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Debtcrisis

More Rate Hikes on the MenuCBOT: Micro 30-Year Treasury Yield ( CBOT_MINI:30Y1! ) President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached an agreement in principle late Saturday to raise the nation’s debt limit and cut federal spending, ending a rollercoaster round of negotiations. The current national debt ceiling is $31.4 trillion. The tentative deal would raise it by $4 trillion through the end of 2024. In return, it would cap annual discretionary spending for two years, keeping non-defense spending levels flat. Future Fed Rate Actions With a US default and potential economic disaster being averted, the Federal Reserve (Fed) would likely stay on its course of fighting inflation. On May 26th, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE) up by 0.4% in April to an annual rate of 4.4%. This surpassed both the market consensus of 3.9% and the March PCE of 4.2%. The Core PCE excluding food and energy is 4.7%, exceeding March level by 0.1%. The surprising rebound in inflation indicates that the Fed’s job is not done, even after it hiked the Fed Funds rate seven times last year and three more times in 2023. CME FedWatch Tool gauges the probabilities of rate hikes based on 30-Day Fed Funds futures pricing data. It shows that, on May 28th, the odds of a 25-bp hike in June FOMC meeting at 64.2%. The probability of raising another 25 bps in July is 27.1%. The futures market does not expect the Fed to cut interest rates before the end of the year. The interest rate market is in disarray, and this may present new trading opportunities. Mortgage Rate Tops 7% On Sunday, May 28th, the average 30-year fixed mortgage interest rate is 7.15%, rising 16 basis points from last week, according to Bankrate.com. This is an annual increase of 1.61%: the 30-year fixed was 5.54% on May 26th, 2022; Prior to the Fed rate hikes, it was only 3.65%-3.85% in February 2022. MORTGAGE30US, the mortgage rate data tracked by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, records 6.57% on May 25th. Meanwhile, CBOT 30-Year Micro Yield Futures is quoted 3.988% for its May contract last Friday. What does this mean? The 30-year duration interest rate spread between the riskless Treasury rate and a risky mortgage rate is now 258 basis points. For comparison, in September 2021, the same spread was only 80 bps with a 2.1% Treasury yield and a 2.9% mortgage rate. The spread has more than tripled in the past two years. When the Fed started raising rates last year, both Treasury yield and mortgage rate rose. The trends diverged in October. In the mortgage market, banks continued to raise lending rates in response to the actual increases in the cost of capital. In the financial market, “Fed Pivot” expectations weighed on Treasury prices. As the Fed lowered the rate increases from 75 bps to 50 bps and then 25 bps, 10- and 30-Year bond yields fell, while 1-Month and 2-Year yields rose, creating a negative yield curve, or the so-called inverted yield curve. Why Treasury Yield Needs to Catch Up In hindsight, mortgage bankers are proven to be right, while the rate cut forecast by bond investors is premature. With the new twist in inflation data, both bond yield and mortgage rate have the potential to go up further in the coming months. Treasury bond yield has some “catching up” to do as investors adjust their expectations. Here is my logic: Firstly, raising the debt ceiling opens up trillions of dollars of new government borrowing. By the rule of supply and demand, a high demand of money will raise its price, all else constant. Treasury bond yield is the price the government paid to borrow money; Secondly, the last-minute deal on debt ceiling helps avoid a potential economic crisis. The housing market is cooling but unlikely to crash any time soon. This ensures that the higher mortgage rates are here to stay; Thirdly, the large interest rate spread created an arbitrage opportunity for lenders by borrowing from the bond market to fund the mortgage operations with the same maturity; Therefore, the 30-year Mortgage-to-Treasury spread could narrow in the future. Since mortgage rate is not likely to fall, the gap could be closed by a higher Treasury yield. We could express the view of high Treasury yield expectation by establishing a long position in CBOT 30-Year Micro Yield Futures. The June contract 30YM3 is quoted 4.000% last Friday. Each contract has a notional value of 1,000 index points, which equates to $4,000 at current quote. CME Group requires an initial margin of $300 per contract. Current Fed Funds target rate is 500-525 bps. Hypothetically, if the Fed raises 25 bps in June, and 30-Year Treasury Yield goes up by the same amount, a long futures position could gain $250. This would be equivalent to an 83% return, excluding commissions. Long Futures would lose money if the yield falls, by $10 for each basis point movement. The July contract 30YN3 will begin trading this week. I would monitor the opening price to determine if it is still quoted at a discount - below short-term Treasury rate and mortgage rate. Happy Trading. Disclaimers *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
CBOT_MINI:30Y1!Long
by JimHuangChicago
US30 POSITIVE - DEBT CEILING OUTCOMEOverall on Indics we have seen price range, investor and banks are waiting to hear what the USA will do on the debt ceiling crisis. As we have previously seen that with positive news on the debt ceiling the markets will rise, and with negative news on the debt ceiling markets will drop ( potentially 45% based off analysts at JP Morgan) If we get positive news on the debt ceiling I am seeing this potential swing trade happen - also an inverse H&S on the daily timeframe. If news is negative then we will most likely see price drop, retesting the head support and potentially dropping even more. If you like my ideas please like and share, support on our Dserver ill be much appreciated!
BLACKBULL:US30Long
by jaimehucrypto
4
The Debt Ceiling The debt ceiling in the US is a legislative limit on the amount of national debt that can be incurred by the U.S. Treasury. President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are set to hold a direct meeting on Monday following a weekend of intermittent negotiations regarding the nation's debt ceiling. This meeting takes place just days before the government faces a critical "hard deadline" where it risks running out of funds to meet its financial obligations. The possibility of a government default is unprecedented and would have devastating consequences for the nation's economy. Yellen and economic experts have expressed concerns, highlighting the potential for the situation to become "catastrophic." In the past, raising the debt ceiling used to be a routine act carried out by Congress, enabling the Treasury Department to continue borrowing funds to cover the nation's already incurred bills. However, in recent times, the vote to raise the debt ceiling has become a point of political leverage, with lawmakers using it as a must-pass bill to push forward other priorities. House Republicans, who hold the majority this Congress, are currently refusing to raise the debt limit unless President Biden and the Democrats agree to implement federal spending cuts and impose restrictions on future spending. In my opinion, we will see a suspension of the debt ceiling to allow for negotiations to form and be completed. As a result, I have a short-term bullish outlook, followed by an anticipated drop to $392 after the announcement, whatever it may be. Looking forward to read your opinion about it!
AMEX:SPYShort
by TopgOptions
Artificial Banks Wane: Bitcoin Ushers in Financial Epoch This chart shows a view of the top 8 banks in the United States and the charts go back to at least 2008 so you may see how artificial the bubble is. As the Federal Reserve continues its interest rate hikes, a cloud of uncertainty looms over the banking sector. This trading strategy anticipates potential instabilities in major banks, which could catalyze a significant migration towards decentralized finance solutions such as Bitcoin. Higher rates could strain over-leveraged banks, leading to a fall in their value, while Bitcoin could rise as an alternative financial refuge. COMBINED TOTAL OF ALL 8 BANKS = 1.5 Trillion 1. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM): $391.88 billion 2. Mastercard Incorporated (MA): $360.32 billion 3. Bank of America Corp. (BAC): $218.28 billion 4. Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC): $151.81 billion 5. Morgan Stanley (MS): $137.6 billion 6. Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS): $106.65 billion 7. Citigroup Inc. (C): $88.48 billion 8. U.S. Bancorp (USB): $46.62 billion The colossal $1.5 trillion valuation of these traditional banking institutions may give an illusion of robustness, yet this façade might not withstand the test of an evolving financial landscape. These banks, laden with their outdated models and susceptibility to Fed's rate hikes , represent a realm of finance that is increasingly becoming unsustainable. I believe a significant portion of the capital currently tied in these institutions is likely to flow into more resilient, decentralized financial systems such as Bitcoin. By doing so, investors may pivot from a seemingly sinking ship to a dynamic and emergent financial framework, embracing the future of finance with open arms.
NYSE:MSShort
by MichaelBsul
Why are investors turning their attention to mid-cap stocks?This will be the 2 questions we will be discussing today 1. So, what is happening on this divergence and its implication? 2. And who is leading who? a. Large cap leading the mid-to-small cap market? Or b. The mid-to-small cap leading the large cap market? The answer: The mid-to-small cap is leading the large cap market and why is it so? If recession hits, hypothetically mid-to-small cap stocks employing the majority of the work force or employees in United States will be the most affected, this huge workforce is also considered as the mass consumer. The large cap stocks, their business depends on the mass consumer. If the mass consumers start to tighten their belts, the large cap stocks revenue will also be affected subsequently. Some reference for traders: E-mini S&P MidCap 400 & Option: Outright: 0.10 index points = $10.00 Micro E-mini S&P MidCap 400: CME ClearPort: 0.05 index points = $0.50 E-mini Russell 2000 & Option: Outright: 0.10 index points = $5.00 Micro E-mini Russell 200 Outright: 0.10 index points = $0.50 Disclaimer: • What presented here is not a recommendation, please consult your licensed broker. • Our mission is to create lateral thinking skills for every investor and trader, knowing when to take a calculated risk with market uncertainty and a bolder risk when opportunity arises. CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups in real-time and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
CME_MINI:EMD1!Short
by konhow
2
Navigating The American Debt Ceiling DramaSome people create their own storms. And then get upset when it starts to rain. US Debt Ceiling drama is akin to a soap opera that never ends. Debt ceiling issue is not new. Why bother now? Political polarisation in the US has got to unprecedented levels. The showmanship could tip over into a political nightmare. It could send economic shockwaves with impact deeply felt both within US and well beyond its shores. Many politicians seemingly are so pulled away from reality that their fantasies aren’t working. Wishing away a problem out of its existence is not a solution. The Debt Ceiling is here. US defaulting on its debt is highly unlikely. Scarily though, the probability of that occurrence is non-zero. This paper looks at recent financial history surrounding prior debt ceiling episodes. Crucially, it delves into investor behaviour and their corresponding investment decisions across various asset classes. When uncertainty looms large, straddles and spreads arguably deliver optimal hedging and investment outcomes. A SHORT HISTORY OF DEBT CEILING. WHAT IS IT? HAS IT BEEN BREACHED BEFORE? The US debt ceiling is a maximum cap set by the Congress on the debt level that can be issued by the US Treasury to fund US Government spending. The ceiling was first introduced in 1917 to give US Treasury more flexibility to borrow money to fund first world war. When the US government spends more money than it brings in through taxes and revenues, the US Treasury issues bonds to make up the deficit. The net treasury bond issuance is the US national debt. Last year, the US Government spent USD 6.27 trillion while only collecting USD 4.9 trillion in revenue. This resulted in a deficit of “only” USD 1.38 trillion which had to be financed through US treasury bond issuance. This deficit was not an exception. In fact, that’s the norm. The US Government can afford to and has been a profligate borrower. It has run a deficit each year since 2001. In fact, it has had budget surplus ONLY five (5) times in the last fifty (50) years. If that wasn’t enough, the deficit ballooned drastically from under USD 1 trillion in 2019 to more than USD 3.1 trillion in 2020 and USD 2.7 trillion in 2021 thanks to massive pandemic stimulus programs and tax deferrals. This pushed the total US national debt to a staggering USD 31.46 trillion, higher than the debt ceiling of USD 31.4 trillion. The limit was breached! So, what happened when the ceiling was broken? Not that much actually. When the ceiling is broken into, the US Congress must pass legislation to raise or suspend the ceiling. Congress has raised the ceiling not once but 78 times since 1970. The decision is usually cross-partisan as the ceiling has been raised under both Republicans and Democrats. It was last raised in 2021 by USD 2.5 trillion to its current level. Where consensus over raising the ceiling cannot be reached, Congress can also choose to suspend the ceiling as a temporary measure. This was last done from 2019 to 2021. Since January, the Treasury has had to rely on the Treasury General Account and extraordinary measures to keep the country functioning. Cash balance at the Treasury remains precariously low. Its operating balance stood close to nearly USD 1 trillion last April but now hovers around USD 200 billion. Such reckless borrowing! Yet US continues to remain profligate. How? Global investors have confidence in the US Government's ability to service its debt. Despite the increasing debt, the US Government continues to pay investors interest on its bonds without a miss. Strong economic growth and its role as a global economic powerhouse assuages investor concerns over a potential default. Additionally, where Treasury does not have adequate operating cash flow, it leans on a credit line from the Federal Reserve (“Fed”). The dollar’s strength and reserve status contribute to the US Government’s creditworthiness and vice-versa. The Fed is also the largest holder of US government debt. It holds USD 6.1 trillion as of September 2022 (20% of the overall debt). The share of government debt held by the Fed surged to current levels from just above 10% during the pandemic due to massive purchases of treasury bills by the Fed as an emergency stimulus measure. GROWING US DEBT IS BECOMING A SOURCE OF CONCERN US debt has ballooned during the pandemic. It is deeply concerning for multiple reasons. Key among them is the risk of default. Although debt has increased significantly, GDP growth during this period has been tepid due to pandemic restrictions stifling economic activity. As such the ratio of national debt to GDP, a measure of the US’s ability to pay back its loan has also skyrocketed. This increases the risk that the US Government may fail to service its debt. A US Government default would lead to surging yields on treasury bonds and crashing stock prices. It would also call into question its creditworthiness limiting future borrowing potential. A default will also have far-reaching economic consequences threatening dollar hegemony which is already being challenged on multiple fronts. Another concern is the rising cost of servicing the debt. Servicing the debt is the single largest government expense. Interest payments on debt this year are expected to reach USD 357.1 billion or 6.8% of all government expenditure. Additionally, with the Fed having raised interest rates with no stated intention of pivoting in 2023, the interest rate on US public debt, which is currently at historical lows, will also rise. DEBT CEILING BREACH AGAIN. SO WHAT? LOOKING BACK IN TIME FOR ANSWERS. There has been more than one occasion when political disagreements resulted in Congress delaying the raising of the debt limit. In 2011, political disagreements pushed the government to the brink of default. The ceiling was raised just two (2) days before the estimated default deadline (the “X-date”). Despite the raise, S&P lowered its credit rating for the United States from AAA to AA+ reflecting the effects that political disagreements were having on the country’s creditworthiness. This played out again in 2013 due to same political disagreements. Thankfully, for investors, the effects of the 2013 crisis on financial markets were not as severe. Flash back. Equity markets initially dropped after the debt ceiling was reached and investors worried that the disagreements would not be resolved in time. In July 2011, markets started to recover as both parties started to work on deficit reduction proposals. Then on July 25th, just eight (8) days before the borrowing authority of the US would be exhausted, Credit Default Swaps on US debt spiked and the CDS curve inverted as participants feared that a deal would not be reached in time. This led equities sharply lower. On August 2nd, a bill raising the ceiling was rushed through both the House and the Senate. Following this S&P lowered US credit rating from AAA to AA+ citing uncontrolled debt growth. Equity prices continued to drop even after the passage of the bill. Commodities showed similar price behaviour heading into the passage of the bill. However, unlike stocks, gold and silver prices rallied after August 2nd. The USD weakened against other currencies before the passing of the bill but recovered after August 2nd. Treasury yields trended lower but spiked during key events during this period. Short-term treasury yields remained highly volatile. Following crisis resolution, yields plunged sharply. US DEBT CEILING CRISIS AGAIN. WHAT NOW IN 2023? The US reached its debt ceiling again in January 2023 and yet another debt crisis. 2013 is repeating itself again as lawmakers disagree over whether to raise the ceiling further or bring the budget under control. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a non-partisan organization, has estimated that the US could be at a risk of default as early as June 1st. Republicans disagree with the Biden administration. They seek budget cuts to reduce annual deficits while Democrats want the ceiling to be raised without any conditions tied to it. This crisis is exacerbated by rising political polarisation in the US. Not just metamorphically, the Republicans and Democrats are at each other’s throat. A study by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace found that no established democracy in the recent past has been as polarised as the US is today. This raises the risk that Congress gets into a stalemate. Moreover, the house is only in session for 12 days in May. After the law is passed in Congress it must also pass through the Senate and the President. The availability of all three overlap on just seven (7) days, the last of which is the 17th of May. This means that lawmakers have just 3 days (from May 12th) to reconcile their differences before the US is put at risk of default. POSITIONING INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS IN DEBT CRISIS WITH X-DATE IN SIGHT What’s X-date? It refers to the date on which the US Government would have exhausted all its options except debt default. The X-date could arrive as early as June 1st. There is a small chance that it could arrive in late July or early August. The US Government collects tax receipts in mid-June. If the US Treasury can stretch until then it will have enough cash to last another six weeks before knocking against the debt ceiling again. The current crisis has been brewing. Equity markets remain sanguine. But near-term treasury yields have started panicking. Short term yields have spiked. The difference in yield on Treasury Bills that mature before the likely X-date (23/May) & after it (13/June) has shot up. Muted equity markets create compelling opportunity for short sellers. In the same vein, it also presents buying opportunities when debt ceiling is eventually lifted. When up or down is near impossible to predict, an astutely crafted straddle or time spread can save the day. DISCLAIMER This case study is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. Trading or investment ideas cited here are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management or trading under the market scenarios being discussed. Please read the FULL DISCLAIMER the link to which is provided in our profile description.
TVC:US01MY
by mintdotfinance
27
Preparing for the Worst: Trading Ahead of a US Debt Default "It is impossible to predict with certainty the exact date when Treasury will be unable to pay the government's bills," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a letter to Congress. Although Yellen noted a tentative date of June 1 as the due date to help spur lawmakers into action. While it is highly unlikely that the US will default on its debt, this doesn’t mean that the traders won’t make plans to deal with a default or get jittery. Two likely markets that will have to deal with the moves from these investors will be forex and gold. If uncertainties about an unprecedented potential U.S. debt default persist, the US dollar might lose some of its safe haven status which would possibly shift to gold. US President Joe Biden plans to meet with House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican leader Mitch McConnell on May 9. This will be a key date to watch the US dollar and gold in case the group come to some kind of agreement to increase the debt ceiling. With the US being the bedrock of the whole world’s financial system, we might also expect to see investors' jitters manifest in offshore-based assets too. Other safe havens such as the Japanese yen, the Swiss franc, and particularly the euro might be prime candidates for inflows.
by BlackBull_Markets
5 Things to Watch in the Next 2 WeeksCME: E-Mini S&P 500 Put Options ( CME_MINI:ES1! ) Important data releases in the coming weeks would shed light on the health of the US economy and could have significant impacts on global financial markets. We will focus on a number of critical datasets, mainly the following, in the upcoming weeks: • Federal tax revenue (Tax filing deadline: April 18) • Existing home sales (April 20) • Personal income and outlay (April 28) • Fed rate hike, or the lack of it (May 3) • Gasoline price trend (before peak summer driving season) Federal Tax Revenue According to the US Treasury Department, the sources of tax revenue for US federal government in 2021 were: • Individual taxes: 42.1% • Social insurance taxes: 23.8% • Consumption taxes: 16.6% • Property taxes: 11.4% • Corporate taxes: 6.0% The annual tax filing deadline for individual and corporation is April 18th. In practice, income tax, social security and Medicare are withheld from each paycheck for employees. Corporations pay estimated tax on a monthly basis. Property taxes are assessed annually. Sales tax is paid whenever you buy products or services. Tax filing is a process where taxpayers calculate tax liability and claim tax credit. If you’ve paid too much, ask for a refund. If you didn’t pay enough, send Uncle Sam a check. We could track government tax revenue and expenditure using the Monthly Treasury Statement (MTS) data published by the Treasury Department. Here are what I found: • In the first three months of 2023, gross tax revenue is $2.268 trillion, while tax refund amounts to $219.8 billion; The resulting net tax receipts are $2.048 trillion; • Comparing to Q1 2022, gross tax revenue is down 0.2%, but tax refunds are up big time by 45.8%. Net tax receipts are down 3.5% year-over-year; • Q1 individual income taxes $1.22 trillion, tax refunds $192.4 billion and net tax receipts $1.03 trillion; Y/Y changes are -1.9%, +59% and -8.5%, respectively; • Q1 corporate income taxes (in billions) $159.0, refunds $19.0, and net tax receipts $140.0; Y/Y changes are +5.1%, -20.7% and +10.0%, respectively; Individual taxes are the most important revenue source for the United States. A declining tax receipt would push the federal budget deeper in the red. But with unemployment at record low and wages on the rise, why is income tax revenue going down? In 2020, the top 1% of income earners earned 22% of all income and paid 42% of all federal income taxes – more than the bottom 90% combined (37%). For the top earners, most of their income taxes come from capital gain, not from wages. In 2021, Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 18.7% while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 had annual returns of approximately 27%. I examine the MTS data for April 2022, which covered the tax filing period for year 2021. Net income tax receipt was $1.72 trillion, up 68.5% y/y. This shows positive correlation between stock market gains and growth in individual income tax revenue. In 2022, the Dow declined 8.8%, while S&P and Nasdaq were down 19.4% and 33.0%, respectively. The individual income tax in Q1 2023 was down 1.9%, but tax refund was up 59%. This again shows positive correlation – stock market losses and decline in income tax revenue. March MTS data strongly indicates that investors are writing off big capital losses from last year. When the tax season is over, I expect to see bigger tax refund and widening net receipt shortfall in the April MTS data vs same period in 2022. Implications: Urgency for Debt Ceiling Negotiation In January, in a letter addressed to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned the US has once again reached its debt limit. The Treasury Department started taking extraordinary measures to keep paying the federal government’s bills, but it would suspend new investments until June 5, 2023. Yellen warned both moves are subject to “considerable uncertainty” if Congress does not pass the bill to increase the debt ceiling. US financials have deteriorated since. According to USDebtClock.org: • US National Debt: $31.69 trillion • US Federal Spending: $6.03 trillion • US Federal Tax Revenue: $4.61 trillion • US Federal Budget Deficit: $1.42 trillion We now expect tax revenue to decline by at least tens of billions of dollars, while spendings on Defense, Medicare, Social Security, and Debt Interest are all going up. As a result, federal budget deficit could be underestimated by well over one hundred billion dollars. Would the federal government have enough money to keep the light on until early June? I suspect the insolvency time bomb is ticking closer and closer. Short-term Trading Strategies Although we had two rate hikes and a banking crisis in the first 100 days of 2023, major stock market indexes are all in the positive territory. The Dow gained 2.2%, S&P 500 rebounded 7.8%, and the Nasdaq pushed up 19.6% YTD. While investors managed to brush off bad news so far, balance sheet deterioration in government, corporation and household would eventually catch up. I am seeing a 5-10% correction in the S&P 500, if some of the following conditions materialize: • Federal tax revenue comes in significantly lower than expected. April MTS report would be released around May 12th; • May 3rd FOMC: If the Fed raises rates and does not signal an end of the tightening cycle, both corporate earnings and household spending would suffer; • US banks could tighten lending standards in the wake of banking crisis. This would add to higher borrowing cost on top of the rising interest rates; • Debt ceiling negotiation: if the White House and the Congress could not reach a deal quickly, we may be heading for the technical default of US government debt. Right now, they are not even sitting at the negotiating table. Options on CME E-Mini S&P 500 may be a way to express a bearish view. The E-mini S&P 500 Index Futures June contract (ESM3) is quoted 4171.75 last Friday. With a notional value of HKEX:50 x S&P 500 Index point, each contract is worth $208,587.5. Put option with a 4070 strike, which is about 100 points below market value, is quoted 76.25. To acquire one option requires an upfront premium of HKEX:3 ,812.50 (=76.25 X HKEX:50 ). Put option carries a nonlinear payoff diagram. Your loss is limited to the premium you paid, but potential gain is unlimited. Hypothetically, if the S&P futures price falls to 3900, put option will be 170 points in the money (=4070-3900). The gain on the account would be HKEX:8 ,500 for each contract. If our view proves to be incorrect and the S&P goes up instead, put premium could decline in value, resulting in a loss. The worst-case scenario is that options would expire worthless. Happy Trading. (To be continued) Disclaimers *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
CME_MINI:ES1!Short
by JimHuangChicago
19
Debt Ceiling and Its Effect on the Market and Bitcoin.The debt ceiling is a legal limit set by the U.S. government on the total amount of national debt that can be outstanding at any given time. When the government reaches this limit, it must either raise the debt ceiling or default on its debt. The debt ceiling is often a contentious issue, with some arguing that it should be raised to allow the government to borrow more money, while others argue that it should be lowered to reduce government spending. The effect of the debt ceiling on the market and the economy can be complex and multifaceted. If the debt ceiling is not raised and the government defaults on its debt, it could lead to a loss of confidence in the U.S. economy and financial markets, which could lead to a decline in stock prices and an increase in interest rates. If the debt ceiling is raised, it may signal that the government is willing to continue borrowing and spending, which could boost economic growth and support stock prices. As for Bitcoin, it is decentralized digital currency, and it's not directly linked to the debt ceiling or the performance of the stock market. However, the sentiment of the market and the economy has an impact on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. During times of uncertainty, investors may see Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation and market volatility, which could boost its price. On the other hand, a stable and growing economy may reduce the appeal of Bitcoin as a safe haven asset, which could result in a decline in its price. The debt ceiling and Bitcoin have had different effects on the economy. The debt ceiling has been used to control the amount of money the government can borrow and has been raised multiple times over the years. Bitcoin, on the other hand, has been a volatile asset, with its price fluctuating drastically over the years. While the debt ceiling has been used to manage government debt, Bitcoin has been used as a speculative asset, with investors and traders using it to make profits. Finally! Historically, it has shown good benefits over the years when the debt ceiling is reached; however, the effect of that is just temporary before something finally crashes, as the charts show. On the other hand, Bitcoin has been a roller coaster ride, with its price rising and falling drastically over the years. While the debt ceiling has been used to control government debt, Bitcoin has been used as an investment asset, with investors and traders speculating on its future price movements.
COINBASE:BTCUSDLong
by mr_rabbit4
Game Theory and the US Debt Crisis ShowdownE-Mini S&P ( CME_MINI:ES1! ), Euro FX ( CME:6E1! ), 10-Year Note ( CBOT:ZN1! ) True or False? • US Government has never defaulted on its debt obligations. • US Treasury bonds have always maintained AAA credit ratings. A history lesson: In June 1812, 30 years after the Revolutionary War, the U.S. declared war against Britain and Spain. In August 1814, British troops burned Washington, D.C. With the Treasury building destroyed, Uncle Sam was unable to service its debts for months. Extraordinary circumstance it may be, this was a default, nonetheless. In 2011, the federal government inched close to its $14.294 trillion debt limit. In April, the Standard & Poor’s responded by changing the outlook of US sovereignty debts from “stable” to “negative”. On August 5, 2011, S&P downgraded US credit ratings from AAA (outstanding) to AA+ (excellent). Moody’s and Fitch retained the triple-A ratings. However, they changed the US outlook to “negative”, in June and November, respectively. Global stock markets declined on Monday, August 8, 2011, following the downgrade announcement. Three major U.S. stock indexes lost between 5% and 7% in one day. What happened next blew our mind. U.S. treasury bonds, the very subject of the downgrade, rose in price! Amid the worsening creditworthiness of the US government, the US dollar gained in value against the Euro and the British Pound. This is a classic example of a general flight to safety. “When America sneezes, the world catches a cold” . Deteriorating financial conditions in the US triggers more severe economic crisis in the rest of the world. At the time, investors were concerned about a European debt crisis, and they pulled money out of Europe and into US dollar and bonds. The US Debt Ceiling Per the definition by the US Department of Treasury, the debt limit is the total amount of money that the United States government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and other payments. The debt limit, also called the debt ceiling, does not authorize new spending commitments. It simply allows the government to finance existing legal obligations that Congresses and presidents of both parties have made in the past. Failing to increase the debt limit would have catastrophic economic consequences. It would cause the government to default on its legal obligations. That would precipitate another financial crisis and threaten the jobs and savings of everyday Americans. Congress has always acted when called upon to raise the debt limit. Since 1960, Congress has acted 78 separate times to permanently raise, temporarily extend, or revise the definition of the debt limit. The current U.S. debt limit stands at $31.4 trillion. Current Debt Ceiling Crisis Last Thursday, in a letter addressed to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned the US has once again reached its debt limit. The Treasury Department started taking extraordinary measures to keep paying the federal government’s bills, but it will suspend new investments until June 5, 2023. Yellen warned both moves are subject to “considerable uncertainty” if Congress does not pass a bill to increase the debt ceiling. Highlights of current US government financials, according to USDebtClock.org: • US National Debt: $31.50 trillion • US Federal Spending: $6.00 trillion • US Federal Tax Revenue: $4.61 trillion • US Federal Budget Deficit: $1.40 trillion • 2022 US GDP: $25.93 trillion • Debt to GDP Ratio: 1.21 A comparison to data from my previous report, “The Real Cost of Fed Rate Hikes”, shows big spending just gets bigger in merely six months: • Medicare: $1.52 vs. 1.40 trillion, up $120 billion • Social Security: $1.25 vs. 1.00 trillion, up $250 billion • Defense: $776 vs. 751 billion, up $25 billion • Debt Interest: $523 vs. 440 billion, up $123 billion It’s worth noting that the Fed hiked interest rates and the Treasury got stuck with bigger interest payments. It’s like a boomerang hitting back at the US government. As I have expected, “Debt Interest” could overtake “Defense” as the third largest budget item. This could happen in the new annual budget cycle starting October, as Treasury gradually retires cheap bonds and must borrow at much higher rates. A Public Showdown on the US Debt Ceiling The White House urged Congress to raise the debt ceiling “without condition.” House Republicans, emboldened by their recent majority party control, are preparing for a hard fight. “You couldn’t just keep increasing it,” said House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. He called for cuts to avoid bankrupting programs like Medicare and Social Security. GOP lawmakers want to slash spending as part of an agreement to increase the debt limit. Some have said major spending cuts to key government programs were part of the negotiations that helped McCarthy win the speakership. Excluding the rare 1814 precedent, the U.S. government has not defaulted on its debt. However, the debt ceiling has been raised 22 times from 1997 to 2022. Concessions sought by the new Republican House majority have led to concerns that Congress could have trouble raising the debt ceiling before June. The Looming Default Deadline Secretary Yellen's early June deadline is an educated guess at best. Billions of dollars go in and out of the Treasury coffer daily. While many variables affect the government balance sheet, the biggest unknown is: How much will the government receive by April 15th? I think that the government default is closer than it appears, as Uncle Sam may get a smaller tax revenue this year. Please hear me out. The market capitalization of the entire US stock market is estimated at $40.5 trillion at year-end 2022, down $11.7 trillion or -22.5% from a year ago. An average investor might have lost 20% or more in her stock portfolio last year. A rational investor would sell the losing stocks at the year end to claim tax loss. Let me illustrate this with an example: Sherri put $10,000 each in 10 stocks in January 2022. By December, five of the stocks gained 10% on average, and the other five lost 30%. She decided to keep all the winners and sell all the losers at year end. This allows Sherri to record capital loss of $15,000 (=50,000x30%). Scenario 1 If Sherri made a taxable income of $80,000, without taking into account of capital loss, her tax bill would be $4,807 plus 22% of the amount over $41,775. $4,807 + ($80,000 - $41,775) * 22% = $13,216 Scenario 2 If Sherri claims all the capital loss in one year from her annual taxable income, her new tax bill will be $9,916, a reduction of $3,300. $4,807 + ($80,000 - $15,000 - $41,775) * 22% = $9,916 If more and more investors are doing the same thing, Uncle Sam may find a short fall in personal tax income in the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars. The prospect of corporate income tax revenue is not much rosier. US companies were met by high inflation, high labor cost, high energy bill and higher borrowing cost last year. All would hit the bottom-line, resulting a smaller tax bill. Game Theory: An Analytical Framework This dark picture may actually bring in opportunities for event-driven trading strategies. First, we could use a Game Theory Matrix to analyze the situation. In summary: • Republicans and Democrats each have two options: to fight or to talk ; • If they fight hard and are not willing to compromise, the debt ceiling could not be raised, and the US would default on its debt obligations; • If one party compromises first, it will bring the other party to the negotiation table; • If both parties are engaged in serious talk, they may reach a compromise and an agreement on a new debt limit; • There will be many rounds of negotiations. The talk may not necessarily be successful. It could break down at the end, leading to a default. In my opinion, a US default is no longer unthinkable. The Republicans have good reasons to carry through their threats if they could not get the compromises they seek for. After all, the blame will mainly fall on to the Biden Administration. If a US default is what it takes to bring the country back to fiscal responsibility, so be it. Event-Driven Strategies Taking the 2011 S&P downgrade as a guide, a US default could push T-bonds up and global stock markets down. Euro and Pound could depreciate against the dollar. In retrospect, I found that the rounds of fight and talk offer more trading opportunities. Each move could send shocks and ripples through the financial systems. In Long Strangle options strategy on CBOT Wheat last June, we recognized that the Russia-Ukraine conflict moved the wheat market with battleground actions, not one time but by multiple actions. CBOT 10-Year T-Note (ZN), CME E-Mini S&P 500 (ES) and CME Euro FX (6E) are possible instruments to apply this strategy. When the odds of default and new debt ceiling are both reasonably large, Strangle Options may be applicable. I would consider setting up out-of-the-money calls and OTM puts on the June futures contracts in March. It works the same way on either ZN, ES or 6E. Debt ceiling negotiations will pick up pace after the April 15th tax date. I expect a lot of market-moving breaking news in April and May. When you hold both calls and puts, you may find that regardless of whether the negotiations advance or break down, one of your positions will gain in value. Happy trading. Disclaimers *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. CME Real-time Market Data help identify trade set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, check out on CME Group data plans in TradingView that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
CME_MINI:ES1!Short
by JimHuangChicago
18
TLT dangerously close to 2008 supportNASDAQ:TLT not looking to HOT here. The federal reserve has the following 3 options: 1) Stick to 0.50 basis points and continue the slow bleed. ~ This will piss off investors with cash on the sidelines and will most like hit the market harder. 2) Get aggressive and raise 0.75-1 basis point ~ Market may react positively. This would show the federal reserve is "serious" on fighting inflation. 3) Take the foot off the accelerator and step back into the market. Using macro environment as an excuse, for example Russia invasion of Ukraine and China lockdowns. I think it is noteworthy to mention that China has lowered their interest rates and are outperforming US equities. It honestly looks way more attractive and this is something the fed will have to ponder. This is a lose/lose battle because the federal reserve cannot magically print supply.
NASDAQ:TLT
by HispanicHedge
The Inflation Monster & The Crisis Event IndicatorHow does this affect you? It's a MUCH bigger problem than you realize. The International/1% Wealth Class receives their Money long before it "trickles down" to you, the worker/consumer. This means they get the benefits of the full value of the Dollar long before inflation eats it away, however, you receive the same dollars much later after inflation has already taken a large portion of it's value. As prices continue to rise, your Gross Income (before taxes) cannot keep up with this constantly inflated value which rolls along every single day, which means you are always behind the curve and with each passing pay period you slowly earn less and less, even if you receive a raise it only takes you back to where you were before but most of the time it is to little to late. Thus, you will always have fewer Dollars since your Gross Income has already lost value even before you receive the Money. This is the hidden tax you've already paid and it is the slow and calculated destruction of the Middle Class. This is why your children are in debt, can't get a job and live in your basement and their children will be homeless. Many years the Inflation Rate is well above the 10yr avg. and is currently rising at the incredible rate of about 16% a year. Don't be fooled by anything MSM says, "Inflation is hitting 3%" nonsense, 16% is a conservative figure and is currently rising. This means that when you get paid about 16% of your paycheck has already vanished, yet you will still pay taxes on the full amount without any benefit, it is money you will never see. Any thought on what impact this might have on a local economy? Now the current Administration wants to raise Taxes even higher which will drive millions of people into poverty and many into bankruptcy. Now add to this another manufactured "Energy Crisis", (similar to 1978, gas lines and skyrocketing gas prices) job loses and the current flood of immigrants crossing the boarder and you have a recipe for complete and total disaster. Following 9/11, we now live in a state of constant "Crisis" events on a regular schedule in order to curb runaway inflation. Politicians either play the game or they are removed one way or another. MSM continues with endless propaganda to push the "Crisis" narrative. Social Media is now censoring and banning anyone that questions the Crisis Narrative and Free Speech is now under heavy attack. The Second Amendment is under full attack and is a serious threat to those that want to destroy the Untied States at any and all costs to human life is completely irrelevant. This problem can only be reversed with a sound money policy and the end of Fiat currency. The options for people to consider at this point are actually none. Either this Monster is destroyed or it will destroy you, take your pick, but there is no middle ground or compromise. If you do nothing and wish it away as though it doesn't exist, it will eventually destroy you, you will not escape it. There is no solution to this problem in Government, currently they are completely controlled and will only do exactly what they are told, forget calling your Congressman. This beast is like trying to reason with a blazing inferno while holding a blow torch. The current Crisis Indicator is at an 88.23 and will reach Crisis Level Critical at 96; since 9/11 it has marked a Crisis Event every time. Currently it is rising much faster than it has in the past. Expect anything at any moment, but one thing is certain, this clock does run out.
FRED:CPIAUCSLLong
by cldx
If everyone keen upside - What can go wrong?At present, everyone looks at only one country and this is the USA. But the time will come and suddenly everyone will pay attention to the new Babylon again. And it is not somewhere, but right in the center of Europe. The name of this association is the European Union. The creation of the European Union was first discussed in the early 1950s, when six countries announced the need to unite in order to preserve peace, social stability, economic and political union, create a single internal market and implement a common economic and monetary policy. This decision was fixed in the Rome Treaty. The number of participating countries then expanded from six to fifteen, culminating in the Maastricht Treaty in 1952. Then we saw the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1999. And a special place in history now takes Lisbon Treaty of 2009. The main role of the union began to play only with the introduction of a single currency, which replaced not only the incomprehensible ecu, but also replaced all the national currencies of the member countries. What do we have at the moment? The rapid expansion of the union has led to the fact that all countries are included in the same association, but all countries have completely different levels of development and often mentality. At the highest level, we see Germany and France, which in fact weurp the power of decision making. Why did they do it? Everything is simple, the EU enlargement has sharply worsened the governability and economic stability of the union, made it difficult to make any decisions. At present, the EU has 23 official languages. Nobody will accept English, only through the bodies of France and Germany. As we have already said, the European Union is a mix of people of different mentalities, cultures and religions, which in the absence of borders, the increasing migration of people from the countries of the Middle East covered by wars, has led to very serious problems within almost all countries. To this we can add illegal migration from Africa. What happened in the end. Growing nationalistic sentiment in all EU countries. At the same time, migrants do not aspire to become one with the local population at all, do not aspire to master the language of the country to which they came, are not ready to accept customs, lifestyle and culture. All of this leads to hostility among the local population and leads to confrontation at the staff level. Crime rates and, as a result, social instability are on the rise. All this also leads to problems for the states that are forced to spend huge amounts of money on benefits, on maintenance of immigrants. The most interesting is that migrants do not want to work and this leads to a reduction in social assistance for the indigenous population, because there are no taxes or budget revenues from migrants. Let's not fall into the demagogy of how the European Union was saved in 2008 or in 2011, but let's move on to the problem at once. The problem is very old. It is called the debts of peripheral countries. Do Greek bonds yield less than US Treasury bills? YES! Will you forgive me for my English - are you idiots? At the same time, I do not remember Italy, Spain. Have you seen youth unemployment in these countries? 35% of the world's public debt is traded at negative yields. 25% of the total global debt has a negative yield. $1.1 trillion of corporate debt has a negative yield. All this is actually nominated in yen and euro. In this case, for EUR it is a horror. Why is that? The debt burden of such European countries as Spain, Greece, Italy is so high that it's terrible to look at. In fact, there is no solution and there will be no one. The USA, England and Japan will print as much money as it takes to solve their problems. But here we have the European Union with decision-making at the level of parliaments of countries. Has the last fund, for which there were so many hopes, been ratified? Where is the money? Spain, with such unemployment and closed tourist centers, is bankrupt tomorrow summer. Is Germany ready to pay for Italy, Spain and Greece? No, not ready. Even to save Greece, they attracted the IMF. And even if you are not afraid now, I want to remind you about one small detail... EU Bail-In Rules give the state the right to save banks at the expense of depositors of these banks. As it was recently during the banking crisis in Cyprus. Aren't you scared for your euro?
by AlpacaBlack
6
EURUSD Short Swing PlanEuro is in manipulation prolly due to the global condition at the moment by this pandemic. Trillions and billions of moolah been printed out from global center banks are just an rotten news at this point and everyone is racing against to combat the virus and protecting their own plunging economy. System has already cracked and no idea how long it might be going this way. Debt rising eventually in all nations but could help escalate back the economy for some strong nations who are good at credit ratings. Sorry I was falling into macros by the way talking about euro technically it's been in a huge bearish trend for months or even a year in higher time frame. Don't get excited with ups and down in lower pictures young boys and girls. The reason only it was doing fine against king (buck) at small timeframes were when low yielding had charms like babe yellow metal in shine! I have figure out closely like a head and shoulder pattern in 2 hour resolution and I reckon if this pattern workout it might move price upward making the right shoulder. But....!!! a big but!!! If this head and shoulder doesn't workout in first place and price plunge lower with strong bearish momentum (after all the broad picture is either way a bearish trend) without making any sign of creating right shoulder then our short bias can workout smoothly. The good thing about this trade plan is that it's guaranteed that either you make money or lose money as it's so transparent that if price make right shoulder which will equal to stopped out! We got an edge i mean even if we get right and even if we get wrong we will know it clearly ahead that what we have to prepare for! Thanks for reading my idea and I hope you enjoyed and if you think it added some value in your trading don't forget to support me by hitting a thumbs up button! (LIKE)
Short
by Anatta0
17
Pressure on pound intensifies & apocalypseDespite the Christmas holidays and general calm in the forex market, the pound is dropping. Going below 1.30 is a very bad sign, but given the importance of the level zone 1.2950-1.3000, there is a serious risk of a full-fledged downward to 1.20. If the markets continue to believe in the impossibility of signing a trade agreement between the EU and the UK until the end of 2020, then exactly 1.20 is the mark to which the pound will be lead. Our position on the pound is unchanged: a critical reason for a “soft” Brexit is available and it will be extremely illogical to cross out the results of the efforts of the last three years at the last moment. So, in the medium-term purchase, buying pounds with each 100-point drop makes it more attractive, as the risk level is decreasing and the profit potential is growing. As for intraday trading, while the pound is below 1.30, bears control the situation. Accordingly, there is no desire to go against the market. Therefore, while the pound is below 1.30, we will trade on the intraday basis in both directions. Note that in the “thin” market, taking important levels is often false, so you should be prepared for a turn at any time. Now most pairs have quite interesting entry points. EURUSD, for example, a purchase from support 1.1070-80 with stops below 1.1040 and profits in the region of 1.1150 seems to be a very balanced trade (30-80 risk points account for 70-80 points of potential profit). USDJPY: all bull attempts to gain above 109.50-60 failed 2 times in a row. And if so, then it seems logical to decline to 108.50 region. That makes it possible to open a profitable position. Sale from 109.50 with stops above 109.80-90 and profits of about 108.50-60. The ratio of profit to risk is almost 3 to 1. Let’s back to the information background. World Bank experts frighten of the scale of the new crisis (debt crisis): the debt burden is growing rapidly, both in the private and public sectors, and this is happening not in individual regions, but around the world at the same time. The undisputed leader is China so that it can become the epicentre of global problems. We have been waiting for a crisis for a long time and every day its probability, in our opinion, is becoming higher. So buying safe-haven assets continues to be one of our favourite trading ideas.
Short
by Trade24Fx