What We're Reading

Volatility definitely increased leading up to this weeks quadruple witching and the S&P (400, 500 and 600) index re-balancing taking place tonight after the close.  Selling the last two weeks resulted in oversold conditions in the near term charts and massive short covering at the market as every fund and investment bank bought new shares (as they rebalanced ahead of the indexes), resulted in two astounding days of back to back two percent gains.  Bulls were partying in the streets but is it warranted?   Has anything truly changed? 

Yes, the Fed has reassured investors that they have no intention of raising rates any time soon which is what everyone wanted to hear but we still have a bull market which has had an incredible six-year run so just "who" is going to buy at these elevated levels for their 2015 portfolio?

I also do not believe that crude oil (and oil/gas companies) are out of the woods yet either.  There's that pesky $OVX which is the VIX for crude oil.  Note how it's not c

After hearing one analyst commenting that lower prices at the pump would translate into increased oil demand, I had to open up the commentary notepad.  (click on charts to enlarge)

The first thing that immediately came to mind was the rising costs elsewhere in Americans pocketbooks that would take up the slack of lower gasoline prices, such as rent.  Social Security recipients for example will see an increase of 1.9% in 2015 however this is no where on pace with the increases in average rents which continue to climb.  In fact, how about a rent increase of 6.9% in November according to Trulia?  Ouch!

Indeed incomes, when adjusted for inflation, have definitely not kept pace since 2000. (chart right).  Add to this the fact that the majority of new jobs being created are at the low end of the pay scale and you have a situation where any savings at the pump are not going to translate into further driving and gasoline demand but to holiday spending, consumer staples and yes, pay the rent.

I should have titled this "counting your chickens before they're hatched".  Anyway, a few words on bullish engulfing candles, the term of which is being bandied about a great deal today.  But don't count your chickens.  Just because price took out a high and a low, does NOT a bullish engulfing make.  It's also unwise to call something a engulfing or any other pattern when the trading day is not yet over.  As explained by stockcharts.com

The bullish engulfing pattern consists of two candlesticks, the first black and the second white. The size of the black candlestick is not that important, but it should not be a  Djoi which would be relatively easy to engulf. The second should be a long white candlestick – the bigger it is, the more bullish. The white body must totally engulf the body of the first black candlestick. Ideally, though not necessarily, the white body would engulf the shadows as well. Although shadows are permitted, they are usually small or nonexistent on both candlesticks

Russia's central bank raised interest rates last Friday from 9.5% to 10.5% in an effort to support the falling currency and battle inflation.  When that did nothing, they shocked markets by raising it again overnight from 10.5% to a whopping 17% in what some are calling an emergency move.  This was their sixth interest rate hike this year to support the currency.

The central bank early on Tuesday also increased the maximum volume of foreign currency it provides to Russian banks via its foreign-exchange repurchase agreement auctions for 28 days to $5 billion from $1.5 billion.

Sadly the RUB/USD barely moved. (left image - click to enlarge)

Russia's economy still depends in large measure on sales of oil and gas, which account for about two-thirds of exports, despite liberal policymakers calling for structural economic reform for years.

That means swings in global oil prices have a significant impact on Russia's balance of payments, and therefore the rouble exchange rate.  This will c

According to Ashraf Laidi:  The following sobering analysis on the S&P500 reinforces our expectations that recent record highs in US equity indices will not be revisited before at least six weeks.

A decline of at least 10% is expected to follow.

-        Last week’s 3.6% decline in the S&P500 single-handedly erased all of the prior seven weeks’ consecutive gains.

The last time the S&P500 erased at least three weeks’ of consecutive gains was the week after the October 2007 record. Stocks fell more than 50% thereafter and took six years to regain that high.

-        And for an unprecedented finding, last week’s S&P5 500 decline took place after SEVEN weekly consecutive gains, which had NEVER been seen before in the index.

Seven consecutive weekly gains have occurred in the past (Aug-Jul 1989, Aug-Sep 1993, Apr-May 1997, Feb-Mar 1998, Dec 2003-Jan 2004, Apr-May 2007, Mar-Apr 2009, Dec 2010-Jan 2011, Jan-Feb 2013), but never in any of those cases has the streak-breaking week fallen by more

I have to throw a flag in from the sidelines calling foul on the learned men on CNBCs Fast Money table Friday (video below) as traders remain bullish on the big screen.  In fact, they do not believe crude's fall will impact our rally.  Really?  Josh Brown stated there was no correlation b/w the price of oil and the S&P500 and did their level best to downplay the selling in crude oil.  Alright, overlay a comparison chart (left) and you won't see black gold having an enormous impact on the market with a few exceptions BUT, the energy complex represents an average of 6.9% of U.S. GDP. 

If it's a bear market, this changes the scenery.  Come on Josh; there's much more that you're not saying and we know it.  Stay with me here.  So typically if we saw a ten percent correction in crude, another sector in the S&P would merely step up to the plate and help lead such as tech or financials.

This time, however, we see regional banks such a Cullen-Frost (who lend to oil names down here in Texas fo

You'll hear "reverting to the mean" or "mean reversion" bandied about occasionally however not on a daily basis......unless you're watching gold's long sell off since it's explosion to the upside.  According to Investopedia, mean reversion is:

A theory suggesting that prices and returns eventually move back towards the mean or average. This mean or average can be the historical average of the price or return or another relevant average such as the growth in the economy or the average return of an industry.

Case in point is my theory that commodities are/have been doing just that.  Click on this long term chart of the CRB Index for a better view.

After decades trading in a wide range, commodities took off as the dotcom bubble broke in 2000.  Money had to go somewhere, didn't it?

But with a weak economy worldwide and no shortage of supply in grains or crude oil, just how low commodities will go is anyone's call at this juncture.

China's state-controlled energy giant Sinopec wants to sell some long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) import deals as a slowing economy makes them unprofitable, sources say, signalling the end of a five-year boom fueled by rising Chinese demand.

Kos here:  Note LNG and GLNG are two names in this space.  LNG shown left - click chart to enlarge..

Asia's thirst for energy has helped drive a "dash for gas" in producer countries from Australia to Canada, with LNG emerging as the fastest growing fuel source since the beginning of the century on the back of soaring Chinese imports. But just as long-planned projects start to come on stream China's economy is stuttering, which is likely to crimp demand and pull down domestic gas prices to levels that make imports unprofitable.

"We talk about China choking on LNG. There's just too much coming onto the market," said Gavin Thompson, Head of Asia Gas Research at Wood Mackenzie. Analysts say falling crude prices, which have dropped around 40 per

More than half the new households formed in the next six years will be renters rather than homeowners, according to a new report by the Urban Institute. But there aren’t nearly enough rental units to keep up with demand.

The result will be (is) low vacancy rates and higher rents, alongside stagnant incomes. Renter incomes are on average only 70% of homeowner incomes and add to that wide spread student loan debt and you have a good investment I believe will continue to profit (and pass on any interest rate hikes to their tenants).  This is not a short term blip on the radar screen either (see table below).  While everyone on CNBS (sic) will be cheering to buy builders, I will be watching apartment REITs for my IRA account.  Buy on weakness, sell on strength and ooooh, those dividends are a thing of beauty.

• Equity Residential (EQR) is perhaps the biggest name in the space, with 580 properties stretching across 24 states, representing some 152,000 rental units.  Good liquidity trading 1.

Indeed, I've read much concern over this area as oil collapsed so it does merit a warning.  From ZeroHedge:

The S&P 500 Energy sector stocks are down over 12% year-to-date, tumbling over 3% today to fresh 20-month lows. The spread (or risk) of high-yield energy credits surged again today, breaking above 850bps for the first time... The overall high-yield credit market is being dragged wider by this contagion as hedgers try to contain the collapse that is possible. For now, the S&P 500 remains entirely ignorant of the fact that over a third of its CapEx was expected to come from this crushed sector...

According to DB

US private investment spending is usually ~15% of US GDP or $2.8trn now. This investment consists of $1.6trn spent annually on equipment and software, $700bn on non-residential construction and a bit over $500bn on residential. Equipment and software is 35% technology and communications, 25-30% is industrial equipment for energy, utilities and agriculture, 15% is transpor

Rails are having a difficult time nowadays.  You can point a finger at lower gasoline prices, making shipment by tanker and truck more affordable but I believe you can also point a finger at the GOP and their desire to pass the Kochstone Keystone XL pipeline proposal.

It is what it is; bearish. 

Although CP shown here (click chart to enlarge) has not 'broken down' out of a bearish descending triangle, the lower swing high and high volume selling is evident.

I am already short but if it comes back to test upper resistance, you too can get short or purchase puts.  Risk and target shown.  Long live cheap gas.

In early October, I pointed out that the Russell 2000 (IWM or $RUT) could be forming a bullish butterfly pattern, having found buyers off of the 20month SMA.  (See here) 

Well so far so good and I'm calling it's recent consolidation a bull "flag" due to no significant breakdown in the other three indexes, nor semiconductors.

Friday we saw banks and broker/dealers make a nice reversal higher after comments were made, that while the ECB is not easing "now", they will be preparing a QE plan for their January meeting.  The U.S. 10 year popped and the banks/brokers followed in suit.

Small caps also typically outperform large caps going into the end of the year.  While the stronger US dollar may weigh on them longer term, I still believe Santa will not leave them off his "nice list" this holiday season.

While much of the equity market is extended, banks still have room to run and I feel small caps will rip to the upside and I hope to see them lead.  My next $RUT target $1300.  Stop below

Came across this interesting map of the largest revenue generating corporation by state and found

it somewhat interesting.  Living in Texas, I'm not surprised to see Exxon as our largest revenue generator (we do have around 30 refineries) but Archer Daniels Midland in Illinois?  I lived there for over 50 years and never knew they were located in Illinois nor met anyone who worked there.  Oklahoma it's Loves travel stops and country stores?  Alrightee then.  I wonder how many tax breaks these companies receive to retain their corporate offices there?  I wonder how many Americans they employ.  Uh oh, I better stop before I get political here.  Enjoy (click on map to enlarge)

Posted without commentary. What are your thoughts?

It's been bandied about a great deal lately so I thought I would post these graphics from CNBC to make things simpler to understand.  Clearly some drilling projects require higher prices to remain profitable while others, maybe not so much.  To explain a little on the price spreads, it all comes down to "when" each project was established where older ones may be require updating technology speaking and higher maintenance costs where newer ones are utilizing higher-tech equipment and can operate at a lower price on oil to break even.   Cost is also affected by how deep they have to drill to reach oil and how many barrels per day it puts out versus how much you invested in the well.  Clearly Saudi Arabia has the advantage but as they do, they drain their cash reserves (as does everyone else).

After Friday's spectacular 10% sell off in black gold, I went back to my earlier post on shorting crude oil and felt pretty darn good as I made myself a turkey sandwich for lunch.  Some would say it was a capitulation bottom but I just didn't see the volume which would come with such a move.   Yes there was heavy selling but it was funds getting OUT of energy names and forced selling - not buying a dip.  Sure, it can snap back and a near term bottom is most likely in but I will not be trading that.  The top is in in my opinion.  I will view any move higher (without an event risk occurring) as an opportunity to re-short at a higher level.

I still believe the entire sector is extremely over crowded with over 100 oil companies just in the U.S. alone.  While deflation in any sector is difficult to swallow, I may not be too far from the truth.  According to the WSJ:

Energy stocks are on sale following a five-month plunge in crude oil, but so far few investors are heeding the temptation

The National Federation of Retailers is out with some bad news about Black Friday – it sucked.  Some superlatives via WSJ:

“Shoppers spent an average $159.55 online, down 10.2% from $177.67 last year.”

“the number of people who went shopping over the four-day weekend declined by 5.2% to 134 million, from 141 million last year.”

“Total spending from Thursday through Sunday sank 11% from a year earlier to $50.9 billion”

The excuses you’ll hear will range from the warm weather in the Northeast to the protests to the late scheduling of Hanukkah this year to the whole “consumers are smart enough to wait til closer to Christmas”.  My own take is that online is going to be big all month long and traditional shopping patterns are null and void. There’s nothing important about Black Friday to most consumers anymore. They know the deals will be endless and often.

Courtesy of ReformedBroker

Kos here - My other thought is that it's tough to spend a lot on Christmas when you're earning minimu

Arthur C. Clarke's first broadcast on 29 May 1974, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that by 2001 every household will have a computer and be connected all over the world. Clarks was a British science fiction writer, science writer and futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host.  He is perhaps most famous for being co-writer of the screenplay for the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, widely considered to be one of the most influential films of all time.