Online buying has maxed out

This is one anecdote forming part of my investing roadmap……that we have bought the online “stuff” that we already need. Don’t need another computer, another TV or workout wear.

https://www.afr.com/companies/retail/kogan-scraps-dividend-as-profit-plunges-20210823-p58l98

Other than having accumulated superfluous things, this news also points to where we are 15 months since stimulus cheques and assistance has been handed out.

Bank savings balances have declined.

This doesn’t bode well for Buy Now, Pay Later businesses and those generally involved in consumer purchase lending.

August 24, 2021
by Rob Zdravevski
rob@karriasset.com.au

Macro Extremes (week ending August 20, 2021)

The following assets (on a weekly timeframe) registered an Overbought reading or traded more than 2.5 standard deviations above its rolling mean.

Extremes “above” the Mean (at least 2.5 standard deviations)

Cocoa

Italy’s MIB equity index

the US 10 year minus Australia 10 year bond yield spread

Overbought (RSI > 70)

Hot Rolled Coil Steel (for the 47th consecutive week)

Switzerland’s SMI equity index (for the 11th week)

the Nasdaq 100 index

Amsterdam’s AEX index

India’s NIFTY 50 equity index

the Copenhagen 25 equity index

The Overbought Quinella – Both Overbought and Traded at > 2.5 standard deviations above the weekly mean)

cryptocurrency Cardano

Assets (securities) within my immediate universe which touched the other side of the extreme, being Oversold (where the RSI is < 30) or were at least 2.5 standard deviations below its mean are;

Extremes “below” the Mean (at least 2.5 standard deviations)

AUD/JPY – a stronger Yen was telling us the market was ‘risk-off’

AUD/EUR – a rising Euro prompts converting it back to AUD

NZD/USD – the Kiwi fell 3% against the USD for the week

CAD/USD – continuing the trend of commodity currencies weakening against the USD

KRW/USD – a fall in an export sensitive currency, being the Korean Won

China’s CSI 300 equity index

the Hang Seng equity index 

Brazil’s Bovespa equity index

Korea’s KOSPI (which fell 3.5%)

and most interestingly, the small cap Russell 2000 equity index

Oversold (RSI < 30)

 Chinese Government 10 year bond yield (suggesting bonds where being bought aggressively)

AUD/GBP – telling me that the Pound is strong

the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index

The Oversold Quinella – Both Oversold and Traded at < 2.5 standard deviations above the weekly mean)

AUD/USD, where the AUD fell 3.2% for the week against a strengthening U.S. Dollar

Notable deletions from last week’s list include;

Tin following 16 consecutive weeks of being Overbought 

Australia’s ASX 200 after being Overbought for 4 weeks

the S&P 500

and the Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki equity indices.

Notes & Ideas:

The sign-off from last week’s Macro Extremes edition was “ What a week is coming up” and indeed it did become so.

Most of the action seen in the past week were in the commodity currencies and in commodity prices themselves. We mainly saw declines in the energy, softs and hard metals. This was accentuated with the large move in the DXY rising above an important resistance line of 93.10 to close at 93.56. 

Other declines were amongst the equities markets where indices were seen falling between 2% and 6% for the week.

Declines were also evident in government bond yields, meaning that aggressive buying of bonds are sympathetic and symbiotic with falling equity prices.

On the topic of bond yields, the Aussie moved from 1.19% down to 1.07%, the Gilts fell from 0.58% to 0.53% and the Kiwi (bucked my last week prediction) to fall from 1.76% to 1.62%. The U.S. 10’s were unchanged. 

Inversely and perhaps as a predictor, the JGB’s were promising for the ‘risk-on’ community as they improved from 0.009% to 0.0170%. This ‘risk-on’ positive premise was mirrored by a big move in the U.S. 10 year minus Australian 10 year bond yield spread, moving from 0.0940% to 0.1850%, which sees it firmly moving above an important resistance line.

When coupling these two last indicators with an Oversold AUD/JPY, it is worth pondering that this week’s decline in equities will be brief and shallow.

This weekly ‘Macro Extreme’ note has previously reported Overbought extremes in equities and commodities and what you’re seeing now is that some are at the beginning of main reversion and others simply trying to develop a new trend. 

The most obvious extremes which I’m currently finding in the market is the depth of oversold in Asian equities namely those associated with Chinese equities.

The decliners over the past week included Tin (7%), Lumber (3%), Gasoil (6.2%), WTI Crude (9.2%), Brent Crude (7.5%), Copper (5.8%), Heating Oil (8.2%), Coffee (2.2%), Nickel (6%), Platinum (3%), Gasoline (10.5%), Silver (3%), Corn (5%), Soybean (6%), Wheat (4.5%), the CRB index (4.6%), the U.S. banking index (3.6%), France’s CAC 40 (4%), China’s CSI-300 (3.6%), the HSCEI (7%), the Hang Seng (6%), Bovespa (2.6%), Nikkei (3.5%), Taiwan’s TAEIX (3.8%) adding to last week’s 3% fall, the SOX (2.4%), the S&P Midcap 400 (2%) and the ASX 200 (2.2%).

Amongst the carnage, the S&P 500 only declined 0.6% for the week.

The only Advancers were the Copenhagen equity index rising 1.4% and the Gold price (as priced in AUD) rose 3.3%.

The most notable mover in crypto land was Cardano which rose 14%, adding to last week’s 52% advance.

And lastly, Bitcoin is trading 230% above its 200 Week Moving Average, which is higher than last week’s 215% reading and notably higher than the reading of 140% seen 6 weeks ago, while certainly lower when compared to its 466% peak in mid-April 2021.

August 22, 2021

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

Shipping costs are adding to inflation

The Baltic Dry (shipping) Index has risen 10x over the past 15 months.

So the decision for businesses is that the cost of shipping is passed on into the finished product pricing or the bulk product isn’t transported (due to an aversion to higher shipping costs), resulting in scarcity.

Either way, prices rise…..and yet I’m told there isn’t any inflation.

August 22, 2021
by Rob Zdravevski
rob@karriasset.com.au

Don’t Believe The Hype

Isn’t it funny how the business media frames the things which they want you to hear?

Recent examples include;

when Bitcoin was falling below $30,000 the headline news was about a ‘death cross’ (when the 50 day moving average moves below its 200 day MA) suggesting lower prices. No news lately since Bitcoin bounced 50%….

and then there was Robinhood shares doubling in 1 day from $40 to $85. No news lately that they have halved again back to $44…..

Between March and May everyone suddenly knew that Lumber doubled in price from $800 to $1,700…..do they know that it has fallen 75% to $470 since then?……

and a host of “hot” IPO’s are no longer being reported on or about…..

Take Bumble and Latitude Financial for example, both are down 30% from their opening print, U.S. BNPL stock Affirm is down 55% from its peak and a host of others.

There is merit avoiding or questioning the consensus and some skill required to filter the noise, whilst there isn’t a substitute to doing your research and analysis.

August 20, 2021

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

Time for Nickel (and IGO) to pullback

Here is the stock price of ASX listed, Independence Group (IGO:ASX) 

(orange line)overlaid with the Nickel price. (blue line)

A fairly good correlation I’d say.

With Nickel flirting with weekly Overbought levels and exhibiting 

a historical stretch above its 100 and 200 week moving averages, 

mean reversion is calling. 

IGO’s timing and strategy of using its stock to acquire fellow Nickel 

miner, Western Areas is perfect.

In turn, IGO’s stock price has now broken below an important support level.

I’m looking for it to trade down to $7.67 by August 31, 2021.

August 19, 2021

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

#nickel #IGO

IGO’s clever use of equity

Here is a chart illustrating the percentages which Independence Group (IGO:ASX) has traded at either above or below its 200 week moving average.

The company has cleverly issued shares and made acquisitions at many of those peaks.

Examples include;
2008 Karlawinda
2011 Jabiru
2015 Sirius
2016 Windward
2018 Southern Hills
2021 Western Areas, Silver Knight & Tianqi,

This is an example of how to strategically use your extended stock price as effective currency.

August 10, 2021
by Rob Zdravevski
rob@karriasset.com.au

Copper on verge of breaking lower

Carrying on from my May 2021 call and reiteration in June 2021, Copper continues its laddered decline closer to its longer term mean.

Today, Copper is perilously poised.

It is trading at $4.24 on the front Comex contract and a break below $4.17 could see a swift decline to the $3.65-$3.43 level.

Your stop loss on a new short entered here would be $4.37, while a move above $4.45 will help wane the strength of the current downtrend.

August 18, 2021

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

It’s only 10%

Context is required

If a 10% correction in the S&P 500 was to occur, we’re only back to March 2021 levels.

Hardly earth-shattering stuff.

In fact, a 12% retracement would see the S&P 500 kiss its 50 week moving average.

All quite healthy and plausible.

Currently, the S&P 500 is exhibiting a bearish outside reversal week.

As mentioned in my recent Macro Extremes note, it’s going to be an interesting week or two. The S&P 500 is also registering a weekly Overbought reading and my other indicators are also increasing probability for a move lower over the next 2 weeks or so.

My target for any decline is 4,022.

My medium term view is that equities move higher and any decline is merely a blip in the larger picture.

If ‘corrections’ concern you, it’s time to consider selling shares so to lower the amount of money exposed and at risk or consider taking out some insurance against ‘market risk’ such as buying put options or shorting the S&P 500 futures.

I bet many won’t do any of that.

August 18, 2021

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

More downside risk in FMG

At the moment, FMG’s stock price is testing an important support line. 
A pending bounce in price is NOT the main game. 
I’m expecting a path to $15 mark into a March-April 2022 timeframe 
to where the 200 week moving average will be at that time.

August 18, 2021
by Rob Zdravevski
rob@karriasset.com.au

cue

Lumber entering a Buy range

A year ago I was writing about the parabolic price move in Lumber and since then I’ve spoken at various events about the importance of ‘honouring’ or respecting that parabolas are followed by a regression to the mean.

Of course, you can always pick the ‘mean’ which suits your story.

Mean reversions following parabolic moves are also good for shaking out the un-natural owners of an asset, commodity or token, perhaps.

Lumber has fallen 72% since its mid-May 2021 high.

Perhaps many should ask their homebuilder if the construction quote is any cheaper now?

Even so, Lumber may be at a price where it’s safer to buy.

Another 2% lower should do it, $461 looks like a good entry point.

August 17, 2021

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@robzdravevski