This is not a correlated market. The USD is Down and Crude is Down which is not normal, and the 30 Year T-Bond is trading fractionally Higher. The Financials should always correlate with the US dollar such that if the dollar is Higher, then the bonds should follow and vice-versa. The S&P is Higher and Crude is trading Lower which is correlated. Gold is trading Lower which is not correlated with the US dollar trading Down. I tend to believe that Gold has an inverse relationship with the US Dollar as when the US Dollar is down, Gold tends to rise in value and vice-versa. Think of it as a seesaw, when one is up the other should be down. I point this out to you to make you aware that when we don't have a correlated market, it means something is wrong. As traders you need to be aware of this and proceed with your eyes wide open. All of Asia is trading Lower. All of Europe is trading Lower as well.

Possible challenges to traders

FOMC Member Waller Speaks at 9 AM EST. This is Major.
FOMC Member Barkin Speaks at 9 AM EST. This is Major.
FOMC Member Williams Speaks at 9:05 AM EST. This is Major.
FOMC Member Bostic Speaks at 9:10 AM EST. This is Major.
FOMC Member Barr Speaks at 11:45 AM EST. This is Major.

Treasuries

Traders, please note that we've changed the Bond instrument from the 10 year (ZN) to the 2 year (ZT). They work exactly the same.

We've elected to switch gears a bit and show correlation between the 2-year Treasury notes (ZT) and the S&P futures contract. The S&P contract is the Standard and Poor's, and the purpose is to show reverse correlation between the two instruments. Remember it's likened to a seesaw, when up goes up the other should go down and vice versa.

Yesterday the ZT migrated Lower at around 7:45 AM EST as the S&P hit a Low at around that time and the ZN migrated Lower. If you look at the charts below the ZN gave a signal at around 9:15 AM and started its Downward slide. Look at the charts below and you'll see a pattern for both assets. S&P moving Higher at around 9:15 AM and the ZN moving Lower at around the same time. These charts represent the newest version of MultiCharts and I've changed the timeframe to a 15-minute chart to display better. This represented a Short opportunity on the 2-year note, as a trader you could have netted about 8 ticks per contract on this trade. Each tick is worth $31.25. Please note: the front month for both the ZN and the S&P are now Jun '24. I've changed the format to filled Candlesticks (not hollow) such that it may be more apparent and visible.

Charts courtesy of MultiCharts built on an AMP platform

ZN -Jun 2024 - 05/20/24

S&P - Jun 2024 - 05/20/24

Bias

Yesterday we gave the markets an Upside bias as Crude and the Bonds started to trade Lower hence teh upside bias. The markets traded mainly Higher as the S&P and Nasdaq both closed Higher. The Dow traded 197 points Lower. Today we aren't dealing with a correlated market and our bias is Neutral or Mixed.

Could this change? Of Course. Remember anything can happen in a volatile market.

Commentary

Well, it seems as though Fedspeak Day didn't help much as the Dow traded nearly 200 points Lower and today we have more of the same as we don't have solid economic news to report. News that could in fact move the markets. So, we will see if the Fed members speaking today will say something to move the markets in the right direction.

Author

Nick Mastrandrea

Market Tea Leaves

EUR/USD hits two-day highs near 1.1820

EUR/USD picks up pace and reaches two-day tops around 1.1820 at the end of the week. The pair’s move higher comes on the back of renewed weakness in the US Dollar amid growing talk that the Fed could deliver an interest rate cut as early as March. On the docket, the flash US Consumer Sentiment improves to 57.3 in February.

GBP/USD reclaims 1.3600 and above

GBP/USD reverses two straight days of losses, surpassing the key 1.3600 yardstick on Friday. Cable’s rebound comes as the Greenback slips away from two-week highs in response to some profit-taking mood and speculation of Fed rate cuts. In addition, hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill are also collaborating with the quid’s improvement.

Gold climbs further, focus is back to 45,000

Gold regains upside traction and surpasses the $4,900 mark per troy ounce at the end of the week, shifting its attention to the critical $5,000 region. The move reflects a shift in risk sentiment, driving flows back towards traditional safe haven assets and supporting the yellow metal.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP rebound amid risk-off, $2.6 billion liquidation wave

Bitcoin edges up above $65,000 at the time of writing on Friday, as dust from the recent macro-triggered sell-off settles. The leading altcoin, Ethereum, hovers above $1,900, but resistance at $2,000 caps the upside. Meanwhile, Ripple has recorded the largest intraday jump among the three assets, up over 10% to $1.35.

Three scenarios for Japanese Yen ahead of snap election

The latest polls point to a dominant win for the ruling bloc at the upcoming Japanese snap election. The larger Sanae Takaichi’s mandate, the more investors fear faster implementation of tax cuts and spending plans.

XRP rally extends as modest ETF inflows support recovery

Ripple is accelerating its recovery, trading above $1.36 at the time of writing on Friday, as investors adjust their positions following a turbulent week in the broader crypto market. The remittance token is up over 21% from its intraday low of $1.12.