Japan crushed……..-637 points already…
New trade terminology.
Japanese Mud Slide
how to trade currency
Earth Sells Off Hard – Lower Lows To Follow
With over a month of inactivity short of holding the same positions, the same strategy as outlined here countless numbers of times – our old friend The U.S Dollar has done us proud.
The “dumb buck” has lost some 1000 pips v.s the Japanese Yen since markets topped some months ago, and has made an equally bad showing against the majority of its rivals.
This has only just begun.
You may recall chatter some months ago about China and a number of other countries moving away from use of The Dollar in international trade, and recent news suggests that now Iran ( with sanctions being lifted ) is looking to sell its oil in Euro only.
Unfortunately you just can’t have it both ways.
Things will only spiral further down the drain when U.S interest rates go negative ( where essentially they are already if you consider inflation ) and The Fed looks to launch QE5.
All those worthless dollars already printed…..and a shit pile more coming soon – to an unemployment office near you. This is no time to be disappointed or upset! Rejoice in your new-found knowledge that the entire “economic recovery” has been a complete and total sham, and be glad you made the realization early enough to survive.
Have you survived? I hope so.
And it’s really not too late…unless of course you are still of the mindset that “The Central Banks” have got your back well then…….one would think you’d of learned your lesson over the past month er so.
Earth is selling off hard. There isn’t a damn thing “they” or “anyone” can do about it.
Global stock markets are literally “tanking daily” and in my view things are just getting started.
From a technical perspective we’ve only just “shaved the top” off this mountain off bullshit, now with The SP 500 still hanging around the neckline area of support – but that won’t last much longer.
New lows…..then even “lower lows” to follow as The U.S Dollar plummets, Japanese Yen come flooding back to the country where they were printed, Euro and GBP remain elevated and the commodity related “currencies” trade flat.
A low in oil at some point ( correlating with the dump in USD ) won’t mean the markets will recover…not in the slightest as oil will then just bounce along said bottom for eternity. No immediate opportunities there.
People are flat busted, food prices are “out of this world” and global economic data is quickly turning from bad to horrific. This is not a blip. This is not a “correction”. This is not a drill.
This is 2016 baby….and it will be one for the books.
Dollar_No_More
Mind The Bounce – Tomorrow Should Confirm
It’s been a great run, but markets look set to bounce here with the SP 500 finding support area around 1880.
Long JPY trades closed, as a “swing low” on daily charts ( when tomorrow’s closes “higher” than today’s high ) should confirm a short-term move to the upside.
This will be a bounce, but considering volatility these days one can’t say for certain just how “big a bounce”.
Technical damage to markets is massive. I expect we float /drift sideways for the next couple weeks – offering few decent trading opportunities.
Stack all the cash you’ve recently made long JPY / short risk and go hit the beach for a couple of days. You won’t miss a thing.
Long JPY – Kong Nails It Again
It’s one of the most counter intuitive trade concepts out there….and not surprisingly – also one of the most lucrative as the vast majority of retail traders continue to find themselves on the wrong side.
The Japanese Yen has been one of the largest contributing factors to the seemingly never-ending rally there in the U.S , as the Bank of Japan ( some time ago ) obeyed their master ( The U.S Fed ) as always…..printing Yen like mad and taking some heat off USD.
Yen then borrowed at 0% – and used to pump U.S Equities. It’s called the Carry Trade….and the big banks love it.
Until it’s time to unwind of course. Fast and furious, leaving the majority of retail traders in the dust…The Yen literally “takes off into the upper atmosphere” when risk ( U.S Equities ) is sold….and all those little Yen head back to Japan.
You are seeing a small example of that this morning with AUD/JPY trade now well in profit ( hey! Wasn’t that suggested a few day ago?? ) as well as nearly every single JPY pair making reasonable moves.
If you take anything away from this blog short of the odd chuckle – put this in your tool box. It will make you some serious coin.
Members! – The site is still down as these morons just can’t get it figured out ( hosting is so difficult right? GRRRRR!! ) Pick up here in the short term and we’ll be back up and running pronto.
USD Short – Luke And I Shift To The Darkside
Stubborn as a mule…this kind of mindset can really get you in trouble.
If it wasn’t for the reasonable understanding of the “big picture” it would be very easy to just jump on the ‘long train” and passively assume the The U.S Dollar will continue to rise.
What’s also interesting to note is that no matter how much media hype, or how many days where risk is still “seemingly in the green” – world markets are still in the process of putting in a “lower high”.
After an entire month trading sideways The SP 500 as well DOW are still unable to make new highs, and are now “juuuuuuust on the edge” of tipping back to the dark side.
I hear rumors that Luke Skywalker slips over to the dark side in the new Star Wars film.
Sign of the times maybe. The timing looks right to me.
Dollar No More – A Global Perspective
I took this graphic from “somewhere” as it’s a great visual representation of what is “really going on” with the U.S Dollar and international trade.
Dollar_No_More
Don’t be a dope. If the arrows and numbers where pointed in the “other direction” then perhaps you could build a case. The numbers speak for themselves. The U.S “strangle hold” on the world’s reserve, and in turn “slice of the pie” generated via currency exchange ( in order to buy commodities ) is over.
USD/JPY – A Disturbance In The Force
Finally! Something of significance!
If you take a look at two pairs such as GBP/JPY as well GBP/USD as a “control” – you’ll see that over the past few days of general GBP strength “both pairs” have been moving higher essentially ruling out any real movement in either JPY or USD.
Zooming in closer and taking a look at each of these pairs on much smaller time frames ( take the 15 minute for example ) you’ll blatantly see the “post Fed minutes” move has GBP/USD pushing higher and GBP/JPY falling off a small cliff.
THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO SEE! ( Yoda may not ).
Yoda_trading
Suggestion that both USD as well JPY are finally moving “regardless of the currency they are pitted against”.
Obviously the same thing can be seen just taking a look at USD/JPY as a pair unto itself but….in this case ( looking wider at many pairs ) we see clear suggestion that USD and JPY are moving ( in opposite directions) to a much larger degree.
The Nikkei has also taken quite a “fast dip” here post Fed minutes so it’s pretty fair to say that markets aren’t particularly pleased with “something”.
Any bets on where The SP 500 and The Canadian TSX are likely headed next?
I Could Lose 10K – USD Shorts Start Today
One of the most entertaining parts about “financial blogging” truly lies within the “immediacy of it all” as….unlike “posting a recipe” (where people may choose to “give it a try or not”) here in the financial space – real money is at stake.
Traders on both sides of the fence get an opportunity to “compare as they dare” when fellows like myself ( and all you other guys with the balls to do so ) put it out there for all. You write it down…you make your move, and regardless of whether you fail or succeed – people really get a charge out of “watching you burn” – or “watching you earn”.
Oddly….or perhaps not so ( considering humanity in general ) I think the majority of people (as sick as it is ) rather “enjoy” watching others fail. Perhaps it makes then feel better about themselves – I can’t say for certain but…..I guess if I lived in a lean-to behind my grandmother’s trailer park and ate spam each day for breakfast, maybe I wouldn’t “mind so much” hearing that the guy eating lobster on a Caribbean beach took a hit or two.
I dunno….its small, it’s petty but for the most part – sounds pretty “human” to me.
In any case….by close today I will initiate the “first of three” planned trades ( as I always spread my total allocation to a given trade idea over 3 separate entries – over time ) short The U.S Dollar against a number of other currencies.
I assume the trade will pan out late January / early February ( or perhaps earlier ) with a total allocation / risk of 10K – spread over 3 separate entries over the coming days / weeks.
I have fully factored that the entire 10k could be lost….so for “lovers and haters alike” I invite you to follow along and comment ( uncensored ).
You can see what kind of “gorilla I can be” so……………….let’s see how “human” you can be.
Good luck to all.
Long Term Investors – The World Has Changed
You don’t need to hear anymore from me on the subject, but I strongly encourage long-term investors and perhaps anyone over the age of 40 to pull up a chair, sit back in front of your beautiful hi-res monitor, get comfy and watch the following video.
Jim Rickards is an extremely intelligent and highly regarded professional in his field, with a unique ability to take very complicated and confusing elements of the global financial system, simplify them, and explain their implications/ramifications – making it very easy to understand.
From the coming fall of the Petro Dollar to China’s interest in buying gold, Mr. Rickards cuts through the bull and provides a very clear picture of what investors can expect in the years to come.
I strongly recommend you take the time to familiarize yourself with the information and principles outlined, as there is absolutely no question it will be of considerable value to you.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/KYW5OGWfqJc]
You Can't Win – Only If You Buy A Ticket
We’ve all heard the saying “you can’t win if you don’t buy a ticket” right?
Well…as far as trading is concerned, this expression / process comes into play many, many times per week / month or even “per day” depending on your strategy.
You can’t win if you don’t buy a ticket – and I like buying tickets.
For some time now, I’ve been eyeing a large move lower in “global appetite for risk” which ( for the most part ) has eluded me thanks to our friendly neighborhood Central Bankers.
Day in day out – the “balls just keep tumbling” and the numbers just keep going round and round in what’s now become one of the longest running “lottery draws” of the century.
So the question begs – What if you miss this one? What if you don’t take a shot? Or more interesting…what if you nail it and win? Is it worth the ticket price to have tried?
In this case……with every single asset / price / elastic band stretched about as “far as it’s been” in human history, the purchase of another ticket ( then perhaps another ) looks very appealing.
I expect to be purchasing a ticket “short” mid-week, and just let the chips fall where they may.
Hey you never know right? And it certainly can’t hurt holding a ticket.