Trading Futures during European-style Options Expirations

Tweet Trading Futures during European-style Options Expirations

Market Timing Commentary

Tweet Market Timing Commentary

Today we passed the 3,000 Followers mark on Twitter

Tweet Today we passed the 3,000 Followers mark on Twitter

Fari Hamzei

As promised back in May, to commemorate this milestone, we are offering 3 of our most popular packages -- at 33% off of our regular prices -- Proprietary Indicators, Phoenix Options Newsletter and Index Futures Chatroom and Streamer, as our Summer Specials.

Sign-up links are posted on Twitter. Just go to http://twitter.com/HamzeiAnalytics to take advantage of this offer (which expires on end of business Friday, July 10th).

Market Commentary as of Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Tweet Market Commentary as of Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Fari Hamzei

We still stand by our May 22nd intermediate bias change, to the short side, which was again re-iterated on our June 12th blogpost here.

What is clear now is the very short-term over-sold condition we are in. The chance of short-term rebound (a dead cat bounce) has increased as we enter the Q2 Earnings Season.

This is evidenced by our MoMo reading (first chart) of below -30 as denoted by the green horizontal line and VXO trading near +3 sigma today (second chart).

Market Commentary as of Friday, June 12, 2009

Tweet Market Commentary as of Friday, June 12, 2009

Fari Hamzei

As you can see in the charts below, starting with the left hand side, the rising S&P-500 Cash Index has been accompanied with lower and lower directional momentum, and thus creating a "bearish divergence" with the SPX.

In the right hand side chart, we show two proprietary modified Breadth (Advance Decline) data subgraphs. The longer term sub-graph (SP1) shows a modified cum A/D line superimposed with its sigma channels. The lower subgraph, MoMo, is a short-term A/D Oscillator. Notice the long-term vs short-term are also in a very pronounced "bearish divergence" pattern.

THIS TECHNICAL ANOMALY WILL NOT LAST FOREVER. It will resolve itself sooner than later. What is currently unknown is that the proper catalyst for the upcoming reversal.

If you are LONG, watch your trades very closely. If you plan to STAY LONG, start looking for some portfolio insurance (O-T-M Index /ETF Puts).

Market Timing Commentary as of Friday, June 5th, 2009

Tweet Market Timing Commentary as of Friday, June 5th, 2009

Fari Hamzei

A mixed picture at best, is one way to describe the latest US Equity Market charts and internals line-up.

And I am standing by my May 22nd short bias on SPX for Timer Digest's "Timer of the Year Competition." That being an intermediate term signal, my charts and indicators tell me to give this short a bit more time to work itself out. Here are some reasons why:

1. SP-500 Advance Decline Line Diverging (in an "M" pattern) from the Cash Index itself is trading higher (Chart 1, 2nd subgraph).
2. Volatility Indices receding again (setting up for a "W" before spiking higher - Chart 2).
3. Signs of Bond Vigilantes coming back -- TBT price action and options activity.

Notice of Change of Bias with Timer Digest

Tweet Notice of Change of Bias with Timer Digest

Fari Hamzei


Dear Jim,
Please log me in as SHORT on SPX as of Friday, May 22nd, 2009 Close of 887.00.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend......Go Danica Go !!!

A Quick VXO (the original VIX) Update

Tweet A Quick VXO (the original VIX) Update

Fari Hamzei

In my last webinar, on May 9th, I talked about VIX/VXO/VXN complex trading below 30. But as you recall, I talked about not the absolute level of this complex, but rather, its relative level (in Sigma Levels).

As you can see from the chart below, today, we broke 30 on VXO but we did NOT get to trade at -3 Sigma Level. That level now stands at 26. That is our next goal post. A bounce from 26 should mark a short-term "maxima" in prices for this leg.

More on this and other Mark Timing Tools, this Saturday in my webinar.

Market Timing Charts Update

Tweet Market Timing Charts Update

Fari Hamzei

We had a few emails asking us for a quick update on our Market Timing Charts given the price action we have experienced in the last couple of days. Here they are:

Worth noting:
A) McClellan Oscillators have entered a slight oversold condition (down to less than -100 readings in three trading days).
B) SPX failed to touch its 200-day Moving Average.
C) NDX closed below its 200-day Moving Average. We talked about this possibility in our last Saturday Webinar
D) Down to Up Volume Ratios in NYSE and NAZZ were 11 and 22 to 1, respectively.



Note: Huge drop in DJ Trans and Russell 2000 to -1 sigma level. Bad leading indicator for the economy (going forward) and risk-takers (weak hands in small caps got their head handed to them).




Note: VXO bounced off -2 sigma yesterday and jumped today. Never made it to -3 sigma (our target). May Options X is here in the earnest.

Outside Bar on SPX and Rapid Deceleration of NDX Momentum

Tweet Outside Bar on SPX and Rapid Deceleration of NDX Momentum

Fari Hamzei

These two observations, ahead of the much anticipated April Non-Farm-Payroll data to be released tomorrow at 0830 EDT, call for high level of vigilance and alertness. We discussed their ramifications in detail on the Twitter tonight.

Trade Well Tomorrow.