crude oil

S&P 500 bulls didn‘t look back, and the credit markets spurt at close confirmed. The VIX is getting serious about reaching for early Sep lows, and it shows in the sharp upside reversal of value. The tech upswing hasn‘t been sold into either, and the overall picture is of improving market breadth. Such was my assessment going into yesterday‘s session: (…) So, how far could the bulls make it? 4,420 is one resistance level, and then prior local highs at 4,470 await. The fate of this correction is being decided right there, and it‘s my view we have lower than 4,260 to go still. Therefore, I‘m taking a big picture view, and that is one of continuous inflation surprises to the upside forcing the Fed to taper, which it may or may not do. The policy risks of letting inflation run wild are increasing, so the central bank would find it hard not to deliver fast – the market would consider that a policy mistake. The tone of yesterday‘s FOMC minutes has calmed the Treasury market jitters, and the dollar succumbed. So did inflation expectations, but the shape of the TIP:TLT candle suggests that inflation isn‘t done and out. The Fed is in no position to break it, supply chain pressures, energy crunch and heating job market guarantee that it will be stubbornly with us for longer than the steadily increasing number of quarters Fed officials are admitting to. Counting on the Fed being behind the curve, inflation has the power to derail the S&P 500 bull run – the more so it runs unchecked. The 1970s stagflation brought several wild swings, cutting the index in half as it spent the decade in a trading range. And given the breadth characteristics of the 500-strong index these days, the risks to the downside can‘t be underestimated. What‘s my target of 4,260 in this light? Let‘s consider that from the portfolio point of view – purely stock market traders might prefer to short exhaustion at 4,420 or the approach to 4,470, or balance the short position‘s risk in the stock market with precious metals, cryptos and commodity bets they way I do it – and it‘s working just fine as the precious metals and crypto positions do great while I‘m waiting for retracement in oil and copper (in price or in time). Let‘s check that against the following market performance – bonds aren‘t throwing a tantrum anymore, and continue being pleased by the Fed‘s pronouncements. Inflation expectations haven‘t been revolting over the last three days either. S&P 500 has a great chance of confirming the break back above the 50-day moving average. Neither oil nor copper have offered a reasonably modest retracement of their recent upswings (orderly in the former, stellar in the latter). Reassessing the developments way earlier today (have you already subscribed to enjoy the real-time benefits?) – both from the total portfolio and stock market point of views – has unequivocally led me to join the profitable bullish S&P 500 side (the upswing is likely to easily overcome 4,470s and then 4,510s too) and enjoy the meteoric long copper gains. This represents more conviction behind the still rising tide of accomodative monetary policy (undaunted by the taper prospects, crucially) that is likely to keep positively affecting the open precious metals positions, and further extend the extraordinary crypto gains. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 early stage bullish upswing goes on, and the next two days are likely to confirm – the cyclically sensitive sectors are behaving favorably. That‘s consumer discretionaries, financials and real estate. Credit Markets Quality debt instruments and HYG are rebounding accordingly, and I like particularly the HYG strength. Gold, Silver and Miners Gold is having trouble overcoming $1,800 but miners and silver are saying the issues are only temporary. Lower volume and lower knot yesterday mean that a brief consolidation is likely ahead. Crude Oil Crude oil consolidation in a very narrow range is likely to give way to price gains extension, if oil stocks are to be taken seriously. Likely, they are to. Copper Copper steep upswing continues unabated, and volume isn‘t drying up. Just as in the CRB Index, the path of least resistance is up – and continued copper outperfomance in the face of downgraded economic growth, is the most encouraging sign. Bitcoin and Ethereum The expected crypto pause came, and is again gone. Fresh highs await, and Ethereum is closer to these than Bitcoin is. Summary Stock market rebound has good odds of extending gains, but the most profitable case is to be made when it comes to commodities, cryptos and precious metals. Finally, if ever so slowly, the truth about no transitory but permanently elevated inflation that I had been hammering since early spring, is being acknowledged by even the Fed officials for what it is – let alone the banking sector. Remember, we‘re getting started, and I wouldn‘t be surprised if 5-7% inflation rates were being the predictable, ongoing result. At the same time, inflation isn‘t yet strong enough to force S&P 500 into a bear market, let alone extend the way less than 10% correction just experienced. The path of slowly but surely increasing resistance in the S&P 500 remains up for now as the break above 50-day moving average foretells. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals. Thank you, Monica Kingsley Stock Trading Signals Gold Trading Signals Oil Trading Signals Copper Trading Signals Bitcoin Trading Signals www.monicakingsley.co mk@monicakingsley.co * * * * * All essays, research and information represent analyses and opinions of Monica Kingsley that are based on available and latest data. Despite careful research and best efforts, it may prove wrong and be subject to change with or without notice. Monica Kingsley does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the data or information reported. Her content serves educational purposes and should not be relied upon as advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks and options are financial instruments not suitable for every investor. Please be advised that you invest at your own risk. Monica Kingsley is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading her writings, you agree that she will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make. Investing, trading and speculating in financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Monica Kingsley may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in her writings, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

S&P 500 upswing continues, and is dealing with the 4,470 resistance – but the credit markets don‘t confirm. Still, that‘s rather a sign of stock market strength than of pending doom. The break back above the 50-day moving average has very good odds of sticking, and the sectoral performance bodes well for further advances. Financials and consumer discretionaries liked the daily upswing in yields while tech and real estates fared well regardless. VIX is likely to probe even lower values, it seems. So, the open S&P 500 long position is working out well, and will likely continue to do so as higher yields just can‘t help the dollar rise. Inflation expectations are again turning up as we have moved from 1H 2021 Fed saying that inflation was transitory to the current phrase that inflation is transitory, but would last longer than we though. The next stage (arriving latest in Q1 2022) will likely be that inflation is sticky but we have tools to deal with it, followed by putting up a happy face that it‘s a good thing we have inflation after all. Silver will likely keep leading gold, and the nearest target for the gold to silver ratio is 73. Crucially, miners keep confirming the upswing, and the copper example bodes well for silver as both metals are essential for the green economy, talking which means that crude oil is also likely to keep rising. Time to extend the commodity profits even more at a time when crypto gains keep doing great. Reflation is slowly giving way to stagflation – GDP growth is slowing down while inflation isn‘t disappearing, to put it mildly. The copper upswing isn‘t so much a function of improving economy prospects but of record low stockpiles. Anyway, much more to look for in the commodities and precious metals bull markets that are likely to appreciate much more than stocks this decade. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook   S&P 500 again gapped up and closed at daily highs – the path of least resistance remains up. Credit Markets Debt instruments declined across the board, showing that adjusting to unyielding inflation takes precedence over raging approval of growth prospects. Gold, Silver and Miners Gold is having trouble overcoming $1,800, but I‘m looking for it to reverse Friday‘s decline before too long if silver and miners are any clue. Crude Oil Crude oil again continues extending gains while oil stocks confirm – dips are to be bought as $90 look to be taken on still this year. Copper Copper steep upswing was finally sold into, a little. Sideways consolidation of the high gained ground looks to be most probable next, followed by even higher prices. Bitcoin and Ethereum Weekend consolidation of crypto gains continues today, and is likely to give way to the bulls reasserting themselves – further gains are ahead. Summary Stock market rebound is likely to continue once HYG kicks in, and overcome 4,520 as the Fed‘s perceptions management regarding inflation seems to be working – Treasuries have mostly bought it, but I‘m looking for the long end of the curve to do particularly poorly. At the same time, inflation isn‘t yet breaking the stock bull run – new highs are ahead this year still, but the same goes for spending some time then in a trading range. Commodities and precious metals led by silver are best positioned to rise once the Fed moves to the above described fresh rationalization as to why inflation is running so hot. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals. Thank you,   Monica Kingsley Stock Trading Signals Gold Trading Signals Oil Trading Signals Copper Trading Signals Bitcoin Trading Signals www.monicakingsley.co mk@monicakingsley.co   * * * * * All essays, research and information represent analyses and opinions of Monica Kingsley that are based on available and latest data. Despite careful research and best efforts, it may prove wrong and be subject to change with or without notice. Monica Kingsley does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the data or information reported. Her content serves educational purposes and should not be relied upon as advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks and options are financial instruments not suitable for every investor. Please be advised that you invest at your own risk. Monica Kingsley is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading her writings, you agree that she will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make. Investing, trading and speculating in financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Monica Kingsley may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in her writings, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

What’s the price level exit for the black gold? The new front month contract (as we switched now to Dec’21) for WTI Crude Oil futures closed the week at $82 per barrel on Friday (Oct. 15th). Fundamentally, nothing seems to be able to stop, in the short term, the surge in crude oil prices which continued to rise on Friday amid concerns over supply, since the WTI hit a new high in almost seven years. In addition, the slight decline of the US dollar may signify a more marked optimism of the markets in the perspectives of a gradual recovery of the global economy. OPEC+ remains stuck in its timetable for the gradual increase in production, thus tightening a market which suffers from insufficient supply. If a return in global demand appears to be faster than that of supply (as we are getting close to the winter season and its cooler temperatures), more shipping and other requirements are needed. WTI Crude Oil (CLZ21) Futures (December contract, daily chart) In summary, in times of uncertainty, we are wondering where the oil market is going to drive us with such directional moves. So far, it’s in the fast lane on the highway. However, the question now is: which exit is it going to take? $82? Or is it driving with a sufficiently full fuel tank in order to reach the psychological $100 exit? For now, let’s just enjoy the road and let us know what you think! Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien Bischeri Oil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that the Chinese economic growth slowed to 4.9% in the third quarter of this year. Hurt by power outages, severe outbreaks of COVID-19, supply bottlenecks, and the increasing pressure on policymakers on the rising concerns on the health of the property sector; the growth was considered the slowest since the third quarter of the year 2020.  The power shortage affected the average production; however, NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui added that the economic impact is manageable. Several factories had to cease production in late September as a shortage of electricity, and a surge in the price of coal led local authorities to cut off power drastically. As a whole, the industrial output only rose to 3.1% in September, which marks the slowest pace since March of last year, during the pandemic’s first wave.  Rising energy prices hinder global trade and manufacturing Meanwhile, NBS’s data also revealed that fixed assets investments during the first three quarters of 2021 were weaker than expected. J.P Morgan Asset and Management global market strategist Chaoping Zhu emphasized that investment activities were decreased due to tight credit conditions.  Real estate and other related industries account for approximately a quarter of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). During the past eighteen months, Beijing made its efforts to reduce the reliance on debt by most developers. Fu added that there was a decrease in contribution from the real estate sector to China’s economy during the third quarter. Chinese currency is still doing well against USD During a briefing in Beijing on Monday, Fu explained that the uncertainties in the current international environment continue to rise, and the domestic economy is still uneven and unstable. However, Fu believes that the economy is qualified and capable of achieving year-end goals. The spokesperson added that its economic progress still shows vitality and resilience, despite various factors affecting its growth.  Is the Chinese equity market already in long-term downturn? China has the world’s second-largest economy. Its growth expanded to 7.9% during the second quarter and 18.3% in the first quarter, which benefited from comparing the pandemic-induced slump early last year. China’s GDP was expected to rise to 5.2% during the quarter based on a Reuters poll. The weak numbers lead to most Asian stock markets being lower than broader investors’ concerns about global economic recovery.  When it comes to the country’s growth outlook in the coming years, Bruce Pang from the China Renaissance said that the country, which was once led in growth recovery, is losing its momentum heading into the fourth quarter. Pang emphasized several reasons, such as the pandemic and China’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions, which drags down economic growth. However, he believes that authorities will have better management on the intensity and pace of the regulatory campaign for the country to achieve significant social and economic development goals for 2021 and the succeeding 5-10 years.  Premier Li Keqiang expressed confidence in achieving full-year development goals and assured that the country has enough tools to cope with economic hurdles despite the slow-paced growth.

The pound’s rally stalled after Britain’s core CPI dropped below 3% in September. The pair’s recovery has picked up the pace after a close above the daily resistance at 1.3730. 1.3900 is the main hurdle and a bullish breakout would resume the uptrend. However, the RSI’s triple top in the overbought area indicates an overextension. A pullback is necessary to let the bulls consolidate their gains. The supply-turned-demand zone around 1.3710 is the first level to watch for. Its breach may trigger more profit-takings towards 1.3630. USDCAD sell-off continues The Canadian dollar rallied after solid inflation data in September. The US dollar has found little buying interest near July’s lows (1.2310). A bullish RSI divergence out of the oversold area suggests a deceleration in the downward momentum. But buyers need confirmation of a reversal, and a break above 1.2370 would be the first step to force sellers to cover. The Canadian dollar rallied after solid inflation data in September. The US dollar has found little buying interest near July’s lows (1.2310). Sentiment remains bearish unless the pair lifts offers around 1.2500. Failing that, the greenback could be vulnerable to a new round of sell-off towards 1.2250. USOIL gains support WTI crude bounced back after the EIA reported a surprise drop in US inventories. A previous double top had indicated potential exhaustion as the price struggled to achieve a higher high. However, the price has found support at 81.00 as buyers were eager to stake in at a better price. Overall sentiment remains upbeat and a close above at 83.80 may trigger an extended rally to 86.00. An overbought RSI may temporarily limit the momentum. But as long as the price is above the said support the directional bias stays bullish.

S&P 500 indeed overcame 4,520, but wavered at the same time – tech didn‘t rise. Volatility though remained meek, inching ever closer to 15, and the option traders also look a bit too complacent at the moment. A modest correction of recent sharp gains is the most likely scenario, especially since rising yields didn‘t sink tech even on a daily basis. Inflation expectations though have risen again, and that‘s tailwind for precious metals, which have taken advantage thereof just as much as of the declining dollar. The yesterday discussed dynamic of yields – inflation – inflation expectations and by extension the dollar, is playing out. So, the open S&P 500 long position remains solidly profitable while precious metals posture is improving, and commodities are entering a brief consolidation. Still, the yesterday open oil position is nicely in the black too, let alone crypto ones. Remembering yesterday‘s words: (…) Coming full circle to precious metals, all that‘s needed is one serious Fed policy misstep. Just imagine if they didn‘t deliver on Nov taper, or if the rate raising speculation was promptly snuffed while inflation fires just kept burning (no, this can‘t be blamed on supply chains really). The Fed is though well aware of market expectations that they themselves had been feeding since Jun. Still, they‘ll in my view easily make the Monday discussed intentional „mistake“ of attempting to pretend readiness to deploy tools to fight it (pretend is the key word), and finally spin inflation as something good. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 gapped a little higher again, but has met some selling into the close – consolidation looks to be ahead. Credit Markets Credit markets are still risk-on, but likely to take a breather, and that‘s likely to entail a pause in rising yields. Gold, Silver and Miners Gold and silver are swinging higher, and miners are on the move too – $1,800 awaits again. Should a whiff of risk-off indeed arrive, look for silver to waver more than gold. Crude Oil Crude oil intraday dip was again bought – too much and lasting downside isn‘t yet to be expected really. It‘s likely to remain a primarily sideways move before another upswing. Copper Copper smartly recovered, but perhaps a bit too fast – the prior two days‘ hesitation though means it won‘t likely keep the downside in check as well as oil did. Bitcoin and Ethereum Crypto gains are being consolidated, and the bears are finally stepping in – the lower knot shows that a downswing targeting $62-60K in Bitcoin might very well develop. Summary Stocks are likely to consolidate prior sharp gains before taking on the ATHs. Depending upon the credit markets risk-off breather I anticipate, the S&P 500 might retreat noticeably below 4,520, but this wouldn‘t mean the end of the upswing. The overall momentum remains on the bulls‘ side, including in commodities undergoing a brief (oil and copper) consolidation. Gold was indeed waiting for a dual confirmation of declining dollar and nominal yields, while silver wasn‘t cautious – and it shouldn‘t as the white metal would be leading this unfolding upswing. Finally, cryptos daily hesitation is adding to the mounting risk-off move odds.   Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.   Thank you,   Monica Kingsley Stock Trading Signals Gold Trading Signals Oil Trading Signals Copper Trading Signals Bitcoin Trading Signals www.monicakingsley.co mk@monicakingsley.co   * * * * * All essays, research and information represent analyses and opinions of Monica Kingsley that are based on available and latest data. Despite careful research and best efforts, it may prove wrong and be subject to change with or without notice. Monica Kingsley does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the data or information reported. Her content serves educational purposes and should not be relied upon as advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks and options are financial instruments not suitable for every investor. Please be advised that you invest at your own risk. Monica Kingsley is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading her writings, you agree that she will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make. Investing, trading and speculating in financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Monica Kingsley may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in her writings, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Such was the S&P 500 correction, how did you like it? The whiff of risk-off that I was looking for yesterday, was a very shallow one in stocks, and much deeper in real assets. What‘s remarkable about the stock market upswing, is that it was led by tech while value barely clung to its opening values – and yields rose yet again. But the dynamic is supposed to work the other way – even financials felt the pinch, but at least real estate rose. Another characteristic worth noting is that the dollar increased yesterday too, and stocks didn‘t mind. The VIX closed almost at 15, which is its lowest value since the beginning of Jul. S&P 500 indeed didn‘t hesitate at 4,520, and broke above similarly to the prior turning point (that wasn‘t) at 4,420. I‘m letting the open long S&P 500 profits run as rising yields aren‘t yet a problem for stocks, and inflation isn‘t still strong enough to break the bulls‘ back – but inflation expectations keep rising, and that‘s a factor once again underpinning precious metals. When a brief risk-off moment arrives though, commodities are to feel the pinch, and that‘s true also about silver as opposed to gold. Indeed yesterday, the yellow metal did much better than the white one. Copper corrected with a delay to the fresh LME trading measures, and quite profoundly given that the London stockpile represents only a day‘s worth of China factory copper consumption. The dust in the red metal hasn‘t yet settled, but black gold recovered smartly from the steep intraday drop to $81, dealing open oil profits – and the selling in oil stocks looks to be overdone on a daily basis. Finally, the Bitcoin setback I was looking for, happened, but doesn‘t spell the end of the crypto run – more cypto gains to enjoy. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 buyers stepped in right at the opening hours, and the daily candle and volume confirms they have the upper hand. Credit Markets Credit markets turned risk-off, and it‘s especially up to HYG to get its act together. Gold, Silver and Miners Gold paused while silver declined  and miners kept steady – that‘s a reasonably good translation of much deeper commodity woes yesterday. Nothing unexpected, I was looking for silver to be affected more than gold in such circumstances. Crude Oil Crude oil intraday dip was again bought, but the bears have left a better impression than on Wednesday. The proof of a reversal is though still elusive. Copper Copper undershooting Wednesday‘s lows isn‘t a good sign for the short-term – and neither is the rising volume. Short-term outperformance of the CRB Index is also history, and it remains to be seen where would the bulls put up a fight. Bitcoin and Ethereum The bears stepped in some more yesterday, and today‘s upswing is lacking full vigor – the Bitcoin consolidation would likely take a few days. Ethereum still on the rise is a good sign. Summary Stocks have briefly consolidated prior sharp gains, and fresh ATHs are approaching. Credit markets should regain bullish posture as well though – yesterday‘s setback needs to be reversed so as not to be building negative divergences on the way. Precious metals are improving, and stand to benefit while commodities recover from yesterday‘s setback. Much easier in oil than in copper. Cryptos remain largely unaffected, and are set to assume their ascent shortly.   Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.   Thank you,   Monica Kingsley Stock Trading Signals Gold Trading Signals Oil Trading Signals Copper Trading Signals Bitcoin Trading Signals www.monicakingsley.co mk@monicakingsley.co   * * * * * All essays, research and information represent analyses and opinions of Monica Kingsley that are based on available and latest data. Despite careful research and best efforts, it may prove wrong and be subject to change with or without notice. Monica Kingsley does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the data or information reported. Her content serves educational purposes and should not be relied upon as advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks and options are financial instruments not suitable for every investor. Please be advised that you invest at your own risk. Monica Kingsley is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading her writings, you agree that she will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make. Investing, trading and speculating in financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Monica Kingsley may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in her writings, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

S&P 500 didn‘t decline much in spite of credit markets favoring a bigger daily setback – is the pendulum about to swing the other way then? It probably is, but it would take a while as I would like to see high yield corporate bonds turn up first. Rising yields are taking a toll on junk bonds as well, yet value stocks managed to eke out some daily gains regardless, and tech didn‘t crater. Bottom line, we saw a daily consolidation, whose key feature was 4,520 support holding up, and that means not too much downside is likely next. VIX was rejected both on the upside and downside, meaning that larger moves aren‘t favored now – and probably won‘t happen on Monday. The slow grind higher in S&P 500 is likely to continue, and the dollar is still in a precarious position – having gone down in spite of increase in yields. Well, inflation remains sticky, and Powell‘s latest pronouncements on Nov taper readiness don‘t pack the same punch as they did in Jun. So, as the Treasury markets revolt over inflation calms down for a while, gold and silver are welcoming more negative real rates. Apart from the miners supporting the upswing (I‘m not too worried about gold giving up much of its intraday gains), commodities continue running. We‘re at a moment of deceptive copper weakness – while the dust hasn‘t settled yet, the red metals is likely to consolidate and rebound next. Crude oil intraday correction didn‘t reach too far, but still triggered taking long oil profits off the table – and the same is true about the long S&P 500 position also. The crypto correction is also turning out to be quite shallow, so let the open profits run. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 didn‘t keep the opening gains, but recovered from the ensuing downswing – the balance of power between the buyers and sellers is likely to carry over into today‘s session. Credit Markets The risk-off posture in bonds would merit an S&P 500 selloff, but that didn‘t happen - and I‘m not looking for stocks to catch up on the downside with vengeance. Gold, Silver and Miners The heavy volume upswing in gold still favors the bulls in spite of the long upper knot – both miners and silver keep pulling ahead, and don‘t forget about ever more negative real rates. Crude Oil Crude oil intraday dip was shallower than on Wednesday and Thursday, and again readily bought. While Monday isn‘t likely to bring stellar gains, the upswing is set to continue. Copper Copper lower knot is a promising sign that finally, the downswing was bought, and the upper knot gives bulls a chance to attempt a reversal soon. Anyway, the rising volume is a positive sign – now, it‘s about follow through. Bitcoin and Ethereum The Bitcoin correction indeed stopped in the $60K region, and joined by Ethereum, cryptos are peeking higher again as Friday‘s decline has been erased. Summary Stocks are consolidating above 4,520, and more likely to go up over the next two days than down. Especially since credit markets will probably turn risk-on now that Powell‘s speech is again over, and didn‘t result in as much temporary selling as prior taper mentions – it‘s that inflation is increasingly biting, and it‘s getting more broadly recognized as not so transitory. The woes are likely to help real assets keep rising – both commodities and precious metals. Look for continued silver leadership accompanied by stock upswings, and for gold performing better during whiffs of risk-off. The run in energy isn‘t over, and that concerns both crude oil and natural gas. Cryptos are well positioned to benefit too.     Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.   Thank you,   Monica Kingsley Stock Trading Signals Gold Trading Signals Oil Trading Signals Copper Trading Signals Bitcoin Trading Signals www.monicakingsley.co mk@monicakingsley.co   * * * * * All essays, research and information represent analyses and opinions of Monica Kingsley that are based on available and latest data. Despite careful research and best efforts, it may prove wrong and be subject to change with or without notice. Monica Kingsley does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the data or information reported. Her content serves educational purposes and should not be relied upon as advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks and options are financial instruments not suitable for every investor. Please be advised that you invest at your own risk. Monica Kingsley is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading her writings, you agree that she will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make. Investing, trading and speculating in financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Monica Kingsley may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in her writings, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Fundamental Analysis Oil prices broke new multi-year records on Monday (Oct. 25) because of statements by the Saudi Energy Minister over the weekend, leaving little room for an upcoming increase in supply from OPEC and its allies. The latter, interviewed on Saturday (Oct. 23) by Bloomberg on the side-lines of the "Saudi Green Initiative" forum, also added that the crisis was somehow contained but not over yet, and particularly in some regions like Russia, where Moscow is in fact preparing for an eleven-day shutdown of all its non-essential services (restaurants, beauty salons, clothing or furniture stores, gyms, etc.) from this upcoming Thursday, in the hope of stemming the serious outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic that is hitting the country. On the other hand, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources of Nigeria Timipre Sylva, also interviewed by Bloomberg during the same forum, estimated that the market was still too fragile. WTI Crude Oil (CLZ21) Futures (December contract, daily chart) In summary, we should not expect a further increase in supply beyond the expected level from OPEC+ in the near future, despite a strong recovery in demand, as estimated by Goldman Sachs in a note on Sunday, saying that it could soon reach its pre-Covid-19 level, i.e., 100 million barrels per day! Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien Bischeri Oil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Gold treads water as markets await a slew of central bank decisions in the coming days. The recent break above the daily resistance at 1805 is a prerequisite for a bullish turnaround. However, the rally has met stiff selling pressure at the supply zone around 1813 which is at the origin of the September sell-off. Along with a repeatedly overbought RSI, a combination of profit-taking and fresh selling may weigh on the precious metal in the short term. 1777 is the immediate support and its breach would send the price to 1760. USDCAD pierces through supports The Canadian dollar surged after the Bank of Canada ended its QE. As the RSI from the daily chart showed an oversold situation, the greenback had attracted bargain hunters at its four-month low around 1.2300. However, it has given up all recent gains as it revisits the bottom. 1.2430 is now fresh resistance and the downtrend may resume. 1.2200 would be the next target as those who have been waiting for a catalyst join in. An oversold RSI has caused a temporary rebound which is likely to meet strong selling interest. USOIL retraces after overextension WTI crude tumbled after an unexpected surge in US inventories. Medium-term sentiment remains bullish, though an overbought RSI on the daily chart may prompt buyers to proceed with caution. A fall below 82.50 and then 81.00 has exacerbated profit-takings as late buyers rushed for the exit. 79.50 is the next support. A bearish breakout would extend the correction to 77.00 which was previously a resistance, making it an area of interest. An oversold RSI may trigger a rebound with 82.30 as a fresh resistance.

Uneventful S&P 500 session, seemingly – and then the selling came. 4,550 barely held and the bond markets aren‘t looking favorable to the bulls. Ultimately, Treasury traders had the last word, snuffing hitherto positively mediocre HYG performance. The dollar didn‘t move much, and as I summed up in the intraday update, risk-off reigned supreme across many assets. The prior mentioned 15 level in VIX held, and we‘re treated to higher volatility now – breaking the 4,550s on a negative earnings surprise (expectations as to forward guidance are quite high, and yesterday‘s selling driven presumably by instituitional players doesn‘t bode well), wouldn‘t be unimaginable – so, I took open long profits off the table. I would like to see yields increasing again, and the yield curve not to be flattening anymore – positive sign thereof would be commodities rising again together with a fresh upswing in inflation expectations after the prior two down days. Such a move would also exert pressure on the dollar, and the high beta stock market sectors with commodities and precious metals would spring to life again. All in all, it looks like we‘re undergoing a soft patch, squaring of bullish bets before the coming Fed Wednesday. Would taper though mark the end of the commodity or precious metals superbull? Hardly. Remember that fresh money isn‘t needed to repair banks‘ balance sheets now, but flows directly into financial markets that are still most attentive to the money spigot. Cryptos are already recovering from yesterday‘s setback, joined by copper bucking the energy downswing, which in spite of the surprise build in oil inventories or Russia riding to Europe‘s natgas rescue, would likely prove temporary. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 setback stopped at a critical level, and it‘ll be shortly decided whether at least somewhat lower prices would arrive – look to credit markets for clues. Credit Markets The day ended with carnage, and not until HYG overcomes yesterday‘s open, can the bulls feel more confident. Not yet out of the danger zone, but it would be worse should the volume be higher. Gold, Silver and Miners Gold buyers timidly stepped in, and an upswing in the miners to confirm, is what we‘re waiting for. Lower yields are here, and a fresh commodities upleg (focus is on  the copper turn), would help as much as a fresh dollar setback. Crude Oil Crude oil bears are sniffing out opportunity, which would be invalidated with a return to the mid $83 zone. Until that happens, get ready for drawn out and tiring moves for the bulls. The energy crunch isn‘t over, and the U.S. economy can and will have to withstand even higher prices. Copper Copper steeply declined, a bit too much over the last 1+ week given the CRB Index performance – a corrective upswing looms, but has to decidedly overcome 4.55 to flip the short-term outlook to bullish again. Bitcoin and Ethereum The Bitcoin and Ethereum bulls are at it again, and lower crypto prices are being rejected – that‘s an encouraging sign going into the Fed next week. Summary Stocks aren‘t likely to fly today as yet another (this time) annualized GDP reading came in at merely 2.0% - with rising input costs from materials to labor, the stock bull run needs to be supported by more positive earnings news. Treasuries are signalling caution ahead, which however shouldn‘t sink either commodities or precious metals. Look for the dollar first to signal weakening of the risk-off positioning.     Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.   Thank you,   Monica Kingsley Stock Trading Signals Gold Trading Signals Oil Trading Signals Copper Trading Signals Bitcoin Trading Signals www.monicakingsley.co mk@monicakingsley.co   * * * * * All essays, research and information represent analyses and opinions of Monica Kingsley that are based on available and latest data. Despite careful research and best efforts, it may prove wrong and be subject to change with or without notice. Monica Kingsley does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the data or information reported. Her content serves educational purposes and should not be relied upon as advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks and options are financial instruments not suitable for every investor. Please be advised that you invest at your own risk. Monica Kingsley is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading her writings, you agree that she will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make. Investing, trading and speculating in financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Monica Kingsley may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in her writings, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.  

Three main forces are shaping the business and investment climate:  Surging energy prices, a dramatic backing up of short-term interest rates in Anglo-American countries, and the persistence of supply chain disruptions.  The US and Europe have likely passed peak growth.  Fiscal policy will be less accommodative, and financial conditions have tightened. Japan appears to be getting a handle on Covid and after a slow start.  Its vaccination rate has surpassed the US.  The lifting of the formal state of emergency and a hefty dose of fiscal stimulus is expected to be delivered in the coming months. Many developing economies have already lifted rates, some like Brazil and Russia, aggressively so.  They will likely finish earlier too.      US light sweet crude oil rose nearly 12% last month, even though US inventories rose last month for the first time since April.   The price of WTI rose almost 10% in September.  Statistically, the rise in oil prices is strongly correlated with the increase in inflation expectations.  OPEC+ will boost supplies by another 400k barrels a day at the start of November and is committed to the same monthly increase well into 2022.   At the same time, new Covid infections in several Asia-Pacific countries, including China, Singapore, and Australia, warn of the risk of continued supply-chain disruptions.  In Europe, Germany and the UK recently reported the most cases since the spring. Belgium is tightening curbs.  Bulgaria is seeing a rise in infections, and Romania was at full capacity in its intensive care facilities.  The fact that Latvia lags the EU in vaccination at about 50% leaves it vulnerable.  The US may be lagging behind Europe, and the next four-six weeks will be critical.  Roughly 40% of Americans are not fully vaccinated.   The rise in price pressures and the gradual acknowledgment by many central bankers that inflation may be more persistent have helped spur a significant backing up of short-term rates in the Anglo-American economies. The ultimately deflationary implications of the surge in energy prices through demand destruction and the implications for less monetary and fiscal support still seem under-appreciated. Yet, the market has priced in aggressive tightening of monetary policy over the next 12 months.   The focus of the foreign exchange market seems squarely on monetary policy.  From a high level, the central banks perceived to be ahead in the monetary cycle have seen stronger currencies. The likely laggards, like the Bank of Japan, the Swiss National Bank, and the ECB, have currencies that underperformed.  Norway and New Zealand have already raised rates and are expected to do so again in November.    Of course, as you drill down, discrepancies appear.  In October, the Australian dollar was the top performer among the major currencies with a 4% gain.  It edged out the New Zealand dollar and the Norwegian krone, whose central banks are ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia.  The RBA has pushed against market speculation that has 90 bp of tightening priced into 12-month swaps.  The Australian dollar outperformed sterling by about 2.5% in October even though the Bank of England has been so hawkish with its comments that the market had little choice but to price in a high probability of a hike as early as the November meeting.  In fact, the market has the UK's base rate above 50 bp by the end of Q1 22.  This is important because in its forward guidance that BOE has identified that as the threshold for it to begin unwinding QE by stopping reinvesting maturing issues.  Interestingly enough, when the BOE meets on March 17 next year, it will have a sizeable GBP28 bln maturity in its portfolio.   In an unusual quirk of the calendar, the Federal Reserve meets before the release of the October jobs report.  All indications point to the start of the tapering process.  It is currently buying $120 bln a month of Treasuries ($80 bln) and Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities.  The pace of the reduction of purchases is a function of the duration, and the Fed has clearly indicated the tapering will be complete around mid-year. That suggests reducing the purchases by about $15 bln a month.  Chair Powell indicated that unlike the Bank of England, the Fed will stop its bond purchases before raising rates. A faster pace of tapering would be a hawkish signal as it would allow for an earlier rate hike.  The gap between when the tapering ends and the first rate hike does not appear predetermined. Powell has talked about the economic prerequisites, which emphasize a full and inclusive labor market in the current context. The Fed funds futures entirely discount a 25 hike in July, with the risk of a move in June.  Comments by several officials hint that the Fed may drop its characterization of inflation as transitory, which would also be understood as a hawkish development.   Partly owing to the extended emergency in Japan, it is marching to the beat of a different drummer than the other high-income countries. Inflation is not a problem.  In September, the headline rate rose to 0.2% year-over-year, the highest since August 2020.  However, this is a function of fresh food and energy prices, without which the consumer inflation stuck below zero (-0.5%).  In December 2019, it stood at 0.9%.  In addition, while fiscal policy will be less accommodative in Europe and the US, a sizeable supplemental budget (~JPY30 trillion) is expected to be unveiled later this year.   After expanding by 1.3% quarter-over-quarter in Q2, the Chinese economy slowed to a crawl of 0.2% in Q3, which was half the pace expected by economists. Some of the decline in economic activity resulted from the virus and natural disasters (floods). Still, some of it stemmed from an effort to cut emissions in steel and other sectors.  The problems in China's property development space, accounting for a large part of its high-yield bond market,  unsettled global markets briefly.  Talk of a Lehman-like event seems a gross exaggeration. Still, given the sector's importance to China's economy (30% broadly measured) and the use of real estate as an investment vehicle, it may precipitate a structural shift in the economy.   The Communist Party and the state are reasserting control over the economy's private sector and the internet and social network.  It has also weighed in on family decisions, like the number of children one has, how long a minor should play video games, the length of men's hair, what kind of attributes entertainers should have, and appropriate songs to be played with karaoke.   It seems to be reminiscent of part of the Cultural Revolution and a broader economic reform agenda like Deng Xiaoping did in the late 1970s and Zhu Rongji in the 1990s.  At the same time, Beijing is wrestling with reducing emissions and soaring energy prices, which also dampen growth. Even though consumer inflation is not a problem in China (0.7% year-over-year in September), Chinese officials still seem reluctant to launch new stimulative fiscal or monetary initiatives. Moreover, new outbreaks of the virus could exacerbate the supply chain disruptions and delays fuel inflation in many countries.  The aggressiveness in which investors are pricing G10 tightening weighed on emerging market currencies in October.  The JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index fell by almost 0.8% last month after falling 2.9% in September, the largest decline since March 2020.  The continued politicization of Turkey's monetary policy and the aggressive easing saw the lira tumble nearly 7.5% last month, which brings the year-to-date depreciation to 22.5%.   On the other hand, Brazil's central bank has aggressively hiked rates, and the 150 bp increase in late October brought this year's tightening to 575 bp and lifting the Selic to 7.75%.  Yet, it is still below the inflation rate (10.34% October), and the government has lost the confidence of domestic and international business.  The Brazilian real fell nearly 3.5% last month to bring the year-to-date loss to almost 7.8%.   Our GDP-weighted currency basket, the Bannockburn World Currency Index, snapped a two-month decline and rose by 0.35%.  The rise in the index reflects the outperformance of the currencies against the dollar.  The currencies from the G10 countries, including the dollar, account for about two-thirds of the index, and emerging markets, including China, the other third.  The yen was the weakest of the majors, falling 2.3%.  It has a weighting of 7.5% in the BWCI.   Among the emerging market currencies in our GDP-weighted currency index, the Brazilian real's 3.4% decline was the largest, but its 2.1% weighting minimizes the drag.  It was nearly offset by the Russian rouble's 2.5% advance.  It has a 2.2% weighting in our basket.  The Chinese yuan, which has a 21.8% share, rose by 0.6%.      Dollar:   The market is pricing in very aggressive tightening by the Federal Reserve.  As recently as late September, only half of the Fed officials anticipated a hike in 2022.  The December 2022 Fed funds futures are pricing in a little more than two hikes next year. More than that, the market is discounting the first hike in June next year, implying a transition from completing the bond-buying to raising rates with no time gap.  The disappointing 2% Q3 GDP exaggerated the slowing of the world's largest economy.  We note that the supply-side challenges in vehicle production halved the growth rate.  Growth is likely to re-accelerate in Q4, but we continue to believe that the peak has passed.  While inflation is elevated, the pace of increase slowed in Q3.  Consider that the PCE deflator that the Fed targets rose at an annualized rate of 4.0% in Q3 after a 5.6% pace in Q2.  The core rate slowed to an annualized pace of 3.3% last quarter, half of the speed in the previous three months.  The infrastructure spending plans have been reduced, and some of the proposed tax hikes, including on corporations, appear to be dropped as part of the compromise among the Democratic Party.   Euro:  For most of Q3, the euro has been in a $1.17-$1.19 trading range.  It broke down in late September, and was unable to recapture it in October.  Instead, it recorded a new low for the year near $1.1525.  A convincing break of the $1.1500 area could signal a move toward $1.1300. The single currency drew little support because growth differentials swung in its favor in Q3:  the Eurozone expanded by 2.2% quarter-over-quarter while the US grew 2% at an annualized pace.  The ECB is sticking to its analysis that the rise in inflation is due to transitory factors while recognizing that energy prices may prove more sticky.  That said, news that Gazprom may boost gas sales to Europe after it finishes replenishing Russian inventories after the first week in November, natural gas prices fall at the end of October.  After the Pandemic Emergency Purchase Program ends next March, decisions about the asset purchases next year will be announced at the December ECB meeting along with updated forecasts.   (October indicative closing prices, previous in parentheses)   Spot: $1.1560 ($1.1580) Median Bloomberg One-month Forecast $1.1579 ($1.1660)  One-month forward  $1.1568 ($1.1585)    One-month implied vol  5.1%  (5.1%)         Japanese Yen:  The dollar rose 2.3% against the yen in October to bring the year-to-date gain to nearly 9.5%.  The Bank of Japan will lag behind most high-income countries in the tightening cycle, and the higher US yields are a crucial driver of the greenback's gains against the yen.  Japan's headline inflation and core measure, which only excludes fresh food, may be rising, but they are barely above zero and, in any event, are due to the surge in energy prices. In response to the weakening yen, Japanese investors appear to have boosted their investment in foreign bonds, while foreign investors increased their holdings of Japanese stocks.  The LDP and Komeito maintained a majority in the lower chamber of the Diet. A sizeable stimulus supplemental budget is expected to help strengthen the economic recovery now that the formal emergencies have been lifted.  In Q3, the dollar traded mainly between JPY109 and JPY111.  It traded higher in the second half of September rising to nearly JPY112.00.  The dollar-yen exchange rate often seems to be rangebound, and when it looks like it is trending, it is frequently moving to a new range.  We have suggested the upper end of the new range may initially be the JPY114.50-JPY115.00.  The four-year high set last month was about JPY114.70.  A move above JPY115.60 could target the JPY118.50 area.     Spot: JPY113.95 (JPY111.30)       Median Bloomberg One-month Forecast JPY112.98 (JPY111.00)      One-month forward JPY113.90 (JPY111.25)    One-month implied vol  6.4% (5.6%)   British Pound:  Sterling rallied around 4 1/3 cents from the late September low near $1.34.  The momentum stalled in front of the 200-day moving average (~$1.3850).  After several attempts, the market appeared to give up.  We anticipate a move into the $1.3575-$1.3625 initially, and possibly a return toward the September low. The implied yield of the December 2021 short-sterling interest rate futures rose from 22 bp at the end of September to 47 bp at the end of October as the market.  It was encouraged by Bank of England officials to prepare for a hike at the meeting on November 4, ostensibly while it is still providing support via Gilt purchases.  If there is a surprise here, it could be that, given the unexpected softening of September CPI and the fifth consecutive monthly decline in retail sales, rising Covid cases, that the BOE chooses to take the more orthodox route.  This would entail ending its bond purchases, as two MPC members argued (dissented) at the previous meeting and holding off lifting rates a little longer.        Spot: $1.3682 ($1.3475)    Median Bloomberg One-month Forecast $1.3691 ($1.3630)  One-month forward $1.3680 ($1.3480)   One-month implied vol 6.8% (7.1%)      Canadian Dollar:  The three drivers for the exchange rate moved in the Canadian dollar's favor in October and helped it snap a four-month slide against the US dollar.  First, the general appetite for risk was strong, as illustrated by the strength of global stocks and the record highs in the US.  Second, the premium Canada pays on two-year money more than doubled last month to almost 60 bp from 25 bp at the end of September.  Third, commodity prices in general and oil, in particular, extended their recent gains.  The CRB Index rose 3.8% last month, the 11th monthly increase in the past 12, to reach seven-year highs.  The Bank of Canada unexpectedly stopped its new bond purchases and appeared to signal it would likely raise rates earlier than it had previously indicated.  The swaps market is pricing 125 bp of rate hikes over the next 12 months, with the first move next March or April.  Still, the US dollar's downside momentum stalled near CAD1.2300.  There is scope for a corrective phase that could carry the greenback into the CAD1.2475-CAD1.2500 area.     Spot: CAD1.2388 (CAD 1.2680)  Median Bloomberg One-month Forecast CAD1.2395 (CAD1.2580) One-month forward CAD1.2389 (CAD1.2685)    One-month implied vol 6.2% (6.9%)      Australian Dollar:  The Aussie's 4% gain last month snapped a four-month, roughly 6.5% downdraft.  Despite RBA Governor Lowe's guidance that the central bank does not anticipate that the condition to hike rates will exist before 2024 is being challenged by the market.  Underlying inflation rose above 2% in Q3. The central bank's failure to continue defending the 10 bp target of the April 2024 bond spurred speculation that it would be formally abandoned at the November 2 policy meeting.  The RBA's inaction unsettled the debt market.  The two-year yield soared almost 70 bp last month, and the 10-year yield rose nearly 60 bp.  Although the RBA could have handled the situation better, New Zealand rates jumped even more.  Its two-year yield jumped 80 bp while the 10-year yield surged by 58 bp.  Last month, the Australian dollar's rally took it from around $0.7200 to slightly more than $0.7550, where it seemed to stall, just in front of the 200-day moving average.  We suspect the October rally has run its course and see the Aussie vulnerable to a corrective phase that could push it back toward $0.7370-$0.7400.  The New Zealand dollar has also stalled ($0.7220), and we see potential toward $0.7050.       Spot:  $0.7518 ($0.7230)        Median Bloomberg One-Month Forecast $0.7409 ($0.7290)      One-month forward  $0.7525 ($0.7235)     One-month implied vol 9.1  (9.0%)        Mexican Peso:  The peso eked out a minor gain against the dollar last month.  However, the nearly 0.4% gain understated the swings in the exchange rate last month.  The dollar's recovery seen in the second half of September from almost MXN19.85 to nearly MXN20.40 at the end of the month was extended to a seven-month high around MXN20.90 on October 12.  It then proceeded to fall to almost MXN20.12 before the greenback was bought again.  A move above the MXN20.60 area now would likely signal a test on last month's high and possibly higher. Recall that the dollar peaked this year's peak set in March was near MXN21.6350. The economy unexpectedly contracted in Q3  by 0.2% (quarter-over-quarter).  Nevertheless, with the year-over-year CPI at 6% in September, Banxico will see little choice but to hike rates at the November 11 meeting. The market expects a 25 bp increase.  A 50 bp hike is more likely than standing pat.       Spot: MXN20.56 (MXN20.64)   Median Bloomberg One-Month Forecast  MXN20.42 (MXN20.41)   One-month forward  MXN20.65 (MXN20.74)     One-month implied vol 9.6% (11.0%)      Chinese Yuan: Our starting point is the yuan's exchange rate is closely managed.  The fact that the yuan rose to four-month highs against the dollar and a five-year high against the currency basket (CFETS) that the PBOC tracks imply a tacit acceptance.  While it is tempting for observers to link the appreciation to securing an advantage as it secures energy supplies and other commodities, we note that the yuan's gains are too small (0.6% last month and less than 2% year-to-date) to be impactful.  We suspect that the dollar's recent weakness against the yuan will be unwound shortly.  The US government continues to press its concerns about the risk for investors in Chinese companies listed in the US and American companies operating in China. At the same time, the FTSE Russell flagship benchmark began including mainland bonds for the first time.  China's 10-year government bond is the only one among the large bond markets where the yield has declined so far this year (~16 bp).  On the other hand, Chinese stocks have underperformed.  That said, some investors see this underperformance as a new buying opportunity.  The NASDAQ Golden Dragon Index that tracks Chinese companies listed in the US fell by 30% in Q3 and gained 5% in October, its best month since February.  Lastly, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party meets November 8-11 this year, a prelude to the important National Party Congress in 2022 that is expected to formally signal the third term for President Xi.     Spot: CNY6.4055 (CNY6.4450) Median Bloomberg One-month Forecast  CNY6.4430 (CNY6.4470)  One-month forward CNY6.4230 (CNY6.4725)    One-month implied vol  3.5% (3.4%)    Disclaimer

With the OPEC+ meeting on Thursday, oil looks to be in a corrective phase, as pressure is on for more crude. Are we looking at bearish winds ahead? Crude oil prices have started their corrective wave, as we are approaching the monthly OPEC+ group meeting on Thursday, with some market participants now considering the eventuality of a larger-than-expected rise in production. U.S. API Weekly Crude Oil Stock: Inventory levels of US crude oil, gasoline and distillates stocks, American Petroleum Institute (API) via Investing.com Regarding the API figures published Tuesday, the increase in crude inventories (with 3.594 million barrels versus 1.567 million barrels expected) implies weaker demand and is normally bearish for crude prices. Meanwhile, in the United States, the average price of fuel stabilized on Tuesday after several weeks of increase, according to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA), however, that’s 60% higher than a year ago. Chart – WTI Crude Oil (CLZ21) Futures (December contract, 4H chart) In summary, we are now getting some context on how the oil market might develop in the forthcoming days, with some crucial events to monitor as they could have a strong impact on the energy markets, and particularly on the supply side. My entry levels for Natural Gas were triggered on Monday (Nov.1), and I’m updating my WTI Crude Oil projections. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Oil prices rose again on Tuesday, approaching multi-year highs amid concerns over steadily shrinking US crude reserves. Fundamental Analysis U.S. API Weekly Crude Oil Stock: Inventory levels of US crude oil, gasoline and distillates stocks, American Petroleum Institute (API) via Investing Regarding the API figures published Tuesday, the increase in crude inventories (with 2.318 million barrels versus 1.650 million barrels expected) implies weaker demand and is normally bearish for crude prices. However, we have a strongly bullish context, where the supply is still voluntarily – or not – narrowed by the OPEC+ and the global demand increases. What has to be synthesized from this report are the consecutively decreasing figures week-on-week, which are lifting prices higher. Today, we have to see whether or not these figures will be confirmed by the weekly Energy Information Administration's (EIA) report… But there is very little doubt that they won’t be, given the current environment in which black gold is progressing. Geopolitical Context On the international scene, a meeting between Iran and the European Union is likely to happen fairly quickly since the Iranian deputy minister in charge of the nuclear issue, Ali Bagheri, will meet with an European negotiator Enrique Mora this week in Brussels to discuss a resumption of negotiations in Vienna. There is no need to specify that if the negotiations are successful, the easing of sanctions will lead to the return of a large-volume market of black gold, which is currently under embargo. Chart WTI Crude Oil (CLZ21) Futures (December contract, daily chart) To sum up, we now have some context on how the oil market might develop in the forthcoming days, with some events and news to monitor, as they could have a moderated to strong impact on the ongoing lack of supply… In our daily alerts, we also analyze other markets and assets (ETFs, Futures, MLPs, stocks, etc.) of the oil and gas sector in order to get some exposure to the energy industry. Regarding natural gas, yesterday we provided a new trade plan to our members, following the last trading position, which successfully hit all the projected targets. Stay tuned to receive our next projections! Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien Bischeri Oil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Was the adage "buy the rumor, sell the news" also verified with that new trading position? It was Thursday (Nov. 4) that the following rumor had flourished: a possible coordinated action which was supposed to consist of drawing on the strategic reserves of several countries, including the United States, which were leading the dance. Meanwhile, our subscribers were just getting ready to go long around the $76.57-79.65 support zone (yellow band), with a stop placed on lower $76.48 level (red dotted line) and targets at $81.80 and $83.40 (green dotted lines). As a result, oil prices had contracted in stride (trading just into our entry area), just before the rumor effect faded shortly on Friday (Nov. 5), to push them back up. In fact, with oil prices picking up momentum on Friday, once again settling firmly above $80 per barrel, and with a market still showing doubts on the possible use of strategic crude reserves, the proposed trade entry on the black gold, triggered on Thursday – following my last post – was thus profitable since it already turned into a partial profit-taking at the end of the week. Then, on Saturday, Joe Biden said that his administration had the means to cope with the rise in energy prices, in particular after the OPEC+'s decision not to raise their production to more than 400,000 barrels per day. in a context of global imbalance between supply and demand. In addition, Joe Biden also insinuated that the organization (and its allies) might actually not do its best to pump enough volume of crude oil. Trading Charts Chart – WTI Crude Oil (CLZ21) Futures (December contract, daily chart) Now, let’s zoom into the 4H chart to observe the recent price action all around the above-mentioned levels of our trade plan: Chart – WTI Crude Oil (CLZ21) Futures (December contract, 4H chart) In summary, my trading approach has led me to suggest some long trades around potential key supports, as this dip on crude oil offered a great opportunity for the bulls to enter long whilst aiming towards specific projected targets. If you don’t want to miss any future trading alerts, make sure to look at here. . Moreover, for those interested in Forex trading, please note that I am currently preparing some new series about the co-existing links and relationships between commodities and currencies. Stay tuned – happy trading! Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

  Is crude really set to break its highs again? Fundamental Analysis Crude oil prices reached their last highs on Wednesday before pulling back, initially supported by US crude stocks falling as shown by API figures, and afterwards cooled by contrary prospects from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Meanwhile, our subscribers were exiting their last oil trade, after the black gold hit the second projected target at $83.40 (see technical chart). U.S. API Weekly Crude Oil Stock: Inventory levels of US crude oil, gasoline and distillates stocks, American Petroleum Institute (API) via Investing Regarding the API figures published Tuesday, the decline in crude inventories (with 2.485 million barrels versus 1.900 million barrels expected) implies greater demand and is normally bullish for crude prices (at least in theory). This was indeed the case yesterday, as those figures have supported crude prices in the first place. In the perspective of the figures to be published later today by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), and according to the median of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, the market would expect an increase of 1.6 million barrels, so let’s see whether this figure will be confirmed. Chart – WTI Crude Oil (CLZ21) Futures (December contract, daily chart) In summary, with an oil market progressing (with some rallying limitations set by threats of the US administration to release some of its strategic crude reserves – to relieve the market by artificially increasing the supply) – there is currently no trade position justified from a risk-to-reward point of view. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Oil prices retreated on Wednesday as markets are seeking for fresh clues while watching closely for any announcement from the US on its policy to cool gasoline prices. Brent crude oil futures, the international benchmark, dropped 0.59% at $81.94 per barrel (bbl). West Texas Intermediate fell 0.94% to $80/bbl. “The oil market continues to lack direction. Participants continue to wait for signals from the US administration on whether they will release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR),” ING Group said in its note on Wednesday. Short-term relief “The hesitation appears to be because the market outlook is more comfortable in 2022, while an SPR release would also only offer short-term relief to the market,” ING added. In addition, ING noted, there is potential for Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its partners (OPEC+), to counter US’ release of its SPR by delaying their supply increase. Markets also ignored the International Energy Agency’s monthly oil report released overnight. Brent crude price movement - Credit: Capital.com Oil demand strengthening The International Energy Agency (IEA) in its November oil report keeps its forecast for oil demand growth unchanged from last month’s report at 5.5 million barrels per day (bpd) for 2021 and 3.4 million bpd in 2022. The agency said it maintains its forecast because despite global oil demand is strengthening due to robust gasoline consumption and increasing international travel with more countries reopening their borders, new Covid-19 waves in Europe, weaker industrial activity and higher oil prices will temper gains. Meanwhile, global oil production is already rising. In October, oil supplies leapt by 1.4 million bpd to 97.7 million bpd with the US post-hurricane recovery accounting for half the increase. US oil supply The agency expects an additional boost of 1.5 million bpd in November and December even as OPEC+ disregarded pleas from major consumers to ramp up beyond a monthly allocated 400,000 bpd to cool prices. “Over this period, the US is now poised to provide the largest increase in supply of any individual country,” IEA said in the report. IEA raised its forecast for US oil production by 300,000 bpd for the fourth quarter of this year and 200,000 bpd on average in 2022. The US is set to account for 60% of 2022 non-OPEC+ supply gains, now forecast at 1.9 million bpd. “Even so, the US will not return to pre-Covid rates until the end of 2022,” the agency said.

Overview:  The US dollar's sharp upside momentum stalled yesterday near JPY115 and after the euro met (and surpassed) a key retracement level slightly below $1.1300.  Led by the Antipodean currencies today, the greenback is mostly trading with a heavier bias.  Among the majors, helped by a steadying of US yields, the yen is soft.  In the emerging market space, the Turkish lira continues its headlong plunge while the yuan softened and the Mexican peso is off.  Hungary's central bank surprised with a 70 bp hike in the one-week deposit rate.  The JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is posting a small gain through the European morning.  Disappointing tech results in China (Baidu and Bilibili) weighed on Chinese shares, but most markets in the region fell but Australia and Taiwan.  Europe's Stoxx 600 is struggling to extend the six-day advance.  US futures are also a little firmer.  After yesterday's four basis point pullback, the US 10-year yield is little changed near 1.58%.  European yields are 1-2 bp lower.  Gold remains within Tuesday's range (~$1850-$1877), but the moment seen earlier last week has faded, and the yellow metal is trading choppily in a consolidative phase.  The prospect of a coordinated sale of oil after China's announced it would tap its reserves for the second time saw the January WTI contract fall to $76.45, its lowest level since early October. Still, the price has stabilized in the European morning around $77 a barrel.  The benchmark European natural gas contract (Netherlands) has extended yesterday's pullback.  It settled a little below 75 euros last week, and after two days of declines, it is above 92 euros.  Iron ore is also falling for a second session and is now lower on the week.  Note that it settled October a little above $104 and is now around $86.40. Copper is lower for the fourth consecutive session.  It is trading around $424, off $20.5 this week.   Asia Pacific  Japan is expected to unveil the much-awaited supplemental budget tomorrow.  Prime Minister Kishida will get one bite of the proverbial apple, and he is expected to go big.  Talk of the size of the overall package has risen in recent days.  The Nikkei seemed to suggest a JPY79 trillion (~$690 bln) effort, while others report something on the magnitude of JPY56 trillion.  Still, it is recognized that part of the budget will include funds that were earmarked under previous budgets, which have not been spent.  The clear water is seen around JPY32 trillion.  Japan is one of the few countries that will provide new fiscal support.   New Zealand's central bank meets next week.  It is widely expected to hike rates for the second time in the cycle.   The swaps market has 200 bp of tightening priced in for the next 12 months.  The cash rate stands at 50 bp.  Earlier today, the central bank reported that the two-year inflation expectations (business survey)  rose to 2.96% in Q4 from 2.27% in Q3.  It is the highest in a decade.  The one-year expectation rose to 3.7% from 3.02%.  Still, with other countries slower to raise rates, a 50 bp move may not be necessary.  The Kiwi rose almost 4% last month and has given back nearly half so far in November.  Separately, the Philippines and Indonesia central banks met and left rates steady as expected.   The dollar posted a key reversal against the yen yesterday.  It made a new high for the move, a few pips below JPY115.00, and proceeded to sell-off and close (slightly) below Tuesday's low.  However, follow-through selling has been limited, and the greenback is trading firmly but may be absorbing sales related to the $1.34 bln in options in the JPY114.20-JPY114.25 area that expire today.  The Australian dollar initially extended its losses to almost $0.7250, where a A$575 mln option expires today. However, since early in the Asian session, it has posted corrective upticks and looks set to challenge yesterday's high and five-day moving average a little above $0.7300.   The Chinese yuan appears to have begun consolidating.  It remains in the range set on Tuesday that saw the dollar trade roughly between CNY6.3670 and CNY6.3965.  The small gain is the third this week.  The PBOC fix was at CNY6.3803, a bit firmer compared with expectations (CNY6.3786 in the Bloomberg survey) than seen recently.  Note that there is a $1 bln option at CNY6.3830 that expires today.   Europe The auto industry in Europe remained under pressure last month, though the US reported its first increase in sales in six months.  New car registration in Europe, including the UK, is a proxy for sales.  They tumbled by slightly more than 30% year-over-year in October.  This is considerably weaker than expected and is the poorest since May 2020.  The shortage of semiconductors is the likely culprit, and there are some signs of improvement.  The EC will propose modest tweaks in rules about how funds outside of its borders (UK) can be managed while avoiding more dramatic changes.   Draft proposals call for at least two full-time senior managers in the EU and for regulators to be notified when most of their assets are managed outside the EU.  These seem quite minor and unlikely to disrupt the UK fund business.  Earlier this month, the EU Commissioner for Financial Services indicated that temporary waivers would be granted to allow EU banks and money managers to clear trades in the UK. Meanwhile, the dispute over fishing appears to be worsening (Denmark complaining, not just France), and the UK continues to threaten to invoke Article 16.  Former Prime Minister Blair says he will propose a solution to the dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol in the coming days.  Hungary delivered a 30 bp hike in the base rate earlier this week, which now stands at 2.10%.  It warned that it could make a separate decision on its one-week deposit rate.  It did so today, hiking it 70 bp to 2.50%.  It is a hawkish move that sent the forint higher.  Separately, as widely expected, the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey cut the one-week repo rate 100 bps to 15%. As a result, the lira is weaker for the eighth consecutive session.  The lira's weakness not only fuels inflation but also will challenge companies and banks with foreign exchange exposure.  The dollar finished last month near TRY9.60 and after the rate hike, pushed above TRY10.97 before stabilizing.   The euro overshot the (61.8%) retracement target of the rally that took it from near $1.0640 in March 2020 to high on January 6, around $1.2350.  That retracement target was about $1.1290, and the euro fell to around $1.1265 yesterday. It recovered to new session highs early in North America yesterday (~$1.1330), leaving bullish hammer candlestick, and follow-through buying lifted it to $1.1345 today.  The combination of higher inflation and stronger retail sales this week have helped sterling to recover.  It had traded near $1.3350 at the end of last week and has barely traded below $1.34 this week.  Indeed, sterling is rising today for the fifth consecutive session, the longest advance in nearly seven months.  It poked above $1.35, where an option for about GBP345 mln will expire today.  A convincing move above $1.3515 could signal another cent advance.  The euro slipped to below GBP0.8385 today before recovering.  It is testing the GBP0.8400, which holds options for 1.1 bln euros that also expires today.   America Leave aside the gaffes by President Biden over Taiwan.  Bloomberg counts four such verbal blunders that have required official walk back or explanation or clarification.  Reports indicate that Biden probed Xi about oil sales.  China has intervened in the commodities (industrial metals) and crude oil market recently.  Today it indicated it will provide more oil from its strategic reserves.  The September is action 7.1 mln barrels, according to reports, and privately sold more.  It is unclear whether today's sales were planned or grew out of the "virtual summit."  Still, it puts the ball back into the US court.  If the US does not sell or lend oil from its strategic reserves, it will look bad after China's move.  On the other hand, its own agency (EIA) projects that it may not be needed as oil will be in oversupply shortly.  Moreover, the pain for consumers is coming from gasoline prices, not oil per se.  Drawing down strategic reserves may not help the gasoline market.  Apparently, Japan has been approached by the US about coordinating the release of oil, though Europe was not.  The US reports weekly initial jobless claims today.  They have fallen for six consecutive weeks, and at 267k, it is the lowest since the pandemic struck.   That said, at the end of 2019, there were below 220k.  The Philadelphia and Kansas City Feds publish their November survey results.  Both surprised last month, with the former on the downside and the latter on the upside.  This time it may be the other way around, with the Philly survey showing strength and the KC survey softer.  Canada reports its monthly portfolio flow data ahead of tomorrow's retail sales report.  Mexico and Brazil have light economic calendars.   Canada's Prime Minister Trudeau and Mexico's President AMLO visit Washington today for the North America's Leaders Summit.  There is tension among the "three amigos."  The Build Back Better US initiative contains several elements that favor American producers. A key one is that substantial tax break for Americans buying electric vehicles if they are made in the US.  This would seem to put Canada and Mexico at a disadvantage, given the integration of the auto sector on a continental basis. Mexico and Canada are also concerned that the Biden Administration's interpretation of the domestic content requirement in the USMCA treaty is also narrow and puts them at a disadvantage.   Canada is also concerned about the pipelines after Biden nixed the Keystone Pipeline in one of his first acts in office, and the Line 5 pipeline is being challenged by Michigan.  The US, and to a less extent, Canada, is worried about the efforts by AMLO to increase the power of the state sector energy companies (oil and electricity), deterring private sector efforts.  The US may try pressing against this on environmental grounds.  Climate and immigration are reportedly on the top of today's agenda.  The US dollar reversed higher against the Canadian dollar on Tuesday, posting an outside up day.  Follow-through buying yesterday lifted the greenback a little above CAD1.2620.  It ticked ever so slightly higher today but has come back offered.  Support is seen in the CAD1.2555-CAD1.2575 area.  The $1.04 bln option at CAD1.25 that expires today is too far away to be impactful. Meanwhile, the US dollar remains within Tuesday's range against the Mexican peso (~MXN20.56-MXN20.85).  This range looks set to hold today.   Disclaimer

Summary:  Today we run through some stark divergences as the US equity market posts new highs, noting weak breadth and other indicators that in the past have suggested higher risk of an episode of consolidation. We also look at interesting signs in the T-bill auctions that the market remains wary of the debt ceiling situation that hasn't yet gone away. Also, a look at crude oil, gold and rising food prices, the macro calendar for the week ahead and more. Today's pod features Althea Spinozzi on fixed income, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast and have a look at today’s slide deck. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple Spotify Podbean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it. Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.

Overview:  Concerns about the virus surge in Europe cut short the euro's bounce and sent it back below $1.1300 and are also weighing on central European currencies, including the Hungarian forint, despite yesterday's aggressive hike of the one-week deposit rate.  Austria has reintroduced a hard 20-day lockdown.  Germany's health minister warned that the situation deteriorated and vaccines were not enough to break the wave.  He was explicit that a lockdown cannot be ruled out.  The US dollar is trading broadly higher.  Only the yen is resilient on the day, but sterling is the only major currency that has edged higher this week.  The Scandis and euro are off more than 1%.  Speculation that Turkey may announce measures over the weekend to stabilize the lira may be helping to deter new sales today after yesterday's rout.  In the nine-day drop through today, it is depreciated by almost 15%.  The JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is off for the fourth consecutive session to bring this week's loss to more than 2%, the most in five months.  Equities do not know of the consternation in the foreign exchange market.  Disappointing Alibaba results weighed on the Hang Seng (~-1%), while most other large regional bourses but Taiwan and India closed the week on an up note.   Europe's Stoxx 600 snapped a six-day advance yesterday. It was only the second loss since October.  It began firmer today but has reversed lower, putting at risk the six-week rally.   US futures are mixed, with the NASDAQ outperforming.  Bond markets are in rally mode as well.   The US 10-year yield is off three basis points to approach the week's low near 1.53%.  European bonds are off mostly 3-5 basis points, even in the UK, where retail sales surprised on the upside.  Gold is steady, finding support near $1850.  Oil initially extended yesterday's recovery but is reversing lower, leaving the January WTI contract set to test yesterday's low near $76.45.  This is the fourth consecutive weekly fall in crude oil.  European natural gas (Netherlands benchmark) is off 4.4% today, the third drop in a row, and pares the week's gain to almost 19%.  In Singapore, iron ore prices jumped 5.7% to break a five-week slide that saw prices tumble by about 28%.   Copper is firmer and paring this week's loss to around 2%.   Asia Pacific There were two developments in Japan to note.  First, October CPI was largely in line with expectations.  Surging gasoline prices (seven-year highs) helped keep the headline rate positive for the second month (0.1% year-over-year).  Excluding fresh food, the core rate was steady at 0.1%.  However, the deflationary forces are evident when fresh food and energy are removed.  The measure deteriorated to -0.7% from -0.5%, the most since June (-0.9%).    Second, Prime Minister Kishida unveiled an overall package of JPY78.9 trillion (~$690 bln). It is larger than the previous two pandemic packages. "Fiscal measures" refer to spending, investment, and loans, and this is seen worth about JPY55.7 trillion.  It is not clear yet, how much represents new spending as opposed to the reallocation of funds from earlier budgets that were not used. However, it appears to be about JPY32 trillion of new spending.   The Chinese yuan, up a modest 2.1% for the year, is the strongest currency.   Against a trade-weighted basket (CFETS), the yuan is pulling back from a six-year high set earlier this week as the euro recovers a cent.  Consider that the yuan has appreciated by more than 9% against the euro and 11.5% against the yen this year.  That means that investment in China has the same tailwind as the dollar and is compensated a bit for the relative lack of transparency and liquidity.  The Financial Times estimates that foreign holdings of Chinese bonds and stocks rose to around $1.1 trillion at the end of September, about a 13% increase this year.  China's stock market has underperformed this year, and the CSI 300 is off around 7% this year.  On the other hand, China's bonds have fared well.  It is the only 10-year bond that has not weakened this year.  China's figures show foreign direct investment has risen by almost 18% this year through October to nearly $142 bln.   The dollar is posting an outside down day against the Japanese yen by first rising above yesterday's high before reversing and taking out yesterday's low. It is approaching the week's low near JPY113.75 in the European morning.  Below there, support is seen around JPY113.60.  A break would warn of a return to JPY113.00.  The Australian dollar has been sold to its lowest level since October 6, when it recorded a low of almost $0.7225.   It has broken the trendline that connected the August and September lows (~$0.7250).  The September low was around $0.7170 and maybe the next important technical target.  The dollar is trading with a firmer bias against the Chinese yuan, but the greenback remains in the range set on Tuesday (~CNY6.3670-CNY6.3965).  The dollar gained on the yuan four sessions this week, the most since July, but the net gain of less than 0.2% still shows an extraordinarily steady exchange rate.   With the yuan near six-year highs against its trade-weighted basket (CFETS), the PBOC warned against one-way moves and encouraged financial institutions to bolster fx risk management.  It set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.3825, slightly above expectations (Bloomberg survey) for CNY6.3822.   Europe The stronger than expected October retail sales capped the week's data that points to a rebounding economy and boosts the chances of a rate hike next month.  A strong jobs report was followed by a larger than expected rise in CPI and PPI.  Retail sales jumped 0.8% in October, and the September series was revised to flat from -0.2%. It was the first increase since April.  Pre-Xmas sales were reported.  Separately, the UK government reported that the cost of servicing the national debt has risen more than three-fold over the past year, leaving the budget deficit higher than anticipated.  It appears that the swaps market is pricing in a 15 bp hike at the December 16 BOE meeting, though some are talking about a bigger move.    Several ECB officials, including President Lagarde, have successfully pushed back against expectations of a 20 bp rate hike next year that had appeared discounted by the swaps market earlier this month. The market has pushed it into early 2023.  The implied yield of the December 2022 Euribor futures contract has fallen 20 bp this month.  The December 2022 Eurodollar futures contract is moving in the opposite direction.  The implied yield has risen by about 4.5 bp this month.  The net result is the US premium has increased to over 125 bp, the highest since last March.  In late 2019, the premium was around 180 bp.  This is recognized as a factor helping lift the dollar against the euro, and it appears to have become more salient recently.   The euro's bounce yesterday, its first gain in seven sessions (since the US CPI shocker), stalled near $1.1375, where a 780 mln euro option expires today.   The euro traded quietly in Asia before being sold aggressively as news of the virus hit the wires.  The euro traded through $1.1285 before catching a bid.  Resistance now will likely be encountered around $1.1320.  The euro is posting its first back-to-back weekly of more than 1% since March 2020.  Sterling is also sliding back toward the week's lows, just above $1.3400.  A break could signal a test on the $1.3350 area, but it appears stretched on an intraday basis.  While the euro-sterling cross is practically flat, the euro has punched below CHF1.05 for the first time in six years.  It would not be surprising to learn that the SNB has been intervening.  There appears to be little chart support until closer to CHF1.0250. America The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office offered its evaluation of the Biden administration's Build Back Better initiative.  It sees $1.636 trillion in spending over the next decade and almost $1.27 trillion in revenue.  That leaves a deficit of $367 bln.  A notable difference between it and the administration is how much more revenue will be generated by increasing the number of IRS agents.  Even if it passes the House of Representatives, it will likely be marked up in the Senate.  The jockeying for position and spin around it will likely dominate the session, which sees no US economic reports outside of the rig count later today.  The Fed's Clarida and Waller speaker today.  It seems that most market participants still see the Fed behind the curve and disagree with our idea that to secure the ability to respond to a wide range of possible outcomes, the Federal Reserve may accelerate its tapering starting in January.   It is not clear exactly when the debt ceiling will be reached, but it is being played.  The Democrats do not want to lift it through the reconciliation process, though they have forced the Republicans to do so in the past.  The Republicans appear to have the discipline and will to oppose.  No one seems to think the US will really default, and getting even this close seems undignified.  Yet, the desire to avoid being caught out encouraged investors to demand a high yield on the four-week bill sold.  Yesterday's auction saw the yield more than double to 11 bp (annualized).  It is the highest yield since July 2020.  In contrast, the eight-week bill, which is thought to be beyond the shenanigans, yield slipped to 4.5 bp from six previously and a higher bid-cover ratio.   Canada reports September retail sales figures today.  After a 2.1% rise in August, some weakness is expected.  Ahead of it, the Canadian dollar is trading at new lows for the week, though it is faring better than the other dollar-bloc currencies.  The US dollar is approaching the (61.8%) retracement objective of the decline since the CAD1.29 level was tested on September 20.  The retracement level is near CAD1.2665, and a break would target CAD1.2700-CAD1.2750.  The upper  Bollinger Band is found near CAD1.2655 today.   The Mexican peso is also under pressure.  It, too, has fallen to a new low for the week today.  The greenback looks set to test the eight-month high set earlier this month near MXN20.98.  Note that the central bank's Deputy Governor warned that inflation was accelerating, and it could rise to 7% this month and 7.1%-7.3% next month.  In October, the CPI stood at 6.24% year-over-year.  Banxico meets next on December 16, the day after the FOMC meeting.  Lastly, we note that the Brazilian real is off for four consecutive sessions coming into today.  The dollar closed above its 20-day moving average against it yesterday and looks poised to probe above BRL5.60 today. The high for the month was closer to BRL5.70.   Disclaimer

Summary:  This summary highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities, forex and financials up until last Tuesday, November 16. The report shows the reaction to the US inflation shock on November 11 which among others drove strong demand for gold and more surprisingly a reduction in the dollar long. Also another strong week for most agriculture commodities with positions in coffee and KCB wheat hitting fresh multi-year highs Saxo Bank publishes weekly Commitment of Traders reports (COT) covering leveraged fund positions in commodities, bonds and stock index futures. For IMM currency futures and the VIX, we use the broader measure called non-commercial. Link to latest report This summary highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities, forex and financials up until last Tuesday, November 16. A week where the market responded to the US inflation shock on November 11 by sending  the dollar up by 2% to fresh high for the cycle while 10-year breakeven yields jumped 20 basis point a decade high. While bond market volatility jumped, stocks held steady with the VIX showing a small decline. The commodity sector was mixed with gains in precious metals and not least grains and soft commodities helping offset weakness across the energy sector.  Commodities Hedge funds raised their total commodity exposure, measured in lots, across 24 major futures contracts by the most since July. Driven by continued strong price action across the agriculture sector and more recently also precious metals in response to surging inflation. These sectors saw all but one market being bought while the energy sector were mixed with continued selling of crude oil only being partly offset by demand for gasoline and natural gas. Energy: Crude oil’s four week slide resulted in the biggest weekly reduction since July, and this time, as opposed to recent weeks, it was WTI that led the reduction with a 10% cut to 307k apart from a deteriorating short-term technical outlook also being driven the prospect of a US stockpile release to dampen domestic gasoline prices. Brent meanwhile saw its net long slump to a one-year low at 221.5k lots, and during the past six weeks the net length has now slumped by one-third, a reduction which gathered momentum after the late October failure to break the 2018 high at $86.75, now a double top. Crude oil comment from our daily Market Quick Take: Crude oil (OILUKJAN22 & OILUSDEC21) opened softer in Asia after Friday’s big drop but has so far managed to find support at $77.85, the previous top from July. The market focus has during the past few weeks shifted from the current tight supply to the risk of a coordinated reserve release, fears about a renewed Covid-driven slowdown in demand and recent oil market reports from the EIA and IEA pointing to a balanced market in early 2022. Having dropped by around 10% from the recent peak, the market may have started to conclude that a SPR release has mostly been price in by now. Metals: Another week of strong gold buying has now raised the alarm bells given the risk of long liquidation should the yellow metal fail to hold onto its US CPI price boost above $1830. Last week the net long in gold reached a 14-month high at 164k lots and the speed of the accumulation, especially the 70% jump during the past two weeks alone carries, will be raising a red flag for tactical trading strategies looking for pay day on short positions should support give way.  Gold extended Friday’s drop below $1850 overnight, before bouncing ahead of key support in the mentioned $1830-35 area. The risk of a quicker withdrawal of Fed stimulus supporting real yields and the dollar has for now reduced gold's ability to build on the technical breakout. However, the price softness on Friday helped attract ETF buying with Bloomberg reporting a 10 tons increase, the biggest one-day jump since January 15. A second week of silver buying lifted the net to a four-week high at 35.9k lots, but still below the May peak at 47.8k lots. Copper’s rangebound trading behavior kept the price and the net long unchanged. The latter due to an even size addition of both new long and short positions. Agriculture: Broad gains across the grains market lifted the combined long across the six most traded contracts to a six-month high at 560k lots. Buyers returned to soybeans after the net long recently hit a 17-month low, the corn long was the biggest since May while the KCB wheat long at 60.6k lots was the highest since August 2018. Supported by an increasingly worrying supply outlook, coffee speculators lifted their net long by 16% to a five-year high at 55k lots. Cotton and sugar longs also rose while short-covering helped halve the cocoa net short. More on the reasons behind the current strength in wheat and coffee, and agriculture in general can be found in may recent update: Agriculture rally resumes led by coffee, wheat and sugar ForexIn a surprise response to the US inflation shock on November 11 speculators ended up making a small reduction in their overall dollar long against ten IMM futures and the Dollar index. Selling of euro in response to the 2.4% drop and a 161% increase in the sterling short to a 17 month high ended up being more than off-set by the buying of all other major currencies, most notably JPY and CHF. The result being a fifth weekly reduction in the dollar long to $21.3 billion, now down by 17% reduction from the near 30-month high reached during October. What is the Commitments of Traders report? The COT reports are issued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the ICE Exchange Europe for Brent crude oil and gas oil. They are released every Friday after the U.S. close with data from the week ending the previous Tuesday. They break down the open interest in futures markets into different groups of users depending on the asset class. Commodities: Producer/Merchant/Processor/User, Swap dealers, Managed Money and otherFinancials: Dealer/Intermediary; Asset Manager/Institutional; Leveraged Funds and otherForex: A broad breakdown between commercial and non-commercial (speculators) The reasons why we focus primarily on the behavior of the highlighted groups are: They are likely to have tight stops and no underlying exposure that is being hedged This makes them most reactive to changes in fundamental or technical price developments It provides views about major trends but also helps to decipher when a reversal is looming

November 23, 2021  $USD, EMU, Federal Reserve, Oil, OPEC+, SPR, UK, US Overview:  The markets are unsettled.  Bond yields have jumped, tech stocks are leading an equity slump, and yesterday's crude oil bounce reversed.  Gold, which peaked last week near $1877, has been dumped to around $1793.  The tech sell-off in the US carried into the Asia Pacific session, and Hong Kong led most markets lower.  The local holiday let Japanese markets off unscathed, though the Nikkei futures are off about 0.4%.  Australia and India managed to post minor gains as the MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell for the fourth time in five sessions.  Europe's Stoxx 600 has slid around 1.5% today, its fourth consecutive decline, but has clawed back nearly half the gains.  It is the longest retreat in two months.  US futures are lower, with the NASDAQ leading the move.   Near 1.64%, the US 10-year yield is at the upper end of this month's range.  Last month it reached 1.70%.  European bond yields are mostly 4-6 bp higher, and peripheral spreads have widened a little.  The dollar is sitting in the middle of the major currencies.  The dollar bloc, sterling, and the Norwegian krone, which are the risk-on, levered to growth currencies, are weaker.  The euro, yen, and Swiss franc are little changed but firmer.  The dollar briefly traded above JPY115.00 in Asia, without Tokyo,  before being pushed back. The steady euro has taken some pressure off most of the regional currencies.  The Turkish lira has been in a virtual freefall following President Erdogan's spirited defense of his efforts to drive down rates.    There was around 10 lira to the dollar in the middle of November.  Today, at its peak, there is about 12.48 lira to the dollar.   Asia Pacific Over the weekend, Japan expressed willingness to cap its strategic reserves.  Press reports indicated yesterday that India is amenable to coordinating a release of some of its oil stocks.  South Korea may also participate.  It has been under consideration for a couple of weeks, at least, in the US, and China appears willing to repeat September's release of crude from its reserves.  However,  it seems naive to have expected OPEC+ to simply standby.  January WTI posted a bearish outside down day ahead of the weekend by trading on both sides of the previous day's range and settling below the previous session's low.  Follow-through selling yesterday took it down about $1.20 from the close, but when OPEC+ announced that a coordinated release of the oil could prompt it to reconsider its own plans.  It is to meet next week to review its strategy. Through yesterday's low, January WTI had retreated by nearly 11% from the October 25 higher near $83.85.   A band of resistance is seen between $78 and $80.   OPEC+ had previously agreed to boost output by 400k barrels a day per month to restore pre-pandemic output levels.  That said, not all the members can produce their quota, leading to a shortfall.  OPEC+, the IEA, and EIA all seem to agree that supply-demand considerations shift in next year, and the market will once again be in oversupply.  Moreover, OPEC+ argues that the real dislocation is not with oil as its with gas.   The US imports about 2.9 mln barrels a day, India, about 4.2 mln, and Japan, about 3.1 mln barrels a day.  South Korea imports around 2.5 mln barrels a day.  Together it is around 12.7 mln barrels a day of imports.   If together, 100 mln barrels are released, about eight days of imports would be covered.  This is a high estimate.  India, for example, has indicated it may release 5 mln barrels.   Australia's flash November PMI was better than expected.  Manufacturing edged up to 58.5 from 58.2, while services rose to 55.0 from 51.8.  This produced a 55.0 composite reading, a gain from 52.1 in October.  Recall, the pandemic and lockdown led to weakness in the economy in the May-August period.  The composite PMI bottomed in August at 43.3.  It has risen for three months but remains well off the peak in April of 58.9.  Separately, New Zealand real retail sales were hit in Q3 by the social restrictions, but the drop was not quite as bad as feared.  Reall retail sales fell 8.1% after a 3.3% increase in Q2.  Economists (Bloomberg median) had anticipated a 10.5% pullback.  The RBNZ meets the first thing tomorrow and is widely expected to hike 25 bp, to lift the cash rate to 0.75%. There is still a slight bias toward a larger move in the swaps market.   The dollar briefly traded above JPY115.00 for the first time since March 2017.  We note that Japanese dealers were on holiday and did not participate in the move.  As risk-off sentiment took over, the dollar was sold back to JPY114.50.  Resistance in Europe has been found near JPY114.80.  Note that there is an option for about $980 mln at JPY115.50 that expires tomorrow.  The Australian dollar initially edged lower to almost $0.7210, its lowest levels since October 1 before steadying. A break of $0.7200 signals a retest of the late September low near $0.7170.  Initial resistance is seen in the $0.7230-$0.7250 area.  The PBOC is sending plenty of verbal signals that it does not want to see strong yuan gains, and today's fixing underscores that point.  The dollar's reference rate was set at CNY6.3929, wider than usual above the market expectation (Bloomberg) for CNY6.3904.  The greenback is firm inside yesterday's range.  Caution is advised here as the PBOC could escalate its disapproval.   Europe The flash EMU November PMI was better than expected.  The aggregate manufacturing PMI rose to 58.6 from 58.3.  The market anticipated a decline.  The service PMI rose to 56.6 from 54.6, also defying expectations for a sequentially weaker report.  The composite snapped a three-month slide and rose to 55.8 from 54.2.   The cyclical peak was in July at 60.2.    A flash release is made for Germany and France.    German manufacturing slowed slightly (57.6 from 57.8) and held up better than expected (Bloomberg median 56.9).  Services actually improved (53.4 from 52.4).  The composite rose to 52.8 from 52.0 to end a three-month downdraft after peaking in July at 62.4.  French numbers were even better.  The manufacturing PMI rose to 54.6 from 53.6.  The service PMI rose to 58.2 from 56.6.   The composite improved to 56.3 from 54.7 to snap a four-month fall.  Recall that yesterday the Bundesbank warned that the German economy may practically stagnate this quarter and that inflation may approach 6% this month.   The UK's flash PMI was more mixed.  The manufacturing PMI had been expected to have slowed but instead improved for the second consecutive month (58.2 from 57.8).  Services were nearly as weak as anticipated slipping to 58.6 from 59.1.  The composite eased slightly to 57.7 from 57.8, ending a two-month recovery from the June-August soft patch.  Meanwhile, Prime Minister Johnson's rambling speech yesterday hurt people's ears, and in terms of substance,  the changes to social care funding that may result in lower-income people having to sell homes to pay for support did not go over well.  It is spurring talk of a possible cabinet reshuffle.  The euro has edged to a new low for the third session today, slipping to almost $1.1225 before catching a bid that lifted it back to $1.1275.  There is an option for around 765 mln euros at $1.1220 that expires today.  The nearby cap is seen in the $1.1290-$1.1310 area.   The euro may struggle to sustain upticks ahead of tomorrow's US PCE deflator report (inflation to accelerate).    Sterling met new sellers when it poked above $1.3400. It has ground lower in the European session, and sterling fell to almost $1.3355.  Note that the low for the year and month was set on November 12, slightly above $1.3350.  We see little chart support below there until closer to $1.3165.   America We suspect many pundits exaggerated the link between the renomination of Powell for a second term and the sell-off in US debt and technology shares.  First, it was not a surprise.  Second, it assumes a substantive difference in the conduct of monetary policy between Powell and Brainard.  There isn't.  The difference was on regulatory issues and on the role of climate change.  Third, the idea that the Fed may accelerate its bond purchases next month was sparked by the high CPI reading on November 10.  Yesterday, Bostic joined fellow Fed President Bullard.  Two governors (Clarida and Waller) also seem to be moving in that direction (Waller may be faster than Clarida). The fact or the matter, nearly all of the high-frequency data for October, including employment, auto sales,  retail sales, industrial production, and inflation, came in higher than expected.  The US sees the preliminary November PMI today.  It is expected to have risen for the second consecutive month after fall June-September.   The reception to yesterday's US two- and five-year note auctions was relatively poor.  The higher yields (compared with the previous auctions) did not produce better bid-cover ratios.  Today the Treasury comes back with $55 bln seven-year notes and re-opens the two-year floater.  Many observers see the debt ceiling constraint being likely an early 2022 problem rather than this year.  Still, tomorrow's sale of the four-week bill may be the test.  Recall that at last week's auction, the 4-week bill yield doubled to 11 bp.   Europe's virus surge and social restrictions became a market factor last week.  Many think that the US is a few weeks behind Europe.  The seven-day infliction rate in the US rose 18% week-over-week.  Several states, including Colorado, Minnesota, and Michigan, are being particularly hard hit.  Nationwide 59% of Americans are reportedly fully vaccinated. However, it leaves about 47 mln adults and 12 mln teens unvaccinated.  The risk-off mood and the drop in oil prices are helping the US dollar extend its gains against the Canadian dollar.  The greenback, which started the month below CAD1.24, is now pushing close to CAD1.2750 to take out last month's high.  A move above here would target CAD1.28 and then the September high near CAD1.2900.  Still, the market is getting stretched, and the upper Bollinger Band is slightly below CAD1.2730.  The risk-off mood does not sit right with the Mexican peso either.  The dollar settled above MXN21.00 yesterday, its highest close in eight months.  The same forces have lifted it to MXN21.1250 today. However, the anticipated gain in September retail sales (0.8% Bloomberg median after a flat report in August) may not give the peso much support if the risk-off continues. The high for the year was set on March 8 near MXN21.6360.   Disclaimer

Summary:  US President Biden will tap Jay Powell for a second term as Fed Chair and will nominate Lael Brainard to be promoted to Vice Chair of the Fed, a move that sent the USD modestly higher and US yields sharply higher, though some of the reaction may have been on pent-up reaction to prior developments. Elsewhere, the descent in the Turkish lira is turning dire, while the kiwi is weaker ahead of an RBNZ meeting tonight. FX Trading focus: USD follows US yields higher in the wake of Powell getting nod for 2nd term Surprising a sizable minority and perhaps myself to a degree, US President Biden will tap Jay Powell for a second term as Fed Chair, while seeking to promote Lael Brainard from her current position to Vice Chair. The most prominent reason given for not going with Brainard is that her confirmation process may have proven contentious, something Biden wanted to avoid, and given extensive Democratic party support for Powell, the progressive wing aside, it was always the “easy option”. Brainard will still have to go through a confirmation process with the Senate. More interesting is the Brainard was not nominated to Vice Chair in the banking supervision and regulation role that the soon-gone Quarles occupied, a role that many envisioned for her. Biden has more nominees to consider for Quarles’ replacement and other empty spots, but continuity appears assured, though a Vice Chair Brainard will carry more weight when she dissents on non-monetary policy issues in the future (she never dissented on FOMC votes but has dissented more than 20 times on board votes linked to loosening regulation on US financial institutions). Other positions at the Fed will need filling as well, including the replacement of Quarles as banking supervisor. The market reaction to the news was fairly straightforward and “as expected” algorithmically, i.e., Brainard was supposed to be the more dovish pick, so Biden going with Powell saw the USD stronger as the market priced in about 10 basis points more in the way of Fed hikes through the end of next year. It’s tough to tell whether some of the reaction was the market simply adjusting to have this important issue “out of the way” allowing traders to price in other recent developments, like hot US data and Fed Vice Chair Clarida’s comments on possibly speeding up the pace of the Fed’s taper of asset purchases at the December FOMC meeting. The next test for whether this USD move can extend will be with tomorrow’s October PCE Inflation print and the FOMC minutes. For USDJPY, as I argue below, an extension higher  likely needs more upside from longer US yields. US President Biden will speak today on the economy and “lowering prices for the American people” which many believe will include a release of crude oil from US strategic reserves. That’s a risky move if it fails. Chart: USDJPYUSDJPY spilled over the 115.00 barrier in the wake of Powell getting the nod for a second term, with  the move now trying to decide whether it can stick. Arguably, the rise in Fed policy expectations don’t mean much if the longer end of the US yield curve remains anchored as it has lately, which continues to suggest that the market sees inflation as transitory and/or that Fed potential on rates will max out around 2.0% and crush the growth and inflation outlook. While 10-year US yields were sharply higher yesterday, they’re still bogged down in the range since the pivot high of 1.70% in October and the cycle high near 1.75% all the way back at the end of March. The logjam needs to break there and send US long yields higher for better fundamental support for a significant break above the 115.00 level in USDJPY. European politics in the spotlight – with Germany dealing with a new Covid ave and the ongoing natural gas and power crunch, it is time for the government coalition to announce itself and begin ruling. An announcement of the “stoplight” coalition could be imminent and we’ll have to watch the awkward combination closely, particularly the LDP Lindner’s attitude toward spending as the traditionally liberal party’s supply side principles are at odds with its Social Democratic and Green coalition partners inclinations, although energy emergencies are not political, but must be dealt with.  Elsewhere, Italian president Mattarella announced he will be stepping down. If, as some believe, an effort is made to replace his mostly ceremonial role with Mario Draghi, elections would have to be held. And the French election season will only heat up from here, where we watch whether Macron can keep the populists Zemmour and Le Pen at bay.  The Euro is getting very cheap – bigger fiscal, an ECB reverse repo facility, and a non-Covid constrained outlook by spring could have EURUSD in a very different place by then. Antipodean action- the Aussie has risen sharply versus the kiwi (NZD) over the last couple of sessions as the news flow for the  Aussie has improved notably, with China’s central bank possibly signaling it is ready to bring stimulus, some of the news flow in the property sector improving, and especially as iron ore prices have jumped sharply, particularly overnight, on all of the above plus anticipation that China will have to increase steel output soon. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand was one of the quickest central banks to turn hawkish over the summer and abandon QE and was only delayed slightly in hiking rates by New Zealand’s first Covid outbreak in many months over the summer. The central bank chief Adrian Orr has made it clear that the bank is on the path or many more rate hikes to come and the market has priced in a policy rate of 1.50% by the April meeting of next year versus the current 0.50%. Most believe that the central bank will only hike 25 bps tonight but a significant minority believe that the bank will hike 50 bps. As important will be the market mood (if risk sentiment is weak on further US yield rises, for example, the impact of any RBNZ move may be muted) and whether guidance is able to meet lofty expectations for further tightening. The NZ 2-year yield has traded flat at elevated levels since late October, while NZDUSD has declined, arguably on the fresh momentum in Fed expectations, so moving the needle may require that the RBNZ deliver a 50 basis point hike and even more hawkish guidance. Turkish lira move getting downright disorderly – Turkish President was out yesterday complimenting the recent Turkish Central Bank chief’s decision to cut rates another 100 basis points and declaring that the Turkish government would concentrate on policies that encourage economic growth. In rather dire language, he drew parallels between the current situation and the struggle to form the modern Turkish state in 1923 in the wake of World War I. As of this writing, USDTRY traded near 12.50 after starting last week near 10.00, a breathtaking move. Much more of this kind of price action, and the risk of hyperinflation will swing into view. Table: FX Board of G10 and CNH trend evolution and strengthThe most important trend shift was yesterday’s huge dump in precious metals – look at the momentum scores for the last 2- and 5 days. Otherwise, most trends of late are extending with the exception of the badly fading NZD. Table: FX Board Trend Scoreboard for individual pairsThe precious metals in for a rough ride on the USD- and US yield move in the wake of the Fed Chair nomination move yesterday. Elsewhere, getting some hefty trend readings in USD/SEK and UDS/NOK, which remain high beta to Euro weakness. Upcoming Economic Calendar Highlights (all times GMT) 1445 – US Nov. Flash Markit Manufacturing and Services PMI 1500 – UK BoE Governor Bailey at House of Lords 1500 – US Nov. Richmond Fed Manufacturing 1730 – ECB's Makhlouf to speak 1800 – Canada Bank of Canada’s Beaudry to speak 2130 – API’s Weekly Petroleum Stock Report 0030 – Japan Nov. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI 0100 – New Zealand RBNZ Official Cash Rate Announcement

Summary:  Equity markets closed last week somewhat mixed, but the Asian session was mostly strong on indications that the Chinese PBOC is shifting its attitude on monetary policy toward easing. Elsewhere, the difficult wait for the Fed Chair nomination news continues this week ahead of the US Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. Crude oil bounced after finding support overnight, but the risk of SPR release and Covid demand worries still linger. What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) - a new week following a new all-time high in US equities on the close on Friday, which is starting with Nasdaq 100 futures opening up higher trading around the 16,610 level in early European trading. Last week showed that investors and traders are utilizing the Covid-19 lockdown playbook selling off physical companies while buying online companies that are better equipped to navigate new lockdowns in Europe. With the US 10-year yield remaining in a range around the 1.55% there is nothing from preventing equities from extending recent gains. EURUSD and EURGBP – new Covid restrictions across Europe, which has become the center of the latest Covid wave, have crimped sentiment for the euro, as has the still very elevated power and natural gas prices. EURUSD has traded back down toward the lows of the cycle near 1.1265 overnight, with the next psychological magnet lower likely the 1.1000 area as long as the big 1.1500 break level continues to provide resistance. In EURGBP, last week saw the break of the prior major pivot low near 0.8400, with the next objective the post-Brexit vote low near 0.8275. USDJPY – threatened support on Friday on a spike lower in long US treasury, but a reversal of much of that action by this morning in late Asian trading is likewise seeing USDJPY trying to recover back into the higher range, with a focus on the recent top just short of 115.00. We likely need for long US treasury yields to sustain a move higher to support a major foray above this huge 114.5-115.00 chart area, which has topped the market action since early 2017. Meanwhile, if risk sentiment worsens further in EM and darkens the outlook for JPY carry trades there, while US treasuries remains rangebound or head lower, the JPY could squeeze higher as the speculative interest is tilted heavily short. Gold (XAUUSD) extended Friday’s drop below $1850 overnight, before bouncing ahead of key support in the $1830-35 area. The risk of a quicker withdrawal of Fed stimulus supporting real yields and the dollar has for now reduced gold's ability to build on the technical breakout. However, the price softness on Friday helped attract ETF buying with Bloomberg reporting a 10 tons increase, the biggest one-day jump since January 15. Gold’s biggest short-term threat remains the tripling of futures long held by funds during the past seven weeks to a 14-month. Most of that buying being technical driven with the risk of long liquidation now looming on a break below the mentioned support level.   Crude oil (OILUKJAN22 & OILUSDEC21) opened softer in Asia after Friday’s big drop but has so far managed to find support at $77.85, the previous top from July. The market focus has during the past few weeks shifted from the current tight supply to the risk of a coordinated reserve release, a renewed Covid-driven slowdown in demand and recent oil market reports from the EIA and IEA pointing to a balanced market in early 2022. Speculators who for the last six weeks have been net sellers of crude oil futures cut their combined WTI and Brent long to a three-month low in the week to November 16. Focus on SPR and Covid risks this week US treasuries (SHY, IEF, TLT). Government bond yields worldwide dropped as new lockdown measures were imposed in Austria on Friday. Ten-year yields tumbled to 1.55%, and they are likely to continue to trade range-bound as the debt ceiling issue will continue to compress long-term yields as volatility peaks in money markets. Investors will focus on this week’s PCE index, FOMC minutes and any news regarding a change of leadership of the Federal Reserve. If Brainard is appointed as Fed chair, the market will expect low rates for longer, thus inflation expectations will advance putting upward pressure on yields. Thus, it is unavoidable to continue to see the 5s30s continue to flatten. German Bunds (IS0L). We expect European sovereigns, in general, to continue to benefit from news related to a surge of Covid cases and lack of collateral as the year ends. Yet, the perception of inflation is changing among ECB members with Isabel Schnabel last week saying that the central bank will need to be ready to act if inflation proves more durable. Therefore, as we enter in the new year, and collateral shortages will be eased, we anticipate spreads to resume their widening. What is going on? Fed Vice Chair Clarida suggests faster Fed taper - in comments on Friday, suggesting that the December FOMC meeting could speed the pace at which the Fed will reduce its asset purchases. “I’ll be looking closely at the data that we get between now and the December meeting...It may well be appropriate at that meeting to have a discussion about increasing the pace at which we are reducing our asset purchases.” China’s central bank signals that it may ease policy. In a monetary policy report from Friday, the PBOC dropped language from prior reports, including phrase suggesting that the bank will maintain “normal monetary policy” and a promise not to “flood the economy with stimulus”. This comes in the wake of considerable disruption in the property sector as the government cracks down on an overleveraged property sector. Asian equities were mostly higher on the news, especially in Korea, although the Hang Seng index was slightly in the red as of this writing. Ericsson to acquire cloud provider Vonage in $6.2bn deal. This pushes the Swedish telecommunication company into the cloud communication industry seeking to add more growth to the overall business. Vonage has delivered 11% revenue growth in the past 12 months hitting $1.4bn with an operating margin of 10.4%. Global proceeds from IPOs hit $600bn in record year. This is the biggest amount since 2007 and almost 200% above the level in 2019 highlighting the excessive risk sentiment in equities. More confusing signals from Bank of England. Governor Bailey said in an interview for the Sunday Times that risks to the country are “two-sided” at the moment as growth slows and inflation rises, and that the cause of inflation problems is supply side constraints and that “monetary policy isn’t going to solve those directly.” Similarly, BoE Chief Economist Huw Pill said on Friday that the Bank of England said that the weight of evidence was shifting in favour of rate hikes but that he has not yet made a decision, encouraging observers to focus on the longer term rather than meeting-to-meeting decision. US shared intelligence with allies suggesting potential for Russia to invade Ukraine - according to Bloomberg sources. The intelligence noted up to 100,000 soldiers could be deployed in such a scenario, and that some half of that number are already in position.  Russian president Vladimir Putin denied Russia intends to invade, but seemed to pat himself on the back for “having gotten the attention of the US and is allies, which he accused of failing to take Russia’s ‘red lines’ over Ukraine seriously”, as the article puts it. What are we watching next? Who will US President Biden nominate to head the Fed next February? Powell is still seen as more likely to get the nod that Brainard by roughly two to one, and this Fed Chair nomination issue is hanging over the markets, as the current Fed chair term ends in early February and from comments made last week by President Biden, an announcement could come any day. One uncertainty that would come with a Brainard nomination is the potential difficulty of having her nomination approved by the Senate. The nomination news could generate significant short-term volatility on the choice of the nominally more dovish Lael Brainard over current Fed Chair Powell, though we see little difference in the medium-longer term implications for monetary policy, and the Fed is likely to get a prominent new regulatory role either way (under Brainard or someone else if she is nominated to replace Powell). Will Germany announce a Covid lockdown? - Friday saw some volatility on Austria’s announcement of a full Covid lockdown, with Germany’s health minister saying that a similar move in Germany could not be ruled out. Later that day, that was contradicted by comments from another minister. Meanwhile, resistance against Covid restrictions has turned violent in Netherlands. Earnings Watch – the number of important earnings is falling rapidly, but this week Tuesday is the most important day with key earnings from Xiaomi, XPeng and Kuaishou, both important Chinese technology companies. Also on Tuesday, US companies such as Medtronic, Autodesk and Dell Technologies are worth watching. Monday: Sino Pharmaceutical, Prosus, Zoom Video, Agilent Technologies Tuesday: Xiaomi, Kuaishou Technology, Compass Group, Medtronic, Analog Devices, Autodesk, VMWare, Dell Technologies, XPeng, HP, Best Buy, Dollar Tree Wednesday: Deere, Thursday: Adevinta Friday: Meituan, Pinduoduo Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 - Switzerland SNB weekly sight deposit data1330 – US Chicago Fed Oct. National Activity Index1500 – US Oct. Existing Home Sales1730 – ECB's Guindos to speak2145 – New Zealand Q3 Retail Sales2200 – Australia Nov. Flash Services & Manufacturing PMI0105 – Australia RBA’s Kohler to speak Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple Spotify Soundcloud Sticher

  It appears that the US markets didn’t find the Thanksgiving turkey very tasty this year. CBOE Volatility S&P 500 Index (VIX) Futures (daily chart) With the “indicator of fear” (also known as the VIX or Volatility Index) spiking over 13.5 % in the European session, propelling some precious metals (gold and platinum) and natural gas to the roof, while sending the crude and petroleum products to the lower ground, the volatility has just clearly reached a higher level. (Source: FINVIZ) Most of our premium subscribers enjoyed a last ride on the long side for WTI crude oil this month while following our trade projections. For more details of the last oil trading position provided last week, I have just released that trade as it got very close to reach its projected target on Wednesday (Nov. 24). WTI Crude Oil (CLF22) Futures (January contract, daily chart) The main fears on the oil market come from the possibility of a demand slowdown starting from Q1 2022. Additionally, that timing happens when the United States, along with a larger group of countries (including China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, and the UK) have made the decision to release some of their strategic oil reserves on the market, aiming at artificially increasing the supply, and thus lowering oil prices. Well, this may represent one driver of prices indeed, although a more general economic slowdown associated with a non-sustained demand as we are getting into the winter, may be the main concern now. On the other hand, the winter – expected to be colder in certain regions – is also supporting the gas prices, hence the recent surge on the Henry Hub futures, along with sustained US exports of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) that are also supporting natural gas prices. Henry Hub Natural Gas (NGF22) Futures (January contract, daily chart) In conclusion, we could be entering a new volatile period on the global markets, associated with various fears maintained through headlines by media (Covid variants, restrictions, etc.). For now, I would suggest staying away from the noisy headlines and just relax and enjoy some new pieces of turkey leftovers, or whatever else if you don’t eat meat. Ignore the noise and trade what you see (not what you think). Stay tuned and enjoy your weekend! As always, we’ll keep you, our subscribers well informed. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading, and speculation in any financial markets may involve a high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Macro 2021-11-25 08:45 6 minutes to read Summary:  Asian stocks and US equity futures traded higher overnight as traders weighed Chinese efforts to support its economy, and after solid US economic data combined with persistent price pressures added to market concerns, the Fed may speed up its removal of policy support to curb inflation. In Treasuries, shorter maturity advanced while longer dated retreated after failing to break key resistance. The dollar trades close to a 16-month high while the crude oil market held steady with focus on next week's OPEC+ meeting. US cash markets are closed for Thanksgiving today with limited price activity expected. What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) - yesterday’s less bad than feared PCE inflation for October reversed momentum in US interest rates and pulled equities and especially US technology stocks higher. With the recent Powell and Brainard statements it is clear, that the Fed will put more weight on inflation than employment as we go into 2022, and thus the pressure will remain on interest rates and high duration assets such as technology stocks. Nasdaq 100 futures sit at 16,414 in early European trading and will have to overcome the 50% retracement level at 16,435 in order to continue the upward momentum. USDJPY – while US equities and US interest rates turned around yesterday, the reaction in USDJPY was less muted ending the sessions higher underscoring the strong USD momentum. The outlook is still predominantly a question of “will it or won’t it sustain a break above 115.00” which depends on whether the US 10-year yield can push into new highs for the year above the 1.75% level. Gold (XAUUSD) trades higher after once again managing to find support in the $1780 area. Another strong read on US inflation, this time the Fed’s favored PCE Deflator, helped flatten the US yield curve with the yield on short dated maturities rising while US ten-year notes ended lower after failing to break key resistance in the 1.7% area. The big price slump below $1830 this week was primarily caused by long liquidation from funds who had been rushing into gold before and after the recent CPI shock. Gold’s short-term ability to bounce will mostly depend on whether the washout has triggered a big enough reduction of recently established and now loss-making positions. From a technical perspective, a break above $1816 is the minimum requirement for calm to emerge. Crude oil (OILUKJAN22 & OILUSJAN21) has settled into a nervous wait-and-see mode with focus on the Dec 2 OPEC+ meeting after its advisory board said the US-led coordinated release of reserves may drive a crude oil surplus early next year. This comes after the alliance called the move unjustified given current conditions and as a result, they may opt to reduce future production hikes when they meet on Tuesday. Yesterday’s EIA report was price supportive with crude oil stocks only seeing a small 1 million barrels increase despite a sharp drop in exports and another injection from strategic reserves. US treasuries (SHY, IEF, TLT). Yesterday, we received a thorough list of data, which might have just given more reasons to the Fed to accelerate the pace of tapering during the next FOMC meeting. The PCE index rose to 5%, the highest since 1981 while inflation expectations for the next 5 years stuck to 3%. Jobless claims fell to the lowest since 1969, indicating that jobs are recovering fast. Lastly, the FOMC minutes showed that members are beginning to worry about less transitory inflation, provoking rate hikes expectations to accelerate by the end of the day. However, due to the looming holiday, US Treasuries remained muted. 5-year UST futures this morning are down during the Asian session despite low liquidity, indicating that sentiment is bearish. Friday’s trading session will also be affected by low liquidity due to the Thanksgiving schedule. We will have a better picture on Monday, but it looks likely yields will continue their rise and the yield curve flattening. German Bunds (IS0L). The new German government unveiled a governing coalition deal. Among the extensive list of policies, bond investors should focus on an accommodative fiscal policy for 2022 and 2023, the beginning of a “decade of investment” and the rejection of a new lockdown amid a record rise of Covid cases. More spending translates to higher Bund yields. However, yields remained mutes as Europe becomes the new epicenter of Covid-19 infections. Yet, Bunds remain vulnerable, and rates might move higher as US Treasury yields resume their rise. Italian BTPS (BTP10). Italian government bonds remained in check as governments in Europe move forward to impose new restrictions due to a rise Covid-19 infections. Yet, investors should remain vigilant as the PEPP program will still end in March. To weaken sentiment in BTPS further is also the news that President Mattarella is going to vacate his position in January leaving a political vacuum. Parties are pushing Draghi to il Quirinale to get rid of him and go to early elections. If that were to happen, the stability that Italian BTPS enjoyed since Draghi entered in Italian politics will vanish provoking a fast widening of the BTPS-Bund spread. What is going on? Europe’s Covid problem is deteriorating, and with the region now accounting for almost 60% of global Covid deaths, the risk of more lockdowns and restrictions continue to rise. German business climate in November slumped slightly more than expected to its lowest in five months as local companies grapple with supply bottlenecks and the mentioned fourth wave of COVID-19. Fed officials at their last meeting were open to removing policy support at a faster pace to rein in inflation. Since then, data have shown accelerating price pressure, not least after the Fed’s favorite gauge, the PCE Deflator rose 5% YoY, the fastest pace in three decades. "Various participants" noted the FOMC should be ready to tweak the tapering pace and raise the target range for the Fed funds rate sooner than currently expected if inflation continues to run higher, minutes showed. By now, the market has priced in a total of three rate hikes for 2022. EU gas trades higher again today, reaching $30.7/MMBtu (€93.5/GWh) today in response to rising winter demand, low power production from wind farms and increased competition from Asia which is ramping up its LNG imports. Sky-high day ahead prices for power adding to the pain with some countries approaching record highs. Power plants are burning more coal which is cheaper and more profitable and it has helped drive the emissions future (CFIZ1) to a new all-time high this week above €72.5 per tons. What are we watching next? The USD and US interest rates will make or break equities - it is clear that interest rate sensitivity is picking up as a theme as US interest rates are trading just below the two recent local highs in March and October. The USD is strong which puts pressure on emerging markets and any indications that the USD is losing momentum will improve flows into emerging market equities and bonds. Black Friday consumer spending – retail sales during Black Friday tomorrow and over the weekend is often a good barometer on consumer confidence and causes big moves in retailers the following week as their weekend sales are announced. Earnings Watch – with Thanksgiving today in the US market activity will be significantly lower than normal. Only earnings release today is from Norwegian Adevinta, which has already reported with operating income in Q3 coming in a bit lower than consensus. Thursday: Adevinta Friday: Meituan, Pinduoduo Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0700 – German Q3 GDP 0700 – German GfK Consumer Confidence   Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple Spotify Soundcloud Sticher

Macro 2021-11-29 08:40 6 minutes to read Summary:  The market is trying to brush off fears that the new omicron covid variant may significantly disrupt the global economy, with only partial success as cases of the variant have been discovered in multiple countries outside of the original outbreak area. Equities and crude oil markets have erased a portion of the enormous losses from Friday, but the Japanese yen strength actually accelerated at times overnight as Japan will move to halt entry by all foreign visitors. What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) - US equity futures with especially Nasdaq 100 futures are charging ahead trading above the 50% retracement level based on Friday’s price action. The new Covid variant has for now made the market put monetary tightening on pause for a while until we get a better picture of the new variant and its impact. This is supporting US technology stocks as it puts less upward pressure on interest rates. Stoxx 50 (EU50.I) - European equities were down the most on Friday logically bouncing back the most in today’s session with Stoxx 50 futures trading at the 50% retracement level of Friday’s selloff at the 4,151 level. The next big resistance level on the upside is 4,189. If the new Covid variant ends up restricting mobility and travelling we expect Europe and emerging markets to perform worse than US equities. USDJPY and JPY crosses – The Friday meltdown in risk sentiment saw the Japanese yen rallying strongly, with a classic risk proxy pairing like the AUDJPY suffering its worst single day draw-down since the pandemic outbreak in March of 2020. While other markets tried to put on a hopeful face at the start of the week in Asia today, it is notable that the JPY strength has actually accelerated, perhaps in part as Japan is taking the remarkable step of banning all inbound travel from foreign destinations starting tomorrow. In USDJPY, we watch the important pivot low of 112.73, a fall through which could set up a challenge of the 111.50-111.00 zone that supports the trend from the lows of early 2021. Speculative positioning is quite short the JPY, so there is considerable potential fuel for an extension of this JPY rally. EURJPY has broken down through the important 128.00 area support overnight. EURUSD – the squeeze higher in EURUSD on Friday appears linked with the market moving quickly to remove expectations of Fed rate hikes in the wake of the news of the new omicron covid variant, which improves the equation for the euro from a “yield spread” perspective. For EURUSD to trade to new cycle lows from here, we would likely either need to see a return to new highs for the cycle in Fed expectations or some new meltdown in sentiment that would reward the US dollar more as a safe haven. Resistance is perhaps 1.1350-1.1385. Gold (XAUUSD) failed to attract a strong safe haven bid on Friday to push it through resistance at $1816. This despite multiple tailwinds emerging from the omicron-driven carnage after bond yields slumped while the dollar and the VIX jumped. Instead, a slump across industrial metals spread to silver and platinum, thereby curtailing golds potential upside. Gold trades lower today with other markets making a tentative recovery in the belief Friday’s selloff was overdone. However, until we have more details about the virus (see below) the markets will remain nervous as can be seen in fresh yen strength this Monday (see above). Four failed attempts to break below $1781, a key Fibonacci level, may also offer returning bulls some comfort. Crude oil (OILUKJAN22 & OILUSJAN21) suffered one of its largest one-day crashes on Black Friday in response to worries the new omicron virus variant could drive renewed demand weakness caused by widespread lockdowns and travel bans. Equally importantly was probably the very bad timing with the news hitting the markets on a low liquidity day after the Thanksgiving holiday. The market traded higher in Asia as buyers concluded the selloff was overdone while also speculating OPEC+ may act to support prices when they meet on Thursday. The group may decide to postpone the January production increase or if necessary, temporary cut production into a period that was already expected to see the return of a balanced market. Ahead of the meeting and until we know more about the new strain and its associated risks, the market will remain very volatile. US Treasuries (IEF, TLT). The omicron strain will be in the spotlight this week as well as monetary policies expectations and the non-farm payrolls on Friday. Jerome Powell’s speech tomorrow and on Wednesday will be key as the Coronavirus and CARES act will be discussed. It’s likely that rates will remain compressed across the yield curve as there continue to be uncertainties surrounding the omicron strain. Yet, we expect the Federal Reserve to stick to their hawkish agenda and accelerate the pace of tapering in December as inflation will continue to be a concern. It implies, the yield curve will continue to bear flatten, and could even invert as economic expectations dive, pinning down long-term yields. If the White House looks to add more stimulus, that would imply more bond issuance, putting further pressure in the front part of the yield curve. German Bunds (IS0L) and Italian BTPS (BTP10). This week’s focus will be the Eurozone CPI flash numbers and news concerning Covid lockdowns and restrictions. Friday’s flight to safety provoked yields to drop across the euro area, including among sovereigns with a high beta such as Italy. The reason behind it is that German Bunds are tightly correlated to US Treasuries and that the market was anticipating more accommodative monetary policies from the ECB, which have been benefitting mostly the periphery. Investors should remain cautious. Indeed, inflation remains a big focus and could drive towards less accommodative policies rather than more. What is going on? Market is grappling with what to do about the omicron covid variant. The worst impact so far is from the speed with which countries are moving to halt inbound foreign travel, with many countries stopping all flights from South Africa and other countries in the region, while Japan has taken the dramatic step of halting all inbound foreign travel from tomorrow. More hopeful indications from virologists in the virus origin area are anecdotally that this variant is not particularly virulent, although others point out that too little is known about the virus’ effects on more vulnerable patients. Weak Black Friday spending in the US, particular in-store sales. While up strongly from last year’s virus impacted activity at physical stores, US Black Friday spending in-store was down some 28% from 2019 levels and the online shopping on Friday was at $8.9 billion vs. $9.0 billion in 2019, rather disappointing totals, although some suggest that Americans have brought forward their holiday shopping this year because of widespread fears of shortages of popular products. What are we watching next? Whether market can quickly recover from fresh wave of virus concerns. The virus concerns triggered by the new variant were a jarring development, given the prior focus recently on inflation and central banks having to bring forward tightening plans to stave off inflationary risks. US stocks have been the quickest to try to put a brave face on the situation and there is some support for equities as rate hike expectations from the Fed have dropped sharply and long US treasury yields are also sharply lower, but it will take time to learn how transmissible and virulent this new omicron virus strain is, as well as how much damage will be done to growth and sentiment by new limitations on travel and other restrictions. We also have to recall that prior to this news, Europe was the epicenter of the latest wave of the delta variant and was already trading somewhat defensively. US President Biden is set to speak this evening on the new virus variant. The UN FAO will publish its monthly World Food Price Index on Thursday, and another strong read is expected, although the year-on-year increase look set to ease from 31.3%. November has been another strong month for the grains sector led by wheat due to strong demand and worries about the Australian harvest. Elsewhere Arabica coffee trades near a ten-year high on increased concerns about production in Brazil. Before Friday’s carnage across markets the Bloomberg Agriculture Spot index had reached a 5 ½-year high after rallying by 40% during the past year. Earnings Watch – earnings this week are light with the key ones to watch being Li Auto, Snowflake, Crowdstrike, Elastic, and DocuSign. Monday: Sino Biopharmaceutical, China Gas, Acciona, Li Auto Tuesday: Bank of Nova Scotia, Salesforce, Zscaler, NetApp, HP Enterprise Wednesday: Trip.com, Royal Bank of Canada, National Bank of Canada, Snowflake, Synopsys, Crowdstrike, Veeva Systems, Okta, Splunk, Elastic, Five Below Thursday: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Cooper Cos, Marvell Technology, DocuSign, Ulta Beauty, Asana, Dollar General, Kroger Friday: Bank of Montreal Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0830 – Sweden Q3 GDP 0830 – ECB's Guindos to speak 0930 – UK Oct. Mortgage Approvals 1000 – Euro Zone Nov. Confidence Surveys 1130 – ECB's Schnabel to speak 1300 – Germany Nov. Flash CPI 1330 – Canada Oct. Industrial Product Prices 1530 – US Nov. Dallas Fed Manufacturing Survey 1715 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 2000 – US Fed’s Williams (voter) to speak 2005 – US Fed Chair Powell gives opening remarks at conference 2350 – Japan Oct. Industrial Production 0030 – Australia Oct. Building Approvals 0100 – China Nov. Manufacturing and Non-manufacturing PMI 0200 – Australia RBA’s Debelle to speak  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple Spotify Soundcloud Sticher

Commodities 2021-11-30 10:30 Summary:  Futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities, forex and financials up until last Tuesday, November 23. While a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since last Tuesday, it is nevertheless interesting, not least considering the report encapsulated the market reaction to last weeks renomination of Fed chair Powell which helped send both treasury yields and the dollar sharply higher, as well as the oil market reaction to the coordinated SPR release announcement. Finally, it also gives us an idea about the level of positioning ahead of Friday's omicron related sell off Saxo Bank publishes weekly Commitment of Traders reports (COT) covering leveraged fund positions in commodities, bonds and stock index futures. For IMM currency futures and the VIX, we use the broader measure called non-commercial. Link to latest report The below summary highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities, forex and financials up until last Tuesday, November 23. The report normally released on Friday's was delayed due to last weeks Federal holidays, and while a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, its nevertheless interesting. Not least considering the report encapsulated the market reaction to last weeks renomination of Fed chair Powell which helped send both treasury yields and the dollar sharply higher, as well as the oil market reaction to the coordinated SPR release announcement. Also it gives a good idea about how funds and speculators were positioned ahead of the sharp risk off to the new omicron virus variant. Commodities The commodity sector saw sizable shift out of energy and metals into the agriculture sector where all 13 futures contracts covered in this update saw net buying. During the week the energy sector lost 2.1% while precious metals dropped 4.3% after gold broke below key support at $1830. A 1.5% rise in copper was not enough to convince speculators who cut their net long by 20%. Most noticeable however was the strong buying seen across the agriculture sector, with strong demand and weather worries more than offsetting the headwind caused by the stronger dollar. Energy: Crude oil, both Brent and WTI, were sold ahead of the coordinated SPR release announcement last Tuesday. The combined net long dropped by 14k lots to a one-year low at 514.6k lots. The loss of price momentum during the past few months has, despite an overriding bullish sentiment in the market, been driving the reduction, and following Friday's 10% price collapse these traders have been rewarded for sticking to the signals the market was sending instead of listening to bullish price forecasts. Hedge funds are not "married" to their positions hence their better ability to respond to changes in the technical and/or fundamental outlook.Metals: Having increase bullish gold bets by 65k lots during the previous two weeks, funds were forced to make 45k lots reduction last week in response to the Powell renomination sending gold sharply lower and below support in the $1830-35 area. Speculators have been whipsawed by the price action in recent weeks and it helps to explain why they are in no mood to reenter in size despite renewed support from Covid19 angst. Silver's 6% sell off during the week helped trigger a 17% reduction in the net long to 30k lots while in copper a small price increase was not enough to stem the slide in net length. Following seven weeks of selling, the net length has dropped by 64% to 19.5k lots, a 13-week low. Months of rangebound behaviour has reduced investor focus, and until we see High Grade Copper make an attempt to break its current $4.2 to $4.5 range, the level of positioning is likely to remain muted. Agriculture:  More concerned with other drivers such as weather, strong demand and supply chain disruptions helped trigger across the board buying of all 13 futures contracts split into grains, softs and livestock. The combined long held across these contracts reached a six-month high at 1.13 million lots, representing a nominal value of $43.5 billion. Buying was broad with the top three being corn, sugar and soybeans. Elsewhere the net long in Arabica coffee reached a fresh five-year high at 58k lots and KCB wheat a four-year high at 65.6k lots. UPDATES from today's Market Quick TakeCrude oil (OILUKJAN22 & OILUSJAN21) turned sharply lower in early European trading as the mood across markets soured on renewed concerns about the omicron virus strain. This after Moderna’s head told the Financial Times that existing vaccines will be less effective at tackling omicron and it may take months before variant-specific jabs are available at scale. The news come days before the OPEC+ group of producers meet to discuss production levels for January. Brent crude oil already heading for its biggest monthly loss since March 2020 trades below its 200-day moving average for the first time in a year, a sign that more weakness may lie ahead, thereby raising the prospect for OPEC+ deciding to pause or perhaps even make a temporary production cut. Gold (XAUUSD) received a muted bid overnight in response to the omicron virus comments from the head of Moderna (see oil section above). In addition, comments from Fed chair Powell helped reduced 2022 rate expectations from three to two after he said the omicron virus posed risks to both sides of the central bank’s mandate for stable prices and maximum employment. Despite this development together with softer Treasury yields and a weaker dollar, gold continues to struggle attracting a safe-haven bid. Silver (XAGUSD) looks even worse having dropped to a six-week low on weakness spilling over from industrial metals. Forex:Broad dollar buying following Fed chair Powell's renomination helped drive a 20% increase in the greenback long against ten IMM currency futures and the Dollar index to $25.4 billion and near a two-year high. All the currencies tracked in this saw net selling with the biggest contributors being euro (12.6k lots), CAD (11.8k) and JPY (4.1). The net short on the latter reached 97.2k lots or the equivalent of $10.6 billion, a short of this magnitude helps explain the strength of the sell off in USDJPY since last Thursday when safe haven demand picked up as the omicron news began to spread. Despite hitting a 16-month low last week the euro short only reached 12.6k lots, a far cry from the -114k lots reached during the panic month of February last year when the pair briefly traded below €1.08. What is the Commitments of Traders report? The COT reports are issued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the ICE Exchange Europe for Brent crude oil and gas oil. They are released every Friday after the U.S. close with data from the week ending the previous Tuesday. They break down the open interest in futures markets into different groups of users depending on the asset class. Commodities: Producer/Merchant/Processor/User, Swap dealers, Managed Money and otherFinancials: Dealer/Intermediary; Asset Manager/Institutional; Leveraged Funds and otherForex: A broad breakdown between commercial and non-commercial (speculators) The reasons why we focus primarily on the behavior of the highlighted groups are: They are likely to have tight stops and no underlying exposure that is being hedged This makes them most reactive to changes in fundamental or technical price developments It provides views about major trends but also helps to decipher when a reversal is looming

Macro 2021-12-01 08:45 6 minutes to read Summary:  Even more whiplash for global markets yesterday as Fed Chair Powell has clearly set an entirely different tone ahead of his new term as Fed Chair, saying that it was time to retire the word transitory when discussing inflation and pointing to accelerating the slowing of Fed asset purchases, among other comments. This led to a sharp repricing of Fed expectations higher just after they had been taken sharply lower by the news of the omicron covid variant. What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) - the initial reaction to Powell’s statement about retiring “transitory” inflation was lower equities and higher interest rates, but the subsequent price action has not followed through. Nasdaq 100 futures, which are the most interest rate sensitive, are trading at the high end of the recent trading range around the 16,380 level with the obvious resistance level at 16,438. Short-term the price action way be confusing with low signal-to-noise ratio, but our view has been clear for over a year, and that is, that inflation is coming and in size not seen in many decades. This will have a negative effect on the most richly valued equities such as our bubble basket on stocks. Stoxx 50 (EU50.I) - one would think that Powell’s comments on inflation would lift value stocks and interest rates, and thereby creating a bigger rebound in European equities, but that is not what we are observing this morning. Stoxx 50 futures are trading around the 4,100 level with an important resistance level at 4,125; if this level can be overcome then our view is that Stoxx 50 futures could go to 4,200 and test the 200-day moving average. USDJPY and JPY crosses – whiplash for JPY cross traders yesterday, as the hawkish comments from Fed Chair Powell on inflation took Fed expectations for next year sharply back higher. Longer US yields, to which USDJPY is normally more sensitive, were less impacted, somewhat muting the impact on USDJPY, but the development came at a critical time, just after USDJPY had dipped below 112.73 range support yesterday. The reversal is a tentative sign that the pair will avoid pushing lower, but we would likely need to see the entire US yield curve lifting to have support for a renewed rally focusing on the 115.00+ recent top. EURUSD - will the ECB be forced to change its tune? Christine Lagarde’s insistence that inflation is a temporary phenomenon is under severe strain, even as she has been out this week defending this viewpoint, as was the ECB’s Schnabel, who boldly claimed that the November CPI data (more below) would prove the peak of the cycle. EURUSD churned sharply yesterday from a high of 1.1383 to a low of 1.1236 on the Fed Powell comments (below) before rebounding to 1.1336. The resilience later in the day despite a sharp repricing of Fed expectations is an interesting development, but the price action would need to threaten above 1.1500 to point to a technical reversal of the recent large sell-off. Crude oil (OILUKFEB22 & OILUSJAN21) trades sharply higher after hitting a three-month low on Tuesday in response to omicron related demand worries and general weak risk sentiment following Fed chair Powell’s comments on inflation. The market attention now turns to tomorrow’s OPEC+ meeting where the group may decide to pause production hikes while signaling a willingness to cut production should the demand suffer from fresh initiatives to curb mobility, especially for overseas travel. As a sideshow, the EIA will release its weekly inventory report later with the API reporting a 0.7m barrels draw in crude oil stock while fuel stocks rose. Gold (XAUUSD) trades higher after once again recovering from a Powell statement. Yesterday the Fed chair confirmed his recent change in focus away from creating jobs towards increasing efforts to curb elevated inflation. Risk appetite took another setback on the news but has recovered overnight as traders weighed positive regional economic data and divided views from drugmakers over how effective existing vaccines are against omicron. Overall, gold chart looks increasingly messy with no clear signal to be found at present. A break above the 21-DMA at $1820 is needed to spark fresh momentum interest while support continues to be found below $1780. US Treasuries (IEF, TLT). Powell’s testimony in front of the senate put things in perspective: inflation is not transitory, and the Federal Reserve will use its tools to stop it. These words provoked a fast bear-flattening of the yield curve where short term yields rose faster than log-term yields were dropping. We expect this trend to continue throughout winter as a new wave of covid will pin down the long part of the yield curve, but the Fed is likely to accelerate the pace of tapering. An inversion risk cannot be excluded. The 20s30s part of the yield curve is already inverted, while the 7s10s is just 7bps to get inverted. Although the 2s10s and 5s30s spreads are much wider, any flattening can pose a threat to next year’s Fed’s interest rate hike agenda. Powell and Yellen will testify again in front of the Senate today. Job numbers remain a big focus for Friday. US junk bonds (HYG, JNK). According to Bloomberg Barclays indexes, junk bonds’ OAS widened by 30bps to 330bps amid Friday’s selloff reflecting the lack of liquidity in markets. Despite negative real rates continuing to support corporate bond valuations, it’s safe to expect junk bond spreads to widen throughout the end of the year amid poor liquidity. If the volatility in rates remains sustained, the widening of spreads could accelerate, posing a threat also for stocks. German Bunds (IS0L) and Italian BTPS (BTP10). Inflation accelerated more than expected in the Eurozone during the month of November setting the yearly figure to 4.9%. Inflation figures together with the new German government adds to the catalysts of higher Bund yields. However, covid distortions are keeping yield in check. We exclude Bund yield to rise to test 0% until the new wave of covid eases. However, as soon as the worries concerning covid ease, they will resume their rise. What is going on? Fed Chair Powell confirms that Fed emphasis has shifted to inflationary risks. In testimony before a Senate committee yesterday, Fed Chair Powell waxed far more hawkish than the market anticipated on inflation concerns, saying outright that it is time to retire the word “transitory” regarding the description of inflation, that “the risk of higher inflation has increased” and that “the risk of persistent high inflation is also a major risk to getting back to such a labor market.“ (referring to the pre-pandemic labor market). Powell also pointed to the likelihood that the Fed would wind down Fed balance sheet expansion more quickly than previously anticipated: “perhaps a few months sooner”. In response, expectations for Fed rate hikes next year were jolted back higher, just after they had been jolted lower by the omicron covid variant news. Hot EU CPI numbers for November. Preliminary headline November EU CPI was out at 4.9% year-on-year, far above the 4.5% expected and the 4.1% in October and by far the highest inflation print since the launch of the euro. Core CPI rose to 2.6% year-on-year, above the 2.3% expected and the October level of 2.0%. This is also the highest level since the launch of the euro in 1999. Germany’s incoming chancellor Scholz speaks on inflation, compulsory covid vaccination. The political pressure on the ECB to act is ratcheting higher after incoming German chancellor Scholz said that action must be taken if inflation fails to drop, though he seemed now to accept the notion that inflation is linked to covid measures and the spike in energy prices. He also spoke yesterday in favor of mandatory covid shots. Salesforce shares down 6% on Q4 guidance. Investors are used to being spoiled by Salesforce with consistently beating analyst expectations, but last night the cloud application software company disappointed on Q4 guidance with revenue in line and adj EPS at $0.72-0.73 vs est. $0.82. The company also announced that Bret Taylor will become co-CEO next to founder Marc Benioff in a sign that the founder may soon step down like so many other technology founders in recent years. What are we watching next? Markets adjusting to new reality of a more hawkish Fed. In particular if the omicron variant of the covid virus proves a temporary distraction, global markets will need to adjust the major adjustment in the Federal Reserve’s focus and what that could mean for the US dollar and asset valuations ahead. Fed Chair Powell’s rhetoric yesterday likely mean a heightened reactivity to incoming data from here on out, all modulated in the very near term by headline risks in either direction on the omicron variant. The first major data points are the ISM Service index and November jobs report up on Friday. The Average Hourly Earnings could take over in importance from the payrolls change number if it shows more aggressive rises, as it seems clear that labor supply is the chief problem US companies face, as seen in record job availability and “quits” as workers leave jobs for greener pastures. ADP employment figures for November. With the US economy operating at full capacity according to estimates from CBO, continued strong job gains will add fuel to the “inflation fire”, so today’s ADP figures could more interest rates and equities. Economists are looking at 525K vs 571K in October which would be a significant two-month change for an economy that has closed the output gap, but on the other hand, the US economy is still short around 8.5mn jobs from current levels to where employment would have been if we did not have the pandemic. Earnings Watch – growth investors will have their eyes on Snowflake set to report after the market close with analysts expecting FY22 Q3 (ending 31 Oct) revenue growth of 92% y/y. Crowdstrike, being one of the fastest growing cyber security companies in the world, will also be key to watch today. Wednesday: Trip.com, Royal Bank of Canada, National Bank of Canada, Snowflake, Synopsys, Crowdstrike, Veeva Systems, Okta, Splunk, Elastic, Five Below Thursday: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Cooper Cos, Marvell Technology, DocuSign, Ulta Beauty, Asana, Dollar General, Kroger Friday: Bank of Montreal Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0730 – Switzerland Nov. CPI 0815-0900 – Euro Zone Final Nov. Manufacturing PMI 1315 – US Nov. ADP Employment Change 1330 – Canada Oct. Building Permits 1445 – US Nov. Final Markit Manufacturing PMI 1500 – US Fed Chair Powell, Treasury Secretary Yellen to testify before House panel 1500 – US Nov. ISM Manufacturing 1530 – DOE’s Weekly Crude Oil and Fuel Inventories 1900 - Fed Beige Book 0030 – Australia Oct. Trade Balance   Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple Spotify Soundcloud Sticher

Commodities 2021-11-29 12:45 Summary:  Crude oil suffered its largest one-day crash since April 2020 on Friday in response to worries the new omicron virus variant could drive renewed demand weakness at a time where the US is about to release millions of barrels of crude oil from its strategic reserves. While many have already concluded Friday's slump was an overreaction caused by thin market liquidity, the focus is once again squarely on the response from OPEC+ who will meet on Thursday to set production levels for January and potentially beyond. Crude oil suffered its largest one-day crash since April 2020 on Black Friday in response to worries the new omicron virus variant could drive renewed demand weakness at a time where the US and other major oil importing nations are about to unleash millions of barrels of crude oil into the market from strategic reserves. Equally importantly was probably the very bad timing with the news hitting the markets on a low liquidity day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Long held bullish conviction trades got stopped out as the sudden elevated level of risk aversion drove major position adjustments across most asset classes. As volatility spiked, the options market also kicked into gear with hedging of short puts adding an additional layer of pressure with sell orders being executed at whatever price available. On Friday the 30-day historical volatility jumped from below 25% to 44% and it has ticked higher today, an indication of some unfinished business from Friday, but also a market which is struggling to settle down with Thursday’s OPEC+ decision adding an additional layer uncertainty. So far today, the market is trading higher, but already off their overnight highs, but the reduction in hedge selling has allowed buyers to take a fresh look with some concluding the move on Friday was most likely an overreaction. Not least considering the prospect for support being provided by OPEC+ who may attempt to prop up prices when they meet this Thursday. The group may decide to postpone the January production increase or if necessary, temporary cut production into a period that was already expected to see the return of a balanced market. Brent crude oil’s 11.6% top to bottom slump on Friday was only arrested when the price reached its 200-day moving average at $72.70 and after the price retraced 61.8% of the August to October surge. A key reason behind that run up in prices was driven by increased switching demand from record priced gas to cheaper oil-based fuels such as diesel, heating oil and propane. Following the drop in crude oil and continued strength in gas and power prices, the prospect for continued and rising switching activity will remain a key source of extra demand that did not exist during the 2020 slump. Source: Saxo Group Adding to crude oil’s current bid are forecasts from the world’s top commodity traders, all speaking at the FT’s Global Commodity Summit, that oil prices could return to $100 over the coming years as investment in new supplies slows down with oil majors diverting capex towards renewables instead of continued oil and gas production. It highlights a potential rising dilemma where politicians and investors want to move towards renewables at a much faster pace than actual changes can be made. Thereby creating the risk of a supply shortfall before demand eventually begins to slow towards the second half of this decade. Brent crude oil has set its sight on the 2019 peak at $75.6 ahead of the downtrend (red line) from the 2008 peak. Some focus on today’s FOMC meeting which may yield a change in the interest rate outlook while the market seeks further clues about the Fed’s view on inflation, and with that the need for inflation hedges through long commodity exposure.

From an investor's perspective, volatility in the financial markets has never been so high. On the other hand, from the consumer point of view, prices did not change so dramatically in such a short time before. Where do the paths of investors and consumers cross? This usually takes place on the commodity market, and the most important raw material is, of course, crude oil and its processed products. From negative prices to nearly $ 100 a barrel The arrival of COVID-19 has led to unprecedented anomalies in the oil market. At one point, the price of a barrel of oil dropped significantly below zero. Due to restrictions around the world, many people have stopped traveling, flying or even going to shops. At one point, crude oil demand fell by as much as 1/3, or roughly 30 million barrels a day. Due to the huge disproportion between supply and demand, the organization of oil-exporting countries, i.e. OPEC, together with other important countries, decided to jointly limit production in order to restore the normal price situation on the market. Production restrictions by the OPEC cartel and other producers such as Russia continue to this day. In the meantime, however, measures have been taken to stimulate the economy after the coronavirus stagnation. Tons of cash poured from central banks and governments, leading to a significant recovery. There was a fear that oil might be running out, which is why OPEC + decided to moderately restore production. However, this process turned out to be too slow to meet market expectations, resulting in a 100% increase in prices. There was even speculation that the price would rise to $ 100 a barrel, which was a problem for consumers in the past. Too high prices could have curtailed demand. The coronavirus continues to haunt markets In recent months, we witnessed several coronavirus waves and limited restrictions. They did not have any real impact on the market, besides production expectations. Usually, the sell-off of riskier assets, such as oil, lasted about 2 weeks. In view of the next expected wave of Covid-19, OPEC + decided not to increase production. It turned out that the group was right. The Omicron variant suddenly impacted ordinary people and investors. Black Friday brought a huge discount not only in stores, but also in the financial markets. Crude oil fell by 15% in one session. The risk of imposing further restrictions, similar to those from the first lockdown, hit investors' moods. If you look at Austria, where another lockdown was introduced, the mobility dropped well below levels which we observed a few weeks ago, or even before the first wave of the pandemic. If current vaccines prove to be ineffective against Omicron, travel will be reduced, flights will be suspended, people will remain at home and the demand for oil will decrease. The vast majority of the population would prefer much cheaper oil, but not OPEC +. If the group already sees a clear oversupply of oil in Q1 2022, then with an additional decline in demand due to Omicron, further OPEC + actions are possible. Will we pay less at gas stations? Probably yes. However, it must be remembered that the price of gasoline depends not only on the price of crude oil. The price components are in most cases: Crude oil Refining margin Distribution and Marketing Taxes In the United States, the share of crude oil in the cost of fuel is as high as 50%. On the other hand, in non-oil producing countries, distribution costs and taxes account for a much larger share. Therefore, even if prices are now 25% lower compared to the high of the current bull market, it will lower fuel prices by just a few percent. That is why some countries decide to take other steps, such as reducing VAT or excise duty. What's next for oil? The world was very scared of expensive oil, but the seasonality still points to limited demand at the beginning of the new year. In such a case, the growth dynamics would be slowed down anyway. That is why we should not expect major efforts from OPEC +. On the other hand, the group would like to keep prices around $ 70-80 per barrel, which allows long-term planning of further mining projects. Therefore, in the future, we should expect further action from OPEC +, which will be aimed at keeping the price in this range.

Here's a brief overview of the topics and charts covered in the latest edition of the Weekly Macro Themes report. I send this report out late Friday NZ time and aim to cover a good mix of macro/ideas/risk topics, across a global macro/multi-asset universe. This week I covered the following topics/ideas:   1. Sentiment & Technicals Check: We take a timely and comprehensive check-in on sentiment and technicals across global equities in the wake of the selloff. 2. Inflation Transit: "Transitory" has retired, and with that a policy pivot is underway. 3. Crude & Commodities: Currently viewing the crude oil crash as a “healthy correction”, some cause for optimism. On commodities in general it's about squaring up the short-term vs medium/longer-term case. The charts tell the story...     Request a trial of our institutional research service for your firm, simply fill in the form here. (n.b. the full service is aimed at fund managers and institutional investors)       About the Weekly Macro Themes report The "Weekly Macro Themes" is part of our institutional offering aimed at multi-asset and macro-driven portfolio managers and strategists. The report takes a chart-driven macro, fundamental and multi-factor approach; a powerful combination of cross-asset idea generation for portfolio managers, charts on key global macro trends, analysis on portfolio risks, asset allocation research, and innovative indicators, in a format that delivers a balance of brevity and depth so that you can efficiently assimilate the insights. Also part of the service is the monthly market cycle guidebook, global cross asset market monitor, and quarterly strategy pack. (or just follow us for now): LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/topdown-charts Twitter http://www.twitter.com/topdowncharts

  Entry… triggered! The price rallies to the Moon, but you don’t want to cash out “just yet” - am I right? So, let’s see how to prevent hard landing. There are obviously several methods to assess risk and thus to manage it, depending on one’s risk appetite or what is also more commonly known as risk profile. One method I use on swing (longer-term) trades is to manually lift my stop once – at least – 50% of the first target has been reached on a swing trade. I provide such trades on Sunshine Profits based on the projections I draw. Let’s take a practical case: in my last trade position on WTI crude oil provided on Nov-30, the market found a floor around $66. Then after being pushed up by the bulls, it rebounded onto that support level ($65.70-66.21), and rallied up to $69.49. So, if we take our reference entry in the middle of the yellow band at $66, the market moved up exactly 70% of the total distance to the target 1. At this point, to avoid giving profits away, an option would be to lift the stop to net breakeven ($66 + commissions/fees) so that the risk for that trade could get offset once 50% of the distance to the target 1 is passed. Following that, if, for example, the market pursues its rally further – let’s say up to 60% – then the stop will be lifted to net breakeven + 10% of the distance to the target 1. In our case the market rallied up to 70% of the distance to the target 1, so the stop should be lifted to net breakeven + 20% of the distance to the target 1. From my experience, this may represent a good way to manually trail your stop. Of course, there are many different methods to do so, but I haven’t heard of many investors or traders mentioning that one, therefore I wanted to present it here. The following chart is the one I posted in my trade review published on Wednesday, the 1st of December: WTI Crude Oil (CLF22) Futures (January contract, daily chart from Dec-1) To better visualize the price action that occurred, we zoomed into the 4-hour chart: WTI Crude Oil (CLF22) Futures (January contract, 4H chart from Dec-1) As you can see, the level provided was optimum given its function to act as a floor for rebounding prices. Then, the market was up to 70% of the total distance to reach the target 1, and finally reverted back down to the stop level. Now, this is today’s chart: WTI Crude Oil (CLF22) Futures (January contract, daily chart) Again, a zoom into the 4H chart lets us see more details of the price action that occurred: WTI Crude Oil (CLF22) Futures (January contract, 4H chart) In summary, using such a method of risk management to keep intermediate profits before the trade reverts strongly to the downside might be a good idea, particularly during high volatility periods. Are you interested in seeing this strategy in action? Make sure to check my Oil Trading Alerts! Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Macro 2021-12-06 08:45 6 minutes to read Summary:  Friday saw global markets weakening again in another violent direction change from the action of the prior day. With futures for the broader US indices up this morning, the damage is somewhat contained, even if nerves are ragged. At the weekend, cryptocurrencies suffered a major setback in what looked like a run on leveraged positions that erased 20 percent or more of the market cap of many coins before a bit more than half of the plunge was erased with a subsequent bounce. What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) - despite the US 10-year yield pushed lower on Friday on the string of strong macro numbers, Nasdaq 100 futures are oddly weak in early European trading hours sitting around the 15,700 price level. The 100-day moving average down at 15,400 is the key price level to watch should the weakness in US technology and bubble stocks continue today. We see clear exposure overlap between cryptocurrencies and growth stocks, and with the steep plunge in Bitcoin over the weekend the risk-off might not be over. Stoxx 50 (EU50.I) - Stoxx 50 futures continue to be in a tight trading range sitting just above the 4,100 level this morning with little direction as traders are still digesting the US labour market report and Omicron news which at the margin seems to be improving somewhat, although expectations are still that jet fuel demand will be impacted. The weaker EUR is also short-term helping some of the exporters in Europe and generally leading to positive sentiment in early trading with European equities up 1%. USDJPY and JPY crosses – USDJPY closed the week near 112.50-75 support that was tested multiple times last week, but is once again rebounding overnight, while JPY crosses elsewhere continue to trade heavily, with the likes of AUDJPY, a traditional risk proxy, cementing the reversal back lower and GBPJPY closing the week near a significant zone of support into 148.50-149.00. Safe haven seeking in US treasuries at the long end of the curve are the key coincident indicator driving the JPY higher, with Friday’s weak risk sentiment driving fresh local lows in US long yields, with the 30-year T-bond yield at its lowest since January, below 1.75%. AUDUSD – the AUDUSD slide accelerated Friday in what looks like a capitulation ahead of tonight’s RBA meeting, where the feeling may be that there is a high bar for a surprise, given that the RBA has declared it would like to wait for the February meeting before providing guidance on its ongoing QE. Weak risk sentiment and uninspiring price action in commodities (with the partial exception of the very important iron ore price for the Aussie recently) are weighing and the price action has taken the AUDUSD pair to the pivotal 0.7000 level, an important zone of support and resistance both before and after the pandemic outbreak early last year. Crude oil (OILUKFEB22 & OILUSJAN21) trades higher following its longest stretch of weekly declines since 2018. Today’s rise apart from a general positive risk sentiment in Asia has been supported by Saudi Arabia’s decision to hike their official selling prices (OSP) to Asia and US next month. Thereby signaling confidence demand will be strong enough to absorb last week's OPEC+ production increase at a time when mobility is challenged by the omicron virus. For now, both WTI and Brent continue to find resistance at their 200-day moving averages, currently at $69.50 and $72.88 respectively. Speculators cut bullish oil bets to a one-year low in the week to November 30, potentially setting the market up for a speculative-driven recovery once the technical outlook turns more friendly. US natural gas (NATGASUSJAN22) extended a dramatic collapse on Monday with the price down by 7% to a three-month low at $3.84 per MMBtu, a loss of 31% in just six trading day. Forecasts for warmer weather across the country have reduced the outlook for demand at a time where production is up 6.3% on the year. A far cry from the tight situation witnessed in Europe where the equivalent Dutch TTF one-month benchmark on Friday closed at $29.50 while in Asia the Japan Korea LNG benchmark closed at $34. Gold (XAUUSD) received a small bid on Friday following the mixed US labor market report, but overall, it continues to lack the momentum needed to challenge an area of resistance just above $1790 where both the 50- and 200-day moving averages meet. Focus on Friday’s US CPI data with the gold market struggling to respond to rising inflation as it could speed up rate hike expectations, leading to rising real yields. A full 25 basis point rate hike has now been priced in for July and the short-term direction will likely be determined by the ebb and flow of future rate hike expectations. US Treasuries (IEF, TLT). This week traders’ focus is going to be on the US CPI numbers coming out on Friday, which could put pressure on the Federal Reserve to accelerate tapering as the YoY inflation is expected to rise to 6.7%. Yet, breakeven rates started to fall amid a drop in commodity prices, indicating that the market believes that inflation is near peaking despite we are just entering winter. It is likely we will continue to see the yield curve bear flattening, as the short part for the yield curve is adjusting to the expectations of more aggressive monetary policies, and long-term yields are dropping as economic growth is expected to slow down amid a decrease in monetary stimulus and the omicron variant. Last week, the 2s10s spread suffered the largest drop since 2012 falling to 74bps. The 5s30s spread dropped to 53bps. What is going on? COT on commodities in week to November 30. Hedge funds responded to heightened growth and demand concerns related to the omicron virus, and the potential faster pace of US tapering, by cutting their net long across 24 major commodity futures by 17% to a 15-month low. This the biggest one-week reduction since the first round of Covid-19 panic in February last year helped send the Bloomberg Commodity index down by 7%. The hardest hit was the energy sector with the net long in WTI and Brent crude oil falling to a one year low. Following weeks of strong buying, the agriculture sector also ended up in the firing line with broad selling being led by corn, soybeans, sugar and cocoa. Evergrande plunges 16% to new low for the cycle. The situation among Chinese real estate developers is getting more tense with Evergrande’s chairman being summoned by Guangdong government on Friday as the company is planning a larger restructuring with its offshore creditors. The PBOC has said that they are working with the local government to defuse risk from a restructuring and the regulator CSRC said over the weekend that risks into capital markets are manageable. This week another real estate developer Kaisa Group is facing a deadline on debt which will be critical for the Chinese credit market. US Friday data recap: Services sector on fire, November jobs report stronger than headlines suggest. The November ISM Services report showed the strongest reading in the history of the survey (dating back to 1997) at 69.1, suggesting a red-hot US services sector, with the Business Activity at a record 74.6, while the employment sub-index improved to 56.5, the highest since April. The November employment data, on the other hand, was somewhat confusing. Payrolls only grew 235k vs. >500k expected, but the “household survey” used to calculate the unemployment rate saw a huge growth in estimated employment, taking the overall employment rate down to 4.2% vs 4.5% expected and 4.6% in October. The Average Hourly Earnings figure rose only 0.3% month-on-month and 4.8% year-on-year, lower than the 0.4%/5.0% expected, though the Average Weekly Hours data point ticked up to 34.8 from 34.7, increasing the denominator. Twitter sees exodus of leaders. Part of Jack Dorsey stepping down as CEO at Twitter is a restructuring of the leadership group which has seen two significant technology leaders at engineering and design & research steeping down. The new CEO Agrawal is setting up his own team for Twitter which if done right could make a big positive impact on the product going forward. What are we watching next? Study of omicron variant and its virulence, new covid treatment options. Discovery of omicron cases is rising rapidly, with some anecdotal hopes that the virulence of the new variant is not high, but with significant more data needed for a clearer picture to emerge. Meanwhile, a new covid treatment pill from Merck (molnupiravir) may be available in coming weeks in some countries as it nears full approval. Next week’s earnings: The earnings season is running on fumes now few fewer important earnings left to watch. The Q3 earnings season has shown that US equities remain the strongest part of the market driven by its high growth technology sector. Today’s focus is on MongoDB which is expected to deliver 36% y/y revenue growth in Q3 (ending 31 October). Monday: Sino Pharmaceutical, Acciona Energias, MongoDB, Coupa Software, Gitlab Tuesday: SentinelOne, AutoZone, Ashtead Group Wednesday: Huali Industrial Group, GalaxyCore, Kabel Deutschland, Dollarama, Brown-Forman, UiPath, GameStop, RH, Campbell Soup Thursday: Sekisui House, Hormel Foods, Costco Wholesale, Oracle, Broadcom, Lululemon Athletica, Chewy, Vail Resorts Friday: Carl Zeiss Meditec Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0830 – Sweden Riksbank Meeting Minutes 0900 – Switzerland Weekly Sight Deposits 1130 – UK Bank of England’s Broadbent to speak 0330 – Australia RBA Cash Rate Target   Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple Spotify Soundcloud Sticher

Commodities 2021-12-06 10:50 Summary:  Futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities, forex and financials up until last Tuesday, November 30. A week that encapsulated the markets very nervous reaction to the Omicron virus news as well as Jerome Powell's increased focus on combatting inflation. While global stocks and US long end yields dropped, a 7% correction in the Bloomberg commodity index helped trigger the biggest and most widespread hedge fund exodus since February 2020. Saxo Bank publishes weekly Commitment of Traders reports (COT) covering leveraged fund positions in commodities, bonds and stock index futures. For IMM currency futures and the VIX, we use the broader measure called non-commercial. Link to latest report This summary highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities, forex and financials up until last Tuesday, November 30. The reporting week encapsulated the markets very nervous reaction to the Omicron virus news as well as Jerome Powell confirming inflation is no longer being transitory. His comments to the Senate banking committee raised expectations for faster tapering with the first full 0.25% rate hike now priced in for July next year. The US yield curve flattened considerably with virus related safe-haven demand driving down the yield on 10-year US treasury notes by 22 basis point. Global stocks slumped with the VIX jumping 8%. Hardest hit, however was the commodity sector after the Bloomberg commodity index slumped by 7%, thereby triggering the biggest and most widespread hedge fund exodus since February 2020. Commodities Hedge funds responded to heightened growth and demand concerns related to the omicron virus, and the potential faster pace of US tapering, by cutting their net long across 24 major commodity futures by 17% to a 15-month low at 1.8 million lots. This the biggest one-week reduction since the first round of Covid-19 panic in February last year was triggered by net selling of all but three livestock contracts. Energy: Hardest hit was the energy sector where renewed demand concerns sent the prices of WTI and Brent down by more than 15%. In response to this, hedge funds accelerated their pace of futures selling with the combined net long slumping by 90k lots to a one-year low at 425k lots. The loss of momentum following the late October peak has driven an eight-week exodus out of oil contracts, culminating last week, and during this time the net length has seen a 35% or 224k lots reduction. Potentially setting the market up for a strong speculative driven recovery once the technical and fundamental outlook turns more friendly.Latest: Crude oil (OILUKFEB22 & OILUSJAN21) trades higher following its longest stretch of weekly declines since 2018. Today’s rise apart from a general positive risk sentiment in Asia has been supported by Saudi Arabia’s decision to hike their official selling prices (OSP) to Asia and US next month. Thereby signaling confidence demand will be strong enough to absorb last week's OPEC+ production increase at a time when mobility is challenged by the omicron virus. For now, both WTI and Brent continue to find resistance at their 200-day moving averages, currently at $69.50 and$72.88 respectively.  Metals: Gold was net sold for a second week as speculators continued to reduce exposure following the failed breakout attempt above $1830. With Fed chair Powell signaling a change in focus from job creation to fighting inflation, sentiment took another knock, thereby driving a 13.7k lots reduction to a four-week low at 105k lots. Industrial metals also suffered with the net long in HG copper slumping by one-third to a three-month low at 13.4k lots. Copper’s rangebound trading behavior since July has sapped hedge funds involvement with the current net length a far cry from the 92k record peak seen this time last year.Latest: Gold (XAUUSD) received a small bid on Friday following mixed US data, but overall, it continues to lack the momentum needed to challenge an area of resistance just above $1790 where both the 50- and 200-day moving averages meet. Focus on Friday’s US CPI data with the gold market struggling to respond to rising inflation as it could speed up rate hike expectations thereby putting upward pressure on real yields which are inverse correlated to gold's performance.  A full 25 basis point rate hike has now been priced in for July and the short-term direction will likely be determined by the ebb and flow of future rate hike expectations. Agriculture: The whole sector with the exception of livestock took a major hit, just one week after funds had increased bullish bets on grains and softs by the most in 15 months. Both sectors suffered setbacks of more than 5% with recent highflyers like wheat and cotton taking big hits. As mentioned, selling was broad and led by corn, soybeans, sugar and cocoa, with the latter together with palladium being the only two contracts where speculators hold an outright short position.This week the grain market will be focusing on weather developments in Australia and its potential impact on the wheat harvest, as well as the monthly World Agriculture Supply & Demand report (WASDE) from the USDA.  Forex In forex, speculators reacted to renewed virus concerns by increasing bullish dollar bets against ten IMM currency futures and the Dollar Index to an 18-month high at $27.9 billion. Speculators were buyers of JPY (18.4k lots or $2 billion equivalent) but sellers of everything else, including euros (6.8k) and the two commodity currencies of AUD (16.9k) and CAD (10.9k). These changes resulting in the aggregate dollar long rising by $2.3 billion. In terms of extended positioning, a euro short at 23k lots was last seen in March 2020, the GBP short at 39k lots was a two-year high while the 60k lots MXN short was the highest since March 2017. What is the Commitments of Traders report? The COT reports are issued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the ICE Exchange Europe for Brent crude oil and gas oil. They are released every Friday after the U.S. close with data from the week ending the previous Tuesday. They break down the open interest in futures markets into different groups of users depending on the asset class. Commodities: Producer/Merchant/Processor/User, Swap dealers, Managed Money and otherFinancials: Dealer/Intermediary; Asset Manager/Institutional; Leveraged Funds and otherForex: A broad breakdown between commercial and non-commercial (speculators) The reasons why we focus primarily on the behavior of the highlighted groups are: They are likely to have tight stops and no underlying exposure that is being hedged This makes them most reactive to changes in fundamental or technical price developments It provides views about major trends but also helps to decipher when a reversal is looming

Macro 2021-12-03 08:45 6 minutes to read Summary:  Risk sentiment rebounded yesterday in the US session, erasing the rather steep losses of the prior day. Sentiment in Asia is also on the mend, while oil prices recovered all of the lost ground from an intraday plunge in the wake of the OPEC+ meeting yesterday. Today, focus swings to the US November jobs report, with extra focus likely on average hourly earnings data as investors watch for signs of a wage-price spiral developing. What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) - US equities bounced back yesterday after finding a new low for the current short-term cycle lower with Nasdaq 100 futures trading around the 15,975 level this morning in European trading. Long-term US interest rates are not moving much so we expect a quiet session unless the Nonfarm Payrolls for November throws a curveball at the market. In the medium-term risk in equities will be determined by pricing of interest rates hikes next year and updated information on the new Omicron variant of Covid. Stoxx 50 (EU50.I) - Stoxx 50 futures are stuck in a stabilisation zone between 4,100 and 4,160 with the 100-day moving average at 4,157 which is obviously the key resistance level to watch today should we get risk-on. European equities remain pulled by two opposite forces with the first being that higher expected interest rates are positive for this value market, while the continent has the most to lose short-term from the Omicron variant. If the latter fades over the coming weeks, we expect investors to move back into European equities. USDJPY and JPY crosses – With every day that passes and no follow-through lower unfolds after the recent omicron-variant inspired tumble from the 115.00+ level, the odds of a reversal back higher grow, though as we have mentioned often in this space, this would likely require that US yields lift all along the curve, not just near the front of the curve where Fed expectations operate the most forcefully. A fresh wave of weak global risk sentiment, on the other hand, could bring another wave of JPY strength, particularly in the crosses like AUDJPY and CADJPY, some of which saw their largest single-day moves since the pandemic outbreak early last year. For USDJPY, the downside pivot is now near 112.50. USDCAD – USDCAD has rallied as the market has been adjusting to the more hawkish shift from the Fed, especially after this week’s testimony from Fed Chair Powell. As well, uncertainties and the real threat of a reduction in travel due to the new omicron variant of covid have taken down crude oil prices nearly twenty dollars from their late October peak, around the time USDCAD was bottoming out near 1.2300. Now it trades near 1.2800 and the top of the range (only intraday price spikes from August and September rose above this level) as oil has staged a significant rebound yesterday. If risk sentiment can stabilize and oil prices recover, this important 1.2800+ area resistance could hold. Crude oil (OILUKFEB22 & OILUSJAN21) trades up 8% from yesterday’s low point after the OPEC+ group of producers adopted a flexible approach on supply while at the same time agreeing to maintain the current rate of production increases. The market gripped with omicron angst this past week rallied on the news due to several reasons 1) the market had already priced in a significant and not yet realised reduction in demand, and 2) it the meeting was left “in session” meaning changes can be made before January 4. 3) the move eased political tensions with large consumers, 4) some of the SPR barrels on offer may not leave storage due to lack of demand from refineries, and 5) members with spare capacity wanted to increase production, as the group has not delivered the promised increases due to some struggling to reach their quotas. The next upside level to watch being the 200-day moving average at $72.85. Gold (XAUUSD) slumped to a one-month low at $1762 yesterday, as the dollar strengthened in response to robust economic data, before finding a small bid from recovering crude oil prices. Otherwise, it has been another troubled week, the third in a row, with the yellow metal struggling to put up a defense against the Fed’s changed focus from employment to combatting inflation. In addition, the spreading of the omicron variant and its potential threat to the economic recovery has so far failed to support prices despite driving bond yields sharply lower and the VIX higher. Silver (XAGUSD) has struggled even more given its industrious link with XAUXAG ratio trading near a two-month high. Focus today being the US job report with the first major upside level of interest in gold being $1792 with support at $1760. US Treasuries (IEF, TLT). Today the focus is on the nonfarm payrolls numbers, as a better-than-expected report would confirm the intention of the Federal Reserve to taper at this month's FOMC meeting. The US yield curve continued to bear-flatten yesterday as Fed’s speakers including Bostic, Daly, Quarles, and Barkin commented on the possibility of a faster tapering to open for rate hikes next year. Two-year yields rose by 8 bps, while five-year yields cheapened by 5bps. Long-term yields dropped contributing to an increased flattening of the yield curve in the 2s10s and 5s30s areas. In the meanwhile, Eurodollar futures have started to price rates cut in 2025. We expect the flattening of the yield curve to continue until Covid distortions are eased. Afterward, the long part of the yield curve will need to shift much higher adjusting to interest rate hikes expectations. US junk bonds (HYG, JNK). According to Bloomberg Barclays indexes, junk bonds’ OAS widened by 30bps to 330bps amid last Friday’s selloff reflecting the lack of liquidity in markets. Despite negative real rates continuing to support corporate bond valuations, it’s safe to expect junk bond spreads to widen throughout the end of the year amid poor liquidity. If the volatility in rates remains sustained, the widening of spreads could accelerate, posing a threat also for stocks. German Bunds (IS0L). Rate hikes expectations for the eurozone were pushed to 2023 yesterday amid a slump in tech stocks. German and Italian government bonds more than reversed Wednesday’s losses. In Europe, Covid distortions are keeping bond yields in check. However, when Covid fears ease we can expect yields in the euro area to adjust higher given the inflationary backdrop and the new German government. What is going on? Omicron covid variant cases rise, reinfection risk judged high in one study. South African officials note that the omicron variant of covid is spreading faster than the delta- or any other variant of the virus despite estimates by some that a majority of the South African population was infected with covid in prior waves. National cases were at 11.5k yesterday versus 8.6k on Wednesday and 4.4k on Tuesday. A study there of the reinfection risk suggests that it is some three times higher than prior variants. Omicron variant cases have now been discovered worldwide, including Italy, the US and South Korea. DocuSign shares plunge 30% in extended trading. The company guided Q4 revenue of $557-563mn vs est. $574mn which is a small revenue miss, but enough to spark a massive selloff in extended trading. Investors took clearly little comfort in the fact that the company is consistently improving operating margin hitting 3.1% in Q3 and expected to climb significantly in the coming quarters. China moves to delist Didi from US exchanges. US SEC set to move against Chinese listing. The Chinese ride-sharing and transportation platform company will delist in the US and move to a Hong Kong listing, perhaps in the March time frame. Meanwhile, the US SEC is set to move against a number of Chinese companies listed on US exchanges on charges that their accounting disclosures are not in compliance with US regulations. Another strong US weekly jobless claims number was out yesterday at 222k, lower than expected and near the levels during the strong labor market before the early 2020 pandemic outbreak. The prior week’s number was one of the lowest ever and was revised even lower to 194k, suggesting a very tight labor market. What are we watching next? Study of omicron variant and its virulence. Scientists will work with the provincial government of Gauteng in South Africa, which has the most measured cases of the new omicron variant, to complete a study of the new variant’s virulence as soon as next Tuesday, though results will be released to the public later. A local official there said that hospitalizations and mortality are lower than expected thus far. US November Nonfarm Payrolls Change and Average Hourly Earnings today. With the US economy operating at full capacity according to estimates from CBO, continued strong job gains will add fuel to the “inflation fire”. Wednesday's 534k increase in the November ADP private payroll number suggests that the job market growth remains healthy in the US as we await the official nonfarm payrolls numbers today (expected to show 500k+ jobs added), where strong upward revisions to prior months’ data has been a notable trend this year due to data collection issues. As well, Average Hourly earnings numbers will be closely watched for any budding signs of a wage-price spiral, as a constrained supply of labor could see companies bidding up wages and October showed a strong rise in earnings at a faster pace than at any time from the start of the survey in 2007 to the outbreak of the covid pandemic. The October Average Hourly Earnings number rose to 4.9% year-on-year, and 5.0% is expected for today’s November number. Earnings Watch – today is a quiet day on earnings with only Bank of Montreal reporting earnings. We have also put in next week’s earnings releases. Friday: Bank of Montreal Next week’s earnings: Monday: Sino Pharmaceutical, Acciona Energias, MongoDB, Coupa Software, Gitlab Tuesday: SentinelOne, AutoZone, Ashtead Group Wednesday: Huali Industrial Group, GalaxyCore, Kabel Deutschland, Dollarama, Brown-Forman, UiPath, GameStop, RH, Campbell Soup Thursday: Sekisui House, Hormel Foods, Costco Wholesale, Oracle, Broadcom, Lululemon Athletica, Chewy, Vail Resorts Friday: Carl Zeiss Meditec Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0815-0900 – Euro Zone final Nov. Services PMI 0900 – Norway Nov. Unemployment Rate 0930 – UK Nov. Final Services PMI 1100 – UK Bank of England’s Saunders to speak 1300 – ECB Chief Economist Philip Lane to speak 1330 – US Nov. Change in Nonfarm Payrolls 1330 – US Nov. Average Hourly Earnings 1330 – US Nov. Unemployment Rate 1330 – Canada Nov. Net Change in Employment 1330 – Canada Nov. Unemployment Rate 1415 – US Fed’s Bullard (voter in 2022) to speak 1500 – US Nov. ISM Services 1500 – US Nov. Factory Orders   Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple Spotify Soundcloud Sticher

Podcast 2021-12-08 10:00 20 minutes to read Summary:  Today we look at the incredibly strong rebound in the major equity indices, in part on the lifting of omicron concerns, but practically speaking probably also on the lifting of downside hedges or gamma risk. A rundown of key FX developments, including the very strong Chinese renminbi, a look at where crude oil will focus next as only a portion of the huge recent slide has been erased, still positive roll curve for commodities, US political developments of note and much more. Today's pod features Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast and have a look at today’s slide deck. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple Spotify Soundcloud Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.

Macro 2021-12-14 08:35 6 minutes to read Summary:  Risk sentiment soured yesterday, with some attributing the market nervousness to uncertainty on how hawkish a pivot the Fed is set to make at the FOMC tomorrow, although Fed rate expectations for next year as expressed in the most liquid futures have eased from recent highs. That meeting is the most significant major macro event risk for the 2021 calendar year, although important ECB and BoE meetings are set for Thursday. What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) - yesterday was a very disappointing session for US technology stocks with Nasdaq 100 futures looking to push higher early during the session but ended on the lowest close in four trading sessions. Nasdaq 100 futures are trading around the 16,110 level this morning with the 50-day average around the 15,810 level as the key support level to watch on the downside should risk-off continue. EURUSD – the EURUSD supermajor continues to coil in a tight range ahead of the FOMC meeting tomorrow and ECB meeting on Thursday, both of which are set to bring refreshed forecasts for the economy and policy. The FOMC meeting is likely to carry more weight in terms of the market reaction, especially if the Fed waxes more hawkish than expected (more below) and takes Fed rate expectations for next year to new highs for the cycle. The lines in the sand on the chart include the 1.1186 lows of November, while the recent pivot highs of 1.1355 and 1.1384 bar the upside, with 1.1500 a more structural resistance/pivot zone. AUDUSD – watching the US dollar closely over the next couple of sessions, particularly in the wake of tomorrow’s FOMC meeting and what it brings in the way of a crystallization of the Fed’s hawkish shift (more below) and in the market reaction. If the meeting brings a spike in market volatility, traditionally risk-correlated currencies like the Aussie could show high beta to swings in the US dollar in either direction (I.e., if the Fed waxes more hawkish than expected and this triggers risk-off and a stronger USD). AUDUSD recently broke down through the prior 2021 lows near 0.7100 and tested the huge 0.7000 level before staging a sharp bounce. That 0.7000 level could serve as a kind of “bull-bear” line from here. Crude oil (OILUKFEB22 & OILUSJAN22) has settled into a relatively narrow range with Brent finding resistance at $76, the 21-day moving average while support remains the 200-day moving average at $73.15. OPEC in its monthly oil market report maintained their 4.2 million barrels per day demand growth outlook for 2022 with current omicron-related weakness being offset by a strong recovery during Q1. The Saudi energy minister said the energy transition will cause an oil-price spike later this decade while also warning traders against shorting the market at a time where large speculators have reduced their Brent crude oil long to a 13-month low. On tap today we have IEA’s Monthly Oil Market Report. Gold (XAUUSD) remains stuck just below its 200-day moving average at $1794 with focus on what 20 central bank meetings this week will deliver in terms of inflation fighting measures at a time where the omicron variant continues to cloud the economic outlook. With US inflation rising at the fastest pace since the 1980’s, Wednesday’s FOMC meeting remains the top event. The market is currently pricing in three rate hikes next year with the first one due around June. The other semi-investment metals of silver (XAGUSD) and platinum (XPTUSD) both struggling with the latter’s 850-dollar discount to gold, near a one year high, potentially deserving some attention. US Treasuries (TLH, TLT). The US yield curve bulled flatten yesterday with 10-year yields falling by 7bps to test support at 1.41%. To contribute to this move was news of the first omicron death in the UK, and the winding done of short US Treasury positions before the end of the year. Price action will remain volatile ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting, where Powell is expected to announce an acceleration of the pace of tapering. The focus is going to be also on the Dot plot, where longer term projections might be moved higher, pushing up the long part of the yield curve. However, long-term yields can move higher only that much, as omicron distortions will continue to keep them compressed. It looks likely that 10-year yields will continue to trade rangebound between 1.40% and 1.70% until the end of the year. European sovereign bonds (IS0L, BTP10). The Bund yield curve bull flattened yesterday led by safe-haven buying amid concerns over omicron. Italian BTPS gained the most as the market pushes back on interest rate hikes in 2022. The focus, however, continues to be on the ECB meeting on Thursday. An announcement of the end of the PEPP program in March 2022 is widely anticipated. What’s not clear is whether it will be announced that bond purchases will be compensated by another scheme, such as the APP. It is likely that the ECB will stall as members are torn between inflation and a new wave of Covid infections. If investors feel the support of the central bank is fading, European yields might resume their rise with the periphery and Italian BTPS leading the way. Yet, the move will be contained as yields will remain compressed by covid concerns. UK Gilts (IGLT, IGLS). The BOE might not deliver on a 10bps interest rate hike this week as members are divided concerning Covid restrictions. Michael Saunders, one of the most hawkish MPC members, said that he will need to think about it twice before voting for a rate hike. As expectations for interest rate hikes in the UK are the most aggressive among developed economies. It is possible that if the central bank does not hike, the Gilt yield curve will be steeping with short-term Gilts gaining the most as the market pushes back on next year’s rate expectations. What is going on? China reports first omicron variant case of covid - bringing fears of supply chain disruptions due to the country’s zero tolerance policy on virus cases that can mean profound shutdowns in response to outbreaks. Chinese property developers under new pressure, with the focus this time on Shimao Group Holdings, whose Hong-Kong listing is down over 75% this year and down over 30% over the last week on concerns that a deal between the company’s business units is a sign of financial stress for the company. The company’s 2030 USD-denominated bonds lost almost 13% overnight as the yield rose above 10%. Other Chinese property developer shares were also under pressure overnight. Tesla shares down 5% as growth stocks are under pressure. Tesla shares pushed below $1,000 yesterday adding further pressure to related assets in the Ark Innovation ETF and Bitcoin is also seen lower this morning. Elon Musk sold $907mn worth of shares yesterday according to a filing overnight in order to pay taxes on another round stock options that were exercised. Toyota finally pushes into EV. Japan’s largest carmaker wants to compete with Tesla and Volkswagen announcing $35bn of investments into battery electric vehicles showing the first sign that Toyota is acknowledging that this is the future of the industry. Toyota has so far pursued hybrids on the ground of being more economical, but this push into BEV with 30 new models validates BEVs once and for all, even though Toyota is still saying that it does not know which technology will win. US Harley-Davidson set to spin-off EV motorcycle unit – the plan to spin off Harley’s EV business via a SPAC saw Harley-Davidson shares spike 19% before surrendering most of the gains. Harley’s LiveWire EV business unit will combine with SPAC AEA-Bridges Impact to form a new publicly traded company. The move is meant to take advantage of the premium the market is willing to pay for pure-play EV companies. EU diplomats suggest time running out on Iran nuclear deal - as Iran is progressing rapidly toward enriching uranium for potential use in nuclear weapons. The diplomats worry that without a breakthrough soon, the original 2015 agreement “will very soon become an empty shell.” What are we watching next? The Wednesday FOMC as the year’s final major macro event risk. The FOMC meeting tomorrow is set to bring a very different monetary policy statement from the prior statement after the Fed’s clear pivot to inflation fighting mode. As well, the meeting will see an update of economic forecasts and interest rate policy forecasts (the “dot plot” in which 19 Fed members forecast where the Fed funds rate will likely be in 2022-24 and in the longer term). Most interesting will be the degree to which Fed members have raised their policy rate forecasts relative to what the market is predicting, which is for just under three rate hikes through the end of next year. Prior forecasts have generally come in lower than market expectations. The baseline expectation for the pace of QE “tapering”, or slowing of purchases, is that the Fed will double the pace of tapering, which would mean the Fed’s balance sheet is set to stop growing by the end of March. Anything that suggests a faster pace of tapering than this doubling (for example, a promise to wind down before March) and that hints that a hike at the March FOMC meeting is possible would be a hawkish surprise. The European Council meets on Thursday, and apart from having to deal with Covid-19 and the Russian threat on its eastern borders, the council is also set to decide whether investments in gas and nuclear energy should be labelled climate friendly. The design of the EU green investment classification system is closely watched by investors worldwide and could potentially attract billions of euros in private finance to help the green transition, especially given the need to reduce the usage of coal, the biggest polluter. Earnings Watch – the earnings calendar is getting very thin this week and no major earnings expected today. Wednesday: Inditex, Toro, Lennar, Heico, Trip.com, Nordson Thursday: FedEx, Adobe, Accenture Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0830 – Sweden Nov. CPI 1000 – Euro Zone Oct. Industrial Production 1100 – US Nov. NFIB Small Business Optimism 1300 – Hungary Central Bank Rate Decision 1330 – US Nov. PPI 1900 – New Zealand RBNZ Governor Orr before parliament committee 2130 – API Weekly Report on US Oil and Fuel Inventories 2330 – Australia Dec. Westpac Consumer Confidence 0200 – China Nov. Retail Sales 0200 – China Nov. Industrial Production During the day: IEA’s Monthly Oil Market Report   Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple Spotify Soundcloud Sticher

Macro 2021-12-10 08:30 6 minutes to read Summary:  Risk sentiment has consolidated after sharp gains earlier this week as the market nervously eyes the US November CPI release today from the US and whether this will trigger a more hawkish FOMC meeting next week. The US White House has already been out attempting damage control from the inflation headlines today, saying that the data will not reflect recent declines in gasoline and other prices.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) - US equities and particularly tech stocks consolidated a significant chunk of the sharp gains from earlier this week, with speculative sectors getting the worst of it on the day, although most stocks were down on the day. A high US November CPI release today could spook investors as it would raise the anticipation of an even more hawkish FOMC meeting next week. EURUSD – The EURUSD rally attempt from Wednesday faltered in what now looks a mere tactical squeeze ahead of today’s US November CPI report (more below). Given that the slide in EURUSD has largely tracked with the rise in Fed expectations, the degree to which those expectations are adjusted higher or lower in the wake of today’s US CPI data and then next week in the wake of the FOMC meeting Wednesday and ECB meeting Thursday will likely correlate with EURUSD direction, where the focus is on the cycle lows just below 1.1200 for a possible run at 1.1000 on a break lower and the tactical pivot high near 1.1380. USDJPY and JPY crosses – the omicron variant news of some two weeks ago triggered a huge slide in USDJPY just after it was trying to engineer a break above multi-year highs near 114-50. Similar to developments in crude oil and longer US yields, USDJPY has failed to get back to the upper reaches of the recent range since that sell-off, which bottomed out near the 112.50 area – the current trigger zone for a possible further sell-off wave (most like in a scenario of cratering risk sentiment and US treasuries serving as a safe-haven) that could poke at the important 111.00-50 downside pivot zone. Elsewhere, JPY crosses backed up very sharply this week on hopes that the omicron variant will prove mild and won’t impact the growth outlook, but the scale of the rally or squeeze has been modest relative to the prior sell-off. Watching areas like 127.50-128.00 in EURJPY and 79.00 in AUDJPY in coming sessions for whether another wave of JPY strength is in the cards. Crude oil’s (OILUKFEB22 & OILUSJAN22) week-long rally hit the buffers yesterday with Brent and WTI retracing back towards support at their 200-day moving averages at $73 and $69.80 respectively. A study finding the omicron variant is 4.2 times more transmissible than the delta combined with new restrictions among several nations helped weaken the sentiment, and with end of year approaching many traders are increasingly becoming more risk adverse, potentially leading to more fluctuations. Focus today on omicron news, US inflation data and whether the mentioned support level can be maintained. Wheat (WHEATMAR22 & ZWH2) trades near five-week low following three days of losses which accelerated yesterday after the USDA raised its outlook for global stocks. The 3% drop in Chicago also helped drag down the recent highflyers futures for Kansas and Paris milling wheat. Global stock levels at the end of the 2022-23 season received a boost from production upgrades in Russian (1mt) and Australian (2.5mt) while US export slowed with high prices curbing demand. US Treasuries (TLH, TLT).  Yesterday’s 30-year auction showed that the market is not willing to buy long-term US Treasuries at current low yields. The 30-year auction was priced with a high yield of 1.895%, tailing by 3.2bps. Although the tail was smaller than last month’s 5.2bps, it would have been enough to cause a selloff in long-term Treasuries. However, covid distortions kept yields compressed, hence volatility in rates was avoided. Today’s CPI numbers are in focus as a high number is likely to contribute to more upward pressure in the yield curve. What is going on? The US White House was already out attempting damage control on inflation before today’s CPI release. A White House official, economic adviser Brian Deese, was out late yesterday saying that today’s US November CPI release won’t reflect recent drops in the price of key commodities, especially gasoline and natural gas as it is “backward looking”. China property developers formally declared to have defaulted - as Fitch Ratings noted missed interest payments on Evergrande and Kaisa Group Holdings USD bonds as it downgraded these issues to restricted default. USDCNY and USDCNH bounce sharply a day after posting new low for the year - China fixed the USDCNY level at a far weaker level than expected and announced an FX reserve ratio increase to 9%, forcing domestic banks to maintain higher reserves of foreign currencies.  These are rather obvious signals that China would like to avoid a further rise in its currency after a powerful and broad rally that saw both the offshore and onshore yuan posting new highs for the US dollar for the year just this Wednesday. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies close sharply lower – with Bitcoin closing at its lowest levels on a weekday since September. Technically, the 40-45k zone looks important for avoiding a more significant capitulation lower after the recent weekend meltdown that took the price some 20% lower to below 43k before support was found. According to coinmarketcap.com, the market cap of the nearly 15.5k cryptocurrencies is currently near $2.26 trillion after peaking near $2.93 trillion in November, a drawdown of over 22%. What are we watching next? US November CPI data release today, expected at 6.8% year-on-year for the headline number and 4.9% at the core, both of which would be the highest readings in decades. Given that expectations are so high, would a slightly hotter than expected number move the needle on a Friday ahead of next week’s important FOMC meeting? A significant beat to the upside just might make a difference, given that the Fed has clearly made a shift toward fighting inflation and would probably need to bring a March 2022 rate hike possibility into its forward guidance. Fed rate expectations for next year are poised near the high for the cycle, suggesting a 0.8% Fed Funds rate (vs. currently 0-0.25%) is priced in through the December 2022 Fed meeting. The EU is set to decide by December 22 whether investments in gas and nuclear energy should be labelled climate friendly. The design of the EU green investment classification system is closely watched by investors worldwide and could potentially attract billions of euros in private finance to help the green transition, especially given the need to reduce the usage of coal, the biggest polluter. Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0905 – ECB President Lagarde, others speaking at panel discussion1300 - Poland National Bank of Poland meeting minutes1330 – US Nov. CPI1500 – US Dec. Preliminary University of Michigan Sentiment Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple Spotify Soundcloud Sticher

  Gold is barely crawling up, while silver is boldly climbing the market ladder. When will its rungs turn slippery, causing the precious metal to fall?  Yesterday’s session was particularly uneventful in the case of the precious metals market, as crude oil and the general stock market stole the spotlight. Consequently, today’s analysis will focus on what’s happening in pre-market trading, as that’s what appears to be more important. At the moment of writing these words, gold is up very modestly – less than 0.2%. Consequently, after rallying to about $1,815 (in tune with my Thursday’s analysis) and invalidating the breakout above the rising resistance line, gold appears to be making another attempt to rally, but the strength of the move is very limited. Predicting higher gold prices might not be the best idea here, as the yellow metal was not able to even get to the red line, let alone to its previous monthly high. Silver, on the other hand, has moved quite visibly higher so far today. While gold moved higher by less than 0.2%, silver rallied by about 1.5% and is now trading very close to its previous monthly highs. This is very interesting, because silver is showing strength and weakness at once. How is that possible – one might ask. It’s the same as with trends or forecasts for silver. They can be bearish and bullish simultaneously, depending on the time frame that one focuses on. For example, I think that the very long-term outlook for silver is extremely bullish, but I also think that the medium-term trend is bearish. The short-term trend is also bearish, but the immediate-term trend is bullish. So, am I bullish or bearish on silver? Answering this without specifying the time frame is bound to create misunderstandings. Getting back to silver’s relative performance, it’s been weak when taking into account the last couple of weeks – please note how little of the recent monthly decline silver has corrected compared to gold. Gold recently moved to its October highs, but silver topped a few dollars below its October high. What does it tell us? Silver is likely to fall hard, also compared to gold, probably in tune with the general stock market – similarly to what happened in 2008 and 2020. That’s the same kind of performance that we saw in the very early parts of the huge declines. At the same time, silver is strong compared to gold on an immediate-term basis. This means that we’re likely at or close to a short-term top. Why? Because that’s what the precious metals market tends to do when it’s topping, and it’s one of the great gold trading tips to monitor the PM market for these situations. One could debate why this is really the case, and there are quite a few theories (the silver market is smaller, so more prone to sudden moves, etc.), but the point is that it simply works. Please note that some things – like the Pareto principle (a.k.a. the 20:80 rule) – can work and be very useful, even if it’s not clear why they work. Consequently, it seems that the days of this short-term corrective upswing are either over or about to be over, and that the precious metals sector will return to its medium-term decline any day now. Thank you for reading our free analysis today. Please note that the above is just a small fraction of today’s all-encompassing Gold & Silver Trading Alert. The latter includes multiple premium details such as the targets for gold and mining stocks that could be reached in the next few weeks. If you’d like to read those premium details, we have good news for you. As soon as you sign up for our free gold newsletter, you’ll get a free 7-day no-obligation trial access to our premium Gold & Silver Trading Alerts. It’s really free – sign up today. Przemyslaw Radomski, CFAFounder, Editor-in-chiefSunshine Profits: Effective Investment through Diligence & Care * * * * * All essays, research and information found above represent analyses and opinions of Przemyslaw Radomski, CFA and Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. Opinions and analyses are based on data available to authors of respective essays at the time of writing. Although the information provided above is based on careful research and sources that are deemed to be accurate, Przemyslaw Radomski, CFA and his associates do not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the data or information reported. The opinions published above are neither an offer nor a recommendation to purchase or sell any securities. Mr. Radomski is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Przemyslaw Radomski's, CFA reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Przemyslaw Radomski, CFA, Sunshine Profits' employees and affiliates as well as members of their families may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

S&P 500 duly rallied on broad strength, and credit markets performance bodes well for all risk-on assets. Now a little consolidation after yesterday‘s steep gains is ahead, but I don‘t see it as derailing future gains. The stock bull run isn‘t over, and doesn‘t need the infrastructure bill for its further advance, price action shows. The VIX is calming down, now around 21 with further room to decline still – at least as far as the remainder of 2021 is concerned. Commodities remain in rally mode after the recent correction, and crude oil sending a bullish message (and not one of fear) is a welcome sign. The same goes for copper moving in sync with the rest of the commodities – and that has positive implications for silver too. Precious metals though still remain a patience trade, where the risks of being out of the markets outweight those of being in – it‘s a bet on the Fed making a wrong tapering / tightening move – with the market figuring out so beforehand. It sure would come as the compressing yield spreads reveal that is the greatest fear, but we aren‘t there yet. Finally, cryptos cautious mood today illustrates the certainly less exciting session just ahead than was the case yesterday. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 has woken up, and indeed surpassed the 50-day moving average. The lower volume isn‘t an issue, but a little consolidation is ahead today – not a steep rally continuation. Credit Markets HYG jumped higher in a giant risk-on nod that is further confirmed by the quality bonds performance. Again, I‘m looking for a little consolidation here today as well. Gold, Silver and Miners Gold downswing isn‘t to be taken at all seriously – I‘m looking for more gains in both the yellow and white metals, at their own and relatively slow pace. The countdown to Fed policy mistake and inflation returning to the limelight, is on. Crude Oil Crude oil scored a nice upswing, oil stocks confirmed as well the return of strength into the stock market, and both black gold and S&P 500 can keep rising together over the next days. Chances are the $72 area setback could be coming back into play still this week. Copper Copper keeps agreeing with the risk-on turn, and is certainly primed to go much higher over the nearest weeks and months. Similarly to uranium, I remain bullish on the sector, especially since copper, silver, nickel and lithium are all green economy preconditions. Bitcoin and Ethereum Bitcoin and Ethereum time to consolidate yesterday‘s gains, is here – and I‘m not looking for a bullish picture based on Ethereum performance. Sideways to a little down, that‘s the most likely outcome before the bulls move again. Summary Consolidation of yesterday‘s steep S&P 500 and commodity gains is ahead for today, but the Santa Claus rally is by no means over. Even if oil and cryptos hesitate a little, the constructive message from bonds and copper is overpowering that in my view. As explained in detail within the opening part of today‘s analysis, the bulls have to odds to keep moving – and will likely take advantage thereof before the year is over. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

S&P 500 and risk-on assets continued rallying, pausing only before the close. Santa Claus delivered, and the final trading week of 2021 is here. With the dollar pausing and VIX at 18 again, we‘re certainly enjoying better days while clouds gather on the horizon – Thursday‘s inability of financials to keep intraday gains while yields rose, is but one albeit short-term sign. The Fed is still accomodative (just see the balance sheet expansion for Dec – this is really tapering), didn‘t get into the headlines with fresh hawkish statements, and inflation expectations keep rising from subdued levels. Importantly, bonds prices aren‘t taking it on the chin, and the dollar hasn‘t made much progress since late Nov. Both tech and value are challenging their recent highs, and the ratio of stocks trading above their 200-day moving average, is improving. The same for new highs new lows – the market breadth indicators are picking up. We haven‘t seen the stock market top yet – the rickety ride higher isn‘t over, Santa Claus rally goes on, and my 2022 outlook with targets discussed that a week ago. Precious metals are extending gains, and aren‘t yet raging ahead – the picture is one of welcome strength returning across the board. The same goes for crude oil finally rising solidly above $72 as the omicron fears are receding in light of fresh incoming data including South African policies. It‘s only copper that‘s now reflecting the prospects of real economy slowdown. At the same time, the crypto rebound last week served as a confirmation of broad risk-on advance. Still more to come, as per Thursday‘s article title. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 is within spitting distance of ATHs, and the bulls haven‘t said the last word in spite of the approaching need to take a rest. It‘s rally on, for now. Credit Markets HYG has finally overcome the Sep highs, but its vulnerability at current levels is best viewed from the point of view of LQD underperformance. Investment grade corporate bonds could have been trading higher compared to the progress made by TLT. Gold, Silver and Miners Gold and silver are looking up, and so are miners – the upswing isn‘t overheated one bit, and can go on as we keep consolidating with an increasingly bullish bias. Crude Oil Crude oil once again extended gains, and even if oil stocks are a little lagging, the medium-term bullish bias in black gold remains. The path of least resistance is once again up. Copper Copper at least closed unchanged – the fresh steep rally indeed seems more than quite a few weeks ahead. But the table for further gains is set. Bitcoin and Ethereum Bitcoin and Ethereum are entering the final trading week of 2021 in good shape. The rising tide of liquidity is still lifting all boats in a rather orderly way. Summary Thursday brought a proper finish to the Christmas week, and we‘re not staring at a disastrous finish to 2021 across the board. Short-term extended, but overall very positive bond market performance is aligned, and we can look for positive entry to 2022 in stocks, precious metals, oil, copper and cryptos alike. Shrinking global liquidity, no infrastructure bill, and consolidating dollar complete the backdrop of challenges that would make themselves heard well before Q2 2022 arrives. I hope you had Merry Christmas once again, and will also enjoy the relatively smooth ride while it lasts – 2022 will be still a good year, but with its fair share of corrections. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

Equities 2021-12-01 00:00 7 minutes to read Summary:  Hello December...Traditionally the second most bullish month for equites with the ASX200 rising 1.7% on average in December (since 1993/inception), while the S&P500 index has risen 1.5% on average (since 1950). Now the question is, will this December be different? Probably yes, as there is much uncertainty; markets are weary of Omicron (awaiting vaccine makers to develop a new vaccine), while retail sales are growing slower than expected (going against the grain as sales generally ramp up this time of year). So what’s next? We cover what to watch today and potential trading considerations. So volatility is indeed picking up right? And add in the fact that US Fed Chair said overnight, that the bond-buying taper process could wrap up “few months sooner than expected”…which opens the door to interest rates hikes thereafter. Powell also said “it’s probably a good time to retire” the world “transitory” to describe inflation. While global equities remain on tender hooks, keep an eye on volatility, and consider possible hedges. Iron ore breaks above its 30-DMA for the first time since 26 October. Watch the Aussie dollar with GPD data ahead. Markets and what you need to know    Equites: In the US: The Dow Jones fell 1.8%, the S&P500 lost 1.9%. Apple rose 3.1%. Pfizer rose 2.5% Salesfore.com fell 4%. Travellers fell 3.6% In Europe: the Euro Stoxx 50 fell 1.1%, the FTSE 100 down 0.7%. Yesterday most Asian markets fell, with the Australian market being the exception, rising 0.2% Commodities: Gold spot down 0.5% to $1,775.45, erasing gains after Powell’s comments on Taper, Inflation Keep an eye on Newcrest (NCM AU), Northern Star (NST AU), Evolution (EVN AU), Regis Resources (RRL AU), Resolute Mining (RSG AU), OZ Minerals (OZL AU):  WTI crude down 5.4% Oil Falls Below $65 With Powell signaling faster end to tapering Keep an eye on Woodside (WPL AU), WorleyParsons (WOR AU), Oil Search (OSH AU), Beach Energy (BPT AU), Karoon (KAR AU), Origin Energy (ORG AU), Santos (STO AU):  Copper down 1.4% Iron ore fell 0.4% after rising 6.8% the prior day Keep an eye on BHP (BHP AU), Rio Tinto (RIO AU) and Fortescue (FMG AU) Currencies: Aussie down 0.4% to 0.7118 per US dollar (Australia, NZ dollars record biggest monthly drops since pandemic) Kiwi down 0.1% to 0.6817 per US dollar Bonds: U.S. 10-year yield fell 6.2bps to 1.4375% Company News: Volvo Cars shares rose 13.6%; The company released first quarterly property since listing on the stock market a year ago and confirm a dip in revenue and profit. Volvo also flagged the sector-wide semiconductor shortage would continue into next year Apple shares +3.1% after reported Best Apple Cyber Monday. The tech giant is also working on a charger that powers multiple devices, an iPhone, AirPods, and Watch simultaneously. Orocobre shares rose 6% to a record high. Trading volume quadruped. The company expects lithium demand to grow materially through to 2040 due to electric vehicle adoption amid the global transition to carbon neutrality. This is expected to lead to a widening deficit over the next two decades, with demand predicted to be more than twice as great as supply by 2040. Major news, in case you missed it; Australian borders won’t reopen today (1 December), they’ll reopen 15 December Moderna CEO says current vaccines are less effective against new variant and it may take months before a new variant-specific jab is at scale. The World Health Organization said Omicron presents as ‘very high global risk’. Latest economic news: In Australia: The Australian economy is slowing: Private credit grew less than expected; showing Aussies are businesses borrowing less (credit grew 0.5% in October, vs 0.6% expected). Consumer confidence fell on a weekly basis In Asia – China’s manufacturing unexpected grew in November. First rise in activity since Aug. Japan industrial output rose for first time in four months, auto production rebounds on an easing of supply constraints Considerations for today and what to watch Volatility: New information is driving the markets short term direction, so keep an eye out. We’re in an illiquid part of the season, so volatility is high at the moment with news dictating the market moves. Some fund managers are taking money off the table and increasing their hedging To minimise volatility you could consider hedging for the next couple of weeks; perhaps consider currency options which is what we are seeing some clients trade at the moment, they are Buying dollar yen. Iron ore:  The Iron ore price to surged to a one month high, rising back above $100. Also of note, we are seeing clients increasing buy iron ore stocks (Fortescue, BHP and Rio Tinto). What’s new: Brazilian iron ore giant, Vale lowered its production outlook for year, while Rio Tinto announced it sees demand stabilizing is 2022 and underlying demand remaining robust expecting, China to take action to avoid a property hard land. Basically it seems iron ore supply will be coming out of market (from Vale), and demand is picking up in China. From a technical perspective, the iron ore price has held above its 15 and 30 day average, while the MACD technical indicator suggest that buying could pick up again in iron ore. This is definitely something to watch. It appears the 15 day moving average could also cross above the 30 day moving average, which would trigger a gold cross event, a technical event that often results in a bull run forming/continuing as quant traders/investors typically buy into positions when such an event occurs.   Source: TradingView, Saxo Markets Events to watch today: Local: Australian GPD data out 11:30am - expected to show Australian GPD slowed YoY, est. 3.0%, prior 9.6%. QoQ, est. -2.7%, prior 0.7%. So keep an eye on the Australian dollar. If the data is weaker than expected the Aussie dollar would likely fall US tonight: November ADP employment, November MBA purchase index, November ISM manufacturing PMI, crude oil inventories, Federal Chair Jerome Powell testimony What else? OPEC meets on Thursday - we could see production cuts, which could cause a rally in oil   Australian analyst rating changes to consider: CKF: Collins Foods Cut to Neutral at Jarden Securities; PT A$14.16 FMG: Fortescue Cut to Neutral at Citi GNC: GrainCorp Cut to Sell at Bell Potter; PT A$6.15 HPG: Hipages Group Rated New Overweight at Barrenjoey; PT A$4.65 JHX: James Hardie GDRs Rated New Overweight at Barrenjoey; PT A$63 TPG: TPG Telecom Rated New Overweight at Barrenjoey; PT A$7.50 TSI: Top Shelf International Rated New Speculative Buy at Canaccord   Ex-Dividends today on ASX:  Incitec Pivot, United Malt, Aristocrat Leisure

  Omicron did a bit of a mess at the end of 2021, with oil too. Will crude oil break new price records in the New Year 2022? What do you guys reckon? Market Updates Yesterday, crude oil prices ended modestly higher after a volatile session with amplitudes increased by closing trades, as US crude inventories fell by 3.6 million barrels – more than expected – which is a positive sign for demand. Commercial crude oil reserves in the United States fell more than expected last week, recording the third consecutive significant decline on the back of strong demand, according to figures released yesterday by the US Energy Information Agency (EIA). On the other hand, the overall volatility is mainly due to the possible impact of the Omicron variant on demand; projects, commutations, as well as trips are cancelled, and more severe restrictions are put in place in Europe and China. (Source: Investing.com) The oil market continues to be tight due to the increased demand for heating oil to replace natural gas, which has become very expensive, especially in Europe; the Dutch TTF (Title Transfer Facility) benchmark dropped almost 8% to €89 there. As you may know, one third of European gas supplies come from Russia. This explains why the energy market is also keeping an eye on the Russo-Western crisis around Ukraine. Russian gas exports could be affected if tensions rise, as Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to speak on the phone with his American counterpart Joe Biden later today. I bet they won’t talk about Russian caviar (which might also be considered Russia’s original black gold). RBOB Gasoline (RBF22) Futures (Continuous contract, daily chart, logarithmic scale) Henry Hub Natural Gas (NGF22) Futures (January contract, daily chart, logarithmic scale) WTI Crude Oil (CLG22) Futures (February contract, daily chart, logarithmic scale) Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

S&P 500 bulls stood their ground nicely, and the key sectors confirmed little willingness to turn the very short-term outlook more bearish than fits the little flag we‘re trading in currently – it‘s a bullish flag. Given the continued risk-off turn in bonds, the stock market setback could have been more than a tad deeper – that would be the conclusion at first glance. However, high yield corporate bonds held up much better than quality debt instruments, and that means the superficial look would have been misleading. Likewise as regards my other 2 signs out of the 3 yesterday presented ones – tech held up fine, and cryptos have practically erased yesterday‘s hesitation during today‘s premarket. The Santa Claus rally indeed hasn‘t yet run its course, and the slighly better than a coin toss odds of us not facing more than a very shallow correction, look to be materializing. As I wrote 2 days ago – What‘s Not to Love Here – we‘re entering 2022 with great open profits in both S&P 500 (entered aggressively at 4,672) and crude oil (entered with full force at $67.60). Both rides aren‘t yet over, copper is primed to catch up in the short run to the other commodities, gold is well bid at current levels, and together with silver waiting for a Fed misstep (market risk reappreciation) and inflation to start biting still some more while the real economy undergoes a soft patch (note however the very solid manufacturing data) with global liquidity remaining constrained even though the Fed didn‘t exactly taper much in Dec, and nominal yields taking a cautious and slow path towards my 2022 year end target of 1.80-2.00% on the 10-year Treasury. As I wrote prior Monday, we‘re looking at still positive 2022 returns in stocks – of course joined by commodities and precious metals. The path would be though probably a more turbulent one than was the case in 2021. We had a good year of strong gains, and I hope you have benefited. Thank you for all your appreciation and best wishes sent my way throughout all of 2021 and now by email or via Twitter – I would love to wish you a very Happy New Year – may 2022 keep bringing you happiness, success and good health. Enjoy the New Year‘s Eve celebrations, and see you again on Jan 03, 2022! Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 consolidation is still shaping up finely – and does so on solid internals. Particularly the tech resilience is a good omen. Credit Markets HYG could have indeed declined some more, but didn‘t. While I‘m not reading all too much into this signal individually, it fits the (still bullish) mozaic completed by other markets on my watch. That‘s the strength of intermarket analysis. Gold, Silver and Miners Gold and silver got on the defensive, but the bears didn‘t get too far – and the chance they could have, wasn‘t too bad. Rising yields were though countered by the declining dollar. Crude Oil Crude oil is likely to pause today, and will rally again once risk-on returns broadly, including into credit markets. For now, backing and filling above $76 is my leading very short-term scenario – Monday though will be a fresh day. Copper Copper is pausing, but the downswing didn‘t reach far, and was bought relatively fast. More consolidation above $4.40 looks likely, and it would come with a generally bullish bias that‘s apt to surprise on the upside. Similarly to precious metals though, patience. Bitcoin and Ethereum Bitcoin and Ethereum are staging a daily comeback, and as long as mid-Dec lows don‘t come in sight again, crypto prices can muddle through with a gently bullish bias. Summary Santa Claus isn‘t willing to give much ground, and the table is set for this nice rally to modestly continue today – somewhere more pronouncedly (S&P 500, cryptos) than elsewhere (commodities and precious metals). I‘m still looking for a positive first day of 2022 trading to help make up for end of this week‘s headwinds – it has been great that the bears couldn‘t find more strength yesterday. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

Very good S&P 500 entry to 2022, and the HYG intraday reversal is the sight to rejoice. In the sea of rising yields, both tech and value managed to do well – the market breadth keeps improving as not only the ratio of stocks trading above their 200-day moving averages shows. Likewise VIX refused to reach even 19, and instead is attacking 16.50. This is not complacency – the bulls were thoroughly shaken at the entry to the session yesterday – but a buying interest that convincingly turned the tide during the day. As I wrote yesterday: (…) thanks to the credit markets message, I‘m not reading into Friday‘s weakness much. There is still more in this rally – value held better than tech, and high yield corporate bonds didn‘t really slide. The year end rebalancing will likely give way to solid Monday‘s performance. While VIX appears to want to move up from the 17 level, it would probably take more than one day to play out. As the Santa Claus rally draws to its close, the nearest data point worth looking forward for, is Tuesday‘s ISM Manufacturing PMI. It‘ll likely show still expanding manufacturing (however challenged GDP growth is on a quarterly basis), and that would help commodities deal with the preceding downswing driven by energy and agrifoods. Both of these sectors are likely to return to gains, and especially oil is. The only sector taking a beating yesterday, were precious metals. While inflation expectations were little changed (don‘t look for inflation to go away any time soon as I‘ve been making the case repeatedly), the daily rise in yields propelled the dollar to reverse Friday‘s decline, and that knocked both gold and silver off the high perch they closed at last week. Still, none of the fundamental or monetary with fiscal policy originating reasoning has been invalidated – not even the charts were damaged badly by Monday‘s weakness. As economic growth gets questioned while fiscal policy remains expansive unlike the monetary one, volatily in the stock market together with persistent inflation would be putting a nice floor beneath the metals. Even cryptos are refusing to yield much ground, the Ethereum to Bitcoin ratio keeps trading positively, and I‘m not even talking the rubber band that commodities (crude oil and copper) are. Very good for our open positions there, as much as in the S&P 500 – let them keep bringing profits. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook Really bullish price action in both S&P 500 and Nasdaq – that was the entry to 2022 I was looking for. Embellished with prior downswing that lends more credibility to the intraday reversal. Credit Markets HYG refusing to decline more, is the most bullish sign for today imaginable – let it hold, for junk bonds now hold the key, especially if quality debt instruments keep declining steeply. Gold, Silver and Miners Gold and silver look to have reversed, but reaching such a conclusion would be premature. The long basing pattern goes on, and breakout higher would follow once the Fed‘s attempting to take the punch bowl away inflicts damage on the real economy (and markets), which is what the yield curve compression depicts. Crude Oil Crude oil is about to launch higher – and it‘s not a matter of solid oil stocks performance only. Just look at the volume – it didn‘t disappoint, and in the risk-on revival that I expect for today, black gold would benefit. Copper Copper swooned, but regained composure – the stop run is over, and we‘re back to base building for the coming upswing. Broader commodities certainly agree. Bitcoin and Ethereum Bitcoin and Ethereum are very gently leaning bullish, but I‘m not sounding the all clear there yet thanks to how long Bitcoin is dillydallying. Cryptos aren‘t yet out of the woods, but their posture has improved thus far noticeably. Summary First trading day of 2022 extended prior S&P 500 gains, and the risk-on appetite is improving as we speak. Commodities are reaping the rewards, and we‘re looking at another good day ahead, including in precious metals taking a bite at yesterday‘s inordinately large downswing. Nothing of the big factors ahead for Q1 2022 as described in today‘s analysis (I wholeheartedly recommend reading it in full for the greatest benefits – there is only so much / little that I can fit into a one paragraph summary), and that means we‘re looking at further stock market gains as the bull runs (including in commodities and precious metals, yes precious metals), aren‘t over in the least. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

Another daily rise in yields forced S&P 500 down through tech weakness – the excessive selloff in growth didn‘t lead buyers to step in strongly. More base building in tech looks likely, but its top isn‘t in, and similarly to the late session HYG rebound, spells a day of stabization and rebalancing just ahead. I‘m not looking for an overly sharp move, even if the very good non-farm employment change of 807K vs. 405K expected could have facilitated one. Friday though is the day of the key figure release – till then a continued bullish positioning where every S&P 500 dip is being bought, would be most welcome. The same goes for high yield corporate bonds not standing in the way, and for credit markets to reverse yesterday‘s risk-off slant. Likewise the compressed yield curve could provide more relief by building on last few days‘ upswings in the 10- to 2-year Treasury ratio. VIX has been repelled above 17 again, and keeps looking ready to meander near its recent values‘ lower end. That‘s all constructive for stock market bulls, and coupled with the fresh surge in commodities (and precious metals), bodes well for the S&P 500 not to crater soon again. Another positive sign comes from the dollar, which wasn‘t really able to keep intraday gains in spite of the rising Treasury yields. Cryptos though remain cautious (unlike precious metals which moved nicely off Monday‘s oversold levels – on a daily basis oversold), so we‘re in for a muddle through with a generally and gently bullish bias this week… until non-farrm payrolls surprise on Friday (and markets would probably interpret it as a reason to rise). Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 keeps respectably treading water, waiting for Nasdaq to kick in – odds are we won‘t have to wait for a modest upswing in both for too long. Credit Markets HYG is the key next – holding above yesterday‘s lows would give stocks enough breathing room, and so would however modest quality debt instruments upswing. Gold, Silver and Miners Gold and silver are leading miners, but the respectable daily volume makes up for this non-confirmation. The table is set for the floor below gold and silver to hold, while a very convincing miners move has to still wait. Crude Oil Everything is ready for the crude oil upswing – even if oil stocks pause next, which can be expected if tech stages a good rally. Until then, it‘s bullish for both $WTIC and $XOI. Copper Copper is keeping the upswing alive, and any pullbacks don‘t have good odds of taking the red metal below 4.39 lastingly. Still, copper remains range bound for now, and the pressure to go higher, is building up. Bitcoin and Ethereum Bitcoin and Ethereum lost the bullish slant, but didn‘t turn bearish yet – this hesitation is disconcerting, but it would be premature to jump the gun. It‘s still more likely that cryptos would defy the shrinking global liquidity, and try to stage a modest rally. Summary S&P 500 internals reveal tech getting hurt yesterday, and at the same time getting ready for a brief upswing of the dead cat bounce flavor. And if HYG kicks back in, odds increase dramatically that the tech (and by extension S&P 500) upswing won‘t be a dead cat bounce (please note that I‘m not implying vulnerability to a large downswing) – that‘s my leading scenario, which should materialize by Friday‘s market open. Yes, I‘m looking for non-farm payrolls to be well received once the dust settles. Till then, commodities are paving the way for further stock market gains, with precious metals turning out not too shabby either. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

FOMC minutes didn‘t reveal fresh hawkish tunes, but markets were caught off guard – unlike 3 weeks ago during the statement and press conference. It‘s as if S&P 500 and pretty much everything else woke up to the hawkish reality only now. In spite of the new liquidity powered Santa Claus rally, the sudden realization that the March Fed meeting might very well bring in a first rate hike, forced a sharp downturn across the board.The dollar wasn‘t too affected by the daily rise in yields that hit junk bonds particularly hard. The yield curve keeps being compressed, and is getting closer to the point of inversion. The likely good employment data on Friday would provide the Fed with a convenient cover to embark on and keep pursuing the tightening route. Not that it would have the power to break inflation (even at the professed very accelerated tapering pace – let alone the relatively measly hikes when CPI, PPI or PCE deflator are considered) – this game of chicken with the markets risks a tantrum that could bring up the „fond memories“ of Dec 2018.Yes, the risks of crashing the airplane would grow up over the coming weeks and months – the Fed is walking a very tight rope indeed. Markets are spooked, and the coming days would show whether this is already the start of something worse, or whether we can still shake it off and continue upwards till the Olympics. I‘m still leaning towards the latter.Anyway, good to have closed the profitable S&P 500 and crude oil positions in time.Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com).S&P 500 and Nasdaq OutlookTech understandably declined more than value – thanks to yields. S&P 500 bottom might not yet be in really. Bonds and tech need to stabilize first.Credit MarketsHYG is still holding the key, and would provide an early turnaround sign. The plunge in LQD isn‘t looking short-term encouraging in the least – the dust hasn‘t yet settled.Gold, Silver and MinersGold and silver still haven‘t left the sideways consolidation pattern – the white metal would be more affected through the inflation taming fears. That‘s though a premature calculation as inflation might turn out less amenable to be put down fast.Crude OilUnlike practically everything else, crude oil recovered strongly from the FOMC-induced setback – and certainly looks like the strongest of the pack at the moment.CopperCopper gave up advantageous position, and isn‘t really following (energy-led) commodities up yet. The long sideways consolidation is testing the bulls‘ resolve even as the pressure to go higher is building up. The same for silver, by the way.Bitcoin and EthereumBitcoin and Ethereum clearly lost the remainder of the bullish posture – it‘s turning out they aren‘t ready to defy the shrinking global liquidity.SummaryS&P 500 bulls look to get under some more pressure before the repeated hawkish message gets absorbed. The bond markets coupled with the dollar would reveal just how serious the bulls are about buying this dip and now. My bet is that they would remain shaken, and looking hesitantly for a floor. If there is one overarching message from yesterday, it‘s that the hawkish Fed appreciation has been woefully misapprehanded, and if followed through on in its entirety, would lead to a dangerous game of chicken with the markets (we aren‘t there quite yet).Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

  Happy new year, everyone! We hope that 2022 will be a prosperous one for all our readers. However, will it be successful for oil? Energy Market Updates Yesterday, crude oil prices ended higher, after a volatile session as US inventories fell by 6.4 million barrels – more than twice the previous week – which is another positive sign for demand. US inventories levels of crude oil, gasoline, and distillates stocks are again forecasted to fall by about 3 million more than expected last week. That would be another significant decline on the back of greater demand, according to estimated figures released by the American Petroleum Institute (API) yesterday. (Source: Investing.com) Crude oil prices stabilized near their 6-week highs following the OPEC+ group meeting, which maintained a limited increase in production of 400k barrels/day (no surprise). It is therefore a matter of maintaining an increase in production for the seventh consecutive month. This also shows that the organization was confident and believed in the resistance of global oil demand despite the recent restrictions implemented by several governments scared by Omicron, even though those travel restrictions may likely delay the resumption of aviation demand. RBOB Gasoline (RBG22) Futures (February contract, daily chart) WTI Crude Oil (CLG22) Futures (February contract, daily chart) Regarding natural gas, the Henry Hub (US benchmark) is slowly climbing as temperatures are dropping in many regions, while the European benchmark, the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF), rallied 3.5% as European gas prices remain extremely volatile due to reduced exports from Russia (notably via the Yamal pipeline) but also via Ukraine. The upward momentum is also linked to weather forecasts, such as colder temperatures and frost encountering the European continent in the coming days and weeks, which may obviously have a stimulating effect on gas demand. Henry Hub Natural Gas (NGG22) Futures (February contract, daily chart) Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

WTI crude oil surpassed the $80 mark in Tuesday's trading, near two-month highs and solidly above the 2018-2021 pivot levels near $75. Oil's fall in November-December by more than a quarter from a peak in late October probably served as a reset for oil. Interestingly, oil rose yesterday against plainly bearish news. The WHO warned of a sharp rise in omicron cases in coming weeks, and Oman's oil minister said OPEC+ did not want to see oil at $100 and overheat the market. However, traders were reading between the lines. The rapid spread of omicron is coming closer to the point of reaching collective immunity, raising the chances that summer travel and the holiday season will this time be much more pre-pandemic like. While initially causing some pressure on quotations, Oman's comments on oil did not present anything new in substance. As before, the cartel intends to stick to its plan to raise production by 400K per day every month. This is more than enough to shift the balance in the market towards surplus at the start of the year, but not enough to avoid causing excessive overheating of oil and provoking a new shale boom in the US and elsewhere. Producers in developed countries complain that banks are reluctant to finance new crude projects, requiring companies to become 'greener'. This raises the breakeven price of production projects, giving OPEC+ a head start. In addition, oil was probably positively impacted by Powell's confidence in the economic recovery, which is not threatened by either omicron or several rate hikes this year. Locally, investors interpreted this as confidence in a surge in oil demand in the coming months, which boosted the price. It will not be surprising if oil goes off to retest October highs near $85/bbl WTI and $87/bbl Brent in the next couple of weeks. If the demand for risky assets remains in place by then, we would expect a start of a rally towards $100 and an entrenchment in the $80-100 range through 2022. However, we cannot rule out that the speculative optimism in oil will fade as the Fed's tough stance on the economy is realised.

WTI has pulled back from session highs above $80.00 as US equities come under selling pressure at the open. But oil may continue to fair better than equities, which are suffering from Fed hawkishness, if the demand outlook remains strong. Amid US equities coming under some selling pressure at the Tuesday equity open, front-month WTI futures have pulled back from earlier session highs to the north of the $80 per barrel level and are now trading back in the $79.00 area. That still leaves WTI prices up more than 50 cents on the day and the oil bulls will still be eyeing a test of last week’s highs in the $80.50 area. Indeed, oil strategists continue to view the spread of the Omicron variant as not likely to leave a meaningful dent in near-term oil demand. Meanwhile, despite the recent hawkish shift in market expectations for Fed tightening that has weighed on US and global equities, with four hikes now seen in 2022 coupled with quantitative tightening, the outlook for global growth in 2022 remains strong. This is what matters most for demand rather than financial condition-focused crude oil markets. The implication might be that, in the coming weeks/months, as long as Fed tightening isn’t seen as a “policy mistake” (i.e. that slows the economy unnecessarily), oil may remain a relatively safe risk asset even if Fed tightening expectations continue to weigh on equities. OPEC supply woes remain in the headline and could also be offering some support to the price action. Libya has faced further setbacks in its efforts to bring production back to 2021 peak output levels of roughly 1.3M barrel per day (BDP). The country’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Tuesday that it would be suspending oil exports from its Es Sider terminal due to bad weather and lack of storage. As a result, it's Waha Oil Co. (which exports oil through the Es Sider terminal) would be reducing production by 50K BPD and this could rise to as much as as 105K BPD. Despite this, the NOC said that output was back to 896K BPD from the 729K BPD reported last week. Ahead, private US oil inventory data is scheduled for release at 2130GMT ahead of Wednesday official EIA US inventory report which is seen showing a seventh consecutive week of draws, with a further 2M barrel drop in stocks expected.

Oil prices are managing to extend the upward move and have recovered most of the losses from the November drop as Brent broke above the $84 level today after gaining over 4% this week and as WTI continues to hover around $81. While oil has been increasingly volatile lately, some concerns regarding production capacities and an improving pandemic situation are adding pressure as traders await today’s department of energy inventory report from the US. If the DOE report confirms yesterday’s API data, which showed a slight drop, it could lead to renewed price pressure and potential supply issues as general inflation remains a key topic of concern. On the other hand, an increase in inventories could alleviate some of this pressure and potentially bring some more fluctuations in the short term. JD trading update shows strong performance While JD’s trading update showed that total revenue for the twenty-two week period to 1 January 2022 increased more than 10% compared to the same period in 2020, the company continued to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the disruption of the supply chain operations. JD managed to mostly offset this thanks to sustained positive nature of consumer demand through the second half to date. This has given management confidence that the group headline profit before tax for the year to January 2022 will be ahead of current market expectations. Despite this seemingly positive report, it will be important to see if the company will manage to continue this positive performance and will be able to to deal with any unforeseen factors potentially brought by further restrictions or a change in central bank policies.  

S&P 500 sold off only a little in the wake of CPI data – probably celebrating that the figure wasn‘t 8% but only 7%. As if that weren‘t uncomfortable already – and the Fed wants to field accelerated taper, and perhaps even four quarter-point rate hikes to tame it? Oh, and perhaps also balance sheet reduction through not reinvesting proceeds from matured bonds and notes as talked on Monday – sure, that will do the trick. Looking at Treasuries over the prior two days shows that the Fed isn‘t being questioned. Value defends the high ground while tech rallies – Monday‘s fear with its brief return Tuesday, is in the rear-view mirror, compacency returning, and VIX again below 18. Prior upswing consolidation right next, is the most likely action for S&P 500. The real gains though are being made elsewhere – in crude oil and copper. With commodities back on fire, these two have certainly greater appreciation potential next than stocks or cryptos – so, long live our open longs there! The red metal has defied base metals intraday consolidation yesterday, and that has consequences for inflation trades – silver is waiting in the wings. To give you an idea how mispriced the risk of persistently unpleasant inflation is, yesterday‘s CPI coming only in line with expectations, caused inflation expectations to decline… At least the dollar took a rightful breather – its prior sideways consolidation has been broken to the downside. Currencies are starting to figure out inflation, and just how far and inadequate Fed‘s promise to take on it, has been... Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook Daily consolidation of prior strong gains that‘s likely to go on today – stocks are making up their mind as to where next in the very short run now that the bears had been repelled. Credit Markets HYG is likewise looking to need some time to move higher next – volume is declining, and a brief sideways move is most likely now. Gold, Silver and Miners Gold and silver are still sideways to up – not down. The pressure to go higher is building up, waiting for the Fed miscalculation, or perception of the consequencies of its upcoming action. The faith in the central bank isn‘t yet really shaken. Crude Oil Crude oil finds it easiest to keep rising – the technical and fundamental conditions are in place, and oil stocks will continue to be the leading S&P 500 performers. Copper Copper is starting to play catch up to the other commodities finally – it‘ll be a rocky ride, but the red metal has waken up, and cast a clear verdict on inflation that has to seep into other markets next. Will take time, but we‘ll get there. Bitcoin and Ethereum Bitcoin and Ethereum didn‘t convince on the upside, and with no dovish surprise on the horizon, the path of least resistance probably remains down for now. Summary S&P 500 turnaround is getting cemented, and worries about the hawkish Fed or inflation look to be momentarily receding. Not even the PPI is waking up the markets – the focus seems to be on measly 0.1% undershoot. Ironic, pathetic. While stocks keep on moving in a tight range, and still want to keep on appreciating modestly, the real action is happening in the commodities, to be followed by precious metals. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

S&P 500 didn‘t like latest weak data releases, but finished well off intraday lows. This reversal though leaves quite something to be desired – and it‘s sectoral composition doesn‘t pass the smell test entirely either. Yields continued to rise while HYG barely closed where it opened – that‘s not really risk-on. Cyclicals, and riskier parts of tech weren‘t visibly outperforming – the S&P 500 rally felt like a defensive bounce off some oversold levels. That‘s why it won‘t likely hold for long – I don‘t think we have seen the end of selling – more downside awaits. It‘s still correction time, even if 2022 is likely to end up around 5,150 – we‘re still in a bull market, and Big Tech would do well. For now though, rising yields are putting pressure – and they would continue to rise. As liquidity would no longer be added by the Fed by Mar, the question remains how much would funds coming out of the repo facilities and the overnight account at the Fed (think $2t basically) offset the intended tightening. Commodities aren‘t at all shaken, and Wednesday‘s positive copper move doesn‘t look to be an outlier – unlike Friday‘s decline that didn‘t correspond with other base metals. Even though it might be soothing to the pension funds, inflation rates aren‘t likely to come down to the usual massaged 2% during the next 2-3 years, no matter whether the Fed hikes by 0.25% 6 or 8 times. The persistently and unpleasantly 4-5% high CPI is likely to break the mainstream narrative, and stay with us for much longer than generally anticipated, which is only part of the reason why I am looking for gold to leave $1,870s very convincingly in the dust this year. Both yellow and black gold would rise in tandem, and the rising open crude oil profits (heavy long positions opened at $78) are part of the reason behind permanently elevated inflation ahead. The commodities upswing is also no longer tempered by the rising dollar. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook The tech reversal could carry the daily weight of S&P 500 upswing – the daily weight only. I‘m not looking for this modest show of strength to hold. Credit Markets HYG didn‘t close strongly either – rising yields are taking their toll, and will continue doing so. Gold, Silver and Miners Gold and silver downswing needn‘t be feared – while the metals are still sideways, the pressure to go up is building, and the dollar woes would be but the first catalyst (challenged faith in the Fed taming inflation would be next). Crude Oil Crude oil still finds it easiest to keep rising, and black gold could pause a little on the approach to $90 – the technical and fundamental upswing conditions are in place, and oil stocks will continue to be among the best S&P 500 performers. Copper Copper catch up was postponed a little – that‘s all. The decline wasn‘t a true reversal, and the red metal would take on $4.60 before too long again. Bitcoin and Ethereum Bitcoin and Ethereum still can‘t convince on the upside, and with no dovish surprise on the horizon, the path of least resistance probably remains down for now – today‘s session definitely confirms that. Summary S&P 500 upswing isn‘t to be trusted, and its defensive nature out of tune with bonds, is part of the reason why. The stock market correction has further to go, and while tech overall would do well in 2022, it has to decline first – that would set the stage for a good 2H advance. The early phase of the Fed tightening cycle belongs to the bears, and it would continue to be commodities and precious metals to weather the storms best. Long live the inflation trades. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

S&P 500 plunged to open the week – how fitting given the unfinished job in tech and Treasuries. The rising yields are all about betting on a really, really hawkish Fed – just how far are the calls for not 25, but 50bp hike this Mar? Inflation is still resilient (of course) but all it takes is some more hawkish statements that wouldn‘t venture out of the latest narrative line. Anyway, the markets aren‘t drinking the kool-aid – the yield curve continues flattening, which means the bets on Fed‘s misstep are on. True, the tightening moves have been quite finely telegraphed, but the markets didn‘t buy it, and were focused on the Santa Claus (liquidity-facilitated) rally instead – therefore, my Dec 20 warning is on. The clock to adding zero fresh liquidity, and potentially even not rolling over maturing securities (as early as Mar?) is ticking. And the run to commodities goes on, with $85 crude oil not even needing fresh conflict in Eastern Europe – the demand almost at pre-corona levels leaving supply and stockpiles in the dust, is fit for the job. So, let‘s keep enjoying the SPX short and oil long profits, while having an eye on how far can the bulls move the 500-strong index today. That would require quite a move in bonds and tech… Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook The rise in volume doesn‘t qualify as accumulation just yet, and that detracts a little from the developing rebound. I still think we‘re likely to go down some more, but will happily reenter at higher levels as I was just taken out of the current position. Credit Markets HYG had a weak session – there is no outperformance of quality debt instruments to speak of. Crucially, cyclicals were unfazed with higher yields, which may be a sign of temporary exhaustion to the downside approaching. Bear markets simply like to take a breather before the sellers return. Gold, Silver and Miners Gold and silver are sending a mixed message – but it isn‘t one of worry. GDX actually printed a nice upper knot yesterday while silver rose in spite of the USD upswing. Classic signs of a top and impending slide? Formally, but I don‘t think that‘s applicable given the metals performance over the past few months. Crude Oil Crude oil is still on the path of least resistance – higher. No true reversal to be seen yet, but some sideways to up consolidation in the absence of geopolitic conflagration, is very much possible. Copper Copper missed another opportunity to catch up – postponed a little, it will still happen. It had been the red metal doing better than silver over quite a few 2020-2021 months, and silver now looks out of the blue to have woken up a little. More confirmation from the red metal would be helpful here. Bitcoin and Ethereum Bitcoin and Ethereum may be setting up a little breather but unless the 2022 highs are taken out, the most probable path next, is to the downside. This direction still makes most sense. Summary S&P 500 is staging an upswing, which could still turn into a dead cat bounce. That‘s still my leading scenario, but I would prefer to see the constellation when the bulls get tired again, first. Remember that the sharpest rallies happen in bear markets – and while we aren‘t in an S&P 500 bear market yet, this correction is likely to turn out on the really memorable side of the spectrum since the bull market was born on Mar 23, 2020. It‘s all about developing appreciation for the Fed‘s tools practical limits, still expansive fiscal policy and absolutely unyielding inflation (in that it‘s beyond the tastefully palatable limits). The unfolding correction for us to go through still would set the stage for a good 2H advance. As written in Monday‘s extensive analysis, the early phase of the Fed tightening cycle belongs to the bears, and it would continue to be commodities and precious metals to weather the storms best. Long live the inflation trades. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

  Crude oil prices closed yesterday near their 7-year highs. What do you think are the main price drivers prevailing for this surge on crude oil prices? Geopolitical Situation Crude oil prices closed yesterday near their 7-year highs, as an attack on an oil site in Abu Dhabi further strained an already tense market. The concern about the deterioration of the situation between Ukraine and Russia, which has been occurring for several days, has been overtaken by the attack on the infrastructures of the United Arab Emirates. On Monday, an attack probably committed by drones blew up three tank trucks near the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)’s reservoirs. This strike, claimed by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, killed three people and injured six others, without damaging the emirate's oil installations. Therefore, this attack increases the likelihood of seeing production losses at a time when supply is already very tight. On the other hand, the spread of the civil war in Yemen could signal that a new Iranian nuclear deal is out of the question anytime soon, thus depriving the market of Iranian crude oil barrels since the Houthi rebels are indeed close to Iran. Still, in the Middle Eastern region, yesterday an explosion damaged an oil pipeline linking Iraq to Turkey through which some 450,000 barrels of crude transit per day, thus cutting off flow from Iraq. This news has boosted prices, making them reach new records. It appears now that this Iraq-Turkey pipeline was back in operation earlier this morning, according to the Turkish public company Botas. Supply/Demand Dynamics As the market worries about supply, OPEC+ on Tuesday maintained its forecast for a rise in global demand for black gold in 2022, which would reach 100 million barrels per day. Even the IEA has raised its forecast for oil demand this year and warned that the market could experience another year of volatility if supply disappoints. According to the agency, total demand should thus reach a level close to 100 million barrels per day this year. WTI Crude Oil (CLH22) Futures (March contract, daily chart) As you can see, there is currently a lot going on in the energy markets to maintain a high level of volatility. In particular, some fundamental drivers and news of supply disruptions and geopolitical tensions often push prices significantly higher. However, it is also interesting to note that they do not seem to be falling back to their previous level once the issues are resolved or when the tensions de-escalate. PS: Don’t forget to switch to the March 2022 contract (CLH22) for WTI Crude Oil. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Crude Oil Supply Tailwinds: Crude oil has been quietly achieving, and I would say overall the path of least resistance is still higher for crude in the coming months and quarters. One key reason is the substantial supply tailwinds already baked-in.       First it was the commodity crunch of 2014-16 that sunk commodity related capex, and then a second wave of commodity crashes in 2020 (need I remind you of the brief foray into negative prices for WTI crude?!) where the pandemic also caused tremendous and varied disruption to commodity investment.       Add to that steady shifts in investor preferences and social/political attitudes — i.e. the rise of ESG investing and the quest for carbon zero. Basically this has starved the oil & gas sector of funding, and essentially engineered a new bull market in energy.       All that’s left now is for reopening and post-pandemic normalization to drive a more fulsome recovery on the demand side and crude could easily top $100/bbl.       Clearly this is interesting in its own right and with regards to energy sector equities, but is also meaningful for the inflation picture (and potentially also the growth outlook).                 Key point: Crude oil likely sees further upside on the back of major underinvestment.                   NOTE: this post first appeared on our NEW Substack: https://topdowncharts.substack.com/               Best regards,   Callum Thomas   Head of Research and Founder of Topdown Charts           Follow us on:   LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/topdown-charts   Twitter http://www.twitter.com/topdowncharts

S&P 500 gave up opening gains that could have lasted longer – but the bear is still strong, and didn‘t pause even for a day or two. Defeated during the first hour, the sellers couldn‘t make much progress, and credit markets confirm the grim picture. There is a but, though – quality debt instruments turned higher, and maintained much of their intraday gains.And that could be a sign – in spite of the bearish onslaught driving the buyers back to the basement before the closing bell – that more buying would materialize to close this week, with consequences for S&P 500 as well. I would simply have preferred to see rising yields once again, that would be a great catalyst of further stock market selling. Now, the wisest course of action looks to be waiting for the upcoming upswing (one that didn‘t develop during the Asian session really), to get exhausted.Remember my yesterday‘s words:(…) The rising yields are all about betting on a really, really hawkish Fed – just how far are the calls for not 25, but 50bp hike this Mar? Inflation is still resilient (of course) but all it takes is some more hawkish statements that wouldn‘t venture out of the latest narrative line.Anyway, the markets aren‘t drinking the kool-aid – the yield curve continues flattening, which means the bets on Fed‘s misstep are on. True, the tightening moves have been quite finely telegraphed, but the markets didn‘t buy it, and were focused on the Santa Claus (liquidity-facilitated) rally instead – therefore, my Dec 20 warning is on. The clock to adding zero fresh liquidity, and potentially even not rolling over maturing securities (as early as Mar?) is ticking.And the run to commodities goes on, with $85 crude oil not even needing fresh conflict in Eastern Europe – the demand almost at pre-corona levels leaving supply and stockpiles in the dust, is fit for the job.With SPX short profits off the table, crude oil consolidating, and cryptos having second thoughts about the decline continuation, it‘s been precious metals that stole the spotlight yesterday – really great moves across the board to enjoy!Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com).S&P 500 and Nasdaq OutlookS&P 500 buyers are nowhere to be seen – what kind of reflexive rebound would we get next? The odds aren‘t arrayed for it to be reaching very high – yields are catching up even with financials...Credit MarketsHYG is likely to pause a little next, and the degree of its move relative to the quality debt instruments, would be telling. Rates are though going to keep rising, so keep looking for a temporary HYG stabilization only.Gold, Silver and MinersGold and silver keep catching fire, and are slowly breaking out of the unpleasantly long consolidation. The strongly bullish undertones are playing out nicely – these aren‘t yet the true celebrations.Crude OilCrude oil looks like it could pause a little here – the stellar run (by no means over yet) is attracting selling interest. The buyers are likely to pause for a moment over the next few days.CopperCopper is paring back on the missed opportunity to catch up – the red metal will be dragged higher alongside the other commodities, and isn‘t yet offering signs of true, outperforming strength.Bitcoin and EthereumBitcoin and Ethereum really are setting up a little breather, but I‘m not looking for bullish miracles to happen. Still, the buying interest was there yesterday, and that would influence the entry to the coming week (bullishly).SummaryS&P 500 upswing turned into a dead cat bounce pretty fast, and while we may see another attempt by the bulls, I think it would be rather short-lived. Think lasting a couple of days only. Not until there is a change in the credit markets, have the stock market bulls snowball‘s chance in hell. Commodities and especially precious metals, are well placed to keep reaping the rewards – just as I had written a week ago. For now, it‘s fun to be riding the short side in S&P 500 judiciously, and the time for another position opening, looks slowly but surely approaching. Let the great profits grow elsewhere in the meantime.Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

  Gold soared as investors got scared by reports of an allegedly impending military conflict. Was it worth reacting sharply to geopolitical factors? Gold has been performing quite nicely in January. As the chart below shows, its price increased from $1,806 at the end of December to around $1,820 this week, strengthening its position above $1,800. Yesterday (January 19, 2022), gold prices went sharply higher, jumping above $1,840, as one can see in the chart below. What happened? Investors got scared of the Russian bear and inflationary hydra. President Biden predicted that Russia would move into Ukraine. The threat of invasion and renewal of a conflict weakened risk appetite among investors. To complete the geopolitical picture, this week, North Korea fired missiles again (on Monday, the country conducted its fourth missile test of the year), while terrorists attacked the United Arab Emirates with drones. The heightened risk aversion could spur some demand for safe-haven assets such as gold. The yellow metal tends to benefit from greater uncertainty. However, investors should remember that geopolitical risks usually cause only a short-lived reaction. Investors also recalled the ongoing global inflationary crisis. Some news helped them wake up. In the U.K., inflation surged 5.4% in December, the highest since March 1992. Meanwhile, in Canada, inflation jumped 4.8%, also the fastest pace in 30 years. Additionally, crude oil prices have jumped to around $86.5 per barrel, the highest value since 2014, as the chart below shows. The timing couldn’t be worse, as inflation is already elevated, while higher oil implies higher CPI in the future. Gold should, therefore, welcome the rise in oil prices. On the other hand, it could prompt the Fed to react more forcefully and aggressively to tighten its monetary policy.   Implications for Gold What does the recent mini-rally imply for the gold market? Well, it’s never a good idea to draw far-reaching conclusions from short-term moves, especially those caused by geopolitical factors. Risk-offs and risk-on sentiments come and go. However, let’s do justice to gold. It hit a two-months high, more and more boldly settling in above $1,800. All this happened despite rising bond yields. As the chart below shows, the long-term real interest rates have increased from about -1.0% at the end of 2021 to about -0.6%. Gold’s resilience in the face of rising interest rates is praiseworthy. Having said that, investors shouldn’t forget that 2022 will be a year of the Fed’s tightening cycle, rising interest rates, and also a certain moderation in inflation. All these factors could be important headwinds for gold this year. However, investors may underestimate how the Fed’s monetary policy will impact market conditions. After all, the Fed’s hawkish stance also entails some risks for the financial markets and the overall economy. Practically, each tightening cycle in the past has led to an economic crisis. As a reminder, after four hikes in 2018, the Fed had to reverse its stance and cut them in 2019. The Fed signaled not only a few hikes this year, but also a reduction of its balance sheet. Given the enormous indebtedness of the economy and Wall Street’s addiction to easy money, it might be too much to swallow. Importantly, when the Fed is focused on fighting inflation, its ability to help the markets will be limited. I thought that such worries would arise later this year, supporting gold, but maybe the gold market has already started to price in the possibility of economic turbulence triggered by the Fed’s tightening cycle. Anyway, next week, the FOMC will gather for the first time in 2022, and it could be an important, insightful event for the gold market. Stay tuned! If you enjoyed today’s free gold report, we invite you to check out our premium services. We provide much more detailed fundamental analyses of the gold market in our monthly Gold Market Overview reports and we provide daily Gold & Silver Trading Alerts with clear buy and sell signals. In order to enjoy our gold analyses in their full scope, we invite you to subscribe today. If you’re not ready to subscribe yet though and are not on our gold mailing list yet, we urge you to sign up. It’s free and if you don’t like it, you can easily unsubscribe. Sign up today! Arkadiusz Sieron, PhDSunshine Profits: Effective Investment through Diligence & Care

S&P 500 gave up yet again the opening gains – the bear didn‘t pause even for a day or two. Buyers defeated during the first hours, and credit markets are once again leaning the bearish way. Risk-off rules even if long-dated Treasuries rose for a day. Tech investors are selling first, and asking questions later, with consumer discretionaries, financials, and also energy hit. The washout S&P 500 bottom is approaching, and our fresh short profits are growing...Talking profits, after a one-day consolidation in precious metals, time has come to cash in on crude oil gains before the decline questioning $86 – that‘s second outsized gains trade in a row there. Black gold won‘t likely be held down for too long, and the same goes for copper knocking on $4.60 for the third time shortly. Excellent for the bottom line.This is the season of real assets (commodities and precious metals), and of the stock market correction still playing out, and driving open crypto short profits alike. Much to enjoy across the board as my fresh portfolio performance chart (check out my homesite) reached a solid new high yesterday – it‘s one year today since I launched my site. Tremendous journey building on prior own strength – thank you very much!Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com).S&P 500 and Nasdaq OutlookS&P 500 buyers still can‘t get their act together – the momentum remains to the downside until credit markets turn and tech bleeding stops. This can happen as early as Monday or Tuesday – I remain watching closely for signs of a high-confidence setup to perhaps take.Credit MarketsHYG pause didn‘t last long, and the volume keeps being elevated without credible signs of buying interest. What‘s more, the credit market posture is decidedly risk-off.Gold, Silver and MinersGold and silver are likely to pause a little, the miners say – but the propensity to rise is there, even this early in the tightening cycle. I‘m looking for dips to be eagerly bought.Crude OilCrude oil looks like seeing the bullish resolve tested soon, and odds are the dip would be relatively quickly bought. Still, the pace of steep upswings is likely to slow down next, I say so even as I continue being medium-term bullish ($90 is doable).CopperCopper is paring back on the missed opportunity to catch up, and it‘s good the red metal managed to rise even if quite a few other commodities stalled. Waking up alongside silver, finally?Bitcoin and EthereumBitcoin and Ethereum little breather is over, the bears did strike again – and it may not be over yet, really not.SummaryThe opening sentence of yesterday‘s summary proved very true, and even faster that I thought possible - „S&P 500 upswing turned into a dead cat bounce pretty fast, and while we may see another attempt by the bulls, I think it would be rather short-lived. Think lasting a couple of days only.“ With the bears in the driving seat overnight – on the heels of a risk-off turn in the credit markets – we‘re likely to witness today another selling attempt.Another yesterday mentioned conclusion remains true as well - „Commodities and especially precious metals, are well placed to keep reaping the rewards – just as I had written a week ago. For now, it‘s fun to be riding the short side in S&P 500 judiciously... Let the great profits grow elsewhere in the meantime.“ Let‘s just add that cryptos are making us smile today, too.Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

Glass half full call on S&P 500 yesterday was vindicated – this yet another reversal has the power to go on, and credit markets appear sniffing out the upcoming reprieve. While rates have justifiably risen, they have done so quite fast in Jan – time to calm down and reprice the excessively hawkish Fed fears. Even if it was just energy and financials that rose yesterday, the table is set for gains across many assets – just check the progress from yesterday‘s already optimistic upturn, or the already fine early view of yesterday‘s market internals.VIX is calming down, Fed is unlikely to rock the boat too much – such were my yesterday‘s thoughts about:(…) seeing a rebound on Wednesday‘s FOMC (I‘m leaning towards its message being positively received, and no rate hike now as that‘s apart from the Eastern Europe situation the other fear around).The sizable open profits – whether in S&P 500 or crude oil – can keep on growing while gold slowly approaches $1,870 again (look for a good day today), and copper stabilizes above $4.50 to keep pushing higher even if not yet outperforming other commodities. More dry firepowder and fresh profits ahead anywhere I look – even cryptos are to enjoy the unfolding risk-on upswing.Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com).S&P 500 and Nasdaq OutlookThis is what a tradable S&P 500 bottom looks like – just as it was most likely to turn out. After the 200-day moving average, 4,500 point of control is the next target.Credit MarketsHYG reversed, but isn‘t in an uptrend yet – this is how a budding reversal looks like, especially since the selling hasn‘t picked up ahead of the Fed. Turning already.Gold, Silver and MinersGold and silver pause was barely noticeable – it‘s a great sight of upcoming strength in the metals while miners unfortunately would continue underperforming to a degree, i.e. not leading decisively.Crude OilCrude oil bulls are back, how did you like the pause? The ride higher isn‘t over by a long shot, and I like the volume of late being this much aligned.CopperCopper looks to be catching breath before another (modest but still) upswing. The buyers aren‘t yet rushing headlong.Bitcoin and EthereumBitcoin and Ethereum reversed, and are participating in the risk-on upturn, with Ethereum sending out quite nice short-term signs. From the overall portfolio view and upcoming volatility though, I would prefer to wait before making any move here.SummaryS&P 500 bulls withstood yesterday‘s test, and are well positioned to extend gains, especially on the upcoming well received FOMC statement and soothing press conference. It had also turned out that a tech upswing is more likely to be continued today than yesterday – the Fed‘s words would calm down bonds, and that would enable a better Nasdaq upswing.As I wrote yesterday, the table is set for an upside FOMC surprise – the tantrum coupled with war fears bidding up the dollar, is impossible to miss. Best places to be in remain commodities and precious metals – and I would add today once again in a while that real assets upswing would coincide with the dollar moving lower later today (check those upper knots of late). So far so good in risk-on, inflation trades – and things will get even better as my regular readers know (I can‘t underline how much you can benefit from regularly reading the full analyses as these are about how I arrive at the profitable conclusions presented & how you can twist them to your own purposes).Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

The year 2022 is seemingly a mixed bag, even as markets start reopening. The year looks promising, though, with issues like inflation and COVID to contemplate. Historic rallies in 2021 after lockdowns are looking to inspire trading in various industries, with some assets to look out for by investors. Growth will surely return at some point, but so will disappointing instances where tumbles will dominate trading desks. The S & P's historic gains of 30 percent dominated the press at the close of 2021, making investors using Naga and other optimistic platforms. The ended year had one of the longest bull markets. However, the Fed rate tightening and the direction the pandemic will take are some things to expect, notwithstanding that the stock market might grow by a whopping 10 percent in 2022. Trading Movements In Week One 2022 European markets have opened with a lot of optimism in 2022, the pan-European STOXX 600 closed at 489.99 points; this is 0.5 percent higher than the opening figure. The European benchmark was some percentage lower than the overall S&P 2021 performance, though with a surge of 22.4 percent. Record gains in the stock markets have relied on the positions taken by the governments during the pandemic. In the USA and Europe, increasing vaccination rates and economic stimulus measures have improved investor confidence. However, there are indications for more volatility in 2022, a situation investors must watch keenly. There has been little activity in London markets in the first week of 2022, while in Italy, France, and Spain gains of between 0.5-1.4 percent made notable highlights. European markets had diverse industries drive up the closing gains witnessed; the airline sector, in particular, has had a significant influence. Germany’s Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) had an impressive 8.8 percent jump while Air France KLM (AIRF.PA), a 4.9 percent gain. Factory activity is another factor to thank for the first week's gains all over Europe. Noteworthy, the Omicron variant influenced trading in the entirety of December, but the reports that it is milder than Delta has energized market activities coming into January. S&P and DOW Jones 2022 First Week Highs Across the Atlantic, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) and S&P 500 (SPX) closed at a record high, highlighting a similar aggressiveness as the European markets. While the jump was industrial-wide, Tech stocks continued to dominate, as Apple finally touched the $3 trillion valuation, though for a short time. Tesla Inc. (TSLA.O) posted a 13.5 percent jump thanks to increased production in China and an unprecedented goal to surpass its target. The US market, like the European market, is also in a fix; the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to cause concern with the wait-and-see approach, the only notable strategy. Currently, every country is reporting a jump in the number of Covid cases, with the UK going above 100K cases for the first time and the US recording some new records as well. School delays and increased isolation by key workers will surely debilitate the markets, with the global chip shortage another point to contemplate. However, markets can still ride on the increased development of therapies to help fight Covid. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (CDC) has been quick, as now children can have their third doses as well. Industries to Look Out For In 2022 European automakers have seen early peaks, while the airline sector has also picked up fast. In the US, tech shares continue to dominate, and 2022 might witness new records never seen before. However, the energy sectors have also dominated the news in 2021, and in 2022; the confidence in them will continue to rise because of an anticipation of stabilization in energy prices. The same goes for crude oil prices. Regardless, shareholders will continue watching the decisions by the Federal Reserve, a review in the current interest rates will surely tame inflation. Conclusion 2022 will see its highs and lows in investments. Some assets will make the news and investors will be keen to use any information to make key decisions. Tech will continue to shine, but it is important to anticipate the direction of the pandemic, as it will be an important factor in investor decisions.

S&P 500 upswing attempt rejected, again – and credit markets didn‘t pause, with the dollar rush being truly ominous. Sign of both the Fed being taken seriously, and of being afraid (positioned for) the adverse tightening consequences. Bonds are bleeding, the yield curve flattening, and VIX having trouble declining. As stated yesterday: (...) It‘s nice to start counting with 5 rate hikes this year when taper hasn‘t truly progressed much since it was announced last year. The accelerated taper would though happen, and the following questions are as to hikes‘ number and frequency. I‘m not looking the current perceived hawkishness to be able to go all the way, and I question Mar 50bp rate hike fears. Not that it would even make a dent in inflation. Not even the shock and awe 50bp hike in Mar would make a dent as crude oil prices virtually guarantee inflation persistence beyond 2022. The red hot Treasury and dollar markets are major headwinds as the S&P 500 is cooling off (in a very volatile way) for a major move. As we keep chopping between 4,330s and 4,270s, the bulls haven‘t been yet overpowered. I keep looking to bonds and USD for direction across all markets. I also wrote yesterday: (...) All that‘s needed, is for bonds to turn up, acknowledging a too hawkish interpretation of yesterday‘s FOMC – key factor that sent metals down and dollar up. While rates would continue rising, as the Fed overplays its tightening hand, we would see them retreat again – now with 1.85% in the 10-year Treasury, we would overshoot very well above 2% only to close the year in its (2%) vicinity. That just illustrates how much tolerance for rate hikes both the real economy and the markets have, and the degree to which the Fed can accomplish its overly ambitious yet behind the curve plans. Still time to be betting on commodities and precious metals in the coming stagflation. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook Another setback with reversal of prior gains - S&P 500 is chopping in preparation for the upcoming move. Concerningly, the bears are overpowering the bulls on a daily basis increasingly more while Bollinger Bands cool down to accommodate the next move. Direction will be decided in bonds. Credit Markets HYG keeps collapsing but the volume is drying up, which means we could see a reprieve – happening though at lower levels than earlier this week. Quality debt instruments are pausing already, indicatively. Gold, Silver and Miners Gold and silver declined as yields moved sharply up and so did the dollar – but inflation or inflation expectations didn‘t really budge, and TLT looks ready to pause. The metals keep chopping sideways in the early tightening phase, which is actually quite a feat. Crude Oil Crude oil isn‘t broken by the Fed, and its upswing looks ready to go on unimpeded, and that has implications for inflation ahead. Persistent breed, let me tell you. Copper Copper is in danger of losing some breath – the GDP growth downgrades aren‘t helping. The red metal though remains range bound, patiently waiting to break out. Will take time. Bitcoin and Ethereum Bitcoin and Ethereum are pointing lower again, losing altitude – not yet a buying proposition. Summary S&P 500 bulls wasted another opportunity to come back – the FOMC consequences keep biting as fears of a hawkish Fed are growing. Tech still can‘t get its act together, and neither can bonds – these are the decisive factors for equities. As liquidity is getting scarce while the Fed hadn‘t really moved yet, risk-on assets are under pressure thanks to frontrunning the Fed. The room for a surprising rebound in stocks is however still there, given how well the 4,270s are holding in spite of the HYG plunge. And given the recent quality debt instruments pause, it looks approaching. Look for a dollar decline next to confirm the upcoming risk-on upswing. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

By InvestMacro | COT | Data Tables | COT Leaders | Downloads | COT Newsletter Here are the latest charts and statistics for the Commitment of Traders (COT) data published by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday January 25th and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial entities) were positioned in the futures markets. Highlighting the COT energy data is the recent rise in bearish bets for the Brent Crude Oil (last day) futures bets. The speculative net position in the Brent Crude Oil futures has now seen higher bearish positions for three consecutive weeks. This comes after a streak of improving positions that culminated in speculator bets touching the least bearish level in the previous 167 weeks (on January 4th). The overall speculator standing in Brent oil have been in a continuous bearish position since December of 2013 (due to the unique positioning dynamics of the market) but positioning has been less and less bearish with crude oil prices rising in recent months. However, this recent 3-week streak of rising bearish bets brings the Brent net standing to the most bearish of the last fourteen weeks. Joining Brent Crude Oil (-5,730 contracts) in falling this week were Natural Gas (-6,488 contracts), WTI Crude Oil (-12,366 contracts) and Gasoline (-1,184 contracts) while Heating Oil (3,173 contracts) and the Bloomberg Commodity Index (2,177 contracts) saw higher bets on the week. Data Snapshot of Commodity Market Traders | Columns Legend Jan-25-2022OIOI-IndexSpec-NetSpec-IndexCom-NetCOM-IndexSmalls-NetSmalls-Index WTI Crude 2,095,994 35 373,415 28 -420,646 61 47,231 82 Gold 572,078 39 220,151 58 -249,746 41 29,595 48 Silver 151,779 18 32,141 54 -47,684 52 15,543 33 Copper 205,771 30 26,481 61 -32,836 37 6,355 62 Palladium 9,034 11 -1,988 10 2,274 90 -286 28 Platinum 53,390 10 13,792 22 -19,227 82 5,435 38 Natural Gas 1,141,796 7 -124,535 41 97,541 62 26,994 47 Brent 224,561 59 -25,936 73 23,862 29 2,074 37 Heating Oil 360,969 38 18,000 69 -40,959 28 22,959 78 Soybeans 735,966 30 148,872 67 -112,799 39 -36,073 12 Corn 1,539,124 28 439,098 86 -389,471 16 -49,627 14 Coffee 274,327 40 61,643 93 -64,950 9 3,307 11 Sugar 875,995 12 121,283 62 -142,972 41 21,689 35 Wheat 390,266 29 11,661 57 -3,525 37 -8,136 63   WTI Crude Oil Futures: The WTI Crude Oil Futures large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of 373,415 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decrease of -12,366 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 385,781 net contracts. This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 28.3 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 60.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 81.6 percent. WTI Crude Oil Futures Statistics SPECULATORS COMMERCIALS SMALL TRADERS – Percent of Open Interest Longs: 23.5 35.8 4.7 – Percent of Open Interest Shorts: 5.7 55.8 2.4 – Net Position: 373,415 -420,646 47,231 – Gross Longs: 492,310 749,821 98,250 – Gross Shorts: 118,895 1,170,467 51,019 – Long to Short Ratio: 4.1 to 1 0.6 to 1 1.9 to 1 NET POSITION TREND:       – Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct): 28.3 60.7 81.6 – Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range): Bearish Bullish Bullish-Extreme NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:       – 6-Week Change in Strength Index: 8.7 -11.3 12.5   Brent Crude Oil Futures: The Brent Crude Oil Futures large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of -25,936 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -5,730 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -20,206 net contracts. This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 73.3 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 29.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 37.3 percent. Brent Crude Oil Futures Statistics SPECULATORS COMMERCIALS SMALL TRADERS – Percent of Open Interest Longs: 17.8 44.2 4.1 – Percent of Open Interest Shorts: 29.3 33.6 3.2 – Net Position: -25,936 23,862 2,074 – Gross Longs: 39,888 99,224 9,298 – Gross Shorts: 65,824 75,362 7,224 – Long to Short Ratio: 0.6 to 1 1.3 to 1 1.3 to 1 NET POSITION TREND:       – Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct): 73.3 29.5 37.3 – Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range): Bullish Bearish Bearish NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:       – 6-Week Change in Strength Index: -4.2 6.7 -20.4   Natural Gas Futures: The Natural Gas Futures large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of -124,535 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -6,488 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -118,047 net contracts. This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 41.2 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 61.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 47.4 percent. Natural Gas Futures Statistics SPECULATORS COMMERCIALS SMALL TRADERS – Percent of Open Interest Longs: 20.5 42.7 4.5 – Percent of Open Interest Shorts: 31.4 34.1 2.2 – Net Position: -124,535 97,541 26,994 – Gross Longs: 233,870 487,342 51,865 – Gross Shorts: 358,405 389,801 24,871 – Long to Short Ratio: 0.7 to 1 1.3 to 1 2.1 to 1 NET POSITION TREND:       – Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct): 41.2 61.6 47.4 – Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range): Bearish Bullish Bearish NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:       – 6-Week Change in Strength Index: 1.7 -0.5 -10.1   Gasoline Blendstock Futures: The Gasoline Blendstock Futures large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of 59,605 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly decline of -1,184 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 60,789 net contracts. This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 30.8 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 69.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 56.9 percent. Nasdaq Mini Futures Statistics SPECULATORS COMMERCIALS SMALL TRADERS – Percent of Open Interest Longs: 29.2 49.2 6.1 – Percent of Open Interest Shorts: 12.8 67.6 4.0 – Net Position: 59,605 -67,195 7,590 – Gross Longs: 106,361 179,168 22,300 – Gross Shorts: 46,756 246,363 14,710 – Long to Short Ratio: 2.3 to 1 0.7 to 1 1.5 to 1 NET POSITION TREND:       – Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct): 30.8 69.8 56.9 – Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range): Bearish Bullish Bullish NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:       – 6-Week Change in Strength Index: 3.2 -5.3 12.5   #2 Heating Oil NY-Harbor Futures: The #2 Heating Oil NY-Harbor Futures large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of 18,000 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly increase of 3,173 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 14,827 net contracts. This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 68.9 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 27.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 77.9 percent. Heating Oil Futures Statistics SPECULATORS COMMERCIALS SMALL TRADERS – Percent of Open Interest Longs: 16.8 49.8 13.9 – Percent of Open Interest Shorts: 11.8 61.2 7.5 – Net Position: 18,000 -40,959 22,959 – Gross Longs: 60,678 179,923 50,189 – Gross Shorts: 42,678 220,882 27,230 – Long to Short Ratio: 1.4 to 1 0.8 to 1 1.8 to 1 NET POSITION TREND:       – Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct): 68.9 27.6 77.9 – Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range): Bullish Bearish Bullish NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:       – 6-Week Change in Strength Index: 19.5 -21.8 25.0   Bloomberg Commodity Index Futures: The Bloomberg Commodity Index Futures large speculator standing this week totaled a net position of -14,100 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly gain of 2,177 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -16,277 net contracts. This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 53.6 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 45.4 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 39.5 percent. Bloomberg Index Futures Statistics SPECULATORS COMMERCIALS SMALL TRADERS – Percent of Open Interest Longs: 65.3 28.6 1.2 – Percent of Open Interest Shorts: 93.9 1.2 0.1 – Net Position: -14,100 13,537 563 – Gross Longs: 32,288 14,137 596 – Gross Shorts: 46,388 600 33 – Long to Short Ratio: 0.7 to 1 23.6 to 1 18.1 to 1 NET POSITION TREND:       – Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct): 53.6 45.4 39.5 – Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range): Bullish Bearish Bearish NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:       – 6-Week Change in Strength Index: -21.1 21.0 1.8   Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Reports by Email *COT Report: The COT data, released weekly to the public each Friday, is updated through the most recent Tuesday (data is 3 days old) and shows a quick view of how large speculators or non-commercials (for-profit traders) were positioned in the futures markets. The CFTC categorizes trader positions according to commercial hedgers (traders who use futures contracts for hedging as part of the business), non-commercials (large traders who speculate to realize trading profits) and nonreportable traders (usually small traders/speculators) as well as their open interest (contracts open in the market at time of reporting).See CFTC criteria here.

  While last week's geopolitical tensions have eased a bit, the OPEC+ members’ meeting knocks at the door. How will it affect crude inventories? Crude oil prices paused this morning in the European trading session, the day after a new technical increase linked to the expiration of futures contracts. OPEC+ members, including Russia, are due to hold a meeting tomorrow in which speculative talks suggest that OPEC+ could announce a quicker increase in supply. On the other hand, US crude inventories should be scrutinized this week, with the first figure to be released later today by the American Petroleum Institute (API) at 2130 GMT / 1530 Chicago Time. Therefore, we could see a new rise in crude stockpiles of 2 million barrels. As a result, the oil market could be set to start a pullback down to previous support – $ 85.80 could represent a level that would attract more bulls, eventually. Regarding OPEC+ output, Saudi Arabia could decide to add barrels on top of its quota, as the kingdom is one of the only members of the cartel able to ramp up production, if necessary. On the US dollar side, the recent rally of the greenback has propelled the dollar index (DXY) towards higher levels, even though it has not had a huge impact on crude oil. The overall inverted/negative correlation between the USD and black gold could catch up now as we have a greenback sliding after less hawkish comments from the Fed than expected and a barrel located in overbought territory. On the geopolitical scene, the slight ease of tensions from the past week – or, at least, the diminution of anxiety inducing news in the mainstream media headlines – is characterized by decreasing volatility. The latter is thus marked by a volatility index (VIX) – aka “Fear Index” sliding just below 25 today. WTI Crude Oil (CLH22) Futures (March contract, daily chart) Brent Crude Oil (BRNJ22) Futures (April contract, daily chart) RBOB Gasoline (RBH22) Futures (March contract, daily chart) In summary, after such a rally in January 2022 on crude oil prices, we may start to see a weakening of the momentum, which could result in correcting oil prices, if such a scenario of supply and demand dynamics is followed on both sides (input rise / stockpiles accumulation) of the market. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

S&P 500 is grinding lower, and bonds concur. Risk-off posture and rising yields aren‘t tech‘s friend really, and the VIX is back to moving up. The odd thing is that the dollar wasn‘t well bid yesterday as could have been expected on rising rates – the sentiment called for a bad non-farm payrolls number today. Understandably so given Wednesday‘s preview, and the figure would just highlight how desperately behind the inflation curve the Fed is, what kind of economy it would be tightening into, and shine more light on its manouevering room for Mar FOMC.Fun times ahead for the bears, and the S&P 500 short profits can go on growing – the ride isn‘t over: If tech – in spite of the great earnings Amazon move – gets clobbered this way again on the rising yields, then we could very well see even energy stocks feel the initial selling wave. Not that value stocks would be unaffected, to put it more than mildly – just check yesterday‘s poor showing of financials. Something is going to give, and soon.Precious metals are holding up relatively well, regardless of the miners‘ weakness. Commodities can go on enjoying their time in the limelight – crude oil is not even momentarily dipping, and copper stands ready to keep probing higher values within its still sideways range. Even cryptos are benefiting from what could almost be described as a daily flight to safety.As I wrote in extensive Monday‘s analysis and repeated since, stiff winds are still ahead in spite of the soothing verbal pause in tightening. As the 467K figure just in beats expectations, the Fed gets its justification to withdraw liquidity any way it pleases.Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com).S&P 500 and Nasdaq OutlookS&P 500 bulls are getting slaughtered, and the downhill path is likely to continue, thanks to tech. Brace for a volatile day today.Credit MarketsHYG selling pressure made a strong return, predictably. Credit markets are leading stocks to the downside, certainly.Gold, Silver and MinersAs written yesterday, all this risk-off already in and still to come, is failing to press gold and silver really down – and that tells you the true direction is up. The downswings are being bought.Crude OilCrude oil bulls in the end didn‘t waver, and are pushing higher already – the upside breakout can really stick.CopperCopper is back to the middle of its recent range, still positioned for an upside breakout. It would take time, and precede the precious metals one. Rising commodities are sending a clear message as to which way the wind is blowing.Bitcoin and EthereumThe crypto bears didn‘t get far, and it looks like we‘re back to some chop ahead. SummaryS&P 500 bulls are getting rightfully challenged again – the Fed hikes are approaching. See though how little are commodities and precious metals affected. Meanwhile the S&P 500 internals keep deteriorating. Today‘s analytical introduction is special in talking the non-farm payrolls and Fed tightening dynamic, and explains why the pressure in stocks to probe lower values, is still building up, and that 4,450 may not be enough to stop it. For all the pause in Fed hawkish jawboning, the tightening cycle is merely getting started, and today‘s surprisingly strong data gives the Fed as much justification as the quickening wage inflation. I hope you enjoyed today‘s extensive analysis and yesterday‘s risk exposure observations. Have a great day ahead!Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

S&P 500 refused to break below 4,450s, and junk bonds took off the lows as well. The bottom isn‘t in, but I‘m looking for a little reprieve next. The degree to which bonds were sold off vs. stocks, hints that we would have lower to go still, ultimately bottoming around late Feb, perhaps even early Mar. Increasingly more Fed hikes are being priced in, and Friday‘s good non-farm payrolls figure is reinforcing these expectations.Treasuries are telling the story as well – the 10-year yield has been surging lately while the 30-year bond didn‘t move nearly as much. It means a lot of focus on Fed tightening, which is making the recent Amazon and Meta earnings ability to move stocks this much, all the better for the S&P 500 in the short run. The 10-year yield is likely to retrace a part of its prior increase, and that would give stocks some breathing room. At the same time though, I don‘t think that the tech selling is done, that tech is out of the woods now – the current rally is likely to run out of steam over the next 5-10 days, then go sideways to down.As for the immediate plan for Monday‘s session, I think the 4460s would hold on any retest, should we get there at all. The bulls have a very short-term advantage, then as mentioned above, selling would resume, and around May or June we could get the answer as to whether we‘ve been just consolidating or topping out. Before that, we‘re in a quite wide range where current stock market values aren‘t truly reflecting bond market sluggishness.Keeping in mind the key Friday‘s conclusion:(…) Precious metals are holding up relatively well, regardless of the miners‘ weakness. Commodities can go on enjoying their time in the limelight – crude oil is not even momentarily dipping, and copper stands ready to keep probing higher values within its still sideways range. Even cryptos are benefiting from what could almost be described as a daily flight to safety.As I wrote in extensive Monday‘s analysis and repeated since, stiff winds are still ahead in spite of the soothing verbal pause in tightening. As the 467K figure just in beats expectations, the Fed gets its justification to withdraw liquidity any way it pleases.Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com).S&P 500 and Nasdaq OutlookS&P 500 bulls aren‘t yet winning, but have a good chance to suck in those who believe the tech bottom is in – tech bears would get another opportunity in the not too distant future.Credit MarketsHYG paused, and the heavy selling is catching a bid – reprieve is approaching even if Friday‘s highs didn‘t last.Gold, Silver and MinersPrecious metals aren‘t getting anywhere, and are likely to warmly embrace the upcoming pause in higher yields. But that‘s not yet the true fireworks we would get later in 2022, which would come on the Fed‘s abrupt U-turn.Crude OilCrude oil bulls aren‘t even remotely pausing – I wouldn‘t count on pullback towards $88 or lower really. There is still much strength in black gold regardless of the Iran sanctions waiver – triple digit oil I called for months ago, is getting near.CopperCopper is back to the middle of its recent range, and the downside looks fairly well defended. The upside breakout would take time, and precede the precious metals one. Rising commodities are still sending a clear message as to which way the wind is blowing.Bitcoin and EthereumThe crypto break higher attests to the return of strength underway, and it‘s supported by the volume. The buyers have the short-term upper hand.SummaryS&P 500 bulls withstood the prospect of hawkish Fed getting more job market leeway on Friday, and look to be entering the week with a slight advantage. Also the bond markets look nearning the moment of calming down as the longer durations are painting a different picture than the 10-year Treasury. S&P 500 would like that, but the tech rebound would get tested as we likely move lower to welcome Mar. Till then, stocks are likely to drift somewhat higher before the rally runs out of steam over the next 5-10 days. Full game plan with reasoning is introduced in the opening part of today‘s extensive analysis. Cryptos good performance on Friday is as promising as the commodities surge – enjoy the days ahead.Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

WTI has erased most of an earlier session dip under $91.00 but has been choppy in $91.00-$92.00 rangesSome attributed earlier session profit-taking to positive signs in US/Iran nuclear talks. Traders are also mulling developments regarding geopolitical, near-term supply concerns and ongoing strong demand.WTI was hit by profit-taking in early European trade, dipping at one point underneath the $91.00s. However, trade has since been choppier in both directions, with WTI prices more recently swinging between the $91.00-$92.00 area. At current levels around $91.50, front-month WTI futures trade with losses of about 50 cents on the day and remain only a few bucks below recent seven-year highs above $93.00, as the market mood for the most part remains bullish. Market commentators had cited positive signs on the US/Iran nuclear negotiations front as one trigger for profit-taking earlier in the day; the US restored sanction waivers to Iran that will allow international nuclear cooperation projects. Although the waivers hardly do anything to help the Iranian economy, market commentators said it was a sign of goodwill from the US that showed the country is intent on finding a deal.Iranian crude oil (https://www.fxstreet.com/markets/commodities/energy/oil) exports, hobbled by strict US sanctions, currently stand at about 700K barrels per day (BPD) versus pre-US sanction levels of well over 2M BPD. If the US and Iran can agree on a deal to return to the 2015 nuclear pact, this jump in oil exports could help ease upward pressure on crude oil markets in the near term. However, analysts at Fujitomi Securities cautioned that “investors expect more twists and turns in the U.S.-Iranian talks and no agreement to be reached anytime soon.”WTI’s impressive intra-day recovery speaks to the ongoing bullishness of the mood prevailing in crude oil markets. As the US continues to warn that a Russian military incursion into Ukraine could be imminent, the amount of geopolitical risk premia priced into global oil markets remains high. Oil markets will focus on a meeting in Moscow between French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin later in the day, with no progress towards dialing down tensions expected.In the meantime, recent cold weather in the US has hampered near-term output, with Reuters reporting that two major refineries with a combined more than 800K BPD in output were knocked offline. That contributes to the narrative of near-term tightness in global oil markets, just as the Saudis were reported (by Bloomberg) to have raised official oil selling prices for Asian, North American and European customers. Many analysts will remain comfortable in the calls for WTI to hit $100.

Podcast 2022-02-08 10:00 20 minutes to read Summary:  Today, we break down another shaky session for equities as yields continue to surge higher ahead of a series of important US treasury auctions today through Thursday and ahead of Thursday's US January CPI print. We also focus on EU peripheral spreads blowing wider as the market wonders who will replace the ECB's bid if the central bank stops expanding its balance sheet. A look at drivers for the crude oil and metals markets, earnings overview for today and more also on today's pod, which features Althea Spinozzi on fixed income, Ole Hansen on commodities, and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast and have a look at today’s slide deck. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple Spotify Podbean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.

S&P 500 bulls missed the opportunity, but credit markets didn‘t turn down. Yesterday‘s pause is indicative of more chop ahead – the risk-on rally can‘t be declared yet as having run out of steam, no matter the crypto reversal of today. Bonds are in the driver‘s seat, and the dollar is also cautious – unless these move profoundly either way, the yesterday described S&P 500 reprieve can still play out even if: (…) The bottom isn‘t in, but I‘m looking for a little reprieve next. The degree to which bonds were sold off vs. stocks, hints that we would have lower to go still, ultimately bottoming around late Feb, perhaps even early Mar. Increasingly more Fed hikes are being priced in, and Friday‘s good non-farm payrolls figure is reinforcing these expectations. As for the immediate plan for Monday‘s session, I think the 4460s would hold on any retest, should we get there at all. The bulls have a very short-term advantage, then as mentioned above, selling would resume, and around May or June we could get the answer as to whether we‘ve been just consolidating or topping out. The 4,460s are still holding while commodities look to be consolidating today. As the dollar is up somewhat, bonds would have to face opening headwinds – the effect upon tech would be telling. I‘m still looking for downswing rejection in stocks while precious metals would hold up better than commodities today. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook As stated yesterday, S&P 500 bulls aren‘t yet winning, but have a good chance to suck in those who believe the tech bottom is in – tech bears would get another opportunity in the not too distant future. Credit Markets HYG gave up the opening strength, and the bulls are likely to get under pressure soon – it‘s that yesterday‘s session lacked volume, thus interest of the buyers. The clock is ticking. Gold, Silver and Miners Precious metals keep refusing to make lower lows – that‘s the most important aspect of their tempered ascent. And price gains would accelerate later in 2022, which would come on the Fed‘s abrupt U-turn. Crude Oil Now, crude oil bulls did pause, but the dip isn‘t likely to reach too far – I still wouldn‘t count on pullback towards $88 or lower really – oil stocks would have to turn decidedly down first. Copper Copper is getting cautious, and would probably decline should the commodities pause continue – no matter what other base metals would do at the same time. Still, that‘s internal strength in the waiting, similarly to the precious metals strength. Bitcoin and Ethereum The crypto break higher ran out of steam, warning of a rickety ride ahead – not just in cryptos. Things can still get volatile. Summary S&P 500 bulls haven‘t lost the opportunity to force higher prices, but need to repel the upcoming intraday flush that can come today, and possibly even continue tomorrow. Yes, instead of seizing upon the chance, bonds have merely paused, creating a perfect environment for whipsawish trading today – I‘m still expecting Friday‘s lows to hold on a closing basis, but I‘m not ruling out a fake breakdown first. The very short-term outlook is simply choppy until the bond market upswing kicks in in earnest. And that would provide more fuel to precious metals and commodities while pressuring the dollar – seems though we would have to wait for a while to see that happen. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

Risk sentiment improves both in the European and the American stock markets since yesterday, thanks to the abating sovereign bond selloff. Financials and mining stocks took the lead, small caps outperformed their big cap peers, with Russell 2000 bouncing 1.63%, whereas gains in the major US indices remained between 0.85% and 1.30%. US crude slipped below the $90 per barrel although the weekly API data suggested a 2-million barrel decline in the US inventories versus the expectation of a 400’000 barrel build. JP Morgan says they have a magic indicator that says it's time to jump on the back of a bull, but CAUTION! Improved sentiment is put on the back of more optimism about reopening, meanwhile the hawkish Fed expectations and the rising yields continue being a serious threat to the actual gains, as the major triggers behind the latest bond selloff are still in play. This means that there is a high risk of a sudden mood swing before Thursday’s US inflation data. Elsewhere, Turkey’s finance minister said that inflation in Turkey rose for reasons that foreigners cannot understand, so as a Turkish citizen, let me explain why! Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:27 Market update 1:37 Citi analyst says ‘sell oil’ 2:39 Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Shiba Inu lose momentum 3:41 JPM’s magic indicator says’ buy now!’ 5:33 But UBS doesn’t say ‘Buy Meta’ 7:30 Why you can’t understand inflation in Turkey (JOKING!) 8:58 Peloton is no more for sale? Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020.

S&P 500 bulls took the opportunity yesterday amid mild credit market support. Looks like more fireworks are to come – the risk-on turn is merely starting. Not only financials, but also tech welcomed higher yields – it seems that the positive seasonality of 2nd to 3rd week of Feb, is working. We have quite a way to go still on the upside – 4,600s are waiting, and it remains to be seen how far in the 4,600 – 4,700 range stocks make it. Consumer discretionaries are outperforming staples, and energy isn‘t cratering – the brief commodities reprieve (don‘t look though at copper, which seems preparing a nice upside move, or crude oil‘s shallow dip) supports the stock market advance. Precious metals are rising strongly – both thanks to inflation expectations not budging much, and the expected copper upturn. Not even cryptos are plunging. The open S&P 500 and oil profits can keep on rising. Looks like the markets are slowly positioning for yet another hot inflation number tomorrow. How many times lately have there been expectations that high CPI data would sink stocks – but these rallied instead? Thursday is likely to turn out similarly – I‘m not looking for the stock market rally to top out tomorrow. The Mar FOMC is still quite a few weeks away, 50bp rate hike fears notwithstanding. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 bulls have made the opening step, and look ready to extend gains. Even volume has returned a little, but importantly, sellers were nowhere to be seen – and that‘ll likely be the case today as well. Credit Markets HYG couldn‘t keep the opening gains, but junk bonds still did better than their quality counterparts. Anyway, the HYG weakness looks likely to be reversed (to some degree) today. Gold, Silver and Miners Precious metals are firmly on another upleg – and miners strength is confirming that. When inflation turns out more stubborn than generally appreciated, and bond yields don‘t catch up nearly enough, precious metals would like that. Love that. Crude Oil Now, crude oil bulls did pause, but the dip isn‘t likely to reach too far – I still wouldn‘t count on pullback towards $88 or lower really – this correction is more likely to be in time than in price. Copper Copper is clearly refusing to decline – its upswing looks to be a question of shortening time only. Likewise the commodities reprieve would be reversed shortly. The red metal‘s price action coupled with precious metals one, is very nice to see – for the fruits it would bring. Bitcoin and Ethereum Cryptos aren‘t weakening – they look to be pausing in the upswing only. How long would they need to consolidate before continuing the attempt to go higher? Summary S&P 500 bulls have a firm grip on higher prices – we‘re looking at another green day today. And if it‘s accompanied by the turning bonds, then all the better. Tech has risen, oil is a little down while sectoral breadth improves – the conditions are in place for S&P 500 to overcome 4,600. The risk-on rally hasn‘t yet run out of time, and the Mar FOMC is still far away. Upgraded rate hike prospects are being increasingly absorbed by the markets, and stocks don‘t look spooked at the moment. The bears‘ time would still come though, but let‘s first enjoy the gains our timely positioning is bringing. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

WTI crude oil has lost around 3% since the start of the week, bouncing back to $88.4 from $91.2 at the beginning of the week. The observed pullback looks like a technical correction to remove local overheating. This correction comes against a relatively bullish background. Yesterday's data marked a new drop in inventories, both commercial and strategic reserves. The Biden administration has said it may accelerate sales from reserves. Perhaps these comments were a formal excuse for profit-taking in the market. However, the start of these sales came with a two-month rally. The government's intention to sell off reserves may even have contributed to the rise in prices. The desire to bring prices down is hurting US production ramp-up plans. Aggressive support for alternative energy has made the hydrocarbon industry unattractive to banks. As a result, we are seeing a much slower production recovery than in the recovery periods of the last decade. The number of rigs in operation is rising methodically, but it seems that new wells are only marginally offsetting spent ones. Also, OPEC has repeatedly suggested that the industry's severe underinvestment during the pandemic makes it impossible to ramp up production quickly now. Despite a favourable price environment, the cartel has not picked up quotas in recent months. It is also worth mentioning that countries are not imposing new travel restrictions but are loosening them more and more, supporting energy demand. Also, commodity prices are supported by political pressure on Russia, which threatens gas supplies to Europe and further fuels price increases. Locally, oil remains vulnerable to a corrective pullback after a more than two-month rally with potential targets at $84.5 for WTI - a 23.6% pullback from the rally and the October peak area. A deeper retracement scenario suggests a pullback to $80.3. For Brent, the near-term target is $86-87, with a deeper retracement to $83.

February 10, 2022  $USD, Banxico, BOJ, China, Currency Movement, ECB, Inflation, Riksbank Overview: Equities in Asia extended their recovery and Europe's Stoxx 600 is up for the fourth consecutive session.  US futures, are, however, trading lower ahead of the January CPI figure.  Benchmark 10-year bond yields are mostly firmer, with the US 10-year hovering around 1.95%.  European yields are 2-4 bp higher, and peripheral-core spreads are widening a little.  The dovish hold by Sweden's Riksbank has the krona joining the yen as the laggards today, which have seen most major and emerging market currencies edge higher.  The JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is posting small gains for the fourth consecutive session.   Gold made a new marginal high for the month, but met sellers around $1836, pushing it back toward $1830.  The unexpectedly large draw down in US oil stocks (4.75 mln barrels, the biggest decline since last September) had helped March WTI regain the $90 handle after a brief bout of profit-taking.  US natural gas prices are steadiest, while Europe's benchmark was a little softer.  Copper is up for a second day, while iron ore jumped by more than 5% after yesterday's 1.75% loss snapped a six-day advance.  Asia Pacific  The BOJ moved to defend its Yield Curve Control policy.  The yield on the 10-year JGB crept closer to the 0.25% cap as the market tested the central bank's resolve.  The BOJ announced it would buy an unlimited amount of 10-year bonds on Monday at a fixed rate of 0.25%.  Japanese markets are closed for a national holiday tomorrow.  It is the first such operation in 3.5 years.  With today's purchases, the Reserve Bank of Australia completed its QE.  It holds about 40% of the government's debt or around A$650 bln.  Last year, the RBA bought about three-times more bonds than the government issued.  Sequentially, the next issue is what to do with the maturing proceeds, and Governor Lowe said a decision will be made in May.  The Bloomberg survey finds most economists expect a hike in August, while the swaps market sees the hike a little earlier.  China's aggregate lending soared to record levels last month of CNY6.17 trillion.  Lending typically rises in January as new quota are tapped. However, the increase was well more than expected.  Bank lending was strong (CNY3.98 trillion), but so was shadow banking activity (the difference between bank lending and aggregate financing). Still, it seems to simply confirm what was already signaled, namely that officials have shifted their stance to support the economy.    The US dollar drew the closest to JPY116.00 in a month.  The high was made in the brief overlap of last Asia with early European activity.  There is an option for $750 mln that expires tomorrow at JPY115.75.  Support is seen a little lower, near JPY115.50. The Australian dollar is pushing toward $0.7200, a level it has not been above since January 21.  Above there, we have been looking for $0.7230.  The Aussie seems well supported, with over A$1 bln in options expiring today between $0.7150 and $0.7155, though the intraday momentum indicators are stretched.  The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate spot on the median forecast in the Bloomberg survey at CNY6.3599.  The dollar eased to a marginal new low for the week (slightly below CNY6.3540).  Note that India and Indonesia held policy rates steady.   Europe The European Commission published a new economic forecast today.  While it raised its CPI forecast this year and next, it still has the rate below 2% next year.  This year's projection was raised to 3.5% from the 2.2% forecast made last November.  Inflation next year now looks to be 1.7% rather than 1.4%.  Price pressures are anticipated to peak just shy of 5% this quarter (4.8%) and stay above 3% until Q4, when they fall to 2.1%.  The EC shaved its growth forecast for this year to 4.0% from 4.3% but sifts it into 2023 by raising its forecast by 0.3% to 2.7%.  The real interest is with the ECB forecasts in March, and some see the EC forecasts as a hint of what the central bank update may look like.   Sweden's Riksbank left policy steady as widely expected.  It now sees the H2 24 rather than in Q4 24.  The swaps market is less sanguine and has about 70 bp of tightening priced in over the next 12 months.  There were three dissents over its bond purchases and advocated a more pronounced tapering.  Governor Olsen cast the deciding vote to continue its QE.  With upward revisions in the Riksbank CPI forecasts, the decision appears to be a dovish hold.  This year's CPI forecast was raised to 2.9% from 2.3%.  Next year's CPI projection was tweaked to 2.0% from 1.9% and 2024 to 2.4% from 2.2%.  The Swedish krona is the weakest of the major currencies today, off about 0.65% against the dollar and 0.75% against the euro.   The euro remains in Tuesday's range, roughly $1.1395 to $1.1450.  It is near the upper end of the range in the European morning.  It is unlikely to make much more headway ahead of the US CPI figures.  The $1.1500 level is the important cap, and it appears to be protected in by two large option expirations there, with a 1.76 bln euro option today and a 1.9 bln euro option tomorrow.  Initial support is seen in the $1.1420-$1.1430 area.  For its part, sterling continues to chop between $1.35 and $1.36.  It reached the session high near $1.3580 in early European turnover and met a wall of sellers. Nearby support is seen at $1.3540, and then $1.3520.  The UK reports Q4 GDP and details for December tomorrow.   America Today's US January CPI may be a bit anti-climactic. Nearly everyone expects a small acceleration to 7.2%-7.3% from 7.0% at the end of last year.  The market has fully discounted a 25 bp hike next month and has about a 30% chance of a 50 bp move. Still, it may be near a peak, and at least one Fed official (Bostic) has said as much.  Remember that last year, the CPI surged from March through August.  As they drop out of the 12-month comparison, the year-over-year rate will likely ease.  Mexico reported slightly higher than expected January CPI yesterday and it reinforced expectations of a 50 bp hike today that would lift the overnight target rate to 6.0%.  It is the first meeting with the new governor, Victoria Rodrigues Ceja, at the helm.  Some observers expressed concerns that she was untested and likely dovish.  A 50 bp hike at her first meeting, especially given the fact that the economy contracted in Q3 21 and Q4 21 (a simple rule of thumb for a recession), would underscore the central bank's anti-inflation credentials.    Bank of Canada Governor Macklem sounded a hawkish note yesterday, warning that the policy rate may have to go over neutral (2.25%) in order to address the price pressures.  The swaps market has stopped just shy of this (almost 2% in 12 months and 2.25% in 24 months). Canada reports January CPI next week. It stood at 4.8% in December.    The US dollar continues to hold important support in the CAD1.2650-CAD1.2660 area.  There are options for $700 mln that expire today at CAD1.2670.  Tomorrow, the optionality is stronger.  Options for almost $4.5 bln struck between CAD1.2650-CAD1.2660 expire. Tomorrow, there is also another option for CAD1.22 bln at CAD1.2685.  Ahead of the Banxico meeting, the peso is bid.  The greenback is near three-week lows against the peso around MXN20.42-MXN20.43.  A break sets up a test on the 200-day moving average near MXN20.33.  Last month's low was near MXN20.28. Still, the North American session may be more cautious.  A bounce could lift the dollar toward MXN20.50.   Disclaimer

February 11, 2022  $USD, Canada, Currency Movement, ECB, Federal Reserve, Inflation, Mexico, RBA, UK Overview: The higher-than-expected US CPI coupled with strong comments from the Federal Reserve's leading hawk saw a surge in interest rates, knocking stocks and lifting the dollar.  Japanese markets were closed today for a national holiday, but nearly all the other equity markets in the MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell to pare this week's gains.   Europe's Stoxx 600's 0.8% loss is shaving this week's gain to about 1.35%. US futures are modestly lower.  Australian and New Zealand benchmark yields rose 10 bp and 8 bp respectively to play catch-up.  The ECB's Lagarde and Lane argued against "hasty" action, helping to take some pressure off European bonds.  However, the widening of the core-periphery spreads warns that it may be temporary.  The US 10-year yield is a little softer, hovering around 2%. The two-year soared by 21 bp and is firm today slightly below 1.60%.  The US dollar is trading higher against most currencies.  The Australian dollar is the weakest of the majors, off about 0.5%, as the central bank governor continues to push against market expectations for the beginning of the tightening cycle.  On the week, however, the Aussie, along with the New Zealand and Canadian dollars are holding on to modest gains. The South African rand and Mexican peso are resisting the pressure that is weighing on emerging market currencies.  This week five of the eight strongest emerging market currencies are in Latam. JP Morgan's Emerging Market Currency Index is posting a gain of around 0.8% this week, its fifth gain in the past eight weeks.  As widely expected, the central bank of Russia delivered a 100 bp hike (bringing the key rate to 9.5%).  Gold is recovering from a test on $1820 and is up about 1% on the week.  Crude oil is firm for a third session, but not enough to prevent March WTI from posting its first weekly loss in nearly two months.  US natural gas prices are flat a little below $4 and is holding on to its biggest weekly losses since mid-December.  European natgas is consolidating the week's 10.6% decline after falling nearly 12% the previous week.  Iron ore fell 2% today and is up about 5% on the week. Copper is off around 2.5% to leave the red metal up 1.3% for the week after a 4.1% rise last week.    Asia Pacific Governor Lowe of the Reserve Bank of Australia continues to resist market pressure that sees an early start to the tightening cycle.  He argued that it is too early to conclude that inflation is sustainably in the 2%-3% target.  Without formally accepting the average inflation target like the Federal Reserve did, Lowe argued that after a sustained undershoot, he is willing to tolerate the near-term overshoot.  The risk, he says, of hiking too early would deal a blow to the labor market.  On February 17, Australia reports January employment figures and economists look for a flattish report. Next week, Japan reports Q4 GDP and the January CPI figures.  The world's third-largest economy likely bounced back strongly after the Q3 Covid-induced contraction.  However, new quasi-emergency measures that went into effect last month risks another contraction in Q1.  The GDP deflator is expected to have fallen by about 1.3%, the third consecutive quarter of a more than 1% deflation.  Similarly, the CPI report should show less price pressures, and more deflation when fresh food and energy prices are excluded.  China reports January CPI and PPI.  Both are expected to have softened.   Yesterday, the dollar tested last month's multiyear high against the Japanese yen near JPY116.35.  It backed off to find support near JPY115.75, where a $750 option expires today.  The greenback met resistance in Asia, where Tokyo markets were closed, around JPY116.20.   The Australian dollar reversed lower after approaching $0.7250 yesterday and the retreat has continued today.  The Aussie tested $0.7100 today, and support below there is seen around $0.7075. The greenback continues to trade quietly against the Chinese yuan.  It is a little firmer but below CNY6.36 after reaching CNY6.3660 earlier.  It is virtually flat on the week.  The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.3681, slightly above the market projection (Bloomberg survey) for CNY6.3674.  Europe ECB President Lagarde and Chief Economist Lane pushed back against calls for more imminent action to combat price pressures.  Some press reports have been playing up the "loss of confidence" in the ECB's forecasts.  Leave aside that the EC's updated forecasts also see inflation falling back below 2%.  The issue is who takes their case to the press?  Those that are coming on top of the internal debate have no need.  The hawks that go to the media lap it up as if it were gospel instead of part of the internecine struggle.  That said, Lagarde and Lane have not been particularly persuasive and the swaps market now prices in about 65 bp in tightening over the next 12 months.  The UK economy grew by 1.0% quarter-over-quarter in Q4, the same as Q3 after the revision (from 1.1%).  Consumption slowed from 2.9% in Q3 to 1.2% in Q4.  Government spending, which was flat in Q3, increased by 1.9% in Q4.  Fixed capital formation rose by 2.2%, well above expectations after falling by a revised 0.2% (from -0.9%) in Q3.  The UK also reported that the expected contraction in December was less than feared, hobbled by the Omicron variant.  Output fell by 0.2% not the 0.5% of the median forecast in the Bloomberg survey, helped by stronger than expected industrial production, construction, and a smaller than expected decline in services.  A week ago, the market had about a 45% chance of a 50 bp hike in March and now it is about 80%. The euro stopped 5/100 of a cent below the $1.15 level yesterday, where about 3.25 bln euros in options expire today.  The single currency made a new low for the week near $1.1370. Nearby support is seen closer to $1.1350, and a break could spur a test on the $1.13 area early next week.   The US 2-year premium is widening for the sixth consecutive session, and at 190 bp, it is the most since February 2020.  At the end of 2019, it was near 225 bp.  Sterling made a new high for the month yesterday near $1.3645 before surrendering the gains in the face of the broader greenback recovery.  It found support today near the lower end of its recent range around $1.35.  Nearby resistance is seen in front of $1.3580.  Sterling settled at $1.3530 last week.   America The higher-than-expected US CPI panicked market participants and drove the 2-year yield up a whopping 21 bp and the implied yield of December up 26.5 bp.  One inflation report that was 0.2% above the median in the Bloomberg poll is worth another 25 bp rate hike this year?  The Fed's leading hawk, St. Louis Fed's Bullard talked about a 100 bp increase in rates here in H1, which implies a 50 bp move.  However, it seemed like professional courtesy more than conviction deterred him from calling for a 50 bp at next month's meeting.  Two other Fed officials that spoke, Barkin and Daly, seemed more measured in their remarks.  That said, there is a perception that if the market has 50 bp priced in (~86%), it makes it more likely in and of itself for the Fed to deliver it.  It offers the Fed a free option, as it were.  Yet, it makes it more difficult for the Fed to get ahead of expectations.  At the same time, it may reinforce perceptions that the Fed is often a slave to the markets.  The vaccine-mandate protest continues to roil Canada.  The disruption is estimated to be costing Canada around CAD350 mln a day.  There is some fear that a similar protest may be coming to Washington DC in time for President Biden's State of the Union speech on March 1, even though the judiciary has circumscribed the vaccine mandate on the federal level.  However, the vaccine mandate may spur demonstrations in France as early as this weekend.   The new governor of Banxico led the central bank in delivering the second 50 bp hike in a row.  It was widely expected, especially after the firm CPI reading above 7%.  The swaps market has another 100 bp discounted over the next three months and 260 bp over the next 12 months.  The next meeting is March 24th.  Peru also delivered a 50 bp hike yesterday.  It has raised its target rate by 50 bp for six consecutive meetings now and it stands at 3.5%.  Lima's CPI rose by almost 5.7% last month after 6.4% in December.   The US dollar recorded an outside up day against the Canadian dollar by trading on both sides of Wednesday's range and closing above Wednesday’s high.  The greenback briefly took out the shelf in the CAD1.2650-CAD1.2660 area where about $4.9 bln in options expire today, before rallying to about CAD1.2730.  Follow-through buying lifted the US dollar to almost CAD1.2755 earlier today.  The CAD1.28 area has held back the greenback a couple of times in the past few weeks.  The risk off move yesterday saw the US dollar bounce from the 200-day moving average against the Mexican peso (~MXN20.35) to almost MXN20.59.  Some follow-through buying lifted it to around MXN20.64 today before backing off and it looks set to fall back below MXN20.50 today.  Initial support is seen around MXN20.44.     Disclaimer

S&P 500 opening upswing gave way to more selling, but credit markets didn‘t lead to the downside on a daily basis. This tells me the plunge would likely be challenged shortly. As in facing a reversal attempt – it‘s that junk bonds for all the recent (and still to come) deterioration, will probably rebound a little next. Value already retraced part of Friday‘s decline – it‘s just tech that didn‘t yet react to the Treasuries reprieve. Good to have taken short profits off the table. The table is set for S&P 500 to rise, and for bonds to rally somewhat. And that wouldn‘t be the result of war tensions lifting up Treasuries, gold and oil. Red hot inflation, decelerating growth and compressing yield curve are a challenging environment, and the odds of a 50bp Mar rate hike are overwhelming, but the Fed‘s balance sheet is still rising – now within spitting distance of $9T. Sure they will take on inflation, but I continue to think that by autumn they would be forced to reverse course, and start easing. Fresh stimulus after markets protest during 1H 2022? Would be helpful for the midterms... The consumer isn‘t in a great shape as the confidence data reveal – and that‘s also reflected in the direction of discretionaries vs. staples. Inflation is pinching, and the pressure on the Fed to act, is on – its credibility is being challenged. Food inflation is high, and seeing food at home prices rising this much, is as surefire marker of coming recession as yield curve inversion is. And yield differentials are flattening around the world – quite a few central banks are more ahead in the tightening path than the Fed. Economy slowing down, stock market correction far from over (yes, in spite of the coming rebound, I‘m looking for lower lows still), and precious metals upleg underway – yes, underway, and especially our gold profits can keep rising - as I wrote on Friday: (…) With gold at $1,900 again and silver approaching $24, copper‘s fate is also brightening – the miners‘ continued outperformance is a very good sign. With crude oil taking a breather, the inflationary pressures aren‘t at least increasing, but don‘t look for the Bullard or other statements to defeat inflation – I‘m standing by the 4-5% official rate CPI data for 2022 (discussed in yesterday‘s summary). CPI might turn out even a full percentage point higher – depends upon the hedonics and substitution massaging. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 caught a little buying interest going into the long weekend – better days though look to be coming. Not a monstrous rally, but still an upswing. Credit Markets HYG is indeed basing, and will help stocks move higher next. LQD and TLT are already rising, and there is still somewhat more to come. Bonds have simply deteriorated too fast in 2022, and need a breather. Gold, Silver and Miners Precious metals fireworks continue – we‘re getting started, and $1,920 is the next stop. Kiss of life from the bond market reprieve comes next, on top of all the other factors I‘ve talked about recently. Crude Oil Crude oil is fairly well bid, but the war jitters are helping it out (as in staving off a bit deeper correction). As both oil and base metals are rising, inflation isn‘t likely to slow down (perhaps later in summer?) - black gold‘s uptrend isn‘t over really. Copper Copper keeps going sideways in a volatile fashion, and can be counted on to break higher – inflationary pressures aren‘t abating, and outweigh the slowing economy. Bitcoin and Ethereum Cryptos did break down over the weekend, but the anticipated risk-on rebound fizzled out a bit too fast – as said on Friday, the bears have the upper hand now. Summary S&P 500 appears on the verge of trying to swing higher, and credit markets would be leading the charge as tech finally turns. Value had trouble declining some more on Friday already. Stock market upswing though wouldn‘t throw the precious metals bulls off balance – not too many weeks have passed since I was at the turn of the year predicting that gold (and silver with miners implied) would be the bullish surprise of 2022 – and for all the talk and preemtive tightening in the credit markets, we haven‘t yet seen the Fed move. Anyway, such a lag in moving the Fed funds rate higher, is normal these decades – we are a long way from the early 1980s when the delay between say 2-year Treasury and Fed funds rate move was some 2 months. Crude oil is likewise going to keep rising, and the same goes naturally for copper following in the footsteps. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

S&P 500 is waking up to fresh European news, and holds up well. There is no panic upswing in gold and silver, but crude oil and natural gas are up the most. As the U.S. markets are to open following yesterday‘s Washington‘s Birthday holiday, let‘s bring up the key details of yesterday‘s analysis: (…) S&P 500 opening upswing gave way to more selling, but credit markets didn‘t lead to the downside on a daily basis. This tells me the plunge would likely be challenged shortly. As in facing a reversal attempt – it‘s that junk bonds for all the recent (and still to come) deterioration, will probably rebound a little next. Value already retraced part of Friday‘s decline – it‘s just tech that didn‘t yet react to the Treasuries reprieve. Good to have taken short profits off the table. The table is set for S&P 500 to rise, and for bonds to rally somewhat. And that wouldn‘t be the result of war tensions lifting up Treasuries, gold and oil. Red hot inflation, decelerating growth and compressing yield curve are a challenging environment, and the odds of a 50bp Mar rate hike are overwhelming, but the Fed‘s balance sheet is still rising – now within spitting distance of $9T. Sure they will take on inflation, but I continue to think that by autumn they would be forced to reverse course, and start easing. Fresh stimulus after markets protest during 1H 2022? Would be helpful for the midterms... The consumer isn‘t in a great shape as the confidence data reveal – and that‘s also reflected in the direction of discretionaries vs. staples. Inflation is pinching, and the pressure on the Fed to act, is on – its credibility is being challenged. Food inflation is high, and seeing food at home prices rising this much, is as surefire marker of coming recession as yield curve inversion is. And yield differentials are flattening around the world – quite a few central banks are more ahead in the tightening path than the Fed. Economy slowing down, stock market correction far from over (yes, in spite of the coming rebound, I‘m looking for lower lows still), and precious metals upleg underway – yes, underway, and especially our gold profits can keep rising - as I wrote on Friday: (…) With gold at $1,900 again and silver approaching $24, copper‘s fate is also brightening – the miners‘ continued outperformance is a very good sign. With crude oil taking a breather, the inflationary pressures aren‘t at least increasing, but don‘t look for the Bullard or other statements to defeat inflation – I‘m standing by the 4-5% official rate CPI data for 2022 (discussed in yesterday‘s summary). CPI might turn out even a full percentage point higher – depends upon the hedonics and substitution massaging. What a long quote – let‘s update it with the premarket action. S&P 500 is still waiting with its potential upsing, dollar has gone nowhere really, and precious metals look like having a bright day today. The crude oil upswing shows that markets don‘t like the geopolitical news, and are likely to behave in a risk-off way of late (Treasuries, gold and oil up benefiting most). The internals of today‘s stock market action would be telling – I recently got an interesting question touching also upon rates and real estate: Q: I read your most recent newsletter with great interest: 1. You think the Fed would start to ease this fall? In your opinion, how long would that last?  Midterm would be done soon there after so would it be a quick few months then revert back to higher rates? 2. I’m asking question #1 as it would impact real estate. 3. You anticipate a “temporary” rise in the S&P this week? Are you thinking just a few days? I noticed 10 yr is going down. A: Thank you for asking. I'll take 1 & 2 in one go - I think they would change course latest autumn. So, now hawkish and raising, then turning to easing before midterms. Let's see first the damage this tightening does, and the degree to which they then turn dovish. As regards real estate, it's slowing down, homebuilders, XLRE... Headwinds would be stiffening, rates are eating into mortgages, but those ZIP codes where immigration into is high, would do best - but the overall, total real estate isn't an appealing proposition. When markets open, there is likely to be a little SPX rally off oversold readings. Sure, they can get more oversold - that's the way it goes during bearish episodes, which is why I'm not long. The trend for now is to the downside, so I would keep predominantly looking and taking opportunities to short. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 caught a little buying interest going into the long weekend – better days though look to be coming. Not a monstrous rally, but still an upswing. Credit Markets HYG is indeed basing, and will help stocks move higher next. LQD and TLT are already rising, and there is still somewhat more to come. Bonds have simply deteriorated too fast in 2022, and need a breather. Gold, Silver and Miners Precious metals fireworks continue – we‘re getting started, and $1,920 is the next stop. Kiss of life from the bond market reprieve comes next, on top of all the other factors I‘ve talked about recently. Crude Oil Crude oil is fairly well bid, but the war jitters are helping it out (as in staving off a bit deeper correction). As both oil and base metals are rising, inflation isn‘t likely to slow down (perhaps later in summer?) - black gold‘s uptrend isn‘t over really. Copper Copper keeps going sideways in a volatile fashion, and can be counted on to break higher – inflationary pressures aren‘t abating, and outweigh the slowing economy. Bitcoin and Ethereum Cryptos stopped breaking down today, and the price action smacks of joining in the modest risk-on upswing, as unbelievable as it sounds. Summary Yesterday‘s summary is valid also today – S&P 500 appears on the verge of trying to swing higher, and credit markets would be leading the charge as tech finally turns. Value had trouble declining some more on Friday already. Stock market upswing though wouldn‘t throw the precious metals bulls off balance – not too many weeks have passed since I was at the turn of the year predicting that gold (and silver with miners implied) would be the bullish surprise of 2022 – and for all the talk and preemtive tightening in the credit markets, we haven‘t yet seen the Fed move. Anyway, such a lag in moving the Fed funds rate higher, is normal these decades – we are a long way from the early 1980s when the delay between say 2-year Treasury and Fed funds rate move was some 2 months. Crude oil is likewise going to keep rising, and the same goes naturally for copper following in the footsteps. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

S&P 500 had a wild swings day, and didn‘t rise convincingly – credit markets didn‘t move correspondingly either. The upswing looks postponed unless fresh signs of broad weakness arrive. Yesterday‘s session didn‘t tell much either way – the countdown to the upswing materializing, is on even though tech didn‘t take advantage of higher bond prices. That can still come.VIX though reversed to the downside, and the relatively calmer session we‘re likely going to experience today, would be consistent with a modest attempt for stocks to move higher. I‘m though not looking for a monstrous rally, even though we‘re trading closer to the lower end of the wide S&P 500 range for this year than to its upper border. The 4,280s are so far holding but as the Mar FOMC approaches, we‘re likely to see a fresh turn south in the 500-strong index. For now, the talk of raising rates is on the back burner – Europe is in the spotlight.Note that the flight to safety on rising tensions (Treasuries, gold and oil up) didn‘t benefit the dollar. Coupled with the yields reprieve, that makes for further precious metals gains – the bull run won‘t be toppled if soothing news arrives. Likewise crude oil isn‘t going to tank below $90, and remain there. Commodities can be counted on to keep running – led by energy and agrifoods, with base metals (offering a helping hand to silver) in tow. As I wrote weeks ago, this is where the real gains are to be found.Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com).S&P 500 and Nasdaq OutlookS&P 500 volume moved a little up, meaning the buying interest is still there – convincing signs of a trend change are though yet not apparent. Should prices prove to have trouble breaking lower over the next 1-2 days, this could still turn out a good place for a little long positon.Credit MarketsHYG continues basing, and keeps trading in a risk-off fashion, which is why I can‘t be wildly bullish stocks for now. Stock market gains are likely to remain subdued, noticeably subdued – as a bare minimum for today.Gold, Silver and MinersPrecious metals fireworks continue, but a little reprieve is developing – nothing though that would break the bull. The run is only starting, and would continue through the rate raising cycle.Crude OilCrude oil is fairly well bid, and doesn‘t appear to be really dipping any time soon. Oil stocks are preparing for an upswing, and would remain one of the best performing S&P 500 sectors. Tripple digit oil is a question of time.CopperCopper‘s moment in the spotlight is approaching as commodities keeps pushing higher, and base metals are breaking up. All of these factors are inflationary.Bitcoin and EthereumCryptos are attempting to move up today, and further gains are likely. I‘m though looking for the 50-day moving average in Bitcoin (corresponding roughly to the mid Feb lows in Ethereum) to prove an obstacle.SummaryS&P 500 didn‘t break to new lows overnight, and appears to be picking up somewhat today. The anticipated rebound might materialize later today, and would require bond participation to be credible. I‘m not looking for sharp gains within this upswing though – the correction looks very much to have further to run. It‘s commodities and precious metals where the largest gains are to be made, with the European tensions taking the focus off inflation (momentarily). The pressure on the Fed to act decisively, is though still on as various credit spreads tell – and the same goes for the compressed yield curve speaking volumes about the (precarious) state of the real economy.Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

WTI is trading more calmly on Wednesday and is currently roughly flat in the $92.00 area awaiting fresh geopolitical developments. As geopolitical risk premia remains elevated, oil is likely to remain a buy on dips. A possible US/Iran nuclear deal, which would free up 1.3M BPD in exports, is a downside risk traders should note. After Tuesday’s choppy session which saw front-month WTI futures print fresh seven-year highs at $96.00 per barrel before swinging lower again, oil markets are experiencing calmer conditions on Wednesday. WTI is currently trading towards the top of mid-$90 to mid-$92.00 intra-day ranges near the $92.00 mark, where it is broadly flat on the day. Wednesday’s roughly $2.0 intra-day range compares to Tuesday’s intra-day range of more than $5.50. Crude oil markets are continuing to monitor developments regarding the Ukraine crisis as fears about a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine remain elevated and Western nations hit Russia with sanctions over its recognition of the independence of breakaway Ukrainian regions. These sanctions have so far been focused on targeting Russian banks and wealthy individuals, with US President Joe Biden on Tuesday making it clear that the US wasn’t yet to target Russian commodity exports. The geopolitical impetus for WTI to push above $96.00 and on towards $100, thus, is not yet there. But US officials have signalled that if Russia takes further aggressive action against Ukraine all options for further sanctions are on the table and this is a key risk oil traders will be monitoring in the coming days. “The prospect of more conflict in Ukraine should safeguard the geopolitical risk premium,” said one commodity analyst, whilst another warned that “There is a risk that Russia will retaliate to the sanctions by reducing deliveries of its own accord”. Thus, for now, it seems likely that dips back towards $90.00 will continue to be bought, as has been the case over the past two or so weeks. Eyes will be on a meeting of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine later in the day, which should generate fresh geopolitical headlines, as well as US weekly oil inventory data from the American Petroleum Institute at 2130GMT. Another theme at the top of oil traders’ minds is the prospect of a US/Iran nuclear deal. A deal would pave the way for the US to lift sanctions on Iranian crude oil exports. According to ING, this would ease concerns over OPEC+ spare capacity (or lack thereof). The bank said “Iran is currently producing at around 2.5mln BPD but is estimated to have a capacity of closer to 3.8mln BPD, therefore, over time there is the potential for 1.3mln BPD of additional supply to come onto the market”. “Nuclear talks in Vienna are reaching a sensitive and important point” said Iran's foreign minister on Wednesday.

S&P 500 reprieve that wasn‘t – the buyers didn‘t arrive, and the overnight military action sparking serious asset moves, shows that buying the dip would have been a bad idea. And it still is. Risk-on assets are likely to suffer, and I‘m not looking for a sharp, V-shaped rebound. The partial retracement seen in cryptos wouldn‘t translate to much upside in paper assets – it will likely be sold into as the bottom would take time to form. The safe haven premium seen in precious metals, crude oil and other real assets would ebb and flow, but a higher base has been established. The world has changed overnight, and recognition thereof is still pending.I think it‘s clear why I had been derisking as much as possible, wary of volatility both ways in paper assets, and betting instead on a mix of real assets. This has been hugely paying off to subscribers and readers likewise favoring gold and crude oil with some copper added for good measure.Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com).S&P 500 and Nasdaq OutlookThis isn‘t how an S&P 500 bottom looks like – downswing continues with more volatility ahead.Credit MarketsHYG is going down again, and credit markets are turning risk-off – look for Treasuries to do relatively better next, with little impact upon stocks.Gold, Silver and MinersPrecious metals fireworks continue, and the upswing got a poweful ally. Whatever retracement seen next, would be marginal in light of the developments.Crude OilCrude oil upswing can be counted on to continue, and oil stocks would remain among the best performing S&P 500 pockets. Black gold is though notorious for its wild volatility, and the coming days won‘t be an exception.CopperCopper upswing would take time to develop, especially now – but the breakout in base metals is on, the inflationary messaging is still there and thriving.Bitcoin and EthereumCryptos aren‘t in a rally mode, but are attempting to put in a low. I don‘t think it would hold, the dust hasn‘t settled yet.SummaryS&P 500 is plunging, and attempting to base, but more selling would inevitably hit. The overnight dust hasn‘t settled yet, but the panic lows would not happen today. Even if it weren‘t for geopolitics, stocks were in rough waters for weeks already, in a serious, yields and liquidity driven correction, with a slowing real economy on top. For all the short-term focus, the buying opportunity would materialize only once the Fed turns – by autumn 2022. The best places to be in right now, are those presented below – precious metals and commodities – as inflation fires continue to rage on.Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

S&P 500 recovered the steep losses as the shock was replaced with relief over the international response. Safe haven bids largely disappeared, and can be counted on remaining pressured – this concerns precious metals and crude oil. Credit markets – for all their downswing and forcing the Fed‘s hand through higher yields – have turned risk-on yesterday, but that got reflected just in the tech upswing as value didn‘t close the opening gap. But that would happen today as money flows out of the dollar hiding, and VIX can be counted on to stay much calmer than it was yesterday, in the days to come – that‘s what I tweeted late yesterday. Today‘s inflation data (core PCE) is going to take a backseat to geopolitics as uncertainty about where these tensions could lead, is getting removed in the markets‘ mind – especially as regards the international ramifications. Good to have taken sizable gold and oil profits off the table yesterday, well before the risk premiums were gone – fresh portfolio high has been reached. Remember that in times of high volatility, dialing back your exposure, your risk, is essential to proper risk management. Please have a good look at my style of open trade and money management if you haven‘t already so as to make the most of what I‘m doing. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook Now, this looks a lot more as an S&P 500 bottom – volatility appears to be staying elevated but headed down next. Neutral to bullish outlook for today but downswings are likely to be repelled. Credit Markets HYG is marking the risk-on turn clearly, and volume was also solid. Credit markets won‘t be standing in the way of stock market upswing today, I think. Gold, Silver and Miners Precious metals ominous lower knot would have consequences for the days to come – but we have seen upswing rejection only, not a downside reversal. When miners catch their breath again, the move higher can continue. Crude Oil Crude oil upswing has been rejected, but the long base building goes on, and black gold can be counted on to extend gains even when the dust settles down. Copper Copper upswing would take time to develop, especially now – but the breakout in base metals is on, the inflationary messaging is still there and thriving – yesterday‘s words are still true today, but I am looking for a longer base building here than in crude oil. Bitcoin and Ethereum Cryptos are turning the corner, and the worst looks to be in here as well – yesterday‘s attempt to put in a low was successful. Summary S&P 500 turned around, and the bottom appears to be in. Unless a fresh and entangling escalation materializes (not likely), the markets are willing to shake it off, and erase yesterday‘s downswing. As chips (and international response) fall where they may, the tense air is being removed as markets abhor uncertainty the most. Risk premiums are evaporating, and until the Fed and yields come back into the spotlight, the odds favor risk-on muddying through ahead in the days to follow. The inflation chickens haven‘t though come home to roost, and that has continued bullish implications for real assets. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

By InvestMacro | COT | Data Tables | COT Leaders | Downloads | COT Newsletter Here are the latest charts and statistics for the Commitment of Traders (COT) data published by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday February 22nd and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial entities) were positioned in the futures markets. Highlighting the COT energy data is the continued decline in the WTI Crude Oil futures bets. The speculative net position in the WTI Crude Oil futures has decreased for five consecutive weeks and in thirteen out of the past fifteen weeks. The spec crude position has dropped by a total of -82,271 contracts over the past fifteen weeks and speculators have now pushed their current net positioning to the lowest level of the past seven weeks. These declines in speculator sentiment has brought the current speculator strength score level into a bearish-extreme standing of just 2.4 percent where the strength score measures the current speculator standing compared to past three years where above 80 is bullish-extreme and below 20 is bearish-extreme. Despite the speculator weakness, crude oil prices have shot up on the Russian invasion of Ukraine with WTI crude touching slightly above $100 per barrel late this week. Joining WTI Crude Oil (-9,052 contracts) with falling speculator bets this week were Brent Crude Oil (-30 contracts) and Heating Oil (-9,228 contracts) while Natural Gas (795 contracts), Gasoline (991 contracts) and the Bloomberg Commodity Index (4,874 contracts) saw higher speculator positions on the week. Data Snapshot of Commodity Market Traders | Columns Legend Feb-22-2022 OI OI-Index Spec-Net Spec-Index Com-Net COM-Index Smalls-Net Smalls-Index WTI Crude 2,058,132 29 339,041 2 -382,891 90 43,850 77 Gold 611,488 49 243,148 65 -269,722 35 26,574 40 Silver 163,745 29 30,302 53 -43,720 56 13,418 21 Copper 204,123 29 25,575 61 -34,754 36 9,179 78 Palladium 7,903 7 -1,429 13 1,118 83 311 63 Platinum 62,274 26 17,540 27 -22,887 76 5,347 37 Natural Gas 1,107,113 2 -130,629 39 95,974 61 34,655 67 Brent 215,908 52 -26,355 73 24,478 31 1,877 35 Heating Oil 349,618 31 6,455 52 -32,434 37 25,979 88 Soybeans 826,824 51 226,464 86 -196,755 20 -29,709 21 Corn 1,563,758 32 451,742 88 -410,962 13 -40,780 20 Coffee 252,688 24 67,791 98 -72,509 3 4,718 21 Sugar 857,376 8 75,246 52 -95,306 50 20,060 33 Wheat 379,308 23 -3,902 44 10,629 51 -6,727 69   WTI Crude Oil Futures: The WTI Crude Oil Futures large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 339,041 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lowering of -9,052 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 348,093 net contracts. This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 2.4 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 89.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 76.8 percent. WTI Crude Oil Futures Statistics SPECULATORS COMMERCIALS SMALL TRADERS – Percent of Open Interest Longs: 21.5 36.1 4.9 – Percent of Open Interest Shorts: 5.0 54.7 2.8 – Net Position: 339,041 -382,891 43,850 – Gross Longs: 442,102 743,113 100,987 – Gross Shorts: 103,061 1,126,004 57,137 – Long to Short Ratio: 4.3 to 1 0.7 to 1 1.8 to 1 NET POSITION TREND: – Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct): 2.4 89.9 76.8 – Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range): Bearish-Extreme Bullish-Extreme Bullish NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX: – 6-Week Change in Strength Index: -8.4 5.6 10.5   Brent Crude Oil Futures: The Brent Crude Oil Futures large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -26,355 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly reduction of -30 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -26,325 net contracts. This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 72.5 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 30.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 34.6 percent. Brent Crude Oil Futures Statistics SPECULATORS COMMERCIALS SMALL TRADERS – Percent of Open Interest Longs: 17.3 46.9 4.2 – Percent of Open Interest Shorts: 29.5 35.6 3.4 – Net Position: -26,355 24,478 1,877 – Gross Longs: 37,283 101,361 9,173 – Gross Shorts: 63,638 76,883 7,296 – Long to Short Ratio: 0.6 to 1 1.3 to 1 1.3 to 1 NET POSITION TREND: – Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct): 72.5 30.6 34.6 – Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range): Bullish Bearish Bearish NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX: – 6-Week Change in Strength Index: -17.6 19.9 -23.2   Natural Gas Futures: The Natural Gas Futures large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -130,629 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly boost of 795 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -131,424 net contracts. This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 39.4 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 61.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 66.7 percent. Natural Gas Futures Statistics SPECULATORS COMMERCIALS SMALL TRADERS – Percent of Open Interest Longs: 21.9 43.8 5.4 – Percent of Open Interest Shorts: 33.6 35.1 2.3 – Net Position: -130,629 95,974 34,655 – Gross Longs: 241,913 484,856 60,026 – Gross Shorts: 372,542 388,882 25,371 – Long to Short Ratio: 0.6 to 1 1.2 to 1 2.4 to 1 NET POSITION TREND: – Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct): 39.4 61.1 66.7 – Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range): Bearish Bullish Bullish NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX: – 6-Week Change in Strength Index: -2.4 0.3 18.3   Gasoline Blendstock Futures: The Gasoline Blendstock Futures large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 63,587 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly gain of 991 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 62,596 net contracts. This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 34.8 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 62.3 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 78.0 percent. Nasdaq Mini Futures Statistics SPECULATORS COMMERCIALS SMALL TRADERS – Percent of Open Interest Longs: 27.3 50.1 6.1 – Percent of Open Interest Shorts: 11.0 69.3 3.3 – Net Position: 63,587 -74,709 11,122 – Gross Longs: 106,356 194,978 23,947 – Gross Shorts: 42,769 269,687 12,825 – Long to Short Ratio: 2.5 to 1 0.7 to 1 1.9 to 1 NET POSITION TREND: – Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct): 34.8 62.3 78.0 – Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range): Bearish Bullish Bullish NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX: – 6-Week Change in Strength Index: 4.2 -9.2 30.3   #2 Heating Oil NY-Harbor Futures: The #2 Heating Oil NY-Harbor Futures large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of 6,455 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly fall of -9,228 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 15,683 net contracts. This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 51.9 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 36.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 88.4 percent. Heating Oil Futures Statistics SPECULATORS COMMERCIALS SMALL TRADERS – Percent of Open Interest Longs: 17.0 50.8 14.4 – Percent of Open Interest Shorts: 15.1 60.1 6.9 – Net Position: 6,455 -32,434 25,979 – Gross Longs: 59,340 177,626 50,210 – Gross Shorts: 52,885 210,060 24,231 – Long to Short Ratio: 1.1 to 1 0.8 to 1 2.1 to 1 NET POSITION TREND: – Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct): 51.9 36.7 88.4 – Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range): Bullish Bearish Bullish-Extreme NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX: – 6-Week Change in Strength Index: 4.2 -10.3 23.6   Bloomberg Commodity Index Futures: The Bloomberg Commodity Index Futures large speculator standing this week came in at a net position of -12,167 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday. This was a weekly lift of 4,874 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -17,041 net contracts. This week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 60.9 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 37.4 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 44.3 percent. Bloomberg Index Futures Statistics SPECULATORS COMMERCIALS SMALL TRADERS – Percent of Open Interest Longs: 65.4 29.1 1.9 – Percent of Open Interest Shorts: 94.6 1.5 0.2 – Net Position: -12,167 11,468 699 – Gross Longs: 27,191 12,091 770 – Gross Shorts: 39,358 623 71 – Long to Short Ratio: 0.7 to 1 19.4 to 1 10.8 to 1 NET POSITION TREND: – Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct): 60.9 37.4 44.3 – Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range): Bullish Bearish Bearish NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX: – 6-Week Change in Strength Index: 36.1 -36.8 5.0   Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Reports by Email *COT Report: The COT data, released weekly to the public each Friday, is updated through the most recent Tuesday (data is 3 days old) and shows a quick view of how large speculators or non-commercials (for-profit traders) were positioned in the futures markets. The CFTC categorizes trader positions according to commercial hedgers (traders who use futures contracts for hedging as part of the business), non-commercials (large traders who speculate to realize trading profits) and nonreportable traders (usually small traders/speculators) as well as their open interest (contracts open in the market at time of reporting).See CFTC criteria here.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has produced a climate of anxiety around global supply disruptions. Don’t expect it to abate just yet. After witnessing crude oil prices slipping on Friday (Feb. 25) – as some major players sold off their positions before the weekend, which was still marked by a context of uncertainty regarding the evolution of the current Ukraine-Russia conflict – lots of concerns remain over potential global supply disruptions from a strengtening set of sanctions on major crude exporting country Russia. The sanction that is likely to impact the Russian bear the most in the long term was taken by Taiwan in the weekend (under rising pressure from the West) to block the sales of electronic microchips to the Russian Federation. OPEC+ will meet this Wednesday (Mar. 2) during a surge in the two black gold benchmarks, with little hope, however, that their action will dissipate the feverishness of the energy markets. British oil giant BP’s shares fell by nearly 7% this morning on the London Stock Exchange, the day after the announcement of its divestiture from the Russian giant Rosneft, in which it held a 19.75% stake. Technically, the sturdiest support seems to be located around the $93.36-95.01 area for Brent and around the $89.54-90.45 area for the West Texas Intermediate (WTI), as we recently saw some bulls entering long trades around those levels. We could see prices rebounding onto these support zones one more time as volatility stays high. Figure 1 - VIX "Fear Index" The VIX (aka “Fear Index”) – currently trading around 30 – could spike again depending on how the situation progresses. Regarding risk management, it is always best to define your strategy according to your own risk profile. For some guidance on trade management, please read this article on how to secure profits. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

S&P 500 didn‘t correct much intraday, and the risk-on turn has continued unabated with value pulling ahead sharply – unlike the day before when the revesal came about because of tech. The dust is settling in the market‘s mind, VIX has indeed moved and the dollar weakened noticeably. That was the subject of Friday‘s analysis – the disappearing safe haven premium over many assets such as gold, crude oil and Treasuries (Treasuries though kept their cool the most, not losing the focus on Fed‘s tightening). Risk-on appetite returned to stocks with a vengeance, and market breadth has significantly improved – within the context of the ongoing correction, must be said. While we made local lows on Thursday after all, the upside momentum is likely to slow down next – this week would bring a consolidation within a very headline sensitive environment. It‘s looking good for the bulls at the moment – till the dynamic of events beyond markets changes. Inflation isn‘t wavering, and I‘m not looking for its meaningful deceleration given the events since Thursday, no. Friday is likely to mark a buying opportunity beyond oil and copper – these longs have very good prospects. Another part of the S&P 500 upswing explanation were the still fine fresh orders data – while the real economy has noticeably decelerated (and Q1 GDP growth would be underwhelming), solid figures would return in the latter quarters of 2022. That‘s also behind the gold downswing on Friday, which hadn‘t been confirmed by the miners – the very bright future ahead for precious metals is undisputable. And the same goes for crude oil as oil stocks foretell – the fresh long crude trade together with long S&P 500 one, are both solidly in the black already.. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook Sharp S&P 500 upswing on solid volume – the gains can continue but their pace would slow down. Negative sentiment is departing stocks as the existing bad news has been priced in. The pendulum is swinging the other way now. Credit Markets HYG is confirming the stock market upswing, but bonds are remaining more cautious overall – it‘s that the focus would shift over the coming 2 weeks again to the Fed. The yield spread keeps compressing and the 2-year bond didn‘t stop pressuring the Fed. Gold, Silver and Miners Precious metals have corrected a little but the upswing goes on – GDX performance is a good omen. The decline in prices wasn‘t sold heavily into anyway – we‘re still moving higher next as the rate raising cycle start is soon here. Crude Oil Crude oil bears are totally unconvincing, proving that the prior price upswing was about way more than geopolitical uncertainty – the chart remains strongly bullish, and we have higher to run still. Copper Copper upswing is indeed taking time to develop, but commodities strength remains in spite of the daily setback, which just illustrates the risk-on euphoria in stocks. The commodities upleg hasn‘t run its course, and the red metal would join in. Bitcoin and Ethereum Cryptos are refusing to extend Sunday‘s decline – while the worst appears to be over, the short-term direction can turn out in both directions. I‘m though slightlly favoring the bulls. Summary S&P 500 turnaround continues, and price gains are frontrunning the events on the ground. The upswing is vulnerable – to a consolidation at most as a full reversal would require fresh setbacks, including in Asia. Risk-on trades have the momentum, and credit markets agree. It certainly looks like a good time to take advantage of the precious metals and commodities discounts as momentary optimism in the markets that has nothing to do with the progress on inflation. Further, we‘re still in the real economy slowdown phase, and the Fed hasn‘t even started hiking yet. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

S&P 500 erased opening downside, not unexpectedly. Markets say we‘ve turned the corner, and while the medium-term correction isn‘t over, we‘re going higher for now. The tired performance in credit markets suggests that the pace of the upswing would indeed likely slow, but the dips are being bought – even the 4,300 overnight level held unchallenged.VIX is slowly calming down, and it wouldn‘t be a one-way ride. I hate to say it, but we‘re trading closer to the more complacent end of the volatility spectrum – that‘s though in line with my assumption of toned down price appreciation expectations that I discussed on Sunday and yesterday:(…) While we made local lows on Thursday after all, the upside momentum is likely to slow down next – this week would bring a consolidation within a very headline sensitive environment. It‘s looking good for the bulls at the moment – till the dynamic of events beyond markets changes.Inflation isn‘t wavering, and I‘m not looking for its meaningful deceleration given the events since Thursday, no. Friday is likely to mark a buying opportunity beyond oil and copper – these longs have very good prospects. Another part of the S&P 500 upswing explanation were the still fine fresh orders data – while the real economy has noticeably decelerated (and Q1 GDP growth would be underwhelming), solid figures would return in the latter quarters of 2022. That‘s also behind the gold downswing on Friday, which hadn‘t been confirmed by the miners – the very bright future ahead for precious metals is undisputable. And the same goes for crude oil as oil stocks foretell – the fresh long crude trade together with long S&P 500 one, are both solidly in the black already.Precious metals have found a floor, and aren‘t selling off either. In fact, they are looking at a great week ahead, and the same goes for crude oil followed to a lesser degree by copper. Weekend developments on the financial front triggered a rush into cryptos, and the bullish prospects I presented yesterday, are coming to fruition.Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com).S&P 500 and Nasdaq OutlookDaily S&P 500 consolidation as the bulls did shake off the opening setback rather easily – and the same goes for the late session trip approaching 4,310s. Expecting more volatility of the current flavor, and higher prices then.Credit MarketsHYG managed to close above Friday‘s values, and the overall bond market strength bodes well for risk appetite ahead. Let‘s consolidate first, and march higher later.Gold, Silver and MinersPrecious metals are consolidating the high ground gained, miners aren‘t yielding, and silver weakness yesterday actually bodes well for the very short term. Launching pad before the next upleg.Crude OilCrude oil bears have a hard time from keeping black gold below $100. The table is clearly set for further gains – the chart can be hardly more bullish.CopperCopper is a laggard, but will still participate in the upswing. Its current underperformance as highlighten by yesterday‘s downswing, is a bit too odd, i.e. bound to be reversed.Bitcoin and EthereumCrypto bulls were indeed the stronger party, and similarly to gold, it‘s hard to imagine a deep dive coming to frution. I‘m looking for the safety trade to be be ebbing and flowing, now with some crypto participation sprinkled on top.SummaryS&P 500 turnaround goes on, and we‘re undergoing a consolidation that‘s as calm as can be given the recent volatility. Credit markets and the dollar though continue favoring the paper asset bulls now, but their gains would pale in comparison with select commodities such as oil and gold‘s newfound floor. Even agrifoods look to be sold down a bit too hard, and I‘m not looking for them to be languishing next as much as they have been over the last two trading days. Cryptos upswing highlights the present global uncertainties faced – as I have written on Thursday that the world has changed, the same applies for weekend banking events being reflected in the markets yesterday.Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

WTI has surged above $101 to hit its highest in over seven years, with analysts eyeing the 2014 highs near $107.50. The rally is being driven by concerns of supply disruptions as Western sanctions against Russia start to bite. For now, this has outweighed chatter about coordinated oil reserve releases. Oil prices have surged this Tuesday as concerns grow about supply disruptions as Western sanctions against Russia, who are currently in the process of invading Ukraine, start to bite, outweighing chatter about coordinated oil reserve releases. Front-month WTI futures have surged to their highest levels since July 2014 above $101 per barrel, with the bulls eyeing a test of the next key area of resistance in the $107.50 area, which marks the 2014 highs. That translates into on-the-day gains of more than $5.0 and takes WTI’s two-day rally to over $9.0. A senior analyst at Rystad Energy wrote that “the fragile situation in Ukraine and financial and energy sanctions against Russia will keep the energy crisis stoked and oil well above $100 per barrel in the near-term and even higher if the conflict escalates further”. The US and EU have not imposed direct sanctions on Russian energy companies or on energy exports, but various reports in financial press point to growing difficulties in conducting trade of these goods. Banks have been pulling financing and shipping costs have surged, while major Western-based energy companies are looking to exit their stakes in Russian operations. Russia exports between 4-5M barrels of crude oil per day, plus a further 2-3M barrels of refined products each day, making the country one of the world’s most important energy exports. Major US banks including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and JP Morgan have all upped their oil forecasts to reflect concerns about supply disruptions, with some analysts warning of oil hitting $150. Press reports suggest that a coordinated crude oil reserve release by the US and its allies could amount to between 60-70M barrels and such a move is currently under discussion at an extraordinary ministerial meeting of the Internation Energy Agency. Confirmation that nations agreed on the release might trigger some profit-taking in crude oil later in the session, analysts suggested, but shouldn’t shift the underlying bullish dynamic. With fresh sources suggesting OPEC+ is going to stick to its current output policy of increasing quotas by 400K barrels per day/month in April, despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine, hopes of near-term supply relief from OPEC+ remain non-existent.

EURUSD sees limited bounce The euro retreats as the ECB may dial back normalization amid the Ukraine crisis. A fall below the daily support at 1.1130 was an invalidation of the February rebound and forced buyers to bail out. The lack of support means that short-term sentiment has turned bearish once again. An oversold RSI may lift the pair temporarily due to profit-taking, but trend followers could be looking to sell into strength. 1.1230 is the closest resistance. A new round of sell-off may push the euro beyond 1.1050. USDCAD breaks support The Canadian dollar jumped after the Bank of Canada raised its key interest rate to 0.5%. A break below the demand zone, around 1.2680, has put buyers on the defensive. The daily support at 1.2640 was a major level. And its breach could trigger a sell-off towards 1.2560, threatening the rally from late January. Further south, January’s low at 1.2450 is a key floor to keep the greenback afloat. An oversold RSI may lead short-term sellers to exit, driving up the price briefly, but a rebound may be capped by 1.2700. USOIL bounces higher WTI crude skyrocketed as the war in Ukraine could drag on pushing up energy prices. The rally accelerated after it broke above the psychological tag of 100.00. The RSI’s overbought situation in both hourly and daily charts indicates overextension. Profit-taking may drive the price back down and let the bulls take a breather. 104.00 is the immediate support in this case. Sentiment is overwhelmingly bullish and pullbacks could be limited. 120.00 would be the next stop when volatility comes around again.

After the war-driven gold rally, oil is starting to outperform. History between these two has already shown that someone may suffer. Many suggest: gold miners.The precious metals corrected some of their gains yesterday, but overall, not much changed in them. However, quite a lot happened in crude oil, and in today’s analysis we’ll focus on what it implies for the precious metals market and, in particular – for mining stocks.As you may have noticed, crude oil shot up recently in a spectacular manner. This seems normal, as it’s a market with rather inflexible supply and demand, so disruptions in supply or threats thereof can impact the price in a substantial way. With Russia as one of the biggest crude oil producers, its invasion of Ukraine, and a number of sanctions imposed on the attacking country (some of them involving oil directly), it’s natural that crude oil reacts in a certain manner. The concern-based rally in gold is also understandable.However, the relationship between wars, concerns, and prices of assets is not as straightforward as “there’s a war, so gold and crude oil will go up.” In order to learn more about this relationship, let’s examine the most similar situation in recent history to the current one, when oil supplies were at stake.The war that I’m mentioning is the one between Iraq and the U.S. that started almost 20 years ago. Let’s see what happened in gold, oil, and gold stocks at that time.The most interesting thing is that when the war officially started, the above-mentioned markets were already after a decline. However, that’s not that odd, when one considers the fact that back then, the tensions were building for a long time, and it was relatively clear in advance that the U.S. attack was going to happen. This time, Russia claimed that it wouldn’t attack until the very last minute before the invasion.The point here, however, is that the markets rallied while the uncertainty and concerns were building up, and then declined when the situation was known and “stable.” I don’t mean that “war” was seen as stable, but rather that the outcome and how it affected the markets was rather obvious.The other point is the specific way in which all three markets reacted to the war and the timing thereof.Gold stocks rallied initially, but then were not that eager to follow gold higher, but that’s something that’s universal in the final stages of most rallies in the precious metals market. What’s most interesting here is that there was a time when crude oil rallied substantially, while gold was already declining.Let me emphasize that once again: gold topped first, and then it underperformed while crude oil continued to soar substantially.Fast forward to the current situation. What has happened recently?Gold moved above $1,970 (crude oil peaked at $100.54 at that time), and then it declined heavily. It’s now trying to move back to this intraday high, but it was not able to do so. At the moment of writing these words, gold is trading at about $1,930, while crude oil is trading at about $114.In other words, while gold declined by $30, crude oil rallied by about $14. That’s a repeat of what we saw in 2003!What happened next in 2003? Gold declined, and the moment when crude oil started to visibly outperform gold was also the beginning of a big decline in gold stocks.That makes perfect sense on the fundamental level too. Gold miners’ share prices depend on their profits (just like it’s the case with any other company). Crude oil at higher levels means higher costs for the miners (the machinery has to be fueled, the equipment has to be transported, etc.). When costs (crude oil could be viewed as a proxy for them) are rising faster than revenues (gold could be viewed as a proxy for them), miners’ profits appear to be in danger; and investors don’t like this kind of danger, so they sell shares. Of course, there are many more factors that need to be taken into account, but I just wanted to emphasize one way in which the above-mentioned technical phenomenon is justified. The above doesn’t apply to silver as it’s a commodity, but it does apply to silver stocks.Back in 2004, gold stocks wiped out their entire war-concern-based rally, and the biggest part of the decline took just a bit more than a month. Let’s remember that back then, gold stocks were in a very strong medium- and long-term uptrend. Right now, mining stocks remain in a medium-term downtrend, so their decline could be bigger – they could give away their war-concern-based gains and then decline much more.Mining stocks are not declining profoundly yet, but let’s keep in mind that history rhymes – it doesn’t repeat to the letter. As I emphasized previously today, back in 2003 and 2002, the tensions were building for a longer time and it was relatively clear in advance that the U.S. attack was going to happen. This time, Russia claimed that it wouldn’t attack until the very last minute before the invasion. Consequently, the “we have to act now” is still likely to be present, and the dust hasn’t settled yet – everything appears to be unclear, and thus the markets are not returning to their previous trends. Yet.However, as history shows, that is likely to happen. Either immediately, or shortly, as crude oil is already outperforming gold.Investing and trading are difficult. If it was easy, most people would be making money – and they’re not. Right now, it’s most difficult to ignore the urge to “run for cover” if you physically don’t have to. The markets move on “buy the rumor and sell the fact.” This repeats over and over again in many (all?) markets, and we have direct analogies to similar situations in gold itself. Junior miners are likely to decline the most, also based on the massive declines that are likely to take place (in fact, they have already started) in the stock markets.Thank you for reading our free analysis today. Please note that the above is just a small fraction of today’s all-encompassing Gold & Silver Trading Alert. The latter includes multiple premium details such as the targets for gold and mining stocks that could be reached in the next few weeks. If you’d like to read those premium details, we have good news for you. As soon as you sign up for our free gold newsletter, you’ll get a free 7-day no-obligation trial access to our premium Gold & Silver Trading Alerts. It’s really free – sign up today.Przemyslaw Radomski, CFAFounder, Editor-in-chiefSunshine Profits: Effective Investment through Diligence & Care* * * * *All essays, research and information found above represent analyses and opinions of Przemyslaw Radomski, CFA and Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. Opinions and analyses are based on data available to authors of respective essays at the time of writing. Although the information provided above is based on careful research and sources that are deemed to be accurate, Przemyslaw Radomski, CFA and his associates do not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the data or information reported. The opinions published above are neither an offer nor a recommendation to purchase or sell any securities. Mr. Radomski is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Przemyslaw Radomski's, CFA reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Przemyslaw Radomski, CFA, Sunshine Profits' employees and affiliates as well as members of their families may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

S&P 500 returned above 4,350s as credit markets indeed weren‘t leading to the downside. Consolidation now followed by more upside, that‘s the most likely scenario next. Yesterday‘s risk-on turn was reflected also in value rising more than tech. Anyway, the Nasdaq upswing is a good omen for the bulls in light of the TLT downswing – Treasuries are bucking the Powell newfound rate raising hesitation – inflation ambiguity is back. The yield curve is still compressing, and the pressure on the Fed to act, goes on – looking at where real asset prices are now, it had been indeed unreasonable to expect inflation to slow down meaningfully. Told you so – as I have written yesterday:(…) What‘s most interesting about bonds now, is the relenting pressure on the Fed to raise rates – the 2-year yield is moving down noticeably, and that means much practical progress on fighting inflation can‘t be expected. Not that there was much to start with, but the expectations of the hawkish Fed talk turning into action, are being dialed back. The current geopolitical events provide a scene to which attention is fixated while inflation fires keep raging on with renewed vigor (beyond energies) – just as I was calling for a little deceleration in CPI towards the year end bringing it to probably 5-6%, this figure is starting to look too optimistic on the price stability front.Predictable consequence are strong appreciation days across the board in commodities and precious metals. – let‘s enjoy the sizable open profits especially in oil and copper. I told you weeks ago that real assets are where to look for in portfolio gains – and even the modest S&P 500 long profits taken off the table yesterday, are taking my portfolio performance chart to fresh highs. Crude oil keeps rising as if there‘s no tomorrow, copper is joining in, agrifoods are on fire – and precious metals continue being very well bid. Cryptos aren‘t selling off either. Anyway, this is the time of real assets...Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com).S&P 500 and Nasdaq OutlookS&P 500 bulls are back, and I‘m looking for consolidation around these levels. The very short-term direction isn‘t totally clear, but appears favoring the bulls unless corporate junk bonds crater. Not too likely.Credit MarketsHYG performance shows rising risk appetite, but the waning volume is a sign of caution for today. Unless LQD and TLT rise as well, HYG looks short-term stretched, therefore I‘m looking for consolidation today.Gold, Silver and MinersPrecious metals are doing great, and they merely corrected yesterday – both gold and silver can be counted on to extend gains if you look at the miners‘ message. As the prospects of vigorous Fed action gets dialed back, they stand to benefit even more.Crude OilCrude oil surge is both justified and unprecedented – and oil stocks aren‘t weakening. It looks like we would consolidate in the volatile range around $110 next.CopperCopper is joining in the upswing increasingly more, and the buyer‘s return before the close looks sufficient to maintain upside momentum that had been questioned earlier in the day. The break higher out of the long consolidation, is approaching.Bitcoin and EthereumCrypto buyers are consolidating well deserved gains, and the bullish flag is being formed. The sellers are nowhere to be seen at the moment – I‘m still looking for the current tight range to be resolved to the upside next.SummaryS&P 500 has reached a short-term resistance, which would be overcome only should bonds give their blessing. It‘s likely these would confirm the risk-on turn, but HYG looks a bit too extended – its consolidation of high ground gained, could slow the stock bulls somewhat. The risk appetite and „rush to safety“ in commodities and precious metals goes on, more or less squeezing select assets such as crude oil. The CRB Index upswing is though of the orderly and broad advance flavor, and does reflect the prospects of inflation remaining elevated for longer than foreseen by the mainstream.Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

The week starts with a 10% rally in US crude prices after the US Secretary of state Blinken said that the US and its allies now consider an embargo on the Russian oil. The market mood is red, again, this Monday. Cutting off the Russian oil will increase the positive pressure on oil prices and will likely send the price of a barrel above $150 in the foreseeable future. The extended rally in oil and commodity prices will likely bring the European economies to ration consumption and weigh on the economic recovery and the corporate earnings in 2022. European indices are severely down at the open. US equities are also poised to open in the red. Bitcoin slipped below the $40K mark during the weekend, the US dollar index prepares an advance to the 100 mark, the euro-franc fell below the 1 mark for the first time since 2015 and gold hit $2000 an ounce. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:32 US crude jumps 10% on risk of sanctions on Russian oil 1:48 UBS downgrades equities to neutral 4:05 Market update: stocks, USD, gold, Bitcoin 5:29 Euro-franc tips a toe below 1.00, should we expect intervention? 6:47 US inflation to near 8% at Thursday print 7:39 ECB will give first verdict since war started on Thursday Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020.

The Russian economy continues to be hit by increasing global sanctions as the conflict escalates between Russia and Ukraine and after recent news regarding a potential ban of russian imports from Europe and America has severely impacted the situation as the country continues to be more economically isolated and may have to search for alternative export destinations. While this news has led oil prices to reach the highest level since 2008 with brent spot approaching $140 per barrel, the russian economy continues to suffer from sanctions and with no end to the conflict in sight, we could see a continuation of this trend despite the talks of a nearing agreement on the Iran nuclear deal as well as potential for the US to revoke sanctions on Venezuela in an attempt to stabilize the energy market. While there seems to be a way to compensate for the Russian oil supply down the line, the situation remains dire for the time being and could lead to prices testing even higher levels as uncertainty across markets continues to grow. Halifax HPI shows fastest increase since 2007 House prices rose at the fastest annual pace since 2007 and reached a new record high according to today’s Halifax HPI report with monthly house price growth rising to +0.5% following a slower start to the year. While the annual rate of growth increased by +10.8% and reached the strongest level since June 2007, the impact on household finances is still expected to weigh on the market this year as rising inflation and increased costs could undermine the post pandemic economic recovery and slow down the housing market significantly as demand becomes severely impacted.

Russia-Ukraine tensions keeps affecting markets, especially commodities, which are the most vulnerable to such conflicts. As we know international sanctions are being introduced so global inflation gains momentum. Crude Oil Price – Implications: UKOIL gained Ca. 8% on today’s opening, however, as the chart (courtesy of TradingView.com) shows, a small downtrend appeared sometime late. BRENT’s west brother WTI (USOIL) increased even more – almost 10% As Patrick De Haan claims: Patrick De Haan's Twitt

March 07, 2022  $USD, China, Currency Movement, Oil, Russia, SNB, South Korea Overview:  The economic disruption seen since the US warning of an imminent Russian attack on February 11 continue to ripple through the capital and commodity markets.  Equities are being slammed.  Most Asia Pacific bourses were off 2-3% today. Europe's Stoxx 600 gapped lower ad has approached February 2021 levels, orr about 2.6% today.  US futures are around 1.5% lower. The reaction in the major bond markets is subdued.  The US 10-year yield is near 1.72%, off about 10 bp from a week ago.  European benchmark yields are mostly firmer after falling 15-20 bp last week.  In the foreign exchange market, the dollar-bloc currencies continue to show resilience, while the European complex remains under pressure.  The Swedish krona continues to underperform.  It is off more than 5% in the past week.  The euro slumped to almost $1.0810 in the European morning. The JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is down 1.3% after last week's 4.6% drop.  Central European currencies, as one might expect, continue to be punished the most.  They appear to be being treated like high-beta euros.  Gold is flirting with $2000.  April WTI gapped higher and spiked to $130.50 before pulling back to around $123.  US natgas is up more than 1%.  It has risen by more than a quarter of the past three weeks.  Europe's natgas benchmark is surging by nearly a third today after jumping by almost 123% last week.  Iron ore rose about 5.5% today after 14.7% last week.  Copper initially rose by more than 1.5%, but is pulling back a bit. Still, it is up around 0.5% after gaining more than 10% last week.  May wheat is rising for the sixth consecutive session.  Today's 7% advance comes on top of last week's 40.6% jump.   Asia Pacific China and Russia's relationship is on two-tracks.  The strategic relationship is based on the antipathy to a US-centric world and the expansion of NATO, which Beijing says the US is trying to create a Pacific version.  The other track is tactical.  They avoid saying much about each other's neighborhoods, including Ukraine, Taiwan, or the fact that Russia sells weapons to India that ae used to fight and resist China.   China reports a larger than expected Jan Feb trade surplus of nearly $116 bln.  The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey was for a $95 bln surplus.  Exports rose 16.3%, more than anticipated, while imports rose 15.5%, a bit less than expected.  Separately, and also surprisingly, the value of China's reserves fell to $3.21 trillion from $3.22 trillion.  A small gain had been expected.  Still, it appears that valuation, weaker non-dollar reserve currencies and a sell-off in bonds, is the key consideration.    China's National People's Congress gave a 5.5% growth target this year.  It is on the upper end of expectations and is higher than a weighted average of the projections of the provinces, which typically over-deliver. Still, it is the lowest since 1990, excluding 2020.  China's economy is said to have grown 8.1% last year. Despite increased spending and slower growth, the NPC projected that the budget deficit would fall to 2.8% of GDP from 3.2% last year.  Here, Beijing seems to plant to draw from unspent funds from past year.  The targets seem ambitious and would seem to require more monetary and fiscal support.   South Korea votes on Wednesday for a new president, who serves one five-year term.  The contest will go down to the wire. Lee represents the governing Democrats, who enjoy a super-majority in parliament.  Of note, he has endorsed a universal basic income.  Yoon is the candidate of the major opposition People Power Party.  He enjoyed a slight lead in the last poll, and he may have enjoyed a slightly bump when a minor conservative candidate dropped out and endorsed him.  Both campaigns have been marred with gaffes and petty scandals.  Unlike Japan and China, South Korea is experiencing rising price pressures (3.7% February CPI and 3.2% core). The seven-day repo rate has been hiked three times beginning last August to 1.25%.  The won is off about 3.1% this year.   The yen is sidelined.  The dollar is trading in a narrow range between about JPY114.80 and JPY115.15.  Last week's range was roughly JPY114.65-JPY115.80.  Nevertheless, benchmark three-month implied volatility has risen above 8% to approach last November's spike to 8.2%, the highest since September 2020.  The put-call skew (risk-reversal) is the most extreme since October 2020.  Demand for dollar puts, perhaps has protection for dollar receivables appears to be a key factor.  The Australian dollar's rally continues, as its commodity exposures attracts participants.  It reached $0.7440 today, its best level since last November.  It rose 2% last week, its fifth consecutive weekly advance.  It is getting stretched.  The upper Bollinger Band (two standard deviations above the 20-day moving average) is around $0.7330, and the Aussie has closed above it the past two sessions.  The greenback gapped higher against the Chinese yuan.  It opened on the session high near CNY6.3265 but ground lower to CNY6.3170.  The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.3478.  The market (Bloomberg survey) looked for CNY6.3450.   Europe The economic noose on Russia continues to tighten.  Mastercard and Visa will no longer support Russian activity (as of March 10).  Euroclear and Clearstream will no longer settle rouble transactions.  Russia's ability to service its debt is at risk.  While some bonds allow for rouble settlement and coupon payments, some do not.  Some dollar bond coupons are due next week, which reportedly do not have the rouble payment clause, and this could be the default event that triggers credit-default swaps.  Of course, these is talk that China will help, but its assistance is likely limited.  It CIPS payment system works for yuan settlement only.  Meanwhile, Russia has begun rationing staples ostensibly to prevent hoarding.   The euro plummeted through the CHF1.0 level for the first time today since early 2015 when the Swiss National Bank lifted its cap (floor) on the franc (euro).  Under the threat of intervention by the SNB, the euro rebounded to CHF1.0050 in early European turnover but has begun coming off again.  The weekly sight deposit report suggests not intervention took place last week.  Overall sight deposits were little changed, while the domestic sight deposits fell by about CHF3 bln.  While the SNB may not have intervened, central banks in central Europe are thought to have intervened.  The proximity to Russia and the weakness of the euro are the proximate triggers.   The euro is unable to sustain even modest upticks.  It is off for the sixth consecutive session. Last week, it tumbled 3%.  It was the fourth consecutive weekly drop.  The euro has risen in only two weeks this year.  A break of $1.08 could spur a move to the March 2020 low near $1.06, but there is increasingly talk of a move to parity.   Sterling is trading near $1.3150, its lowest level since December 2020.  The $1.3165 area corresponds to the (38.2%) retracement of the big rally since March 2020 low close to $1.14.  A convincing break of this area suggests a move into $1.2830-$1.3000 band.  America While the US begins moving to ban Russian oil imports (500k-600k barrels a day), Europe does not appear ready to do the same.  April WTI futures gapped higher and pushed a little through $130 a barrel before pulling back.  It is hovering around $123.  The pre-weekend high was near $116.00.  There have been several developments over the weekend to note.  Iran will provide more data on its nuclear efforts, and this could lead renewing the accord the US pulled out of and allow for Iranian oil in Q3.  US officials reportedly met with senior members of Venezuela's Maduro government, apparently to discuss lifting sanctions.  The US cut diplomatic ties in 2019.   Before the sanctions and mismanagement, Venezuela's was producing around 3 million barrels a day.  Meanwhile, some Canadian capacity is being taken offline for maintenance, and Libya has lost 200k barrels a day over the past few days due to the political crisis.  Lastly, Saudi Arabia announced it will hike prices to Asia next month.  The economic highlight for the week in the US is the February CPI figures on Thursday.  The headline pace could approach 8% and the core near 6.5%.  Ahead of that report, on tap today is the January consumer credit.  Note that American household debt increased by $1.02 trillion last year, the most since 2007.  Total consumer debt is around $15.6 trillion, including cars and houses.  Tomorrow, the US see the January trade balance, where a large deficit is expected, and the wholesale inventories, which may be linked to stronger imports.   In some quarters, there is still talk about "artificially" low rates in the US. However, consider what would happen if next week, the Fed Chair Powell were to channel Volcker and hike the Fed funds target by 100 bp.  We suspect that medium and long-term US interest rates would fall sharply.  Many would likely assume that it would drive the world's largest economy into contraction.  Note that 2-10-year yield curve is slipping below 25 bp today. Canada reports tits January trade figures tomorrow and return to surplus is expected.  The highlight of the week will be the jobs report on Friday.  After losing 200k jobs in January, the Canadian jobs market is expected to have recovered smartly.  The unemployment rate is expected to fall to 6.3% from 6.5% even while the participation rate is projected to rise to 65.2% from 65.0%.  Mexico report February CPI figures on Wednesday.  A rise to nearly 7.25% is expected after 7.07% in January.  At the end of the week, January industrial production figures are due.  A small decline is expected.     Since late January, the US dollar has mostly been in a CAD1.2650-CAD1.2800 range.  It was briefly pushed below CAD1.26 in the middle of last week but quickly snapped back to the upper end of the range.  It is trading inside the pre-weekend range (~CAD1.2670-CAD1.2790).  The Canadian dollar appears pulled between its commodity exposure and its risk-off sensitivity.  The Mexican peso is less ambivalent.  The greenback jumped 1.5% before the weekend and is up another 1.2% today.  Near MXN21.20, the US dollar is at its best level since mid-December, when it poked above MXN21.36.  The dollar is rally has lifted it more than three standard deviations (~MXN21.21) from its 20-day moving average.    Disclaimer

  The threat of sanctions caused a stir in the markets: WTI spiked above $130 and Brent is nearing the $140 mark. Where is crude oil going next? A possible Western embargo on Russian oil caused oil prices to soar again on Monday, as stock markets feared persistent inflation and a consequent economic slowdown. On the US dollar side, the continued rally of the greenback has propelled the dollar index (DXY) towards higher levels, as it is now approaching the three-figure mark ($100), even though it has not had a huge impact on crude oil, other petroleum products, or any other commodities in general. What we rather witness here is the greenback’s safe haven effect attracting investors, much like gold would tend to act in a “store of value” role. US Dollar Index (DXY) CFD (daily chart) On the geopolitical scene, Russia-Ukraine peace talks will be resumed today in Brest (Belarus) at 14:00 GMT, while another meeting is already scheduled at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Thursday in Turkey. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba will talk there in the presence of the Turkish foreign minister. We might therefore expect some de-escalation in the Black Sea basin this week if the two parties involved were able to reach an agreement after further negotiations. WTI Crude Oil (CLJ22) Futures (April contract, daily chart) Brent Crude Oil (BRNK22) Futures (May contract, daily chart) RBOB Gasoline (RBJ22) Futures (April contract, daily chart) Henry Hub Natural Gas (NGJ22) Futures (April contract, daily chart) Regarding natural gas, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) published its Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) 2022 report, suggesting that even with non-hydro renewable sources set to rapidly grow through 2050, oil and gas-derived sources should still remain the top energy sources to fuel most of the United States. The agency is forecasting a rise in the production of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) – which mainly comes from shale gas – by at least 35%! In summary, the threat of sanctions has already wiped out almost all Russian oil – at least 7% of global supply – from the world oil market. In the weeks or months to come, we can see sanctions on Russian oil exports create a boomerang effect on European economies, decreasing world market supply, increasing prices for industry, as well as even more rising expenses, and thus cost of living through a ripple effect. Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

S&P 500 indeed didn‘t reverse on Friday in earnest, and both tech and value sold off hard. Not much reason to be bullish thanks to credit markets performance either – the posture is very risk-off, and the rush to commodities goes on. With a little check yesterday on the high opening prices in crude oil and copper, but still. My favorite agrifoods picks of late, wheat and corn, are doing great, and the pressure within select base metals, is building up – such as (for understandable reasons) in nickel and aluminum. Look for more to come, especially there where supply is getting messed with (this doesn‘t concern copper to such a degree, explaining its tepid price gains). And I‘m not talking even the brightest spot, where I at the onset of 2022 announced that precious metals would be the great bullish surprise this year. Those who listened, are rocking and rolling – we‘re nowhere near the end of the profitable run! Crude oil is likely to consolidate prior steep gains, and could definitely continue spiking higher. Should it stay comfortably above $125 for months, that would lead to quite some demand destruction. Given that black gold acts as a „shadow Fed funds rate“, let‘s bring up yesterday‘s rate raising thoughts and other relevant snippets: (,,,) If TLT has a message to drive home after the latest Powell pronouncements, it‘s that the odds of a 50bp rate hike in Mar (virtual certainty less than two weeks ago, went down considerably) – it‘s almost a coin toss now, and as the FOMC time approaches, the Fed would probably grow more cautious (read dovish and not hawkish) in its assessments, no matter the commodities appreciation or supply chains status. Yes, neither of these, nor inflation is going away before the year‘s end – they are here to stay for a long time to come. Looking at the events of late, I have to dial back the stock market outlook when it comes to the degree of appreciation till 2022 is over – I wouldn‘t be surprised to see the S&P 500 to retreat slightly vs. the Jan 2022 open. Yes, not even the better 2H 2022 prospects would erase the preceding setback. Which stocks would do best then? Here are my key 4 tips – energy, materials, in general value, and smallcaps. But the true winners of the stagflationary period is of course going to be commodities and precious metals. And that‘s where the bulk of recent gains that I brought you, were concentrated in. More is to come, and it‘s gold and silver that are catching real fire here. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 didn‘t do at all well yesterday, and signs of a short-term bottom are absent. It‘s entirely possible that the brief upswing that I was looking to be selling into to start the week, has been not merely postponed. Credit Markets HYG is clearly on the defensive, and TLT reassessing rate hike prospects – yet, long-dated Treasuries still declined. There is no appetite to buy bonds, and that confirms my thesis of lower lows to be made still in Mar. Gold, Silver and Miners Precious metals keep doing great, and will likely continue rising no matter what the dollar does – last three days‘ experience confirms that. This is more than mere flight to safety - I‘m looking for further price gains as the upleg has been measured and orderly so far. Crude Oil Crude oil‘s opening gap had been sold into, but we haven‘t seen a reversal yesterday. The upswing can continue, and it would happen on high volatility. I don‘t think we have seen the real spike just yet. Copper For all the above reasons, copper isn‘t rising as fast as other base metals (one of the key engines of commodities appreciation). The run is respectable, and not overheated. $5.00 would remain quite a tough nut to crack – for the time being. Bitcoin and Ethereum Cryptos haven‘t made up their mind yet, but one thing is sure – they aren‘t acting as a safe haven. Given the extent of retreat from Mar highs, it means I‘m looking for not too spectacular performance in the days ahead. Summary S&P 500 missed an opportunity to rise (even if just to open the week on a positive note), and its prospects for today aren‘t way too much brighter. It‘s that practically nothing is giving bullish signals for paper assets, and the market breadth has understandably deteriorated. The rush into precious metals, dollar and commodities remains on – these are the pockets of strength, lifting to a very modest and hidden degree Treasuries as well (these are however reassessing the hawkish Fed prospects) at a time when global growth downgrades are starting to arrive. Pretty serious figures, let me tell you. As I wrote yesterday, stocks may even undershoot prior Thursday‘s lows, but I‘m not looking for that to happen. The sentiment is very negative already, the yield curve keeps compressing, commodities are rising relentlessly, and all we got is a great inflation excuse / smoke screen. Inflation is always a monetary phenomenon, and supply chain disruptions and other geopolitical events can and do exacerbate that. Just having a look at the rising dollar when rate hike prospects are getting dialed back, tells the full risk-off story of the moment, further highlighted by the powder keg that precious metals are. And silver isn‘t yet outperforming copper, which is something I am looking for to change as we go by. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

  Gold has hit $2,000 but is still struggling to maintain that historical level. It has already tried 8 times - will the ninth attempt succeed? Many indications make this doubtful. Gold is attempting to break above the $2,000 milestone, and miners are trying to break above their declining resistance line. Will they manage to do so, and if so, how long will the rally last? Yesterday, gold didn’t manage to close above the $2,000 level and it’s making another attempt to rally above it in today’s pre-market trading. However, will it be successful? Given the RSI above 70 and the strength of the current resistance, it’s doubtful. In fact, nothing has changed with regard to this likelihood since yesterday, so what I wrote about it in the previous Gold & Silver Trading Alert remains up-to-date: Gold touched $2,000 in today’s pre-market trading, which is barely above its 2021 high and below its 2020 high. Crude oil is way above both analogous levels. In other words, gold underperforms crude oil to a significant extent, just like in 2003. Interestingly, back in 2003, gold topped when crude oil rallied about 40% from its short-term lows (the late-2002 low). What happened next in 2003? Gold declined, and the moment when crude oil started to visibly outperform gold was also the beginning of a big decline in gold stocks. That makes perfect sense on the fundamental level too. Gold miners’ share prices depend on their profits (just like it’s the case with any other company). Crude oil at higher levels means higher costs for the miners (the machinery has to be fueled, the equipment has to be transported, etc.). When costs (crude oil could be viewed as a proxy for them) are rising faster than revenues (gold could be viewed as a proxy for them), miners’ profits appear to be in danger; and investors don’t like this kind of danger, so they sell shares. Of course, there are many more factors that need to be taken into account, but I just wanted to emphasize one way in which the above-mentioned technical phenomenon is justified. Back in 2003, gold stocks wiped out their entire war-concern-based rally, and the biggest part of the decline took just a bit more than a month. Let’s remember that back then, gold stocks were in a very strong medium- and long-term uptrend. Right now, mining stocks remain in a medium-term downtrend, so their decline could be bigger – they could give away their war-concern-based gains and then decline much more. Mining stocks are not declining profoundly yet, but let’s keep in mind that history rhymes – it doesn’t repeat to the letter. As I emphasized previously today, back in 2003 and 2002, the tensions were building for a longer time, and it was relatively clear in advance that the U.S. attack was going to happen. This time, Russia claimed that it wouldn’t attack until the very last minute before the invasion. Consequently, the “we have to act now” is still likely to be present, and the dust hasn’t settled yet – everything appears to be unclear, and thus the markets are not returning to their previous trends. Yet. However, as history shows, that is likely to happen. Either immediately, or shortly, as crude oil is already outperforming gold. The above chart features the GDXJ ETF. As you can see, the junior miners moved to their very strong resistance provided by the declining resistance line. This resistance is further strengthened by the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement, and the previous (late-2021) high. This means that it’s particularly strong, and any breakout here would likely be invalidated shortly. Given the clear sell signal from the RSI indicator, a turnaround here is even more likely. I marked the previous such signals to emphasize their efficiency. When the RSI was above 70, a top was in 6 out of 7 of the recent cases, and the remaining case was shortly before the final top, anyway. This resistance seems to be analogous to the $2,000 level in gold. By the way, please note that gold tried to break above $2,000 several times: twice in August 2020; twice in September 2020 (once moving above it, once moving just near this level); once in November 2020 (moving near this level); once in January 2021 (moving near this level); once in February 2022 (moving near this level). These attempts failed in each of the 7 cases mentioned above. This is the eight attempt. Will this very strong resistance break this time? Given how much crude oil has already soared, and how both markets used to react to war tensions in the case of oil-producing countries, it seems that the days of the rally are numbered. Moving back to the GDXJ ETF, please note that while gold is moving close to its all-time highs, the junior miners are not doing anything like that. In fact, they barely moved slightly above their late-2021 high. They are not even close to their 2021 high, let alone their 2020 high. Instead, junior mining stocks are just a bit above their early-2020 high, from which their prices were more than cut in half in less than a month. In other words, junior miners strongly underperform gold, which is a bearish sign. When gold finally declines – and it’s likely to, as geopolitical events tend to have only a temporary effect on prices, even if they’re substantial – junior miners will probably slide much more than gold. One of the reasons is the likely decline in the general stock market. I recently received a question about the impact the general stock market has on mining stocks, as the latter moved higher despite stocks’ decline in recent weeks. So, let’s take a look at a chart that will feature junior mining stocks, the GLD ETF, and the S&P 500 Index. Before the Ukraine crisis, the link between junior miners and the stock market was clear. Now, it's not as clear, but it’s still present. Juniors only moved to their late-2021 highs, while gold is over $100 above those highs. Juniors underperform significantly, in tune with the stock market's weakness. The gold price is still the primary driver of mining stock prices – including junior mining stocks. After all, that’s what’s either being sold by the company (that produces gold) or in the properties that the company owns and explores (junior miners). As gold prices exploded in the last couple of weeks, junior miners practically had to follow. However, this doesn’t mean that the stock market’s influence is not present nor that it’s going to be unimportant going forward. Conversely, the weak performance of the general stock market likely contributed to junior miners’ weakness relative to gold – the former didn’t rally as much as the latter. Since the weakness in the general stock market is likely to continue, and gold’s rally is likely to be reversed (again, what happened in the case of other military conflicts is in tune with history, not against it), junior miners are likely to decline much more profoundly than gold. Speaking of the general stock market, it just closed at the lowest level since mid-2021. The key thing about the above chart is that what we’ve seen this year is the biggest decline since 2020, and the size of the recent slide is comparable to what we saw as the initial wave down in 2020 – along with the subsequent correction. If these moves are analogous, the recent rebound was perfectly normal – there was one in early 2020 too. This also means that a much bigger decline is likely in the cards in the coming weeks, and that it’s already underway. This would be likely to have a very negative impact on the precious metals market, in particular on junior mining stocks (initially) and silver (a bit later). All in all, it seems that due to the technical resistance in gold and mining stocks, the sizable – but likely temporary (like other geopolitical-event-based-ones) – rally is likely to be reversed shortly. Then, as the situation in the general stock market deteriorates, junior miners would be likely to plunge in a spectacular manner. Thank you for reading our free analysis today. Please note that the above is just a small fraction of today’s all-encompassing Gold & Silver Trading Alert. The latter includes multiple premium details such as the targets for gold and mining stocks that could be reached in the next few weeks. If you’d like to read those premium details, we have good news for you. As soon as you sign up for our free gold newsletter, you’ll get a free 7-day no-obligation trial access to our premium Gold & Silver Trading Alerts. It’s really free – sign up today. Przemyslaw Radomski, CFAFounder, Editor-in-chiefSunshine Profits: Effective Investment through Diligence & Care * * * * * All essays, research and information found above represent analyses and opinions of Przemyslaw Radomski, CFA and Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. Opinions and analyses are based on data available to authors of respective essays at the time of writing. Although the information provided above is based on careful research and sources that are deemed to be accurate, Przemyslaw Radomski, CFA and his associates do not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the data or information reported. The opinions published above are neither an offer nor a recommendation to purchase or sell any securities. Mr. Radomski is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Przemyslaw Radomski's, CFA reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Przemyslaw Radomski, CFA, Sunshine Profits' employees and affiliates as well as members of their families may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Gold Spot we remain buyers on weakness in the bull trend & yesterday minor support at 1982/80 held early in the session. We hit all out next targets of 2013/15, 2026/29 & 2035/37 before hitting 2069. Silver we wrote: through resistance at 2555/75 for a buy signal targeting 2600, 2640/50 & 2690/95. All targets hit with a high for the day exactly at 2690/95 - we remain buyers on weakness to support levels. WTI Crude April rocketed from our buying opportunity at 116.70/116.10 to hold just below important Fibonacci extension resistance at 130.50. A $10 collapse however over ran my support at 121.00/120.50 by almost 100 ticks before the recovery. Update daily by 05:00 GMT Today's Analysis. Gold higher again as expected of course reaching 2069, very close to the all time 2072 high so obviously this is important & the only thing that can stop Gold. However a sustained break above 2077 will start a new leg up in the bull trend targeting 2092/95 & 2100, perhaps as far as 2120/24. No sell signal so downside is expected to be limited with support at 2027/24, Below 2014 risks a slide to to strong support at 2003/2000. Longs need stops below 1990. Silver through resistance at 2555/75 hitting all targets as far as 2690/95 with a high for the day exactly here. First support at 2625/20 could hold the downside but below 2010 can target very strong support at 2580/70. Longs need stops below 2550. A break above 2700 in the bull trend is the next buy signal targeting 2717/20 & 2725/35, perhaps as far as 2765/75. WTI Crude April has Fibonacci extension resistance at 130.50 as I wrote yesterday, but of course shorts are very high risk in the bull trend. If we continue higher (we are likely to eventually) look for 132.90/133.10 then 138.00/139.00. Minor support at 124.80/20 again this morning & at 121.00/120.50. Longs need stops below 119.00 for a move towards 118.00/117.50, perhaps as far as a buying opportunity at 115.00/114.00, Longs need stops below 113.00. To subscribe to this report please visit daytradeideas.co.uk or email jason@daytradeideas.co.uk No representation or warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of this information and opinions expressed may be subject to change without notice. Estimates and projections set forth herein are based on assumptions that may not be correct or otherwise realised. All reports and information are designed for information purposes only and neither the information contained herein nor any opinion expressed is deemed to constitute an offer or invitation to make an offer, to buy or sell any security or any option, futures or other related derivatives.

S&P 500 once again gave up intraday gains, and credit markets confirmed the decline. Value down significantly more than tech, risk-off anywhere you look. For days without end, but the reprieve can come on seemingly little to no positive news, just when the sellers exhaust themselves and need to regroup temporarily. We‘re already seeing signs of such a respite in precious metals and commodities – be it the copper downswing, oil unable to break $130, or miners not following gold much higher yesterday. Corn and wheat also consolidated – right or wrong, the market seeks to anticipate some relief from Eastern Europe.The big picture though hasn‘t changed:(…) credit markets … posture is very risk-off, and the rush to commodities goes on. With a little check yesterday on the high opening prices in crude oil and copper, but still. My favorite agrifoods picks of late, wheat and corn, are doing great, and the pressure within select base metals, is building up – such as (for understandable reasons) in nickel and aluminum. Look for more to come, especially there where supply is getting messed with (this doesn‘t concern copper to such a degree, explaining its tepid price gains).And I‘m not talking even the brightest spot, where I at the onset of 2022 announced that precious metals would be the great bullish surprise this year. Those who listened, are rocking and rolling – we‘re nowhere near the end of the profitable run! Crude oil is likely to consolidate prior steep gains, and could definitely continue spiking higher. Should it stay comfortably above $125 for months, that would lead to quite some demand destruction. Given that black gold acts as a „shadow Fed funds rate“, ......its downswing would contribute to providing the Fed with an excuse not to hike in Mar by 50bp. After the prior run up in the price of black gold that however renders such an excuse a verbal exercise only, the Fed remains between a rock and hard place, and the inflationary fires keep raging on.Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com).S&P 500 and Nasdaq OutlookS&P 500 is reaching for the Feb 24 lows, and may find respite at this level. The upper knot though would need a solid close today (above 4,250) to be of short-term significance. Remember, the market remains very much headline sensitive.Credit MarketsHYG clearly remains on the defensive, but the sellers may need a pause here, if volume is any guide. Bonds are getting beaten, and the outlook remains negative to neutral for the weeks ahead. Gold, Silver and MinersPrecious metals keep doing great, but a pause is knocking on the door. Not a reversal, a pause. Gold and silver are indeed the go-to assets in the current situation, and miners agree wholeheartedly.Crude OilCrude oil is having trouble extending gains, and the consolidation I mentioned yesterday, approaches. I do not think however that this is the end of the run higher.CopperCopper is pausing already, and this underperformer looks very well bid above $4.60. Let the red metal build a base, and continue rising next, alongside the rest of the crowd.Bitcoin and EthereumCryptos upswing equals more risk appetite? It could be so, looking at the dollar‘s chart (I‘m talking that in the summary of today‘s analysis).SummaryEvery dog has its day, and the S&P 500‘s one might be coming today or tomorrow. It‘s that the safe havens of late (precious metals, commodities and the dollar) are having trouble extending prior steep gains further. These look to be in for a brief respite that would be amplified on any possible news of deescalation. In such an environment, risk taking would flourish at expense of gold, silver and oil especially. I don‘t think so we have seen the tops – precious metals are likely to do great on the continued inflation turning into stagflation (GDP growth figures being downgraded), and commodities are set to further benefit from geopolitics (among much else).Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

Better sounding newsflow regarding the possibility of a diplomatic solution to the Russo-Ukraine war is weighing heavily on crude oil. Talks between the Russian and Ukrainian Foreign Ministers on Thursday will be key. WTI is currently down more than $7.50 as traders also mull a possible US/Iran nuclear deal and further reserve releases. A slightly more conciliatory tone to the rhetoric from Ukrainian and Russian officials regarding the possibility of a diplomatic solution to the war ahead of Thursday’s meeting of the two nations’ Foreign Ministers in Turkey has seen oil markets plunge. Russia said on Wednesday that “some progress” had been made with Ukraine and laid out a potential territorial compromise, while a Ukrainian official close to President Zelenskyy hinted that Russian demands for “neutrality” can be discussed. Front-month WTI futures have subsequently tanked nearly $6.50 per barrel on the session to near the $118 level, a near $12 turnaround from Tuesday’s highs near $130. Traders also said that markets were taking a more relaxed view on the US ban on Russian oil imports announced on Tuesday and that this was weighing on prices. “Theoretically, the US could even offset the outages from Russia with its own production,” said an analyst at Commerzbank. Elsewhere, some traders cited expectations for more oil reserve releases as triggering profit-taking after the head of the International Energy Agency hinted that last week’s decision by member nations to release 60M barrels could be the first of further releases. As oil traders continue to juggle numerous competing themes, choppy market conditions are likely here to stay for some time. With Iran’s chief negotiator in the nuclear talks having arrived back in Vienna on Wednesday to continue discussions, it may well be that a deal is imminent, despite recent concerns that the Russians were adding additional demands. A deal would pave the way for over 1.3M barrels in daily Iranian crude oil exports to return to global markets. In the more immediate future, focus will return to the global crude oil inventory situation with the release of weekly official US data at 1530GMT.

S&P 500 tech driven upswing makes the advance a bit suspect, and prone to consolidation. I would have expected value to kick in to a much greater degree given the risk-on posture in the credit markets. The steep downswing in commodities and precious metals doesn‘t pass the smell test for me – just as there were little cracks in the dam warning of short-term vulnerability at the onset of yesterday, the same way there are signs of the resulting downswing being overdone now.And that has consequences for the multitude of open positions – the PMs and commodities super bull runs are on, and the geopolitics still support the notion of the next spike.Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com).S&P 500 and Nasdaq OutlookS&P 500 turned around, and the volume isn‘t raising too many eyebrows. However, the bulls should have tempered price appreciation expectations, to put it politely...Credit MarketsHYG turned around, but isn‘t entirely convincing yet. We saw an encouraging first step towards risk-on turn that requires that the moves continue, which is unlikely today – CPI is here, and unlikely to disappoint the inflationistas.Gold, Silver and MinersPrecious metals downswing looks clearly overdone, and I continue calling for a shallow, $1,980 - $2,000 range consolidation next. This gives you an idea not to expect steep silver discounts either. Miner are clear, and holding up nicely.Crude OilCrude oil downswing came, arguably way too steep one. Even oil stocks turned down in spite of the S&P 500 upswing, which is odd. I‘m looking for gradual reversal of yesterday‘s weakness in both.CopperCopper has made one of its odd moves on par with the late Jan long red candle one – I‘m looking for the weakness to be reversed, and not only in the red metal but within commodities as such.Bitcoin and EthereumCryptos are giving up yesterday‘s upswing – they are dialing back the risk-on turn and rush out of the safe havens of late.SummaryThe S&P 500 dog indeed just had its day, but the price appreciation prospects are not looking too bright for today. With attention turning to CPI, and yesterday‘s „hail mary decline aka I don‘t need you anymore“ in the safe havens of late (precious metals, crude oil, wheat, and the dollar to name just a few) getting proper scrutiny, I‘m looking for gradual return to strength in all things real (real assets) – it‘s my reasonable assumption that the markets won‘t get surprised by an overwhelmingly positive headline from Eastern Europe at this point. Focusing on the underlying fundamentals and charts, I don‘t think so we have seen the real asset tops – precious metals are likely to do great on the continued inflation turning into stagflation (GDP growth figures being downgraded), and commodities are set to further benefit from geopolitics (among much else).Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

S&P 500 gave up the opening gains, but managed to close on a good note, in spite of credit markets not confirming. Given though the high volume characterizing HYG downswing and retreating crude oil, we may be in for a stock market led rebound today. It‘s that finally, value did much better yesterday than tech.CPI came red hot, but didn‘t beat expectations, yield curve remains flat as a pancake, and the commodity index didn‘t sell off too hard. It remains to be seen whether the miners‘ strength was for real or not – anyway, the yesterday discussed shallow $1,980 - $2,000 range consolidation still remains the most likely scenario. I just don‘t see PMs and commodities giving up a lion‘s share of the post Feb 24 gains next.Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com).S&P 500 and Nasdaq OutlookS&P 500 can still turn around, and the odds of doing so successfully (till the closing bell today), have increased yesterday. The diminished volume points to no more sellers at this point while buyers are waiting on the sidelines.Credit MarketsHYG has only marginally closed below Tuesday‘s lows – corporate junk bonds can reverse higher without overcoming Wednesday‘s highs fast, which would still be constructive for a modest S&P 500 upswing.Gold, Silver and MinersPrecious metals are indeed refusing to swing lower too much – the sector remains excellently positioned for further gains. For now though, we‘re in a soft patch where the speculative fever is slowly coming out, including out of other commodities. Enter oil.Crude OilCrude oil still remains vulnerable, but would catch a bid quite fast here. Ideally, black gold wouldn‘t break down into the $105 - $100 zone next. I‘m looking for resilience kicking in soon.CopperCopper fake weakness is being reversed, and the red metal is well positioned not to break below Wednesday‘s lows. I‘m not looking for selloff continuation in the CRB Index either.Bitcoin and EthereumCryptos remain undecided, and erring on the side of caution – this highlights that the risk appetite‘s return is far from universal.SummaryS&P 500 missed a good opportunity yesterday, but the short-term bullish case isn‘t lost. Stocks actually outperformed credit markets, and given the commodities respite and value doing well, bonds may very well join in the upswing, with a notable hesitation though. That wouldn‘t be a short-term obstacle, take it as the bulls temporarily overpowering the bears – I still think that the selling isn‘t over, and that the downswing would return in the latter half of Mar if (and that‘s a big if) the Fed‘s response to inflation doesn‘t underwhelm the market expectations that have been dialed back considerably over the last two weeks. Token 25bp rate hike, anyone? That wouldn‘t sink stocks dramatically...Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

S&P 500 bulls again missed the opportunity, and credit markets likewise. Not even the virtual certainty of only 25bp hike in Mar is providing much relief to the credit markets. Given that the real economy is considerably slowing down and that recession looks arriving before Q2 ends, the markets continue forcing higher rates (reflecting inflation). In a risk-on environment, value and cyclicals such as financials would be reacting positively, but that‘s not the case right now. At the same time, equal weighted S&P 500 (that‘s RSP) hasn‘t yet broken below its horizontal support above $145, meaning its posture isn‘t as bad as in the S&P 500. Should it however give, we‘re going considerably below 4,000. That‘s why today‘s article is titled hanging by a thread. Precious metals and commodities continue consolidating, and the least volatile appreciation opportunity presents the red metal. And it‘s not only about copper – crude oil market is going through supply realignment, and demand is not yet being destroyed on a massive scale. Coupled with the long-term underinvestment in exploration and drilling (US is no longer such a key producer as was the case in 2019), crude oil prices would continue rising on fundamentals, meaning the appreciation pace of Feb-Mar would slow down. Precious metals would have it easy next as the Fed is bound to be forced to make a U-turn in this very short tightening cycle (they didn‘t get far at all, and inflation expectations have in my view become unanchored already). Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 bears won the day, and Nasdaq remains in a sorry state. 4,160s are the line in the sand, breaking which would accelerate the downswing. Inflation is cutting into the earnings, and stocks aren‘t going to like the coming Fed‘s message. Credit Markets HYG didn‘t keep at least stable – the pressure in the credit markets is ongoing, and the stock market bulls don‘t have much to rejoice over here. Gold, Silver and Miners Precious metals downswings are being bought, and are shallow. The sellers are running out of steam, and the opportunity to go somewhat higher next, is approaching. Crude Oil Crude oil is stabilizing, but it may take some time before the upswing continues with renewed vigor. As for modest extension of gains, we won‘t be disappointed. Copper Copper had one more day of fake weakness, but the lost gains of Friday would be made up for next – and given no speculative fever here to speak of, it would have as good lasting power as precious metals. Bitcoin and Ethereum Cryptos remain undecided, but indicate a little breathing room, at least for today. Still, I wouldn‘t call it as risk-on constellation throughout the markets. Summary S&P 500 is getting in a precarious position, but the internals aren‘t (yet) a screaming sell. Credit markets continue leading lower, and the risk-off positioning is impossible to miss. Not even financials are able to take the cue, and rise. It‘s that the rise in yields mirrors the ingrained inflation, and just how entrenched it‘s becoming. No surprise if you were listening to me one year ago – the Fed‘s manouevering room got progressively smaller, and the table is set for the 2H 2022 inflation respite (think 5-6% year end on account of recessionary undercurrents) to be superseded with even higher inflation in 2023, because the Fed would be forced later this year to turn back to easing. Long live the precious metals and commodities super bulls! Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

The Swing Overview – Week 10 The war in Ukraine has been going on for more than two weeks and there is no end in sight. However, the markets seem to have started to adapt to the new situation and the decline in the indices has stopped. Meanwhile, inflation in the Czech Republic rose to 11.1% and the ECB left rates unchanged as expected. There is extreme volatility in oil. After reaching 2008 price levels there has been a larger correction. The conflict in Ukraine   The high-profile meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Kuleba did not bring a solution to end the war.  Russia continues to expect Ukraine to recognise Crimea as part of Russia, to recognise the independence of republics declared by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, and not to join NATO. Kuleba commented that Ukraine will not surrender. So, unfortunately, the war continues.   The sanctions, which have caused the Russian economy a shock and which are being extended, should help to end the war. The US announced that it stopped taking Russian oil. However, European leaders have not agreed to stop taking Russian energy because of their current dependence on it. As a lesson from this war, the EU is preparing a plan to stop taking Russian gas by 2027.   Meanwhile, the markets have calmed down a bit and although a resolution to the conflict is nowhere in sight, the markets seem to have come to accept the war as a regional issue that will have a negative but limited impact on global economic growth. This can be seen in US 10-year bond rates, which have started to rise again.   Figure 1: 10-year government bond yield on the 4H chart and USD index on the daily chart   The US inflation at highest levels in 40 years Annual inflation in the US for February was 7.9%, the highest since January 1982. The biggest contributor to inflation is energy, which saw inflation reaching 25.6%, while gasoline prices were up 38%. These figures do not include recent developments in Europe. Continued supply-side logistics problems and strong demand, together with a tight labour market mean that higher inflation will last for a longer period. Figure 2: The inflation in the US   Next week, the US Fed will meet to respond to rising inflation. Interest rates are generally expected to rise by at least 0.25%.    The SP500 index Long-term investors in the SP 500 index track an indicator of the number of companies whose stock prices are above the 50-day average. Figure 3: The SP 500 Index and an indicator of the number of companies in the SP 500 Index above the 50-day moving average   This indicator has recently fallen to a value of 20. In the past, as the figure shows, reaching a value of 20 was mostly followed by an increase in the index. It is therefore likely that investors will now start buying the shares. Amazon shares gained significantly after the company announced a 20:1 stock split. The stock can thus be afforded by more retail investors. As for the current trend in the SP 500 index, it has been moving down recently. This may be a correction to the overall uptrend shown in Figure 3. In Figure 4 we have a short-term view.     Figure 4: SP 500 on H4 and D1 chart   From a technical analysis perspective, the moving averages suggest that the index is moving down. Investor interest in buying a dip has slowed this decline, which can be seen on the H4 chart where a higher low has formed.  Support is at 4,140 - 4,152. Resistance is at 4,288 - 4,300. The next resistance is at 4,385 - 4,415. The moving averages also serve as resistance.   The inflation in the Czech Republic has surpassed 11% Annual inflation in the Czech Republic for February 2022 was 11.1% (9.9% in January), higher than market expectations (10.3% was expected). This is the highest inflation in the Czech Republic since 1998. The largest contributors to inflation are housing (16%), electricity (22.6%) and gas (28.3%). This figure is likely to force the CNB to raise rates further. The Czech koruna has stalled against the euro at resistance around 25.80 - 25.90. The reason for the weakening of the koruna was geopolitical uncertainty regarding the war in Ukraine. Now it seems that the markets have absorbed this situation and this may be the reason for the appreciation of the koruna that occurred last week. If the war in Ukraine does not escalate further into new unexpected dimensions (such as the disruption of gas supplies to Europe from Russia), then the interest rate differential could again be an important factor, which, due to higher interest rates on the koruna, could lead to the koruna appreciation towards January levels.   Figure 5: EURCZK on the daily chart   Resistance: 25.80 - 25.90.  Support: 24.50 - 24.60 and then around 24.10   ECB and the euro The ECB left interest rates unchanged at 0%. At the same time, it surprised the market by ending its bond buying program in Q3, earlier than previous forecasts. The reaction to the news was a strong appreciation of the euro and it jumped to 1.1120 against the dollar. Eventually, however, the euro ended the session at around 1.10. The reason for this reversal is that tightening at a time when the economy is slowing could lead to stagflation. Strong US inflation data also contributed to the euro sell-off. The US is also much less vulnerable to sanctions against Russia than Europe.   Figure 6: EURUSD on the H4 and daily charts   From a technical point of view, we can see that the EURUSD has stalled right at the resistance band, which is at the 1.11-1.1130 level. The nearest support is 1.08-1.0850.   Crude Oil Brent crude oil reached $136 earlier this week, the highest level since July 2008. This was due to fears of a shortage of black liquid due to the conflict in Ukraine. However, Russia , which produces 7% of global demand, has announced that it will meet its contractual obligations. At the same time, Chevron said there was no shortage of oil and some other producers were ready to increase production if necessary. The EU has also announced that it will not impose an embargo on Russian oil imports, which would otherwise shock the market at a time when oil stocks are reaching multi-year lows, and will not join the US and the UK. Following this, oil began to retreat from its highs.   Figure 7: Brent crude oil on monthly and daily charts Resistance is in the 132-135 range. The nearest support is 103 - 105 USD per barrel. The next support is then in the band around USD 85 - 87 per barrel.  

Crude oil prices are slipping from their recent highest levels. Where could we see the next support located?Oil prices fell sharply on Monday – extending last week’s decline – driven by potential progress in Ukraine-Russia talks.India is considering taking advantage of Russia's discounted crude oil and other commodities offers by settling transactions through the rupee/ruble payment system. Meanwhile, on the eastern side, there is a rush to replace the Russian barrels in the west, but immediate availability is limited.In addition, some fears that OPEC+ countries might not be able to easily increase supply remain, even though the UAE said last week that OPEC+ could double the output to the market (about 800,000 bpd) very quickly. However, this sounds very challenging since OPEC+ countries have already struggled to bring in 400,000 bbd.On the Asian side, a slowdown in demand could have been seen as 17 million residents in Shenzhen, the technological centre of southern China, were locked down on Sunday after reports of epidemic outbreaks linked to the neighbouring territory of Hong Kong, where the Omicron strain seems to have spread. There are growing fears that other cities could follow suit to comply with the country's strict zero-COVID policy, adopted by the government of the People's Republic of China.WTI Crude Oil (CLJ22) Futures (April contract, daily chart)Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today!Thank you.Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist* * * * *The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Rapid decline in oil prices came as a relief to the European stock markets yesterday, yet the lack of diplomatic progress on the Ukrainian war and China’s fresh lockdown to stop the omicron contagion weigh on investors sentiment. Apple shares dived more than 2.50% on Monday, on news that supplier Foxconn had to stop activity in Shenzhen for at least a week. The S&P500 confirmed a death cross formation, and Nasdaq stepped into correction territory. The crude price plunge below the $100pb came as a relief in the middle of a sea of bad news, but it will certainly not prevent the German ZEW sentiment index from freefalling from 48 to 10 in March. What’s next? The downside correction in oil prices is sure a relief when it comes to the inflation expectations, but the new lockdown measures will continue worsening the supply chain crisis and add on the inflation worries. The US producer price data is about to confirm an advance to 10% level in February, as the FOMC starts its two-day meeting today and is expected to raise the interest rates by 25bp for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. Gold gives back the recent gains as the rising US yields increase the opportunity cost of holding the non-interest-bearing gold, while Bitcoin trades a touch below the $40K mark as EU chose not to ban Bitcoin at yesterday’s crucial vote. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:24 Sentiment update 2:20 China Covid lockdown hits Apple share price 4:19 Crude oil below $100pb 5:31 S&P500 confirms death cross, Nasdaq in correction 6:15 Chinese stocks' hemorrhage gets worse 7:27 Fed meets to raise rates 8:35 Gold down on higher US yields 9:04 Bitcoin steady as EU choses NOT to ban digital assets Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020.

16/03/22 is the date to remember as finally Fed will release its Interest Rate Decision. According to recent Jerome Powell's rhetoric the raise of rate is almost sure. Tomorrow, EIA releases Crude Oil Inventories as well - a lot to watch on Wednesday! Data: courtesy of Investing.com USA The day begins quiet lately at 12:30 p.m. as Core Retail Sales (MoM) is relased. This one previosuly amounted to 3.3%. At the same time appropriate department publishes Retail Sales (MoM) (prev. 3.8%). 2:30 p.m. - the first Big One actually - Crude Oil Inventories release. Previously this indicator amounted to -1.863M and we can predict the next value will hit higher levels. At 6 p.m. FOMC Economic Projections, FOMC Statement and, most importantly, new interest rate go public and many suppose the current interest rate (which is 0.25%) will be raised. After all the releases, at 6:30 p.m. FOMC speak to media. Canada There's "only" one major release on 15/03/22 in Canada - the Core CPI which previously hit 0.8%. New Zealand At the evening (9:45 p.m.) New Zealand's GDP (QoQ) is published - the indicator equaled to -3.7% previously.   Source: Investing.com Economic Calendar Time: GMT

  Crude oil continues to decline due to lowered demand, and the petrodollar seems threatened, losing interest. What is the best strategy to take now?  Oil prices kept falling this week, driven by potential progress in Ukraine-Russia talks and a potential slowdown in the Giant Panda’s (China) economic growth due to epidemic lockdowns in some regions where a surge of Omicron was observed. As I mentioned in my previous article, India considers getting Russian crude oil supplies and other commodities at a reduced price by settling transactions through a rupee/rouble payment system. Meanwhile, we keep getting rumors – notably reported by The Wall Street Journal – that Saudi Arabia and China are also currently discussing pricing some Saudi oil exports directly in yuan. The Chinese are actively seeking to dethrone the dollar as the world’s reserve currency, and this latest development suggests that the petrodollar is now under threat. US Dollar Currency Index (DXY) CFD (daily chart) The recent correction in crude oil, happening just seven days after reaching its 14-year highs, might show some signs that the conflict in Ukraine will slow down consumption. On the other hand, if Iranian and Venezuelan barrels flooded the market, we could see crude oil, petroleum products, and distillates turning into new bear markets. WTI Crude Oil (CLJ22) Futures (April contract, daily chart) Brent Crude Oil (BRNK22) Futures (May contract, daily chart) RBOB Gasoline (RBJ22) Futures (April contract, daily chart) Henry Hub Natural Gas (NGJ22) Futures (April contract, daily chart) That’s all folks for today – happy trading! Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

S&P 500 reversed the pre-FOMC decline, and turned up. The upswing didn‘t fizzle out after the conference, quite to the contrary, the credit markets deepened their risk-on posture. I guess stocks are buying the story of 7 rate hikes and balance sheet reduction in 2022 a bit too enthusiastically. Not gonna happen, next quarter‘s GDP data would probably be already negative. Yet Powell says that the risk of recession into next year isn‘t elevated – given the projected tightening, I beg to differ. But of course, Powell is right – it‘s only that we won‘t see all those promised hikes, let alone balance sheet reduction starting in spring. Inflation would retreat a little towards year‘s end (on account of recessionary undercurrents and modest tightening), only to surprise once again in 2023 on the upside. I already wrote so weeks ago – before the East European events. There wouldn‘t enough time to celebrate the notion of vanquishing inflation. For now, stocks can continue the bullish turn – just as commodities and precious metals aren‘t asking permission. The FOMC is over, and real assets can rise, including the badly beaten crude oil. Made a good decision to keep adding to the commodities positions at much lower prices (or turning bullish stocks around the press conference). Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 upswing looks like it can go on for a while. It was driven by tech, participating more enthusiastically than value. The conditions are in place for the rally to continue, and it‘s likely that Friday would be a better day than Thursday for the bulls. Credit Markets HYG is catching quite some bid, and credit markets have turned decidedly risk-on. It also looks like a sigh of relief over no 50bp hike – the stock market rally got its hesitant ally. Gold, Silver and Miners Precious metals upswing can return – and this correction wasn‘t anyway sold heavily into. Needless to say how overdone it was if you look at the miners. $1950s would be reconquered easily. Crude Oil Crude oil bottom looks to be in, and $110s are waiting. Obviously it would take more than a couple of days to return there, but we‘re on the way. Copper Copper is rebounding, and even if other base metals aren‘t yet following too enthusiastically, $4.70 isn‘t far away. Coupled with precious metals returning to more reasonable values, the red metal would continue trending higher. Bitcoin and Ethereum Cryptos are leaning risk-on, and the bulls will close this weekend on a good note. Today‘s price action is merely a consolidation in a short-term upswing. Summary S&P 500 bulls got enough fuel from the Fed, and the run can continue – albeit at a slower pace. Importantly, credit markets aren‘t standing in the short-term way, but I think they would carve out a bearish divergence when this rally starts topping out. I‘m not looking for fresh ATHs, the headwinds are too stiff, but as stated within today‘s key analysis, the tech participation is a very encouraging sign for the short-term. The dollar indeed didn‘t make any kind of upside progress to speak of yesterday – and as I have also written at length in yesterday‘s report, the pre-FOMC trading pattern in real assets can be reversed now. Long live precious metals, oil and copper gains! Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

The global equity market also continues to thaw after a pronounced decline since the start of the year. Initial reports of progress on the peace talks were later supported by indications that the US and China are looking to reduce friction between them and avoid new threats against each other. In addition, reassurances from the world’s major central banks over the past week sounded very encouraging. As a result, the Fear and Greed Index has moved out of the extreme fear territory, having bottomed out last week at levels last seen in March 2020. A return to territory above 20 for the index would typically mean a reversal to growth. One should note the increasing divergence between the S&P500 price and the Relative Strength Index, where since late January, S&P500’s lower lows has been marked by RSI’s higher low. The S&P500 has bounced back from its lows by almost 6% and is now testing the 50-day moving average. A consolidation above 4400 would signal the start of a broader, more powerful rally. Now it looks like the bravest already bought when there was “blood on the streets”; now, it is time for a broader range of buyers to step in. Gold and oil prices remain indicators of the military stand-off between Russia and Ukraine. Signs that progress in talks has stalled have put prices of these assets back on an upward trajectory. Brent crude oil was trading more than 11% above levels at the end of trading on March 16 at the start of the day on Friday. A glance at the chart suggests that technically quotations remain within the uptrend that began back in December. This is in line with the supposed progress in de-escalation between Russia and Ukraine. In our view, it is already worth noting that fears over energy supplies are no longer panic-driven but more constructive, lengthening the forecast horizon.

The week kicks off on a mixed note after the global equities recorded their best week since 2020. Hopes of a diplomatic progress and the Fed hawkishness were pointed as the major catalyzers of the positive move, while there is little to be optimistic about diplomacy in Ukraine, and a tighter monetary policy in the US. Meanwhile, the flattening, and inversion of the US yield curve hints at challenging times ahead. So, does it mean that investors are willing to go long no matter what? Maybe, but picking the right stocks will be more important than ever. For now, energy and commodity stocks, those who pay good dividend and food stocks are among investors’ darlings. Elsewhere, Bitcoin remains offered near the 100-DMA, gold is bid above the $1915 per ounce, and the week will be shaped by Ukrainian news, Covid evolution, British inflation and March flash PMI figures. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:25 Market update 1:26 Is the end of the market crash? 3:10 EIA warns of rapid fall in Russian oil supply 4:22 Green energy stocks extend rally 5:36 Flattening, or inverting yield curve is a growing concern 6:48 What sectors are in demand as inflation rises? 8:19 The Week Ahead 9:15 Gold has potential to rebound 9:37 Bitcoin offered at 100-DMA Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020.

Sanctions keep affecting the supply diversification. It’s not sure how will the following days shape so civilians, investors and big companies are following, we may say, indefinite fluctuations of Brent and WTI. The price has increased by ca. 20% since the beginning of the war on February 24th. As the chart below shows the price was interacting with the news about crude oil inventories, testimonies of countries’ leaders and all the communication. Crude Oil Price Chart – 24/02-21/03 Today crude oil has gained ca. X% opening higher as the war goes on and there’s no significant signal that it’s coming to an end. Ukrainians don’t surrender in Mariupol and, according to Bloomberg, Kremlin says that consequences of sanctions will seriously impact Europe. Crude Oil Price Chart 21/03/22 – [UPDATE: 14:05 GMT] It’s not sure what can we expect from the following days. A thing we can be sure of is that we should follow the Crude Oil Inventories release on Wednesday. Follow us on Twitter to check the markets’ reaction and don’t miss a thing! Source: Investing.com, Bloomberg.com Charts: Courtesy of TradingView.com

S&P 500 did really well through quad witching, and the same goes for credit markets. 4-day streak of non-stop gains – very fast ones. Short squeeze characteristics in the short run, makes me think this rally fizzles out before the month ends – 4,600 would hold. We‘re likely to make a higher low next, and that would be followed by 4-6 weeks of rally continuation before the bears come back with real force again. July would present a great buying opportunity in this wild year of a giant trading range. As I wrote yesterday: (…) The paper asset made it through quad witching in style - both stocks and bonds. The risk-on sentiment however didn't sink commodities or precious metals. Wednesday's FOMC brought worries over the Fed sinking real economy growth but Powell's conference calmed down fears through allegedly no recession risks this year, ascribing everything to geopolitics. Very convenient, but the grain of truth is that the Fed wouldn't indeed jeopardize GDP growth this year - that's the context of how to read the allegedly 7 rate hikes and balance sheet shrinking this year still. Not gonna happen as I stated on Thursday already. Such are my short- and medium-term thoughts on stocks. Copper remains best positioned to continue rising with relatively little volatility while crude oil isn‘t yet settled (its good times would continue regardless of the weak volume rally of last two days, which is making me a little worried). Precious metals are still basing, and would continue moving higher best on the Fed underperforming in its hawkish pronouncements. No way they‘re hiking 7 times this year and shrinking balance sheet at the same time as I wrote on Thursday – Treasury yields say they‘ll take on inflation more in 2023. 2022 is a mere warm-up. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 is now past the 4,400 – 4,450 zone, and hasn‘t yet consolidated. This week would definitely though not be as bullish as the one just gone by – the bulls will be challenged a little. Credit Markets HYG eked out more gains, but the air is slowly becoming thinner. As the sentiment turns more bullish through no deep decline over the coming few days, that‘s when junk bonds would start wavering. Gold, Silver and Miners Precious metals aren‘t turning down for good here – I think they‘re deciphering the Fed story of hiking slower than intended, which in effect gives inflation a new lease on life. Not that it was wavering, though. More upside in gold and silver to come. Crude Oil Crude oil is rising again, but look for a measured upswing that‘s not free from headwinds. While I think we would climb above $110 still, I‘m sounding a more cautious note given the decreasing volume – I would like to see more conviction next. Copper Copper is behaving, and would continue rising reliably alongside other commodities. It‘s also the best play considering downside protection at the moment. Bitcoin and Ethereum Bitcoin isn‘t recovering Sunday‘s setback – but the Ethereum upswing bodes well for risk taking today, even that doesn‘t concern cryptos all too much. Summary S&P 500 has a bit more to run before running into headwinds, which would happen still this week. Credit markets are a tad too optimistic, and rising yields would leave a mark especially on tech. Value, energy and materials are likely to do much better. Crude oil is bound to be volatile over the coming weeks, but still rising and spiking – not yet settled. Copper and precious metals present better appreciation opportunities when looking at their upcoming volatility. Within today‘s key analysis, I‘ve covered the path of stocks, so do have a good look at the opening part. Finally, cryptos likewise paint the picture of risk-on trades not being over just yet. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

WTI has eased back from APac session highs in the $113.00s to under $110 amid fresh profit-taking. The EU is reportedly split over whether or not to press ahead with a Russian oil import ban. After rising as high as the $113.00s during Asia Pacific trade as oil market participants responded to chatter about a potential EU ban on Russian oil imports and weekend news of disruptions to Saudi energy infrastructure, front-month WTI futures have eased back somewhat. Prices are now back to trading beneath $110 per barrel, down about $3.50 versus Monday’s closing highs in the upper $112.00s. That still leaves prices higher by more than $15 versus last week's lows, though still some $20 lower versus earlier monthly highs. Reports that EU foreign ministers are split over whether to press ahead with the Russian oil embargo likely prompted some profit-taking, with Germany reportedly still of the view that the bloc remains too dependent on Russian energy to take such a step. “The proposed ban is still some way from becoming policy because a significant number of EU nations oppose the ban... Still, the fact that the ban is being discussed at all is a significant shift” said analysts at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Looking ahead, geopolitical developments remain in the forefront, though traders will also be focused on the latest weekly Private API crude oil inventory data release at 2130 GMT. Oil traders continue to fret about uncertainty regarding the extent of loss of Russian supply at a time when global oil reserves are at multi-year lows.

All the markets’ old boys like crude, gold and silver are still vulnerable for the mix of the factors shaping the prices. Naturally, stocks seems to be more dynamic as the recent events show. China stocks have been fluctuating recently as, among others, COVID-19 and negotiations with the USA were topping the headlines. Global sanctions affect WTI/BRENT price – the supplies from Russia are about to be limited in Europe so the price is to rise again. Going back to gold - Hawkish rhetoric of Fed keeps precious metals investors uncertain. There’s no doubt safe-haven must be watched all the time to decide if it’s the best moment to sell or buy. Crude Oil – WTI Luckily crude oil price has decreased by 3% over last 24 hours and it’s probably ‘waiting’ for the next significant geopolitical updates. According to Reuters, some countries of the EU are still hesitating to stop importing crude oil from Russia. Gold – XAUUSD Yes, price of gold has decreased by almost 1%, but… it could be worse as Powell doesn’t hesitate to present hawkish comments. Silver – XAGUSD Silver price chart shows a significant decline which has helped it to decrease by 1.7% over last day. As wrote above, Powell testimony will let us visualise a more detailed outlook. Source/Data: Reuters, TradingView.com Charts: Courtesy of TradingView.com

Equities rallied and treasuries dived yesterday, as a sign that investors are cheering the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) plan to deal more aggressively with the skyrocketing inflation – which is certainly more toxic in the longer run than higher rates for the economic tissue. The S&P500 had another strong session yesterday gaining more than 1%, and Nasdaq rallied close to 2% as technology stocks led the rally. Tesla gained close to 8%, GameStop soared more than 30% as AMC gained 15%. Chinese stocks had another great day as well. Alibaba rallied 11% yesterday, and more than 55% since last week. Meanwhile, oil trading is hectic these days, as prices swing between those who rush to sell the top near the $115pb level, and those who rush to buy below $110pb. The news that Germany and Hungary are willing to put the brakes on a potential Russian oil embargo softens the bulls’ hands in the short run, as the long-term outlook remains positive. Bitcoin struggles to clear the 100-DMA resistance, and Cable tests 1.33 after inflation data surprised to the upside this morning. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:27 Market update 2:37 Tesla rallies, Elon dances 4:28 GameStop, AMC, Alibaba & Tencent gain, but optimism may not last! 6:11 Bitcoin struggles near 100-DMA 6:46 Oil undecided near $110ob as the West prepares more sanctions 8:28 Cable tests 1.33 as UK inflation advances to 6.2% Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020.

Investors and traders alike are concerned about what investments they should make on behalf of their portfolios and retirement accounts. We, at TheTechnicalTraders.com, continue to monitor stocks and commodities closely due to the Russia-Ukraine War, market volatility, surging inflation, and rising interest rates. Several of our subscribers have asked if changes in monitor policy may lead to a recession as higher rates take a bigger bite out of corporate profits.As technical traders, we look exclusively at the price action to provide specific clues as to the current trend or a potential change in trend. We review our charts for both stocks and commodities to see what we can learn from the most recent price action. Before we dive into that, let’s review the various stages of the market; with special attention given to expansion vs. contraction in a rising interest rate environment which you can see illustrated below.PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR STOCK PORTFOLIOWe are keeping an especially close eye on the price action of the SPY ETF. The current resistance for the SPY is the 475 top that happened around January 6, 2022. This top was 212.5% of the March 23, 2020, low that was put in at the height of the Covid global pandemic.The SPY found support in the 410 area at the end of February. If you recall (or didn't know), 410 was the Fibonacci 1.618 or 161.8% percent of the Covid 2020 price drop. Now, after experiencing a nice rally back, of a little over 50%, we are waiting to see if the rally can continue or if rotation will occur, sending the price back lower.COMMODITY MARKETS SURGEDThe commodity markets experienced a tremendous rally due to fast-rising inflation, especially energy, metals, and food prices.The GSG ETF price action shows that we recently touched 200%, or the doubling of the April 21, 2020, low. Immediately following, similar to the SPY, the GSCI commodity index promptly sold off only to then find substantial buying support at the Fibonacci 1.618 or 161.8 percent of the starting low price of the bull trend. Resistance for the GSG is at 26, and support is 21.A STRENGTHENING US DOLLARThe strengthening US dollar can be attributed to investors seeking a safe haven from geopolitical events, surging inflation, and the Fed beginning to raise rates. The US Dollar is still considered the primary reserve currency as the greatest portion of forex reserves held by central banks are in dollars. Furthermore, most commodities, including gold and crude oil, are also denominated in dollars.Consider the following statement from the Bank of International Settlements www.bis.org ‘Triennial Central Bank Survey’ published September 16, 2019: “The US dollar retained its dominant currency status, being on one side of 88% of all trades.” The report also highlighted, “Trading in FX markets reached $6.6 trillion per day in April 2019, up from $5.1 trillion three years earlier.” That’s a lot of dollars traded globally and confirms that we need to stay current on the dollars price action.Multinational companies are especially keeping a close eye on the dollar as any major shift in global money flows will seriously negatively impact their net profit and subsequent share value.The following chart by www.finviz.com provides us with a current snapshot of the relative performance of the US dollar vs. major global currencies over the past year:KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM, AND APPLICATION ARE NEEDEDIt is important to understand that we are not saying the market has topped and is headed lower. This article is to shed light on some interesting analyses of which you should be aware. As technical traders, we follow price only, and when a new trend has been confirmed, we will change our positions accordingly. We provide our ETF trades to our subscribers, and somewhat surprisingly, we entered five new trades earlier this week, two of which have now hit their first profit target levels. Our models continually track price action in a multitude of markets, asset classes, and global money flow. As our models generate new information about trends or a change in trends, we will communicate these signals expeditiously to our subscribers and to those on our trading newsletter email list.Sign up for my free trading newsletter so you don’t miss the next opportunity! WHAT STRATEGIES CAN HELP YOU NAVIGATE The CURRENT MARKET TRENDS? Learn how we use specific tools to help us understand price cycles, set-ups, and price target levels in various sectors to identify strategic entry and exit points for trades. Over the next 12 to 24+ months, we expect very large price swings in the US stock market and other asset classes across the globe. We believe the markets have begun to transition away from the continued central bank support rally phase and have started a revaluation phase as global traders attempt to identify the next big trends. Precious Metals will likely start to act as a proper hedge as caution and concern begin to drive traders/investors into Metals and other safe-havens.We invite you to join our group of active traders and investors to learn and profit from our three ETF Technical Trading Strategies. We can help you protect and grow your wealth in any type of market condition by clicking on the following link: www.TheTechnicalTraders.com

Situation in Europe remains global number one as war persists. Even President of The USA, Joe Biden travels to Brussels and Poland to discuss the ongoing war. The day begins with the highly-awaited release of UK Retail Sales which takes place 7 a.m. Previously this indicator amounted to 1.9%. Two hours later we head to Germany, when German Ifo Business Climate Index goes public. The previous one hit 98.9. One hour later, so at 10 a.m. EU Leaders meet and are expected to continue talks linked with the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war which keeps people, but also investors, companies and markets as a whole uncertain. Natural gas price got back to high levels, crude oil price rises as well. Will there be any new sanctions? In the afternoon it’s time to have a look at the US Pending Home Sales (MoM) indicator which is presented at 2 p.m. hitting -5.7% previously. Source/Data: Investing.com Economic Calendar

While everybody was wondering about the end of the COVID-19 pandemy and Russia invaded Ukraine what started affecting the markets. Obviously natural gas and crude oil price are volatile recently. EU leaders accompanied by Joe Biden discuss outlooks and most probably next sanctions. As we wrote in the report about natural gas price the rise started to confuse the world few days after the invasion. It seems that all sanctions and fail of ceasefire negotiations made the crude oil price rise gain momentum. In the middle of March prices got back to the levels of the beginning of the month, but aggressive rhetoric of Russia made BRENT and WTI trading higher again. Let’s have a look at the Crude Oil Price monthly chart (courtesy of TradingView.com) 5-days chart (courtesy of TradingView.com) of Crude Oil Price shows a significant rise in recent days Data/Source: TradingView.com Charts: Courtesy of TradingView.com

Current levels of oil and petroleum products are high. Given that, what can explain such a surprising drop in US crude inventories?Energy Market UpdatesCommercial crude oil reserves in the United States fell much more than expected in the week ended March 18, according to figures released on Wednesday by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).US crude inventories have shrunk by more than 2.5 million barrels, which implies greater demand and is obviously another bullish factor for crude oil prices. Such a decline in inventories is particularly remarkable as the American strategic reserves have also recorded a significant drop. This is the 25th consecutive week of falling strategic reserves since the Biden administration started to make those adjustments in an attempt to relieve the market.(Source: Investing.com)WTI Crude Oil (CLK22) Futures (May contract, daily chart)Furthermore, some additional figures extracted from the same EIA report were released and surprised the markets.These are US Gasoline Reserves, which plunged by about 2.95 million barrels over a week, while the market was not even forecasting a two-million decline.(Source: Investing.com)Thus, US exports jumped by more than 30% compared to the previous week, not only due to large flows to Europe to replace Russian barrels, but also marked by a significant rebound in Asian demand.RBOB Gasoline (RBJ22) Futures (April contract, daily chart)Beware that a NATO summit, a G7 summit, and a European Union summit are being held on Thursday, when the various countries could set a new round of sanctions against Moscow.So, how will black gold progress from now on? Do you think that the on-going negotiations with Iran and Venezuela could flood the market with additional barrels? Let us know in the comments!That’s all folks for today. Happy trading!Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today!Thank you.Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist* * * * *The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) is a real-time index. It is derived from the prices of SPX index options with near-term expiration dates that are utilized to generate a 30-day forward projection of volatility. The VIX allows us to gauge market sentiment or the degree of fear among market participants. As the Volatility Index VIX goes up, fear increases, and as it goes down, fear dissipates.Commodities and equities are both showing renewed strength on the heels of global interest rate increases. Inflation shows no sign of abating as energy, metals, food products, and housing continues their upward bias.During the last 18-months, the VIX has been trading between its upper resistance of 36.00 and its lower support of 16.00. As the Volatility Index VIX falls, fear subsides, and money flows back into stocks.VIX – VOLATILITY S&P 500 INDEX – CBOE – DAILY CHARTSPY RALLIES +10%The SPY has enjoyed a sharp rally back up after touching its Fibonacci 1.618% support based on its 2020 Covid price drop. Money has been flowing back into stocks as investors seem to be adapting to the current geopolitical environment and the change in global central bank lending rate policy.Resistance on the SPY is the early January high near 475, while support remains solidly in place at 414. March marks the 2nd anniversary of the 2020 Covid low that SPY made at 218.26 on March 23, 2020.SPY – SPDR S&P 500 ETF TRUST - ARCA – DAILY CHARTBERKSHIRE HATHAWAY RECORD-HIGH $538,949!Berkshire Hathaway is up +20.01% year to date compared to the S&P 500 -4.68%. Berkshire’s Warren Buffet has also been on a shopping spree, and investors seem to be comforted that he is buying stocks again. Buffet reached a deal to buy insurer Alleghany (y) for $11.6 billion and purchased nearly a 15% stake in Occidental Petroleum (OXY), worth $8 billion.These acquisitions seem to be well-timed as insurers and banks tend to benefit from rising interest rates, and Occidental generates the bulk of its cash flow from the production of crude oil.As technical traders, we look exclusively at the price action to provide specific clues as to the current trend or a potential change in trend. With that said, Berkshire is a classic example of not fighting the market. As Berkshire continues to make new highs, its’ trend is up!BRK.A – BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC. - NYSE – DAILY CHARTCOMMODITY DEMAND REMAINS STRONGInflation continues to run at 40-year highs, and it appears that it will take more than one FED rate hike to subdue prices. Since price is King, we definitely want to ride this trend and not fight it. It is always nice to buy on a pullback, but the energy markets at this point appear to be rising exponentially. The XOP ETF gave us some nice buying opportunities earlier at the Fibonacci 0.618% $71.78 and the 0.93% $93.13 of the COVID 2020 range high-low.Remember, the trend is your friend, as many a trader has gone broke trying to pick or sell a top before its time! Well-established uptrends like the XOP are perfect examples of how utilizing a trailing stop can keep a trader from getting out of the market too soon but still offer protection in case of a sudden trend reversal.XOP – SPDR S&P OIL & GAS EXPLORE & PRODUCT – ARCA – DAILY CHARTKNOWLEDGE, WISDOM, AND APPLICATION ARE NEEDEDIt is important to understand that we are not saying the market has topped and is headed lower. This article is to shed light on some interesting analyses of which you should be aware. As technical traders, we follow price only, and when a new trend has been confirmed, we will change our positions accordingly. We provide our ETF trades to our subscribers, and somewhat surprisingly, we entered five new trades last week, four of which have now hit their first profit target levels. Our models continually track price action in a multitude of markets, asset classes, and global money flow. As our models generate new information about trends or a change in trends, we will communicate these signals expeditiously to our subscribers and to those on our trading newsletter email list.Sign up for my free trading newsletter so you don’t miss the next opportunity! Furthermore, successfully trading is not limited to when to buy or sell stocks or commodities. Money and risk management play a critical role in becoming a consistently profitable trader. Correct position sizing utilizing stop-loss orders helps preserve your investment capital and allows traders to manage their portfolios according to their desired risk parameters. Additionally, scaling out of positions by taking profits and moving stop-loss orders to breakeven can complement ones’ success.WHAT STRATEGIES CAN HELP YOU NAVIGATE The CURRENT MARKET TRENDS? Learn how we use specific tools to help us understand price cycles, set-ups, and price target levels in various sectors to identify strategic entry and exit points for trades. Over the next 12 to 24+ months, we expect very large price swings in the US stock market and other asset classes across the globe. We believe the markets have begun to transition away from the continued central bank support rally phase and have started a revaluation phase as global traders attempt to identify the next big trends. Precious Metals will likely start to act as a proper hedge as caution and concern begin to drive traders/investors into Metals and other safe-havens.We invite you to join our group of active traders and investors to learn and profit from our three ETF Technical Trading Strategies. We can help you protect and grow your wealth in any type of market condition by clicking on the following link: www.TheTechnicalTraders.com

And again we’re having a look at the crude oil price charts as this commodity is really, really volatile especially in the past few days. As the charts (courtesy of TradingView.com) show, many of ceasefire rumours haven’t turned out to be true so the price of crude oil goes back to increasing every time. As in the latest analysis we published some charts and express analysis, we should make a small update by getting to know how have the price fluctuated until today. Having said that, the monthly chart: Crude Oil Price Chart – Monthly - 8% Up The price line is like a very simplified drawing of all the events – countries’ leaders rhetoric, negotiations and today’s news about possible ceasefire. Crude Oil Price Chart – Daily As everybody knows there were some rumours that the there’s a possibility of further negotiations. However, mixed feelings remained as the news about the ceasefire are still unclear. Data/Source: TradingView.com Charts: courtesy of TradingView.com    

MarketTalk: What’s up today? | Swissquote Crude oil consolidates near the $100pb as the latest pandemic news from China and the massive US release from strategic reserves cool down the positive pressure, but there are uncertainties on whether the US could really release 1 million barrels per day for six months to keep oil prices under control. US futures are in the negative this morning, although the S&P500 ended last week on a last-minute rally. The rising US yields and the curve inversion make investors uncomfortable, and the Federal Reserve (Fed) hawks remain in charge before Wednesday’s FOMC minutes. Gold is under the pressure of higher US yields, and may not benefit from a renewed equity selloff, if the selloff is due to the rising yields. But geopolitical tensions could throw a floor under a further selloff, if geopolitical tensions escalate amid the West preparing to announce more sanctions against Russia. Elsewhere, Chinese stocks rally on news that China will let the US authorities access the full auditing reports of companies listed in the US. Bitcoin is stuck within the $45/48K area and GameStop offers a strong intra-day volatility, though not much fundamentally-supported action in medium run. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:30 US reserve release & Covid news soften oil bulls' hands 2:28 European inflation boosts ECB hawks, but... 3:47 US yields extend progress ahead of Wed's FOMC minutes 5:06 Gold, supported by geopolitical tensions, pressures by yields 6:04 S&P500, Nasdaq: toppish? 7:18 Chinese stocks rally on encouraging audit news 9:02 Bitcoin stuck with $45/48K range Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020.

Twitter jumped 27% in a single move on the news that Elon Musk took a 9.2% stake in the company. The jump in Twitter shares gave an energy boost to the US equities, especially to the technology stocks. Tesla jumped 5.5% on record deliveries. But news regarding the war and oil prices were less encouraging. EU leaders will reportedly meet tomorrow and announce additional. Lithuania became the first European country to announce a total ban on Russian gas imports, and the possibility of other nations joining Lithuania in banning Russian oil and gas gives a boost to oil bulls. US crude quickly bounced above the $100 mark yesterday on escalating tensions in Ukraine. Elsewhere, US factory orders fell for the first time in ten months on supply constraints, the PMI data will give a hint on the European activity levels amid war in Ukraine, and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) kept its policy rate unchanged at the historical low of 0.10% for the sixteenth consecutive month. The Aussie rebounded more than 9% against the US dollar since the beginning of February, as iron ore prices jumped due to the Ukraine war, and the medium-term outlook remains positive for the Aussie, as long as commodity prices remain supported by geopolitical threat to the supply. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:25 Twitter rallied 27% as Elon Musk bought 9.2% stake 1:46 ... pulled US tech stocks higher 2:16 Tesla revealed record car deliveries 4:29 Oil rebounded from $100pb ahead of new Russia sanctions 7:00 Investing in rare earth metals 8:12 US factory orders, PMI data & RBA decision Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020.

  While Europe condemns Russia's actions, other countries take advantage of the turmoil and buy oil at a discount. Are any of the sanctions even effective? Crude oil prices jumped over 3% on Monday, with investors worried about tighter supply in the market and even more nervous about the prospect of new European sanctions against Russia, which could affect Russian exports. 27 EU members failed to agree on an embargo as part of further penalties for Russia’s military deployment in Ukraine, with Germany warning of hasty moves that could plunge the economy into recession. Finally, on April 5, it was decided to introduce a total embargo, including for Russian coal, truck transport, and ports for Russian ships. However, the UE did not agree on the most important issues, i.e., the embargo on Russian oil and gas. Some countries, such as Hungary – where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán secured a new consecutive victory in the past weekend’s elections – opposed any prohibition. Germany, however, aims to phase out Russian oil imports by the end of the year, officials said, as does Poland. Many buyers in Europe are voluntarily avoiding Russian crude oil in order not to damage their reputation or avoid possible legal difficulties. Meanwhile, India and China, which refused to condemn Russia's actions, continue to buy Russian crude oil. Lured by deep discounts following Western sanctions against Russian entities, India has bought at least 13 million barrels of Russian crude since late February, which is over 80% of the whole of 2021, according to some Reuters data. Until now, Russian energy imports provided Europe with 40% of its natural gas needs and another 30% of crude oil. Switching to a new energy source is NOT that simple, and the refineries also need a certain adaptation period to be recalibrated to new imported sources as crude oil may have very different components depending on where it was extracted from. This is what most politicians can’t even understand as they keep threatening supplies to their own country by pretending to be capable of just switching from one source to another as fast as an eye blink. It is certainly not as simple as that, and the same goes with SWIFT and energy payments.Many countries wanted to cut Moscow off from the SWIFT International Payment System. However, how will they pay for their gas after that? They will, in fact, have to make some exceptions with a few banks. Alternatively, they blocked or seized Russia’s currency reserves (both those in US dollars and euros), but now they are refusing to pay for their energy imports in roubles. Has Russian energy become free then? More seriously, given that the rouble is not widely available outside Russia, and that they will only accept payments in their domestic currency, there are only two options now for importing countries to pay Russia for their energy needs. As for the first option, they will have to pay for their imports with gold, which will surely be accepted. The second option, more indirectly, will use an intermediary bank that has not yet been disconnected from SWIFT, such as Gazprom Bank, where they will have to open a client account and then transfer the money in euros, so the bank will switch to foreign exchange operations (euro to ruble) and take a commission. The second option is indeed the most likely to be agreed between the different parties if the EU's most reliant on Russian gas does not want Russia to turn off the gas tap. Map of Europe showing EU-Russia gas pipelines If you think that Europe’s gas supplies could easily be replaced if Putin cuts off its gas exports to the EU, just look at the world gas reserves below, take a deep breath, and think again: Map of Europe showing EU-Russia gas pipelines (Source: Dailymail.co.uk) WTI Crude Oil (CLK22) Futures (May contract, daily chart) Henry Hub Natural Gas (NGK22) Futures (May contract, daily chart) Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

The Swing Overview - Week 14 Equity indices weakened last week on news of rising interest rates and a tightening of the US economy. The euro is also weakening not only because it is under pressure from the ongoing war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, but also from the uncertainty of the upcoming French presidential election. The outbreak of the coronavirus in China has fuelled negative sentiment in oil, where the market fears an excess of supply over demand. The US dollar was the clear winner in this environment.  The USD index strengthens along with US bond yields According to the US Fed meeting minutes released on Wednesday, the Fed is prepared to reduce its balance sheet by the USD 95 billion per month from May this year.  In addition, the Fed is ready to raise interest rates at a pace of 0.50%. Thus, at the next meeting, which will take place in May, we can expect a rate increase from the current 0.50% to 1.00%. This option is already included in asset prices.     As a result of this the yields on US 10-year bonds continued to rise and has already reached 2.64%. The US dollar in particular is benefiting from this development and is approaching the level 100. Figure 1: US 10-year bond yields and USD index on the daily chart   Equity indices under pressure from high interest rates The prospect of aggressive interest rate hikes is having a negative impact on investor sentiment, particularly for growth stocks. However, it is positive for financial sector stocks. High yields on the US bonds are attractive to investors, who will thus prefer this yield to, for example, investments in gold, which does not yield any interest. Figure 2: SP 500 on H4 and D1 chart   The US SP 500 index is currently moving in a downward correction, which is shown on the H4 chart. Prices could move in a downward channel that is formed by a lower high and a lower low. The SP 500 according to the H4 chart is below the SMA 100 moving average, which also indicates bearish tendencies.   The nearest resistance according to the H4 chart is in the range of 4,513 - 4,520. The next resistance is around 4,583 - 4,600. A support is at 4 450 - 4 455.   German DAX index A declining channel has also formed for the DAX index. The price is below the SMA 100 moving average on the H4 chart, where at the same time the SMA 100 got below the EMA 50, which is a strong bearish signal. Figure 3: German DAX index on H4 and daily chart According to the H4 chart, the nearest resistance is in the range between 14,340 - 14,370. There is also a confluence with the moving average EMA 50 here. The next resistance is at 14,590 - 14,630. A support is at 14,030 - 14,100.   The DAX is influenced by the upcoming French presidential election, the outcome of which could have a major impact on the European economy.    The euro remains in a downtrend The Euro is negatively affected by the sanctions against Russia, which will also have a negative impact on the European economy. In addition, uncertainty has arisen regarding the French presidential election. Although the victory of the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen over the defending President Emmanuel Macron is still unlikely, the polls suggest that it is within the statistical margin of error. And this makes markets nervous.   A Le Pen victory would be bad for the economy and France's overall international image. It would weaken the European Union. That's why this news sent the euro below 1.09. The first round of elections will be held on Sunday April 10 and the second round on April 24, 2022.    Figure 4: EURUSD on H4 and daily chart. The nearest resistance according to the H4 chart is at 1.0930 - 1.0950. The significant resistance according to the daily chart is 1.1160 - 1.1190.  A support is at 1.080 - 1.0850.   According to the technical analysis, the euro is in a downtrend, but as it is currently at significant support levels, any short speculation could be considered only after the current support is broken and retested to validate the break.   The crude oil continues to descend The oil prices fell for a third straight day after the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) announced it would release 60 million barrels of its members' reserves to the open market, adding to an earlier reserve release of 180 million barrels announced by the United States. In total, 240 million barrels would be delivered to the market over six months, resulting in a net inflow of 1.33 million barrels a day.   That would be more than triple the monthly production additions of 400,000 barrels per day by the world's oil producers under the OPEC+ alliance led by Saudi Arabia and controlled by Russia.   Adding to the negative sentiment on oil was a coronavirus outbreak in Shanghai, the largest in two years, which forced a more than week-long closure of China's second-largest city. This raises concerns about demand among oil consumers in the Chinese economy, which has a significant impact on prices. Figure 5: Brent crude oil on the H4 and daily charts. Brent crude oil is thus approaching support, which according to the H4 chart is at around USD 97-99 per barrel. The nearest resistance according to the H4 chart is at the price of USD 106 per barrel. The more significant resistance is at USD 111-112 per barrel of the Brent crude.   

The Swing Overview - Week 13 Equity indices closed the first quarter of 2022 in a loss under the influence of geopolitical tensions. The Czech koruna strengthened as a result of the CNB raising interest rates to 5%, the highest since 2001. The US supports the oil market by releasing 180 million barrels from its strategic reserves. War in Ukraine   The war in Ukraine has been going on for more than a month and there is still no end in sight. Ongoing diplomatic negotiations have not led to a result yet. Meanwhile, Russian President Putin has decided that European countries will pay for Russian gas in rubles. This has been described as blackmailing from Europe's point of view and is not in line with the gas supply contracts that have been concluded. A way around this is to open an account with Gazprombank where the gas can be paid for in euros. Geopolitical tensions are therefore still ongoing and are having a negative effect on stock markets.   Equity indices have had their worst quarter since 2020 US and European equities posted their biggest quarterly loss since the beginning of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and the global economy was in crisis. Portfolio rebalancing at the end of the quarter boosted demand for bonds and kept yields lower.   On Tuesday, the yield curve briefly inverted, meaning that short-term bonds yields were higher than  long-term bonds. An inverted yield curve is a signal of a recession according to many economists. It means that future corporate profits should be rather behind expectations and stock prices might reflect it.    On Thursday, the S&P 500 index fell 1.6%. The Dow Jones industrial index also fell by 1.6% and the Nasdaq Composite index fell by 1.5%. The European STOXX 600 index closed down by 0.94%. Even after last week's rally, as investors celebrated signs of progress in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, the S&P 500 index is still down 5% for the first three months, its worst quarterly performance in two years.  Figure 1: SP 500 on H4 and D1 chart   The SP 500 index reached the resistance level at 4,600, which it broke, but then closed below it. This indicates a false break. The new nearest resistance is in the range of 4,625 - 4,635. Support is at 4,453 and then significant support is at 4,386 - 4,422.   German DAX index The DAX index has rallied since March 8 and has reached the resistance level which is in the 14,800 - 15,000 range.  However, the index started to weaken in the second half of the week. The news that Russia will demand payments for gas in rubles, which Western countries refuse, contributed to the index's weakening. The fear of gas supply disruption then caused a sell-off.    Figure 2: German DAX index on H4 and daily chart Resistance is between 14,800 - 15,000 according to the daily chart. The nearest support according to the H4 chart is at 14,100 - 14,200.   The euro remains in a downtrend The euro was supported at the beginning of the week by hopes for peace in Ukraine. However, by the end of the week, the Ukrainian President warned that Russia was preparing for more attacks and the Euro started to weaken. News of Russia's demand to pay for gas in rubles had a negative effect on the euro as well. Figure 3: The EURUSD on the H4 and daily charts. From a technical point of view, we can see that the EURUSD according to the daily chart has reached the resistance formed by EMA 50 (yellow line). The new horizontal resistance is in the area of 1.1160 - 1.1180. Support is at 1.0950 - 1.0980. The euro still remains in a downtrend.   CNB raised the interest rate In the fight against the inflation, the CNB decided to further raise the interest rate by 0.50%. Currently, the base rate is at 5%, where it was last in 2001. The interest rate hike is aimed at slowing inflation by slowing demand through higher borrowing costs.   Figure 4: Interest rate developments in the Czech Republic In addition, a strong koruna should support the slowdown in inflation. The koruna could appreciate especially against the euro due to higher interest rates. However, the strengthening of the koruna is conditional on the war in Ukraine not escalating further.  We can see that the koruna against the euro is approaching a support around 24.30. The low of this year was 24.10 korunas for one euro. Figure 5: USD/CZK and EUR/CZK on the daily chart. The koruna is also strengthening against the US dollar. Here, however, the situation is slightly different in that the US Fed is also raising rates and is expected to continue raising rates until the end of the year. Therefore, the interest rate differential between the koruna and the dollar is less favourable than between the koruna and the euro. The appreciation of the koruna against the dollar is therefore slower.   Currently, the koruna is at the support of 22 koruna per dollar. The next support is at 21.70 and then 21.10 koruna per dollar, where this year's low is.   Oil has weakened Oil prices saw the deep losses after the news that the United States will release up to 180 million barrels from its strategic petroleum reserves as part of measures to reduce fuel prices. US crude oil fell 5.4% and Brent crude oil fell 6.6% on Thursday after the news. Figure 6: Brent crude oil on a monthly and daily chart We can see that a strong bearish pinbar was formed on a  monthly chart. The nearest support is in the zone 103 – 106 USD per barel. A strong support is around 100 USD per barel which will be closely watched.  

There are 4 broad categories of commodities that exist; livestock, agriculture, energy and metals. The trading of commodities is the exchange of different assets by means of futures contracts and many other platforms such as mutual funds, ETFs and stocks. Commodities can be used as a form of hedge against market volatility as the price of commodities often move in the opposite direction to stocks. Commodities are known as being risky investments because their market is dependent on aspects that are hard to predict such as; weather, disease, and natural disasters. The commodities that are being analyzed today are Gold, Crude Oil and Coffee. Gold: since the market opened, the price of gold has risen by 0.86%. The commodity is trading within a fairly stable range, it is not forming any distinct trends at this point in time, this could be due to the uncertainty around the current war in the Ukraine. Likewise, the rise in the US treasury yield strengthened the US dollar and therefore the potential for higher interest rates are preventing people from jumping on the bandwagon and buying gold. Price Of Gold Chart Crude oil, Crude prices fell as much as 2.56% as consumers worldwide announced their plans to release crude oil from their strategic stocks. The crude oil prices are falling in conjunction with the rising US gasoline stocks rising. However, whether or not the price drop is warranted is up for debate seeing as the US demand for oil remains high. At this point, it is uncertain as to which way the oil price will go (up or down). Crude Oil Chart The price of coffee futures is up today by at least 1.17%. Coffee: Coffee is traded in the form of futures. Futures contracts are a form of commodity trading whereby there is an exchange of contracts for assets that are bought at an agreed price but delivered and paid for later at an agreed date. The price of coffee futures is up today by at least 1.17%. Perhaps the price hike can be explained by the prediction that there will be a poor harvest in coffee coming in the future. We should watch for the potential downshift in the balance of coffee prices due to the potential for an economic downturn, increase in consumption costs and reduced consumptions and reduced imports due to the War in Ukraine. Coffee Futures Chart Charts: finance.yahoo.com

Coronavirus in China, fights in Ukraine, sanctions against Russia – what else could raise concerns about oil supply in an already tense market? An economic slowdown in China, which appears to have adopted a “zero-tolerance” epidemic policy, was weighing on oil prices as the country’s COVID case count rose. Lockdown that has locked 25 million people in their homes Finally, some restrictions in Shanghai are being eased in certain neighborhoods following growing dissatisfaction with the very strict lockdown that has locked 25 million people in their homes. That lockdown has caused food shortages and forced thousands of citizens into isolation in specialized centers, consequently causing a food delivery surge and staff shortages. Related article: ECB To Shock Markets In The Following Week!? US Dollar Rate Under Pressure As Well! 7 million barrels a day of Russian exports, supposed to be lost due to sanctions, could not be fully replaced In Ukraine, fears of fighting, which could intensify in the eastern region (around the Donbas), are also stirring the markets. Meanwhile, OPEC Secretary General HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo warned the European Union on Monday that the 7 million barrels a day of Russian exports, supposed to be lost due to sanctions, could not be fully replaced, reports the financial press. Such concerns may again raise fears about the supply of black gold in an already tight market. It was added that the current and future sanctions on Russia could create one of the worst oil supply shocks ever and it would be impossible to replace those volumes, as OPEC signaled it would not pump more. WTI Crude Oil (CLK22) Futures (May contract, daily chart) Henry Hub Natural Gas (NGK22) Futures (May contract, daily chart) Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

The price of oil rose more than 6% on Tuesday, with the main driver being news that Russia is sharply cutting its oil production. Reuters sources report a fall in production in the first days of April to 10.32m BPD, down from an average of 11M in March and 11.06M in February. But the same sources report that only 9.76M was produced on Monday, noting an increasingly rapid drop in production. By comparison, the low point of Russian oil production at the deep of the coronavirus restrictions was 9.37M barrels. Russia probably has not yet solved the problem of drastically changed logistics due to sanctions A 12% drop in production or 1.7M BPD in just a month and a half calls this quarter's global oil stockpile growth projections into question. Another source, the International Energy Agency, expects Russian production to fall by 1.5M BPD in April and 3m BPD in May. A gradual production ramp-up cannot offset such a dip. Neither will it help to reduce forecasted demand growth rates. Russia probably has not yet solved the problem of drastically changed logistics due to sanctions. But investors should also bear in mind how devastating the sanctions have been on the energy sectors of Iran and Venezuela, where production decreased 2-4 times from the pre-sanctions peak. The falling volumes of these countries have been replaced by Russia, the US and Saudi Arabia, but there is little indication that the latter two have the strength to pick up the former's export share. A sharp fall in Russian production has brought worries about energy shortages back to the market Oil prices have been bouncing back since March 24th on reports of increased sales from strategic reserves by the US and its allies. Meanwhile, OPEC+ has increasingly failed to keep up with its quotas, not just because of Russia but because of all other members. A sharp fall in Russian production has brought worries about energy shortages back to the market. These reports have helped oil stay within the uptrend formed in early December. It will not be surprising if the oil price manages to bounce back from this five-month support in the coming days, again going on to storm levels above $110. Until recently, the USA has been unable to take advantage of the situation and has been increasing its production much more slowly than it has since the global financial crisis. Perhaps we will see a change in this situation in the weekly US oil production and reserves data published later today.

USDCAD tumbles towards daily support The Canadian dollar surged after the BOC’s aggressive rate hike of 50bp. The pair’s recovery came under pressure at 1.2670. A bearish RSI divergence shows a loss of momentum in the rally and the ensuing break below 1.2580 acts as confirmation of underlying weakness. A combination of stop losses and momentum selling could further depress the greenback. An oversold RSI may attract some bargain hunters and 1.2480 is a major level to keep the rebound intact. In fact, its breach could cause extended losses beyond 1.2400. Related article: ECB Interest Rate Decision Is Coming! European Indices (DAX, CAC40) To Plunge Or Rise? What About Forex Pairs? GBPUSD breaks resistance The pound recoups losses as the UK’s March CPI beats market expectations. Overall sentiment ticked down after the pair dropped below the psychological level of 1.3000. However, a swift bounce above 1.3080 is an encouraging sign for the bulls as it forced the bears to cover their positions. 1.3180 is the next resistance and a bullish breakout could bring the sterling back to 1.3300 and open the door to a reversal. The RSI’s overbought condition may lead to a pullback. And 1.2990 is the immediate support should this happen. USOIL grinds resistance WTI bounces as major trading houses plan to trim purchases of Russian crude. The price is slowly recovering from the daily demand zone around 94.00. This could be a consolidation phase after the recent wild ride. The RSI’s double-dip in the oversold territory triggered a buy-the-dips behavior. A break above 105.00 could cause a broader recovery to 115.00. The RSI’s swing into overextension may limit the impetus. The psychological level of 100.00 is a fresh support and 94.00 is a critical floor to keep the price afloat.

Commodities update by FXMAG.COM Value of lumber had increased by 1.25% As a result of the possibility that Uranium exports from Russia may be banned, the price of the commodity has increased by at least 50% As of market close yesterday, Oil futures saw a rise of nearly 4% as a result of the Ukraine and Russia coming to a dead end on negotiations The Price of Lumber and its relationship with mortgage prices and inflation. As of market close yesterday, the value of lumber had increased by 1.25%, showing small signs of recovery after the price fell by 6% on Tuesday. The price of Lumber falling consistently over the past month could be explained by the increase in the inflation rate which has put a dent in the home improvement market, thus weakening the demand for Lumber. Another potential explanation for the price of this essential commodity falling could be due to the supply chain issues the Lumber market was experiencing last year having being solved, easing supply pressures and subsequently lowering prices further. Lumber Price Chart Related article: ECB Interest Rate Decision Is Coming! European Indices (DAX, CAC40) To Plunge Or Rise? What About Forex Pairs? Uranium Prices Rising Amidst Russia-Ukraine Conflict. As a result of the possibility that Uranium exports from Russia may be banned, the price of the commodity has increased by at least 50% and according to Bank of America, they don't suspect the price surge to begin slowing down. As the war in the Ukraine continues, there is more possibility for the rising commodity prices to continue. Uranium Price Chart Related article: Wheat Futures Prices Influenced, By Weather, Naturally! Oil Futures Seeing Large Gains As of market close yesterday, Oil futures saw a rise of nearly 4% as a result of the Ukraine and Russia coming to a dead end on negotiations. As of the market open today, the price has dropped slightly to $102.95. The graph below shows the major gains made by this commodity yesterday. Crude Oil Price Chart Sources: Finance.yahoo.com, markets.businessinsider.com

Energy prices continue to fly into the stratosphere, adding 30% since the start of April, strengthening at twice the rate of March. The last time US gas was this expensive was in October 2008. Energy, oil, and gas have a very high price elasticity Demand for American gas has surged as Europe tries to cut back on purchases from Russia as much as possible. But this also puts the current commodity sharply in short supply. Energy, oil, and gas have a very high price elasticity, meaning that a supply or demand shift of just a couple of per cent leads to a much higher price change. Thus, the US provokes soaring prices on domestic markets by providing Europe with gas. Oil also receives a strong upward marches, not only as of the closest substitute but also as another Russian export that the world is in a hurry to abandon. Oil prices managed to stay in an uptrend WTI was back above $105, and Brent closed Thursday above $110, returning to levels of two weeks ago. Oil prices managed to stay in an uptrend, albeit this time as a slider amid accelerating gas prices. The performance of oil and gas prices is supported by US export figures, which is favourable for the Dollar. Notably, in contrast to the historical correlation, energy is rising with the Dollar, although more often than not, a rising dollar pressures energy. As one of the leading energy exporters, having strengthened its position, the states will economically have the most negligible impact on the economy compared with most developed countries that are net importers of oil and gas. Fed can raise interest rates more quickly Higher energy costs may not prevent the Dollar from moving somewhat up further but may strengthen it by giving the Fed carte blanche to tighten policy more forcefully. The Fed can raise interest rates more quickly, but it can also push them to higher levels without the risk of seriously hurting the economy.

Summary: Price of Crude oil prices skyrocketed High global demand for coffee Price of platinium is rising again after the UK announced further sanctions on top Platinum suppliers The price of US Crude oil reflects the market's volatility and its liquid nature, the commodity is also used as a benchmark for global economic activity At the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the price of Crude oil prices skyrocketed to unprecedented levels. The fall in the price that followed came after the White House's announcement that the US was considering releasing record breaking amounts of US crude oil in an attempt to combat shortage fears. The price is once again on the increase due to the high expectations on demand for US Crude coming hand-in-hand with the limited supply. US Crude Oil Price Chart Related article: Terra USD (USDT), Shiba Inu (SHIB), Polygon (MATIC) Update. Take a Look at What Happened in the World of Cryptocurrency Today  Coffee is second to Crude oil when it comes to popularity in the commodities market Despite the high global demand for coffee, the price is still falling due to unfavorable weather conditions during the growth phase, this comes in addition to the high increase in the cost of shipping also. Coffee Price Chart Platinum as a commodity in the current market The price of platinum increased earlier this month as a result of the rising in demand for the commodity. However, shortly after the initial increase, the price began to fall again and given the current conflict between Russia and the Ukraine, this is not very surprising (Russia is the second largest producer of Platinum after South Africa). The price is rising again after the UK announced further sanctions on top Platinum suppliers, sparking fears of shortages. Platinum Price Chart Sources: capital.com, Tradingeconomics.com, Finance.yahoocom, Dailyfx.com

Today, tomorrow and on Monday many countries around the world celebrate Easter. Friday was a day free for many stock markets and banks too. As we wrote yesterday forex market was live so we may say it had some time to stock (sic!) up. The following week is going bring many news and next proves of hawkish rhetoric of Fed, ECB and BoE. Monday – Going East – Chinese GDP On Monday many, many countries – Germany, Italy Spain, Australia and more has a day free. Only in China, very early in the morning GDP and Industrial Production are printed. Previously Gross Domestic Product amounted to 4%. Another indicator released at 3 a.m. – Industrial Production hit 7.5% previously. Related article: Deutsche Bank Shook DAX! French Election, Inflation And ECB Are Factors Which Shaped DAX (GER 40), CAC40, FTSE 100 And IBEX35 - Top Gainers, Top Losers Tuesday – RBA Meeting Minutes – NZD/USD To Plunge Again!? It’s good to have a look at RBA Meeting Minutes in the morning. The document will be released at 2:30 a.m. and may let us prepare NZD rate prediction. At 1:30 p.m. we focus on the data coming from the USA. Building Permits release previously amounted to 1.865M. This indicator let us diagnose the real estate market in the United States. Wednesday - Crude Oil Price To Skyrocket!? CAD/USD And NZD/USD May Fluctuate! First release of the day is Chinese PBoC Loan Prime Rate which takes place at 2:15 a.m. Previously this indicator amounted to 3.7%. At 1:30 p.m. you better follow CAD/USD and other pairs with Canadian dollar as Core CPI may shake the rate. Indicator amounted to 0.8% previous time. Later in the afternoon investors should follow the release of Existing Home Sales (6.02M) and, what’s most important – Crude Oil Inventories. ON April 13th Crude Oil Inventories hit 9.382M! Very late in the afternoon we focus on New Zealand where CPI (Q1) is released. Let’s follow NZD forex pairs then. Thursday – Huge Gain Of US Dollar Index (DXY) Amid Hawkish Fed!? Follow Euro To US Dollar (EUR/USD) and GBP/USD Fluctuations! What Will BoE And ECB Do? Naturally next Fed decision is made in May, but before it happens we all stay updated with the current Fed rhetoric expressed by i.a. Jerome Powell who speaks at 6 p.m. on Thursday. What’s more it’s going to be a really, really market moving day as alongside Powell, BoE’s Bailey and ECB’s Lagarde speaks as well! Additionally, at 10 a.m. the EU CPI is released. After the recent interest rate decision ECB’s rhetoric is definitely worth a follow! Article on Crypto: Hot Topic - NEAR Protocol! Terra (LUNA) has been seeing a consistent downward price trend, DAI Should Stay Close To $1 Friday – GBP/USD To Plunge!? UK Manufacturing PMI Release And BoE’s Lagarde Speaks Again The following week ends with some important releases. We begin with UK Retail sales, Manufacturing PMI, Services PMI and German Manufacturing PMI. In the afternoon Canadian Core Retail Sales (2.5%) is released. The day ends with ECB’s and BoE’s representatives’ testimonies. Source/Data: Investing.com Economic Calendar

Gas prices on the NYMEX are adding for the 11th trading session of the last 12, renewing their highs since October 2008. US gas exchange prices have risen by a third since the beginning of the month and more than doubled since the beginning of the year in response to a surge in demand in Europe and rising oil prices. Companies in Europe and Asia are set to cut their purchases of Russian energy as fast as possible, pushing prices up. While the fundamentals are tilting toward later growth, technical analysis increasingly points to overbought conditions, so the likelihood of an imminent correction. In the monthly candlestick chart, the RSI is entering overbought territory (>70), which it has done only six times in the past 20 years. In all cases, prices declined sharply in the following month, or we even saw a fundamental long-term reversal. Thus, it is likely that we could see a bear attack by the end of this month. On the daily charts, the RSI has risen to 88. The last time it was higher was in 2018 briefly, which was also near price peaks. The price frenzy was also fuelled by news of falling oil and gas stocks. However, seasonality is strong in gas, and inventories reach their lowest just in the first days of April. We saw a rise last week, marking the first signs of a trend reversal. However, in the longer term, the current gas price situation lays the foundations for a new gas renaissance in the USA, and it should lead to a recovery in production rather than a price hike.

Macro 2022-04-19 08:34 6 minutes to read Summary:  Markets are trying to maintain an even keel as bond yields and oil prices continue to press higher. Europe returns from its long holiday weekend today as the war in Ukraine is heating up in the east and the hawkish Fed voter Bullard says he would not rule out a 75-basis-point hike at the May 4 FOMC meeting. Gold failed a bid to take the 2,000 dollar per ounce threshold yesterday.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  - US equities have been weak over the past week with negative reactions to earnings from US financials with JPMorgan Chase’s unexpected increase in credit provisions indicating credit conditions will worsen. This week major earnings releases in the US will dominate the reaction function and set the direction for the S&P 500 futures which are trading around the 4,400 level this morning with yesterday’s low at 4,355 being the key level to watch on the downside. Read next: (UKOIL) Brent Crude Oil Spikes to Highest Price For April, (NGAS) Natural Gas Hitting Pre-2008 Prices, Cotton Planting Has Begun   Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I)  Hang Seng Index retreated more than 2% after investors found the 25 bp reserve requirement ratio cut by the People’s Bank of China last Friday disappointing as they had been expecting a more typical 50 bp reduction and a 10 bp cut in the policy Medium-term Lending Facility (MLF) rate as well.  E-commerce names declined on report that the Chinse authority had asked e-commerce companies to a meeting and called on the latter to improve on practices on pricing and delivery of necessities to consumers during lockdowns. Alibaba and Meituan fell 3% to 5%. China Merchant Bank fell 11% following the abrupt departure of the Chinese bank’s president. CSI300 saw a modest decline with coal miners, agricultural chemicals and fertilizer producers, and energy sector seeing demand. Stoxx 50 (EU50.I)  – Stoxx 50 futures are stuck in the mud ahead of a critical week with US Q1 earnings releases and Russia’s new offensive in Donbass marking the beginning of the next and more critical phase of the war in Ukraine. Stoxx 50 futures are trading around the 3,750 level this morning and is boxed into a tight trading range from 3,710 to 3,800. EURUSD  – the euro traded and closed below the prior cycle low of 1.0800 after an initial sell-off through that level in the wake of last week’s ECB meeting failed to stick. Yield spreads at the short end of the curve, relative to the US, have generally trended sideways for nearly a month, although longer yields have risen more aggressively in the US since late March. USD liquidity concerns as risk sentiment is poor and the market fears more aggressive Fed quantitative tightening may be the key driver here. Watching the next chart level at 1.0636, the low from early 2020. USDJPY and JPY crosses.  The JPY continues to run away to the downside, with USDJPY hitting 128.00 for the first time since 2002, as long US treasury yields notched a new cycle peak yesterday and will soon threaten the 3.00% level if they continue to rise, underlining the policy divergence with the Bank of Japan, that continues to stick with its yield-curve-control policy that caps 10-year JGB yields at 0.25%. Both the Bank of Japan and the Japanese Ministry of Finance have stepped up their verbal interventions against JPY volatility as recently as overnight, but until a policy shift is spotted, or real intervention is mobilized, the market is content to continue driving the JPY lower. The next major chart point is the early 2002 high near at 135.00. AUDJPY has also surged to fresh record highs of 94.50+ as the AUD was slightly firmer following the hawkish tilt in RBA minutes. Suzuki is heading for a bilateral meeting with the US and comments would be on watch. For you: Forex Rates: British Pound (GBP) Strengthening? Weak (EUR) Euro? GBP, NZD And AUD Supported By Monetary Policy? Gold (XAUUSD) attempted but failed to reach $2000, more a psychological than technical resistance level during Monday’s low liquidity session. Leveraged funds (futures) and asset managers (ETFs) both bought gold in the week to April 12, a sign the technical and fundamental outlook have – for now - aligned in support of the yellow metal. The World Bank cut its forecast for global economic growth while Fed’s Bullard talked up the prospect for a 75 basis point rate hikes given the need to raise rates to around 3.5% this year. While higher interest rates may weigh, worries about inflation, growth, and increased market volatility together with the geo-political uncertainties have maintain the upper hand. Support at $1965. Crude oil (OILUKJUN22 & OILUSMAY22) has extended its pre-Easter rally after Libya shuts its largest oil field amid protest, thereby draining an already undersupplied market further. Chinese fuel demand, currently estimated to be down 2 million barrels per day is likely to recover swiftly once lockdowns are lifted after China vowed to repair the economic damage. More than 500,000 barrels per day is currently offline in Libya and together with the EU attempts to phase out Russian oil imports, the market is expected to remain tight despite the announced release from strategic reserves held by the US and IEA members. Brent finding some resistance around $113.75 with a break potentially signaling a fresh push towards $120 per barrel. Copper (COPPERUSJUL22) reached its second highest ever close on Monday, as global mining disruptions continued to weigh on a market where exchange-monitored inventories are already at alarmingly low levels. Around 20% of Peru’s exports are out of action following local community protests. In addition, a Chinese government pledge to support the economy once lockdowns are lifted, and the increased urgency to reduced dependency on fossil fuels via electrification are likely to underpin the price further. Resistance at $4.86, a local high, and support at $4.65, the 50-day moving average. US Treasuries (IEF, TLT) and European Sovereign Debt. Despite the fresh hawkish talk from St. Louis Fed president Bullard, who is a voter at FOMC meetings this year, the short end of the US yield curve remains relatively steady, while long yields have continued to test higher as the US yield curve steepens. The next major obvious test for the long end is the 2018 high for the 10-year Treasury benchmark at 3.25% What is going on? World Bank downgrades global growth estimates. The World Bank cut its 2022 outlook to 3.2% from 4.1%, dragged down by Europe and Central Asia amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. World Bank Chief Economist Carmen Reinhart said there is “exceptional uncertainty” in global markets and further downgrades cannot be ruled out. Get ready for more hawkish Fed talk this week. We had James Bullard on the wires yesterday, and he planted the seeds of a 75-basis points rate hike given that the Fed needs to get to neutral rate very soon. The base case for the May meeting is still a 50-basis points rate hike, and a final word on that should be watched from Fed Chair Powell on Thursday as he speaks at the IMF conference. Still, brace for more volatility in yields and further gains in the US dollar as Fed continues to raise the bar of its hawkishness. The Bloomberg Grains Subindex (AIGG:xlon) has returned to challenge to the March record high with the near month corn contract (CORNJUL22) exceeding $8 per bushel for the first time in almost a decade while wheat (WHEATJUL22) has also resumed its recent strong rally. Catalysts being the war in Ukraine, potentially reducing this year's corn crop by 40%, as well as drought and heat damage to crops in the US Midwest. In addition, the recent strong surge in US natural gas prices has further lifted the cost of fertilizer, thereby potentially seeing US farmers switch more acreage to less nutrient intensive soybeans from wheat and corn. What are we watching next? JPY intervention?  The verbal intervention from the Bank of Japan and the Japanese Ministry of Finance have failed to impress the market. At some point the Japan’s MoF may feel it is necessary to mobilize an actual intervention in the market, something it has a long history of doing, though in the past, ironically in the direction of avoiding further JPY strength, not weakness. These interventions may not achieve more than temporary success if the underlying policy and market dynamic don’t shift (I.e., the Bank of Japan sticking to its current policy while inflationary pressures and yields elsewhere continue higher). But the risk of tremendous two-way, intraday volatility should be appreciated. War in Ukraine developments as Ukrainian president Zelenskiy said that Russia is initiating an effort to take the Donbas region in Easter Ukraine. An isolated force of Ukrainian forces in Mariupol continues to hold out against Russian efforts to take the city. Earnings Watch.  The Q1 earnings season started last week with EPS beating in all cases but Schwab indicated that earnings momentum is intact among US financials. JPMorgan Chase’s earnings release showed higher than expected credit provisions which may be early signs that the credit cycle is moving into its next phase. This week the key focus is on Johnson & Johnson (today), Netflix (today), Lockheed Martin (today), Halliburton (today), ASML (Wed), Sandvik (Wed), Tesla (Wed), Procter & Gamble (Wed), CATL (Thu), Nidec (Thu), ABB (Thu), NextEra Energy (Thu), Snap (Thu). Tuesday: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical, Johnson & Johnson, Netflix, Lockheed Martin, IBM, Halliburton,  Wednesday: China Mobile, China Telecom, ASML, Heineken, ASM International, Sandvik, Tesla, Procter & Gamble, Abbott Laboratories, Anthem, CSX, Lam Research, Kinder Morgan, Baker Hughes Thursday: Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), Sartorius Stedim Biotech, Nidec, Investor AB, ABB, Danaher, NextEra Energy, Philip Morris, Union Pacific, AT&T, Blackstone, Intuitive Surgical, Freeport-McMoRan, Snap, Dow, Nucor Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Switzerland SNB Weekly Sight Deposits 1215 – Canada Mar. Housing Starts 1230 – US Mar. Housing Starts and Building Permits 1605 – US Fed’s Evans (non-Voter) to speak 1630 – Switzerland SNB’s Jordan to speak 2350 – Japan Mar. Trade Balance 0115 – China Rate Decision Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app:    

Netflix plunged over 20% in the after-hours trading, following the release of Q1 2022 earnings report. Subscriber base shrank by 200,000, marking the first drop in overall users in more than a decade. The drop was led by a loss of 700 thousand subscribers from Russia as the company suspended services in the country and as competition in the streaming sector continues to become more challenging. Read next: (UKOIL) Brent Crude Oil Spikes to Highest Price For April, (NGAS) Natural Gas Hitting Pre-2008 Prices, Cotton Planting Has Begun US indices have been increasingly reactive to this earning season Today, investors will focus on the highly anticipated earnings release form Tesla, which managed to mostly mitigate the impact of supply shortages and rising inflation thus far while expanding its production facilities. While growing concerns relating to covid-19 related lockdowns in China persist, investors will be keeping a close eye on Q1 results along with the company's outlook for the rest of 2022 after Elon Musk attracted additional attention after offering to buy Twitter at a significant premium. US indices have been increasingly reactive to this earning season after many investors have started to look past the initial shock caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and today could be no exception. Read next: Altcoins' Rally: Solana (SOL) Soars Even More, DOT and SHIBA INU Do The Same! | FXMAG.COM Oil prices attempt to recover after 6% drop Oil is trading higher after prices dropped significantly following the long easter weekend. WTI broke above $103 per barrel while Brent jumped above $108 at the start of today's session but appear to remain constrained in a narrow range for the time being. Traders await today's EIA inventory report which is expected to show a 2.5 million barrel increase after yesterday's API report defied expectations by indicating a 4.5 million barrel drop. While rising demand concerns caused by the increase in covid lockdowns in China continue to pressure the price, the uncertain situation relating to the potential import ban of Russian energy from Europe remains a key topic to watch and may cause noticeable volatility if things were to change suddenly.  

Commodities 2022-04-20 14:00 Summary:  Gold, currently up around 7% so far this year, continues to perform strongly despite persistent headwinds from rising real yields and a stronger dollar. Instead the yellow metal has increasingly been focusing on multiple uncertainties, some of which were already present before Russia invaded Ukraine. Inflation and growth concerns have both been turbocharged by war and sanctions, and together with elevated volatility in stocks and not least bonds, these developments have seen investors increasingly look for safe havens in tangible assets such as investment metals. Impressive, is the word best describing gold’s performance so far this year. Currently up around 7% during a time where normal drivers such as US real yields and the dollar have risen, normally a development that would see gold struggle. The prospect of aggressive tightening by the US Federal Reserve has driven ten-year real yields higher by more than 1% while supporting a near 4% rise in the dollar against a broad index of currencies. Last year’s relatively weak performance, especially against the dollar, despite emerging inflationary concerns was driven by portfolio managers cutting back on the holdings they accumulated during 2020 as stock markets rallied and bond yields held relatively steady, thereby reducing the need for diversification. Fast forward to 2022 and we are now dealing with multiple uncertainties, some of which were already present before Russia invaded Ukraine. Inflation and growth concerns have both been turbocharged by war and sanctions, and together with elevated volatility in bonds and not least stocks, investors have sought safe havens in tangible assets such as investment metals. During the past year, gold and ten-year real yields have struggled to follow their usual inverse paths, and the dislocation accelerated further during Q1 when gold increasingly managed to ignore rising yields. At current levels gold is theoretically overvalued by around 300 dollars, and highlights a major shift in focus. The net reduction in bullion-backed ETFs that was seen throughout last year came to halt in late December, and since then total holdings have risen by 282 tons to 3325 tons. During the same time leveraged funds, primarily operating in the futures market, given the ability to trade lots valued at $195,000 for a margin of less than $8,000, have been much more dependent on the directional movements in the market. Following the March 8 failed attempt to reach a fresh record high they spent the following weeks scaling back exposure. An exercise that was not completed until the week of April 12 when they returned as net buyers, thereby aligning them with the mentioned ongoing demand for ETFs. Source: Saxo Group While inflation was something we talked about last year, the actual impact of sharply higher prices of everything is now increasingly being felt across the world. In response to this investors are increasingly waking up to the fact that the good years which delivered strong equity returns and stable yields are over. Instead the need to become more defensive has set in and these changes together with the risk of what Russia, a pariah nation to much of the world now, may do next if the war fails to yield the desired result. Instead of real yields, we have increasingly seen gold take some its directional input from crude oil, a development that makes perfect sense. The ebb and flow of the oil price impacts inflation through refined products such as diesel and gasoline while its strength or weakness also tell us something about the level of geopolitical risks in the system. In our recently published Quarterly Outlook we highlight the reasons why we see gold move higher and reach a fresh record high later this year. Source: Saxo Group

Gold Miners Left Behind: This curious chart shows the total assets under management in US equity sector ETFs focused on energy (i.e. traditional energy: oil/gas/coal) and gold miners. AUM in energy ETFs has gone up more than 5x since the low point: part of this is clearly price-driven as surging energy prices have triggered better stock price performance and improved financial results. But clearly investors have also had a change of heart on the sector after shunning it for some time (particularly with the rise of ESG investing). To be fair, precious metal prices have been a big fat range trade for most of the past 2 years The standout though in this chart is the one that isn’t standing out: gold mining ETF AUM has by contrast been very sleepy. To be fair, precious metal prices have been a big fat range trade for most of the past 2 years, and at the end of the day when it comes to these commodity equity sectors, commodity prices matter.With gold itself on the cusp of a breakout, this chart begins to look very interesting, and we could easily see a stampede into gold miners if gold itself can manage to break through to new highs. Indeed, with the bull market in equities seemingly in its final throes this could end up appealing to the hoard of retail speculators still searching for their golden ticket…         Key point: Gold miners have been left behind. NOTE: this post first appeared on our NEW Substack: https://topdowncharts.substack.com/Best regards, Callum Thomas Head of Research and Founder of Topdown Charts Follow us on: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/topdown-charts Twitter http://www.twitter.com/topdowncharts

Oil gained 1.5% on Thursday morning to $103.75 per barrel for WTI and $108.2 for Brent, continuing to cling to the uptrend since December. Over the past six weeks, oil price movements are no longer unidirectional, but the market remains in 'crisis mode'. In April, oil is supported on the declines towards the 50-day moving average, as we saw yesterday. The uptrend is not only supported by the abrupt withdrawal of oil from Russia and the accompanying decline in production there. There are also shipment problems in Libya and prolonged pipeline repairs in Kazakhstan. Oil producers in the US seem to be stepping up. Last week saw production increase to 11.9M barrels per day - a new high since May 2020 - from 11.8M. Fluctuations could prove to be a manifestation of the supply shifting to Europe Related article: Japanese Yen (JPY) Weakens Against The Dollar, USD/CAD Stable And The Inevitable Strengthening Of The USD, IMF/World Bank Events Meanwhile, US oil stocks and production data remain volatile. Commercial inventories collapsed by 8M barrels after jumping by 9.4M last week. Such fluctuations could prove to be a manifestation of the supply shifting to Europe. Strategic stocks showed a net decline of 4.7M after 3.9m the previous week. The volume of oil in strategic storage fell to the lows in the last 20 years. However, it is not yet enough to turn around commercial inventories. Related article: Monetary Policy Drives EUR/USD, The Future of the EUR/GBP Awaits the Bank Of England's Speech - Good Morning Forex| FXMAG.COM Another potential area of pressure on the oil price - a strengthening dollar Oil supply constraints continue to put together a relatively bullish picture for oil, preventing a price reversal to the downside. A real bearish victory requires either a sharp increase in production in the US or OPEC countries or a dramatic fall in demand. We see no clear signals for either direction. Another potential area of pressure on the oil price - a strengthening dollar - is also failing for the second day in a row, temporarily working on the bulls' side.

Financial markets are likely beginning to ride a wave of fear that interest rates will be raised quickly, which could increase borrowing costs and could make it more expensive to raise dollars. Already last week, especially on Friday, the situation in the financial markets seemed very tense The downward wave seems to be sweeping through both the stock, commodity and cryptocurrency markets all at the same time. It's been a long time since we've seen every asset class inflicted with a single day of losses, except for the US dollar and US bonds. Already last week, especially on Friday, the situation in the financial markets seemed very tense. U.S. stock indexes seemed to be falling by nearly 3 percent, and today we could see a potential continuation of this downward wave. Before noon, contracts in the United States seem to have lost about 1 percent. Meanwhile, in Europe, the scale of falls seems to be greater, as the German DAX falls by almost 2 percent, and the Euro Stoxx 50 by more than 2.5 percent. Read next (by Conotoxia): (USD) Dollar Index - Fed Floors It! Hawkish Rhetoric And Interest Rate Hike? British Pound In Crisis? GBP/USD Affected By Weak Retail Sales Data!| FXMAG.COM The price of a barrel of WTI crude oil is down almost 5 percent today, to around $97 Declines in stock prices may also be accompanied by declines in commodity prices. The price of a barrel of WTI crude oil is down almost 5 percent today, to around $97. As a result, the price may reach its lowest level in nearly two weeks amid growing concerns that prolonged restrictions in China and sharp interest rate hikes in the U.S. will have a negative impact on global economic growth and fuel demand. Monday's declines extended last week's decline in U.S. crude as demand concerns outweighed worries about limited global supply. Demand for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel in China in April is expected to fall 20 percent year-on-year, Bloomberg reported, equivalent to a drop in oil consumption of about 1.2 million barrels a day. On top of that, fears of a global economic slowdown or stagflation could also weigh on oil prices. The EUR/USD exchange rate could thus fall to levels last seen in March 2020, approaching 1.07 With high expectations for Fed action, the US dollar seems to be gaining in value. The EUR/USD exchange rate could thus fall to levels last seen in March 2020, approaching 1.07. The entire US Dollar Index could remain above the 100-point level. Read next (by Conotoxia): How To Hedge Against Inflation? Crypto? Is Bitcoin (BTC) The Answer?| FXMAG.COM Daniel Kostecki, Director of the Polish branch of Conotoxia Ltd. (Forex service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 80.77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Equities 2022-04-25 07:00 8 minutes to read Summary:  Global equity markets continued to adjust downward amid of a hawkish U.S. Federal Reserve and the rising likelihood of a much weaker Chinese economy in Q2 as a result of the punitive Covid-related lockdowns. Commodities were down as investors shifted their attention from supply disruption to potentially weaker demand. What’s happening in markets? Asian equities weighed by Friday’s US session and China lockdown.  US indices were down over 2% on Friday as risk off gripped markets that digested Fed’s hawkish tilt. S&P500 (US500.I) was down 2.8% while the tech-heavy NASDAQ 100 (USNAS100.I) was down 2.5%, likely to test March lows. Asian equities will get a beating as well, with Japan’s Nikkei (NI225.I) down 1.6% in the morning and Singapore’s STI Index (ES3) in loss of 0.7%. Tech stocks, as well as energy and steel miners were on the backfoot. Read next: By Saxo Bank: COT: Spec buying pauses on China and growth concerns| FXMAG.COM Chinese equities made new lows.   China’s CSI300 Index (000300.I) and Shanghai Stock exchange Composite Index fell below their March 16 intraday lows and closed the morning session down over 4%.  Northbound investment registered a net outflow over RMB4 billion. China Merchants Bank (600036/03968) fell 6.4% in Shanghai and 9.5% in Hong Kong trading following news late last Friday that the bank’s former CEO being investigated by the Chinese authority.  The overall markets in the mainland and Hong Know were pressured by rising worries about the Chinese economy heading for a sharp deceleration in growth in Q2.  Mining and energy stocks were sold off. Hang Seng Index (HSI.I) and Hang Seng TECH Index were both down more than 2%. Crude oil (OILUKJUN22 & OILUSMAY22)  was also down over 2% in Asia amid fresh demand concerns from China with record deaths reported in Shanghai and hints of a spread in Beijing. WTI dropped below $100 and Brent was below $104. Asian energy stocks like Inpex (1605) and Eneos (5020) in Japan or Chinese oil stocks will be on watch. Australia has a public holiday today. Read next: Saxo Market Call: Podcast: China's FX moves supercharging developments| FXMAG.COM Iron ore (SCOA) is having a meltdown.  Iron ore futures were down close to 12% in Singapore to 2-month lows. Rich valuations are coming to haunt, after steel output dropped over 10% in Q1. But key miners Rio Tinto (XXRIO), BHP (BHP) and Vale (VALE) have confirmed their guidance for full-year production. Fortescue Metals (FMG) will be reporting output data on Thursday. Miners and steelmakers will be impacted by this big move in iron ore in the Asian session, so Japan's Nippon Steel (5401) or Kobe Steel (5406) was key to watch. No great news on the state of the UK consumer.  Retail sales are down again in March (minus 1.4% month-over-month). They are still 2.2% above their pre-pandemic level. But the trend is really not looking good. In addition, UK GfK consumer confidence plunged in April more than expected, at minus 38 versus expected minus 33 and previous minus 31. Confiance is only slightly above all-time lows. This is hard to see how the UK economy could avoid at least a modest downturn in the coming months. We believe a 50-basis point interest hike by the Bank of England is now off the table in May. It would have negative ripple effects on the overall economy. Rather good eurozone PMI indicators in April.  The flash PMI data pointed to a pickup in the eurozone growth in April (55.8 versus prior 54.9). This was mostly driven by the service sector. The manufacturing sector fell to a 22-month low mostly due to record inflationary pressures. In Germany, supply issues seriously intensified, pushing the manufacturing sector into a downturn. Finally, the French composite PMI skyrocketed to 57.5 versus 56.3 in March. Both the services and the manufacturing sector experienced strong growth, at 58.8 and 55.4, respectively. Read next: COVID Strikes China Again, Weak Chinese Renminbi (CNY), Accelerating US Dollar (USD)| FXMAG.COM What to consider? Macron’s victory prompted only short-term gains in EUR.  The result of the French elections have taken a key risk off the table. President Emmanuel Macron is projected to win a second term in office after facing his far-right rival Marine Le Pen in a runoff election on Sunday. EURUSD popped up to 1.085 at the open in Asia but the rally was fully reversed. ECB President Christine Lagarde gave an interview over the weekend, saying that inflation is a “different beast” between the US and Europe. With Eurozone inflation mainly energy-driven and the labor market not as hot as the US, it is hard to imagine gains in EUR sustaining against the USD. Heavy U.S. Q1 earnings calendar this week.  With Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, and Apple reporting this week, analysts may have a better about whether margins for mega cap companies in the technology and consumer space can maintain their margins in the new inflation environment. You can refer to Peter Garnry’s note for a more detailed preview. China’s container throughput declined.   According to data from the China Port Association, foreign trade related container throughput fell 4.9% over the period between April 11 and 20, from the same period last year.  It was another sign of weakening exports in April and shed a shadow over China’s GDP growth in Q2.  Secretary Yellen’s favorable comments on China did not cause much excitement.   U.S. Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen told Bloomberg that the Biden administration was re-examining its trade strategy with respect to China and considering the benefit of scaling back the Trump-era tariffs on Chinese goods to the reduction in U.S. inflation.  She also remarked that she did not think China was undermining the sanctions on Russia.  Read next: Russia-Ukraine War Is Still There. Check The "Equity Basket" Of Saxo Bank's Experts, Which Is Linked With The Circumstances In Europe| FXMAG.COM AUD making new lows in Asia.  Increasing risk off and a decline in iron ore prices is pushing AUDUSD lower to sub-0.7200 levels in Asia. NZDUSD also touched 0.6600 levels but AUDNZD slid below 1.0880. Australia’s Q1 CPI due on Wednesday. Indonesia’s palm oil ban to aid inflation fears.  Indonesia has announced plans to ban all exports of palm oil, which is a key ingredient of cooking oil, packaged food products, cosmetic, and other household items. Indonesia exports almost half of the global palm oil supply, suggesting further risks to Asia and global inflation outlook. Trading ideas to consider Brace for a busy earnings week.  Q1 earnings season shift gear with 558 major earnings releases that will impact sentiment in equity market. It is the big test of companies’ ability to pass on costs to their customers. Focus is on the biggest names such as Microsoft, Alphabet, UPS, Meta, Qualcomm, Boeing, PayPal, Apple, Amazon, Mastercard, Intel, Caterpillar, Exxon Mobil, and Chevron. Markets are in a cautious mode right now, any misses in the key megacaps earnings may mean a further run down to test key levels.  Analysts will examine the results closely to find out if the mega cap companies in the technology and consumer space can maintain their profit margins in the new inflation environment. Interested readers please refer to Peter Garnry’s note for a more detailed preview. Shorting CNHJPY.  The renminbi started its abrupt move to depreciate since April 19 when traders, in particular those in Europe, returned from a holiday, troubled by the underwhelming stimulus actions from the Chinese authorities, persistent lockdowns and deteriorating growth outlook for the Chinese economy.  The move was probably also driven by the misalignment of valuation of renminbi and other Asian currencies, in particular the Japanese Yen, which accounts for 10.8% of the renminbi’s reference basket.  Over the past several session, renminbi’s depreciated more against the Yen which was benefitted from lower commodities prices which in turn was a result of weaker China growth.  We suspect this realignment have more to go.  Interested readers can refer to our note on the renminbi last Friday. Further reopening moves from Singapore and Hong Kong.  Singapore announced further relaxation in Covid restrictions, scrapping predeparture tests for vaccinated travellers and allowing 100% of the workforce back into the office. Hong Kong also started to relax restrictions, opening restaurants for dinner after over two months and allowing non-residents from next months for the first time since 2020. Reopening gains, especially in Singapore are likely to stretch beyond airlines and airport operator to casinos and restaurants, as well as event organizers and mall and office-based REITs. Key economic releases this week: Wed, Apr 27: Australia Q1 inflation Thu, Apr 28: Japan retail sales, Bank of Japan meeting Fri, Apr 29: Eurozone April inflation rate flash, US March PCE index Key earnings to watch: Mon, Apr 25: Activision-Blizzard (ATVI), Coca-Cola (KO) Tue, Apr 26: Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), UPS (UPS), PepsiCo (PEP), General Electric (GE), Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), Microsoft (MSFT), General Motors (GM) Wed, Apr 27: T-Mobile US (TMUS), Boeing (BA), Kraft Heinz (KHC), Ford Motor (F), Meta Platforms (FB), Qualcomm (QCOM) Thu, Apr 28: Caterpillar (CAT), Twitter (TWTR), Comcast (CMCSA), Merck (MRK), Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Intel (INTC), PayPal (PYPL) Fri, Apr 29: Exxon Mobil (XOM), Chevron (CVX), Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL)   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. 

Oil prices are sharply higher on Wednesday, with focus on EU proposals for a ban on Russian oil imports. WTI is trading over $3.0 higher in the $106.00s and eyeing recent highs in the $108-$110 area. Oil prices have turned sharply higher this Wednesday in wake of a proposal by the European Commission to phase out all imports of Russian oil within six months, end imports of refined products by the end of the year and kick Russia’s top bank out of the SWIFT global payments system. EU nations will have to unanimously agree on the proposal for it to take effect and a few smaller nations (Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia) have been kicking up a fuss, meaning a final deal was not reached on Wednesday. But envoys from each of the EU’s 27 nations will be meeting again on Thursday and the market's base case is that a deal will be finalised soon. The EU’s proposal will also ban EU companies from providing any shipping, financing or insurance services to aid the transport of Russian crude oil worldwide, a move analysts said would have a “chilling” effect on the global trade of Russian crude oil. Meanwhile, some have argued that once the EU has weened itself of Russian oil, the West will be able to up the pressure on countries still buying Russian crude oil grades, perhaps with the threat of sanctions. As commodity markets brace for further declines in Russian oil output in the coming months as the EU’s latest sanctions take effect in the coming months, front-month WTI futures are trading firmly on the front foot. At current levels in the $106.00s per barrel, WTI is slightly more than $3.00 higher on the day, with oil prices for now shrugging off mixed news coming out of China regarding lockdowns there, as well as further evidence of global growth woes. WTI bulls are eyeing a test of recent highs in the $108-$110 area. Local press reported that Beijing is to extend lockdown measures indefinitely as the city continues to grapple with rising Covid-19 infection rates, however, the situation in Shanghai reportedly continues to improve, with much of the city now out of lockdown as case rates decline. The chilling impact on the global economy of recent Chinese lockdowns was on show on Wednesday with the release of IHS Markit’s global manufacturing PMI survey, which fell into contractionary territory for the first time since June 2020. Looking ahead, official weekly US crude oil inventory figures will be released at 1530BST after private weekly API inventory data showed a larger than expected decline in headline crude oil stocks on Tuesday. This has arguably also supported the price action on Wednesday. Focus then turns to the broader macro theme of central bank tightening later in the US session, with the Fed seen delivering a 50 bps rate hike at 1900BST. On Thursday, OPEC+ is scheduled to meet, with analysts expecting the meeting to be a non-event, with producers set to agree to continue their current policy of hiking output quotas by 400K barrels per day each month. The more important theme right now is how well OPEC+ nations can actually keep up with hikes to output quotas. Smaller nations have been struggling over the last 12 or so months, whilst sanctions mean Russia is also now a big under producer.

Summary: In general most commodities apart from crude oil have seen a fall over the past month. Crude Oil Supply facing huge pressure.   Read next: Soybean Prices Reached Almost Record Prices, Platinum Investors Turning To New Suppliers, Copper Prices Struggling To Recover.    Coffee Futures Price Falling Over the past month the price of coffee futures have been falling consistently. The harvest at the world's largest producer in Brazil has been picking up as more fields are becoming ready to harvest. The harvest pushes supply into the market, driving the price down. However, coffee prices are still higher than those seen in 2021. Coffee Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Gold futures fare well today despite falling over the past month. Despite the increase in the price of gold since the market opened this morning, the price has been falling over the past month. The hawkish Fed increasing the U.S yields week-over-week has resulted in a negative outlook overall for the price of Gold. Gold is seen as a safe-haven asset and is used as a hedge against inflation, when the Fed pushes up the yields, the opportunity cost of holding Gold increases, driving investors to sell their Gold investment and instead turn to government bonds. This drives the price of gold down. In the past days gold has fared well against the Feds recent yield raise and has seen an increase of almost 0.4%. Gold Jun ‘22 Futures Price Chart Crude Oil prices continue to increase. The price of crude oil futures have been showing a steady upward trend. As global stockpiles of crude decrease, the concerns around demand have become more worrisome. Crude prices are surging as supply falls and demand is starting to increase back to pre-pandemic levels. Washington released a large number of their crude oil reserves in an attempt to control the price, however, the price continues to rise and will likely continue on this path. Crude oil Jun ‘22 Futures Price Chart   Read next: Cotton Prices Reach Highest Prices In Almost 11 Years, Copper Prices Facing Negative Outlook and EU Announces 6 Month Plan To Phase Out Russian Crude Oil Imports    Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com

Summary: Earnings report from shells Q1 announcement. Concerns around supply driving the share price increase.   Read next: Lyft Stocks Face Major Negative Sentiment Despite Q1 Results Exceeding Expectations.    Oil Giant Shell's stock price is up almost 0.7% on Friday. Oil Giant Shell's stock price is up almost 0.7% on Friday. The outlook for crude oil supply is looking bleak as Washington pumps out their reserves in an attempt to control soaring prices. In addition the European Union's plans to cut off their oil imports from Russia within the next 6 months are causing the price of crude oil to increase, pushing up Shell's profits and therefore their share prices. Shell earnings cause favourable market sentiment. Shell released their earnings report this week and reported their highest quarterly earnings since 2008. Shell followed suit to the rest of the oil and gas industry. Shell announced plans to increase their DPS by 4% improving investor sentiment. The favourable earnings and high profits of Shell come in a time where the rest of the market is struggling, lawmakers are calling for oil companies to be taxed higher and use the tax increase to help struggling families. Shell Price Chart   Read next: WTI Crude Oil Prices Soaring Today Amidst The EU Announcing Their Plans To Ban Russian Oil Imports.    Sources: finance.yahoo.com, cnbc.com, wsj.com

Your daily roundup of commodities news and ING views Tank farm for storage of petroleum products in Volgograd, Russia Energy The oil market saw another strong week last week. ICE Brent managed to settle almost 2.8% higher, leaving it above US$112/bbl. Support continues to come from the European Union’s proposal to place an embargo on Russian oil. However, EU members have still not managed to come to a decision on this ban. Talks are set to continue in the coming days according to reports. The EU had revised the proposal for the ban in order to make it more manageable for those countries that are heavily reliant on Russian oil. Hungary and Slovakia under the latest proposal would have until the end of 2024 to wean themselves off Russian oil, whilst the Czech Republic would have until June 2024. However, this appears to have not been enough for Hungary, which continues to block the planned ban. If these talks drag on, we could see some selling pressure returning to the market (which we appear to already be seeing in early morning trading in Asia). However, in the meantime, it looks as though G-7 countries will move ahead with a ban of their own. Although, three of the seven countries have already put in place a ban on Russian oil or are in the process of phasing it out. The Saudis released their latest official selling prices for June loadings. And official selling prices (OSPs) for Saudi oil into Asia were cut quite significantly. Arab Light into the region was cut by US$4.95/bbl MoM to US$4.40/bbl over the benchmark. Lockdowns in China have weighed on domestic fuel demand and this is likely to weigh on refinery runs, which in turn would reduce demand for crude oil. OSP’s were also lowered for all grades into NW Europe, whilst levels were left unchanged for the US. There are more signs that we are seeing demand destruction at these higher prices. Nigerian airlines are set to halt all domestic flights due to surging jet fuel prices. Whilst crude oil prices have strengthened significantly in recent months, the move in refined products, particularly middle distillates has stood out even more. With middle distillate stocks lingering at multi-year lows, jet fuel and diesel cracks remain strong. Up until now, refiners have been unable to solve the tightness in the middle distillate market, so it appears as though the market will need to find a solution in the form of demand destruction. Metals The deterioration in sentiment saw the industrial metals selloff continue last week. Copper remained below $10,000 for the second week in a row, and aluminium slipped below US$3,000/t. The toxic combination of poor macro indicators from major economies and China’s Covid strategy has hammered markets. Moreover, a shift in tone out of Beijing on their Covid strategy from a top-level meeting last Thursday further undermined confidence in the Chinese economy. Zinc headed the selloff last Friday as 3M prices fell more than 8% over the week. The drawdown in LME zinc stocks has stabilised, and there was a moderate rise in on-warrant stocks, confirming that exports from China started to arrive into Asian based warehouses. The stock arrival resulted from a profitable export arb earlier between London and Shanghai, which incentivised zinc outflows to the ex-China market though with a small delay. The combination of low stocks and supply losses in Europe had pushed zinc close to US$4,500/t during mid-April. However, the market focus appears to have shifted to rising stocks with the expectation that China exports should help ease the supply tightness in the ex-China market. According to the latest CFTC data, money managers shifted their position in COMEX copper to a net short of 8,813 lots for the first time in two years. As for gold, rising rates saw the speculative net long fall by 16,507 lots, leaving speculators with a net long of 82,936 lots. TagsZinc Russian oil ban OSP Oil demand Covid-19 China   Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Last week closed on a negative note, as US NFP data came in stronger-than-expected, revived Federal Reserve (Fed) hawks, and sent the major US indices lower. And the new week starts on a negative note, as well, after the Chinese Li Keqiang warned that the jobs situation in China is getting ‘complicated and grave’ as the government’s zero Covid policy is taking a heavy toll on the country’s economy, and impacts the rest of the world negatively, as well. But US inflation print due Wednesday could help improving investor sentiment this week, if the data confirms a slow down in US inflation from multi-decade high levels. The next natural target for Bitcoin bears is the $30K psychological support Oil is up this Monday on G7 commitment to ban Russian oil, but Saudis cut the price of their oil due to the Chinee slow down. The US 10-year yield gains field above 3% mark, and US dollar consolidates near two-decade highs. Bitcoin dived to the lowest levels since January over the weekend. The next natural target for Bitcoin bears is the $30K psychological support. The only thing that could reverse the dollar appreciation against majors, and Bitcoin is a soft inflation read on Wednesday! Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:33 Week starts moody 1:12 Oil up 3:00 Strong jobs revive Fed hawks, but soft CPI could calm them down! 5:06 Macro events of the week 6:46 Bitcoin hits lowest since January 8:03 Earnings calendar: Lordstown, AMC, Disney, Occidental Petroleum & Rivian 8:51 End of Rivian’s lockup period, beginning of new challenge Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020.

Brent crude is back below $110/bbl, losing 2% since the start of the day on Monday. At the beginning of May, oil largely remained within the trends of previous months. There are still accumulating risks that oil will break down this support, giving the start of a correction. Since last month, bulls and bears have been concentrating on pulling the tug-of-war near the 50-day average Brent maintains an upward trend, but it is also running near a line that passes near the lows of the last five months. Since last month, bulls and bears have been concentrating on pulling the tug-of-war near the 50-day average, which has been pointing upwards since the beginning of the year. Saudi Arabia has cut its oil price premium to buyers in Europe and Asia Positively for oil, the G7 has declared a phase-out of Russian oil purchases, and OPEC has indicated a commitment to a rate increase of 432k a month. But at the same time, Saudi Arabia has cut its oil price premium to buyers in Europe and Asia. Locally, traders should pay attention to the dynamics of Brent near $112 Also playing out locally against oil was the news that Russia has stabilised production after a dip in April. In addition, drilling activity is picking up in the US, which promises a rise in output in the next few months. There is also more incentive for Saudi Arabia to increase its production. Brent remains in a triangle on the technical analysis side, retreating from its upper boundary. Locally, traders should pay attention to the dynamics of Brent near $112, where the area of previous local peaks is located. Bears, for their part, may cheer up in case of consolidation under $104, where purchases were strengthened last week. A move out of the 104-112 range could increase volatility in oil.

Summary: Coffee futures are struggling to remain stable amidst the current market conditions. Crude oil prices could rise after poor performance this past week. Increased import tariffs on Russian Palladium to the U.K should drive the price up. Read next: (XAUUSD) Gold Prices Remain Stable Despite Hawkish Fed, EU Regains Control Of Their NGAS Supplies, Cotton Futures Prices.  Weather relief in major producing regions drives the price of coffee futures down. Coffee futures have been falling over the past week or so. The price fall comes as a result of the strengthening US Dollar and weakening Brazilian real is pushing prices down, the relief of dry weather conditions is also a bearish signal for coffee futures prices. The demand for coffee is also under pressure with the lockdowns in China continuing, and the war between Russia and the Ukraine causing demand in these two regions to fall. The market has been in a slump this week which could be another reason for the price to fall. There are still concerns around supply of coffee worldwide, a possible cause of the almost 3% increase the future has seen today. Coffee Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Crude Oil WTI increases today after poor performance within the past week The price of Crude Oil Futures have been following the market trend this past week, dropping to below $100. The rise today comes as concerns around supply in the wake of the European Union Oil embargo on Russia increase. Oil producers warned of their concerns around not being able to fill the oil gap when demand returns back to normal levels. WTI Jun ‘22 Futures Price Chart Palladium prices show steady downward price trend Palladium prices are falling with the current market sentiment, the prices rebounded slightly after the U.K announced the increase in the tariff on Palladium imports from Russia. This move will cause further Palladium supply issues, however, the price is still falling. Palladium Jun ‘22 Futures Price Chart Read next: Prices Of Brent Crude Oil And Silver Fall As The US Dollar Strengthening, Corn Prices Face Downward Price Pressure.  Sources: finance.yahoo.com, barchart.com

Oil  Energy traders are bullish on oil prices again as China’s COVID situation shows signs of improving and after the dollar eased following a hot inflation report that did little to change short-term Fed rate hiking expectations. The oil market can’t justify oil prices below USD 100 given the potential shock that will occur once the EU is able to move forward with their ban on Russian crude. ​ ​ WTI crude tentatively pared gains after the EIA crude oil inventory report posted a surprisingly large build with stockpiles. ​ This report was full of surprises as US production declined by 100,000 bpd, the first drop since January. Read next: Stock Market Showing Signs Of Slight Recovery Amidst U.S CPI Report Release| FXMAG.COM The oil market seems to have made up its mind and it will focus on how tight supplies will be and not the eventual demand destruction that might happen later this year. ​ Gold slides after CPI report Gold prices tumbled as the dollar surged following a hotter-than-expected inflation report that will likely force the Fed into delivering more tightening than they were initially thinking. â€‹ Today’s inflation report proves that Fed Chair Powell made a mistake last week when he removed the option of a 75-basis point rate hike at the next policy meeting. The overall takeaway for much of Wall Street however is that the Fed is still poised to deliver consecutive half-point rate increases at the June and July FOMC meetings. Read next: Earnings Season: (DIS) Disney Stock Price Awaits Earnings Announcements| FXMAG.COM Gold gave up a majority of its gains after the inflation report but found massive support around the USD 1830 level, which is where the 200-day simple moving day resides. ​ Gold was close to showing signs of stabilizing as many investors were hoping for a sharper deceleration of pricing pressures, which was supposed to pave the way for a dollar pullback and a peak in with the rally in Treasury yields. Gold is tentatively holding onto the USD 1830 level and should continue to stabilize, but that may get tested if a steady wave of Fed speak raises market expectations for more aggressive tightening later this year. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.

Summary:  Global equity markets have bounced after the US briefly hit new cycle lows yesterday. One development at the margin that has helped is the sharp decline in longer bond yields, even as a couple of Fed members were out with hawkish comments. A strong 3-year US treasury auction showed strong demand. Elsewhere, gold remains under pressure and is on life support. The data focus today swings to the US and the release of April CPI data.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) - the rebound in US equities succeeded closing above the prior session’s close but met resistance above the 12,500 level in Nasdaq 100 futures. However, this morning Nasdaq 100 futures continue to rally trading around the 12,450-level attempting to break above the 12,500 level again which is needed to close Monday’s selloff range. Sentiment is still weak but a pause in the momentum in US 10-year interest rates is providing some support to US equities in the short-term. Q1 earnings results yesterday confirmed the slowdown in gaming and cryptocurrency trading activity. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I). China’s A shares surged with ChiNext rising 4.3% and CSI300 up 2%. Electric equipment, semiconductors, EV battery, consumer electronics, wind and solar names led the charge higher. EV battery maker, CATL (300750) rose 7.7%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 1.7% and Hang Seng TECH Index gained 4.6% by mid-day.  After reporting better than market expected earnings and margin expansion, Li Auto (2015) surged 11%. The COVID related disruption to logistics and production, plus food and daily necessities stockpiling by households seems to make their impact felt on general price levels. China’s April PPI came at +8.0% YoY and CPI at +2.1% YoY, both higher than market expectations.   AUDUSD and USDCAD – the two key commodity currencies broke through key support against the US dollar this week, but so far the reaction to the development has been restrained and would likely take a further slide in risk sentiment, including in the commodity space for a notable extension lower. As the break levels remain nearby, the pairs deserve watching for the trend status and a possible reversal as well – resistance in AUDUSD is 0.7000-0.7050 and support in USDCAD comes in at 1.2900-50. Read next: Don't Worry Coffee Lovers! The Price Of Coffee Futures Falling Amidst Current Market Conditions, Crude Oil (WTI) Recovers Slightly, Palladium Prices Show Steady Downward Price Trend | FXMAG.COM USDJPY and JPY pairs – global sovereign bond yields have tumbled from their highs at the start of the week and crude oil has corrected sharply lower, two developments that support the Japanese yen, as Japan relies so heavily on energy imports and BoJ yield-curve-control policy means that the currency absorbs weakness when the domestic bond market is not “allowed” to. And yet, the JPY bounce on supportive developments has proven surprisingly muted – an opportunity or indication of further weakness to come? Watching for the reactivity in JPY pairs around the US CPI release today and 10-year US T-note auction later today as USDJPY is often one of the more sensitive currencies to US treasury yields. Gold (XAUUSD) dropped below $1850 support yesterday after several Fed officials backed multiple 50 basis point rate hikes. These comments helped drive fresh dollar strength and a continued rise in US real yields ahead of today’s US CPI print. Recent dollar strength, especially against the yuan and rupee has reduced demand from China and India, the world’s two biggest buyers of physical gold. With gold trading near a three-month low, demand for bullion backed ETFs has also ebbed with total holdings falling to a three-week low on Tuesday. Silver (XAGUSD) meanwhile slumped below previous support at $21.5, thereby adding an additional layer of weakness. From a technical perspective, the next key support level in gold is the 61.8% retracement of the March 2021 to March 2022 high at $1827. Crude oil (OILUKJUL22 & OILUSJUN22) traded higher in Asia with Brent bouncing before reaching key support below $100 per barrel. Catalyst for the move ahead of today’s US CPI print was a decline in the Covid19 infections in China providing some cautious optimism about a pickup in demand from the world’s largest importer. The cost of fuel due to lack of refinery capacity and sanctions against Russia remains very elevated with retail gasoline in the US hitting a record. The EIA meanwhile lowered its forecast for US production in 2022 and 2023 while Saudi Arabia and the UAE oil ministers warned that spare capacity is decreasing in all energy sectors. Developments that may offset any slowdown in global consumption due to lower growth and punitive high inflation. Monthly oil market reports from OPEC and IEA on Thursday. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) – The US yield curve flattened sharply yesterday as hawkish talk from a couple of Fed members (see below) kept the shorter end of the yield curve elevated, while longer yields continued their sharp retreat ahead of a tone-setting 10-year T-note auction today, with the benchmark yield there trading just below 3.00%. The 3-year notes yesterday saw the strongest demand in over a year. What is going on? Fed officials continue to back rate hikes. Fed speakers are back on the wires backing multiple 50 basis point rate hikes, even as that might mean a bumpy ride for the economy and the markets. Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester, in fact, also brought 75bps rate hikes back on the table for H2 if inflation doesn’t recede. US earnings recap. The big negative surprise was Coinbase reporting Q1 revenue of $1.17bn vs est. $1.48bn and a dark Q2 outlook expecting lower trading activity. Unity was in line with Q1 estimates but puts out a very low Q2 revenue figure of $290-295mn vs est. $360mn, but the fiscal year guidance is closer to consensus suggesting timing issues. Electronic Arts surprised investors given the weakness in gaming results recently guiding fiscal year 2023 (the company is not following the traditional calendar year) revenue a bit above consensus. Staying with gaming results, Roblox reported a slowdown in user activity (bookings) as so many other gaming companies have done in Q1. Read next: Stablecoins In Times Of Crypto Crash. What is Terra (UST)? A Deep Look Into Terra Altcoin. Terra - Leading Decentralised And Open-Source Public Blockchain Protocol | FXMAG.COM Philip Morris to buy Swedish Match for SEK 106 per share. This is one of Europe’s largest transactions this year worth $16bn in an all-cash deal translating into a premium of 40%. Philip Morris is acquiring Swedish Match to get assets that are less about visual cigarettes to better cope with increasing regulation around the world against cigarettes. Declining Covid-19 cases in China helped boost sentiment across battered stock markets in Shanghai and Hong Kong overnight. The industrial metal sector has seen a sharp correction during the lockdown with the Bloomberg Industrial Metal Index currently up just 5% on the year after hitting a 39% gain on March 7. As lockdowns start to ease the focus across the sector is likely to return to tight global inventories and the prospect of a revival in demand with the Chinese government likely to initiate projects to support an economic revival. Six major mining companies who derive more than 60% of their revenue from copper have slumped between 25% and 50% from peaks achieved during the past year. What are we watching next? US CPI and 10-year T-note auction today. The 3-year T-note auction yesterday showed the strongest demand for 3-year US paper since early 2021. A 10-year T-note auction is set for today, with yields having retreated to near 3.00% from the highs earlier this week near the 2018 cycle high of 3.25%. Liquidity in the US treasury market is at its weakest levels since the pandemic-outbreak panic moment even before the Fed is set to begin reducing its balance sheet (requiring the market to absorb more treasury issuance). Reactivity in the US treasury market and the US dollar is also worth close observation today on the release of the April CPI data, expected to show the headline rising at only +0.2% MoM, but the core rising +0.4% MoM. The YoY expectations are +8.1%/+6.0% vs. +8.5%/+6.5% in March. EU gas prices jumped on Tuesday and may rise further today after Ukraine’s network operator warned Ukraine won’t accept gas at Sokhranivka, one of two cross-border points handling Russian flows, from today after occupying forces disrupted operation at the compressor station. It’s still possible for gas to be rerouted to the second entry point, Sudzha, allowing European contracts to be fulfilled, it said. How Gazprom reacts to these changes will set the tone in today’s trading. Dutch TTF benchmark gas briefly traded below its 200-day moving average support line at €89/MWh yesterday before ending the day near €100/MWH on the Ukraine news.  Earnings Watch. In Europe this morning the focus is on earnings from E.ON and Siemens Energy given the energy crisis in Europe. Genmab is also important to watch being one of Europe’s largest pure plays within the biotechnology industry. Later in the US session the focus is on Walt Disney given the latest weak results from Netflix and more reopening post the pandemic benefitting Disney’s physical entertainment assets. We will also watch Coupang, the largest e-commerce company in South Korea, given the bad Q1 results from most e-commerce companies. Today: Genmab, E.ON, Siemens Energy, Continental, Toyota, SoftBank, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Delhaize, Mowi, Swedish Match, Walt Disney, Coupang Thursday: Verbund, KBC Group, Brookfield, Fortum, Siemens, Allianz, Merck, Hapag-Lloyd, RWE, Atlantia, Snam, NTT, SoftBank Group, Aegon, Naturgy Energy, Motorola Solutions Friday: Deutsche Telekom, KDDI, Honda Motor, Alibaba Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0715 – ECB's Nagel to speak 0800 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 0800 – ECB’s Vasle to speak 0830 – ECB's Makhlouf to speak 0850 – ECB's Knot to speak 1220 – ECB's Schnabel to speak 1230 – US Apr. CPI 1230 – US Apr. Real Average Hourly Earnings 1600 – US Fed’s Bostic (non-voter) to speak 1800 – US 10-year T-Note auction 2301 – UK Apr. RICS House Price Balance Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Saxo Bank

AUDUSD saw brief recovery The Australian dollar struggles as Beijing vows to support its Covid-hit economy. A drop below the psychological level of 0.7000 near this year’s low may have put the Aussie on a bearish trajectory in the medium-term. On the hourly chart, the RSI’s double bottom in the oversold area may cause a limited rebound. Selling interest could be expected at 0.7100 at the origin of the latest sell-off. A drop below the intermediate support at 0.6920 would extend losses towards June 2020’s lows around 0.6820. Read next: Tech Stocks Plunging!? Trade Desk Earnings Announcement Pushes Tech Giant Stock Down, Russian Ruble Strengthening and Ford Motor Co.  XAUUSD tests demand area Bullion steadied after the US CPI receded in April. The price action has found some support at the base of the February bullish breakout. A bullish RSI divergence indicates a slowdown in the downward momentum, a prerequisite for a reversal. 1868 is a key resistance and a breakout would confirm the demand zone and prompt sellers to cover their bets. Then 1910 is the last hurdle before sentiment would turn around. On the downside, a break below 1831 would send the precious metal to the psychological level of 1800. Read next: (BTC) Bitcoin’s Price Tanks Along With Equities. U.S. Stock Market Awaits CPI Report, Poor Performance From The FTSE 100.  USOIL bounces higher WTI crude rallies as Russia retaliates by sanctioning European gas companies. A fall below the rising trendline near 106.00 has put the bulls on the defensive. The price has met bids at 98.50 and in conjunction with a bullish RSI divergence could attract more buying interest. Optimism may gain traction if buyers succeed in holding above this demand zone. A close above support-turned-resistance at 107.00 would put the bulls back in the game. Then a break above 111.00 could trigger an extended rally above 117.00.

Oil markets remain volatile Oil prices spiked overnight, led by a combination of Shanghai reopening, potential gas supply disruption through Ukraine, Russian sanctions on EU energy entities and a plunge in gasoline inventories in the US. Brent crude rose 5.90% to USD 107.50, and WTI leapt 6.60% higher to USD 105.50 a barrel. In Asia, the risk aversion selling sweeping other asset classes in Asia today has pushed oil prices slightly lower. Brent crude fell 1.20% to USD 106.25, and WTI fell 1.10% to USD 104.40 a barrel. The continuing squeeze on US gasoline, diesel and other distillates is another supportive factor With tensions seemingly ratcheting higher after Russia sanctioned ex-Gazprom JVs in Europe, along with reduced trans-Ukraine pipeline flows, there is limited downside for oil prices in the near term. The continuing squeeze on US gasoline, diesel and other distillates is another supportive factor. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Polkadot (DOT)? Cross-Chain Transfers Of Any Type Of Asset Or Data. A Deeper Look Into Polkadot Protocol | FXMAG.COM Brent crude has formed a nice trendline support going back to January 2022 at USD 101.50, while WTI has formed the same pattern at USD 98.50 a barrel. Resistance remains at USD 114.75 and USD 111.50 a barrel respectively. Failure of the respective USD 101.50 and USD 98.50 trendline supports is likely to provoke a much stronger test of USD 100.00 for Brent, and USD 95.00 for WTI this time around. Eastern European tensions mean this is not my base case, however. I am sticking to my broader calls for the past two months. Brent crude remaining between USD 100.00 to USD 120.00, and WTI between USD 95.00 and USD 115.00 a barrel. Gold survives another day Gold probed the downside overnight, testing support in the USD 1835.00 an ounce region, before rallying to a 0.75% gain, closing at USD 1852.00 an ounce as US yields fell and risk-hedging flows appeared. In Asia gold is relatively quiet compared to the volatility seen in other asset classes today. It has edged 0.17% lower to USD 1848.20 an ounce. Read next: Stablecoins In Times Of Crypto Crash. What is Terra (UST)? A Deep Look Into Terra Altcoin. Terra - Leading Decentralised And Open-Source Public Blockchain Protocol | FXMAG.COM Gold’s support critical near-term support remains the triangle apex at USD 1835.00, the breakout of which in early February, signalled the gold rally to USD 2060.00 an ounce. Its importance is confirmed by the nearby 200-day moving average (DMA), today at USD 1836.00 an ounce. A daily close under USD 1835.00 would be an ominous technical development. Gold has resistance at USD 1860.00 and USD 1884.00 an ounce, its 100-day moving average Failure of USD 1835.00 sets up a test of support at USD 1820.00 and then potentially USD 1780.00 an ounce. Failure of the latter suggests a deeper correction to USD 1700.00. Gold has resistance at USD 1860.00 and USD 1884.00 an ounce, its 100-day moving average. Read next: (BTC) Bitcoin’s Price Tanks Along With Equities. U.S. Stock Market Awaits CPI Report, Poor Performance From The FTSE 100. If the risk-aversion selloff sweeping other asset classes, notably cryptos, accelerates, gold does stand to benefit. Especially is haven buyers also pile into US bond markets, pushing the US yield curve lower. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.

US inflation data didn’t print a soft-enough figure to reverse the market selloff. Disappointing US inflation data sent another shock wave to the US stock markets sending all major US indices tumbling on Wednesday. The S&P500 lost more than 1.5%, while Nasdaq tumbled more than 3%. Bitcoin slumped below the 2021 lows on the back of a broad-based risk-off selloff, and panic due to TerraUSD losing its dollar peg earlier this week. The US dollar remained upbeat, and the dollar index returned above the 104 mark as the lower-than-expected cool down in the US inflation figure revived the Fed hawks. Gold rebounded from the 200-DMA, as the US 10-year yield eased despite yesterday’s higher-than-expected inflation print in the US The pound-dollar is testing the 1.22 this morning as the UK-European relationship is souring on the Northern Ireland headache. Gold rebounded from the 200-DMA, as the US 10-year yield eased despite yesterday’s higher-than-expected inflation print in the US, as US crude saw a decent dip buying interest below the $100 per barrel, even with the souring prospects of a healthy global economic recovery. Read next: Stablecoins In Times Of Crypto Crash. What is Terra (UST)? A Deep Look Into Terra Altcoin. Terra - Leading Decentralised And Open-Source Public Blockchain Protocol | FXMAG.COM   Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:28 Panic in cryptocurrencies as Terra loses dollar peg 2:22 Coinbase down on SEC filing about bankruptcy 4:08 Markets down on softer cool down in US inflation 6:37 Disney down, Rivian up after earnings announcement 7:25 USD up, pound down on souring EU-UK relations 8:23 Gold, oil rebound Read next: Altcoins: What Is Polkadot (DOT)? Cross-Chain Transfers Of Any Type Of Asset Or Data. A Deeper Look Into Polkadot Protocol | FXMAG.COM Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020.

By Aristofanis Papadatos for Sure Dividend Inflation has soared to a 40-year high this year due to the immense fiscal stimulus packages offered by the government in response to the pandemic. Consequently, income-oriented investors are struggling to protect their portfolios from losing real value. High-dividend stocks are great candidates for income-oriented investors under the current circumstances, though investors should perform their due diligence to make sure that the dividends of these stocks are safe. Read next: Stablecoins In Times Of Crypto Crash. What is Terra (UST)? A Deep Look Into Terra Altcoin. Terra - Leading Decentralised And Open-Source Public Blockchain Protocol | FXMAG.COM In this article, we will discuss the prospects of three high-yield stocks that benefit from high oil and gas prices, namely BP (BP), Enbridge (ENB) and ONEOK (OKE). BP BP is one of the largest oil and gas corporations in the world, with a market capitalization of $97 billion. It operates in two segments: upstream and downstream (mostly refining). BP has accumulated an excessive debt load, mostly due to its catastrophic accident in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, which has cost the company approximately $70 billion so far. As this amount is 72% of the market capitalization of the stock, it is easy to understand its impact on the company. The high debt load of BP has also resulted from the extremely generous dividends of BP, which has maintained its shareholder-friendly character even under the most adverse business conditions. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Polkadot (DOT)? Cross-Chain Transfers Of Any Type Of Asset Or Data. A Deeper Look Into Polkadot Protocol | FXMAG.COM Fortunately, BP is thriving right now. The price of oil has rallied to a 13-year high this year thanks to the recovery of global demand from the pandemic and the sanctions of western countries on Russia for its invasion in Ukraine. As Russia produces 10% of global oil output, the oil market has become extremely tight. A similar situation is evident in the natural gas market. European gas prices have skyrocketed to all-time highs in recent months due to tight supply from Russia, which provides approximately 40% of natural gas consumed in Europe. In addition, Europe has begun to import LNG cargos from the U.S. aggressively in an effort to shift away from Russia and thus the U.S. natural gas market has become extremely tight. As a result, the U.S. natural gas price has surged to a 13-year high. The above conditions are ideal for BP, which is highly leveraged to the prices of oil and gas, especially given its high debt load. Thanks to its excessive profits in the current environment, BP has been reducing its debt load at a fast pace in recent quarters and thus it has added another growth driver, namely lower interest expense. In the most recent quarter, BP more than doubled its earnings per share, from $0.78 in last year’s quarter to $1.92, and exceeded the analysts’ consensus by an impressive $0.55 (40%). The earnings per share of BP were the highest of the company in the last decade. Moreover, as the sanctions are not likely to be removed anytime soon, BP is expected to post 10-year high earnings this year. BP cut its dividend by 50% in 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic on its business but it is still offering an attractive 4.4% dividend yield. The company has a payout ratio of only 27%, which provides a wide margin of safety to the dividend. BP raised its dividend by 4% last year and stated that it can continue raising its dividend by 4% per year until 2025 as long as the price of oil remains above or around $60. BP also expects to be able to repurchase approximately $1.0 billion of shares per quarter. As this buyback rate corresponds to a 4% annual reduction of the share count, it provides a meaningful boost to the bottom line. Read next: (TSLA) Tesla Stock Prices Facing Trouble Amidst Rising Prices| FXMAG.COM Overall, as long as oil prices remain above $60, BP will continue offering excessive shareholder distributions, namely a 4.4% dividend that will grow by 4% per year, and meaningful share repurchases. On the other hand, investors should be aware that the stock of BP is likely to come under pressure whenever the war in Ukraine comes to an end. Enbridge Enbridge is a midstream oil and gas company, which is headquartered in Canada and operates in four segments: Liquids Pipelines, Gas Transmission, Gas Distribution and Green Power. These segments generate 53%, 29%, 13% and 5%, respectively, of the total EBITDA of the company. Enbridge is an immense midstream company. Through its vast pipeline networks, the company transports approximately 25% of North America’s crude oil and 20% of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. It is also the largest distributor of natural gas in the U.S. by annual volumes. Most companies in the energy sector are highly cyclical due to the wild swings of the prices of oil and gas. This is not the case for Enbridge, which has one of the most resilient business models in the sector. Enbridge has a toll-like, fee-based model, which involves charging fees to customers for the products they transport through the pipeline networks of Enbridge. The contracts have minimum-volume requirements and hence Enbridge enjoys reliable cash flows even during downturns, when its customers transport lower volumes than usual. Enbridge greatly benefits from the aforementioned favorable prices of oil and gas. The company expects to grow its distributable cash flow per share by about 8% this year, from $3.91 to a new all-time high of $4.21. On the other hand, due to its defensive business model, Enbridge benefits less than most oil companies during boom times. Overall, Enbridge is one of the most resilient energy companies during downturns but it has less upside than most of its peers during boom times. Enbridge has grown its dividend (in CAD) for 27 consecutive years, at a 10% average annual rate. It is also offering an attractive 6.3% dividend yield. The company has a healthy payout ratio of 64% and is likely to continue growing its distributable cash flow thanks to a series of growth projects, which are related to the expansion of its network. Therefore, the stock is offering an above-average 6.3% dividend, which is likely to keep rising for many more years. ONEOK ONEOK engages in the gathering and processing of natural gas, it provides services in the business of natural gas liquids (NGLs) and owns natural gas pipelines (interstate and intrastate). ONEOK has a 40,000-mile network of NGLs and natural gas pipelines and provides midstream services to producers, processors and customers. Its assets are ideally positioned in the major shale basins, Permian and Bakken. More than 10% of the total U.S. natural gas production goes through the network of ONEOK. ONEOK has a volatile performance record but it has greatly improved its performance in the last four years thanks to the completion of a series of growth projects, such as pipelines and fractionation services in the Permian Basin, and the significant contribution of these projects to the cash flows of the company. ONEOK is currently offering a 6.1% dividend yield. The company had a high payout ratio in 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic on its business but it is on track to post record distributable cash flow per share this year thanks to the favorable commodity prices and the recovery of the U.S. gas production. As a result, ONEOK currently covers its dividend with a wide margin of safety, with a healthy payout ratio of 68%. It is also worth noting that a significant portion of the cash flows of ONEOK are fee-based or hedged. This means that ONEOK is more defensive during downturns than most energy companies. On the other hand, the business model of ONEOK is less resilient than the model of Enbridge. Final Thoughts The energy sector is by far the best-performing sector of the stock market this year, mostly thanks to the 13-year high prices of oil and gas, which have resulted from the sanctions of western countries on Russia. Despite the breathtaking rally of the energy sector, there are still energy stocks that offer markedly high dividend yields. The above three stocks offer exceptionally high yields with a wide margin of safety. Nevertheless, investors should be aware of the material downside risk of the entire energy sector whenever its next downcycle begins.

Oil markets remain volatile Oil prices finished modestly higher overnight, after another chop-fest session which saw Brent crude and WTI fall nearly four dollars intraday. Powell’s soothing comments around 0.50% rate hikes stabilised sentiment in New York, but it is likely that the Russian natural gas sanctions on some European importers were the reason that oil rebounded. With European natural gas prices soaring, it is inevitable that some spillover into oil will occur. If anything, it should support the downside in prices for now, even if recession fears in China and Europe et al slow gains to the upside. An escalation by Russia on the sanctions front is likely to flow into oil price strength. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Polkadot (DOT)? Cross-Chain Transfers Of Any Type Of Asset Or Data. A Deeper Look Into Polkadot Protocol | FXMAG.COM Brent crude rose 0.30% overnight to USD 107.80 a barrel, having fallen as low as USD 104.75 intraday. WTI finished 1.05% higher at USD 106.70 a barrel, having traded as low as USD 102.70 intraday. Asia has immediately pushed prices higher this morning, likely hedging against weekend news risk around Eastern Europe. Brent crude has added 0.90% to USD 108.80 a barrel, and WTI has gained 0.60% to USD 107.30 a barrel. Brent crude has formed trendline support at USD 101.70 a barrel that goes back to January 2022, while WTI has formed the same pattern at USD 98.85 a barrel. Resistance remains at USD 114.75 and USD 111.50 a barrel respectively. Eastern European tensions will now skew risks to the topside once again. I am sticking to my broader calls for the past two months that ​ Brent crude remains between USD 100.00 to USD 120.00, and WTI between USD 95.00 and USD 115.00 a barrel. Read next: Stablecoins In Times Of Crypto Crash. What is Terra (UST)? A Deep Look Into Terra Altcoin. Terra - Leading Decentralised And Open-Source Public Blockchain Protocol | FXMAG.COM Gold wilts on US dollar strength Precious metals as a group suffered heavy losses overnight, with investors appearing to prefer the haven of the US dollar and US bonds, with their appealing yields. The impressive US dollar strength saw gold take out its 200-day moving average and triangle support between USD 1835.00 and USD 1836.00, finishing 1.65% lower at USD 1822.00 an ounce. In Asia, the modest correction by the US dollar had seen gold creep 0.20% higher to USD 1825.75 an ounce. The failure of USD 1835.00 now sets up a test of support at USD 1820.00 and then potentially USD 1780.00 an ounce. Failure of the latter suggests a deeper correction to USD 1700.00. Gold has resistance at USD 1835.00, USD 1860.00, and USD 1884.00 an ounce, its 100-day moving average. Only a sudden US dollar sell-off is likely to change the bearish technical outlook. ​ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.

Summary:  Market sentiment is mostly stable after a rare, uneventful day for global markets. Crude oil has pulled to a new local high as petrol prices in many countries have risen to record highs. The US dollar is on its back foot, helping to spark a sharp gold rally from capitulation lows after the precious metal had broken down through all major support levels. The mood in Asia brightened overnight on hopes China is set to ease its clampdown on the tech companies.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) - S&P 500 futures closed just above the 4,000 level yesterday as US equities failed to extend their gains from Friday’s session. Tesla shares fell 6% as bubble stocks and crypto related companies fell almost 5% suggesting weakness in technology stocks continues. While the Empire State manufacturing PMI figures yesterday were from a little region of the US, they surprised significantly to the downside hitting levels typically consistent with low economic activity or even a mild contraction. S&P 500 futures are pushing higher trading around the 4,024 level with yesterday’s high at 4,043. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) rallied 2% and 1% respectively on prospect of relaxation of Covid restrictions in China.  JPMorgan’s 180-degree reversal to turn overweight in Chinese internet stocks also help the market sentiment. Alibaba (09988), Tencent (00700), Meituan (03690) and JD.COM (09618) gained about 5% to 6%. Auto makers, batteries and semiconductors surged on the prospect of normalization of supply chain from lockdown. Great Wall Motor (02333) rose over 10%. Ganfeng (01772) rose 6.7%. Hua Hong Semiconductor (01347) gained 6%.  Stoxx 50 (EU50.I) - European equities continue to trade at levels lower than a year ago as weakness is still widespread due to the war in Ukraine with BOE chief Bailey warning yesterday of the extreme risks related to galloping food prices and security of supply. Stoxx 50 futures are trading just below the 3,700 level this morning with the 50-day moving average at 3,732 being the key resistance level to watch on the upside. USD pairs – the US dollar weakened rather sharply yesterday as risk sentiment continued to stabilize. Traders should be on the lookout for whether the sell-off could extend sufficiently to trigger a tactical reversal in the USD bull trend. Levels worth watching include the 1.0500 resistance area in EURUSD, 0.7050-0.7100 resistance zone in AUDUSD, and 1.2400 resistance in GBPUSD. The Apr. Retail Sales report up later today could trigger market volatility. JPY pairs – JPY crosses have bounced hard from the steep sell-off late last week as risk sentiment has stabilized since Friday and, to a lesser degree, as bond yields pulled back higher. The volatility looks excessive relative to coincident developments. USDJPY will watch US treasury yields over the US data today with resistance around 130.00, while a break down through the important 128.00-127.50 area and consolidation back toward 125.00 likely needing a significant consolidation lower in US treasury yields. AUDJPY and GBPJPY have been particularly volatile JPY pairs since a one-off meltdown last Thursday that has now largely been erased. Gold (XAUUSD) trades higher supported by a softer dollar, higher oil prices and tailwind from silver (XAGUSD), as the industrial metal sector receives a boost from the prospect of easing lockdowns in China. The recent loss of momentum which helped attract fresh tactical short sellers was driven by the relentless rise of the dollar and the markets belief in the FOMC’s ability to bring down inflation without hurting growth. With the latter increasingly seeing downgrades, the risk of recession has not gone away, and it raises the question of whether real yields may pause following its March to May near 1.5% jump. Further weakness below 0.09% may signal a period of consolidation in US ten-year yields. Gold needs to break above its 200-day moving average at $1838 to force a further improvement in sentiment. Crude oil (OILUKJUL22 & OILUSJUN22) returned to an eight-week high overnight after China signaled it would start unwinding lockdowns in the Shanghai. Also underpinning prices is the continued strength in the price of fuel products, driven by strong demand and restrained refining capacity. Recently led by a record high price of RBOB gasoline future. Global demand has yet to show signs of demand destruction and with Chinese demand starting to recover the risk of higher prices remains, not least considering Europe’s continued efforts to reduce its dependency on Russian oil and gas. HG Copper (COPPERUSJUL22) has bounced back after hitting a seven-month low last week, and as we highlighted in a recent update, the market has been under pressure due to China lockdowns, and with those now starting to ease a bid has returned. If the change in sentiment towards a more favorable outlook takes hold, hedge funds may soon be forced to cover a short position which according to the latest COT report doubled to a two-year high in the week to May 10. The industrial metal sector slumped 25% during since early March as China closed, but with lockdowns now easing, stimulus policies focusing on the property sector and infrastructure will likely support a recovery. What is going on? High yield credit spreads continue to widen, signaling rising stress in corporate debt markets.  One measure of credit spreads, the Bloomberg US Corporate High Yield Average option-adjusted-spread, has widened to above 450 basis to US treasuries, the highest levels since late 2020. Back in late 2018, the spread peaked at 537 basis points just before the Powell Fed pivoted to easing policy. Lockdowns start to ease in Chinese cities. China’s nationwide (excluding Hong Kong) new local cases fell to 1,049 (sharply lower from the April 13 high of 29,317 cases), of which 823 cases from Shanghai and 52 cases from Beijing.  Shanghai reported three consecutive days of zero community (i.e. outside of quarantine) transmission.   The municipality expects to gradually resume public transportation services from May 22.  Starting from today train services and air flights to and from other Chinese cities is gradually resuming services.  The Shanghai government expects that the lockdown will be completely lifted in June.  Chinese tech stocks trade higher on hopes for easing stance from regulators. A symposium hosted by a prominent advisory body today in China has sparked hopes for a revival of tech stocks as executives of prominent companies like Baidu Inc were invited. JP Morgan Chase & Co. analysts yesterday announced upgrades to ratings on major Chinese tech names like Alibaba and Tencent Holdings. Bank of England Governor Bailey fears “apocalyptic” risk from rising food prices. Governor Bailey testified before a parliamentary committee yesterday and said the rise in prices is “a major worry not just for this country but for the developing world.” Bailey bemoaned the series of supply shocks that are driving a cost-of-living crisis for the many UK citizens as the price of food and energy, in particularly have risen sharply, the latter a direct result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Bailey also noted a 1.3% fall in the size of the labor market, which also limits economic growth potential. Deputy Governor Ramsden added that “we hear companies telling us that even people on median incomes are overextended.” RBA opening the door for bigger rate hikes. Minutes of the Reserve Bank of Australia's May monetary policy meeting showed that members considered three options, raising the cash rate by 15 basis points, 25 basis points or 40 basis points. The 40bps rate hike was avoided considering that the board meets monthly and would have the opportunity to review the data flowing in to decide on the size of future interest rate hikes. With inflation being seen as a key concern and Q1 inflation hitting 5.1% - the fastest pace in two decades – this likely suggests that there is room for 40bps (or more) of rate hikes in the upcoming meetings. What are we watching next? The European Commission downgraded GDP forecasts for 2022 and 2023. The EU Q1 GDP estimate is out later this morning. Official real GDP growth in both the European Union and the euro area is now forecast at 2.7 % in 2022 and 2.3 % in 2023, down from 4.0 % and 2.8 % (2.7 % in the euro area) in the last forecast released in February 2022. The forecast for 2022 is likely too optimistic. Several countries are facing a very challenging economic environment (stagflation risk in Germany and risk of technical recession in France, for instance). France’s wage negotiations are kicking off. According to a blog article published by the Bank of France last week, wages are likely to increase by 3% this year, on average. From 2014 to 2020, wages barely moved (+1 %). This is still not enough to cope with higher inflation (4.8 % YoY in April). April U.S. retail sales are out today. Expect the positive momentum to remain in place. Several factors are pushing retail sales up: solid auto sales, significant cash savings buffers (built during the pandemic) and rising wages (though they are not keeping pace with the increases in the cost of living). In the short-term, we believe consumer spending will remain robust and the domestic economy will be in a good position. Earnings Watch. As with many earnings release dates for Chinese companies they are postponed and that happened to Meituan yesterday. The Q1 earnings release has been postponed to 23 May. Today’s focus in Europe is Vodafone which could show its qualities as a defensive company during the current declines and then Nibe Industrier which is big on air-to-heat water pumps which are a declared preferred technology by the EU in its quest to become independent of Russian natural gas. In the US session, the focus will be on Walmart, Home Depot, JD.com and Sea Ltd. The two big retailers Walmart and Home Depot will provide great insights into consumer behaviour in their outlook. Today: Engie, Vodafone, Nibe Industrier, Sonova, Walmart, Home Depot, JD.com, Sea Ltd Wednesday: Tencent, Experian, Burberry, Singapore Airlines, Cisco, Lowe’s, Target, Analog Devices, TJX, Synopsys, Copart, Trip.com Thursday: Xiaomi, Generali, National Grid, Applied Materials, Palo Alto Networks, Ross Stores, DiDi Global Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Euro zone Q1 GDP forecast 1005 – UK Bank of England’s Cunliffe to speak 1230 – US Apr. Retail Sales 1315 – US Fed’s Harker (non-voter) to speak 1315 – US Apr. Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization 1400 – US May NAHB Housing Market Index 1700 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 1800 – US Fed Chair Powell Interview at event 1830 – US Fed’s Mester (voter) to speak 2030 – API Weekly Report on U.S. oil and fuel inventories 2350 – Japan Q1 GDP estimate 0130 – Australia Q1 Wage Price Index Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Saxo Bank

Crude oil has added 15% since last Wednesday, rising to $112/bbl WTI and $113/bbl Brent. Both grades reached new two-month highs on Tuesday morning, despite a decidedly bearish news backdrop. Since early April, WTI has seen a sequence of higher highs and higher lows A sharper than previously estimated slowdown in China and not yet agreed package with Russian Crude oil phased embargo was met with buying in Crude, despite those suggesting lower demand and higher supply. Since early April, WTI has seen a sequence of higher highs and higher lows. Oil’s dip under the uptrend line last week only encouraged buyers, kick-starting the latest upward momentum. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Monero? Explaining XMR. Untraceable Cryptocurrency!? | FXMAG.COM This is the third time Brent has reached that horizon, from which it has rolled back in April and early May. A consolidation above $114 could signal a new buying wave and quickly take prices to the $120 area - near the late March peaks. It should not be surprising if WTI becomes more expensive than the heavier Brent in a few weeks In this case, the North Sea Brent lags behind the US WTI as the supply-demand balance favours the latter. It should not be surprising if WTI becomes more expensive than the heavier Brent in a few weeks, restoring the historic balance broken by tight OPEC+ quotas and once rampant US production. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Polkadot (DOT)? Cross-Chain Transfers Of Any Type Of Asset Or Data. A Deeper Look Into Polkadot Protocol | FXMAG.COM Nevertheless, be prepared that the oil rally that started from lows in April 2020, culminating in the war events in Ukraine, is coming to an end. The global economy and energy consumption are slowing to recover while the cartel continues to raise quotas. Temporarily, due to lower investment in production in previous quarters, OPEC has not kept pace with production increases. Still, this balance will change sooner rather than later, promising to keep the price from rising.

Your daily roundup of commodities news and ING views Learn more on ING Economics Energy The oil market has seen a partial recovery in early morning trading today, after Brent settled more than 2% lower yesterday. Reports that the US is looking to ease some sanctions against Venezuela contributed to yesterday’s weakness, with it thought that the easing could see a partial resumption of Venezuelan oil to Europe. Any increase is likely to be rather limited, at least in the short term.   There are growing concerns over the refined products market. What started out as a tight middle distillate market appears to be spreading into the gasoline market, at least for the US. At a time when US gasoline inventories should be building ahead of the driving season, inventories instead have declined for most of this year. These are now below the low end of the 5-year range.  Gasoline demand should only increase over the coming months and, in the absence of a pick up in refinery runs, the gasoline market is likely to continue to tighten. The tighter gasoline market appears to have also contributed to a narrowing in the WTI/Brent discount, given the  need for higher US refinery runs, which should be supportive for US crude demand. Gasoline stocks in the ARA region of Europe are more comfortable, and are at least at a decade high for this time of the year. Given the tightness on the US East Coast and more comfortable European stock levels, we would expect to see a pick-up in European gasoline flows to the US East Coast in order to help alleviate some of this tightness. API numbers released overnight confirm the tightening in the market. US crude oil inventories are reported to have fallen by 2.4MMbbls, whilst stock levels at Cushing, the WTI delivery hub, fell by 3.1MMbbls. It was the gasoline market which saw the largest decline, with stocks falling by 5.1MMbbls over the last week. EIA numbers will be released later today. The EU carbon market saw some strength yesterday, with the market breaking above EUR91/t. The European Parliament’s Environmental Committee voted yesterday on reforms to the EU ETS. The committee agreed on the need for more aggressive carbon emission reduction targets. The committee would like to see emissions covered by the ETS fall by 67% by 2030 from 2005 levels, this compares to the initial proposal for a 61% reduction. In order to achieve this, the committee has  recommended that the amount of emission allowances should be reduced by 4.2% in the first year the reform starts, and then this reduction should increase by 0.1% each year through until 2030. The committee also wants to see the phasing out of free allowances between 2026 and 2030, and the full implementation of  the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) by 2030, which would be 5 years earlier than currently proposed. In addition,  the Environmental Committee wants to phase out free allocations for the aviation  sector  by 2025, which would  be 2 years earlier than the Commission had proposed. The proposal will also see maritime transport included in the ETS from 2024, which would cover 100% of intra-EU routes, and 50% of emissions from extra-EU routes coming in and out of the EU initially. Finally, the committee also agreed on the implementation of another emission trading  system for commercial buildings and transport, which would start in 2025, whilst private buildings and transportation will be excluded  from this new ETS until at least 2029. This latest proposal will be put to a vote  in parliament next month, after which negotiations between member states will likely start. Metals Latest reports that Shanghai might start relaxing its two-month lockdown after three days of zero community transmission, along with better-than-expected retail sales and consumer spending data from the US, were constructive for risk assets yesterday. Most base metals settled higher on the day, with LME aluminium closing more  than 2% up. Shrinking LME inventories have provided some support  to aluminium. The latest LME data shows that on-warrant inventories for the metal fell for an eighth consecutive day to a new record low of 230kt yesterday. Turning to steel, and China Iron & Steel Association (CISA) said that China will keep its restrictions on new steel capacity intact and would push for more mergers and acquisitions within the industry. Due to ongoing Covid-related restrictions, steel demand has remained under pressure recently, but this should improve as the Covid situation improves. Mysteel expects China’s steel demand over 2H22 to rise by 10% compared to 1H22, whilst YoY growth is expected to hit 15% in 2H22. This growth is expected  to be supported by local government policies. Agriculture CBOT wheat continued to trade firm yesterday, even after India relaxed its stance with its recently announced export ban on wheat. New directives from the Indian government indicate that the restrictions will not apply to wheat shipments that have already been handed over to the customs department for clearance and loadings. However, the export restrictions will still apply to wheat sales where the shipments are not yet finalised through the issuance of irrevocable LoC. Reuters reported that only around 400kt of wheat (out of around 2.2mt of wheat currently at ports) would be eligible for relief and likely to be exported. The relaxation is unlikely to provide much relief to the global market. TagsWheat Oil Metals Gasoline EU carbon Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

The US equity markets rallied yesterday after taking over a positive session from the Europeans. However, the US retail sales data didn’t necessarily hint at slowing spending, and Jerome Powell didn’t say things that investors would normally like to hear. Powell’s words didn’t hit the investor appetite immediate, but mixed activity in US futures hint that appetite may not remain as strong in the coming sessions. In the FX, the US dollar eased from two-decade highs. Gold trades around the $1800 mark and crude oil bumps into solid topsellers approaching above the $115pb   The EURUSD rebounded past the 1.05 and Cable traded past 1.24. Yet, prospects of higher US rates, and the positive divergence between the Fed and other central banks should prevent the dollar from falling significantly. Eurozone’s final inflation data is due today, and should confirm a rise to 7.5% in April, an eye-watering number which should keep the European Central Bank (ECB) hawks and the euro bulls alert, and help the single currency consolidate its latest gains against the US dollar. Gold trades around the $1800 mark and crude oil bumps into solid topsellers approaching above the $115pb. On the earnings front, the US retailers reveal mixed earnings but they all agree on one thing: inflation impacts activity. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:22 Market update 2:06 Jerome Powell is decided to bring inflation down! 2:48 High EZ inflation to keep euro bulls alert 3:41 ...but the dollar may not ease much! 4:42 Gold under the pressure on rising rates 5:31 Crude oil bumps into topsellers past $115pb 6:47 US retailers reveal mixed results, but agree that inflation is an issue Read next: Altcoins: What Is Monero? Explaining XMR. Untraceable Cryptocurrency!? | FXMAG.COM Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020.

Summary: With China likely to ease lockdowns and the Russian oil embargo, WTI Crude prices are rising. Coffee futures prices are rising again amidst concerns around supply. Concerns around supply heighten for Palladium.   WTI Crude Oil recovering WTI Crude Oil futures have been recovering this week after the poor market performance last week. Going forward, it is likely that the market will see oil prices go up, therefore raising gas prices as well. Despite the lockdowns in China suppressing oil demand, the possibility of the lockdowns being lifted the market will see the demand rise. The Russian oil embargo is likely to get tighter, which is heightening investors' concerns around the supply of oil, which is also pushing up the price. U.S President Joe Biden's attempt at reducing prices through releasing some of the U.S Crude Reserves into the market has not made a very noticeable impact so far, the release is expected to last until November. WTI Crude Oil Futures Price Chart Read next: (XAUUD) Gold Regains Investor Interest As The Dollar Weakens, NGAS Prices Going Up, Cotton Price Rising Along With Concerns Around Supply   Coffee futures recovering amidst supply concerns Coffee futures prices are recovering in the wake of the poor market performance of last week. The prices are rising again over concerns around weather conditions in South America as the coffee farmers in Brazil are expecting frost in the coming days. The adverse weather conditions could affect the coffee crop and lead to a poor harvest in the future. There are also expectations on smaller supplies from Columbia. With concerns around coffee supplies across the board, the price of futures is rising. Coffee Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Concerns around Palladium supply are pushing up the futures prices Palladium futures rose above $2000, it is possible that the market could continue to see this growth as the reduced supply from Russia continues and a deficit supply from South African suppliers heighten concerns. South African producers are facing operational challenges, causing their output to decrease. Palladium Jun ‘22 Futures Price Chart Read next: Commodities Prices Recovering After Poor Performance Early Last Week - Brent Crude Oil Prices, Silver Prices Fall As Investors Shy Away From Precious Metals & Corn  Sources: tradingeconomics.com, finance.yahoo.com  

Venezuela/Europe send oil lower Overnight, oil prices touched multi-week highs until the US announced it was starting a process, potentially leading to an easing of sanctions on Venezuela. That immediately saw oil reverse all its impressive intraday gains and both Brent crude and WTI finished slightly lower on the day. The EU effectively allowing European importers to pay for Russian gas via roubles should take the edge off European gas prices and flow through to oil prices. Brent crude finished 1.05% lower at USD 112.70 a barrel, having tested USD 116.00 intraday. WTI, by contrast, finished just 0.10% lower at USD 113.60 a barrel, having also tested USD 116.00 intraday. Prices are unmoved in Asia. Tight API inventory data and soaring diesel prices in the US have combined to send WTI to a premium over Brent and is likely to limit the downside for both contracts, Venezuela, or not. Tonight’s official crude inventory data dump will now be closely watched, and sharp falls in gasoline and distillates inventories could increase the WTI premium over Brent crude. Brent crude has resistance at USD 116.00 and support at USD 111.50 a barrel. WTI has taken resistance at USD 116.00 a barrel as well, with support at USD 111.50. Any progress on Venezuela’s supply returning to international markets is potentially a game-changer and should mean the top of my longer-term range, at USD 120.00 a barrel, remains intact. Gold’s price action doesn’t inspire confidence Despite the US dollar falling heavily overnight, and risk sentiment rising generally, gold prices fell 0.53% to USD 1815.00 an ounce overnight, easing to USD 1814.50 in Asia. US yields climbing higher may have played a part, but the direction of the US dollar has been more important of late. When gold falls as the US dollar falls heavily, we should all take that as a warning sign, suggesting lower prices are the path of least resistance. As such, I believe gold’s downside risks have ratcheted higher. Support lies at USD 1789.00, followed by USD 1780.00 an ounce. Failure of the latter suggests a deeper correction to USD 1700.00. That move could occur quite quickly if USD 1780.00 fails. Gold has resistance at USD 1836.00, followed by the 200-DMA at USD 1836.80, and then USD 1850.00 an ounce. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.

Your daily roundup of commodities news and ING views Tank farm for storage of petroleum products in Volgograd, Russia Energy It appears that another week will pass with the EU still unable to agree on a Russian oil ban. While it is taking longer than expected to come to an agreement, we believe that member states will eventually come to a deal. How much of an impact this will have on the market will depend on how watered down the final agreement is relative to the proposal. The effectiveness of the ban will also depend on the actions of countries outside the EU. Bloomberg reports that China is looking to potentially buy Russian crude for its strategic reserves. Although this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise if China is set to increase its share of Russian oil purchases. The significant discounts available for Russian crude will prove very tempting for some buyers, like China and India. Self-sanctioning will already be affecting Russian oil flows to the EU, even in the absence of an official oil ban. This has left the EU to look elsewhere for alternative supplies, and whilst the US is an obvious candidate (given the expectation of relatively strong supply growth), we could in fact see US crude exports coming under pressure given the narrowing that we have seen in the WTI/Brent discount. The July WTI/Brent discount narrowed to less than US$2/bbl at one stage this week, after starting the month at more than a US$4/bbl discount. Inventories continue to point towards a tightening of the refined products market in Europe. The latest data from Insights Global show that gasoil inventories in the ARA region fell by 31kt over the week to 1.55kt, leaving inventories at multi-year lows. However, the big move over the week was in European gasoline inventories. Gasoline stocks in ARA fell by 342kt to 1.05mt. This decline over the week has seen gasoline inventories fall from more than a 5-year high to just below the 5-year average. Singapore also saw a further tightening in light distillate stocks over the week, with inventory levels declining by 815Mbbls to 13.74MMbbls, leaving them hovering just above the 5-year average. Clearly, the tightness that we are seeing in the US gasoline market is spreading into other regions. And given that the driving season is still ahead of us, we would expect to see further declines in inventories, which should prove supportive for gasoline prices over the summer. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Litecoin (LTC)? A Deeper Look Into The Litecoin Platform| FXMAG.COM European gas prices came under pressure yesterday. TTF fell by more than 3.7%, which saw the market settling at its lowest levels since the start of the war. European gas storage continues to improve due to strong LNG inflows. Storage in Europe is almost 41% full at the moment compared to a 5-year average of around 44% for this stage of the year. The gap between current inventories and the 5-year average continues to narrow. Assuming we go through injection season with no significant disruption to Russian gas flows, Europe should enter the next heating season with a comfortable inventory. However, this is a big assumption, and the risk of disruption is likely to continue to keep the market trading at historically high levels. US natural gas prices also came under pressure yesterday, selling off almost 2.7%. Weekly storage data shows that US gas storage increased by 89Bcf over the week, which was slightly higher than the 5-year average of 87Bcf. Agriculture The latest data from the Indian Sugar Mills Association shows that sugar production in India has increased to around 34.9mt so far this season. The association reported that around 116 sugar mills were still operating as of 15 May. ISMA maintained its export estimate at around 9mt for the current year, with around 8.5mt of export sales already made. The food ministry reported that sugar exports have increased to around 7.5mt as of 18th May, already surpassing last year’s 7.2mt of exports. The ministry estimates that around 3.5mt of sugar equivalent would be diverted to ethanol this year and expects this to grow with targets of around 6mt by 2025. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Monero? Explaining XMR. Untraceable Cryptocurrency!? | FXMAG.COM Read this article on THINK TagsSugar Russian oil ban Natural gas Gasoline shortage Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News

Bioenergy is a crucial pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050. The bioenergy market in the US has been growing and diversifying, with strong growth potential seen in carbon capture and storage (CCS), renewable diesel, and renewable natural gas. Addressing the environmental impact of bioenergy needs clear monitoring and more innovative solutions Bioenergy is a form of renewable energy derived from organic material   Bioenergy, a form of renewable energy derived from organic materials (or biomass), will play a pivotal role in helping the world achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. With a wide range of application options in sectors such as transport, heating, and electricity, bioenergy is forecast to account for 19% of total energy supply in 2050 and will contribute to 13% of the emissions reduction between 2020 and 2030 under the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Net-Zero Emissions (NZE) scenario. Emissions reductions by mitigation measure in the Net-Zero Emissions scenario, 2020-50 Source: International Energy Agency   In the US, the development of bioenergy has been accelerating and expanding. In the transport sector, the US is home to the world’s largest biofuels market, and the demand for biofuels in North America is expected to grow more than any other region through 2026 under the IEA’s baseline scenario. Growth will continue to be led by a diversification of biofuels supply beyond conventional ethanol, as advanced biofuels like renewable diesel and renewable natural gas (RNG) keep gaining momentum. Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) are another point of growth; these will be covered in a later article. Biofuel demand growth by region in the baseline scenario, 2021-2026 Source: International Energy Agency   But the deployment of and investment in bioenergy is rising in other sectors as well, led by mounting action from corporates and investors across sectors to decarbonise their businesses and portfolios. So, let's take a look at the growth prospects of various bioenergy applications in the US, as well as the challenges they face.   Examples of bioenergy-related corporate climate strategies: Oil and gas: ExxonMobil identifies biofuels as one of its core solutions for its net-zero ambition. The company announced in early 2022 that it would acquire a 49.9% stake in Biojet AS, a Norwegian biofuels company, to receive up to three million barrels of biofuels per year. ExxonMobil is also investing $125m in California-based Global Clean Energy to purchase up to five million barrels per year of renewable diesel. Petrochemicals: Dow sees the creation of a circular economy through recycling and using bio-based materials as a focus area to accelerate sustainability. The company is expanding an agreement with Fuenix Ecogy Group to ramp up circular plastics production. It has also signed agreements with Gunvor Petroleum Rotterdam and Texas-based New Hope Energy to purify pyrolysis oil feedstocks derived from plastic waste. Power: Southern Company last year took ownership of the Meadow Branch Landfill Methane Recovery Facility, the renewable natural gas facility located in Tennessee, to strengthen its RNG capacity as part of the company’s strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Biofuels: Federal policies will have a net positive effect on US production this year The main federal policy to support the US biofuels market is the renewable fuel standard (RFS), which requires refiners to blend certain volumes of biofuels in gasoline each year. The RFS benefited biofuels production – especially that of fuel ethanol – in the past, although in recent years the RFS has become more susceptible to policy uncertainty. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is in charge of setting RFS mandates, last December proposed to retroactively lower biofuel mandates for 2020 and 2021 but set 2022 requirements slightly above pre-pandemic levels. This will put pressure on refiners to blend more biofuel into their gasoline production this year, resulting in a net positive impact on the biofuels industry. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Monero? Explaining XMR. Untraceable Cryptocurrency!? | FXMAG.COM In addition, the EPA has proposed the rejection of all outstanding small refinery exemption (SREs) waivers pending for the 2016-20 compliance years. SREs give small refiners that process less than 75,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil and can demonstrate economic hardship caused by the RFS an exemption from complying with the rules. If implemented, this decision would substantially raise the demand for biofuel credits. A federal policy that will specifically boost the production of ethanol is the Biden administration's plan to allow E15 gasoline, a fuel that uses a 15% ethanol blend, to be sold between June and September. E15 gasoline is typically banned in summer due to worries about air pollution. E15 consumption is low also because of retail availability, automobile compatibility, and safety concerns. But heightened oil prices amid the Russia-Ukraine war have made the case for more E15 gasoline sales to ease prices. State level policies are a powerful addition At the state level, California’s low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS), the backbone of a carbon intensity-based cap-and-trade system, has been playing a substantial role in incentivising biofuels production in and near the state. The LCFS aims to achieve a 20% reduction in the carbon intensity of California’s transportation fuel pool by 2030, with compliance standards set for each year. Carbon intensity (CIs) based on composite of gasoline and diesel fuels under the LCFS Source: California Air Resources Board   Since last year, LCFS credits (supply) generated from low-carbon fuels have increasingly outgrown LCFS deficits (demand), which has led to a 23% fall from the record high LCFS price of $206/metric ton to $158/metric ton in March 2022. This is mainly because the demand for gasoline and LCFS credits has not recovered from the pandemic, whereas the production of low-carbon fuels keeps growing steadily. The biggest driver of recent LCFS credit generation is renewable diesel, followed by electricity, which has been boosted by the continuing adoption of electric vehicles. LCFS total credits and deficits for all fuels reported Note: Cumulative bank refers to total number of banked credits Source: California Air Resources Board LCFS credit generation by fuel type *Hydrogen, Renewable Naphtha, Propane, Innovative Crude & Low Complexity/Low Energy Use Refining, etc.. Note: Project based credits are issued post verification and may not be included. Source: California Air Resources Board   It remains to be seen whether this deficit trend will be temporary or permanent; we also don't know how the expected implementation of similar programmes in adjacent jurisdictions will alter the LCFS system in California. In addition to the Clean Fuels Program in Oregon which is already in place, Washington State is expecting to implement its Clean Fuel Standard in 2023 and a federal fuel standard is set to come into force in Canada in the same year.  Other US states including New Mexico, Colorado, Minnesota, and states in the Northeast and Midwest are also in various stages of developing LCFS-style systems. These programmes will provide effective additions to the federal RFS programme in driving biofuels demand. Renewable diesel takes the lead in advanced biofuel deployment The production of biomass-based diesel – namely biodiesel and renewable diesel – has taken off in the US and is set to increase further. Of the two, biodiesel dominates the bio-based diesel market, but renewable diesel is seeing faster growth. This is partly because renewable diesel is compatible with existing distribution infrastructure and engines. With the same composition as fossil diesel, renewable diesel does not have a blending limit, whereas biodiesel typically accounts for up to 20% of fossil diesel in the US, because of insufficient regulatory incentives despite higher blends being available. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Litecoin (LTC)? A Deeper Look Into The Litecoin Platform| FXMAG.COM Renewable diesel’s ability to lower carbon intensity, particularly in trucking and aviation, has prompted several US refineries to invest in greenfield projects and/or convert traditional plants to process renewable diesel. Refineries set to complete conversion between 2022-23 include Marathon Petroleum’s Martinez refinery in California, CVR Energy’s Wynnewood refinery in Oklahoma, and HollyFrontier’s Cheyenne plant in Wyoming, etc. Planned renewable diesel capacity in the US is expected to reach 6bn gallons by 2025, up from less than 2.4bn gallons estimated for 2021. One major challenge to the growth of both biodiesel and renewable diesel is feedstock availability and costs. It is estimated by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) that the demand for bio-based diesel feedstock will more than double from 2020 to 38.3bn pounds (17.4bn kilograms) in 2022, and soar to over 64bn pounds (19bn kilograms) in 2024. Prices for bio-based diesel feedstock have also climbed since 2020, causing some companies to postpone their renewable diesel projects. US estimated bio-based diesel feedstock use and implied future demand from capacity additions Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance   In the long term, despite the growth momentum for bio-based diesel, the Energy Information Administration forecasts that bio-based diesel will remain a small part of the diesel market, accounting for less than 8% of US diesel production in 2050. This is partially due to competition from food consumption and electric vehicles (EVs), which will be discussed in a later section. Nevertheless, that 8% still translates into roughly 0.23mn bpd of production, a considerable absolute amount. RNG to see demand build up in the power sector Another promising advanced biofuel which is set for growth is renewable natural gas (RNG), or biogas that has been upgraded to replace fossil gas. RNG production capacity in the US increased at a compound annual rate of 35% between 2017 and 2021, thanks to $1.7bn of investment from oil and gas companies. Looking forward, RNG demand is projected to jump from 0.2 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) today to between 2.3 and 3.2 Tcf in 2040, according to BNEF. The fuel is forecast to be capable of displacing 6-12% of the US natural gas demand. RNG can be produced from various sources. Landfill has the strongest supply and cost advantage – most landfill RNG projects can be economical at $10/MMBtu or lower; landfill accounts for more than 60% of the RNG credits generated under the RFS and more than 90% of the RNG credits under the LCFS. In contrast, RNG produced from manure is more costly – at $30/MMBtu or higher – but remains attractive under the LCFS as it offers one of the lowest carbon intensities of less than -300 gCO2e/MJ. Importantly, although RNG demand from transportation dominates now, the majority of demand for RNG by 2040 will come from the power sector. In California, where the LCFS is advanced, RNG already contributes to 98% of natural gas used for transportation, mostly in municipal buses and trucking. The can add risks to future project returns if the produced RNG cannot be contracted in time. There is a potential in the long term for more RNG to be used in shipping, though it will encounter competition from other biofuels or synthetic fuels. RNG producers are starting to pivot their focus away from the transport sector. Archaea Energy is aiming to sell its RNG to natural gas utilities through long-term offtake agreements. The company plans to allocate 65% of its RNG production to non-transport applications. Admittedly, electricity generation from RNG today is more expensive than from conventional gas and the contribution of RNG to the grid is limited. Yet demand is likely to be sustained in the future, driven by climate commitments from commercial/residential customers and precuring requirements set for utilities. California now mandates utility company SoCalGas to increase RNG’s share of gas deliveries from 4% in 2021 to 12.5% by 2030. ­Oregon passed legislation to allow RNG to account for 30% of a utility’s purchases by 2045; the state is also letting utilities recover prudently incurred costs to meet the target. A handful of other states are considering similar policies. Outlook for US renewable natural gas demand Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance   The favourable outlook for RNG/biogas can also augment the production of bio-fertilisers, which can be generated from the waste from biogas production. This will help meet the rising demand for bio-fertilisers in the US, spurred by growing preferences for organic food, as well as concerns over the likely harmful effects of chemical fertilisers on both health and the environment. US to pioneer in BECCS development The US is poised to lead the deployment of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology, a high-potential application of bioenergy. BECCS involves converting biomass to heat, electricity, or liquid fuels while capturing and storing the CO2 that is emitted during the conversion process. Since the growing of plant biomass absorbs CO2, BECCS can achieve net negative emissions when the emitted CO2 from bioenergy generation is permanently stored. Indeed, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlighted in its most recent report the need for carbon removal technologies for the world to reach net-zero emissions. The US is already a front-runner in CCS – it is home to 36 of the 71 new CCS projects added worldwide during the first nine months of 2021. On top of this, several BECCS networks are emerging in the Midwest thanks to lower costs of bioethanol production. Summit Carbon Solutions, for instance, is progressing with a project to link more than 30 ethanol biorefineries across Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. With a total potential capturing capacity of 8 Mtpa, the network would be the largest of its kind globally. Valero Energy and BlackRock are partnering with Navigator Energy Services to develop an industrial-scale CCS network that would connect biorefineries and other industrial plants across five Midwest states. The challenges facing bioenergy The use of bioenergy is not without controversy. The main challenge is the negative impact of bioenergy generation from excessive land use. From an environmental point of view, growing feedstocks such as soybeans and corn can lead to more deforestation, degradation of soil, and harmful changes to ecosystems. From a social point of view, despite yield growth potentials, the more feedstock is used for biofuels, the less there will be for food production. This has been exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine war, which has disrupted the global food supply chain as both countries are major exporters of several leading crops. Hence, concerns have arisen in the US that the increasing use of crops for biofuels will limit food supply and add pressure to food prices. To tackle the problem in the long term, there needs to be a switch away from conventional, food-based biofuel feedstocks to advanced biofuels which use non-food crops, municipal solid waste, and agricultural and forest residues. The IEA forests that 60% of the global bioenergy supply in 2050 will need to come from sources that do not need dedicated land use to achieve net-zero emissions. Accelerating advanced biofuel production requires stronger incentives compared to those for conventional biofuels. In the US, the federal Biomass Crop Assistance Program provides financial assistance to producers of advanced biofuel feedstock. The Biden administration has also included in its FY23 budget $245m to accelerate the R&D of next-generation biofuel technologies. Another challenge is that the traditional use of bioenergy (burning wood or traditional charcoal) remains controversial as it can cause more emissions and deforestation. The EU still categorises bioenergy as green in its Taxonomy, but has strengthened the criteria to exclude certain forms of wooden biomass from qualifying as “renewable”. In the US, the EPA sees bioenergy as a cleaner fuel, while also recognising its negative potential if not managed well. Moreover, bioenergy-based solutions face scepticism that the supply chain – which involves biomass growing, transportation, storage, and processing – can emit more CO2 and harm the environment. That is why more precise monitoring and reporting of life-cycle emissions along a bioenergy technology’s supply chain needs to be in place. Finally, competing low-carbon technologies can complicate the growth of bioenergy. In the transport sector, the massive adoption of EVs will be a major threat to the demand for biofuels. As mentioned above, RNG developers are expanding their business footprint to the power sector, though these developers will likely encounter competition from renewable energy. Nonetheless, biofuels are still likely to maintain their niche in transportation, especially in heavy-duty trucks and aeroplanes, as it will be challenging for EVs to provide long-haul services without a step-change in technology. Global bioenergy supply in the Net-Zero by 2050 Scenario, 2010-50 Source: International Energy Agency Read this article on THINK TagsUnited States Renewables Net zero Energy Transition Biofuels Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News

US stocks edged lower as Wall Street became more focused over a deteriorating growth outlook that could see stubbornly high pricing pressures for the Fed into a much more aggressive tightening cycle. It doesn’t seem like we will see a deceleration in pricing pressures and that has many traders worried that the Fed will send the economy into a recession.  Right now markets are functioning properly but if we see another 5% decline with stocks, credit conditions will worsen and that could provide the Fed an excuse to stop tightening so aggressively.  Tighter financial conditions will hurt the parts of the economy that are doing well and further selling of stocks could remain the theme if the S&P 500 enters a bear market.  The S&P 500 is looking vulnerable here as more strategists slash their forecasts as recession risks rise.  Fed (Federal Reserve) Fed’s George affirmed the board’s stance that a half-point rate increase pace is appropriate.  The Fed remains focused with fighting inflation and they will remain aggressive with tightening policy until liquidity becomes a concern.  FX (Forex) The dollar is in freefall as investors buy up Treasuries over concerns that the economy is headed for a rough patch. The dollar was ripe for a pullback and today’s across the board weakness might continue a while longer. Read next: Altcoins: What Is PancakeSwap (CAKE)? A Deeper Look Into The PancakeSwap Platform| FXMAG.COM US Data A wrath of US economic data painted a gloomy picture of the economy: Jobless claims rose, the housing market is clearly cooling, another Fed regional survey showed the weakest print since early in the pandemic and the leading index turned negative.  Weekly jobless claims rose from 197,000 to 218,000. The Philly Fed manufacturing outlook fell sharply from 17.6 to 2.6.  Surging mortgage rates and record home prices led to a drop in April existing home sales  Crude Oil Price Crude prices rallied as the EU nears a key deadline to pay for Russian oil with a roubles account.  The oil market just has too many risks to supplies and still a strong short-term travel outlook both in the EU and US.  WTI crude should be well supported at the $100 level as US production is slowly increasing. Recession fears are rising but that impact won’t be felt for quite a while, which means the oil market won’t see imminent crude demand destruction. Crude inventories are too low for oil traders to turn bearish with WTI crude. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Litecoin (LTC)? A Deeper Look Into The Litecoin Platform| FXMAG.COM Gold Price Gold is acting like a safe-haven again as recession fears are triggering massive demand for Treasuries, which is sending both yields and the dollar lower. The US labor market is showing signs of weakness and that could lead fears that consumer spending will deteriorate much faster than most are expecting. The dollar is getting sold against everything and that is great news for gold. Right now, investors are looking for safety and Treasuries and gold should both outperform in the short-term.   Bitcoin (BTC) Bitcoin is hovering around the $30,000 level as investors continue to shy away from stocks.  A weaker dollar and bear market stock fears are making Bitcoin attractive again.  It seems the fallout from all the stablecoin drama that sent cryptos sharply lower is finally fading.  Bitcoin looks poised to consolidate here, but bulls should be happy to see prices are not mimicking what happens with the stock market.   Read next: Altcoins: What Is Monero? Explaining XMR. Untraceable Cryptocurrency!? | FXMAG.COM This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News

Summary: The post-covid world and the war in the Ukraine caused Crude Oil to rally. Gold futures are on the rise amidst concerns around economic slowdown of the US economy. Cotton prices fall marginally despite concerns around increasing demand and tightening supply. Read next: The UN Is Stepping In To Help Wheat Exports, Platinum Prices Experiencing Volatility and The West Turns To Asia For RBOB Gasoline Supply  XAUUSD Gold prices rally Gold prices pushed up past $1.830 on Friday, the gain comes in the wake of the softening U.S economic data amid the hawkish Federal Reserve and its continuing aggressive monetary policy. The soft economic data has raised concerns around economic growth. The hawkish Fed will continue to hike interest rates despite fears of economic slowdown which is causing the US Dollar to weaken and pushing treasury yields lower. Investors are turning to gold as a hedge against the growth concerns, ultimately driving the gold price up. Gold Jun ‘22 Futures Price Chart WTI Crude Futures Crude Oil Futures pushed above $112 on Friday amidst concerns around demands returning to a normal level as China eases their COVID-19 lockdowns and the embargo in Russian oil looming simultaneously occurring as fears of economic slowdown heighten. The post-covid world is seeing average driving mileage increasing in the U.S causing an increase in demand, as well as the EU pushing the ban on Russian oil to be certain by the end of the month. Crude Oil Jun ‘22 Futures Price Chart Cotton futures Cotton futures prices have faced downward momentum over the past week. However, the prices are still high, the raised prices come in the wake of rising demand and tightening supplies. Cotton Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Read next: More Expensive Coffee!? Weather Conditions In South America Can Limit Crops. (WTI) Crude Oil Price Recovering, Palladium Prices Rise Amidst Concerns Around Supply  Sources: tradingeconomics.com, finance.yahoo.com

Summary:  The commodity sector continued to find support this past week, despite the hurricane sweeping across global stock markets where the S&P 500 so far has recorded its fourth biggest drawdown since 2010. Gains this past week were concentrated in industrial and precious metals - sectors that have suffered setbacks during the past two months. In addition, the risk of a global food crisis continues to support the agriculture sector while a tight fuel-product market kept crude oil range bound despite economic growth worries. The commodity sector continued to find support this past week, despite the hurricane sweeping across global stock markets. US stocks posted their biggest daily drop in almost two years on Wednesday, driven by surging inflation, weak earnings and the prospect of aggressive monetary policy tightening hurting economic growth. Nevertheless, the Bloomberg Commodity Spot index managed to climb by 1.6% and, while we are seeing the fourth biggest drawdown in the S&P 500 since 2010, the commodity sector continues to highlight the need for both supply and demand to keep prices stable. With the supply of many key commodities – from grains and coffee to fuel products and some industrial metals – being challenged, the sector is likely to remain supported despite softer growth; especially considering the prospect for a government-supported stimulus boost to a post-lockdown China. Growth in the country has been increasingly challenged by its stubborn adherence to the dynamic zero-Covid policy despite mounting economic and social costs. Gains this past week were concentrated in industrial and precious metals – sectors that have suffered setbacks during the past two months. In addition, the risk of a global food crisis continues to rise, with Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and poor weather conditions being the main culprits for the disruption to a lower supply of key food commodities. The grains sector hit a fresh record high with the Bloomberg Grains Spot Index sprinting to a +30% gain on the year. Soybeans led the rally, followed by wheat with corn registering a small loss in the week. Global worries about a food crisis persist with disruptions in shipments from the Ukraine, one of the world’s most important supplier of high-quality wheat and sunflower oil causing ripples around the world. Ukrainian farmers have almost completed the sowing of spring wheat for the 2022 harvest and the overall rate of this year's spring crop sowing is 25% lower than at the same date in 2021, the agriculture ministry said on Friday. A couple of positive supply news, however, helped ease but by no means remove worries about a global food crisis. Palm oil slumped after Indonesia ended its short-lived export ban. Wheat which earlier in the week surge to fresh highs in Europe and the US on worries about supplies from India saw prices ease on forecast for a bumper crop year in Russia. However, comments from agriculture analysis firm Gro Intelligence that the world only has 10 weeks’ worth of wheat consumption in reserve will keep prices supported. At least until we get some more clarity over production levels in Europe and North America, both areas that have seen a challenging weather-related start to the growing season.In our latest industrial metal-focused update, we wrote that the precious metals sector was looking to China for a rebound and, indeed, this week saw some of the signals that China is starting to turn more supportive. Before then, the Bloomberg Industrial Metal Index had lost 25% since the early March peak, with the main catalysts – aside from global growth worries – being China and its zero-Covid policy. Outbreaks in Shanghai and Beijing have been met with a prolonged period of lockdown, hurting economic growth and creating major bottlenecks across global supply chains.This week in China, we saw retail sales slump 11% and youth unemployment hit a record 18.2%, as well as economists forecasting downgraded GDP. Responding to these developments on Friday, Chinese banks cut their 5-year loan rate by a record 0.15 basis points. Keep in mind, this is happening while the rest of the world is going in the opposite direction, and it highlights the Chinese government’s willingness to support the economy. More support will likely follow as the government seeks to support infrastructure and property projects, which are both critical for industrial metal demand.Around the timing of the early March peak in prices, stock levels of the four major industrial metals held at warehouses monitored by the LME and Shanghai Futures Exchange stood at 1.77 million tons. Instead of rising as demand according to the price action showed weakness, this level has continued to fall, reaching 1.43 million tons this week – a 19% decline during this time.It highlights our view that a global economic slowdown does not prevent industrial metals from moving higher, despite supply potentially struggling to keep up with demand not only from China, but also from the energy transition away from fossil fuels. A transition that, in name, is green but actually is very black when you consider the number of different metals that are needed in the process. These range from aluminum, copper and nickel to more exotic metals like rare earth minerals, cobalt and lithium.High-Grade Copper: Despite the month-long correction, HG copper remains rangebound, having so far failed to properly challenge key support in the $4 per pound area. As it stands, the recovery this week has taken HG copper back to its 21-day moving average, with a break above signaling a loss of negative price momentum. If realised, it may soon force speculators to cover a net short which, in the week to May 10, doubled to reach a two-year high at 17.7k lots or 201k metric tons. Source: Saxo Group Gold, in a downtrend since mid-April, found a fresh bid amid continued turbulence across global stock markets. During the past month, gold suffered from the double blow of a stronger dollar and the FOMC signaling an aggressive pace of future rate hikes to combat inflation at the highest level in decades. This is fine if the economy does not suffer too much of a setback, thereby raising the risk of recession. What changed this week has been dismal earnings news from large US retailers raising the risk of a deeper than expected economic slump.We maintain a bullish outlook for gold, given the need to diversify amid a troubled stock market and the mentioned potential increased risk of a FOMC policy mistake driving yields and the dollar lower. From the chart below, gold has its work cut out, and a great deal of work is needed to mend the damage done during the past month. However, the first sign of improvement has been the break above the 200-day moving average at $1839 – with the next big challenge being $1868, the 38.2% retracement of the 210-dollar April to May correction.Silver, supported by the bounce across industrial metals, seems to have found its footing following a 22% correction, which – at one point – extended below previous support around $21.50. With speculators having cut their positions to neutral, any renewed upside momentum is likely to attract fresh buying from underexposed funds. Crude oil spent most of the week challenging the upper end of the trading range that has prevailed for the past six weeks. However, relative calm market action during this time has been hiding a market in continued turmoil where major opposing forces have managed to keep it rangebound. During this time, the U.S. government has injected millions of barrels in a failed attempt to suppress the price while Chinese demand has suffered due to its zero-Covid strategy.The fact the market has not fallen below $100 highlights the underlying strength with tight supply of key fuels, self-sanctioning of Russian crude oil, OPEC struggling to increase production and unrest in Libya all supporting the market. With China potentially starting to ease lockdowns and with unrest in Libya still growing, the short-term price risk remains firmly skewed to higher prices.During the past few weeks, the focus has turned from a rangebound crude oil market to the product market where the cost of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel have surged to levels not seen in years (if ever). The combination of refinery maintenance, a post pandemic reduction in capacity as well as self-sanctioning of Russian products have all led to incredible tight markets. Especially in North American refineries, where they are running flat out to produce what they can and, in turn, benefitting from mouthwatering margins.So, despite the prospect for slower global economic growth, the price of crude oil remains supported. If we stick to our wide $90 to $120 range call for Brent during the current quarter, while still considering structural issues (most importantly the continued level of underinvestment and OPEC’s struggle to increase production), this will continue to support prices over the coming quarters. US natural gas had another rollercoaster week, ending up off the highs after twice finding resistance around $8.5/therm. The current price is up by 200% compared to the same time last year, with record exports via LNG, flat production growth and a recent heatwave across the southern states increasing demand for cooling. However, the weekly injection of 89 billion cubic feet (bcf) to 1732 bcf was in line with expectations and helped reduce the deficit to the 5-year average to 15.2%. In addition, the milder weather ahead and Europe suffering from a temporary bout of LNG indigestion could suggest a period of stable prices. However, overall rising global demand and a sharp discount to prices in Europe and Asia is likely to prevent any significant weakness during the coming months. Source: Saxo Bank

A quiet day for oil markets Oil prices edged higher on Friday in New York, as the persistent squeeze in refined petroleum products in the US, and ever-present Ukraine/Russia risk underpinned prices, with China slowdown and US recession noise limiting gains. Mind you, in one article I read this morning, China’s recovery hopes were supporting oil while China’s slowdown hopes were capping gains. I guess it’s not just equity markets that are very confused right now. I do note, though, that the Brent crude premium over WTI reasserted itself into the end of the week, so perhaps the worst of the US diesel and gasoline squeeze is passed for now. Brent crude rose by 1.10% to USD 112.55 on Friday, gaining another 0.70% to USD 113.30 a barrel in Asian trading. WTI rose 0.40% to USD 110.55 on Friday, gaining another 0.35% to USD 110.90 a barrel today. The price action is consistent with a market that is not strongly leaning one way or another at the moment. Overall, I am expecting Brent crude to bounce around in a USD 111.00 to USD 117.00 range this week Brent crude has resistance at USD 116.00 and support at USD 111.50 a barrel. WTI has resistance at USD 113.00 and USD 116.00 a barrel, with support at USD 108.00. Overall, I am expecting Brent crude to bounce around in a USD 111.00 to USD 117.00 range this week. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News Gold rises on weaker US dollar Gold prices rose on Friday, climbing just 0.24% to USD 1844.00 an ounce. In Asia, they have gained 0.42% to USD 1854.00 an ounce. Although gold’s rally has been impressive over the past week, it has yet to be proven that it is not just the result of a weaker US dollar. The true test of its resolve will be its ability to maintain gains when the US dollar starts rising again. Nevertheless, the technical picture is swinging back to a further test of the upside with resistance at USD 1860.00 and then USD 1885.00 an ounce, its 100-day moving average. Support is at USD 1845.00 and USD 1840.00, followed by USD 1832.00 an ounce. Read next: Altcoins: Ripple Crypto - What Is Ripple (XRP)? Price Of XRP | FXMAG.COM This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Learn more on Oanda

Traders will be looking for a fresh direction when Crude Oil Inventories data is released on Wednesday WTI fell from Monday's high of around $111.90 and is trading at $109.46 in the Asian session as of writing. Oil prices are under downward pressure following EU's proposed ban on Russian oil which looks to be unconvincing. In the meantime, Russian oil continues to be exported, though the risk of price increase still remains. Traders will be looking for a fresh direction when Crude Oil Inventories data is released on Wednesday, and another meeting is scheduled next week by the bloc's leaders to further discuss the situation. Source: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/wti-bears-in-control-as-eus-proposed-ban-on-russian-oil-looks-unlikely-202205240200 Read next: Altcoins: Ripple Crypto - What Is Ripple (XRP)? Price Of XRP | FXMAG.COM Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News