The U.S. Dollar’s Impact on Price Action in the S&P 500, Gold, & Crude Oil

I was starting to put on my bullish hat on Friday morning when out of the blue an ugly close has forced me to rethink my position. After viewing a few hundred charts, I have determined that while I am still leaning into higher prices at this point in time, I will not totally rule out a rollover on the S&P 500. In coming days the news flow will be extreme and headline risk will be everywhere we look. The S&P 500 has been able to deflect worry for quite some time now and in every case the resiliency is unquestionable.

However, we are nearing the beginning of another earnings season which will start in just a few weeks’ time. First quarter earnings for 2011 are going to be quite interesting and most analysts’ estimates are relatively challenging. Will the rubber hit the road into earnings? Are we about to see a double top play out into earnings, or is there going to be a breakout which will take us to the SPX 1,400 – 1,415 price level?

I know, I ask a lot of questions but quite frankly that is what is running through my head. The SPX is not out of the woods yet, and the price action on Friday indicated that there is some serious supply overhead and two key resistance levels to break through before the SPX gets back to clear blue skies overhead. That being said Chris Vermeulen has caught a nice part of the recent bounce with his subscribers. He does feel the market is about to get choppy but his analysis is pointing to overall higher prices in the coming weeks.

SPX illustrates the two key price levels:

In addition to the uncertainty that earnings season can bring, the primary reason why I am still leaning into a bullish move in the S&P 500 is the recent price action in the U.S. Dollar Index futures. The U.S. Dollar is scheduled to make its 3 year cycle low sometime this spring and the recent price action is indicative that the recent lows may not be the cycle lows. If the U.S. Dollar Index breaks down below recent lows, I would expect to see a nasty sell off.

The U.S. Dollar Index futures daily chart is shown below:

Whether readers believe that we are going to be in an inflationary environment or a deflationary environment is a topic for a different time, but the chart above is undeniable that recently the U.S. Dollar has declined in value and is exhibiting weak price action. Friday morning it looked as though the U.S. Dollar was going to rip higher, but by the end of the day sellers had stepped in and forced the U.S. Dollar into the red for the session. The price action on Friday highlighted the weakness in the U.S. Dollar and the high levels of overhead supply.

If the U.S. Dollar continues to weaken, in the short run I would view this as a positive for the S&P 500, crude oil, and precious metals. If the dollar breaks down to new lows, it should help bouy the S&P 500 and gold prices. Gold has been consolidating for nearly 6 months and a breakout higher from current price levels would make a trip to $1,500 an ounce very likely. I would not be surprised to see gold work even higher than $1,500 an ounce depending on how violent the selloff in the U.S. Dollar might be.

The weekly chart of gold futures is listed below:

I would think that most investors are aware that crude oil futures have been trading higher recently. On Friday oil prices climbed above recent resistance around the $107/barrel price level and reached new recent highs. Members that belong to my paid service enjoyed a relatively low risk options trade that we put on several weeks ago which involved selling cash secured naked puts on $USO. The trade was closed on Friday for a total gain of 85% of the premium that was sold. For long time readers, my stance on energy has been pretty obvious. In the longer term, energy prices almost have to go up as the world’s demand for energy increases while supplies remain flat.

I will likely get involved in another oil trade at some point in the future, but for right now I’m going to wait for a more prudent entry. Based on current price action, it would not surprise me to see crude oil futures test the $110 – $112 per barrel price range in the near future. If the $112/barrel price level is breached to the upside, a test of the $120/barrel price level will be likely.

The weekly chart of oil futures is listed below:

Weekend Trend Conclusion:
The S&P 500 is in an interesting place as far as the price action is concerned. With earnings season rapidly approaching and a possible break down in the U.S. Dollar Index likely, future price action is uncertain. I am leaning into the bullish camp at this point, but that could change rather quickly based on the price action later this week in both the S&P 500 and the U.S. Dollar Index. One thing worth mentioning is that if the U.S. Dollar Index were to bottom around these levels and a bounce higher transpired, it would put negative price pressure on most asset classes. The fact that price action in the U.S. Dollar Index has been weak lately makes me believe a break down is likely, but as most readers know Mr. Market offers few guarantees.

Assuming the U.S. Dollar breaks down, we should see the S&P 500, precious metals, and oil continue to work higher. My eyes are going to be watching the U.S. Dollar Index closely in coming days/weeks. If a breakdown transpires, the potential upside in precious metals and oil could be intense. Ultimately, I remain slightly bullish on stocks and extremely bullish on oil and precious metals. However, my entire thesis could change if the U.S. Dollar Index starts to firm up and begins to work higher. There are simply too many question marks surrounding price action to take on significant amounts of risk at this point in time.

Get all of J.W Jones opinions and analysis @ www.OptionsTradingSignals.com
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Are Stocks & Commodities About To Start Another Rally?

Over the past couple months everyone seems to have been preparing for a sharp market correction. Crazy part is that the SP500 dropped about 10% from the high and that is a typical bull market correction. The thing is… the stock market has a way of slowly unfolding making it look and feel minor, then before you know it, the correction is over and it’s back to an uptrend. That is kind of how this one unfolded.

The good news is that we caught the low risk portion of the correction locking in a 4.5% drop, and we are now in a long trade and in the money by 2.5% with very little down side risk at this point. Time will tell if this up trend is sustainable or not…

Now, let’s take a look at the charts…

Dollar 60 minute intraday chart
As you can see below the dollar looks to have started a breakdown today. If there is continued selling pressure in the next couple days then expect to stocks and commodities to move higher as the US Dollar drops. It is important to know that when a bullish pattern fails we typically see a very strong reaction in the opposite direction (down) catching the majority off guard and they rush to the door.

SPY Broad Market ETF – Daily Chart
A couple weeks ago we watched the market go into a free fall creating a washout bottom. From there we saw prices bounce back and retake my key moving averages. This gave us a bullish bias and dips should be looked at as buying opportunities. I will admit that stocks still have a long way to go before the masses are convinced. I feel we need to see the February and March highs get taken out first. Once they get taken out there should be strong buying as short covering (protective stops from traders who are short) causes a surge in buying pressure sending stocks sharply higher yet again.

My trading buddy David Banister at Active Trading Partners is starting to see small cap stocks come back to life. Money is starting to flow into these lucrative areas of the market and he is on top of things… This week’s trade is up 20% in less than 24 hours which is very exciting.

Gold Daily Chart
Gold has been moving up this year but the current price action is not really getting me excited to buy just yet. Recently we have seen strong selling volume and very light buying volume. My bias still favors higher prices but there is still a good chance we get another dip in the coming sessions.

Mid-Week Trading Conclusion:
In short, I feel as though the dollar will trigger the next wave of buying in stocks and commodities for the next week or two… We should see the dollar make a clean moving in either direction shortly and that will help guide my analysis, positions and setups. I hope this analysis helps you to see the market from a different perspective.

Just click here if you would like to get Chris Vermeulens mid-week reports and his free newsletter.

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“Day Trading Made Simple” Now Playing on Trend TV

William Greenspan has over 155 consecutive winning months using his “day trading” system. As a day trader since the early 70s, he has walked in the pits of the CBOT and CME practicing his philosophy of making “a million dollars on a million trades, not a million dollars on one trade.”

Greenspan shares his strategy as well as best practices for successful trading on Trend TV…

“Discipline. That’s the key to success in so many aspects of life and it’s the main ingredient of any successful trading plan. But, what does discipline really mean to an intraday trader?
Discipline means taking small quick losses and letting your profits ride. That’s the key to all successful trading. Discipline means using stop loss orders on every trade to limit your losses and moving your stop loss orders to protect your profit.

That’s kinda like grooming your position. When you have a profit in a trade, you should take your stop loss order and move it first to your break even point, and then if your trade continues to trend your way, to always protect your profit along the way. Three, discipline means following all the buy and sell signals that your trading plan or system of trade has to offer you.

In all trading you must expect losses and you must accept them gracefully, because it may take only one mistake to wipe out the profits of ten winning trades…”

To watch the full video with William Greenspan, please visit Trend TV. Once you receive your password, you can visit Trend TV anytime and watch new videos as they are added.

We hope you will be able to use Greenspan’s experience to grow your profits and protect you from that one big mistake.

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Modern Music, Options, the SPX, the XLF and your Mood!

What could modern music, options, the SPX, the XLF and your Mood have in common? Let's have options guru J.W. Jones tell us......

Before getting into the broader markets, I thought it was pertinent to share with readers that recently I have noticed a trend in alternative music, also known as modern rock. As a fan of music in general, I have noticed that more modern and mainstream music is starting to underscore the deterioration in social mood. Mainstream songs are having a resoundingly similar lyrical undertone which outlines the “us against them”, “rich versus poor”, and the political class versus everyone else.

While I am not a sociologist nor do I have any real training in the area, the underlying tone in a lot of artistic mediums highlights the current chasm between the haves and the have nots. While some might argue that it does not matter, if you as a reader, trader, or investor believe in behavioral finance you might agree that social mood matters a great deal. After all, the entire premise of technical analysis is an attempt to quantify market participant behavior at specific price levels.

Social mood is but one catalyst that can have a dramatic impact in price discovery, and thus must at the very least be monitored. Current music trends are literally screaming loud and clear that the average American can relate to the undertones and messages of song lyrics with the same resounding tone as the Rise Against lyrics listed above. Believe me, it may not matter right now, but it will matter and when it does it will likely be too late for financial markets.

Now that I have my little rant out of the way, why don’t we take a look at where the S&P 500 has been, where it is now, and where it might be going. Currently price action in the S&P 500 is sitting on the edge of a fence. We could be looking at an intermediate bottom or it could end up being a bull trap. As for me, my recent prediction for lower prices has indeed come to pass, but from hereon I have no real idea where price action is headed. Mr. Market is leaving a few clues behind which I will outline, but anything is possible. We have seen stocks climb a wall of worry for nearly two years now so there is precedent for a rally from this current point of indecision.

The daily chart of the S&P 500 listed below illustrates key technical levels on the daily chart, however readers will notice that we are currently caught between a ton of overhead resistance and a key support level. Until we see price move in either direction with volume confirmation, I will be sitting on the sidelines.

Another key chart to consider is the SPX weekly chart. A quick glance at the slow stochastic readings at the bottom of the chart reveal that the S&P 500 might have additional downside left before the market is able to form a solid bottom. If that is true, we could see the SPX test the 200 period moving average on the daily chart which would be around the 1186 price level. Additionally, the 50 & 200 period moving averages on the weekly chart correspond with the 1180 price level which is likely not coincidental. The level also corresponds with key resistance areas going back to the November 2010 lows. While a downward move that large seems a bit extreme to me at this point, anything is possible.

As can be seen from the chart above, price action is currently sitting above the 20 period moving average on the weekly SPX chart. Key support levels are around the 1225 and 1180 price levels. I would also point out that a Fibonacci retracement of the recent pivot high to the recent pivot low gives us a possible 1.618 retracement around the 1190 price level. Additionally, the slow stochastic on the chart above is eerily similar to levels that were seen on the weekly chart back in May of 2010. Will price action work lower? Will the weekly slow stochastic reading kiss the 20 level?

At this point, a few of you might think I’m outlining the case for lower prices in the equity market. I honestly have no idea where price is going from here, I’m just outlining some key aspects that I have found in my analysis to the downside. The upside is just as likely and we could see the SPX price bounce off of the 20 period moving average on the weekly chart and a challenge of the recent highs could play out. Should recent highs give way to breakout, the SPX would likely test the 1,400 price level at some point in the future.

If we look at the VIX for any clues, all that can be seen from that chart is a spike higher and a subsequent selloff as fear and uncertainty leave the marketplace. The VIX is currently arguing for higher prices in equities, however the financials represented by XLF are the fly in the proverbial ointment. The banks were unable to attract a bid on Monday’s strong advance and they experienced additional selling pressure on Tuesday.

In fact, the XLF’s daily chart shown below reveals a key test and subsequent failure.

A quick look at the XLF daily chart and it is rather obvious that price action in XLF has been weak in the past two sessions. Price moved higher off of the recent lows, tested the 20 period moving average and rolled over. Price is currently below key support levels, but we could witness a reversal on Wednesday. I am going to be watching the financials (XLF) quite closely in coming days as I believe the banks will provide traders with clues as to which direction Mr. Market is favoring. Right now it would appear that Mr. Market is favoring lower prices, but that would seem a bit too easy from these eyes.

We could consolidate at these price levels for a period of time. The volume on Monday and Tuesday was light and we have non confirming signals showing up in a variety of underlying indices. I am unwilling to accept any directional risk at this point. I will let others do the heavy lifting while I sit safely in cash and watch the price action play out.

The price action will eventually give us a confirming signal as to which direction prices will be heading, but right now I believe the prudent thing to do is remain in cash and wait for Mr. Market to signal which direction he favors. We are either sitting at the beginning of a major move higher or we are at a precipice and prices are about to plunge. Either way, risk remains high and the risk/reward is simply not there to warrant an entry. As I have said many times, sometimes the best trade is no trade at all!

Just click here to get J.W.'s "Profitable Options Strategies Report"


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Precious Metals and the Dollar’s Next Big Move Part II

We have seen some exciting moves in the market and with the market sentiment so bullish it should make for a sharp selloff in the coming weeks. Meaning everyone is overly bullish and owns a lot of stocks and commodities therefore the market should top and leave them holding the bag while the smart money runs for the door. The market will not bottom until all of these individuals holding the bag finally cannot take the pain of losing any more money and once we see them panic and sell them all at once only then will we be looking to go long again.

The past couple weeks I have been bombarded with emails asking if gold and silver have bottomed and if they should be buying more on these pullbacks. Those of you reading my work for the past few months know that my analysis clearly has shown how both gold and silver have been topping out. There have been strong distribution selling and price patterns on the charts are also clearly signaling a top was near.

A couple weeks ago I posted an important report covering gold, silver and the US Dollar and where the next big moves will be. Well it’s time for another update on Gold, Silver and the Dollar as they have come a long way from my last report.

Ok let’s move on to today’s charts…

Silver Daily Chart
Silver has formed a very nice looking top and it is now trading under its key moving averages. It is also currently testing a key resistance level after Friday’s bounce on the back of fears in Egypt. Unless something happens internationally I figure silver sill continue its trend down.

Gold Daily Chart
Gold futures are doing the same as its little sister (silver). I feel the general public is still very bullish on metals and before we see higher prices (new highs) the market will have to shake the majority out of their positions first. At this time gold looks like it should test the $1285 level. Depending on how long it takes to get there and the price action it forms in the following days that outlook could change but expect sellers to step in at the $1350-1355 area.

US Dollar 2 Hour Chart
The dollar has been grinding lower the past two weeks forming a falling wedge reversal pattern. It’s also important to note that on the daily chart the dollar tested a key support level last week. This should be an interesting week for the dollar and the rest of the market simple simply because when the dollar makes sharp movements it pushes the price of stocks and commodities around in a big way.

I am looking for a multi week rally in the dollar possibly longer but with small pauses or corrections along the way.

Pre-Week Metals and Dollar Trend Analysis:
In short, I feel gold and silver are nearing a short term resistance level and will find selling pressure in the coming days only to continue on their journey down for a few weeks. The dollar on the other hand broke out of its falling wedge on Friday and could have a strong rally for 2-3 days. I feel most traders and investors have been shorting the dollar for two weeks straight, so once they realize it’s going higher there will be a ton of short covering and the dollar should rip higher.

This shift in the Dollar from down to up has a direct effect on the SP500 and subscribers of my newsletter are going to take full advantage of these next big moves in the market. Just Click Here if you would like to get my daily newsletter and trading analysis and trade exactly what I am trading.

Chris Vermeulen


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Forget About the Dollar; There are Other Ways to Make Money in the Forex Market

Most people immediately think about the dollar when Forex markets are mentioned. Sadly, the main reason is its declining value against the other major currencies. There are several ways to look at the foreign exchange markets and one of them is to compare other major currencies. For example, you could be looking at the euro against the Japanese yen or any number of combinations in between.

In today's video we will be looking at the Swiss franc versus the Japanese yen over the past 12 months. I'm going to be showing you a very simple, yet very effective, approach that has proven to be 72% accurate in 2010-2011 when trading this particular cross rate.

In fact, using this easy to understand approach, you would have made just seven trades in approximately 12 months. As you can see, this is not a hyperactive approach. However, it will put the odds of making money on your side if you stick to the game plan. As in all trading, having a game plan in foreign exchange is extremely important.

If after watching this video you would like to know more about our trading system and the indicators we use just take us up on our FREE two week trial of MarketClub.

We hope you find this video informative and educational. As always our videos are free to watch and there are no registration requirements. All we ask is that you let us know what you think by leaving a comment, talk about us on your blog, Tweet to a friend or share us on Facebook.


Watch "Forget About the Dollar; There are Other Ways to Make Money in the Forex Market"


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A New Market, But the Same Indicator We've Been Using All Week to Conquer it

You only have to watch our earlier videos to see that it has performed very well this week in gold as well as the crude. In today's short video we want to share an ETF that is setting up nicely and should be giving us a buy signal using the same strategy that we used in the earlier gold and crude oil videos.

This ETF which closely follows the Swiss Franc (symbol FXF) is one you may want to take a look at. As you may be aware, the Swiss Franc is independent of the euro zone and is a separate currency that is backed by the Swiss government.

We think you'll enjoy this short lesson as it will reinforce the two previous lessons on how to use this indicator. In case you missed our earlier lessons, you can watch the gold and the crude oil videos on the INO Trader's Blog.

As always our videos are free to watch and there are no registration requirements. Feel free to discuss them on the INO blog, Tweet them to your friends, and e-mail anyone that you think could benefit from these educational trading lessons.

Want to trade like Adam? Click here for FREE lessons.

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