Because market timing is never something we will know with any great accuracy, it’s important to keep trying and probing.  Even though, I’m much more interested in the downside of a lot of these markets, I’m still actively setting up trades to take advantage of the long side.  As always, every trade, long or short, know your entry, your exit, your target, your risk, and your reward.  Under no uncertain terms, these are all givens.  It’s the research and preparation that goes on before you relay an order to your broker.  There is zero tolerance for improvisation when you have your trading groove on.

So, where is my attention tonight?  How have my thoughts adjusted over the past 24 hours?  Yesterday, I had orders on in Bonds, Cotton, Sugar, Silver, and Crude.  I got zero fills.  No biggie.  It played out as a very orderly “bounce” / range bound day after a monster trend day.  Perfect days for losing lots of money.  I was grateful not to get pulled in.  And, it gave me a chance to look at things again with fresh eyes.  What do my “fresh eyes” see?  Two things primarily: #1) I’m less interested / concerned with equities, bonds, metals, dollar…. more small moves ahead… worth waiting for the story to develop further before taking key positions.  #2) It brought a little more personal interest towards the bullish scenario.  So, I personally will be looking for both long and short side on some of my key remaining markets.  But, again, I’m putting some of the gunpowder back in the shed.

Last week should not be taken lightly.  A 5% sell off on US equities is not a trivial affair.  If we can take off up to another 10% in the next two weeks, I will be relieved and strangely bullish.  On the other hand, if we take out the highs, I will very quickly be on guard for significant crash symptoms ahead.

What do I expect this week ahead?  I expect over the course of this week and possibly part of next week to put in some short term bottoms on equities and a number of other commodities.  But, more important than expectations are what you are prepared to handle.

Keep in mind 2 of the 4 indications of a very large market top being put in have occurred.  The first being we have extreme correlation.  Not only do we have more markets intensely correlated than is systemically healthy; but, many of them are starting to get to extreme levels.  It’s pretty much the world against the dollar and bonds.  If the dollar and bonds go down, stocks, grains, oil, metals, other currencies, other commodities, go up and vice versa.  The second key ingredient to a major market top is extreme volatility.  We are seeing VIX over 30, 5% weeks, breaking of major support and resistance in a wide range of markets.  You should be on alert!

If you followed my commentary last week, I wrote:

Favorite set-ups on the horizon: Very interested in an opportunity to short metals on the immediate horizon.

Silver opened the week at 1771 and closed down at 1630, falling 8% for the week.  So, if you didn’t catch my post on Wednesday before the GDP announcement to take profit, you got another break on Friday.  Of course, if you have more contracts out there, leave some for the longer run.  I read about Joe Ross calling Gold at 400.  Why not leave a little on for the bigger play.

Meanwhile what other opportunities lie ahead for this week?

I’m starting my week looking at possible short in Cotton, Oil, and Sugar below current prices.  Only below current prices.  I’d love to be long bonds.  But, I just don’t have the appetite for that much exposure at the start of the week.  So, as much as I may believe in the trade, I’ll hold off on that one.

General outlook:

We are officially on red alert.  Be prepared to sustain this pace right up until Thanksgiving and beyond.  It is very unclear as to exactly how the story will unfold in the immediate future.  But, this is a great time to pay attention.  With both Fed announcement and Jobs reports, this is likely to be a high impact week.  Be safe.  Be conservative.  And above and beyond all, be prepared.

There are two things that should be blatantly obvious from looking at history.  First, 30 year treasury bonds have tended, over the past 30 years, to go up in price (in quite jagged price swings).  Secondly, price is currently exploring the lower boundaries of what historically has served as a pretty important guide for lower value. 

What does that translate to?  Expect upward pressure in 30 year bonds.  I can always be wrong.  And, I know at exactly what price levels to start reevaluating.  But, until price takes out those levels, I’m bullish bonds.  There is a very interesting, possibly longer term, move setting up.

As always, this is not trading advice.  This is market analysis.  You trade your own money at your own risk.  Please see the disclaimer on the side bar.  And, get ready, this is going to be a really interesting few weeks.