SPX Oil Gold and Yields - Weekly preview 4400 is the level bulls want to hold on any pullback for spx, whether it comes next week or not is hard to say. IWM and DJT are not confirming an upward bias on the weekly chart yet, so it's possible they are saying something that most are not hearing. Gold and Silver both hard to tell what's going to happen right now, so waiting I'm for a confirming move up or down. Oil is at strong technical support, thus the bounce today. I think it goes higher, but it needs to take out 80 for the bulls to start gaining control. TYX (Yields) will probably get to the gap area near 5 at some point soon....
Good luck and have a wonderful weekend
Community ideas
Learning from Warren Buffett's 7 Major Investment ErrorsWarren Buffett's name resonates with success, particularly through investments in renowned companies such as Coca-Cola, American Express, Apple, Bank of America, Moody’s, Kraft Heinz, and more. He stands as a global icon, amassing a wealth exceeding USD 100 billion. Beyond his investment prowess, Buffett generously imparts his wisdom to millions worldwide. Among his many famous quotes, one emphasizes the importance of learning from others' mistakes.
Warren Buffett's 7 Major Investment Errors
I) Dexter Shoe Company
- In 1993, Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway acquired Dexter Shoe Company, a decision he later regretted as his worst deal. Buffet made multiple significant mistakes in this acquisition.
- The first error was misjudging Dexter's potential. Berkshire bought Dexter due to its high return on capital employed but failed to consider the competitive threat posed by cheap shoes from countries like China. Buffet acknowledged this oversight in 1999, highlighting the increasing challenge for domestic producers in the face of a market flooded with 93% of 1.3 billion pairs of shoes purchased in the United States coming from abroad.
- The primary lesson here is the necessity of assessing a company's durable competitive advantage before investing. Durable competitiveness has transitioned from a good-to-have factor to a must-have for any business.
- Buffet's second mistake was financing the Dexter Shoe Company purchase with Berkshire Hathaway stock valued at 433 million dollars, rather than using cash. A single share of Berkshire's Class A stock was approximately USD 15,000 in 1993. Today, it is valued at USD 517,000.
- This decision didn't just cost Berkshire shareholders USD 433 million for a company that eventually became worthless; it resulted in a staggering loss of 15 billion dollars for Berkshire's shareholders.
- The crucial lesson derived from this experience is never to sacrifice successful investments to make risky bets.
II) Tesco
- Tesco, a British grocery chain, became a concern for Berkshire Hathaway when the company's ownership stake exceeded 5% by 2012. By 2013, signs of trouble at Tesco became evident, leading Berkshire to reduce its stake to 3.7%, amounting to an investment of nearly 1.7 billion dollars.
- In the subsequent months, Tesco's stock plummeted by nearly 50% due to declining sales, heightened competition from discount retailers, and an accounting scandal that attracted scrutiny from the UK's financial regulators.
- Buffett's mistake lay in hesitating to sell Tesco stocks despite recognizing these troubling signs. This delay resulted in a loss of approximately USD 444 million for Berkshire.
- The crucial lesson from this situation is the importance of conviction when making selling decisions. Just as one should invest with conviction, it is equally vital not to hold onto a stock if confidence in its performance wavers .
III) Energy Future Holdings
- Warren Buffett, known for seeking advice from Charlie Munger in his investment decisions, openly admitted a significant mistake in his 2013 letter. He invested USD 2.1 billion in bonds of Energy Future Holdings Corporation, banking on rising natural gas prices to boost the competitiveness of the coal-based business and yield profits.
- Unfortunately, natural gas prices plummeted from their 2007 levels, leading to substantial losses for Energy Future Holdings. The company declared bankruptcy in 2014, and Berkshire Hathaway sold the bonds at a loss of USD 873 million in 2013.
- Buffett acknowledged his error in assessing the transaction's gain-loss probabilities, emphasizing the importance of seeking a second opinion from trusted advisors or partners when making significant decisions.
- This incident highlights two essential lessons. Firstly, it underscores the risks associated with predicting market trends, whether in natural gas, oil, gold, or individual stocks. Secondly, it emphasizes the perilous nature of investing in high-yield "junk" bonds. While conglomerates like Berkshire Hathaway can absorb losses from such high-risk endeavors, retail investors face financial disaster in the event of a default. Hence, it is crucial to avoid instruments with questionable return on capital, especially in a retail investor's context.
IV) Lubrizol & David Sokol
In 2011, Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway faced severe scrutiny.
- David Sokol, chairman of several Berkshire subsidiaries, recommended Lubrizol Corporation as a potential acquisition to Buffett while he himself owned stocks in the company. Sokol's failure to disclose his stock ownership violated Berkshire's insider trading rules. Despite this, Berkshire acquired Lubrizol for approximately USD 9 billion, and Sokol profited around USD 3 million from the transaction.
- Upon investigation, it became clear that Sokol had been ambiguous about how he acquired Lubrizol stock, neglecting to mention that he purchased shares after meeting with the bankers proposing the acquisition. Buffett emphasized the issue as a matter of ethics, although he initially acknowledged that no one was at fault.
- This situation highlighted the importance of not being excessively trusting in the business world. The lesson here is to maintain a checklist, follow a rigorous process, and be unafraid to ask numerous questions, especially when your reputation is at stake. Taking extra precautions becomes essential in preserving one's integrity and credibility.
V) Amazon
- Up until now, the mistakes we've discussed were all instances of active decisions leading to losses. However, there's a different kind of mistake made by Buffett that falls more under the category of missed opportunities.
- In 2017, Buffett openly admitted that he had been observing Amazon.com for an extended period but never invested in it. In his own words, he confessed, “I was too dumb to realize. I did not think Jeff Bezos could succeed on the scale he has.”
- Buffett had underestimated Amazon's brilliance in two key areas: its dominance in e-commerce and its success in cloud services through Amazon Web Services.
- Buffett's traditional approach didn't align with investing in stocks with high price-earning ratios like Amazon's in 2019. Moreover, he tended to overlook technology companies, considering them beyond his expertise.
- In this context, the significant cost of this missed opportunity becomes apparent. It underscores the necessity of having a well-defined area of expertise. However, it's even more crucial to continuously expand and evolve that expertise over time to seize valuable opportunities.
VI) Google
- The Berkshire Hathaway portfolio notably lacks any shares from Alphabet or Google, a fact that Warren Buffett deeply laments.
- Google initially piqued Buffett's interest due to a Berkshire-owned subsidiary, GEICO, operating in the auto insurance sector. GEICO heavily depends on Google's advertising platform to attract customers.
- Buffett acknowledges that he should have delved deeper into Google's business and long-term prospects. His limited technical understanding might have played a role in missing this opportunity, despite it being right within his immediate purview.
VII) Berkshire Hathaway
- It might surprise you, but Warren Buffett's most significant investment blunder occurred when he bought Berkshire Hathaway in 1962. Back then, Berkshire Hathaway was a struggling textile business, meeting the criteria of Benjamin Graham's cigar-butt investing model.
- Buffett became intrigued by the favorable financial assessment and started purchasing the stock in installments. In 1964, the company's owner, Seabury Stanton, proposed buying Buffett's shares at $11.50 per share. However, the actual offer received was $11.32, which angered Buffett. In retaliation, he acquired a controlling stake in Berkshire Hathaway and ousted Stanton from the company.
- Despite taking revenge, Buffett found himself stuck with a significant investment in a failing business. To this day, he considers it his most regrettable investment. He endured the burden of this failing textile business for an additional 20 years. Buffett admits that had he redirected the cashflows into other ventures like insurance companies, Berkshire would have been worth twice as much as it is now.
- By his estimations, Buffett's decision to invest in Berkshire Hathaway amounted to a $200 billion mistake. The lesson here is clear: emotional decisions have no place in successful investing.
Thank you
@Money_Dictators
Wholesale Inflation Posts Its Biggest Decline in Over Three YearA powerful one-two combination of data pointing to softening inflation is continuing to support investor sentiment and a strong equity rally with Producer Price data this morning showing weaker-than-expected price increases among wholesalers. The data follows yesterday’s release of the Consumer Price Index, which showed no m/m change. Stocks are also gaining additional support from data this morning depicting declining retail sales, which equity players are perceiving as disinflationary rather than contractionary. Markets are bifurcated today, however, with yields and the dollar higher, as bond and currency traders pare back some of yesterday’s bonanza.
Consumers Rein in Spending
The U.S. Commerce Department reported this morning that retail sales declined sharply in October, as consumer spending slowed from the third quarter’s blistering pace. The resumption of student loan repayments definitely had an adverse impact, as a portion of wages were allocated to debt service rather than consumption. Retail sales declined 0.1% month-over-month (m/m) in October, the first decline since March. October’s figure arrived better than the -0.3% projection, however, while slipping from September’s 0.9% growth rate. Retail sales excluding automobiles and excluding automobiles and gasoline rose 0.1% on both fronts, worse than the 0.8% figures from September.
Sales Contraction is Broad Based
Seven out of thirteen categories contracted during the period, with the following categories experiencing the noted m/m declines:
Furniture showrooms, 2%
Miscellaneous stores, 1.7%
Automobile dealerships, 1%
Sporting goods retailers, 0.8%
Building materials shops, gasoline stations and general merchandise also had declines but of lesser degrees.
Gains were led by health and personal retailers, with sales increasing 1.1%. Other categories produced the following increases:
Grocery stores, 0.6%
Electronics and appliances retailers, 0.6%
Dining establishments, 0.3%
Ecommerce, 0.2%
The apparel category was flat.
Wholesalers Hit with Price Declines
Wholesale inflation cratered at its fastest rate since the depths of the pandemic in April 2020. October’s Producer Price Index (PPI) declined 0.5% m/m, less than projections of a 0.1% increase and September’s 0.4% growth rate. Core PPI, which excludes food and energy, was unchanged and weaker than the 0.3% estimated and the previous month’s 0.2%. On a year-over-year (y/y) basis, headline and core producer prices rose 1.3% and 2.4%, compared to the previous period’s 2.2% and 2.7%. Leading the wholesale price decline were a 6.5% drop in energy products, a 0.7% decline in trade services and a 0.2% contraction in food. Transportation and warehousing wholesale prices rose at a sharp 1.5% rate, meanwhile. Services overall came in unchanged m/m while goods excluding food and energy rose 0.1% during the period.
Equities Gain, but Positive Sentiment Eases
Optimism sparked by yesterday’s CPI and this morning’s PPI appears to be easing, with stocks off their highs of the day while yields and the dollar have given back a good chunk of Monday’s gains. Still, all major U.S. equity indices are higher, with the small-cap Russell 2000 leading, having gained 0.8% while the Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial indices are higher by 0.3%, 0.3% and 0.2%. Sectoral breadth remains impressive, with all sectors higher while the defensive health care and utilities sectors are 0.1% and 0.4% lower. Leading the sectors are materials and consumer staples, with each gaining 0.6% as technology looks tired from its recent monster run. Indeed, to secure more gains going forward, the market will need to broaden out and begin to exhibit momentum in cyclical and value stocks. The dollar and yields are higher, with the 2- and 10-year Treasury maturities up 8 and 10 basis points (bps) to 4.92% and 4.55% while the greenback’s index is up 22 bps to 104.30. The dollar is gaining relative to the euro, yen and pound sterling while it loses ground versus the franc, yuan and Aussie and Canadian dollars. Crude oil is down 1.3% or $1.02 to $77.14 per barrel in response to the Energy Information Administration reporting a 17-million-barrel inventory increase in the U.S. over two weeks. Buoyant supply, continued concerns about weakening demand and waning worries over a potential escalation of the Middle East crisis are weighing on the commodity’s price.
Consumers Cut Spending and Seek Bargains
Target’s third-quarter results illustrate how consumers are cutting back on discretionary purchases while results for TJX highlight how consumers are increasingly turning to off-price retailers for low-cost items.
At Target, comparable sales, which is derived from stores operating for 12 months or more and online channels, fell 4.9% during the third quarter. It was the second-consecutive quarter of declining same-store sales. On a y/y basis, the company’s revenues dropped from $26.5 billion to $25.4 billion, a 4.3% contraction. The result, however, exceeded the $24.24 billion anticipated by the analyst consensus. On another positive note, the company’s earnings per share (EPS) of $2.10 exceeded the consensus expectation of $1.48 and increased from $1.54 in the year ago quarter. The quarter was impacted by Target aggressively discounting merchandise as it sought to reduce an inventory glut, a strong trend among retailers. Target also attributed its third-quarter earnings growth to improved sales of “high-frequency items” such as groceries and beauty items, the addition of a new line of trendy kitchenware, and other new items. Target also said it has continued to reduce its inventory which as of the end of the third quarter was down 14% y/y.
TJX, which operates discount retailers T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods and Marshall’s, raised its full-year guidance and said its third-quarter results benefited from capturing market share as its off-price stores attracted cost-conscious consumers. The company expects to generate a full-year EPS of $3.71 to $3.74, up from its earlier guidance of $3.66 to $3.72. TJX expects same store sales to increase 4% to 5%, an increase from its earlier guidance of 3% to 4%. During the third quarter, its sales revenue of $13.27 billion jumped approximately 9% from the $12.17 billion generated by the company in the year-ago period. Analysts expected $13.09 billion. Its overall same-store sales, furthermore, climbed 6%. TJX also posted an EPS of $1.03, which climbed significantly from $0.91 in the year-ago period. The recent quarter EPS exceeded the analyst consensus expectation of $0.99. In addition to benefiting from shoppers seeking bargains, TJX is also benefiting from its suppliers having excess inventory. The company provides discount prices by acquiring surplus items that retailers are removing from their inventories.
Washington Makes Progress of Avoiding Government Shutdown
In Washington, the House of Representatives appears to have avoided a government shutdown by passing a plan that will extend government funding until early next year. The measure is expected to be approved by the Senate and was passed by the lower chamber even though, it delays political battles over spending for border security and the Ukraine-Russia War while failing to make budget cuts in other areas of government spending. The House Freedom Caucus opposed the continuing spending resolution because it doesn’t include budget cuts and address border issues.
The Balancing Act
Today’s weak economic data highlights an important consideration going forward. Is data decelerating slow enough to be supportive of a soft landing, or is activity falling sharply and more consistent with recessionary conditions? The question is of the essence for capital markets as we operate within late-cycle monetary policy tightening, the riskiest juncture. While the former case would be supportive of current earnings estimates, the latter case would certainly point to projections falling from the $240 expected in 2024 for the S&P 500.
New Chips From Nvidia! Another growth cycle for the stock?Nvidia Corp unveiled its new H200 Tensor Core GPU yesterday, 13 November 2023. This chip boasts a 60-90% productivity increase compared to current models, with Nvidia's main competitors still in the process of developing analogs. The H200 Tensor Core is scheduled for general sale in Q2 2024. It may lead to a future rise in revenue and net profit of the issuer.
Consequently, today, our focus is on the Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA) stock chart.
On the D1 timeframe, support has formed at 398.80, but resistance has not yet developed. Following a prolonged growth cycle, a correction to 476.52 is most likely.
On the H1 timeframe, if the asset's upward trend persists, a short-term target for a price increase might be around 502.67. In the medium term, the target for a price increase could hover around 532.55.
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$QQQ: Long term trend turning up?A pattern similar to the one that took place after the 2003 and 2009 bottoms is surfacing in mega cap tech and in index charts now...
Low risk buy signal suggesting we might get a substantial rally from here within the coming months, but potentially also for a couple years if the quarterly chart triggers here. This quarterly signal is visible in names like NASDAQ:AAPL and NASDAQ:MSFT , to name a few, so I think it will also trigger here.
It also comes on the heels of rates potentially having peaked for the time being, and the Dollar turning down after rallying substantially as of late. And after Oil has come down off the highs, which gives the market a bullish boost with some lag...it will be visible in the next quarterly report or two.
Best of luck!
Cheers,
Ivan 'risk on' Labrie.
Primer on Crude Oil Crack SpreadEver dreamt of being an oil refiner? Fret not. You can operate a virtual refinery using a combination of energy derivatives that replicates oil refiner returns.
Crude oil is the world’s most traded commodity. Oil consumption fuels the global economy. Crude is refined into gasoline and distillates.
Refining is the process of cracking crude into its usable by-products. Gross Processing Margin (GPM) guides refineries to modulate their output. Crack spread defines GPM in oil refining.
This primer provides an overview of factors affecting the crack spread. It delves into the mechanics of harnessing refining spread gains using CME suite of energy products.
UNPACKING THE CRACK SPREAD
Crack spread is the difference between price of outputs (gasoline & distillate prices) and the inputs (crude oil price). Cracking is an industry term pointing to breaking apart crude oil into its component products.
Portfolio managers can use CME energy futures to gain exposure to the GPM for US refiners. CME offers contracts that provide exposure to WTI Crude Oil ( CL ) as well as the most liquid refined product contracts namely NY Harbor ULSD ( HO ) and RBOB Gasoline ( RB ).
Crude Prices
Crude oil prices play a significant role in determining the crack spread. Refining profitability is directly impacted by crude oil price volatility which is influenced by geopolitics, supply-demand dynamics, and macroeconomic conditions.
Higher oil prices lead to a narrowing crack spread. Lower crude prices result in wider margins.
Expectedly, one leg of the crack spread comprises of crude oil.
Gasoline Prices
Gasoline is arguably the most important refined product of crude oil. Gasoline is not a direct byproduct of the distillation process. It is a blend of distilled products that provides the most consistent motor fuel.
Gasoline prices at the pump in the US vary by region. Price differs due to differences in state taxes, distance from supply sources, competition among gasoline retailers, operating costs in the region, and state-specific regulations.
CME’s RBOB Gasoline contract provides exposure to Reformulated Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending (RBOB). It is procured by local retailers, who blend in their own additives and sell the final product at pumps.
RBOB is blended with ethanol to create reformulated gasoline. It produces less smog than other blends. Consequently, it is mandated by about 30% of the US market. RBOB price is thus representative of US gasoline demand.
Each CME RBOB Gasoline contract provides exposure to 42,000 gallons. It is quoted in gallons instead of barrels. The contract size is equivalent to one thousand barrels like the crude oil contract.
Distillate Prices
Distillate or Heating Oil is another important refined product of crude oil. Distillate is used to make jet fuel and diesel. Demand for distillate products is distinct from gasoline demand.
A substantial portion of the North-East US lack adequate connection to natural gas. Hence, the region depends on HO for energy during winters making HO sensitive to weather.
CME NY Harbor ULSD contract ("ULSD”) provides exposure to 42,000 gallons of Ultra-low sulphur diesel which is a type of HO. ULSD contract is also equivalent to one thousand barrels.
Chart: ULSD Price Performance Over the Last Twenty Years.
TRADING THE CRACK SPREAD
The crack spread can be expressed using the above contracts in three distinct ways:
1) 1:1 SPREAD
This spread consists of a single contract of CL on one leg and a single contract of one of the refined products on the other. This spread helps traders to express their view on the relationship between single type of refined product against crude oil. It is useful when price of one of the refined products diverges from crude oil prices.
1:1 spread is also useful when there are distinct conditions affecting each of the refined products.
2) 3:2:1 SPREAD
This spread consists of (3 contracts of CL) on one leg and (2 contracts RBOB + 1 contract of ULSD) on the other leg. The entire position thus consists of six contracts. It assumes that three barrels of crude can be used to create two barrels of RBOB and one barrel of HO.
This trade is better at capturing the actual refining margin. It is commonly used by refiners to hedge their market exposure to crude and refined products.
3:2:1 spread is used by investors to express views on conditions affecting refineries.
3) 5:3:2 SPREAD
Spread consists of (5 contracts of CL) on one leg and (3 contracts of RBOB + 2 contracts of heating oil) on the other leg. This spread captures the actual proportions from the refining process. However, it is much more capital-intensive.
FACTORS IMPACTING CRACK SPREAD
Seasonality, supply-demand dynamics, and inventory levels collectively impact crack spreads.
Seasonality
Mint Finance covered seasonal factors affecting crude oil prices in a previous paper . In that paper, we described that crude seasonality is influenced by variation in refined products demand.
In summer, gasoline demand is higher, and, in the winter, distillate demand is higher.
Seasonal price performance of the three contracts is distinct leading to a unique seasonal variation in various crack spreads. Summary performance of the three spreads is provided below.
Chart: Seasonal price performance of Crude, its refined products, and their spread (excluding years 2008, 2009 and 2020 in which extreme price moves were observed)
Refiners strategically time their operations based on seasonal trends, ramping up refinery capacity ahead of peak demand in summer and winter. This involves building up inventories to meet anticipated high demand.
However, this preparation often results in a narrowed spread just before peak utilization. As the spread reaches its lowest point, refiners take capacity offline for maintenance.
Subsequently, crack margins begin to expand as refined product supplies dwindle, aligning with decreased crude oil consumption. This results in a gradually increasing spread through high consumption periods.
Supply/Inventories
Supply and inventories of crude oil and refined products influence crack spreads. When inventories of refined products remain elevated, their prices decline narrowing the spread.
When the production and inventory of crude oil is elevated, its price declines leading to a widening spread.
On the contrary, low inventories of refined products can lead to a wider crack spread and low inventories of crude oil leads to a narrower crack spread.
Demand
Refinery demand has a self-balancing effect as higher refining requires higher consumption of crude which acts to increase crude oil prices.
Demand for crude oil and refined products is broadly correlated. However, there are often periods when demand diverges on a short-term scale.
Economic activity and available supplies drive demand for refined products. During periods of high economic growth, refined product consumption is robust pushing their price higher.
Demand for refined products can precede or lag demand for crude oil from seasonal as well as trend-based factors. This lag can be identified using the crack spread. Sharp moves in crack spread pre-empt moves in the underlying which act to normalize the spread.
CURRENT CONDITIONS
There are two trends defining the crack spread currently:
1) Divergence in demand & inventories of gasoline and distillates: Low demand for gasoline is evident due to expectations of an economic slowdown while gasoline inventories remain elevated. Though, distillate consumption remains high as inventories are declining and lower than the 5-year average range.
Chart: Divergence in inventories of distillate and gasoline (Source – EIA 1 , 2 ).
Moreover, inventories of gasoline and distillates are higher than usual. Both factors together have led to a gloomy outlook for refined product demand. Gasoline stocks have started to increase while distillate stocks are still declining.
When refined product inventories are elevated investors can position short on the crack spread in anticipation of ample supply. Conversely, if refined product inventories are low, investors can position long on the crack spread.
Chart: Divergence in refined product inventories in US (gasoline rising and distillate declining).
2) Declining crude price and tight supplies: In September, Saudi Arabia and Russia announced supply cuts extending into January. Globally, this led to a supply deficit of crude oil. Supplies of crude in the US was particularly stressed as refiners increased utilization to build up inventories while margins were high and exacerbated by a pipeline outage.
Chart: Crude Oil inventories in US have stabilized in September and October.
Following increase in oil prices, refining activity has slowed, and supplies have become more stable.
When inventories of crude are stable or elevated, it indicates less demand from refiners. Investors can opt to position long on the crack spread anticipating ample crude supply.
Chart: US Refinery Utilization and Crude Inputs have slowed in October.
Although, crude oil supply cuts from Saudi are going to continue until January 2024, there is no longer a deficit as consumption has slowed down.
Together, both trends have caused a sharp collapse in the crack spread. Value of the 3:2:1 crack spread has declined by 50% over the past month.
Prices of refined products have been affected more negatively by low demand than crude oil. Inventories and supply situation for refined products is more secure than crude oil. Still, seasonal trends suggest an expansion in crack spread once refined product inventories start to be depleted.
HARNESSING GAINS FROM CHANGES IN CRACK SPREAD
Two hypothetical trade setups are described below which can be used to take positions on the crack spread based on assessment of current conditions.
LONG 3:2:1 SPREAD
Based on (a) sharp decline in crack spread which is likely to revert, and (b) seasonal trend pointing to increase in the crack spread, investors can take a long position in the crack spread. This consists of:
• Long position in 2 x RBF2024 and 1 x HOF2024
• Short position in 3 x CLF2024
The position profits when:
1) Price of RBOB and ULSD rise faster than Crude.
2) Price of Crude declines faster than RBOB and ULSD.
The position looses when:
1) Price of Crude rises faster than RBOB and ULSD.
2) Price of RBOB and ULSD declines faster than Crude.
• Entry: 63.81
• Target: 79.12
• Stop Loss: 55.73
• Profit at Target: USD 45,930 ((Target-Entry) x 1000 x 3)
• Loss at Stop: USD 24,240 ((Stop-Entry) x 1000 x 3)
• Reward/Risk: 1.89x
LONG 1:1 HEATING OIL SPREAD
Based on relative bullishness in distillate inventories plus stronger seasonal demand for distillates during winter, margins for refining heating oil will likely rise faster than gasoline refining margins. Focusing the expanding crack margin on a 1:1 heating oil margin spread can lead to a stronger payoff.
This position consists of Long 1 x HOF2024 and Short 1 x CLF2024 .
The position profits when:
1) Price of ULSD rises faster than Crude.
2) Price of Crude declines faster than ULSD.
The position will endure losses when:
1) Price of Crude rises faster than ULSD.
2) Price of ULSD declines faster than Crude.
• Entry: 36.15
• Target: 42.79
• Stop Loss: 32.3
• Profit at Target: USD 6,640 ((Target-Entry) x 1000)
• Loss at Stop: USD 3,850 ((Stop-Entry) x 1000)
• Reward/Risk: 1.72x
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Crack spread refers to the gross processing margin of refining (“cracking”) crude oil into its by-products.
Refined products RBOB and ULSD can be traded on the CME as separate commodities. Both are representative of demand for crude oil from distinct sources.
There are three types of crack spread: 1:1, 3:2:1, and 5:3:2.
a. 1:1 can be used to express views on the relationship between one of the refined products and crude.
b. 3:2:1 can be used to express views on the refining margin of refineries.
c. 5:4:3 can give a more granular view of proportions of refined products produced at refineries but is far more capital-intensive.
Crack spreads are affected by seasonality, supply, and inventory levels of crude and refined products, as well as demand for each refined product.
A low-demand outlook for refined products of crude is prevalent due to expectations of an economic slowdown.
MARKET DATA
CME Real-time Market Data helps identify trading set-ups and express market views better. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
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Gold: Shining Bright with OpportunitiesGold is once again in the spotlight, and here’s why!
Economic Cycles, PMI & Gold
The US Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is a leading indicator often used to identify turns in the economic cycle. A below 50 PMI print indicates contraction in the US manufacturing cycle, while a print above 50 suggests expansion. Generally speaking, expanding manufacturing cycles spell a boost for industrial materials, like copper, while contractionary periods spell downturns in the economy and a preference for 'flight to safety', boosting gold holdings. An interesting observation from the chart above is the correlation between the Gold/Copper ratio and the inverted US PMI, moving in tandem over the last decade. However, looking at the current scenario, the PMI has turned lower, yet the Gold/Copper ratio has remained relatively muted, suggesting that gold may currently be underpriced. Similarly, the Gold/Silver ratio shows a less pronounced but similar effect.
Significant drops in the PMI below the 50 level have historically triggered notable increases in the Gold/Copper ratio. With the PMI currently below 50 for a sustained period, this might be priming the ratio for a potential upward surge.
Yields, Fed Expectation & Gold
As a non-interest-bearing asset, gold loses its appeal when interest rates rise, leading investors to prefer interest-yielding products. We covered the effect of a Fed rate cut on gold in a previous article here . While the Fed remains steadfast in holding rates, even the act of pausing rate hikes positively impacts gold. This effect is observed via the Gold/US10Y Yields ratio. The previous pause in rate hikes preceded a significant run-up in this ratio. Additionally, this ratio is currently near its resistance level, which it has respected multiple times over the last decade.
With the Fed expected to continue holding rates, now could be an opportune time to consider adding gold to your portfolio.
Gold Price Action
Gold’s current price action also shows a completed cup-and-handle pattern. With an initial attempt to break higher halted, it now trades right above the handle.
Additionally, gold could arguably be trading in an ascending triangle pattern, as noted by its price action as well as generally declining volume, potentially signaling a bullish continuation pattern.
In summary, given the Fed's stance on holding rates, the correlation between PMI and the Gold/Copper ratio, and the bullish technical indicators in gold's price action, a positive outlook on gold seems reasonable. To express our view, we can buy the CME Gold Futures at the current level of 1962. Using the cup and handle pattern to guide the take profit level, at 2400 and stop at 1890. Each 0.10 point move in gold futures is for 10 USD. The same view can also be expressed with greater precision using the CME Micro Gold contract where the notional is one-tenth of the regular size gold contract. Here, each 0.10 point move is for 1 USD.
The charts above were generated using CME’s Real-Time data available on TradingView. Inspirante Trading Solutions is subscribed to both TradingView Premium and CME Real-time Market Data which allows us to identify trading set-ups in real-time and express our market opinions. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
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The contents in this Idea are intended for information purpose only and do not constitute investment recommendation or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products or services. They serve as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate fundamental concepts in risk management under given market scenarios. A full version of the disclaimer is available in our profile description.
Reference:
www.cmegroup.com
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Bitcoin - A Small Or Big Pullback?Bitcoin has had an explosive month of price discovery, as over the course of the last four weeks we've climbed above our previous consolidation range and reached new yearly highs.
Data from Glassnode indicates that we are still in the third wave of investor accumulation. Research has shown that in all previous market cycles, there was a pattern of Bitcoin accumulation.
1. The first wave occurs shortly after the All-Time High of Bitcoin in a Market Cycle, when price rapidly moves away (down) from that high level.
2. The second wave occurs during the depths of the Bear Market, when the price floor for that cycle is being discovered and tested.
3. Third third wave occurs after the cycle bottom, when prices begin ticking up in anticipation of the Bitcoin halving.
It's important to note that in the last market cycle, there was a significant correction following the third wave of accumulation, which ultimately led to prices trending down until March of that year of the halving.
Bitcoin has currently reached a High-Volume Node on our Volume Profile, indicating that this is an area of heavy potential supply or selling pressure.
Our Senior Analyst Alexander had originally called for a $35,000 top for Bitcoin prices in 2023.
Putting this together, we notice that a large gap was created in Bitcoin's price movement over the last four weeks. We anticipate a good chance for a short-term reversal to re-visit those price levels.
This will give us an opportunity to gauge whether:
1. Bitcoin establishes previous resistance as support, and ranges in anticipation of a further breakout.
2. Bitcoin fails to establish previous resistance as support, and decisively breaks back down into a previous trading range.
Conservative traders can consider taking profits on BTC long positions, and waiting for confirmation of flipped resistance before establishing a new tranche of long interest. Should Bitocin break previous resistance, we reccomend short-selling positions into the end of the year and potentially much of Q1 '24.
Aggressive traders can also consider taking profits on BTC long positions, and establishing short-positions early, whether just for the re-test of the Fair-Value Gap, or to attempt to time the big swing of Bitcoin's correction.
Microsoft Bullish Cup and Handle Microsoft - NASDAQ:MSFT
A bullish monthly and weekly chart:
✅Monthly MACD Cross
✅ Long Term parallel channel intact
✅ Above 200 day & week MA
✅ Cup and Handle (with a high handle - Preferred)
✅ Good Risk: Reward Ratio at 7.6 (51%+ vs -7% loss)
⚠️ Stop loss levels on chart 🫡
A great set up. Those that are patient could wait for a potential pull back (arrow on chart) as we are reaching into overbought levels on the RSI on the weekly. It would not be unusual for Microsoft to pull back 5-8%. The R:R would be significantly improved if you waited and if it led to an entry from approx. $350 (after a 5-8% pull back), this would line up with the 200 DSMA also. However there are no guarantees of a pull back.
Those half as cautious could enter half a position here and see what happens and place another entry at $350.
All in all the $330 - 335 red box area on the chart is an absolute stop loss level. If this level is lost I would be out of the trade fast.
So you have options with this set up:
1) Entry here with a tight 7% stop.
2) Half a position here and half at approx. $350 with a stop at $335.
3) You wait for $350 and you place your stop at $330.
These all result in a similar loss of 5 - 7% in the event the trade fails. The upside potential is always 50%+. You can always cut early also at target one and take something at the 26% profit level.
It important you take full responsibility for your trade, position accordingly and be ok with the small 5-7% loss as it will likely happen, we are only leaning on the probability that maybe 60-70% of the time these trade set up provide us the return we want.
I have not really ventured into the earnings or dividends however they are both positive contributors to this trade as earnings have been excellent and dividends whilst minimal, are dividends at the end of the day. We are here for the trade and play a set up off the chart. The fundamental's are just nice framing for the stock in our minds eye.
PUKA
Meta Might Break OutMeta Platforms has consolidated for several months, but now the social-media giant could be attempting a breakout.
The first pattern on today’s chart is the $328 level. It was the high on February 2, 2022, immediately before the stock’s biggest drop ever. (The selloff was prompted at that time by weak results and business challenges involving Apple.) META tested that zone on October 11-12 before pulling back. But last week it returned to close slightly above it for the first time. Remaining here or continuing higher may confirm a breakout.
Second, a series of higher weekly lows may suggest longer-term buyers are active.
Third, the stock has danced around its 50- and 100-day simple moving averages (SMAs). However the faster SMA remains above the slower one, a potential sign that the longer-term trend is still bullish. They’re also above the 200-day SMA.
Finally, you have fundamentals. META’s earnings, revenue and users topped estimates on October 25. The stock initially fell on worries that violence in the Middle East could hurt advertising. That may create potential for buyers to come off the sidelines if worst-case scenarios don’t pan out.
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If you could only use one indicator, what would you pick?Here's a question for you: pretend that you can only use one indicator from now until the end of time. What indicator would you pick?
Write it in the comments below.
Don't worry, this is just a hypothetical question. 🤗
The comments should make for a fascinating read for all of us. Remember: pick only one indicator and that's it. Bonus points if you provide a little explanation about that indicator and why it matters to you. In doing so, you may help some traders discover a new indicator for their needs.
So, let's hear it! Write your single favorite indicator, one that you could use forever, in the comments below!
XAUUSD | GOLDSPOT | New perspective | follow-up detailsIn this video, we delve into the recent surge in gold prices, driven by a combination of factors. On Friday, the U.S. dollar and Treasury yields experienced a decline following disappointing U.S. jobs data, solidifying expectations that the Federal Reserve will halt its interest rate hikes. The October job growth figures fell short of economists' projections, with only 150,000 jobs added compared to the anticipated 180,000. Additionally, wage inflation cooled, indicating a potential easing in labor market conditions.
It is crucial to note that if the labor market continues to deteriorate, the Federal Reserve will be unable to maintain its hawkish stance. This data reinforces the notion of a Fed pause, which has contributed to the rise in gold prices. Furthermore, the dollar index (.DXY) experienced a 1% drop, while the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yields reached a low not seen in over a month, further bolstering gold's appeal.
In light of the ongoing Middle East conflict, investors are now pricing in a 95% chance that the U.S. central bank will keep interest rates unchanged in December, compared to the previous 80% prior to the release of this data. These insights are based on the CME FedWatch tool.
XAUUSD Technical Analysis:
In this video, we dissected the XAUUSD chart from a technical standpoint, analyzed the key levels, analyzed historical price moves, market behaviors, and buyer-seller dynamics, and uncovered potential trading opportunities.
The $2,010 zone will remain our center stage for this week. Its historical significance makes it a crucial point. If the bullish momentum is sustained then the breakout/retest of this zone will serve as a platform for new highs. However, if selling pressure persists below $2,010 just as it had done in the last 5 months, we could witness renewed selling pressure back into the demand zone at the $1,900 zone.
Dive into the latest Gold market dynamics! Discover how escalating Middle East tensions and renewed decline in 10-year Treasury yields and their impact. Stay informed for strategic investment decisions.
#GoldMarket #SafeHavenAssets #USDebt 📺🔔💼
Disclaimer Notice:
Please be aware that margin trading in the foreign exchange market, including commodity trading, CFDs, stocks, and other instruments, carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The content of this speculative material, including all data, is provided by me for educational purposes only and to assist in making independent investment decisions. All information presented here is for reference purposes only, and I do not assume any responsibility for its accuracy.
It is important that you carefully evaluate your investment experience, financial situation, investment objectives, and risk tolerance level. Before making any investment, it is advisable to consult with your independent financial advisor to assess the suitability of your circumstances.
Please note that I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided, and I am not liable for any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly result from the content or the receipt of any instructions or notifications associated with it.
Remember that past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Keep this in mind while considering any investment opportunities.
The Bane of TradersPrice never gets faked out. Traders do.
A blow-off top, a black swan, a trend break.
All of these can easily become TRAPS-101.
The winter is coming.
Time to turn back your clocks.
November 1994
November 2015
November 2023
No more words are necessary.
No conclusions, no signatures.
History is Repeating Itself, Just FasterA little brief before I start into this. I got started investing prior to the 1987 stock market crash and have always been amazed at the stock market for what it can do in a short period of time. People experience the market in so many different ways and I was fascinated by the mass-hysteria, psychology, economics and politics that surrounded the entire 1987 crash. I will say that since I experienced the crash of 1987 and there has still been nothing like it since. The flash crashes, the GFC and many other "sharp drops" are nothing like the speed and power and dislocation of the 1987 crash. So, with that in mind, here is a pattern to compare the 2020 crash with the 1987 crash in context to the massive upwave from 1974-2000 and 2007.
So, to begin, the 1987 crash lines up with the 2020 crash when you use the 1974 low as a comparison to the 2009 low. Then, as life has it, things happen a little faster so this pattern speeds up a little. You can copy it yourself, just then line up the 1987 crash to the 2020 crash.
And here we are, right on track. Post-1987 crash the world was a very scary place in so many ways. It was actually quite scary. The banking system was falling apart because of the 1986 tax law change which bankrupted the S&L's to the biggest bailout in US history.
George Bush Sr, was president and he was very similar to Biden, making mistakes domestically and internationally. He started up the Drug War which destroyed civil liberties in so many ways, much like the draconian lockdowns for Covid.
I did put this long term forecast on long term charts years back here at TradingView so you can review those. This would have been good to have right in front of us before. I missed that chance.
Reagan had one good term before he had trouble with Iran-Contra funding by selling drugs to finance wars in foreign countries. 1985-1987 was a bad time with trade frictions with Germany and Japan due to a strong dollar and major tax law changes which destroyed real estate, much like 2007 led to the 2009 GFC.
Then we had Bush follow Reagan and he wasn't effective as a leader. His famous "Read my lips, no new taxes" happened right before he raised taxes
Sadly, we then had Clinton come in and take over for 8 years and his first attack was on health care, which ended badly but moved him to be more centrist. Al Gore as VP helped to foster internet growth with tax advantages and boom, we had the technology boom leading into the bubble of 2000.
So, the future should write itself from here. Let's look ahead to 1992-2000 ahead with 1993-1994 being a sideways grind with a giant short squeeze in T-Bonds bankrupting Orange County and knocking Long Term Capital Mgmt (hedge fund) to its knees.
More correlations to follow and hopefully we have a new technology like the internet was at that time, to drive accelerating growth. It could be the electrification of vehicles and transportation for its massively more efficient energy consumption. Time will tell!
Enjoy.
Tim
November 8, 2023 11:17AM EST
Pinefest #1 WinnersThe winner of Pinefest #1, our first Pine programming contest, is alexgrover with this script . Alex is one of our Pine Wizards , and a well-known Pine programmer in our TradingView community. Alex will receive 500 USD and TradingView merchandise.
The five runners-up are:
Trendoscope
ImmortalFreedom
SimpleCryptoLife
jason5480
SamRecio
They will receive TradingView merchandise.
Congratulations to all our winners, and warm thanks to all participants. Pinefest #1 was an unqualified success. We were very pleased to see our vibrant Pine community participate, and were impressed with the number of high-quality entries. Fractions decided the final outcome.
We will continue to issue Pinefest challenges periodically. You can expect a few every year. Upcoming challenges will explore a variety of aspects of Pine programming.
Participants to our next Pinefests should keep in mind that it's important to read the challenge very carefully, to ensure you understand it correctly. It's also essential to produce complete publications for your entries, including a useful description. We are looking for high-quality publications, where descriptions are as important as code.
— The PineCoders team
Why Is Gold Outpacing the Stock Market?Looking back to 1928, when the time series for the S&P 500 began, U.S. equities have had an average annual price return of 5.9%. But gold isn’t far behind with an average yearly gain of 4.9%.
It can be instructive to reprice equities in gold terms by dividing the S&P 500 index by the dollar price of gold.
The S&P 500 to gold ratio has been through broad swings over the past century, with stocks falling by 86% in gold terms between 1929 and 1942; rising by 1165% versus gold from 1942 to 1967; falling by 95% versus gold from 1967 to 1980; soaring 4000% versus gold between 1980 and 2000; and then falling by 89% between 2000 and 2011.
More recently, the S&P 500 rose by 350% versus gold between 2011 and 2021 but has since dropped back by around 15%.
Gold tends to outperform stocks during periods of fiscal and monetary expansion, price instability, and periods of geopolitical conflict and uncertainty. As such, one might wonder if gold might be the outperformer for the remainder of the 2020s.
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
By Erik Norland, Executive Director and Senior Economist, CME Group
*CME Group futures are not suitable for all investors and involve the risk of loss. Copyright © 2023 CME Group Inc.
**All examples in this report are hypothetical interpretations of situations and are used for explanation purposes only. The views in this report reflect solely those of the author and not necessarily those of CME Group or its affiliated institutions. This report and the information herein should not be considered investment advice or the results of actual market experience.
Bearish Dollar Breakdown, Fuel For A Year-End RallyKey to much of the market’s late 2022 and first-half of 2023 rally was a general move lower in the US Dollar Index (DXY). Mostly a short play on the euro, the DXY is a key macro indicator – when it’s rising, it is considered a ‘risk-off’ environment for stocks while significant equity bull markets have featured sideways or downward moves in the greenback. Nothing is set in stone, though, and there have certainly been periods where both the S&P 500 and the buck moved higher in tandem.
Today, though, it’s clear that the usual negative correlation is in play. Just take a look at last week. The SPX enjoyed its best week since November last year as the DXY suffered its worst weekly decline since July. The dollar had been on a great run for much of the second half – with the Invesco Bullish Dollar ETF (UUP) rising in 13 out of 14 weeks, undoubtedly inflicting pain on stock market bulls. That trend may have ended just in time for the usual November-December equity rally.
This week’s chart illustrates a bearish breakdown in the US Dollar Index. The DXY had steadied itself in a range between 105.50 and 107 during October. Last week, and so far this morning, the index is under the key 105-105.50 zone. There’s now a bearish measured move price objective to just under 104. Now, the dollar does not have to collapse to get stocks trending higher over the months ahead, but a bearish DXY bias would be another bullish piece of evidence for investors to consider as strong seasonal trends persist in the next two months.
SPX weekly preview and what to watch forAll in the video - 4400 is going to decide whether or not we continue the uptrend. For short term a little higher makes sense, but if this is a bear market rally, this is typical kind of movement. Sometimes they go a little higher, consolidate and pullback again. I cover everything in the video. Thank you for being patient and for your support.
Can DraftKings Overcome Key Technical Levels?Primary Chart : DraftKings Inc. Weekly Price Chart with Fibonacci Levels and Downward Trendline from All-Time Highs
DraftKings Inc., an innovative sports-betting company, has been one of the hottest stocks of this week after it beat earnings expectations and raised revenue guidance. Many are likely chasing the stock's price here without any discipline whatsoever, being driven by fear of missing out and the possibility of untold gains from a former darling of growth investors.
The magenta trendline on the primary chart, which is logarithmically scaled by the way, shows that the downtrend remains intact despite today's powerful rally. This downward trendline could be broken, by the way, if momentum is sustained by bullish seasonality and tailwinds into year end in a pre-election year. But a shorter-term down trendline has been decisively snapped with today's upside push, and this suggests near-term strength for DKNG.
Supplementary Chart A
And DKNG gapped above its key 50-day SMA today as well.
Supplementary Chart B
But this post does not recommend shorting or longing this stock; instead, its purpose is to analyze NASDAQ:DKNG and consider its current position in light of a severe bear market in 2021-2022 and a euphoric bull-market run in 2020-2021. With discipline, some trading profits might be made long or short given this stock's inherent volatility—the stock rose about 15% today and about 25% this week alone. But without risk management, this stock could easily obliterate anyone attempting to gather quick profits on a short-term to intermediate-term time frame.
The stock is extended here after it gapped above key moving averages. It also has reached critical resistance at the .618 Fibonacci retracement after breaking above the 50% retracement on October 31, 2023. The .618 Fibonacci retracement lies at $34.25, a few cents above the high of the week and the day today. A bit of consolidation of today's move may provide traders with a bullish view into the new year (a time frame of about 2 months) a reason to buy the dip.
But caution is warranted into 2024 and 2025—can technological innovation and earnings surprises be enough to sustain this stock? Your comments on this particular question are welcome. There may be room for some debate as macro headwinds cannot prevent rallies like the one seen in equity indices like SP:SPX and some growth stocks. But there is a decent likelihood that macro headwinds may work against DKNG as long as interest rates remain high and inflation does not disappear. The Federal Reserves funds rate is now at 5.25% to 5.50%, a 22-year high. And quick look at the TradingView's Financial overview shows that DKNG has not had positive net income yet. And its financial history is not that long yet: It was founded in 2011, and it has only been public since 2020. So despite the major earnings beat and positive guidance today, DKNG still lost $0.61 per share. Unprofitable growth stocks do not perform as well in high-rate environments.
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Author's Comment: Thank you for reviewing this post and considering its charts and analysis. The author welcomes comments, discussion and debate (respectfully presented) in the comment section. Shared charts are especially helpful to support any opposing or alternative view. This article is intended to present an unbiased, technical view of the security or tradable risk asset discussed.
Please note further that this technical-analysis viewpoint is short-term in nature. This is not a trade recommendation but a technical-analysis overview and commentary with levels to watch for the near term. This technical-analysis viewpoint could change at a moment's notice should price move beyond a level of invalidation. Further, proper risk-management techniques are vital to trading success. And countertrend or mean-reversion trading, e.g., trading a rally in a bear market, is lower probability and is tricky and challenging even for the most experienced traders.
DISCLAIMER: This post contains commentary published solely for educational and informational purposes. This post's content (and any content available through links in this post) and its views do not constitute financial advice or an investment or trading recommendation, and they do not account for readers' personal financial circumstances, or their investing or trading objectives, time frame, and risk tolerance. Readers should perform their own due diligence, and consult a qualified financial adviser or other investment / financial professional before entering any trade, investment or other transaction.