March 13th, 2010
Published Daily
COMMENTARY for Monday

Gloomy Picture Perhaps Worse Than It Seems

by Rick Ackerman on May 18, 2009 4:31 am GMT · 9 comments

Gloomy forecasts have generally held sway at the Committee for Monetary Research and Education’s annual spring dinner, but this is the only time we can recall when there were no optimists on the dais bold enough to challenge a consensus now gloomier, probably, than at any time since the 1930s. Jim Grant’s off-the-cuff talk was about as sunny as the evening’s presentations got, and even he was unwilling to allow much more than a ray of hope that everything would somehow turn out all right. Bob Hoye, on the other hand, was » Read the full article


TODAY'S ACTION for Monday

U.S. Dollar May Be Firming

by Rick Ackerman on May 18, 2009 6:36 am GMT

Check out today’s analysis of the Dollar Index (DXY), since it lies within easy distance of a bullish threshold on the hourly chart. If we’re in for a period of strength in the dollar, it’s going to catch a lot of leverage artistes with their pants down.


Rick's Picks for Monday
$ = Actionable Advice + = Open Position
Current  Actionable  Open
All Picks By Issue:

ESM09 – E-Mini S&P (Last:878.75)

by Rick Ackerman on May 18, 2009 5:01 am GMT

A minor downtrend from Friday's high pointed as low as _____, but as of 1 a.m. EDT sellers had not even achieved the Hidden Pivot midpoint, 874.00. This hinted of a firm opening Monday morning even though the futures were trading below last ...

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GCM09 – Comex June Gold (Last:933.40)

by Rick Ackerman on May 18, 2009 5:18 am GMT

Our bullish benchmark is still _____, a tick above an unimposing but nonetheless important peak that was created April 1 on the way down. However, if a test of resistance at $1000 lies shortly ahead for the bull cycle begun in mid-April, the futures should ...

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HUI – Gold Bugs Index (Last:341.92)

by Rick Ackerman on May 18, 2009 5:41 am GMT

A key rally target that has been four months in coming lies just above, at _____. If this number is achieved, slightly exceeding a very important peak at _____ recorded last September, that would be the most bullish price action we've seen on the daily chart since December. That is when ...

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GS – Goldman Sachs (Last:134.41)

by Rick Ackerman on May 18, 2009 6:10 am GMT

Goldman's narrow failure to surpass an autumn peak at 142.00 on the last rally spike suggests that the bear rally's days are numbered. Getting short could prove tricky, however, since we want to avoid doing so if the stock still has one last lunge left, as it well may. One way we'll be able to judge for ourselves whether this is likely is by observing the price action on a modest decline to _____. That is the midpoint support of ...

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DXY – NYBOT Dollar Index (Last:83.06)

by Rick Ackerman on May 18, 2009 6:31 am GMT

There's an unachieved target down at _____, but we should monitor the Dollar Index closely right now, since just a little more upside would generate a bullish impulse leg on the hourly chart that could delay or eventually negate the target. Specifically, if DXY pops above...

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INTRADAY TRADING NOTES for Monday

Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ; last: 5.28)

by Rick Ackerman on May 18, 2009 3:09 pm GMT

Speaking of Goldman's "attitude" today, which someone in the chat room mentioned, it's time to nibble on FAZ, which mimics the Russell Financial 1000 in reverse, 3x. Option implied volatilities are beyond stratospheric, but we can try to get around this by calendar ...

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This Just In... for Monday

Housing Crash Links

by Michael Johnston on May 18, 2009 7:01 pm GMT

Posted by Rick for Don Cephus, here’s a good list of housing crash links from patrick.net:

If you come across other good housing stories, please mail the link to p@patrick.net.