Monthly Archives: December 2023

Dec 13

Everything is great…and that makes me nervous

By Jani Ziedins | End of Day Analysis

Free After-Hours Analysis: 

The S&P 500 surged 1.4% Wednesday after the Fed told investors inflation came down faster than expected, and they penciled in three rate cuts for next year. That wave of buying led to the biggest one-day gains since mid-November.

Bulls are cocky, bears are defeated, and I’m nervous. As I wrote readers on Tuesday, even though I long this market and making good money with 3x leverage, I was already moving toward the exits:

While the market looks good, this is the tipping point where we shift our mindset from offense to defense. I’m not expecting a lot of upside, meaning I plan on collecting profits relatively quickly. I’m not selling right now, but I already have my eyes on the exit.

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The market has done nothing but go straight up since early November. And Wednesday’s gains were some of the biggest of the entire move. That looks a lot more like a climax than the start of the next big rally.

I’m not one to call tops, but this feels very toppy. I’m not saying momentum can’t keep pushing us higher over the next few days and weeks, but this late in the move, nearly everyone who wanted to buy has already bought. That means there are far fewer buyers left to keep pushing prices higher.

I bought the 4,600 breakout last week using 3x leverage, and it’s been a great ride. But I recognize good enough when I see it, and these gains were great. That’s good enough for me, and I have started collecting partial profits Wednesday afternoon.

Without a doubt, I’m probably pulling the ripcord prematurely, but since I don’t pick tops, that means I’m left choosing between selling too early and holding too long. Since I’m in this to make money, I always pick selling too early because that leaves me in the best position possible to be ready for the next trading opportunity.

Maybe that means I buy back in later this week, next week, or next month when prices keep racing higher. Or maybe I short the inevitable step-back when it finally gets here. But no matter what happens next, I will be ready for it.

We only make money when we close our best trades, and there is no way I’m letting this big pile of 3x profits escape.

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Dec 12

Why I’m already standing near the exit

By Jani Ziedins | End of Day Analysis

Free After-Hours Analysis: 

The S&P 500 started Tuesday’s session in the red after the monthly inflation reading came in somewhat elevated at 3.1%. But it didn’t take long for buyers to show up and push the index into the green. By the close, the S&P 500 added another 0.5%, and the slow-motion breakout above 4,600 resistance continues.

Weak opens and strong closes are typical of bull markets. We consumed a whole lot of upside getting to these levels, meaning slower times are ahead. It is hard to get excited about these small gains, but as long as we keep getting more up than down, there is only one way to trade this.

The Santa Clause rally arrived early this year, and stocks are slowly drifting higher this week. No one is getting rich from these few tenth-of-a-percent rallies, but when you add them up, they turn into real money. I’m not expecting a big short squeeze from this 4,600 breakout, but there are enough shorts getting squeezed to give us this near-term lift. As slow and boring as this feels, the slower it goes, the more sustainable it is.

While the market looks good, this is the tipping point where we shift our mindset from offense to defense. I’m not expecting a lot of upside, meaning I plan on collecting profits relatively quickly. I’m not selling right now, but I already have my eyes on the exit.

My stops have already been lifted to my entry points, turning this into a low-risk trade. I’m not ready to pull the rip cord just yet, but that day is coming. If we continue with a string of up days, I will start collecting some partial profits in the back half of the week.

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Dec 11

Why the bulls keep winning

By Jani Ziedins | End of Day Analysis

Free After-Hours Analysis: 

The S&P 500 finished Monday’s session 0.4% higher, putting even more distance between the index and prior resistance at 4,600.

Lucky for readers, Monday’s gains were expected. As I wrote in last Friday’s post titled, “Bears Have Been Warned”:

The index is not going anywhere fast, but more up than down means there is only one way to trade this. Lift stops above recent lows, and see where this takes us.

We finally broke resistance, and these things usually go a bit before stopping. Keep expectations in check, but stick with what is working.

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The economy continues down the “just right” path. Not hot enough to keep inflation elevated and not weak enough to threaten employment and push us into a recession.

How much longer this “just right” lasts is anyone’s guess, but savvy traders focus on what the market is doing, not what could happen. At this point, 4,600 resistance is no longer a barrier. In fact, resistance often turns into support, so Monday’s confirmation further boosts the bull’s case.

The explosiveness in this move was used up weeks ago, meaning we are left with this slow grind higher. There is nothing wrong with that. We are stuck with what the market gives us. If we want to make money, this is how we do it. And making money sure beats what the bears are doing right now…

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Dec 08

Bears have been warned

By Jani Ziedins | End of Day Analysis

Free After-Hours Analysis: 

The S&P 500 closed above 4,600 resistance on Friday for the first time in over a year and a half.

Bears fighting “too high, too fast” keep giving away money, but this doesn’t surprise readers. As I wrote on Thursday:

Something that refuses to go down will eventually go up. At this point, bears are losing the argument, and it will likely get worse for them if they continue fighting this market. If the November rebound was going to fail, it would have happened by now.

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The index is not going anywhere fast, but more up than down means there is only one way to trade this. Lift stops above recent lows, and see where this takes us.

We finally broke resistance, and these things usually go a bit before stopping. Keep expectations in check, but stick with what is working.

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Dec 07

Why bears are losing the argument

By Jani Ziedins | End of Day Analysis

Free After-Hours Analysis: 

The S&P 500 added 0.8% Thursday after Wednesday’s bearish intraday reversal turned into a lot of nothing.

One day’s down becomes the next day’s up, and so far, the market doesn’t seem interested in doing anything meaningful. November gave us a huge rebound; now it is time to rest.

That said, holding all of the recent gains confirms these levels are real and the index is not teetering on the edge of a collapse. If stocks were fragile and overbought, one of these waves of selling would have kept going. Instead, most owners shrugged and kept holding.

Stocks don’t have the strength to keep charging higher, but the longer we hold these levels, the more real they become. Something that refuses to go down will eventually go up. At this point, bears are losing the argument, and it will likely get worse for them if they continue fighting this market. If the November rebound was going to fail, it would have happened by now.

Bigger trading opportunities are coming our way, but it will take time. Stay patient and resist the temptation to overreact to this intraday chop.

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Dec 05

Why smart money is sitting on their hands

By Jani Ziedins | End of Day Analysis

Free After-Hours Analysis:

The S&P 500 finished Tuesday’s session essentially flat as Monday’s wave of selling turned into a lot of nothing.

As I wrote Monday evening, the market is consolidating November’s gains under 4,600 resistance. This makes recent price action meaningless at best, and outright deceptive at worst:

Far and away, the hardest thing to do in the market is to not trade. We have opinions, and the market is always doing something, but at this stage, every trading signal fizzles and reverses hours later. Just ask all of the bulls that bought Friday’s strength, only to watch those profits turn into losses Monday morning.

This is a consolidating market, meaning we can’t read anything into these intraday gyrations. Something will happen, but this isn’t it. Keep waiting and watching.

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This market is an equal opportunity humiliator, zinging both the bulls and the bears. Optimists who bought Friday’s pop are sitting on losses, and now we can add cynics who aggressively sold Tuesday’s poor open. More interesting trading opportunities are coming, but these are not them.

At this point, it is a tossup between stalling under 4,600 resistance or resting before the next leg is higher. This remains a sentiment trade, meaning anything is possible. The best we can do is wait for the market to reveal its intentions. Until then, smart money is sitting on their hands.

I’d love to be making money right now, but it’s been a fantastic year of trading, and there is no reason to force a bad trade here for nothing more than the impulsive need to be trading. Better opportunities are coming. We just have to be patient.

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