VIX is on the verge of a breakdown. After sustaining over 20 for a year, it risks losing that level in the sessions ahead. A decisive breach opens the door toward mid- to high-teens near term. This will have taken … Continued
VIX this week broke two-month support, opening the door to a test of support at 11-12. Meanwhile, the volatility curve – in contango – is approaching a level that in the past coincided with a peak in stocks. With one … Continued
The S&P 500 just notched a fresh high. Volatility is as good as dead. Under this calmness lies early signs of life. Volatility is quiet, even dead. VIX (13.11) continues to loiter around the bottom end of a one-year range … Continued
Major equity indices are within striking distance of fresh highs. Bulls hope the low hurdle in 1Q19 earnings helps put volatility under more pressure. Trader reaction to earnings is key. Major US equity indices are a stone’s throw away from … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of April 9, 2019. 10-year note: Currently net short 261.6k, up 37.3k. During the week, job openings painted a mixed picture. Non-farm job openings (JOLTS) for February dropped 538,000 month-over-month to 7.1 million. … Continued
One of the knocks against October’s selloff in stocks is that there was no capitulation. That depends on what indicators one looks at. On October 10, the ratio between NYSE decliners and advancers read 7.9. In that same session, down … Continued
Stocks are selling off, but major indices are at/near crucial support, testing the will of the bulls. High-yield spreads are tightening. In Chart 1, the ICE BofAML US high yield BB effective yield is pitted against Moody’s seasoned AAA corporate … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of March 20, 2018. 10-year note: Currently net short 313.3k, up 41.9k. Chairing his maiden meeting as Fed chief, Jerome Powell probably could not have asked for more insofar as markets’ reaction was … Continued
Major U.S. stock indices rallied to fresh new highs last week. Even small-caps, which until recently had been lagging their large-cap brethren, joined the party. With seasonality in their favor, will the bulls be able to build on this or … Continued
U.S. equity bulls regained momentum last week, but this also put near-term sentiment at/near complacency. Since rising to an all-time high of 2490.87 on August 8, the S&P 500 large cap index was bound by a falling trend line (Chart … Continued