Rate Cut, Option Expiration Plus Time Symmetry Equals Volatility This Week
Kevin Haggerty is a
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The SPX finished the week +2.1% to 1484.25, as the rally coincided with
General Petraeus’ 2-day testimony on Monday and Tuesday, and in front of the
President’s address to the nation speech on Thursday. It was another one of
those highly correlated coincidences I refereed to in the previous commentary.
The rally from 1439.29 intraday low on Monday to the 1484.25 Friday close was on
declining volume each day, from the 1.34 billion shares on Monday. NYSE volume
was just 1.2 billion shares on Friday ,with the volume ratio 56 and breadth
+316. The most oversold sectors led the upside last week, with the $XBD +4.6%,
RTH +3.9% and $BKX +2.6%. Energy and gold were also leaders, with the XLE +3.1%
and the $HUI +2.0%.
A Fed rate cut in the Fed funds rate is widely expected on Tuesday, and the
initial reaction will probably be a quick spike up in the futures. The $US
Dollar closed at 79.65, and the most significant factor is what the reaction
will be to a rate cut of .50 basis points as some are expecting. Any $US Dollar
selloff that takes out the 78.19 1992 low will obviously be very detrimental to
the equity market, while gold and commodity prices will continue to rise. This
coming week is also a triple-witch expiration, in addition to having some
primary long term time symmetry measured from the 769 10/2/02 bear market low,
and also a measured ratio of the 1998-2002 bear market lows. This all adds up to
what should be a very active daytrading week in the major indexes and ETFs. The
primary individual stock focus should be on the blue chip multinational stocks,
and also the energy, commodity and bigger technology growth stocks. One way of
the other, the SPX and $INDU will break out of their current 10-day trading
ranges, which is about 13500-13000 for the $INDU, and 1490-1439 for the SPX.
It has been a blue chip rally on declining volume since the SPX 1370.60 8/16
low, which makes a retest of that low the higher probability, even after any
rate-cut rally.
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Have a good trading day,
Kevin Haggerty