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Ukrainewar

Will We See the Euro Trading Below Par?CME: Micro EUR/USD Futures ( CME_MINI:M6E1! ) #Microfutures Since the US election last November, the Euro currency has lost ground against the US dollar, with the EUR/USD exchange rate sliding from 1.08 to as low as 1.02. A combination of new policies from the Trump administration aims to strengthen the dollar. Recent efforts to end the geopolitical crisis will not support the euro. On the contrary, they could push the European common currency below the critical 1-dollar level. Quick Review of the EUR/USD Price Trend The euro has swung widely against central bank policies and geopolitical events: • 2020: The Fed implemented massive stimulus measures in response to the pandemic. Lowering interest rates and increasing money supply reduced the value of the USD • 2021: The faster vaccine rollout and quicker reopening of the US economy boosted economic growth and investor sentiment towards the USD • 2022: (1) The Fed raised interest rates to combat inflation, making the USD more attractive to investors compared to the Euro. (2) Europe faced an energy crisis due to its dependence on Russian gas. This crisis led to economic uncertainty and weakened the euro. (3) Ongoing geopolitical tensions created economic instability in Europe, further weakening the euro against the USD • Q4 2022 and 2023: European Central Bank abandoned its long-held zero-rate policy in September 2022. It raised rates eight times to 4.00%. These actions narrowed the interest rate differentials between the US and Europe, and helped the euro rebound • 2024: The EUR/USD moved mainly sideways in the range of 1.06 and 1.12. Fed easing and rebounds of US inflation contributed to the mild volatility. • Q4 2024 to Current. Dollar ascended quickly after the election win of Donald Trump. Investors expect strong dollar with the support of the new America First policies Ukraine Peace Talks and Possible Outcomes On February 12th, Presidents Trump and Putin agreed to immediately start negotiations to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. On February 18th, US and Russian officials held peace talks in Saudi Arabia. The two sides agreed to create a high-level team to lead the Ukraine peace talks. Neither Ukraine nor the EU participated in the meeting. How the peace talks would progress remain highly uncertain. Using Game Theory, we could break them down into two mutually exclusive and collectively inclusive outcomes: • Peace: US, Russia, Ukraine and the EU sign a peace agreement to end the conflict and ensure long-lasting peace. Whether it will be a fair treaty is a hotly debated topic. • No-Peace: Peace talks break down. The 3-year-long conflict continues. This could last for years but eventually will lead to a win/loss outcome or a draw. From an investing perspective, “No-Peace” is equivalent to “Risk On”. It may imply higher gold prices, higher energy costs and lower equity value. Meanwhile, “Peace” means “Risk Off”. We may see declining gold, lower oil and gas, and rising stock prices. However, it would be difficult to pick the price direction if we can’t predict the outcome. Peace or No Peace – A Steep Cost for Europe For better or worse, the recent events are a wakeup call to European countries. The US had defense spending totaling $967 billion in 2024, which is 3.49% of its GDP. For a comparison, the total defense spending for EU member states reached $358 billion in 2024. This represents around 1.9% of the EU's GDP • The US accounted for 73% of the defense spending in the 32 countries in NATO • Since 2022, the US contributed to 2/3 of all the financial aids sending to Ukraine The US administration intends to cut its financial support. Europe will have to increase defense spending dramatically. In a worst case, a complete breakdown in Cross-Atlantic relations could see the US exiting NATO and all US troops withdrawing from Europe. How much is the spending gap? In 2024, Russia had defense budget of $462 billion, or 6.7% of its GDP. Ukraine had defense budget of $40 billion, or 22% of its GDP. • EU plus Ukraine spent $64 billion less than Russia in defense budget. In my opinion, in a Peace scenario and with reduced US involvement, the EU defense budget must surpass that of Russia to ensure Ukraine to stay on top. I find this to be 2.5% of GDP. This means a 32% increase or $471 billion in total defense spending. For No-Peace, the EU will be fighting an active war. NATO will need to maintain a standing army of 1 million troops and rebuild an entire defense industry. In this scenario, I feel that the defense budget needs to double 5% of GDP. budget to raise a large army and rebuild an entire defense industry. This means a 163% increase or $942 billion in total defense spending. If the above numbers sound outrageous, Israel, a country constantly fighting for its survival, will serve as a good refence point. In 2024, Israel's defense spending amounted to 117.5 billion Israeli shekels (around $32.5 billion USD), which is 6.7% of its GDP. The EU has an estimated GDP growth at 0.9% in 2024 and a forecast growth of 1.5% in 2025. The defense budget increase will cause mandatory cuts in non-defense spending. The combined effect will be negative, pushing GDP growth into a negative territory. In my opinion, re-arming Europe is critical to its survival. However, defense buildup comes at a steep cost. The expectations of lower GDP growth will push the value of Euro currency lower, likely below the 1-dollar critical level. Commitment of Traders shows diminishing bullish sentiment The CFTC Commitments of Traders report shows that on February 11th, total Open Interest (OI) for CME Euro FX Futures is 622,873 contracts. “Asset Manager” (i.e., hedge funds) own 338,182 in Long, 177,937 in Short and 35,597 in Spreading. • While they maintain a long-short ratio of 1.9:1, hedge funds have reduced long positions by 1,014 while increasing short positions by 2,249. • This indicates that “Smart Money” is becoming less bullish on the Euro. Trade Setup with Micro Euro/USD Futures If a trader shares a similar view, he could express his opinion by shorting the CME Micro Euro/USD Futures ($M6E). M6E contracts have a notional value of 12,500 euro. With February 19th settlement price of 1.0435, each March contract (M6EH5) has a notional value of $13,044. Buying or selling one contract requires an initial margin of $260. Hypothetically, a trader shorts March M6E contract and the euro drops to $0.99. A short futures position would gain $668.75 (= (1.0435 – 0.99) x $12500). Using the initial margin as a cost base, a theoretical return would be +257% (= 668.75 / 260). The risk of shorting euro futures is rising euro. Investors could lose part of or all their initial margin. A trader could set a stop loss while establishing his short position. In the above example, the trader could set a stop-loss at 1.06 when entering the short order at 1.0435. If euro rebounds, the maximum loss would be $206.25 ( = (1.06 – 1.0435) *12500). To learn more about all the Micro futures and options contracts traded on CME Group platform, you can check out the following site: www.cmegroup.com The Leap trading competition, #TheFuturesLeap, sponsored by CME Group, is currently running at TradingView. I encourage you to join The Leap to sharpen your trading skills and put your trading strategies at test, competing with your peers in this paper trading challenge sponsored by CME Group. www.tradingview.com 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
CME_MINI:M6E1!Short
by JimHuangChicago
Gold reacts to unserious peace talksThe United States and Russia recently held peace talks in Saudi Arabia without Ukraine’s participation. Russian officials did not mention offering any concessions and U.S. officials did not claim to have scored any in Tuesday's meeting. Adding to the unseriousness of the talks, Donald Trump called Zelensky a “dictator,” and suggested that Ukraine is responsible for the war, echoing obvious Russian talking points. Gold rose above $2,930 per ounce on Wednesday, just shy of last week’s record high of $2,940. Technical indicators remain in extreme overbought territory, although extreme geopolitical uncertainty may call for extreme readings for longer. In the near term, the pullback appears corrective, with XAU/USD still holding above all key moving averages on the 4-hour chart.
BLACKBULL:XAUUSD
by BlackBull_Markets
WTI - oil on fire!WTI oil is above EMA200 and EMA50 in the 4H time frame and is moving in its downward channel. If the upward trend continues and the ceiling of the channel is broken, one can first look for positions to buy it and then look for positions to sell oil in the supply zone. A downward correction towards the demand zones will provide us with the next positions to buy oil with the appropriate risk reward. Oil prices climbed as tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated. Following Ukraine’s announcement that Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile targeting the central city of Dnipro, Brent crude rose to $74 per barrel. Previously, Ukraine had primarily relied on long-range weaponry supplied by Western nations. If confirmed, this missile strike would mark the first use of such a weapon since its development during the Cold War era. In recent days, additional bullish signals for oil prices have emerged. Refinery product premiums relative to crude oil have reached multi-month highs. In the United States, as fuel producers along the coasts ramped up production to meet rising export demand, profit margins for converting crude oil into gasoline and diesel hit record levels. According to Reuters, OPEC+ is likely to maintain significant oil production cuts for an extended period due to weak global demand. Analysts and insiders suggest that the OPEC+ meeting in December will face major constraints in determining production policy. While increasing production amid weak demand could be risky, further cuts may prove challenging as some members push to raise output. OPEC+, which includes Russia and produces nearly half of the world’s oil, has repeatedly delayed its gradual production increase plans this year. Meanwhile, rising gas prices are creating tough challenges for European policymakers as they brace for a harsh winter. Javier Blas, a Bloomberg columnist, argues that Europe has yet to fully grasp the energy crisis stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He asserts that the continent has mistaken recent strategic successes for mere weather-related luck, but the situation has now deteriorated. This points to another winter of high gas and electricity prices, placing significant pressure on energy-intensive industries. Many large-scale manufacturers have announced plant closures and asset write-downs, while households face surging retail energy prices. This inflationary trend will add further complications for the European Central Bank and the Bank of England. Wholesale gas prices in Europe have risen to €47 per megawatt-hour, twice the February lows and 130% above the 2010-2020 average. Wall Street has raised concerns that a second Trump presidency could negatively impact oil prices, arguing that producers might ramp up drilling and production before facing Biden-era regulatory pressures. However, another faction in Wall Street suggests this narrative is incomplete. Standard Chartered points out that the nature of U.S. shale oil production makes it difficult to sustain long-term supply increases. Unlike OPEC producers, whose output is often controlled by state-owned oil companies, U.S. production is dominated by several large corporations, independent producers, and private firms. This perspective aligns with Goldman Sachs’ analysis. In July, Goldman Sachs predicted that U.S. crude oil production would grow by 500,000 barrels per day this year, a slower pace compared to last year’s 1 million barrels per day increase. Nevertheless, the U.S. will account for 60% of non-OPEC supply growth, with the Permian Basin expected to grow by 340,000 barrels per day annually—lower than the initial forecast of 520,000 barrels per day made by Wall Street analysts.
TVC:USOILLong
by Ali_PSND
Vitalik Buterin Drives New Innovations & Bullish Trends for ETHEthereum ( CRYPTOCAP:ETH ), the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, is undergoing a transformative journey, marked by visionary updates and community-driven momentum. With Ethereum’s recent price surge to $2,631, up 4.11% in the last 24 hours, and a broader bullish trend across the market, the Ethereum ecosystem is positioning itself as a powerhouse in blockchain technology and decentralization. This article explores both the technical and fundamental aspects influencing Ethereum’s outlook, along with new philanthropic efforts led by Vitalik Buterin. Vitalik Buterin’s MIL:1M Donation to Ukrainian Humanitarian Aid One of the biggest stories recently has been Vitalik Buterin’s donation of over 400 ETH (approximately $1 million) to four Ukrainian humanitarian organizations, including one helping children affected by the ongoing conflict. This philanthropic act underscores Ethereum’s commitment to community-driven initiatives and the impact of decentralized finance (DeFi). Interestingly, the ETH used in this donation came from swapped meme coins, including $MOODENG, $EBULL, and $DOG. This donation not only provides aid to those in need but also highlights the growing role that cryptocurrencies, even meme tokens, play in supporting humanitarian causes. Ethereum’s Evolution: “The Splurge” and Upcoming Hard Fork The Ethereum protocol is on the verge of critical updates with the upcoming hard fork, as outlined in Vitalik Buterin’s “The Splurge.” This final segment of Ethereum’s development roadmap focuses on refining the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), introducing account abstraction, optimizing transaction fees, and enhancing cryptographic functions. 1. EVM Object Format (EOF): The next upgrade will integrate the EVM Object Format, bringing a modular approach to Ethereum’s code. This update allows for better code separation and improved performance, making the network more efficient for smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). 2. Account Abstraction: A significant focus within “The Splurge” is account abstraction, which enables greater flexibility in transaction verification. This enhancement will allow users to pay transaction fees in ERC20 tokens instead of solely in ETH, broadening accessibility across the network. 3. Transaction Fee Optimization and Cryptographic Advancements: Ethereum’s upcoming update aims to make transaction fees more predictable and cost-effective. The use of advanced cryptographic methods will also enable more robust and efficient blockchain operations, further enhancing Ethereum’s performance and scalability. As these updates take effect, Ethereum’s potential is expanding, as evidenced by decreasing fees on decentralized exchanges (DEX) and growing developer interest. Technical Analysis Ethereum’s technical indicators paint a promising picture. Currently trading at $2,631, CRYPTOCAP:ETH has shown a 2.47% uptick, largely mirroring Bitcoin’s bullish rise to $71,000. Ethereum’s RSI sits at a healthy level, confirming a favorable momentum pattern that aligns with bullish technical formations. Ethereum’s chart shows a subtle rising wedge, suggesting the possibility of a continued uptrend. The appearance of a “three white soldiers” pattern—a bullish formation where three consecutive candlesticks close progressively higher—signals an upward reversal, reinforcing the likelihood of Ethereum ( CRYPTOCAP:ETH ) pushing towards the $3,000 mark. Ethereum’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) remains stable, indicating there is room for further upward movement before hitting overbought levels. Paired with increasing volume, this setup is favorable for a bullish continuation as investor confidence grows. If momentum continues to build and Ethereum ( CRYPTOCAP:ETH ) maintains its trajectory, a pivot towards the $3,000 mark seems plausible, especially given the upcoming hard fork and increasing institutional interest. A Strong Community and Visionary Leadership Drive Ethereum’s Momentum Ethereum’s role in the crypto world goes beyond price movements and technical charts. Since its inception, Ethereum has fostered a decentralized ecosystem that enables users worldwide to create, transact, and innovate. Vitalik Buterin’s leadership has emphasized social good, community engagement, and technological advancement, allowing Ethereum to retain a strong community and global relevance. With ongoing developments like “The Splurge” and continued network upgrades, Ethereum ( CRYPTOCAP:ETH ) has deem fit to be a robust and scalable platform that can accommodate both the needs of developers and the demands of decentralized finance. ### Conclusion: Ethereum’s Path to $3,000 and Beyond Ethereum ( CRYPTOCAP:ETH ) is at a pivotal moment in its evolution, and current technical indicators and development updates signal a bullish future. With the imminent EVM upgrades, transaction fee optimizations, and the support of a vibrant community, ETH has the momentum to reach new heights. Investors should watch for a potential breakout towards the $3,000 pivot as Ethereum ( CRYPTOCAP:ETH ) solidifies its place as a leader in the blockchain space.
COINBASE:ETHUSDLong
by DEXWireNews
Wheat and Fertilizer Futures: A Cash Cow for War Mongers In this layout I have Black Sea Wheat and Corn, Australian and Ukrainian Wheat, and 4 main Fertilizer (UREA) Futures. Conflict and Wars are good ways for Financial Institutions like Black Rock and State Street Corp oration to make a lot of money. What better way than to destroy the wheat fields/silos themselves and profit at the same time? These markets are built in blood and they are sitting on Advanced Fibonacci Blueprints showing who is really in control. Volatility may be seen as many Russia pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Deal. Wheat supplies will undergo straining for the foreseeable future.
CBOT:AUW1!Long
by MichaelBsul
Rheinmetall bullish ascending triangleThe ascending triangle points to a potential increase in the value of Rheinmetall's stock. These indicators include a bullish trend in the stock's price over the past several months, positive momentum, and strong support levels. Additionally, historical data shows that Rheinmetall's stock tends to perform well during times of military threats or escalations, which may indicate that current global events could be contributing to the stock's upward trend. Hopefully, the war in Ukraine will come to an end, but Rheinmetall is still looking strong, possibly indicating an upcoming real-world event. It is important to note that technical analysis is not a guarantee of future performance and should be considered alongside other forms of analysis such as fundamental and news analysis. Additionally, it is also important to consider the company's overall financial health and any recent company-specific news or announcements.
XETR:RHMLong
by murkser
1
Euro steady as German data improvesUS markets are open for limited hours today, and investors are focussed on the World Cup and Black Friday rather than the US dollar. EUR/USD is trading quietly at 1.0392, down 0.18%. German data has not been spectacular this week, but nonetheless is moving in the right direction, as the German economy is in decent shape. Germany's GDP for Q3 was revised upwards to 0.4% QoQ, up from 0.3% and ahead of the consensus of -0.2%. This follows a 0.1% gain in GDP in Q1 and is all the more impressive, considering the headwinds on the global scene, in particular the war in Ukraine. Germany has made a mammoth effort to stockpile energy supplies and end its dependence on Russia, which should mean that an energy crisis can be avoided this winter. German Consumer confidence remains weak but improved slightly for a second straight month. The November reading rose to -40.2, up from -41.9, although shy of the consensus of -39.6. Business confidence also edged higher earlier this week, as did Business Expectations. The ECB minutes, released on Thursday, indicated that ECB members remained concerned about inflation becoming entrenched. Members were clear about the need to raise rates in order to bring inflation back down to the 2% target, and most members supported the 75-bp hike at the October meeting, with a few voting for a 50-bp move. The markets have priced in a 50-bp increase at the December 15th meeting, after ECB policymakers hit the airwaves and urged that the ECB slow down the pace of rate hikes. Still, with inflation at a crippling 10.6%, there's little doubt that the ECB will have to continue raising rates, and the markets expect the deposit rate, currently at 1.5%, to hit 3.0% in 2023. 1.0359 and 1.0238 are providing support There is resistance at 1.0447 and 1.0568
by OANDA
AUD/USD resumes rally with massive gainsThe Australian dollar has posted sharp gains, as the US dollar is lower against the majors in the North American session. AUD/USD is trading at 0.6542, up 0.97%. Australia's NAB Business Confidence for October slipped to zero, down from 5 points in September. The significant decline is reflective of a drop in orders, higher rates at home and a gloomy global negative outlook. The soft data comes on the heels of Westpac Consumer Sentiment, which plunged by 6.9% to 78 points, its lowest level since April 2020, when the Covid pandemic had just started. Inflation is galloping at a 7.3% clip, China's economy is weakening and the energy crisis in Europe is likely to worsen in the winter. These headwinds are not about to go away, which does not bode well for the Australian economy. The Australian dollar has fallen sharply in 2022, although we're seeing a rebound, with gains of 2.9% on Friday, courtesy of the US nonfarm payrolls, and strong gains today as well. The US dollar's decline on Friday and again today are against all the majors, which means that this is a case of US dollar weakness rather than Australian dollar strength. I would be surprised if the Aussie can hold onto these recent gains, as the currency faces plenty of headwinds. In the US, the midterm elections are being held today, which is widely being viewed as a referendum on President Biden's performance. The economy is giving mixed signals and Biden's popularity is sagging, which could result in the Republicans taking control of both the House and the Senate. If the Republicans grab either one, it will translate into deadlock in Washington and a weakened President Biden. The election could move the US dollar if we see a Democratic surprise or a clean sweep by the Republicans. AUD/USD is testing resistance at 0.6545. Next, there is resistance at 0.6631 There is support at 0.6411 and 0.6329
by OANDA
AUD/USD rebounds ahead of RBAAUD/USD has started the trading week with strong gains. The Aussie is trading at 0.6447, up 0.67%. Is the nasty slide over? The Australian dollar is coming off a third straight losing week. September was a disaster, as AUD/USD plummeted 6.4%. The escalation in the war in Ukraine, which has sapped risk sentiment, and the aggressive Federal Reserve have dampened market appetite for the risk-related Australian dollar. The RBA meets on Tuesday, and Bank members are widely expected to deliver a fifth consecutive hike of 50 basis points, which would take the benchmark rate to 2.85%. After that, the RBA may lower gears to 25bp moves. Governor Lowe has signaled that he would like to shift to 25bp hikes at some point, which would help guide the economy to a soft landing and avoid choking off economic growth. However, there is no indication that inflation has peaked, and soaring inflation was the primary reason for the RBA's sharp rate-hike cycle. The next inflation report will be released in late October, with the RBA November meeting just one week later. It's a safe bet that the size of the rate hike in November will depend to a large extent on that inflation report. In the US, the Fed may make a U-turn in policy before the end of the year, depending on the strength of the economy. The data can be conflicting, which was the case on Friday. The Fed's preferred inflation indicator, the Core PCE Index, rose 4.9% in August, up from 4.7% in July and above the consensus of 4.7%. At the same time, the University of Michigan sentiment index showed that inflation expectations for 5-10 years ticked lower to 2.8%, down from 2.7%. In the meantime, the Fed's hawkish stance has fuelled the US dollar's upswing. AUD/USD has support at 0.6450 and 0.6363 There is resistance at 0.6598 and 0.6685
by OANDA
Euro slides on Nordstrom squeezeThe euro has taken a nasty tumble today. In the North American session, EUR/USD is trading at 1.0144, down 0.76%. The energy crisis surrounding Nord Stream 1, a key channel for Russian gas exports to Europe continues to simmer. Perhaps the pipeline should be referred to as 'Nord Brook 1', after Gazprom, the Russian energy giant, warned it will cut flows through the pipeline to just 20% of capacity starting Wednesday, claiming "technical issues". The EU has charged that the move is politically motivated, but Vladimir Putin is holding the better hand of cards and has no compunction about weaponising energy exports to the West. The EU has scrambled to scale back its energy dependence on Moscow and announced today that member states had agreed on a voluntary reduction of 15% in natural gas imports. The deal was reached at lightning speed, reflecting the tremendous apprehension in Brussels about an energy crisis this winter. Still, the agreement has apparently been watered down, with exemptions for members that are not directly linked to EU gas pipelines and are completely dependent on Russia. The latest squeeze on Nord Stream 1 has unnerved investors and sent the euro sharply lower. With the war in Ukraine dragging on and a potential energy crisis looming, it's no surprise that German confidence indicators are under pressure. Ifo Business Sentiment slipped to 88.6 in June, down from 92.2 in May. The soft reading was accompanied by a warning from the Ifo Institute, which warned of a looming recession in Germany, due to soaring energy prices and the possibility of a gas shortage in Europe's largest economy. On Wednesday, Germany releases GfK Consumer Climate, which is expected to fall to -28.9 in August, down from -27.4 in July. The index has been steadily weakening and has been mired in negative territory since October 2021. All eyes will be on the Federal Reserve on Wednesday, with a live meeting that will include a supersize rate hike. The markets are expecting a 75bp increase for a second straight meeting, but a massive 100bp hike cannot be ruled out. A 75bp move could be met with a yawn by the US dollar, while a 100bp increase would be a surprise and likely boost the greenback. EUR/USD continues to test support at 1.0191.  The next support level is 1.0105 There is resistance at 1.0304 and 1.0390
by OANDA
AUD/USD Technical AnalysisAfter the Ukraine war started Australian dollar made an attempt to break the daily market structure to the upside as Australia is a top commodity country, but failed to break structure and found resistance at the 0.76 area and formed a double top. Since then the price went back to a downtrend and formed another low. I expect the price to follow the Fibonacci extension levels and move even lower on the medium-term outlook. For better entry prices lower time frame analysis will be appreciable.
Short
by alicanuz
Euro stems slide but still below 1.05The euro has edged higher on Thursday, after posting losses in two consecutive sessions. The markets were treated to a data dump out of the eurozone, with some mixed numbers. On the employment front, the eurozone unemployment rate fell to 6.6%, down from 6.8% (6.7% exp.). Germany reported 133 thousand newly unemployed, a huge increase, but this reading was an anomaly due to the influx of Ukrainian refugees into the labour market. German retail sales for May bounced back with a modest gain of 0.6%, after a dismal -5.4% slide in April. Investors are keenly awaiting Eurozone CPI for June, which is expected to hit 8.4%, up from 8.1% in May. With no inflation peak in sight and the ECB revising downwards its growth forecast, the spectre of stagflation in the bloc remains very real. At the ECB forum this week, Lagarde sounded hawkish and downplayed concerns about a recession, although there is good reason to be sceptical about her optimism. Inflation continues to hammer away at consumers and businesses. The energy situation with Russia continues to deteriorate and the standoff between Russia and the West is only getting worse, with Finland and Sweden applying to join NATO and the Ukraine war grinding on. In the US, there was some good news for a change on the inflation front. The Fed's preferred inflation gauge, the Core PCE Price index, was unchanged at 0.3% MoM in May, a notch below the estimate of 0.4%. However, earnings dropped sharply to 0.2% in May, compared to 0.9% in April. This could be a sign of the toll the cost of living crisis is taking on US consumers. Federal Reserve Chair Powell has downplayed the likelihood of a recession in the US, but as is the case with ECB President Lagarde, many market participants are less optimistic. EUR/USD is testing resistance at 1.0482. Above, there is resistance at 1.0544 There is support at 1.0408 and 1.0346
by OANDA
In Search of an Edge for Non-Professional TradersCBOT:ZW1! What do Gold, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Corn, Soybeans, and Wheat have in common? Their prices all go up in a global crisis. In other words, these strategically important commodities are positively correlated with the level of risk. “Risk Up, Price Up; and Risk Down, Price Down”. Everyday non-professional traders (NonProfs) usually have a disadvantage trading these futures contracts. Let’s see who we are up against: • Commercial Firms, including producers, processors, merchants, and major users of the underlying commodities. • Financial Institutions, such as investment banks, hedge funds, asset managers, proprietary trading firms, commodity trading advisors and futures commission merchants. These professional traders (Profs) have industry knowledge, market information, research capabilities, trading technologies, high-speed and seemingly unlimited amount of money. They contribute to about 80% of trading volume for a typical futures contract. So, what could you do in an uphill battle? Recall our Three-Factor Commodity Pricing Model( ): Commodities Futures Price = Intrinsic Value + Market Sentiment + Global Crisis Premium In peaceful times, the coefficient of Crisis Premium is zero. The Profs win out easily. When a global crisis breaks out, price pattern may be altered completely. The chart illustrates how CBOT Wheat Futures behaves before and after the start of Russia-Ukraine conflict. Based on Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH), a baseline futures price reflects all information regarding the Intrinsic Value and Market Sentiment factors. However, the Crisis Premium is unknown to all of us. The Profs could not use fundamental analysis or technical analysis to gain a better understanding of Mr. Putin’s mindset. Few had inside information of the inner working of the Kremlin or the Russian generals, either. Your guesses are just as good as the Profs when it comes to what’s happening next. An analogue: In a close-range hand combat, the Profs have no use for their arsenal of missiles, fighter jets and tanks. NonPros with limited resources are on an equal footing to trade against the Profs. It’s critical to pick a fight that you have a chance to win. Recall that we discussed how to define global crisis with binary outcomes, and select financial instruments based on their responses to those outcomes. ( ) For CBOT Wheat Futures, Ukraine conflict has become the dominant price driver since February 14th. But after four months, we still have no clue when or how the war could end. Let’s define it in two simple outcomes: War and Peace. The first one includes all scenarios that the war would continue or intensify, where the second one could be a peace deal or a victory in favor of either Russia of Ukraine. As a NonProf, you don’t want to dive deep into the impossible task of forecasting the different scenarios. Keep it simple: War = Risk Up, Peace = Risk Down. The probability of either outcome is real. It’s difficult to predict which one is more likely. Therefore, directional trades of Long or Short are both risky. Many event shocks exist to make the wheat price fluctuate. If a major wheat producing country announces an export ban, wheat price could fly because of global market shortage. However, a phone call between Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelenskyy could punch wheat price to the ground. Russia is the No. 1 wheat exporter. An end of the conflict could end the sanctions against Russia and increase global supply by 44 million tons of wheat. Looking back in 2018 and 2019, we know how strongly Gold Futures reacted to a call between the U.S. and China. A Long Strangle options strategy may be appropriate under these circumstances. Investor would purchase a Call and a Put option with a different strike price: an out-of-the-money (OTM) call option and an OTM put option simultaneously on the same wheat futures contract. This is based on my belief that wheat futures price could experience a very large movement, but I am unsure of which direction the move will take. The following is an illustration (not an actual trading strategy): September Wheat Futures (ZWU2) is quoted at $10.54/bushel on June 14th. An OTM call with a $12.00 strike price is quoted at 17 cents. An OTM put with a $9.00 strike price is quoted at 4.625 cents. Look at the chart again, you will see wheat price at $7.80 right before the war and up to $13.70 in early March. A Long Strangle will cost $1,081.25, as each call and put contract is based on 5,000 bushels of Chicago wheat. This is the maximum amount you would lose if wheat price stuck at current level in the next two months. A big move, either up or down, could make one of the two trades profitable, and hopefully with enough profit margins to cover the other losing trade. 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.
CBOT:ZW1!
by JimHuangChicago
4
Time to think out of the box 💡INVESTMENT CONTEXT Equities failed to sustain May 23 uptick, with bears firmly in control of the market sending Nasdaq in the low 11k bracket U.S. retailer Best Buy (BBY) missed EPS forecasts, but downplayed recession fears S&P Global’s Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), a measure of the services and manufacturing industries, fell to 51.8 in May, its lowest level since February 2021; meanwhile, new home sales in the U.S. fell 26.9% on a yearly basis At Davos, Davos, George Soros remarked that “Indeed, the Russian invasion may turn out to be the beginning of World War III, and our civilization may not survive it“ After taking a leading role in Netflix (NFLX) one-day 30% slump, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman tweeted "Inflation is out of control (...) Markets are imploding because investors are not confident that the (Fed) will stop inflation. If the Fed doesn’t do its job, the market will do the Fed’s job" PROFZERO'S TAKE Tensions in Ukraine remain high after Russia's capture of the port-city of Mariupol. As EU's resolve is being tested by the concerns of some member States (Hungary in particular) on energy security, analysts see the conflict in Donbas dragging in a protracted war of attrition. ProfZero hasn't failed to notice the regained momentum of RUB in the wake of the growing fringe of European energy companies bowing to Moscow's request of supplies being paid in its own currency - yet the catch 22 is becoming thornier by the hour now that soft commodities vehemently entered the picture, escalating the crisis to a global level Russia may in fact be nearing default, as the U.S. Treasury Department said it would end as of May 25 a waiver that allowed Russia’s central bank to process payments to bondholders in USD through U.S. and international banks, on a case-by-case basis. The first tranche of interest on debt is scheduled for May 27, when EUR 100mln are due on two bonds. ProfZero has long been reporting the eventual default of Russia as a further aggravating catalyst to the overall macro scenario - now that the moment of truth nears, ripples from the eventual default also must be accounted for, starting from the consequences to soft commodities Buffett binging on U.S. equities while Soros calling the possible end of our civilization. Coincidence? As much as Bill Ackman, ProfZero only believes in the inescapable, cold efficiency of the market. Greed has all it takes to eat inflation's lunch ProfZero is starting to feel uneasy about the prolonged range-bound trading pattern drawn by BTC. Whilst impressed by the resilience of the entire blockchain space to the broader turmoil, and even more so by the rebound after LUNA's demise, ProfZero argues the current trading structure conjures fears of sudden, major drops should bears launch a short attack on the segment (much akin to the meltdown on April 29)
CME:BTC1!
by ProfZero
Euro struggles at 5-year lowsEUR/USD suffered a dismal week, plunging 2.33%. The euro broke below the 1.05 line on Thursday but has managed to recover. The ECB doesn't meet until June, but policy makers will be closely monitoring eurozone inflation, which continues to climb. It was only a few months ago that ECB President Lagarde was dismissive about rising inflation, saying that it was a transient development (readers will recall the exact same stance from Fed Chair Powell). We certainly won't be hearing the 'T" word anymore with regard to eurozone inflation, which hit a massive 7.5% in April. The ECB may not stay in sync with the pace of tightening by the Fed and other major central banks, but the ECB is signalling that the issue is not whether to hike, but when and by how much. There are hawkish voices within the ECB calling for a June hike, but September could be the month to circle in the calendar, which will give policy makers additional data to review before making any moves. In the case of the Fed, tighter rates are a given, with spiralling inflation, a tight labor market and robust growth. It's a trickier scenario for the ECB, as eurozone growth has not been as strong and the Ukraine war and Russian sanctions have dampened economic growth. There are concerns about stagflation, and these risks will rise as the ECB raises rates. We can expect the ECB to tighten policy in the coming months, but at a much slower pace than the Fed. The FOMC meets on Wednesday and a half-point hike from the Fed is practically a done deal. This will be a significant move, as the Fed hasn't delivered such a large rate increase in 20 years. The Fed has hinted at additional half-point rates in June and July, and some analysts are even predicting super-supersize hikes of 0.75%, which hasn't happened since 1994. The Fed is in full throttle trying to catch up to the inflation curve, and this widening of the US/Europe rate differential could push the euro to 1.03 and perhaps even to parity in the coming months. There is resistance at 1.0612 and 1.0699 1.0408 is providing support, followed by 1.0321
by OANDA
1