trade strategies

The Weekend Report – Ideas Of What To Expect

Forex Kong Got something to say?

We find ourselves in an interesting spot now, with respect to “where markets are headed next” as……the major “risk indices” have put in “swing lows” – suggesting that new daily cycles are now underway.

At the very least we know “things are set to bounce” but “to what degree” remains to be seen so we need to keep an open mind, and get our heads wrapped around a couple different scenarios, as well take into consideration “whatever else we can” in order to formulate a plan.

Regardless of near term market direction, we can also see that “volatility” has certainly picked up, providing for all kinds of intraday opportunities and short-term trading.

Forex trading is back!

Scenario 1:

Personally, I don’t feel the market has yet come to a “capitulation type moment” and would first entertain that perhaps we get another couple of “up days” early in the week, a fast roll over and a further dive to test the recent lows.

It would be from “there” that I would imagine the stronger and larger bounce higher in risk.

Scenario 2:

Off to the races first thing Monday morning markets start ripping higher, then higher, then higher still – squeezing every single short and pressing to the near term / all time highs.

I feel this is “less likely” from both a fundamental as well technical perspective, but considering these markets and the “desperation” of Central Banks to keep confidence in the system – I can’t rule out some completely ridiculous “media induced” rally closer to the highs.

SPX_Oct_19_Forex_Kong

SPX_Oct_19_Forex_Kong

Please envision the exact same chart / scenario for The Nikkei.

Either way you look at it – you’ve really got to make some solid trade decisions here. One could choose to just “sit this leg out” and be very prepared for the tiniest suggestion that things are heading lower again – then jump on the train headed in the “direction of the trend”. Or you could certainly “take a stab” at a few long ideas, just with the understanding that you are trading against the trend, and that your time may be short. Perhaps too short.

For me it’s “almost” to late already to be chasing any “short-term trades” following risk higher, as the “downtrend” in most currency pairs ( JPY related for example ) is still intact.

Take AUD/JPY for example – 150 pip counter trend move over the past two days only brings the pair to the upper portion of its downward facing trading channel, and still has it “burgundy” on a 4H as well “gold” on the 1H. It could just as easily turn lower over the next 24-48 hours and continue on its way down.

In fact considering the large moves higher in SP 500 over the past few days – the currency market “so far” has done nothing to suggest ” a major low is in” and that we should just “switch to the long side” so……..I’m gravitating towards the first scenario, and plan to sit tight Monday / Tuesday ( unless of course things are already moving ) planning to “stay short risk in theory” and look for the absolute best entries I can in re shorting JPY related pairs.

Appreciate that I am nearly 100% cash at this moment as well.

The U.S Dollar

USD is giving us no clear signals as to which direction she’s headed next week and “as per usual” the correlation with “risk” is muddled.

The Dollar has fallen from its highs yes…..but hasn’t really gone anywhere in any “big way” as it’s still trading “gold/amber” on a 1H chart.

USD_1H_Forex_Kong

USD_1H_Forex_Kong

Unfortunately this doesn’t provide for any “aggressive trades” in USD short of keeping a very watchful eye on GBP/USD, EUR/USD, USD/CHF as well USD/CAD for possible entry “if / when” USD breaks below the 85.00 area.

Most USD related charts “do look primed” for this trade to come to fruition – but things continue to grind. I see no immediate evidence that USD is “heading back towards the moon” as everything I track still suggests USD is set to fall further.

AUD/USD as well NZD/USD appear to be “impossible trades” regardless of the fact that NZD has likely bottomed here as well so……all we can do another day or two is watch USD, keep an eye on all these pairs – and be ready. ( I still feel AUD as well NZD need to “take a bounce here” – but it sure is a long time coming.)

Trade Ideas

The next leg lower in “global risk” is going to be a whopper – so you’ll want to be fully onboard for that. It’s these “counter trend” moves that will always throw you for a loop as it’s near impossible to gauge the “extent to which” things correct.

If you’re actually bullish then perhaps you’ll see this as an excellent opportunity to buy, although I certainly can’t recommend that.

The big moves ( and the big money )  have clearly been with JPY and I suggest a continued focus on these pairs. We know “without question” that the correlation of “risk off” = JPY strength so the question begs “if it ain’t broken – why fix it”?

This is the most obvious and blatant trade / market dynamic we can put our finger on today so it only makes sense to continue concentrating on it.

We wait for this “upward correction” to take our JPY related pairs as high as they’ll go – then get underneath them again for the next ” and larger” leg lower in risk.

We continue to monitor all USD related pairs ( as I’ve entered long GBP/USD ) for the first signs that indeed USD is heading lower and that these pairs will offer some good trade opportunities.

If we imagine all JPY pairs taking a minimum 150 pip bounce ( and even more likely 200 pip bounces ) then getting under even 5 of them, and seeing things move back to the previous lows ( and then lower even further ) – that’s a good 1000 pips before things have really even moved much!

GBP/JPY as well CAD/JPY and AUD/JPY have already made considerable moves higher, but with downtrends still very much intact.

I imagine we’ll have an answer as early as Tuesday, as to whether it’s worth it chasing a couple trades higher / long risk, or to just “sit it out” and plan for the “major trade” setting up for the next leg down. One way or another – we just want to see those JPY related pairs keep moving higher as to “get back underneath them” for some big wins in the weeks to come.

Please feel free to visit the members website at: www.forexkong.net for weekly reports, daily commentary and real time trade alerts.

Stay In The Trade – Or Re Enter On Momentum

Forex Kong Got something to say?

When you are actively trading a given asset or currency pair, you often run the risk of “missing out” on large movements in price, as you’ve taken profits and then try to find the best way to get “back into the trade”.

Obviously I would generally “look for a bounce” in order to re-enter the trade at higher prices when shorting, but what if that “bounce” doesn’t come? You’ve booked profits on only a small portion of the move, and now run the risk of “missing the crash” as you sit on the sidelines “hoping for the ultimate level” to re-enter the trade.

It’s always a tough spot. And I can’t tell you how many points I’ve missed over the years, exiting a trade then watching it go “much further” without me. You can’t catch every single one, and you can never go wrong taking profits.

I employ a simple strategy of “getting under the asset” – placing orders several pips “below current price” when shorting ( and obviously “above” current price when getting long ) with hopes that my orders will get picked up on “further momentum” in said direction. It’s really all you can do.

If you just sit patiently waiting for a bounce, there are times ( such as these last few days with our general position long JPY ) that you may just miss the bigger ride lower, so having a couple of orders in the system “below or above” the current price “should” allow you to participate further, should the move continue.

It’s always tricky looking to “actively trade” as opposed to looking at larger time frames and holding trades longer, and it’s really a matter of preference, but I can say from experience – It’s almost “always” more profitable if you are able to just “stay in the trade”.

 

Selling The Rip – Earnings To Disappoint

Forex Kong 2 Comments

The SP 500 has now broken below a critical area, suggesting that further losses ( over the next several weeks ) will be seen. But of course, right around the time you figure that out – markets also look set to bounce.

This “bounce” ( however great or small ) will only provide greater opportunity to continue shorting – just at higher prices.

Dip buyers will unfortunately be met with “the dip that turned into a dive”.

Regardless of near term price action over the next couple of days, what people need to understand is that we’ve turned a corner, and that as per The Nikkei in Japan ( leading us lower for several days prior to The SP finally rolling over ) any idea of a “new string of higher highs and higher lows” is very likely out of the question.

I don’t expect higher prices in Japanese stocks period so……as nearly every single index globally has now broken below significant lines of support it’s fair to say that indeed – a significant top has finally been reached.

“Selling the rips” now, not “buying the dips”. That’s the road we’re on.

Sinking below 1904 has solidified a much larger and more serious correction ahead, so investors / traders need to be aware that we’re on the other side of the mountain now. This earnings season is also expected to bring disappointement so look ahead to lower stock prices in coming weeks.

 

JPY Center Stage – Reversal Complete

Forex Kong 6 Comments

The near term bottom in Japanese Yen ( JPY ) marks the top in Japanese Equities, and subsequent fall in “global risk for appetite”.

Wouldn’t you say?

Down -420 points in Japan,with U.S Equities falling past “any idea of near term support”, and fast.

This would only make today “Day 1” in a new investors cycle in JPY ( generally playing out over many weeks ) so one can only imagine the trade implications here.

You can get under just about anything JPY related and short.

 

Risk moves lower from here.

My Trading Framework – Put To The Challenge

Forex Kong 11 Comments

I assume you’ve all got a certain number of “economic indicators” and likely as many “technical indicators” flashing on your screens to alert you to those “specific things” you find most important to your trading. You have yours, I have mine and the key for anyone is to “just find something that works for you”.

Recently my “framework” ( as I assume many others ) has been put to the test, pushing a number of “specific little things” about as far as they could possibly go before consideration that “perhaps I’ve got this wrong” or “maybe this isn’t going to work out”.

Markets have a tendency to do this “no matter what” and at one time or another “everyone” will be pushed to question if “they really know what’s going on out there” or if their “beliefs” will actually come to fruition.

You must have a certain degree of conviction in order to see some of the larger trade ideas realized, as they often play out over weeks and even months.

  • I’ve always suggested that The Japanese “Nikkei Index” would be the first place to look for trouble, and that Japan should lead the charge lower, posting this almost a full week ago then seeing U.S equities have one of their toughest weeks in a while. Coincidence? Of course not.
  • I’ve always suggested that The Japanese Yen has served as the “principal fuel” for the massive rally in U.S Equities, as cheaply printed Yen is converted to USD in order to purchase assets priced in U.S Dollars, while the majority of “U.S printed toilet paper” just sits with the big banks.
  • As well let’s not forget my long-term “short trade” on The Australian Dollar now -700 pips from its high at the beginning of September.

A bottom in Japanese Yen ( and in turn a near term “top” in USD ) appears to be upon us, as The Nikkei has now “double topped” and been handily rejected.

I don’t expect higher prices in Japanese stocks. Period.

I also don’t expect USD goes any higher here, before making a swift ( and likely very painful ) move lower. Considerably lower.

Yen strength means bad, bad things for U.S Equities as well The U.S Dollar, as both are essentially sold on repatriation of Yen back to Japan. The 200 billion printed per month “had to have gone somewhere” right?

Perhaps now they are headed home.

More real-time trades, weekly reporting and daily commentary at the members site : www.forexkong.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

You Can't Win – Only If You Buy A Ticket

Forex Kong 1 Comment

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Short Entry Of The Century – All Things American

Forex Kong 3 Comments

If you haven’t taken notice recently…..U.S Bonds have tanked over the past few days, with TLT ( the 10 year bond ) falling hard from 119 to 113 in a pinch.

Bonds “price” and bond “rates of payment” are inversely correlated so as bond prices fall…..bond “yields” ( the amount of interest paid out to you as a holder ) increases so…..the lower the price of the bond…the higher the interest the U.S Gov needs to pay out.

The U.S Gov cannot afford to pay out higher interest on these bonds because ( as you remember from the “debt ceiling debacle of days past” ) The U.S is already 100% completely broke.

100% completely and totally broke. Period.

For every single point that bond yields rise,The U.S Gov falls deeper into the abyss – as default looms.

Absolutely nothing has changed since the last “debt ceiling debate” as unemployment continues to plauge any idea of a “real recovery” – but now with stocks near all time highs!

You don’t see a problem with this?

After 5.5 years up, everything that “can be done” HAS been done, and there is no other direction for a responsible trader / investor to do look……………….. other than DOWN.

You are a fool to consider that “this time it will be different”.

Bonds…..the currency and finally stocks.

When she goes……it’s all gonna go.

 

 

 

AUD Falls Out Of Bed – GBP To The Moon

Forex Kong 10 Comments

A quick update for those who’ve been following and have come to understand the “extremely large” position I’ve been building “short” The Australian Dollar.

They say that “good things come to those who wait” and believe me……I’ve been waiting.

If you can imagine, The Australian Dollar has traded sideways / flat for an incredible 24 weeks, until just yesterday smashing lower -250 pips in a matter of hours.

AUD_Sept_10_Forex_Kong

AUD_Sept_10_Forex_Kong

We all know that “in general” The Australian Dollar trades along side risk, moving higher with stocks so it is worth noting that with yesterdays “tiny fall” in U.S Equities we certainly got a reaction out of AUD.

If / when a larger correction unfolds one can only imagine profits generated “staying short” AUD as I plan to.

On a side note – I don’t believe for a second that Scotland will vote “yes” to separate from The U.K, and that long GBP here is looking very, very good.

Long GBP/AUD anyone? Kinda makes sense if you actually take a minute and think about it.

GBP going up….AND AUD going down. These are the trades that pay.

 

 

Taking Stock Of Summer – What Comes Next?

Forex Kong 5 Comments

These past summer months had to have been the “absolute worst trading environment” I’ve experienced in my entire life.

A virtual “dead zone” with many currency pairs barely fluxtuating in tiny ranges, extremely low volume and a continued stream of “every conflicting data” flying directly in the face of any realistic fundamental analysis. Many a trader threw their charts out months ago, choosing to either sit on the sidelines until volume returned or possibly adopt the attitude of “oh to hell with it – let’s just buy stocks and everything is going to be fine”.

I haven’t really heard much from many “perma bulls” since the correction back in July wiped an entire 6 months worth of profits in a matter of 10 days, and wonder how the “let’s just buy” strategy has really worked out. Hats off to those nimble traders who may have not only sold at the correct time, but possibly even caught the next leg up. Fantastic trading.

So September is now upon us, and it finally appears that markets are starting to come alive once again, only that “volume” seems to be returning on the “down days” and not so much on “the up”.

  • Both gold and silver have been taken down to test the near term lows made back in June, with silver in particular testing the “ultimate low” around 18.00.
  • The Japanese Yen ( which trades in tandem with Gold as they both generate “safe haven flows” ) has now reached it’s most oversold level of the past 2 years.
  • The U.S Dollar ( inversely ) has now reached the most “overbought levels” of the past few years.
  • U.S Equities as seen via The SP 500 have recently made “all time highs” around 2011 level.

Call me crazy but, would one not agree that each of these correlated assets are just about as stretched to extremes as we’ve seen them in a very long while?

Does it not make complete and total sense that “this would be the case” just prior to a sizeable move being made in the opposite direction? Of course it does….as this is how markets function.

Get the boat as “loaded to one side” as you possibly can – “just” before tipping it.

We’ve seen it over and over, and over again and this time it will be no different.

Amber lights flashing ahead.

 

Worlds Largest Pension Fund – Buying Japanese Stocks

Forex Kong 1 Comment

The Nikkei has just moved 340 points higher on rumour that Yasuhisa Shiozaki ( who has been advocating for the GPIF to reduce allocation to domestic bonds ), may be appointed the Health Minister ( so what? ) when Abe announces his new cabinet tomorrow.

The GPIF ( The Government Investment Pension Fund ) The world’s largest pension fund ( yes a Japanese fund not American ) is expected to increase purchase of Japanese shares to 20 percent of holdings and reduce domestic bonds to 40 percent.

With the market way ahead of itself here it’s the actual “timing” of said purchases that is still unknown. The fund would need to buy an additional 3.5 trillion yen of domestic stocks to reach the 20 percent target, so the “span of time these purchases would be made over” is key. The fund will announce its new asset allocations in the fall – according to GPIF investment committee chairman Yasuhiro Yonezawa.

Both Gold and the Japanese Yen got absolutely demolished overnight, with fear “once again abated” having the largest pension fund on the planet now suggest it’s ready to “step it up” in support of the ponzi we’ve all come to love.

This comes as tough news for Kong as I’ve been trying to “get long JPY” on the inevitable turn, so it remains to be seen if this will manifest as a simple “spike” or develop into something larger. My initial thoughts are “nothing can save Japan” and that this only goes further to affirm the complete and total desperation currently sweeping the land of the sinking sun.

Regardless – one has to respect that a player as large as The GPIF most certainly has the ability to “ruin your day” should they decide to go all in.