Mound Weekly Futures and Commodities Review |
By James Mound |
Published
03/17/2008
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Futures
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Unrated
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Mound Weekly Futures and Commodities Review
Energies A swift move to $110 on crude makes my early top forecast a bit weak; however the market does appear to be shaky at this level. An important weekly inventory report showed a strong build in crude inventories, a significant change from the previous week which now appears to be the outlier in a string of supply gains. The drawdown in heating oil distillates is expected as we head into a seasonal shift to rbob demand as opposed to winter oil. Supplies are strong and are going to overwhelm this market into a cycle shift to the downside. Get short with puts. Natural gas should dip and offer a call buying opportunity around 820 for a long term play heading into hurricane season.
Financials A Fed monetary infusion to support bank liquidity netted a one day blip on the screen as the market erased one of the largest one day rallies before the week was over. A shocker from Bear Stearns is just the beginning, but the market is likely to take the $2 a share buyout and Fed bailout too much to heart. This is recession folks, and there are going to be a Bear Stearns collapse or two during this mess, but it should not be a long term catalyst for a panic out of stocks or the U.S. dollar. Sure, maybe the stock market uses this as cause to break to fresh lows, but the net outcome on this is often a buying opportunity for U.S. based investments, be it the dollar or the stock market. Time and time again we jump on these moves only to have the market's resiliency and perhaps the Fed's support to reverse the moves. Companies like Bear Stearns will get bailed out and eat some dough in the process and the market will recover.eventually. This is a choppy, bloody stock market beat down and the S&P is likely going to see 1000 before it is all said and done, but this market is resilient and deserves to be seen as a choppy congestive market that offers great premium collection opportunities on major dips.
Bonds are testing the highs, mainly on expectations that the Fed may cut as much as 75 to 100 basis points next week. The Fed seems to be in panic mode and trying to appeal to the market and the banks. The problem is that the banks are not reflecting the interest rate cuts to the net rates for consumer loans, and that neutralizes the Fed's efforts. Why cut rates and spike inflation and ruin the dollar if it isn't even going to help Joe American? Look for a 50 basis point cut (a shocker given current pricing in of 100 basis points) and a pullback in the bond market, but buying dips is definitely the way to go here because the Fed isn't turning the corner to raise rates anytime soon. The dollar is getting absolutely pounded despite a dollar supportive CPI report on Friday. Can the Fed cut a point and ruin the dollar? I feel strongly that the Fed policy at this point will have to conserve what little support there is left in the dollar so I go into the Fed meeting buying the dollar and selling bonds. The Canadian dollar, yen, pound and euro are all shorts, with a focus on Canadian puts and euro bear put spreads. Expect a currency intervention as early as this week coming up as the EU, BoE & BOJ unify to support the dollar.
Grains A massive wheat rally falls apart late in the week, setting what is effectively a double top and a bear head and shoulders pattern. Throw in a key break to new lows on front month beans and a strong technical turn in corn and rice and these grains look ugly ahead of the key acreage report due at the end of the month. Continued selling should be expected into next week.
Meats Grain prices begin a significant pre-acreage report turn and meat prices take a tumble. This market is exposed either way and is a great long strangle play in either cattle or hogs. Hogs are already on the move and cattle is not far behind with some volatility of its own. The main issue with hogs is that they have yet to prove they can break out from this wide congestion pattern, which suggests a bounce from about 66 on June despite ugly fundamentals.
Metals Gold developed congestion below $1,000 before breaking through without much momentum. The weekend collapse of the U.S. dollar surges gold through $1,030 in the overnight, setting up an important couple of days of trading. If the market closes back below $1,000 then there is an actual sell signal, $955 or below confirms the reversal. I have to be contrarian here. This market is showing the largest 6 month point move in decades and is so overbought it makes crude oil look like a buy. The dollar is overdue for support and this market is getting way too much buying from foreign interest that is bailing on the U.S. stock market. Buy gold and silver puts and get short platinum and palladium. Copper $4 resistance appears to be holding and is a good sell and hold short play.
Softs Coffee is getting choppy and volatile as revised Brazilian crop forecasts show massive increases in unexpected supplies despite earlier concerns over yield from a late flowering. The market is getting bought up on dips, however, as long term specs and institutionals buy the first value dip they have seen in months. This is not a market that is going to turn on an extra 10 million bags from Brazil, if in fact that is even the reality of the situation. Buy long term wide bull call spreads on the dip.
Cocoa is riding the high of a port strike in the Ivory Coast, but this is likely the straw that will break the camels back. Scoop up some Dec. puts and play a dollar bounce to force a quick plunge in this market to 2450.
Cotton is truly untradable with lock limit moves every other day and option premium so off from reality the floor traders are better off taking a couple of weeks in the tropics than bothering to show up for work. Avoid.
OJ took a beating on Friday as bearish crop news and favorable weather bring the market back to test key support. This market looked technically strong and took a rough turn this week, so playa wait and see into Monday. If the market holds on Monday buy some July futures with a 120 put as protection.
Sugar is getting choppy after retracing from a strong price surge. This market may be turning bullish once again but I think the upside is limited.
James Mound is the head analyst for www.MoundReport.com, and author of the commodity book 7 Secrets. For a free email subscription to James Mound's Weekend Commodities Review and Trade of the Month, click here.
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