prices. Private companies found the path to IPO got blocked. As startup clients withdrew deposits to keep their companies afloat, SVB is short on capital. It was forced to sell most available-for-sale bonds at a huge loss. Bad news travelled fast in close-knit tech investing community. VCs urged their portfolio companies to get the hack out of SVB. All told, customers withdrew a staggering $42 billion of deposits on Thursday. By the close of business day, SVB had a negative cash balance of $958 million, according to the filing, and this triggered the government takeover. A Commercial Bank with a Failing Grade In fiscal year 2022, SVB earned $4.5 billion in Net Interest Income (NII) and $1.7 billion in non-interest income. When you take away the bells and whistles, SVB is by large a commercial bank. About 73% of its revenue comes from taking in deposits at a low interest rate and making loans at a higher interest rate. Based on its 2022 10K filing, SVB managed $209.2 billion in total interest-bearing asset and earned $5.7 billion. This represented an effective yield of 2.73%. During the same period, SVB paid out $1.2 billion in funding cost, which equated to 0.57%. • Therefore, in 2022, its NII = 2.73% - 0.57% = 2.16% • In comparison, its NII for year 2021 was 2.02% (=2.09% - 0.07%). • On the surface, SVB was doing well, with NII spread increasing by 14 basis points year-over-year. What has gone wrong then? Dive deeper into SVB’s balance sheet, we see the long-dated Treasury bonds and illiquid mortgage-backed securities it held got hammered by the rising interest rates. Simply put, SVB got its interest payment back, but the value of its investment principal eroded in a huge way in a rate-hiking environment. All in all, managing interest rate risk is at the core of banking business. A Naked Bond Portfolio In its 10K, SVB puts its investment portfolio in Available-For-Sales (AFS), Held-To-Maturity (HTM) and Non-marketable securities categories. AFS balance was $26.1 billion as of December 31st, including: • U.S. Treasury securities $ 16,135m (61.9%) • Agency-issued MBS $6,603m (25.3%) • Agency-issued CMBS $1,464m (5.6%) • Foreign government debt securities $1,088m (4.2%) • Agency-issued CMO—fixed rate $678m (2.6%) • U.S. agency debentures $101m (0.4%) • Total AFS securities $26,069m (100%) Last week, SVB sold $21 billion in the AFS portfolio and incurred a loss of $1.8 billion, or -8.6%. AFS assets are marked to market every quarter. My understanding is that the loss figure was based on selling price vs. year-end fair market value. Total loss calculated from purchasing price could be much bigger, as these bonds may have been marked down multiple times during previous quarters. Evidence: Since March 2022, CBOT 10-Year Treasury Futures (ZN) price went down from 124 to 109 (-12%) and 30-Year Treasury Bond (ZB) fell from 152 to 118 (-22%). CBOT Treasury futures market, with its sheer size and liquidity, makes it the marketplace of choice to manage interest risk in times of uncertainties. Each ZN contract has a notional value of $100,000. • On Monday March 13th, daily trading volume is 3,760,911 lots, which translates into total notional of $376 billion. Open interest (OI) stands at 4,311,338, or $431 billion in notional. • Volume and OI for ZB are 719,518 and 1,209,881, respectively. Notional value for each is $72 billion and $121 billion, respectively. What’s Next On Friday, Signature Bank customers spooked by the SVB collapse withdrew $10 billion. That quickly led to the bank failure. Regulators announced Sunday that Signature was being taken over to protect its depositors and the stability of the U.S. financial system. Despite government intervention over the weekend, fear ran contagious through the financial industry this Monday. San Francisco’s First Republic Bank, which had $212 billion in assets at the end of 2022, saw its stock price plunge as much as 70% when the market opened Monday morning. By market close, US stock market stabilized. Investors wonder if a banking crisis could be the final punch to end the year-long Fed rate hikes. Lessons Learnt As investors, we usually allocate our financial assets across various instruments, such as stocks, bonds, and derivatives. The 60 (stock) / 40 (bond) portfolio is the most popular advice from Wall Street. People generally pay more attention to what stocks to buy and hold, but we may not think twice about managing interest risk in a rising rate environment. The SVB fallout shows that even the safest, risk-free Treasury bonds, if not actively managed, could fall prey to interest rate changes and liquidity risk, resulting in loss of market value. For me, this is a wake-up call and a good time to review my bond holdings. Some may be hidden in a 401K retirement plan. Hedging interest rate risk with CBOT Treasury futures and Micro Yield futures could go a long way to stay solvent. A View on Interest Rate Trajectory Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the consumer price index rose 0.4% in February and 6% from a year ago, in line with market expectations. This is the most recent data the Fed will consider before it makes interest decision on March 22nd. Inflation is cooling, but still too high. A bank run shows how damaging rising interest rate is to the economy. Whether the Fed will continue its rate hikes, pause them, or end them altogether, I think all options are open. In my view, interest rate is in an uncharted territory once again. With investors in panic mode, they will likely overreact to the Fed decision. This may be a good time to place an order of out-of-the-money options on CBOT 10-Year Treasury Futures (ZN). On March 14th, the June ZN contract is quoted at 113’220. Quoting convention in Treasury market is 100 and 1/64th. The quote reads as (113 + 22.0/64), or $113.34375 on $100 par value. If the Fed slows or pause the hike, Treasury price will likely go up. Call options would be appropriate in this case. • The 115-strike call is quoted 0’20 (=20/64). This is converted into $312.5 premium on the $100,000 contract notional for each contract. If the Fed stays its course on fighting inflation, Treasury price could fall. And put options would be a way to express your view. • The 112-strike put is quoted 0’14, or $218.75 premium per contract. Happy Trading. Disclaimers *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
CBOT:ZN1!Long
by JimHuangChicago
6
DXY Potential Forecast | Pre CPI | 14th March 2023Fundamental Backdrop 1. Employments was good, well above the forecasted or what the market has been pricing in. 3. However, average hourly earnings increased at a decreasing rate to 0.2% from 0.3%. 4. This shows the slowing down of the wage inflation , which is directly correlated with the inflation print and numbers, showing an important signal/sign that inflation could be worse off. 5. In addition, unemployment rate increased by 0.2% compared to previous months. 6. The average earnings and unemployment rate prints showcases the effect of the continuous rate hikes that the Fed has partaken in. 7. This directly discourages the Fed from taking on a more hawkish stance in the market, upon seeing the fruition of the restrictive policy the Fed has performed. CPI 1. If CPI were to be worse off than forecasted, this really solidifies the bearishness of the USD as it confirms that the Fed policy has been coming to fruition and there might not be a need to hike interest rates anymore. 2. However, if CPI print continues to be resilient and strong or greater than expectations, there is a marked chance that the Fed will hike interest rates by 50bps in the upcoming FOMC meeting, in which this hawkish stance will continue to drive the market bullish for the USD. 3. All eyes will be on the CPI print tonight. NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE DISCLAIMER The trading related ideas posted by OlympusLabs are for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. Trading in financial markets involves a high degree of risk, and individuals should carefully consider their investment objectives, financial situation, and risk tolerance before making any trading decisions based on our ideas. We are not a licensed financial advisor or professional, and the information we are providing is based on our personal experience and research. We make no guarantees or promises regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided, and users should do their own research and analysis before making any trades. Users should be aware that trading involves significant risk, and there is no guarantee of profit. Any trading strategy may result in losses, and individuals should be prepared to accept those risks. OlympusLabs and its affiliates are not responsible for any losses or damages that may result from the use of our trading related ideas or the information provided on our platform. Users should seek the advice of a licensed financial advisor or professional if they have any doubts or concerns about their investment strategies.
TVC:DXYShort
by OlympusLab
Pre-CPI - BTC is currently at resistance diagonal that previously was a support. A very dangerous and pivotal point. Already tested it and didn't pass through. - The pump was a very smart play during USDC depeg along with Binance converting emergency fund from $ to BTC, BNB, ETH. Hence there is a stall pre-CPI with no certain continuation. - Whales are still selling. Exchange outflow of 7.15k BTC quickly changed to inflow of 11.73k YTD. - 25.2k is still a expected as a massive sell area - 2 x 4H closes above Daddy Trendline will suggest an attempt at 25.2 area. - For a certain trend continuation a monthly closure 25.2k is needed. At this point in time, shorts look much more attractive than longs. Stay safe in the news driven environment.
by devsynart
2
XAUUSD Asia session pull back. I missed the move. Good morning gold gang!! hope you're well Asian session provided us with the forecasted pullback to my level (accuracy!) .. nice short positions would have been available during the session with quite a lot of volume. Price then slowed down at the level and at 6am, shot up with volume. If i was awake at that time, that entry would have been a no brainer for me. Big rejection on the hourly at the level and a failure to close below. Entry on the break of the doji and boom .. 70 pips. Rest of today i think we will range around the major price level i have marked, waiting for the news. I have no predictions on the news, i just want to react 15 mins after. Ill be on the charts from 1pm gmt. If not range we might see price move up to my next level marked. have a good day guys, catch you for CPI! tommyXAU
OANDA:XAUUSD
by tommyXAU
2
XAUUSD target met to the pip! expecting range bound priceGood evening gold gang! what a beautiful day to trade the precious metal. Trades called today both won and ran for 100 pips each with little drawdown following the bullish bias. For asian session, im expecting price to either rise up to my next level marked on the chart, or simply range around the major price level (marked in white) until cpi news release. There should be a deeper pull back at some point, but the sentiment has been so bullish .. im not sure when it will come just yet. Safest play would be to wait until after the news. Its gonna be a good one! Catch you tomorrow tommyXAU
OANDA:XAUUSD
by tommyXAU
4
Euro hits 1-month high as Silicon Valley Bank collapse weighs onThe euro has posted sharp gains at the start of the week, extending its rally against a retreating US dollar. In the North American session, EUR/USD is trading at 1.0740, up 0.95% and its highest level since February 15. Perhaps it is fitting that today's economic calendar has no US or European releases, allowing investors to focus their full attention on the fallout from the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). This is the largest US bank to fail since 2008 and understandably, investors are alarmed that the contagion could spread and the US banking system could be at risk. Over the weekend, New York officials closed Signature Bank, one of the main banks in the cryptocurrency sector. The US government acted decisively and said SVB depositors (but not investors) would be protected and President Biden made a television appearance to reassure a nervous public that the banking sector is safe and those responsible for the SVB collapse would be held accountable. The fact that Biden had to address the nation reflects fears that the SVB failure could trigger a full-blown banking crisis. The SVB collapse has sent the US dollar in retreat against the majors, as the market expectations of a 50-bp hike from the Fed next week have evaporated. Just last week, the markets had priced a 50-bp hike at 70% and a 25-bp increase at 30%. That has shifted to a 70% likelihood of a 25-bp increase and a 30% chance of the Fed taking a pause, with a zero chance of a 50-bp hike. Goldman Sachs had projected a 25-bp last week but now expects the Fed to pause. The US releases CPI on Tuesday and the release was expected to play a key role in the Fed rate decision, but that was before the SVB collapse triggered a massive repricing in the markets. Still, the inflation report will be widely watched by investors and by the Fed. Headline inflation is expected to fall to 6.0% in February, after a 6.4% gain in January. EUR/USD is testing resistance at 1.0718. The next resistance level is 1.0798 There is support at 1.0622 and 1.0542
by OANDA
Charting 8 Currencies: A Weekly Forex Analysis and CPI PreviewIn this week's Tradingview analysis, I've examined eight individual currencies and marked off key levels, support/resistance, and trendlines. These charts help me gauge the strengths and weaknesses of different pairs, which I'll be keeping an eye on for the week. However, the fundamental landscape is also worth watching, especially with the upcoming CPI event. Last week's NFP data was mixed, with some numbers beating expectations while others missed. Traders are now looking to Tuesday's CPI data to get a clearer sense of the market's direction. If the CPI data is a miss, we may see upside in risk assets and downside in the dollar. On the other hand, a beat in CPI could trigger the opposite response. Here's a brief rundown of each currency: USD: The 4H chart suggests an uptrend, but a break of the support level could lead to further downside. Reclaiming the key level could signal a continuation of the upside move. GBP: Recent price action hit a resistance zone, and I expect a pullback. I'll be watching the key level around the 50% fib for a potential bounce or downside move. EURUSD: The current uptrend may continue, but breaking the trendline and key level could trigger a downside move. JPY: Price is at an interesting juncture. Breaking the pattern and key level could give it more momentum to the upside, but failing to do so could push price down to the second key level. Watching the US10Y for further downside momentum is also important because it can add strength to the JPY. CHF: Recent price movements seem stretched, and I'll be watching for any pullback or price action at the prior resistance level. AUD: The 4H candle just broke and closed below the prior support level, indicating potential downside. A reclaim of the prior support level could indicate a false break. NZDUSD: Our support level is currently holding. If it breaks, we may see a downward move. However, a breakout above our trendline and key level would suggest a possible bullish move. CAD: There's currently downside pressure on the CAD. Watching the key level 2 for a potential reversal or further downside move. Wishing you all the best of luck in your trades, and I hope this breakdown provides some valuable insights.
by natron
8
DXY Potential Forecast | Post NFP | 13th March 2023Fundamental Backdrop 1. NFP print came out 311k vs 224k forecasted. 2. Average hourly earnings m/m printed 0.2% compared to 0.3% forecasted. 3. Unemployment rate came out at 3.6% vs 3.4% forecasted. 4. Resulted in heavy bearish USD sentiments due to the wage inflation decreasing and unemployment rate increasing. 5. This shows the effects of rate hikes by the Fed and hence sentiments believe that the Fed now has lesser incentive to hike by 50bps in the upcoming FOMC. 6. All eyes will now be on CPI release this week and if CPI drops, we could see further downside pressure on the DXY. Technical Confluences 1. Price reacted from a H4 resistance zone at 104.6 and has since went lower. 2. Very strong bearish pressure from Monday's asian open. 3. Price action has shifted market structure to bearish. 4. Would be appropriate to look for short positions on the USD. Idea Price can potentially come lower to tap into the key support level at 102.65. NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE DISCLAIMER The trading related ideas posted by OlympusLabs are for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. Trading in financial markets involves a high degree of risk, and individuals should carefully consider their investment objectives, financial situation, and risk tolerance before making any trading decisions based on our ideas. We are not a licensed financial advisor or professional, and the information we are providing is based on our personal experience and research. We make no guarantees or promises regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided, and users should do their own research and analysis before making any trades. Users should be aware that trading involves significant risk, and there is no guarantee of profit. Any trading strategy may result in losses, and individuals should be prepared to accept those risks. OlympusLabs and its affiliates are not responsible for any losses or damages that may result from the use of our trading related ideas or the information provided on our platform. Users should seek the advice of a licensed financial advisor or professional if they have any doubts or concerns about their investment strategies.
TVC:DXYShort
by OlympusLab
NAS100 Monthly We all know the federal reserve are trying to fight inflation . Last nfp on febuary 3rd 2023 came out hot 517k , this is scary for the federal reserve as they were hiking interest rates at .25 now they are looking at a possible 50bs . If price close below 10927.0 on the weekly there is a high probability, we could CRASH . The daily timeframe is maintaining structure creating LH and LL. Jerome powell will crash the markets to get inflation at 2% the targeted goal he dont care.
OANDA:NAS100USD
by DwayneOTSchartzzz
Inflation (CPI) - A Battle Already LostInflation ( CPI ) - A Battle Already Lost I've recently shared my outlook on CPI and where I think its headed in the months ahead but after further review, it seems that I've previously overlooked certain signals which should have altered my perspective in a way that it did not. Based on discovery of those signals, I have now updated my anticipatory CPI chart to highlight certain levels of interest. As we can see on the wavemap, the Consumer Price Index (a measure of inflation) has broken above its 40+ year bearish trend line. The breakout was very strong and should be considered as very significant. The format of the wave during this breakout has developed as what seems to likely be a zig-zag formation. Noticeably, the upside zig-zag wave has retraced 90% of the 40 year long bearish drawdown. Therefore, leaving little probability of it being a truly corrective wave. Aside from the macro bear trend-line, I have also highlighted the newly respected bullish trend-line. Finding resistance near 6.77, Fibonacci measurements suggest that the pending action will fall to retest the former price containing trend line and maybe even drop below it. Specifically, Elliott Wave Theory suggests that 0.99-1.01 should be the downside target range. Over the past 20 years, this level has also supplied nearly unbeatable support. If support is once again discovered near 1.00, the currently active wave could then be sent to retest the red bullish trend, at a level near 9-10. Ultimately, completion of the blue diagonal will signify that the CPI (and inflation) area headed for upside levels that the American economy has never witnessed. Personally, I believe that inflation is a byproduct of capitalism and there is no true containment possible. The next decade will prove to show if this is on point or simply farce.
ECONOMICS:USCCPI
by DigitalSurfTrading
EURUSD:Couple of Scenarios depending on Friday's NFPHey Traders, above is a technical overview on EURUSD and the most important zones to watch, Fed yesterday have threw some hawkish comments "rates are likely to be higher than previously anticipated", but before the next FOMC we have a couple of events to consider. First of all NFP and next week CPI data. If NFP comes again above expectations that will signal more rate hikes from the fed and thus more USD strength and EURUSD downsides. If the numbers are normal that will not be enough for fed to hike rates massively. and for CPI it's the same story. Numbers above expectations will lead to a more restrictive monetary policy and normal number will slow down the pace. Feel free to ask any questions in the comment section. Trade safe, Joe.
by JoeChampion
53
Oil prices caught in dollar's game, ahead of NFPOil prices are like a game of poker right now, with players trying to figure out what everyone else is holding. There's the China reopening story, OPEC's card tricks, SPR releases and refills, and the dollar's royal flush. It's a high stakes game, but the pot is huge! Traders are watching NFP and CPI data like hawks, looking for any tells that might indicate which way oil prices are headed. Powell's hawkish comments have only upped the ante, with the markets going all in on a 50-point rate hike. Will they be able to bluff their way to a win? For now, oil prices are stuck in a tight range of 73.00 to 82.50, like a hand with no pairs or straights. But there's still hope for a lucky break! You could try raising the stakes by buying a bounce off of the 73.00 level or buying a break of the 82.50 level. If you're feeling lucky, why not both? A break above 82.50 could mean a jackpot, while a break below 73.00 could signal a bust. So grab your lucky rabbit's foot and get ready to play the oil price game! Keep your eyes peeled for any new cards on the table and you just might hit the jackpot.
TVC:USOILLong
by natron
1
Gold as an Inflation Hedge? Myth Busted!COMEX: Micro Gold Futures ( COMEX_MINI:MGC1! ) and Gold Options ( COMEX:GC1! ) Gold is often hailed as an effective hedge against inflation. It generally increases in value as the purchasing power of the US dollar declines over time. Does this still remain true? Since January 2013, the US Consumer Price Index increased 29.4% cumulatively, while the 10-year total return of Gold is only 11.3%. Let’s demystify the gold myth. In fact, gold is by no means among the best-performing investment assets in the past decade! Let’s look at where investing $10,000 in different assets would take you in the past ten years: • If you held $10,000 in cash, you still have $10,000, a 0% nominal return; • If you bought a gold ETF fund, you would have $11,300, assuming it tracks gold price perfectly. However, after subtracting an average 0.5% a year in fund expense, you would end up with only $10,800, an annual return of merely 0.78%; • 5-year bank certificate of deposit (CD) yielded 1.0%/APR in 2013 and 1.5% in 2018. If you put the money in CDs back-to-back, you would have $11,322 now; • If you invest in a market index stock portfolio, the S&P 500 gained 159% in the past ten years. You would end up with $25,900; • If you bought bitcoin at $4.43 each in January 2013, you would have amassed nearly $1.6 million from the original $10K, an astonishing 15943% return! Actual data shows that holding gold, a non-yielding asset, underperformed other investable assets in the past decade. Gold price endured a double-digit decline, from $1,600 per troy ounce, to as low as $1,000, during the low-inflation period of 2013-2018. It shot up in 2019 as the US-China trade conflict intensified. The outbreak of Covid pandemic pushed gold to a record high of $2,075 in August 2020. As US economy remerged from Covid in 2021, gold price fell back to $1,700. Then, the Russia-Ukraine conflict pushed it back up above $1,900. However, when the Federal Reserve embarked on the path of rate increases, gold price fell sharply to $1,600. This was a period where US CPI raged between 7-9%, and gold completely failed as a defense against inflation. US Dollar Is the Primary Price Driver Gold prices rose on Friday as a rally in the dollar and bond yields paused. COMEX Gold Futures (GC) for April delivery closed up $14.10 to $1,854.60 per ounce. The rise comes on expectations that higher interest rates are on the way as reports show that US economy is still running too hot to quell high inflation. Dollar index was down 0.35 points to 104.68, while the US 10-year note was paying 3.977%, down 8.4 basis points. US dollar continues to call the shot for gold as investors assess the Fed's rate path. The above chart shows a perfect negative correlation between gold price and dollar index. When dollar rises, gold falls; and when dollar declines, gold advances. Last month, the dollar's bounce had weighed heavily on gold. The dollar rallied as a run of hot U.S. labor and inflation data saw traders’ expectations for more aggressive Fed rate increases. A stronger dollar can be a drag on commodities priced in dollar, making them more expensive to users of other currencies. In recent weeks, gold may have found some support on fears that an aggressive Fed could push the U.S. economy into recession, but a continued rise in U.S. Treasury yields, along with a relatively resilient dollar means limited upside . Rising Treasury yields raise the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets, like gold. Short-term Trading Strategies At $1,850, gold is neither too expensive nor too cheap by historical standard. As such, I am not in favor of an outright directional trade, one way or the other. However, the market’s razor-thin focus on Fed rate actions will make a compelling reason for event-driven trades on Gold Futures and Gold Options. March is a very active month for macro-economic data releases: • March 8th, Fed Chair Powell will testify on the central bank's semi-annual monetary policy report to the House Financial Services Committee; • March 10th, Bureau of Labor Statistics will release February employment report; • March 14th, BLS will release the February CPI report; • March 22nd, Fed will announce its interest rate decision. Financial market tends to be sensitive to these data releases, as the latter could deliver huge shocks if actual data goes beyond market expectations. If you expect an upcoming data release to be bullish on gold, you could express this view with a long futures position on COMEX Micro Gold Futures (MGC). Each MGC contract has a notional value of 10 troy ounces. At $1,880, a June 2023 contract (MGCM3) is valued at $18,800. Initiating a long or short position requires a margin of $740. This is approximately 4% of contract notional value. In comparison, buying physical gold (i.e., gold bar or gold coin) and gold ETF fund requires 100% upfront investment. If gold price moves up to $1,950, the futures account would gain $700. Relative to the initial margin, this would equate to a return of +94.6%, excluding commissions. Alternatively, the same bullish view could be expressed by a call option of COMEX Gold Futures. Each COMEX Gold Future contract has a notional value of 100 troy ounces. At $1,880, a June futures contract (GCM3) is valued at $188,000. A call option on the 1,900 strike is quoted 37.0 on 3 March 2023. Acquiring 1 option requires an upfront premium of $3,700 (100 ounces per contract). If gold moves up to $1,950, the options account would be credited by $5,000 (=(1950-1900) x100), which represents a theoretical return of +35.1% from the original investment of $3,700. If you are bearish on gold, a short MGC futures or a put option on GC would be appropriate. Futures and options account would gain in value if the price of gold falls. Similar to investing in physical gold or gold ETFs, the biggest investment risk is betting the wrong direction. However, futures have a built-in leverage. In the case of MGC, each $1 movement in gold price translate into $10 variance in futures account balance. Options have a non-linear payout diagram. As the contract moves deeper in-the-money, options value grows exponentially. Long-term Trading Ideas After the active central bank action period is over, will gold price trend up or down? What would be the primary driver of gold price? Inflation, US dollar, interest rate, economic growth, or geopolitical crisis? All are possible, maybe a little bit of each. My research reveals that gold price has a relatively stable relationship with WTI crude oil (CL). Over the past ten years, each 1,000 barrels of WTI (1 CL) sell at a price between 150 and 300 ounces of gold for about 80% of the time. We could visualize an oil producer wanting to be paid by gold. When dollar fluctuates, he would adjust the dollar selling price to keep his gold acquisition stable. Therefore, whenever the price range is breached, gold price has a strong tendency of falling back in. In the next writing, I would explore a convergence/divergence idea between GC and CL. Stay tuned! Happy Trading. Disclaimers *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. CME Real-time Market Data help identify trade set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, check out on CME Group data plans in TradingView that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
COMEX:GC1!Long
by JimHuangChicago
2