June 2011

[My wife, Marilyn Ackerman, has been raptly absorbed for more than a year in the works of such laissez-faire economists as Smith, Hayek, Mises, Hazlitt and Sowell. She is presently immersed in Rothbard, whose thousand-page tome, Man, Economy and State, she brought with her to my college reunion in Charlottesville last weekend. The blogging side of this quest for knowledge has put her into close contact with college students whose burgeoning interest in libertarian ideas represents a bright spot in the U.S. political scene. Below is her report from the field. RA]. The weekend commentary by Wayne Razzi,  What Are You Going To Do? generated many dismal and depressing posts. It reminded me that neither Wayne nor his tormentors  know what I know, namely that there is currently a rapidly growing movement of young Americans -- on college campuses, no less -- who understand the importance of preserving our liberties and combating tyranny. So, while it may seem to some jaded Rick’s Picks readers that there is nothing we can do about the ebbing away of basic freedoms, there is a whole new generation of liberty-minded young Americans who are not ready concede defeat.  To the contrary, these kids mean business – and they have the smarts and the drive to take on the challenge. One group at the forefront of this movement is Young Americans for Liberty. The group was founded to support Ron Paul’s presidential run in 2008 but has evolved into a fast-growing campus-based entity that gives a home to students who are uncomfortable with the liberal/progressive tone that dominates the academy in most locales. At Colorado State University alone, the figures on participation rose from a piddling three attendees at the first meeting in 2009 to an audience of more than 400 at an appearance by

More tedium was the prediction for bullion here a couple of days ago, and it seems to be coming true. Thrill-seekers might want to take a look at today's tout for July Sugar, which, as a chat room denizen noted, appears to be taking off for a seasonal flight-of-fancy.

All the king's horses seem unable to suppress the yen, much to the detriment of Japan's increasingly desperate exporters. The nearest Hidden Pivot resistance lies at 1.2657, representing a 1.3 percent rise from current levels. That number is shortable with a stop-loss as tight as five ticks, but if it gives way easily, that would portend an even weightier exchange-rate burden on the nation's already severely depressed economy. _______ UDPATE:  For the September contract, 1.2633 is equivalent to the target given above. It too is shortable. _______ FURTHER UPDATE (June 27): Bor-ing. We'll put this one aside for now, since it has become a tiresome distraction.

A chat room denizen suggested taking a look at sugar -- "a nice set-up, and the seasonal low is in" -- and so we shall.  Price action since early May's low does indeed look bullish, since successive upthrusts on the daily chart seem to have had little trouble impulsingv above previous peaks. Dropping down to the hourly chart, the most recent such surge projects to 24.55, a Hidden Pivot that lies just six cents above yesterday's high.  An easy push past the number would hint of yet more bullish action to come, and as you can see, the hourly chart is loaded with "external" peaks  that can be easily leveraged by the adroit Pivoteer.

Read here the confessions of a University of Illinois professor who at age 64 recently retired to fat city, courtesy of the state's taxpayers. He'll receive 80 percent of his salary for life, plus a three percent annual cost of living increase, but you  won't believe some of the other perks that came with the job.

The high of yesterday's gratuitous thrust didn't even come close to the 37.890 peak whose breach would have signaled a bullish resurgence, but it remains valid nonetheless as a trigger point to watch if you're keen on buying a breakout. Meanwhile, in trading early Wednesday morning (EDT), a Hidden Pivot support at 36.770 resisted sellers for all of a half-hour, hinting of further slippage over the near-term to at least 36.290, its 'd' sibling. You can bottom-fish there with a stop-loss as tight as four ticks, but the appeal of this gambit will diminish as the night wears on and the c-d leg becomes increasingly labored. ______ UPDATE (10:18 a.m. EDT):  The futures took a 30-cent bounce overnight from 36.250, so if you used the four-tick stop-loss advised, you would have missed the tradable low by a tick, with a resulting, modest loss of $100.  The futures have subsequently surged anew, but the recovery high at 36.820 is nowheresville relative to the tedious range of the last five days.

A dip below 1536.30 would cede control to bears for the near term, sending the futures down to a likely test of support at 1531.10, a Hidden Pivot whose provenance is shown in the chart.  The one-off 'A' is so seductive here that I have ignored the fact that the point 'B' of the pattern is pure 'sausage' (having failed to breach the 1536.30 low).  Accordingly, I'll recommend bottom-fishing  at 1531.10 with a 1531.30 bid, stop 1530.70. ______ UPDATE (9:54 a.m. EDT): The futures fell $12 overnight to a low that was 0.70 points shy of our target, so officially we did nothing.  The subsequent $13 upthrust has taken the trade out-of-range, so cancel it.

The stock is sitting at a precipice, since yesterday's close was on a major trendline (see inset). The support is so obvious that we should be alert to a possible false breakdown that could afford us a bottom-fishing opportunity.  The nearest Hidden Pivot support lies at 31.91 (A=37.72 on May 10, daily chart), so that's where it should be attempted.  Camouflaged entry is preferred, but if you don't want to bother, or if you don't know how, bid 31.93, stop 31.86, for 400 shares. Please note that if Wheaton should really fall apart it could fall all the way to 26.77, the 'D' target of a pattern shown in the chart.  We continue to hold 300 shares @ 42.01 against three June 40 puts with a 4.00 basis, but option expiration will soon put it out of its misery.

It's understandable if you've lost interest in the downside targets I gave here earlier at, respectively, 1273.50 and 1276.50, since I've practically lost interest myself. Getting there has been pure tedium, a downtrend punctuated each day by either a Whoopee Cushion rally or numerous feints higher.  Alas, there's also an excess of enticing Hidden Pivot targets to bottom-fish at the moment.  One that I especially like that is perhaps best suited for Tuesday night owls lies at 1274.75, and it can be bid with a 1.00-point stop-loss.  At the time this recommendation was published, the futures had exceeded by a single tick the 1281.25 midpoint associated with that number.  Accordingly, you should be alert for a possible bounce that could be traded bullishly via camouflage on the three-minute chart.  If there is no rally, or not much of one, that would affirm the outlook for more slippage to as low as 1269.75. Incidentally, if you don’t subscribe to Rick’s Picks but would like to know more about the proprietary camouflage trading technique that we use to keep entry risk to a bare minimum, click here for information about the Hidden Pivot Webinar in late June.  You could also take a free week’s trial subscription that will give you access not only to detailed trading recommendations each day, but to a 24/7 chat room that draws experienced traders from all over the world. ______ UPDATE (10:02 a.m. EDT):  The 1276.50 pivot we'd grown so bored with caught the overnight low within a single tick, so officially we did nothing.  As a practical matter, a camouflage long entry from the 6:48 a.m. (EDT) bottom would have been difficult to justify, even on the 3-minute chart.