SeeTheLight

Friday Outlook: Commodities, Global Markets

Monday might be interesting. Obviously on an options expiry day there is no room for reality. Everyone should be taking this market day by day. I am. Sure we are in a liquidity driven bubble here but I'd like to note the following:

In 1930 the DOW rebounded 48% off the lows without the magic printing press running at top speed (and buying treasuries in a loose attempt to convince us that the Fed is not monetizing the debt). But this time, the Depression-learned Bernanke has it all figured out, he's determined not to make the same mistakes they made back then, he just wants to make bigger ones (albeit in the opposite way).

Our savior Helicopter Ben, is going to build the biggest bubble ever and do it with the Lender of Last Resort (so there will be no one left to bail us out when it bursts). Sure we have retraced 60%, but if this turns out to be the biggest bubble of the them all, it could go much higher. And of course, if he succeeds, the following crash will make the great Depression look like a mild hangover.

But as I said in previous posts, you would be silly not to profit on the way up and the way down, as well as being prepared for the moment that the music stops (QE stops) because it won't take long after that to get new Everyday Low Prices.

Good Luck all.

Wednesday Outlook: Commodities, Global Markets

It is very easy to want to take profits in a market like this, as an underlying awe in the disconnect with fundamentals lingers in the back of everyone's mind.

Personally, I took profits in late August fearing a September crash that has yet to materialize and have been largely on the sidelines since then (except gold / silver and a small position in UUP as a hedge).

The hypothesis that September would result in increased trading failed to materialize (so far) and leaves me with the question - What now?

Sadly, against my true feelings, I feel one must be positioned neutrally in this market, so I will gingerly start picking up my long positions again, and will probably drop my UUP hedge.

Fundamentally, I remain convinced that this is just a bear market rally and sooner or later we will return to the mean, but in the near near term I see little catalyst to prevent the HFTs and trading desks flush with near free government cash from continuing to bid the market up. Clearly this has nothing to do with fundamentals which remain awful but banks are not lending but rather are "investing". A rising tide (of liquidity) lifts all boats and one must respect that (even if one knows the tide will eventually go out again).

Further to this effect, the fact that the Fed did not even mention the dollar (save for some passing remark from SF Fed Jen Yellen) tips their hand. It leads me to believe that they will do everything in their power to prevent deflation and will meekly accept stagflation instead. I do not have any confidence that they will succeed long term, but short term to bet against them while they are still trying is pure folly, so I will return to a more neutral stance and pick up some longs that I feel have a relatively good risk/reward.

Good Luck all.

Canadian Dollar Rattled by Shanghai Meltdown, Interventionist Talk

With Shanghai tanking, its only a matter of time before the TSX catches on. I've sold most of my longs in anticipation of a pullback. Commodities may provide some cushioning for the Canadian economy but it will be very volatile trade with the Loonie moving rapidly in response.

Still, I do agree with most of the posters, that Canada is better positioned relative to the US when the eventual recovery occurs.

Thursday Outlook: Commodities, Global Markets

I've started to take profits on my longs that have skyrocketed, and I continue to hold on to any laggard longs with the belief that people will realize, hey, they've been left behind and that is unacceptable, everything must be overvalued, good, bad or ugly.

It amazes me that despite the ho hum news we continue to rally well above 200 MAs. I guess I could be leaving the icing on the table but I've already had my cake.

The big concern I have is that no one is talking about Back to School nor Christmas yet. Back to School is going to be especially hard compares since the consumer really didn't get hit by the recession until 4Q. If that impossible situation can be spun positively, well, then we will truly be living on Fantasy Island.

You add in the fact that oil is back over 70, commodity prices are skyrocketing - that is taking more money out of the consumers pocketbooks. The market can remain irrational longer than one can remain solvent but euphoric panic buying, short capitulation and even GS's HFT can not buoy this rally indefinitely. The NYSE McClellan Index and NYSE Summation Index charts are especially telling.

Good Luck all