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James Mound's Weekend Commodities Review


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The Weekend Commodities Review

By Head Analyst James Mound

 For the Week Ending September 20th, 2009

General Comments

 

A two day Fed meeting this week should be the catalyst for a negative outlook for the global economy as I anticipate the Fed to downplay recent bullish economic data. 

The dollar will hit 86 before it breaks below 70 or I will stop writing the Weekend Commodities Review. Forever. 

Energies

Oil continues to congest around 70 while natural gas exploded to the upside, thereby tightening the excessively wide spread.  Oil remains a bear play here with a move to 62 expected in the near term.  Natural gas was a great bull play as it has gained over 50% in a matter of a few weeks.  The market should let up under 4.00 on the Oct. contract and see a move back to 3.20, peeling off some volatility premium along the way.  If the pullback occurs look to pounce on the dip with some straight calls or long futures. 

09-20-2009

**Chart courtesy of Gecko Software's TracknTrade 

Financials      

Stocks appear strong but this week will likely be very deflating for the bulls as a top is set amid a negative Fed meeting and a poor new home sales number on Friday.  I tend to get excited when I see formations developing and have a history of jumping in a little early, so it might take the week to wash out the bulls, but either way we are very close to a topping setup in the S&P and a bull move in the dollar and bonds.  The Fed will need to downplay the economy to create the cautious optimism made famous during the Greenspan era.  While the global recovery out of recession appears to be well on its way, we are about due to hit some big bumps in the road.  The first bump is housing as credit remains tight and, without a 'cash for ugly houses' stimulus, the housing market may be in for an unexpected dip.  The dollar, as I have made my views abundantly clear, remains very bullish and I expect a strong rally in the near and intermediate term.  The Japanese Yen remains a long strangle play with continued volatility expected from the new government.  This past week they actually suggested they did not believe in currency intervention, which is bullish for the yen if it is true (the Japanese government has tried to keep their currency weak to support their massive export industry) - but I am not buying into that.

Grains

Grains continue to offer strong sell indicators, both fundamentally and technically.  Weather conditions are solid throughout much of the U.S. and the crops for beans and corn just seem too good to do anything but play the downside.  Wheat is a value buy anywhere below $5.  Rice remains a possible sell with July 2010 puts. 

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Meats            

Cattle has begun what I feel is a strong descent to possibly the mid-60s.  Hogs brushed up against anticipated resistance and showed some signs of topping, suggesting a possible short with a bull reversal above 56.   

Metals        

Why is gold trading below the highs but holding around 1000?  There are a few schools of thought here.  First, where else should you put your money - oil after it doubled, the stock market after a 60% rally off the lows or bonds offering minuscule returns?  Second, maybe we are seeing some pre-seasonal buying ahead of a recession comeback demand increase expected during India's holiday buying season.  Third, the recent dollar weakness could be pushing gold to test the highs.  That being said, my school of thought is that what we are seeing is a jump the gun trade - ahead of a lack of India demand, oil pullback and dollar rally.  Oh and let's throw in a stock market 10% pullback and Bam!  Gold at 780.  Silver at 11.00.  Copper at 2.10.  Platinum at 1080.  

Softs          

Coffee is hovering in a mid-range and has some bullish fundamentals developing in Vietnam but overall will have a tough time breaking out if in fact the dollar is going to make its move higher.  The Vietnamese Dong also looks to be pushing lower against the dollar and that means some more coffee coming on the open market as Vietnam tries to push exports.  Cocoa is riding high but remains a long term sell at these levels.  Cotton is still a buy on low supply numbers expected from reduced planted acreage.  OJ remains a buy on dips.  Sugar is a congestion nightmare near some epic highs, with a potential for premium collection if the market stays stuck for much longer.  My gut says there is still a downside play there, but watch out if those highs are broken.

 

 

 

 

 

*Disclaimer: There is risk of loss in all commodities trading. Please consult a James Mound Trading Group Broker before you trade for the first time. Losses can exceed your account size and/or margin requirements. Commodities trading can be extremely risky and is not for everyone. Some option strategies have unlimited risk. Educate yourself on the risks and rewards of such investing prior to trading. James Mound Trading Group, or anyone associated with JMTG or moundreport.com, do not guarantee profits or pre-determined loss points, and are not held monetarily responsible for the trading losses of others (clients or otherwise). Past results are by no means indicative of potential future returns. Information provided is compiled by sources believed to be reliable. JMTG or its principals assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions as the information may not be complete or events may have been cancelled or rescheduled. Any copy, reprint, broadcast or distribution of this report of any kind is prohibited without the express written consent of James Mound Trading Group LLC. Total cost, or cost/credit of trade (as referred to in the trade above), includes the cost/credit of entry, commissions and fees. Typical commission is an approximate mean of commission rates amongst JMTG customers, but can be more or less depending upon the individual account/customer, services rendered, account size, trading volume, etc. Options do not necessarily move in lock step with the underlying futures movement. Commissions at JMTG range from $3 to $27.50 per side depending upon the market traded and specific commission rate charged to the client. Fees range from $2.88 to $7.50 per side depending upon the market traded.

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About the author


James Mound is currently the President of James Mound Trading Group LLC and head analyst for MoundReport.com.
  • Previously the head trader and partner of PGA Futures, Inc.
  • Has been published over 1,000 times (online and printed media)
  • Author of the book, "7 Secrets Every Commodity Trader Needs to Know", published by Traders Press, Inc.
  • Quoted/Published in Time Magazine, SmartMoney, Consensus Inc. Newspaper, Futures Magazine, 321Gold.com, Gold-eagle.com, Pitnews.com, Reuters, TradersWorld Magazine, ETVFutures.com and many more.
  • Currently authors the Weekend Commodities Review distributed to thousands of commodity enthusiasts each week and published on over 20 commodity information websites.
  • Member of the National Futures Association

 

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