This is not a correlated market. The USD is Up and Crude is Down which is normal, and the 30 Year T-Bond is trading 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 correlated with the US dollar trading Up. 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. Asia traded Mixed. Europe is trading Higher with the exception of the Milan and Spanish Ibex exchange.

Possible challenges to traders

Challenger Job Cuts y/y is out at 7:30 AM EST. This is Major.
Unemployment Claims are out at 8:30 AM EST. This is Major.
Final Manufacturing PMI is out at 9:45 AM EST. This is Major.
ISM Manufacturing PMI is out at 10 AM EST. This is Major.
ISM Manufacturing Prices is out at 10 AM EST. This is Major.
Construction Spending m/m is out at 10 AM EST. This is Major.
Wards Total Vehicle Sales - All Day by Brand. This is Major.
Natural Gas Storage is out at 10:30 AM EST. This is Major.

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 YM contract is the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 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 leapt Higher at around 7:45 AM EST with no economic news in sight. The Dow fell Lower at the same time. Look at the charts below and you'll see a pattern for both assets. The Dow moved Lower at 7:45 AM EST and the ZT moved Higher at around the same time. These charts represent the newest version of Bar Charts, and I've changed the timeframe to a 15-minute chart to display better. This represented a Long opportunity on the 2-year note, as a trader you could have netted 20 plus ticks per contract on this trade. Each tick is worth $6.25. Please note: the front month for ZT is now Jun '25 and the Dow is Jun '25 as well. I've changed the format to filled Candlesticks (not hollow) such that it may be more apparent and visible.

Charts courtesy of barcharts

ZT -Jun 2025 - 4/30/25

Dow - Mar 2025- 4/30/25

Bias

Yesterday we gave the markets a Mixed bias and initially it traded that way. However, the indices veered to the Upside and ended the session in positive territory. The Dow closed Higher by 174 points and the other indices traded Higher as well. Today we aren't dealing with a correlated market, and our bias is to the Upside.

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

Commentary

So yesterday we gave the markets a Mixed bias and the markets traded Higher. Today we have far more economic news than we've seen recently. So the GDP numbers were released that showed the economy losing ground. So, what does El President do? He blames his predecessor.

Author

Nick Mastrandrea

Market Tea Leaves

EUR/USD flat lines around 1.1900; looks to US NFP report for fresh directional impetus

The EUR/USD pair is seen oscillating in a narrow trading band around the 1.1900 mark during the Asian session on Wednesday as traders opt to wait for the release of US monthly employment details before placing fresh directional bets.

GBP/USD slips back to daily lows near 1.3640

GBP/USD drops to daily lows near 1.3640 as sellers push harder and the Greenback extends its rebound in the latter part of Tuesday’s session. Looking ahead, the combination of key US releases, including NFP and CPI, alongside important UK data, should keep the pound firmly in focus over the coming days.

Gold awaits US Nonfarm Payrolls data for a sustained upside

Gold remains capped below $5,100 early Wednesday, gathering pace for the US labor data. The US Dollar licks its wounds amid persistent Japanese Yen strength and potential downside risks to the US jobs report. Gold holds above $5,000 amid bullish daily RSI, with eyes on 61.8% Fibo resistance at $5,141.

Ethereum: Whales buy the dip amid rising short bets

Following one of Ethereum's largest weekly drawdowns, whales are slowly returning to action alongside a drop in retail selling pressure. After slightly selling into the decline at the start of the month, whales or wallets with a balance of 10K-100K ETH began buying the dip last Wednesday as prices crashed further.

Dollar drops and stocks rally: The week of reckoning for US economic data

Following a sizeable move lower in US technology Stocks last week, we have witnessed a meaningful recovery unfold. The USD Index is in a concerning position; the monthly price continues to hold the south channel support.

XRP holds $1.40 amid ETF inflows and stable derivatives market

Ripple trades under pressure, with immediate support at $1.40 holding at the time of writing on Tuesday. A recovery attempt from last week’s sell-off to $1.12 stalled at $1.54 on Friday, leading to limited price action between the current support and the resistance.