• My thoughts after watching 'The Big Short'

  • US equities still need to come off big

  • The market will do what it can to make you a doubter

  • US Dollar still looking good despite dovish Fed

MOVIES AND MARKETS - Just settling back from my trip to London. Always a pleasure to be in London and I look forward to spending more time there going forward. On my trip over, I finally got to watch 'The Big Short.' I'm sure many of you have seen it by now, but I suppose I hadn't been too interested to see it given the fact that it was something that I lived through only a short while back. But I did enjoy it and it only made me think about the fact that we are right back at it again.

ANOTHER BUBBLE - It really is the same crisis as it was back then, but with monetary policy stepping in to intervene, the artificial support has delayed what could have been a more disastrous reaction back then, that should still play out going forward. When you look at the market today, you are just looking at another bubble about to burst. In 2007 it was the housing bubble and in 2016 its an equity market bubble.

THE SQUEEZE - I suppose we are now at that point in the movie where equity shorts are frustrated the market is still trying to go higher despite what appears to be added layers of uncertainty and fear of exhausted central bank policy. Everything adds up as it did with the credit default swap position, and yet the market is doing what it does best - making the bears sweat, unwilling to break. But if you think a drop isn't coming and that the bears are foolish, you need to think again.

SIMPLE LOGIC - You can't have a global economy in desperate need of this type of accommodation that ultimately drives asset prices to record highs, without some form of intense correction, once the very policy that has been driving the price action is either exhausted or removed. So as far as stocks go, my recommendation is to keep looking for opportunities to sell into rallies. It may be frustrating for a bit, but it's the right play.

THE TARGET - I think an SPX500 drop back into the 1500s is quite reasonable, and when you think about it, an SPX500 in the 1500s is a market that is still trading at levels that were record highs in 2013. So it isn't like this type of drop would even be that catastrophic. And when you look at a monthly chart, a drop into the 1500s would just be a corrective pullback in a very well defined uptrend. So don't think we can't see such a move play out in the months ahead. We should.

THE DOLLAR - As far as currencies go, dovish or not, the Fed is still ahead of the other major central banks, and being ahead means yield differentials will still favor the Buck going forward. Moreover, the Dollar has the ability to attract plenty of attention in risk off settings and if I am right about this equity market pullback, it should translate into one more sizable US Dollar push before all is said and done. Right now I am playing this through NZDUSD. Let's see how it plays out.

This analysis is for informational and educational purposes only. This is not a recommendation to buy or sell anything. MarketPunks is not a financial advisor and this does not constitute investment advice. All of the information contained herein should be independently verified and confirmed. Please be aware of the risks involved with trading in currencies, stocks, commodities, cryptocurrencies and sports. Do not trade with money you cannot afford to lose. It is recommended that you consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Recommended Content


Recommended Content

Editors’ Picks

USD/JPY crashes toward 156.00, Japanese intervention in play?

USD/JPY crashes toward 156.00, Japanese intervention in play?

Having briefly recaptured 160.00, USD/JPY came under intense selling and sank toward 156.00 on what seems like a Japanese FX intervention underway. The Yen tumbled in early trades amid news that Japan's PM lost 3 key seats in the by-election. Holiday-thinned trading exaggerates the USD/JPY price action. 

USD/JPY News

AUD/USD rallies toward 0.6600 on risk flows, hawkish RBA expectations

AUD/USD rallies toward 0.6600 on risk flows, hawkish RBA expectations

AUD/USD extends gains toward 0.6600 in the Asian session on Monday. The Aussie pair is underpinned by increased bets of an RBA rate hike at its May policy meeting after the previous week's hot Australian CPI data. Risk flows also power the pair's upside. 

AUD/USD News

Gold stays weak below $2,350 amid risk-on mood, firmer USD

Gold stays weak below $2,350 amid risk-on mood, firmer USD

Gold price trades on a softer note below $2,350 early Monday. The recent US economic data showed that US inflationary pressures stayed firm, supporting the US Dollar at the expense of Gold price. The upbeat mood also adds to the weight on the bright metal.

Gold News

Ethereum fees drops to lowest level since October, ETH sustains above $3,200

Ethereum fees drops to lowest level since October, ETH sustains above $3,200

Ethereum’s high transaction fees has been a sticky issue for the blockchain in the past. This led to Layer 2 chains and scaling solutions developing alternatives for users looking to transact at a lower cost. 

Read more

Week ahead: Hawkish risk as Fed and NFP on tap, Eurozone data eyed too

Week ahead: Hawkish risk as Fed and NFP on tap, Eurozone data eyed too

Fed meets on Wednesday as US inflation stays elevated. Will Friday’s jobs report bring relief or more angst for the markets? Eurozone flash GDP and CPI numbers in focus for the Euro.

Read more

Majors

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures