Category: Commentary

Categories
Commentary

Market Commentary For 11/19/2020

What Happened: Alongside concerns over another round of shutdowns due to rising COVID-19 coronavirus infection numbers, U.S. index futures maintained lower prices overnight, suggesting acceptance of Wednesday’s spike liquidation.

What Does It Mean: As of now, after an earlier test, the S&P 500 index future is trading above a micro-composite high-volume node at $3,557, the fairest price to do business during last week’s trade. This comes after participants struggled to maintain higher prices for the three sessions prior, evidenced by the divergent delta (i.e., non-presence of committed buying) and low-excess at the edges of balance.

This week’s mechanical trade and minimal-excess extremes, therefore, suggests Wednesday’s end-of-day spike was the result of weak-handed, short-term buyers liquidating in panic. This statement is supported by the fact that the selling did not attract increased participation (i.e., price diverged from value).

Further, participants come into Thursday’s session knowing two key points: (1) higher prices were dominated by short-term, weak-handed participants and (2) Wednesday’s end-of-day spike liquidation did not attract increased participation, suggesting much of the selling was done in panic.

As a result, after breaking balance and testing the high-volume area at $3,557 overnight, the S&P 500 offers participants a clear framework for approaching today’s trade. Therefore, if participants manage to spend time and build value in or below the prior day’s selling activity, then initiative sellers remain in control and the liquidation could be the beginning of a new trend to the downside. Otherwise, odds favor a response as the market has now advertised prices below balance, at last-week’s fairest price, offering buyers favorable entry.

The latter scenario would result in a failed break and rotation back into the upper-balance area. The former would suggest range expansion to the lower end of last week’s balance, $3,506.25.

Levels Of Interest: Micro-composite HVN at $3,557, the $3,506.25 excess low, as well as the $3,585 balance-area low.

Categories
Commentary

Market Commentary For 11/18/2020

What Happened: Alongside news Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) would apply for emergency authorization within days, U.S. index futures auctioned to the high end of this week’s range, suggesting further balance and acceptance of higher prices.

What Does It Mean: As of now, the S&P 500 index future is trading near $3,620, the high-end of the weekly range that’s been dominated by short-term money. This is evidenced by the weak, mechanical highs and lows over the past two days.

Given the non-presence of higher-time frame participation, there is little directional conviction going into Wednesday’s regular trading session.

Further, after rejecting the low-volume area beneath $3,600, the S&P 500 remains in balance; as a result, if participants manage to spend time and build value outside of the balance area between $3,585 and $3,630, then odds favor range expansion. Otherwise, the market will remain in balance, favoring short-term, responsive trade.

Levels Of Interest: 100% projection of the balance-area at $3,650, $3,630 balance-area high, $3,585 balance-area low.

Categories
Commentary

Market Commentary For 11/17/2020

What Happened: Following an initiative drive on coronavirus vaccine optimism, which confirmed last week’s balance break, U.S. index futures pared gains. The resulting overnight action saw prices fluctuate within Monday’s day-session extremes, suggesting balance and acceptance of higher-value after a big move up.

What Does It Mean: As of now, the S&P 500 index future managed to negate Monday’s end-of-day movement up and away from value, pointing to a desire for balance above the low-volume excess created by the weekend news event.

Further, the aforementioned low-volume area should hold against future auction rotations. However, probing into the region may portend swift movement as low as the $3,580 balance-area high, which ought to offer responsive buyers favorable entry.

Levels Of Interest: 100% projection of the balance-area at $3,650, the low-volume area at $3,600, and $3,580 balance-area high.

Categories
Commentary

Market Commentary For 11/16/2020

What Happened: On stretched sentiment, U.S. index futures extended their gains on news that a vaccine developed by Moderna Inc (NASDAQ: MRNA) was 94.5% effective at preventing cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The response resulted in a confirmation of Friday’s upside balance-break.

What Does It Mean: As of now, the market remains initiative above the $3,580 balance-area high.

Further, the successful negation of last Monday’s end-of-day spike points the confirmation of a higher time frame breakout, and keeps initiative buyers in control. Trade back to last week’s balance-area, and below the $3,506.25 excess low, would question the success of this higher time frame breakout.

Moreover, given the large overnight range expansion and the likelihood of a gap open outside of prior-range and -value, there’s the potential for responsive selling and balance.

As a result, participants should monitor whether initiative participants can overcome the responsive selling. If successful, then participants should place trades in the direction of new activity.

Levels Of Interest: 100% projection of the balance-area at $3,650, the $3,580 balance-area high, the high-volume areas at $3,600, $3,540, and $3,500, as well as the low-volume areas at $3,520, $3,575, and $3,608.

Categories
Commentary

‘Sentiment Stretched’: Market Commentary For The Week Starting 11/15/2020

Key Takeaways:

  • A resurgence in cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus portends restrictions on mobility which could have material consequences on the economic recovery.
  • Sentiment appears stretched ahead of data on retail sales, housing, trade, manufacturing, services, as well as resolve of election-related uncertainty and fiscal stimulus.
  • Despite a positive response to upside earning surprises, divided government, and vaccine results, the potential exists for a failed higher time frame breakout.

What Happened: Following the post-election rally, U.S. index futures extended their gains on news that a vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX) was more than 90% effective in preventing cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Though the response resulted in the upside break of a multi-month balance area, in subsequent days, index futures pared gains, weighed down by the innovation-driven technology sector.

What Does It Mean: After Monday’s initiative upside drive on coronavirus vaccine optimism, an end-of-day spike liquidation preceded a week-long, range-bound rotation, and suggested the possibility of a failed higher time frame breakout.

What To Expect: On Friday’s end-of-day rally away from value, the S&P 500 closed at a new all-time high, just above the balance area marked by the $3,580 spike base and $3,506.25 excess low. 

If participants manage to spend time and build value outside of the balance area, then the odds favor continued upside. Otherwise, the market will return to balance, favoring short-term, responsive trade as low as the aforementioned excess low. 

Levels of Interest: Four-day balance-area between the $3,580 spike base and $3,506.25 excess low.

Categories
Commentary

Market Commentary For 11/13/2020

What Happened: During Thursday’s regular trading in the S&P 500, market participants lacked conviction to break above the initial balance, which lead to a liquidation that found buyers just above Tuesday’s excess low.

Alongside news that president-elect Joe Biden cemented his Arizona victory and U.S. states began reimposing COVID-19 coronavirus restrictions, buyers cautiously extended range overnight, auctioning toward the upper-end of the three-day balance area.

What Does It Mean: As of now, the market remains rotational between the $3,506 excess low and $3,580 spike base.

Further, the market’s failure to negate Monday’s end-of-day spike points the possibility of a failed higher time frame breakout, and keeps initiative sellers in control. Trade below the aforementioned excess low would confirm the failure of a higher time frame breakout.

Moreover, given the likelihood of an open in prior-range and -value, there’s the potential for more balance and rotation in an area where the greatest volume of trade took place over the past three days. This scenario is supported by current positioning. If the market was to initiate outside of this area, then participants will have conviction to follow-through (in whatever direction that may be).

As a result, participants start the day off with a clear framework; in such case, if price is accepted outside of the balance area, we should be inclined to place trades in the direction of the activity. Otherwise, the market will stay range-bound, favoring short-term, responsive trade.

Levels Of Interest: $3,580 spike, $3,506 excess low, the high-volume areas at $3,600, $3,540, and $3,500, as well as the low volume areas at $3,520, $3,575, and $3,608.

Categories
Commentary

Market Commentary For 11/12/2020

What Happened: Wednesday’s trade built on Tuesday’s response, establishing higher value in the S&P 500, but failed to negate Monday’s end-of-day spike, suggesting initiative sellers remain in control. Sellers extended range overnight, auctioning into the high-volume area that corresponds with the October rally-high.

What Does It Mean: As of now, acceptance of the spike remains intact, confirmed with the market’s failure to trade through the low-volume area beneath $3,580. Adding, the possibility of a failed higher time frame breakout remains, confirmed by trade below the $3,506.25 excess low.

Further, given the likelihood of an open in prior-range and -value, there’s the potential for balanced, rotational trade in an area that represents where the greatest volume of trade took place over the past two days. If the market was to initiate outside of this area, then participants will have conviction to follow-through (in whatever direction that may be).

As a result, participants start the day off with a clear framework; in such case, if price is accepted outside of the balance area, we should be inclined to place trades in the direction of the activity. Otherwise, the market will stay range-bound, favoring short-term, responsive trade.

Levels Of Interest: $3,580 spike, $3,506.25 excess low, the high-volume areas at $3,600, $3,540, and $3,500, as well as the low volume areas at $3,520, $3,575, and $3,608.

Categories
Commentary

Market Commentary For 11/11/2020

What Happened: Following Tuesday’s resolve of excessive coronavirus vaccine optimism, responsive buyers established an excess low at the $3,500 high-volume ledge, and auctioned the S&P 500 up into Monday’s end-of-day spike liquidation.

What Does It Mean: Participants were able to repair some of the poor low-volume structures left in the wake of Monday’s coronavirus vaccine news. As mentioned earlier, responsive buyers resurfaced at a notable high-volume ledge, the site of recent value.

Further, the possibility of a failed higher time-frame breakout is intact. As a result, participants should look to whether Monday’s late-day spike is negated via trade above $3,580 in the S&P 500. Failure to negate the spike suggests initiative sellers remain in control.

Levels Of Interest: $3,580 spike, the high-volume areas at $3,600, and $3,540, as well as the low volume areas at $3,520, $3,575, and $3,608.

Categories
Commentary

Market Commentary For 11/10/2020

What Happened: Following an initiative upside drive on coronavirus vaccine optimism, U.S. index futures pared gains, weighed down by the innovation-driven, technology sector. The resulting overnight price action brought prices back into a multi-month balance area, putting into question Monday’s breakout.

What Does It Mean: As of now, after Monday’s end-of-day spike liquidation moved prices away from value (i.e., the level at which the most amount of activity occurred), the S&P 500 index future is trading near the October rally high, above a high-volume concentration which denotes the most recent perception of value.

Further, the aforementioned high-volume concentration should allow responsive buyers more favorable prices to emerge from. If the market were to auction beneath the high-volume concentration, through the low-volume below, then near-term directional conviction has changed, favoring more rotational trade.

Levels Of Interest: High-volume areas near $3,500,  $3,450, and $3,400. Major upside references include yesterday’s value area above $3,500, as well as the extension near $3,700 and projection at $3,800.

Categories
Commentary

‘We Have A Vaccine’: Market Commentary For 11/9/2020

Following a week-long, post-election rally, U.S. index futures extended their gains on news that a vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX) was more than 90% effective in preventing cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The response resulted in the upside break of a multi-month balance area.

As of now, on relatively poor structure, the S&P 500 index future is trading above the September and October rally high. Given the size of the advance, index products are extended and the odds of digestion, either through time or price, have increased substantially.

Furthermore, the aforementioned multi-month balance-break is a strongly bullish signal to be confirmed by acceptance above the September peak. That means, if prices spend time trading outside of the balance area, then the odds of a continuation to new highs increase substantially. If responsive participants were to auction prices back into the balance area, then odds favor rotational trade as low as the $3,200 boundary.

Levels of interest below current trade include the high-volume areas at $3,540, $3,500, $3445, and $3,400. Major upside references include the extension at $3,700 and projection at $3,800.