Posts Tagged ‘alternative energy’

Understanding Alternative Power Sources

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

As the United States human population starts for more information and much more about how precisely we are hurting our world, a lot more citizens are choosing to accept the green motion and become more environmentally friendly. There are a variety of methods individuals could be a lot more green. Although some folks would rather eat organically or get organic clothing probably the most substantial methods folks dwelling in the usa could be green and truly eco mindful, is by using alternative energy resources.

Fortunately, there have been current developments who have found that we now have other causes of electricity besides fuel, oil, coal and nuclear options which can be very harmful to the planet. There are a number of various uses of solar energy with solar power panels along with other environmentally friendly electricity technology. While many individuals realize that the usa must break far from its reliance on gas and oil, lots of people are not aware exactly where they would get energy if we did use oil and coal less. WIth environmentally friendly power technologies it can be feasible for individuals to get power and energy from a lot more eco-friendly options.

Even So prior to promoting for this sort of energy or finding ways to use it, it is important to determine what eco-friendly power is. Environmentally Friendly energy is a kind of electrical energy that arises from a source which will have less of an effect on the surroundings then other energy source will. There are a variety of numerous causes of environmentally friendly energy obtainable in the present day culture, some are more popular than others however they can all be part of alternative energy options. Since more information has come out about these options, more and more individual property owners and businesses are looking for ways to have used them as an power source of their own.

Just about the most popular reasons for environmentally friendly power is solar technology. This type of power has been used for quite some time. Now with new developments in technologies, solar panel systems can be placed on homes and properties and they can acquire energy from the sun and transform it into workable electricity to electrical power a home. Just one more well-liked green power source is wind. Large wind mills enables you to collect wind electrical power and turn it into electrical energy. Actually, several cities have become making use of this sort of electrical power to maintain some of their power needs. Geothermal energy is another green energy supply that utilize decaying minerals in the earth. Finally, there is certainly hydropower which utilizes the pressure of falling or dropping water to generate power, this is actually the most used type of environmentally friendly energy in the US today.

There are a number of different methods america can get their energy from environmentally friendly energy resources. By getting a lot more work into developing methods that can efficiently change these sources into functional energy folks may havea smaller and smaller impact on the surroundings around them. While some buildings and properties in the United States are using a few of these options, with greater effort into making use of green electricity, a lot less injury can be carried out towards the world.

Would you want to discover more about alternative energy in an effort to be more beneficial to our environment? If so, check out our site.

Panic Selling Hit SP500 Today, Silver and Gold Are Next!

Friday, November 4th, 2011

Today the stock market bled out with a river of red candles. All of the recent gains vanished in one session. Strong selling volume sessions like this are typically a warning sign that distribution selling is starting to enter the market.

Distribution selling is when the big money players start unloading large positions in anticipation of a market top. They do try to hide it by selling into good news or earnings when the average investors are buying into all the hype of better than expected earnings on the news. As average investors jump into the market because of the good news, this extra liquidity helps the big money players (banks, hedge funds, etc..) sell large amounts of their positions to the eager buyers. This is why the “buy on rumor and sell on the news” saying is kicked around wall street….

To me, panic selling is typically seen as a bullish sign to enter the market simply because if everyone is/has rushed to the door to sell what they own, then really most of the down side risk has been taken out of the market. That being said after an extended multi month rally and higher than selling volume I look at it more like distribution selling and a shift in momentum.

I feel the precious metals sector will be starting something like this in the near futures, and possibly it has already started as seen in the rising volume on the down days.

Let’s take a look at the charts…

AAPL - Apple Stock 10 Minute Chart Two days ago AAPL shares took big hit because of some medical issues with the CEO, the shares did float back up. But what is important here is the distribution selling which took place after Apple came out with much better than expected earnings. The general public loves to buy good news especially when it’s for a famous company. But large sellers stepped in unloading as much of their position as they could before making it look to obvious.

The average investor listening on the radio or catching snippets on the news do not pick up on these things which is why the big money players can get away with this over and over again.

GS - Goldman Sachs 10 Minute Chart Goldman came out with average earnings being just above estimates and the share price took a beating with very strong volume.

Distribution selling looks to be entering the market and this is a bearish sign. I would not be surprised if we see the market top out in the next 5-10 trading sessions.

SPY - SP500 10 Minute Chart Here you can see my green panic selling indicator spiking up much higher than normal dwarfing the past sell off spikes. This makes me think the big money is now starting to unload which will shift the current upward momentum to more of a sideways whipsaw type of price action. Eventually it will roll over and a new down trend will start.

As you can see from this chart the SP500 is trading down at a support level so a bounce is likely going to take place. If in fact today was the first distribution day then the big money should let the price inflate back up to the recent highs and possibly make a new high to help keep investors bullish before the hit their SELL BUTTON again… They like to play these games and understanding them is a key part of trading. Expect choppy price action for a week or two…

Silver Daily Chart - The Next Wave of Selling? I look at silver and gold as one… so what I show here is the exact same for gold.

As you can see silver is trading under 3 of its key moving averages and todays bounce was sold into after testing the 14 and 20 period moving averages.

Take a looking at the bottom of the chart and you can see distribution selling volume as the spikes are all down days. If silver breaks below the $28 level then we could easily and quickly see the $26 and maybe even the $24 level.

The Mid-Week Market & Metals Trading Conclusion: In short, the financial power players are pulling out all the tricks to shake traders out of their positions. A lot of people shorted the market in the past 2 weeks only to get hung out to dry and most likely stopped out of their short positions for a loss. Fortunately we did the opposite taking another long position in the SP500 ETFS because my market internal indicators, market breadth and simple trading strategy clearly pointed out that the average investor was trying to pick a top by shorting the market. As we all know, the market is designed to hurt the masses which is why I focus on the underlying trends, price action, volume and market sentiment for timing trend changes.

That being said, I still think the market could grind higher and make another new high. But any rally or new high will most likely get stepped on with heavy selling. Expect strong selling days followed by a couple days of light volume sessions where the price drifts back up into resistance levels. This could take a week or two to unfold so don’t jump the gun and short yet. It’s best to see more distribution selling before picking a top.

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Mid-Week Market Report on SP500, Oil, Gold & Dollar

Friday, November 4th, 2011

Wednesday the market didn’t tell us anything new. The equities market is still over extended on the daily chart but the market is refusing to break down. Each time there has been seen selling in the market over the past two weeks, the market recovers. Equities and the dollar have been trading with an inverse relationship and it seems to drop every in value each selling pressure enters the market, which naturally lifts stocks.

That being said, sellers are starting to come into the market at these elevated levels and it’s just a matter of time before we see a healthy pullback/correction. The past 10 session volatility has been creeping up as equities try to sell off. There will be a point when a falling dollar is not bullish for stocks but until then it looks like printing of money will continue devaluing of the dollar to help lift the stock market. Some type of pullback is needed if this trend is to continue and the markets can only be held up for so long.

Below is a chart of the USO oil fund and the SPY index fund. Crude has a tendency to provide an early warning sign for the strength of the economy. As you can see from the April top, oil started to decline well before the equities market did. This indicated a slow down was coming.

The recent equities rally which started in late August has been strong. But take a look at the price of oil. It has traded very flat during that time indicating the economy has not really picked up, nor does it indicate any growth in the coming months. This rally just may be coming to an end shortly.

This daily chart of the SP500 fund shows similar topping patterns. This looks to be the last straw for the SP500. Most tops occur with a gap higher or early morning rally reaching new highs, only to see a sharp sell off by the end of the session which generates a reversal day. From the looks of this chart that could happen any day.

In short, volume overall in the market remains light which is why we continue to see higher prices. Light volume typically gives the stock market a positive bias while Sell offs require strong volume to move lower. That being said every dip in the equities market which has been close to a breakdown seems to get lifted back up by a falling dollar, but that can only happen for so long because one the volume steps back into the market the masses will be in control again.

You can get my ETF and Commodity Trading Signals if you become a subscriber of my newsletter. These free reports will continue to come on a weekly basis; however, instead of covering 3-5 investments at a time, I’ll be covering only 1. Newsletter subscribers will be getting more analysis that’s actionable. I’ve also decided to add video analysis as it allows me to get more info across to you quicker and is more educational, and I’ll be covering more of the market to include currencies, bonds and sectors. Before everyone’s emails were answered personally, but now my focus is on building a strong group of traders and they will receive direct personal responses regarding trade ideas and analysis going forward. Due to more analysis the price of the service will be going up Oct 1st, so join today.

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Never Say Never

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011

In reviewing the charts from the Chart Room over the weekend I came to the conclusion that in terms of timing the markets you don’t want to think in terms of price right now, but in terms of time, where again, we are not looking for a blow-off top in the present intermediate move until sometime in the first quarter next year, with early February the favored target from both historical and cyclical perspectives. How did I come to this conclusion? Answer: As you will see in the charts below, several breakouts and trend blow-offs are in the process of tracing out, meaning more time is needed for this to occur no matter how overbought technical conditions in the market are at this time. And while it’s true that everything from stocks to commodities are intermediate degree overbought, what this means is conditions will become even more overbought, and as a result, it’s possible hyperinflationary conditions in the US could at a minimum be tested.

So unfortunately you can never say never when it comes to hyperinflation with a corrupt and self-serving oligarch in charge of the money supply, where monetization practices are not included in conventional money supply measures, leaving the only way we will discover the condition our condition is in is by exploding prices. Of course when this happens people will tune in, which is happening in the bond market now, but will likely not be understood by meaningful percentages of the population until things that directly affect them, like food prices (watch Glenn Beck here), explode higher, which according to John Williams of Shadowstats.com should be anytime time now, ramping up aggressively into next year. So apparently it’s time to stock up on rice and cans of tuna believe it or not, although it’s our contention that if US Treasuries fall out of bed after a possible relief rally through light trading at Christmas, that while equities could see magnificent price explosions into the first quarter, that running into summer a similar outcome to that witnessed in the year 2000 will be witnessed, marking the popping of what we will dub the Fed’s Quantitative Easing Bubble (QEB).

And like all others before it this bubble will indeed be popped at some point, however again, timing is the question. If you were to simply look at stock market sentiment, which is at bearish extremes not seen for some 5-years, one could easily conclude such a popping should come sooner than later, meaning this year as opposed to next. Add on top of this the increasing fiscal uncertainty in Europe (and soon the US with it’s popping bond bubble), continued consumer deleveraging, and any other problem of the day you wish to focus on, and a strong case can be made for an immediate popping of the Fed’s QEB anytime now. Of course the thing one must remember is this is a suicide mission for these people, which includes the larger bureaucracy because their jobs depend on the oligarchs holding things together, so while the path may be volatile (like in 2000), don’t be surprised if Da Boyz continue to jam things higher via an ever-expanding QEB until the bond market literally bursts, and stocks fall in unison with bonds in what would undoubtedly prove to be a sizable rout running into summer a la the 1940 model.

That’s what I see happening anyway, where monetization practices or not, eventually the combination of rapidly accelerating deficits (due to rising interest rates) and selling in the bond market officially pop that bubble, making all other considerations save deleveraging moot, at least for a brief moment in time. The question then would be whether we face true hyperinflation or a hyperinflationary depression like Japan’s afterwards, or worse, because there is no plan B, possibly decades of feudal darkness once the economy’s handlers lose control. And they will lose control at some point - they always do - it’s Murphy’s Law at work. That’s what the divergence in the chart below is telling us, because through the ages people’s reactions to bubble economics has not changed. The only thing that changes is the size of the bubbles, with the present bubble in bonds the biggest ever. This is of course why it will be defended at any cost, and why, albeit in more violent fashion, this divergence can get even more profound before something more permanent grips the macro. (See Figure 1)

Source: The Chart Store

When looking at the charts below that’s the message we are getting, that the divergence above will grow more profound, believe it or not. How much more profound? Answer: About 200 NASDAQ points if the present bubble to is equal that of the one witnessed in 2007. And again, such a move, and more, is supported in the charts below. Let’s take a look.

First up we have the NASDAQ / Dow Ratio plot from the Chart Room, and as you can see below it’s right on resistance before it breaks back up into bubble making territory. This of course is not suppose to happen within the same generation, that being another bubble in the NASDAQ the likes of which we witnessed in the year 2000, however at the same time, we still might get a taste between now and March next year if the dollar ($) starts falling again, which in my eyes would not be surprising record bearish sentiment amongst traders or not. (See Figure 2)

Why would the $ fall next year, and as a result facilitate the building of even more profound bubbles than are being witnessed today? Answer: In one word the answer is history. To add the context don’t forget just how corrupt and culpable Washington politicians are, and that despite rhetoric run in the media for appearance purposes, they will have the Fed debase the currency by any means, as it’s doing with their present monetization practices evidenced in a continued generous POMO schedule. So again, while conventional money supply measures are not reflecting this largesse correctly, as James Turk points out all the numbers don’t lie, where hyperinflation of the $ is in danger of breaking out increasingly profound hyperinflationary conditions. And we will undoubtedly get confirmation of such intentions from the Fed today at its last meeting of the year. What’s more, if both the Senate and Congress vote in an extension of the Bush tax cuts this week, a serial bailout program for the States cannot be rule out next year in my opinion, Tea Partiers, Ron Paul, you name it, it won’t matter. Just look at the Europeans for the example, where they talk a good game of austerity, but when the chips are down, magically, a bailout always shows up. So, don’t go taking talk to the contrary too seriously, no matter who it comes from, and until cutbacks actually become a reality. Because partisan politics is all for show in a one party Washington, where change won’t come until it’s too late, meaning rising deficits and interest rates cause the US debt colossus to implode onto itself. To think this would come voluntarily is to have ignored history, again, in answering the above question, since Nixon closed the gold window. What’s more, one would also need to ignore the following charts, which could turn out to be quite the mistake if one is not in position for at least a taste of hyperinflation - dead ahead. (See Figure 3)

As you can see above, the S&P 500 (SPX) / CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) is possibly set to break higher, where all we would need to see for an indication such a move was on is a breakout of RSI past sign resistance, accompanied by the MACD clearing Fibonacci related resistance. Then, if this measure of sentiment was able to clear indicated Fibonacci resistance at approximately 90, a double top might be in the cards, although nominal highs on the SPX would likely fall short of the 2007 double top high. Of course I could always be wrong about that if the $ is falling hard enough, where perhaps this becomes a reality too when Washington announces it will fund municipal deficits as well in order to avoid the muni-bond disaster many are expecting. If this were to occur, then stocks could possibly go off the scale, as is the case with the Fibonacci resonance related projection for the NASDAQ / VXN Ratio shown below, projecting all the way up to 250. (See Figure 4)

And if you are interested in finding out more about how our advisory service would have kept you on the right side of the equity and precious metals markets these past years, please take some time to review a publicly available and extensive archive located here, where you will find our track record speaks for itself.

Naturally if you have any questions, comments, or criticisms regarding the above, please feel free to drop us a line. We very much enjoy hearing from you on these matters.

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilizing methods believed reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any trading losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Comments within the text should not be construed as specific recommendations to buy or sell securities. Individuals should consult with their broker and personal financial advisors before engaging in any trading activities. We are not registered brokers or advisors. Certain statements included herein may constitute “forward-looking statements” with the meaning of certain securities legislative measures. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the above mentioned companies, and / or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Do your own due diligence.

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Mid-Week Market Report on Equities and Metals

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011

Its been an interesting week with stocks, commodities and currencies having a knee jerk reaction to the FOMC minutes released Tuesday afternoon. In short the Fed clearly said there must be more quantitative easing before things will get better. It was this news which triggered a rally in both stocks and commodities.

Quantitative easing is a fast way to devalue the dollar and the Fed is doing a great job at that. As long as the dollar continues to decline the stock market will keep rising.

This week kicked off earning season with INTC and JPM beating analyst estimates. We usually see the market trade up the first week of earnings and then start to sell off by the end of earnings season. Both INTC and JPM sold off on strong volume today despite the good earnings and today’s broad market rally. This just goes to show the market has not forgot about buy on rumor sell on news… The big/smart money sold into the morning gaps exiting at a premium price. Is this foreshadowing for what is to come?

Take a look at the chart below which shows the falling dollar and how its helping to boost stocks and commodities.

While earnings season is trying to steal the spot light in the market, the fact is everything for the past 2 months has been about the US Dollar. If you put a chart of the dollar and the SP500 together they trade almost tick for tick in reverse directions. The amount of money getting pumped into the market cannot last and it will lead to a huge volume reversal day in due time. Until this happens the market will trade higher.

Taking a look at the SPY daily chart the 5, 10, and 14 simple moving averages tend to act as buy zones. The market was choppy from April until about 2 months ago. Now we are seeing the market smooth out and traders are switching to more of a trend trading strategy and not so much looking for extreme sentiment levels which typically signal short term tops and bottoms. Focusing on buying at these moving averages has been providing good support thus far. Stops should be set on a closing basis, meaning if the market is to close below the moving average then exiting the position is a safe play. It’s always best to layer your stops (scale out) in trending market. So stops below the 5, 10, 14 and even the 20ma will provide you with enough wiggle room to riding a trend.

Mid-Week Trading Conclusion:

In short, we are in a strong uptrend and until we get a major reversal day, buying the market is the way to go. The market as we all know is way over bought so if you decide to take a position on your own, be sure to keep it small. I would also like to note that financial stocks were the worst performing on the day so that could be telling us there could be some profit taking in the next day or two.

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Alternative Energies of the Future

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

As traditional energy resources become more scare and more expensive, many are becoming interested in alternative energy sources. This is understandable, as these developing technologies have the potential to revolutionize may aspects of our daily lives. This topic deserves a bit of further discussion and exploration.

Many of the alternative energy source available now have other benefits besides just not being scarce. One of the most promising is that most of them are pollution-free. This means that they do not produce harmful wastes that may negatively effect the environment. This means that if we could make such a technology viable, we could use it, decreasing our negative impact on our world.

Another important benefit is that many new technologies tap into what is known as renewable resources. This means that the sources of power associated with a particular form is constantly abundant or consistently replenished. This can be infinitely more valuable than other forms which may run out or are very slow to be replenished.

One of the most promising sources of renewable energy is wind power. The technology utilizes wind to turn the blades of wind turbines. The turning of these turbine blades would be converted into a type of electrical current by a type of generator. There is no pollution or chemical reactions involved, meaning no harmful bi-products. Farms can still operated around turbines, and they can be built offshore for even more utilization.

Solar power if also a great option. By utilizing the rays of the sun, one can accomplish a wide variety of tasks, including heating, cooking, electricity production, and even the desalination of salt water from the sea. This method is extremely practical, of course, as long as the sun provides the Earth with energy. Efficiency of solar panels is better in direct sunlight, so cloudy days prevent them from performing at their best. Electricity also must be stored during night time hours when there is no sun. You can find solar panels on sale at your local Home Depot or Costco.

Hydro electric power is gaining a lot of attention and study in recent years. Dammed water is released, pushing a water turbine to power a generator, which creates electricity. This can create electricity as needed, because you can control the release of the water. Other methods of harnessing kinetic energy from water must take place when the water moves. This water can be used consistently, with no harmful wastes, and the water involved can always be re-used for various purposes.

One of the lesser know alternative resources is geothermal power. It’s development is at an exciting stage. This technology aims to harness the power in the heat just below the earth’s crust. This type of power plant is relatively self sufficient and small and have very little effect on the surrounding landscape.

With so many worries about our future sources of power, alternative energy sources are quickly gaining in popularity. Research is developing at a rapid pace. The benefits are numerous and the downsides are relatively small and much more manageable compared to other methods of powering our lives.

Finding a solar panel sale may sound like a great deal, but consider output carefully. You can go solar and save money, but you’ll start recouping your investment sooner if you find a good overall deal.

What Do Katy Perry and Eminem Have in Common?

Monday, June 27th, 2011

Answer: both were quoted in the keynote speech last week by U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) commissioner Scott O’Malia, at the 13th Annual Energy and Commodities Conference in Houston.

Referencing pop culture in a speech on derivatives is a little unorthodox. But what O’Malia was describing to conference attendees was even more so.

The commissioner was discussing the CFTC’s implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act. Otherwise known as the financial reform rules in the U.S.

A major thrust of Dodd-Frank has been the regulation of derivatives. Options, futures, swaps and other such instruments that are seen as being a large and potentially risky part of the financial infrastructure.

And the U.S. government and financial institutions have been working frantically since the financial crash to implement new rules to make derivatives trade safer. As O’Malia put it, “I’ve given up rolling up my sleeves and have just about torn them off.”

But much of this work is now coming to fruition. There have been a whirlwind series of meetings, speeches and seminars on proposed derivatives rules over the last several weeks in the U.S. The market is bracing for big changes.

And those changes are arriving. Today CME Group (owners of a good chunk of American trading platforms, including NYMEX and COMEX), announced that it has officially begun clearing of over-the-counter interest rate swaps.

Clearing of swaps is a priority item under the new rules. Basically this means when these derivatives are traded between two parties, the trade must be executed through a central, independent agent (much like a stock exchange does). Buyers and sellers are no longer allowed to do business directly with each other.

There are several reasons lawmakers pushed for greater clearing of derivatives. It standardizes the market. And provides some degree of insurance if trades go bad.

But one of the main stated reasons for the move is price discovery. By having one (or perhaps a few) central exchanges looking at all derivatives trades, government and regulatory bodies will be able to gather data on going prices, volumes and other metrics. In the past, such information was very hard to gather.

The result being, derivatives markets are going to get a lot more transparent.

Ultimately, this is a good thing. But the transition may be rocky. As I’ve discussed previously, price discovery can provide some unpleasant surprises.

Up until this point, there has been little data on the market value of many derivatives. Meaning that owners of such instruments probably had some leeway in reporting the value of their derivatives holdings.

That leeway is now disappearing. Clearing of derivatives will provide hard data on prices. It’s likely that holders will be forced to use such pricing for reporting purposes.

What do you want to bet that someone somewhere has been keeping derivatives on the books at inflated prices in order to beef up their financials? For any such groups, clearing and price discovery could lead to some significant write-downs. The kind that lead to the last crash, after the introduction of mark-to-market accounting rules.

This is a critical development. We’ll be keeping an eye out for any warning signs over the coming months.

Here’s to clearing things up.

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Gold, Oil, SP500 & Dollar At Key Pivot Points

Saturday, June 25th, 2011

Last week was exciting as investments rocketed higher or tank… We saw Gold and the US Dollar pop while oil and equities dropped sharply with heavy volume.

Just to recap, Wednesday the market went into freefall mode sending traders and investors running for the door. This was obvious from looking at the large percent drop coupled with heavy selling. That day the NYSE showed panic selling with 37 shares sold for every 1 share purchased meaning pure panic. In my Wednesday night report “How to Take Advantage of Panic Selling for SP500 and Gold ” I explained how to read these extreme market conditions and what to expect the following sessions.

Currently the price of gold, oil, spx are trading somewhat at the opposite extremes seen last week. Below are a few charts explaining the situations:

GLD - Gold ETF Trading Signals

This 60 minute chart shows gold getting hit hard on Wednesday morning. Investors and traders around the globe were closing out positions and moving to cash. This high volume dumping of positions pulled virtually all investments lower and was the first tip-off that the market was in panic mode.

One the dust settled and investor’s regrouped we saw money surge back into gold creating a nice pop the following day. Problem I see is that gold is now trading at a key resistance level when reviewing the daily chart. And if you take a look at the 60 minute chart below you can see the price of gold sold down in the morning on August 13th and drifted up into the close on Friday forming a bearish wedge. Also there was some very strong selling just before the market closed which is also a concern.

USO - Oil Traded Fund

Both times oil has fallen we have seen the price pierce key support levels where the bulls would have the majority of their stops placed. The intraday pierce causes the stops to be triggered washing the market of long positions while the smart money loads up accumulating everyone’s sell orders . This is something which happens with virtually every type of investment and the main reason traders get shaken out just before the market goes in their direction. Anyways, running of the stops is something I will cover in a future report.

Looking at the chart below you can see oil trading at trendline support. Each time the key support levels (blue arrows) have been pierced the market has rocketed higher. Just from looking at the chart from August 9th forward you can see that this move down is overextended and visually looks ready for a pause or bounce in the coming days.

*Trading Tidbit - When trading trendlines it is important to try and play the third test. Reason being is that the first two pullbacks create the trendline and the third test is when active traders generally jump on board causing a sizable bounce. Each test of a trendline it becomes weaker and the probability of a breakdown is more likely.*

SPY - SP500 ETF Trading Fund

The SP500 chart shows last week’s breakdown on the 5th test of the trendline. The market is oversold here and ready for a bounce which I hope we get this week. My concern is that the downward momentum is to strong and a bounce will be negated.

US Dollar Index

US dollar put in a huge bounce last week after testing is 61.8% Fib retracement level from the 2009 December low. The strong bounce has pushed the dollar up to a key resistance level which happens to be 38.2% Fib retracement level from both the December up trend and the recent sell off. I figure this will hold the dollar down for a few days easing the pressure on oil and equities.

Weekend Gold, Oil, SPX and Dollar Trading Conclusion:

In short, I feel there will be a relief bounce in oil and equities while the dollar and gold will have some profit taking and trade sideways or down at the beginning of the week. After that it looks as though stocks and oil will head lower while the dollar and gold rally.

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Government Chicken

Friday, June 24th, 2011

You all know the story.

The race to secure natural resources is intensifying. Particularly amongst governments and nationally-sponsored corporations. And particularly in Asia.

We�ve been seeing signs the last few years that Asian nations are stepping up their drive for oil, copper, iron and natural gas. I talked last week about India jumping into the fray in a big way for coal.

A few more indicators this week worth mentioning. Korea is upping the ante.

Korea National Oil Corp (KNOC) leaked this week that it will sell between $500 million and $1 billion worth of bonds to fund its $2.6 billion hostile takeover of Africa/North Sea-focused Dana Petroleum.

The same day, the world’s second biggest smelter, LS-Nikko announced a joint venture with Korea’s top steelmaker, Posco. Under the deal, the two majors will work together on the acquisition and development of copper and iron ore projects.

These are deals of mega-proportions. So much so, the Korean government said it fears currency appreciation because of state-associated firms issuing billions in new won-denominated debt.

Not to be outdone, Japan also announced some ambitious natural resource plans this week. Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) said it is aiming to take more ownership in liquefied natural gas projects around the globe.

Tepco currently sources 11% of its LNG supplies from projects in which it owns equity. Mainly Australia’s Darwin LNG facility. The company said it wants to grow this to 33% equity supply by 2020.

This is a big jump in supply. Meaning Tepco is going to have to be fairly aggressive in pursuing buy-in on new projects.

With all these plans on the books, deep-pocketed Asian governments are going to be increasingly butting heads with regular corporations as well as each other when it comes to buying resource projects. A lot of cash is being brought to bear on the sector in a great game of “chicken”, with significant implications for project valuations.

The Asian slant means projects within shipping distance of the East are going to be in demand. Pick your investment spots wisely.

Here’s to the amazing race for resources.

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Gold & the Overall Strength of the Market

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

The past week has been interesting to say the least. Gold is trying to find support while the SP500 grinds its way higher. Let’s jump into the charts and analysis to get better feel for what I feel is happening here. Gold 4 Hour Chart

As you can see from the chart below gold has formed a possible double top. The fact that it made a higher high is actually a bearish sign for the intermediate term 1-3 weeks. When we see a higher high getting sold into with big volume it typically means the big money is unloading large positions into the surge of breakout traders and short covering that occurs when a new high is reached. Following the big money is very important to keep an eye on as it can warn us of possible trend changes before it occurs.

The current selling volume is not exactly a healthy sign if you are looking for higher prices in the near term. If this pattern breaks down I would expect $1340 to be reached very quickly.

Keep in mind gold it in a strong up trend still. Shorting is not the best play in my opinion. I prefer to see pullback which washes the market of weak positions then jump on the long side for another bounce/rally.

SP500 Market Internal Strength - 10min, 3 days chart I watch these charts to get a feel for the overall market strength on a short term basis. The top chart shows the SPY etf breaking above a resistance trend line on Friday afternoon. This occurred on light volume meaning it is mostly likely a false breakout and Monday we could see a gap lower at the open or a pop & drop. The two other indicators are reaching an extreme level which normally tells us a pullback is due in the next 24-48 hours of trading. The question is, will us just be a bull market pause or will we get a decent pullback.

The red indicator in the top chart and the red indicator levels on the charts below that help us time the market as to when profits should be taken or to tighten our stops if we have any long positions.

The broad market is still in a very strong uptrend so moving stops up and buying on oversold dips is the way to play it.

Weekend Market Analysis Conclusion: In short, both gold and the stock market are in a bull market (uptrend). Trying to pick a top to short the market is not a good idea. Instead I am looking for an extreme oversold condition to help reduce downside risk before taking a long position.

The overall strength of the market (SP500 and Gold) I think are starting to weaken but in no way am I going to short them. We continue to buy dips until proven wrong because indicators can stay in the extreme overbought levels for a long period of time. Generally the biggest moves happen in the last 10-20% of the trend.

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