This is not a correlated market. The USD is Down and Crude is Down which is not normal, but 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 Lower and Crude is trading Lower which is not 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. Asia is trading mainly Lower with the exception of the Aussie and Sensex exchanges. Europe is trading mainly Lower with the exception of the German Dax and Spanish IBEX exchanges which are Higher at the present time.

Possible challenges to traders

Existing Home Sales is out at 10 AM EST. This is Major.
FOMC Meeting Minutes is out at 2 PM EST. This is Major.

Treasuries

Traders, please note that we've changed the Bond instrument from the 30 year (ZB) to the 10 year (ZN). They work exactly the same.

We've elected to switch gears a bit and show correlation between the 10-year bond (ZN) 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. Today we aren't dealing with a correlated market and our bias is to the Upside.

Yesterday the ZN migrated Higher at around 7:30 AM EST as the S&P hit a High at around the same time. If you look at the charts below the S&P gave a signal at around 7:30 AM and the ZN started its Upward trend. Look at the charts below and you'll see a pattern for both assets. S&P hit a High at around 7:30 AM and migrated Higher. 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 Long opportunity on the 10-year note, as a trader you could have netted about 20 ticks per contract on this trade. Each tick is worth $15.625. Please note: the front month for the ZN is now Dec '23. The S&P contract is now Dec' 23. 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 - Dec 2023 - 11/20/23

S&P - Dec 2023 - 11/20/23

Bias

Yesterday we gave the markets an Upside bias as both the USD and the Bonds were trading Lower and that usually reflects an Upside Day. The markets didn't disappoint as the Dow gained 204 points and the other indices traded Higher as well. 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

Yesterday economic news did not take front and center as there was no real economic news to report. We concluded that the bias was to the upside based solely on our rules of Market Correlation which told us that the bias should be to the Upside. The markets didn't disappoint as the Dow closed Higher by over 200 points. Some analysts have started to say that the Fed is done raising rates. Please do not buy that rumor as no one knows what the Fed will do. Do I want them to Lower rates? Of course, I do as I believe it's good for the entire economy when capital is easier to acquire. Today we have Existing Home Sales and the FOMC Meeting Minutes, both of which are major.

Author

Nick Mastrandrea

Market Tea Leaves

EUR/USD hovers around nine-day EMA above 1.1800

EUR/USD remains in the positive territory after registering modest gains in the previous session, trading around 1.1820 during the Asian hours on Monday. The 14-day Relative Strength Index momentum indicator at 54 is edging higher, signaling improving momentum. RSI near mid-50s keeps momentum balanced. A sustained push above 60 would firm bullish control.

GBP/USD holds medium-term bullish bias above 1.3600

The GBP/USD pair trades on a softer note around 1.3605 during the early European session on Monday. Growing expectation of the Bank of England’s interest-rate cut weighs on the Pound Sterling against the Greenback.

Gold sticks to gains above $5,000 as China's buying and Fed rate-cut bets drive demand

Gold surges past the $5,000 psychological mark during the Asian session on Monday in reaction to the weekend data, showing that the People's Bank of China extended its buying spree for a 15th month in January. Moreover, dovish US Federal Reserve expectations and concerns about the central bank's independence drag the US Dollar lower for the second straight day, providing an additional boost to the non-yielding yellow metal.

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple consolidate after massive sell-off

Weekly column: Saturn-Neptune and the end of the Dollar’s 15-year bull cycle

Tariffs are not only inflationary for a nation but also risk undermining the trust and credibility that go hand in hand with the responsibility of being the leading nation in the free world and controlling the world’s reserve currency.

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple consolidate after massive sell-off

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple prices consolidated on Monday after correcting by nearly 9%, 8%, and 10% in the previous week, respectively. BTC is hovering around $70,000, while ETH and XRP are facing rejection at key levels. Traders should be cautious: despite recent stabilization, upside recovery for these top three cryptocurrencies is capped as the broader trend remains bearish.