Daily Forex Strategy – May 23, 2014

” A snippet from the Members Site”.

We’ve stayed away from making any “big decisions” with regards to the U.S Dollar and for very good reason. Getting short the commodity currencies vs USD has been fine ( as these currencies have been falling against most ) but with respect to the EU related currencies – no trade has been “the best trade” over the past few days, as USD continues to “grind away” with little discernible direction.

As of tonight / this morning USD will have worked its way up to the 200 Day Moving Average ( on a daily time frame ) and looks poised to finally show us its “cruel intentions”.

The Japanese Yen is also “flirting” with its 200 Day as U.S equities continue to stretch / challenge the “near term highs” seen only days ago.

Talk about an inflection point.

As much as I understand that so many of you have “grown a custom” to seeing the various scenarios “outlined” in charts and “speculative commentary” across the various financial blogs – hunches are hunches and “speculation” has never really done much for my trading.

At this point it seems fairly obvious to me that the Japanese Yen has indeed fueled the majority of this “last leg up in risk” and NOT AS MUCH USD in that….we know the money printing in the U.S has provided dollars for a mirad of reasons / uses to support the current ponzi scheme – but no one can say for certain “where” the money has gone or “how” its been utilized by the Fed and major players.

As “ass backwards” as it may sound, it makes some sense to me that we see USD fall “along side” U.S Equities for the next leg down, as money flows back into JPY FIRST.

USD to fall, as commodity currencies fall “harder” with JPY the primary beneficary and the EU currencies also “rising” as risk comes off is scenario #1.  Nuts eh?

On the completely other end of the spectrum, can one imagine a scenario here where “risk on prevails” and we see USD rise along with Equities, as JPY gets pounded again with the EU related currencies dropping like stones? It seem’s far less likely to me but again…..you can see why “speculation” generally doesn’t do much for my trading.

Bottom line is – you can “think” about these things but “trading off them” is a fools game, and the “heart and soul” of the many bloggers and analysts out there searching for eyeballs in a sea of speculation. I continue to trade “what’s in front of me” and move in one direction “with conviction” until proven otherwise, with the worst case scenario being “I’m totally wrong” and just switch directions a trade later. No foul. No loss. Allowing markets to “do what they will do” then quietly following along.

This is no time for speculation. This is no time for “big bets”. All will be revealed in very short order, so we learn to exercise patience and continue to trade with caution. All the “arrows in the world” won’t change which direction things move tomorrow, as it’s pointless to even consider these “projections” as having any edge in todays “more than manipulated markets”.

Armchair analysts and financial bloggers can kindly take their “bags full of arrows” and shove them where the sun……( you know what  mean ) as it “all amounts to nothing” if you’re not trading it properly.

So today we wait.

Speculation is speculation. Trading is trading.

You want to be a speculator or a trader?

I’ve never really heard of anyone “making any money” contemplating the future, where as “trading the present” has worked out pretty well thus far.

More at www.forexkong.net

Remember To Laugh – It's Only A Trade

I catch myself once in a while too so….you are not alone.

Considering that 95% of traders fail, its difficult at times to keep a positive attitude. I understand that better than anyone.

Having already gone through the “trials and tribulations” of learning how this all fits together, I know “full well” that it’s hard….not just hard, but damn near impossible when you are just starting out.

Don’t lose sight of yourself as….it’s only a trade. You have to remember to laugh.

I remember a time back when I was trading options, struggling with a relationship with a “wicked and evil girl” and incarcerated in Colombia!

Days later I came home to a “world full of hurt” as markets tanked, my stitches didn’t take, and my heart lay smashed on the cold tile floor. I’d lost more than I care to remember, but still managed to pull myself together and live to to trade another day.

How?

I laughed ( I cried too ).

I learned.

Then I laughed a little more.

You can’t let this get the best of you, and you can’t lose sight of the fact that it’s only a trade. You’ve really no control over it no matter what happens so….all you can really do is protect yourself, and do “everything else you can” to  remain positive. Laugh once in a while! Go see a movie! Go pet a dog!

There are a million and one reasons to laugh these days as the world “outside of trading” is more comical than ever! Trading is trading but it’s certainly not “everything”.

Remember to laugh, and do what you can to put this all in perspective. It’s only a trade. You “should” live so….you might as well have a smile on your face.

P.S – I just burnt the shit out of a roast in the oven while writing this so……..what do you think I’m gonna do about it??

I’m laughing my ass off!

Pushing people to absolute extremes here, markets continue to pull you apart. Buyers are losers, sellers are losers, and the entire thing feels like it’s just one big joke!

Laugh about it people! Your’e gonne feel alot better!

Check us out in “real time” over at the Members site: www.forexkong.net . Lots of laughter going on over there.

 

 

 

Japan Is Broken – Soon You Will Be Too

We’ve been waiting for this for a considerable amount of time, and our patience will now be rewarded.

The Japanese Stock Market Index “The Nikkei” has now breached our “waterfall zone” dropping an additional -200 points here overnight in a surprising ( only in that it’s happened on Sunday ) move lower, this early in the week.

The flow of news headlines won’t make a single difference in the world ( depending on what they look to as the cause ) in that, this has been slowly developing over such an extended period…it was only a matter of time before she cracked.

It takes the big players “weeks and months” to move such large amounts of money “in or out”  of position, and the past few weeks have had “distribution” written all over them. Distribution is a market dynamic where over time, large players continue to “quietly sell” to retail as they prepare to “hit the exits” with profits in hand. You certainly don’t want to be the last one holding the bag looking to “buy the dip” once the big boys make the move.

You doubt me? Consider the entire past 5 months as purely “distribution” and now watch how quickly these “gains” are wiped from your portfolio. Weeks and even months of trading “evaporate” in a matter of days.

You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink well…..again I am absolutely stunned that so-called “traders” continue to push the “green button” in the face of something so incredibly obvious.

I guess you need to lose 30-40% of your gains to finally get it.

Best of luck with everything “bullish” here this week and in the months to come. Gorillas are already nearly 100% in position and already in profit pretty much across the board – still just waiting on the final nail ( USD ) to make up its freakin mind so we can jump on that train too.

Long JPY is the way to go, with the commods continued weakness right on cue. SPY and QQQ shorts from “days” ago still performing well and a miriad of trades lining up in USD. More at the members site: www.forexkong.net

 

Intraday Charts – Like Kids With Crayons

You can’t get down on yourself during times like these.

You’ve studied every “technical analysis” known to man, may it be “cycle theory” or “elliot wave” or “fib trading” whatever……yet things still aren’t lining up. You still can’t seem to “time this” and generate winning trades on a consistent basis well…….

You can’t get down on yourself during times like these.

Intraday charts currently look like they’re being created by a group of small children with a couple of boxes of crayons! A real mess to say the least, and hardly what I’d call “works of art”.

As traders you’ve got to learn to recognize when market “just aren’t behaving” in a rational manner, and adjust your trading accordingly. You can’t get down on yourself and throw into question everything you’ve work so hard to learn as..at times – It’s not you!

The market is at an inflection point. Period.

You need to step back. Keep yourself protected and learn from this….as you’ll be more than prepared for the next time.

Don’t let this thing get the best of you.

It’s important to recognize these are “unprecedented times”! Markets are nuts for a reason because for the most part……no one has a freakin clue what’s coming next. The entire thing “hangs in the balance” of Central Bank intervention and the realities of slowing global growth.

Not exactly an “ideal environment” for the new trader, in fact it’s a terrible environment for any trader! If you can’t step back and see the larger picture….then the “smaller pictures” will continue to confound. This is not a time to be “practicing”. This is not a time to be “taking chances”.

When I go fishing, I generally get up pretty early, but I don’t even bother loading the truck if it’s pissing down rain right? You don’t go “scuba diving” during a hurricane do you?

This is no different.  Forest from the trees type stuff – you know.

Sunday’s weekly report on tap this weekend, as well the daily strategies, trading table and intraday commentary and trading full steam ahead. Check us out in the members area and take a break over the weekend. Next week promises to be a whopper.

Next Week's Market Mover – Guaranteed

It’s now become clear me, what the “media” will sight as the “catalyst” next week – justifying the continued fall of U.S Equity prices.

Even with Putin’s suggestion to “delay” the referendum vote this weekend in Eastern Ukraine ( as Putin already know’s the people of Eastern Ukraine will vote to separate ), the people are moving “full steam ahead” with Sunday’s vote – right on track.

Once the people of Eastern Ukraine vote in favor of separating ( which undoubtedly they will ) this will then put tremendous pressure on Putin to then “step up and protect them”, as opposed to “quietly sitting on the sidelines” as he has thus far.

The dynamic of Eastern Ukraine voting to separate may actually “force” Putin to move forward into the area and “protect those citizens” who’ve will have then clearly pledged their allegiance to Mother Russia. Putin doesn’t want war, and has had absolutely “no intentions of invading Ukraine” even “suggesting” that they delay the vote.

The eager citizens of Eastern Ukraine ( passionate and enthusiastic to join Russia ) may inadvertently put their new leader in a precarious position.

On release of the news some time next week, you can bet your bottom dollar “Russia invades Ukraine” news plastered ‘cross American T.V screens coast to coast, where in reality Russians living in Eastern Ukraine will likely be the ones under attack by Washington’s “puppet army” from Kiev.

Leave the people of Eastern Ukraine alone “Obomba”, and watch these people make this decision for themselves.

Putin has absolutely “nothing” to do with it.

A Chart – For Those Evaluating Risk

I’ve made light of it before as it’s a handy thing for “non forex traders” to also consider keeping in mind.

The currency pair AUD/JPY has long ago been directly associated with the “risk on” trade, as traders simply borrow ( sell ) Yen ( as the base lending rate in Japan is practically 0% ), then invest (buy) the same money in a higher yielding currency such as AUD ( base interest rate currently paying 2.5% )

It’s essentially free money, and rests pretty much as “the backbone” for most major banks – as far as  forex strategy is concerned.

When this trade “unwinds” ( when risk appetite wanes, and banks and major investors begin to seek “safety” ) you certainly don’t want to be on the other side of it – as the move is nothing short of amazing.

Lets take a look at the “unwind” back in 2008, and consider where we’re at with the pair today.

 

AUD_JPY_Forex_Kong_May_1_2014

AUD_JPY_Forex_Kong_May_1_2014

The pair “peaked” right along side “peak activity” surrounding the Bank of Japans massive QE program and equally massive dilution of the Yen, sometime “around this time” a full year ago.

We can see that it’s done very little since, as “risk” apparently rages on ( as seen via U.S Equity prices ) in the West.

A “swing high” here marking a “lower high” on a monthly chart would prove to be a very, very powerful technical sign that the turn is indeed near, as big banks and institutions will have used these past few months to quietly whittle away, adding to positions here, selling a bit there, getting themselves into position slowly as to not turn price against them with any large-scale moves.

Until of course the large-scale moves commence ( as seen via the “red candle waterfall” of 2008 ) where the big boys have already gotten out  and retail investors “unknowing” get caught holding the bag.

One has to consider that “if the Big Banks are running the show” ( as we all know they are ) – don’t you think they’ve got the info / knowledge / plans in place long before we ever hear of them?

Do you think the biggest players on the planet get “caught” suddenly realizing that things are turning? Or perhaps because they missed a bit on CNBC? There is absolutely 0% chance of this as it’s this is  “their market” and the house always wins.

Equities in the West continue to grind as the turn has already been realized in Japan. These past 4 or 5 days are again what we call “distribution days” as big players unload to those late to the party, in preparation for the next “real money to be made” on the short side of town. Currency wise a large and solid “short AUD position” has been building for quite some time, as other “risk off trades” slowly fall into place day-to-day.

 

Very relaxed here as positioning is well underway and the tiny squiggles don’t really mean much at this point.

I can’t see how unemployment data out of the U.S ( 344,000 more last week ) could be helping anyone with their medium and longer term trade ideas, but I’d love to hear the arguement.

Good luck everyone, and have a good weekend.

 

 

Very Often Early – Rarely EVER Late

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again ( you’ve read it here a “countless” number of times prior ).

I’m very often early, but rarely – RARELY ever late.

So what’s it gonna be? Are we looking ahead here? Isn’t that the future our there in front of us?

Do we want to keep staring in the rear view mirror looking at opportunities gone by ( shoulda /coulda / woulda type thing), or do you want to start looking forward, and start making “pro active decisions” as opposed to making “re-active decisions”?

“Selling on red” is “re-active” as you’ve been punched in the gut, your heart is pounding out of your chest, you panic, and you “react” by pushing the “sell button”. Period.

“Selling on green” is “pro-active” as you’ve put profits in the bank, you sleep great and you are 100% completely and totally calm the next morning knowing that your wife won’t kick your ass, you “made” money and that you’ve got every opportunity to get back in there again – when the time is right.

Explain to me the benefits of “selling on red”. Please – explain it to me.

Fact of the matter is…….you’re just too damn greedy to bring yourself to “sell on green” as you’ve got it stuck in your mind that – “I’ve got this thing beat! I can just make more and more!”.

Time and time again…your greed continues to be your downfall.

No one can say if tomorrows news will bring stories of a cure for cancer, or perhaps “the next big thing” in technology – but we “as traders” can’t depend on that.  Investors as well, must take into consideration longer term cycles and trends to recognize appropriate times to “get off the merry-go-round” short of suffering long and agonizing “drawdowns”, stress and even larger “long-term term risk” in that – what if this really is a big one? Do you “really” have a backup plan?

Personally, I don’t mind so much – being one of the first to the party cuz…..if that says anything about me at all, obviously you’ll assume….I’ll also be one of the first to leave.

As it pertains to investing / trading – I’ll go with this – and you can do “whatever” it is you do.

USD Repatriation – Up Before Down

Repatriation – is the process of returning a person to their place of origin or citizenship. This includes the process of returning refugees or military personnel to their place of origin following a war.The term may also refer to the process of converting a foreign currency into the currency of one’s own country.

So from a financial perspective – it’s the currency part of it we’re concerned about.

Don’t you find it interesting how… just when you’ve finally got a handle on the current fundamental issues and geo political concerns that “may” influence movements of a given currency – things start moving in the complete opposite direction?

Huh? Dollar going up? Well……I thought the U.S Dollar was doomed?

Well…..( after weeks of me going on about it ) you “now” have a much better understanding of what’s “really going on” with respect to the U.S and it’s concerns / involvement in The Ukraine right?

Russia continues to “call the bluff” and continues to move forward ( along with her good buddy China ) in creating and promoting trade agreements “outside use of the U.S Dollar” – representing likely one of the “largest and most serious threats” to the U.S “global domination campaign” of our time.

The U.S can’t have this, as it represents a major, major , MAJOR blow to the dollar’s status as the  “global reserve currency” and throws a big monkey wrench into the U.S plans to “print and export toilet paper” – keeping  the ponzi scheme alive a while longer.

They will go to war over this. I guarantee it. They will go to war before letting go of this “insane privilege” as it serves as the very backbone for their ultimate plans.

The east has had it, and has finally decided enough is enough.

So…..before the U.S Dollar can “fall off the side of a cliff” and in “preparation” for such an event many investors will begin “selling/closing” investments financed in USD abroad, and bring that money home FIRST. Get it?

An example:

If you thought the shit was gonna hit the fan and had recently bought a summer home in Italy lets say……you might now consider “selling that home in EUR” and in turn sending / taking that money BACK HOME TO AMERICA ( converted to good ol USD) – where you’ll feel safe/ better knowing your investment isn’t at risk and your money is “safe” back in your piggy bank.

You see? Repatriation. Reee-paaat-reeee-a-shaaawn.

A simple concept with massive implications.

USD needs to go up up up up up ( as investors “unwind” investments abroad) and bring those babies home.

Only “then” to see them further reduced to toilet paper.

 

What If I Was Right? – And The Top Is In

Lets entertain a hypothetical situation for a moment…I mean – why not right?

Let’s say “what if”………

What if I’m correct in suggesting that the 15,000 area of The Japanese Nikkei Index marks the top, and that indeed ( as seen in the past ) this “top” will soon be mirrored in U.S Equities as well?

Now I’m not talking about a “mid-term top” or a “short-term top” – I’m talking about the “top of all tops”. The kind of top you can only imagine / dream that you may have been fortunate enough to have identified, and in turn – traded accordingly.

Yes….”that” kind of top.

So…..What if I’m right?

Can you imagine having yourself positioned not only “before” a major turn in the markets but for a “bearish turn” at that? Allowing your trades to move into profit based on market dynamics “driven by fear and panic”?

How bout letting those trades sit ( much like an investment ) for several months, or even ( in timing it correctly ) “several years” considering what might be coming down the pipe in a longer term “global macro” sense?

What if these levels in stock market valuations ( in both Japan as well U.S ) reflect levels that may “never be seen again”, or at least not for several years to come?

What if?

It’s fun to think about, especially as these past months have been so tricky.

I keep coming back to that 20 year chart I posted the other day, considering that “wow you know Kong……you might just be right”.

Nikkei_Longer_Term

Nikkei_Longer_Term

You might just be right.

If Not Gorillas – We Are All But Cows

Let’s say you’re a cow farmer with your “bread and butter business” relying  on how fat/large your cows can get – then the appropriate time to slaughter/sell in order to maximize your profits.

Over time you feed your cows what they need, you even massage them ( in the case of Kobi beef ) you take care of their overall well-being, you protect them from predators and do for the most part – whatever you can to foster “maximum growth”.

The cows appear content, and everything is looking good as your herd has fatten up quite nicely over the past 5 years but finally…………….the time has come.

You’ve caught wind of large storms brewing the east, you’ve had a few renovation costs on the farm, feed costs are set to rise and you’ve done everything you can – given this extended period of good fortune to “fatten the heard”.

Round up ensues.

After some time, you’ve got most of them in the corral but….for those few last stragglers you’ve set out something special……something “gaurenteed” to get them in, and get them in quickly.

The cows just can’t resist, and before long your corral is literally “packed”, you can’t take a single cow more, the storm is clearly seen on the horizon, and the machines running on the “inside of the factory” are primed. Blades sharpened, belts tightened, grinders set.

You’ve timed it perfectly.

You are a master of your craft, a master of deception as the herd of “happy cows” come “willingly down the chute”, bowing their heads to come underneath the structures above, and aligning their heads “absolutely perfectly in line” with what we’ll just call……..the final surprise.

The herd has served you well, as you knew this would be the case…….. but that’s not quite enough for you no……..

It’s those calfs out in the field you’ve got your eyes on now.