Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Double-Bottom & Price Wedge make easy clues day trading crude oil and gold futures














Today is Wednesday of the last week of the summer and we know we have two big things to watch today:
1.      Volume early and late morning

2.      Crude Oil Inventories at 1030am today
820am est
Crude Oil Futures are trading in a price wedge, bull channel, and sideways range on the slower timeframe 89range chart this morning.
We need to use the 34range to get a solid plan of attack:
Crude Oil gives us easy clues today:
Inside day tells us to trade INSIDE the range we are currently in.
Inside day tells me the opinion of value is the SAME from one day to the next.
If we break above or below the previous day’s range we then can assume the opinion of value has changed.
We buy the PLOD and we sell the PHOD on an inside day.  We also look to sell at the next level of resistance and buy at the next level of support.
We do not expect to see many successful breakouts on an inside day, so look for the Fake-Out Breakout when price is inside the range from yesterday.
If price breaks above the PHOD we buy pullbacks, and if it breaks below the PLOD we sell retracements.
Price Wedge tells us a very specific market personality.
Lower highs and higher lows is called ‘consolidation’ and that occurs when the market participants are searching for clues for future direction.
In other words, a wedge pattern tells us the traders don’t see value higher or lower, so they are waiting for news, something to spark the next move.
We trade a wedge the same way we trade an inside day or a sideways range, sell the highs, buy the lows, and avoid the middle.
At some point there will be a potential breakout of the wedge.
We expect fake-out breakouts at the highs and the lows of the wedge, until we break above resistance overhead or support below the wedge.
I’m buying pullbacks when we break through overhead resistance and selling retracements when we break support below.
Sideways Ranges are another easy opportunity to use a very simple plan of attack.
We want to sell the highs, buy the lows, and avoid the middles of sideways ranges.
There are 3 Phases to every sideways range, and we need to be aware of these when we trade them.
As price falls I’m buying at support of the range, and as price rises I’m selling at resistance in the range.  In the middle of the range I sit on my hands and wait for the highs or the lows to be tested.
If we break out of the sideways range we buy pullbacks with new higher highs, and we sell retracements with new lower lows.
Our plan of attack on crude oil this morning:
-        Using the inside day, price wedge, and sideways ranges
-        We will buy support 86.47/87.10/87.67
-        We will sell resistance at 89.00/89.18/90.00
-        We will avoid the middle of the range around OPEN 88.50
-        If we break above the PHOD we buy pullbacks
-        If we break below the PLOD we sell retracements
-        If we break through resistance we can buy pullbacks because of the bull channel
-        As price falls to support we want to buy as the higher % trade b/c of the bull channel
930am est
Gold Futures are giving us many clues this morning we can use for our trading.
Narrow Price Wedge
Price Wedge tells us a very specific market personality.
Lower highs and higher lows is called ‘consolidation’ and that occurs when the market participants are searching for clues for future direction.
In other words, a wedge pattern tells us the traders don’t see value higher or lower, so they are waiting for news, something to spark the next move.
We trade a wedge the same way we trade an inside day or a sideways range, sell the highs, buy the lows, and avoid the middle.
At some point there will be a potential breakout of the wedge.
We expect fake-out breakouts at the highs and the lows of the wedge, until we break above resistance overhead or support below the wedge.
Inside day tells us to trade INSIDE the range we are currently in.
Inside day tells me the opinion of value is the SAME from one day to the next.
If we break above or below the previous day’s range we then can assume the opinion of value has changed.
We buy the PLOD and we sell the PHOD on an inside day.  We also look to sell at the next level of resistance and buy at the next level of support.
We do not expect to see many successful breakouts on an inside day, so look for the Fake-Out Breakout when price is inside the range from yesterday.
If price breaks above the PHOD we buy pullbacks, and if it breaks below the PLOD we sell retracements.
Im buying pullbacks when we break through overhead resistance and selling retracements when we break support below.
Sideways Ranges are another easy opportunity to use a very simple plan of attack.
We want to sell the highs, buy the lows, and avoid the middles of sideways ranges.
There are 3 Phases to every sideways range, and we need to be aware of these when we trade them.
As price falls I’m buying at support of the range, and as price rises I’m selling at resistance in the range.  In the middle of the range I sit on my hands and wait for the highs or the lows to be tested.
If we break out of the sideways range we buy pullbacks with new higher highs, and we sell retracements with new lower lows.
Price Channels are very easy to trade using the directional bias of the channel.
Bull channel has higher highs and lower lows and you will buy pullbacks with new highs.  Buy at support when price falls.
Remember, trying to buy the highs of a bull channel will always be difficult, especially if the market is slower, or low volume.
Bear Channel has lower highs and lower lows, and we want to sell retracements with new lowers, and sell at resistance when price rises.
Remember, trying to sell the lows of a bear channel will always be difficult, especially if the market is slower, or low volume.
The key to trading breakouts on a channel is to wait for the support below or the resistance overhead to be broken, and then look to buy a pullback with new higher highs and/or sell a retracements with new lower lows.
Our plan of attack on Gold:

-        Buy the lows and sell the highs of the wedge
-        Sell the PHOD as resistance
-        Buy the PLOD as support
-        Buy the lows and sell the highs of the range we are currently in (inside day & sideways range)
-        Bear Channel tells me the higher percentage trades will be short today.
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Buying Pullbacks & Selling Retracements are easy if you have these rules




Buying Pullbacks & Selling Retracements.

Our Wave Pattern is nothing more than buying pullbacks and selling retracements.

Remember, there are many ways to take the WRONG pullback, and we use very specific entry rules to know which ones to take, and which ones to avoid.

When taken correctly, the wave pattern uses 3 levels of support to protect your long trade, and/or 3 levels of resistance to protect your short trade.

When you see a sloppy and high-speed retracement/pullback it is the sign of a failure.

Always watching momentum, looking for clues at the time when you are supposed to be entering the trade.

Don’t take the retracement/pullback with retracement more than the 61.8, that is screaming at us for a failure.

Where do we take these pullbacks and retracements?

These patterns are trend-continuation which means we are trading with a current short term trend.

If there is NO TREND there is no way.

We do not want to sell into the lows (support) or buy into the highs (resistance)

Remember this...buy at support...sell at resistance.

Avoid these patterns in the middle of ranges, and look to take these patterns at the extremes (highs and the lows of the trading ranges)

Basic trade management on the Wave is to put your stop at the recent swing high/low and your target at the previous swing high/low.

Make sure you pay close attention to your Risk-Reward Ratio.

Wave pattern is the most efficient way of trading:

-        Buying at support & Selling at Resistance

-        Wave long buys with price falling (more liquidity)

-        Multiple levels of support to protect your long trade, and resistance to protect your short trade

-        You are also trading with the short term trend
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Dynamic Support & Resistance:

-        Trigger lines are the most common

-        We use DYNAMIC support and resistance for entries, stops, and targets

-        This means they are always changing

-        Dynamic = always changing.

-        Keep a close eye on the changing support/resistance levels when you are trailing your stop, placing your targets, or looking for entries.

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-        Low Volume

-        Fear Globally

Crude Oil is a positive Dollar Correlation because of FEAR of lack of demand.

Dollar drops, so does demand on crude, and crude drops.

Gold has a TON of fear which means people are taking profit filled with fear and greed at the highs, even as the dollar keeps falling.

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Improve your tape reading skills with this video on the blog.
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What is overbought or oversold momentum so accurate?

-        Because we use it at the RIGHT LOCATIONS.

-        When you look for the buy, you want oversold

-        When you look for the sell you want overbought

-        ASSUME:  you are buying at support and selling at resistance.
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-        Very strong level that MAJOR money managers use as their key support and resistance

-        It makes an excellent profit target (price magnet)

-        But you do NOT want to trade around it (sloppy)

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Traders Look for Clues from Economic News this morning

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The James' Report:  Professional Resources for Professional Traders

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- Crude Oil tests the highs of the Major Price Channel, and lack of demand may cause this market to tumble today and tomorrow

- Gold Futures consolidated this morning ahead of ADP Employment news in the US



- European equity indices opened the session higher, tracking yesterday's gains in US equities, as minutes from the US Fed suggested that a number of members on the FOMC committee supported additional stimulus measures for the economy.

 - German cabinet approved its draft law framework for expansion of EU rescue mechanism

- During August, British investment banks faced a slowdown in business conditions. According to data from Dealogic, commissions from share and debt sales and fees related to M&A declined over 45% y/y during the month to the lowest level since 1997.

- The London Telegraph's Evans-Pritchard stated that the EU is near recession, even though austerity measures have yet to impact the economy.

- According to the FT, some lawmakers in Germany believe that parliaments should have veto power over future aid packages and sovereign bond purchases.

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Today's Economic News:

Looking at the news this morning we first remind ourselves that today is Wednesday of the final week of the summer. 

This tells us two things:  First, we need to be patient for volume early this morning and be disciplined not to over-trade the late morning since it is the summer.  Second, its Crude Oil Inventories today so we need to remember the 3 Phases of Crude Oil today when watching the clock.

We begin our day with some important jobs news with the ADP employment report at 815am.  This news will be used on Friday’s NonFarm Payrolls.

We then go through the US Open at 930am and we have 945am Chicago PMI, 1000am Factory Orders, and then 1030am Crude Oil Inventories.

All three of these news events will be important this morning for different reasons and we will discuss these in detail today in our live trade room.



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Looking at the Charts:

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Our plan of attack on crude oil this morning:

-        Using the inside day, price wedge, and sideways ranges

-        We will buy support 86.47/87.10/87.67

-        We will sell resistance at 89.00/89.18/90.00

-        We will avoid the middle of the range around OPEN 88.50

-        If we break above the PHOD we buy pullbacks

-        If we break below the PLOD we sell retracements

-        If we break through resistance we can buy pullbacks because of the bull channel

-        As price falls to support we want to buy as the higher % trade b/c of the bull channel




Our plan of attack on Gold:

-        Buy the lows and sell the highs of the wedge

-        Sell the PHOD as resistance

-        Buy the PLOD as support

-        Buy the lows and sell the highs of the range we are currently in (inside day & sideways range)

-        Bear Channel tells me the higher percentage trades will be short today.


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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Price Wedge & Bull Channel make for easy day trading Crude Oil Futures













We may see a slower than normal Tuesday with the FOMC Meeting Minutes at 2pm EST this afternoon.
We assume a lot of the BIG MONEY will be sitting on hands waiting to see this report.
800am est
Crude Oil Futures look very consolidated here this morning after the big pop up on Monday morning we’ve been trading sloppy and sideways ever since.
We get some easy clues on crude oil:
Bull Price Channel on the 89range chart tells us to be buying pullbacks with new higher highs and buying at major levels of support as price falls.
Price Wedge tells us to buy the lows and sell the highs, avoiding the middle and be looking for the fake-out breakouts.
Inside day tells me a lot of the same as a wedge, sell the PHOD, buy the PLOD and trade inside the range we are in currently.
If price breaks above the PHOD we then start buying pullbacks and if price breaks below the PLOD we begin selling retracements.
Crude Oil is falling this morning, so we want to beware the middle of the range, and look to sell retracements with new lower lows, taking profit at the support levels below us.
Keep an eye on buying opportunities as price falls considering the bull price channel we have on the 89range chart.
825am est
Gold Futures looks very similar to crude oil this morning with its bull channel, price wedge, and easy levels above and below as support and resistance.
Bull Price channel reminds me to buy pullbacks with new higher highs and buy at support as price falls.
Price Wedge reminds me to sell the highs and buy the lows, avoiding the middle and beware the fake-out breakout.
The big round number of 1800.00 has been a major price magnet so look for that and the BMT 1791.0 to be a good place for a final target as you sell the highs of the range.
We got some easy clues on gold futures this morning:
Price Wedge tells me to sell the highs and buy the lows of the wedge.
Inside Day just turned to an outside day, and we can use this as our guide.
If we fail at the highs and fall below the PHOD this is a strong clue to start selling these highs.
If we keep moving higher above the PHOD this is another strong clue that buyers are in control and we look to buy pullbacks, however, taking profit at the next level of overhead resistance.
As we rise im selling at resistance overhead first, and then buying pullbacks with new higher highs.
As price falls im buying at support first, and then with new lower lows I can sell retracements.
We have plenty of resistance levels overhead that will be excellent places to sell with a 2-step pattern short.
We have plenty of support levels below us which we can use to buy with a 2step pattern long.
We need to avoid the middle of the range and remember the big round number 1800 and the BMT 1791 will be excellent targets for our short trades.
900am est
Euro Futures are giving us easy clues this morning:
We know the market personality on the Euro has been sideways and range-bound, so we know how to profit from this structure.
Price Wedge tells me to sell the highs and buy the lows, avoiding the middle.
Sideways Range gives me support levels to buy if price drops, and resistance levels to sell if price rises.
The biggest challenge today will be staying patient and avoiding the middle, waiting to buy the lows and sell the highs.
935am est
Russell Futures are trading at the highs of the bull channel so this is an excellent place to be a seller.
We also have the highs of the price  wedge and the highs of the sideways range, so lots of reasons to be selling new lows with retracements.
BMT down below 700.00 will make an excellent price magnet if we start to really tumble.
Russell Futures give us some easy clues today:
Inside day reminds us to buy at support and sell at resistance first.  Then if we break the support or resistance we then look to sell new lows with retracements and buy new highs with pullbacks.
1015am est
1000am Consumer Sentiment was lower than expected.
This is gold bullish so we are buying pullbacks with new higher highs.
Crude Oil bearish so selling new lows with retracements.
The market personality is certainly changing after the news.
We can see lower highs, higher lows, and price action is stuck around BMT’s and other price magnets.

Gold Futures waiting for News from Fed Meeting Minutes 2:00pm Today

Gold rose in New York on speculation that the Federal Reserve will ease monetary policy further to stimulate the economy, boosting the appeal of the precious metal as an alternative asset.

“We need to do more,” Chicago Fed President Charles Evans said today in a CNBC interview. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell after a report showed confidence among U.S. consumers plunged in August to the lowest in almost two years. Gold has rallied 12 percent this month, touching a record $1,917.90 an ounce on Aug. 23.

Continue Reading Article Here >>>

TradeTheNews.com US Market Update

Dow -41 S&P -6.4 NASDAQ -5

***Economic Data***

- (BR) Brazil Aug FGV Inflation IGP-M M/M: 0.4% v 0.4%; Y/Y: 8.0% v 8.0%e
- (US) ICSC/GS weekly chain store sales w/e Aug 27th: +0.1% w/w; +3.0% y/y - (CL) Chile July Industrial Production Y/Y: 0.7% v 3.5%e; Industrial Sales Y/Y: % v 3.8%e
- (CL) Chile July Total Copper Production: 373.5K v 426.5K Tons prior
- (CL) Chile July Retail Sales Y/Y: 9.6% v 9.5%e
- (SA) South Africa July Budget Balance (ZAR): -44.1B v -25.3Be
- (CA) Canada Q2 Current Account (BOP): -$15.3B v -$13.7Be
- (CA) Canada July Industrial Product Price M/M: -0.3% v -0.3%e; Raw Materials Price Index M/M: -1.2% v -0.1%e
- (US) Redbook Retail Sales w/e Aug 27th: +4.0% y/y; Aug MTD: +0.1% v July
- (US) Jun S&P/CaseShiller 20 City M/M: -0.06% v 0.0%e; Y/Y: -4.52% v -4.60%e; HPI: 141.30v 139.75 prior
- (US) Q2 S&P/CaseShiller House price Index Y/Y: -5.88% v -8.30%e; HPI: 130.12 v 125.55 prior
- (US) Aug Consumer Confidence: 44.5 v 52.0e

- The terrible August consumer confidence reading is weighing on global markets. The index dropped from 59.5 in July to 44.5 in August, its lowest level since April of 2009. The confidence data arrives on the heels of comments out of Fed voting member Evans, who staked out the dovish FOMC position in a pre-market interview. Evans said he was "somewhat nervous" about the US economic recovery given recent weakness and said he was in favor of more aggressive policy actions by the Fed. Spot gold surged in the aftermath of the comments, topping $1,830, up $40 from its Asian open aided by decent demand from macro funds. The S&P/CaseShiller home price data is not helping: the June data shows that US single-family home prices fell on both a m/m and y/y basis, offering yet another sign that the economic recovery will not be able to count on any help from a moribund housing sector. US Treasury markets are bid up depressing the 10-year yield back below 2.2%.

- In equity news, Barnes & Noble narrow its quarterly loss compared to last quarter, although the bookseller's financial condition remains precarious. Comps in the quarter were negative, although the firm trumpeted its success in growing Nook e-reader revenue. Discount chain Dollar General beat expectations and hiked its revenue guidance for the full year. Footwear chain DSW topped both profit and revenue targets and tweaked its full-year outlook higher. Executives from Russian oil gian Rosneft and Exxon met with Russian PM Putin to hash out details of a massive deal that would see Exxon being granted rights to drill in the Russian arctic and the Black Sea in exchange for Rosneft access to the US Gulf of Mexico. The deal could be worth as much as $300B in all.

- The greenback came off its best levels following dovish comments from Evans. EUR/USD regained some composure and moved back above the 1.44 handle. The pair did receive a supportive hand from the ECB, which was spotted again in the secondary market buying peripheral debt, especially Italian bonds. Looking ahead, dealers are setting their sights on various scheduled government meetings, including a Swiss conference on Wednesday and the Spanish parliamentary vote on Friday regarding a law that would limit public deficits. The US employment data to be released over the next three session will also be key, culminating in the Friday's non-farm payrolls data.

***Looking Ahead***

- 11:30 (US) Treasury to sell 4-Week Bills
- 12:15 (US) Fed's Kocherlakota speaks on Economy in Bismarck, ND
- 12:30 (US) Labor Sec Solis delivers a National Press
- 14:00 (US) Fed releases Minutes from Aug. 9th FOMC Meeting
- 15:30 (MX) Mexico July YTD Budget Balance (MXN): No est v -125.4B prior

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