This is not a correlated market. The USD is Down and Crude is Up which is normal, and the 30 Year T-Bond is trading Lower. 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 Lower and Crude is trading Higher which is correlated. Gold is trading Higher which is 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 traded Higher. All of Europe is trading Higher as well.

Possible challenges to traders

NFIB Small Business Index is out at 6 AM EST. This is Major.
Core CPI m/m is out at 8:30 AM EST. This is Major.
CPI m/m is out at 8:30 AM EST. This is Major.
CPI y/y is out at 8:30 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 climbed Higher at around 7 AM EST with no economic news pending. The Dow dropped 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 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 a 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

Dow -Jun 2025 - 5/12/25

ZT - Mar 2025- 5/12/25

Bias

Yesterday we gave the markets an Upside bias and the markets didn't disappoint. The Dow gained over 1,000 points on the session and the other indices gained ground as well. Today our bias is to the Downside.

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

Commentary

Sunday evening the news wires were aglow with the news that an agreement had been met between China and the the US regarding trade and tariffs. The news was the tariffs have been placed on a 90 day hold and the percentages were reduced. China pays 35% and the USA pays 10%. The markets zoomed on the news with the Dow increasing by 1,161 points and the other indices closed Higher as well.

Author

Nick Mastrandrea

Market Tea Leaves

EUR/USD stays near 1.1650 with fading momentum

EUR/USD holds ground after five days of losses, trading around 1.1650 during the Asian hours on Friday. The 14-day Relative Strength Index momentum indicator at 39 trends lower, confirming fading momentum rather than oversold conditions.

GBP/USD remains below 1.3450, nine-day EMA

GBP/USD remains subdued for the fourth consecutive day, trading around 1.3430 during the Asian hours on Friday. The momentum indicator 14-day Relative Strength Index at 51.9 is neutral, reflecting slower momentum after firm recent readings. An RSI drop back beneath 50 would strengthen the case for a deeper pullback.

Gold edges lower as USD preserves its recent gains ahead of US NFP report

Gold struggles to capitalize on the previous day's goodish rebound from the vicinity of the $4,400 mark and attracts fresh sellers during the Asian session on Friday. The US Dollar preserves its gains registered over the past two weeks and touches a nearly one-month high, undermining the commodity.

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple find key support, reviving rally hopes

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple steadied above key support levels on Friday after being rejected at mid-week resistance zones. The short-term recovery prospects remain intact if the top three cryptocurrencies by market capitalization hold these support zones.

2026 economic outlook: Clear skies but don’t unfasten your seatbelts yet

Most years fade into the background as soon as a new one starts. Not 2025: a year of epochal shifts, in which the macroeconomy was the dog that did not bark. What to expect in 2026? The shocks of 2025 will not be undone, but neither will they be repeated.

Pepe Price Forecast: PEPE risks 100-day EMA fallout as bullish interest fades

Pepe is under extreme selling pressure, trading in the red for the fifth consecutive day, down 1% at press time on Friday. Pepe’s decline following a 72% hike last week suggests a likely profit-booking phase, while on-chain data indicates declining network activity.