Iron Ore prices dancing with Shipping Rates

2 years ago I posted this note studying Iron Prices when compared to the Baltic Dry (shipping) Index.

Today, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) is trading at an overbought extreme.

The Singapore 62% Iron Ore price hit that same overbought metric 2 weeks ago .

Here is a chart of the BDI laid over the Iron Ore.

In the original Dec 2021 note, I said, ‘look out below’ suggesting the Baltic Dry Index could visit $900. The circle denotes a moment when it traded to $970 and it eventually made it to $530.

Now, I expect a pullback in the Baltic Dry Index and the price action in Iron Ore related stocks isn’t particularly constructive.

October 3, 2023

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

Macro Extremes (week ending September 29, 2023)

A weekly Macro, Cross Asset review of prices trading at extremes which may generate future investment ideas and opportunities.

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

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

Australian, Brazilian, Italian, Canadian, Swiss, German, Spanish, Greek, French, Portuguese, Swedish and Turkish 10 year government bond yields

U.S. 5-7 year corporate bond yields

German 5 year government bond yields

Baltic Dry Index

CAD/EUR

CAD/GBP

CAD/EUR 

Australian Coking Coal

CAD/GBP

Oslo’s equity index

Overbought (RSI > 70)

Japanese, Russian and New Zealand 10 year government bond yields

U.S. 3 month bill yields

U.S. 5 year bond yield minus 5 year inflation break-even rate

U.S. 10 year bond yield minus 10 year inflation break-even rate

Gasoil

USD/JPY

And Turkiye’s BIST 100

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

Chilean 10 year government bond yield

U.S. 7, 10, 20 and 30 year government bond yields

TBT & TBX

Australian Coking Coal 

China Coking Coal 

Uranium

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

IEF & IEI

Nickel

Gold (in USD)

THB/USD

DAX Index

Nasdaq Biotechnology Index 

Thailand’s SET Index

ASX Small Cap Index

And ASX Industrials Index

Oversold (RSI < 30)

U.S. Mid West Hot Rolled Coil Steel

Lithium Hydroxide

Orange Juice

JPY/USD

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

TLT

Notes & Ideas:

Government bond yields rose again with my most notable news being the return of bond yields towards the upper end of their ‘extremes’.

However, while highs over recent times are now being made, the past several weeks sees many global government bond yields yet to break the previous major cycle highs of 2007 and 2011.

Note those U.S. yields which appear in the ‘quinella’ section of this week’s list.

Equity indices continued their general weakness with most of them ending the week either up or down 0.6% from last week’s close. 

The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index bounced 2% following a 9% decline over the previous 3 weeks.

Most U.S. bourses held up, for example the S&P 500 rose 0.7% while most Asian bourses fell, reversing last week’s action.

Furthermore, the KOSPI has fallen 5.2% in the past 2 weeks.

Commodities were mixed with the list of winners and losers showing those who closed 1.8% in either direction from last week’s week ending prices.

Gold and Silver had a terrible week.

Gas prices has a good week. In fact, Dutch TTF Gas has now doubled since its oversold moment in late May 2023.

The Baltic Dry Index has soared 51% in the past 4 weeks and is now overbought while Gasoil is the first of the energy contracts to return to the territory.

Whilst Cattle isn’t overbought anymore.

Nickel has mean reverted having nearly halved from its December 2022 overbought reading and closing in on oversold territory.

Uranium is overbought for its 7th consecutive week along with having the highest overbought reading since 2011.

Cocoa has declined 9% in the past 2 weeks after spending some time in overbought land.

Orange Juice closed at another new all-time high.

Sugar broke its 5 week winning streak.

U.S. Mid West Hot Rolled Coiled Steel has been oversold for 5 weeks.

Soybeans have declined for 5 consecutive weeks, while Lithium Hydroxide declining streak extends to 12 consecutive weeks.

And Australian Coking Coal and Uranium have their 12 week winning streak intact and registering an overbought quinella.

Amongst currencies, the Australian Dollar and the Canadian Dollar were generally firmer this week, again.

The AUD is in a 5 week consecutive week advance versus the Thai Baht.

The Canadian Loonie is on a 6 week winning streak vs. the EUR and entered overbought territory during the week against it and the British Pound.

The USD was stronger except against the SEK.

The DXY extends its rising streak to 11 weeks and that is the case specifically for USD/DKK.

The GBP/USD is in a 6 week losing streak and has fallen in 9 of its past 11 weeks.

And the EUR was mixed, while the EUR/USD is in a 11 week losing streak.

The larger advancers over the past week comprised of;

Australian Coking Coal 9.7%, Aluminium 5.2%, Rotterdam Coal 4.7%, Baltic Dry Index 6.8%, China Coking Coal 9.7%, Gasoil 1.9%, Lumber 3.9%, Natural Gas 11.1%, Orange Juice 2.4%, Dutch TTF Gas 5.2%, Urea Middle East 6.7%, Uranium 5.8%, Oats 1.8%, MOEX 2.8%, BIST 3.8%, SOX 2.1% and KRE Regional Bank Index rose 1.5%.

The group of decliners included;

Cocoa (4.6%), Coffee (3.3%), JKM LNG (5.6%), Lithium Hydroxide (7.7%), Nickel (2.9%), Platinum (2%), Gasoline (4.5%), Sugar (1.8%), Urea Gulf (3.2%), Silver in AUD and USD (5.7%), Gold in AUD (3.9%), Gold in CAD (3.3%), Gold in USD (4%), Soybeans (1.6%), Wheat (6.6%), China A50 (1.8%), HSCEOI (1.8%), KLSE (1.8%), KOSPI (1.7%), Nikkei 225 (1.7%) and Thailand’s SET fell 3.4%.

October 1, 2023

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

And momentarily, Crude Oil is peaking

To re-visit a post from 6 months ago, where it said;

“Crude Oil tends to lead inflation and interest rates.

On most occasions it also leads GDP too.”

When queuing off the blue line, it has kinda been the case.

September 29, 2023

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

Still early to buy Gold

USD priced Gold made a new ‘lower low’ and is entering a new downtrend (on a weekly basis) albeit the strength of the trend is not strong.

Incidentally, it’s touching a 6 month low.

In the interim, the ‘dailies’ are oversold and due for a little bounce, while the downward trend needs to be honoured.

Gold as priced in AUD and CAD may have a little more to fall than the USD version.

I think its too early to be entering gold positions.

One ‘bottoming’ reference to watch may be if Newmont Corp. (NEM:US) trades down to $32.20.

September 29, 2023

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

Macro Extremes (week ending September 22, 2023)

A weekly Macro, Cross Asset review of prices trading at extremes which may generate future investment ideas and opportunities.

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

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

Italian 10 year government bond yield

Australian Coking Coal

CAD/GBP

Oslo’s equity index

Overbought (RSI > 70)

Japanese, Turkish and Russian 10 year government bond yields

U.S. 3 month bill yields

TBT

U.S. 10, 20 and 30 year government bond yields

U.S. 10 year bond yield minus 10 year inflation break-even rate

Cattle

And Turkiye’s BIST 100

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

Uranium

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

Mexico’s equity index

Nasdaq Biotechnology Index 

ASX 200

ASX Small Cap Index

And ASX Industrials Index

Oversold (RSI < 30)

U.S. Mid West Hot Rolled Coil Steel

Lithium Hydroxide

TLT

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

None

Notes & Ideas:

Government bond yields rose modestly, compounding the gains from the last few weeks.

This means we are now starting to see bond yields appear in the overbought category, as seen this week with JGB’s and U.S. longer dated maturities.

The U.S. 2’s are their highest level since July 2006, the 5’s and 7’s are their highest weekly close since August 2007 although the latter didn’t make a new intra-week high. 

The U.S. 10’s are their highest weekly close since September 2007.

The U.S. 30’s saw their yield close at their highest since April 2011.

 The anomaly to rising yields was bucked in the U.K., where their yields fell. To boot, those yields aren’t making new highs and the 5’s are in a 4 week losing streak and closing in on a directional trend change. 

And I wanted to note that the spread between the Aussie 5’s minus 90 day bank bill swap rate is (0.08%).

Equity indices had a poor week across the board with the exception of Chinese equity bourses.

The Russell 2000 has fallen 6 of its past 7 weeks and the S&P Small Cap 600 completed a mean reversion.

Indonesia’s market is nearing a new bullish trend.

And the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index has fallen 9% over the past 3 weeks.

Commodities were mainly weaker with energy prices taking a break (with the exception of LNG prices) as the CRB broke its 4 week rising streak.

Rubber, Cocoa, Russia’s MOEX and India’s Nifty are no longer overbought.

Orange Juice closed at an all-time high.

Sugar is at its highest close since October 2011 within a 5 week winning streak.

Most other agricultural’s had a woeful week.

U.S. Mid West Hot Rolled Coiled Steel has been oversold for 4 weeks.

Oats and Soybeans mean reverted with the latter declining for 4 consecutive weeks, while Lithium Hydroxide declining streak extends to 12 consecutive weeks.

The Baltic Dry Index has soared 44% in the past 3 weeks.

Australian Coking Coal and Uranium have their 11 week winning streak intact.

While Cocoa closes below last week’s 46 year high and breaks a 5 week winning streak.

And I’ll watch the development of an early upward trend in AUD and USD priced Silver. 

Amongst currencies, the Australian Dollar and the Canadian Dollar were firmer this week, again.

The Aussie was stronger against all except for the ZAR and CAD.

The AUD/THB pair competes its 4 week consecutive week of advance.

The Canadian Loonie is one a 5 week winning streak vs, the EUR and the GBP.

The USD was stronger except against the CAD and SEK, as the DXY extends its rising streak to 10 weeks.

That same 10 week streak exists in the U.S. Dollar versus the Danish Krone.

The GBP/USD has fallen in 8 of its past 10 weeks.

And the EUR was mixed, while the EUR/USD is in a 10 week losing streak.

The larger advancers over the past week comprised of;

Baltic Dry Index 15.4%, JKM LNG 13.3%, Tin 1.7%, Orange Juice 3.1%, Silver 2.3%, Dutch TTF Gas 9.1%, Uranium 4.2%, Silver in AUD 2.1% and China’s A50 rose 2.2%.

The group of decliners included;

Cocoa (4.7%), WTI Crude (2%), Lean Hogs (1.9%), Copper (2.7%), Heating Oil (1.7%), Coffee (5%), Nickel (3.5%), Brent Crude (2.1%), Gasoline (5.2%), Oats (11.3%), Rice (2.4%), Soybeans (3.3%), Wheat (4.1%), KBW Bank Index (4.6%), CAC (2.6%), DAX (2.1%), DJ Industrials (1.9%), DJ Transports (2.3%), Bovespa (2.3%), S&P Smal Cap 600 (3.4%), MOEX (3.3%), Nasdaq Composite (3.6%), KRE Regional Bank Index (5.8%), KOSPI (3.6%), S&P MidCap 400 (2.8%), Nasdaq Biotech (2.8%), Nasdaq 100 (3.3%), Nikkei 225 (3.4%), NIFTY (2.6%), Copenhagen (1.7%), Helsinki (1.8%), Russell 2000 (3.8%), Sensex (2.7%), SMI (1.6%), SOX (3.2%), S&P 500 (2.9%), Chile (2.8%), Straits Times (2.3%), TAEIX (3.4%), TSX (4.1%), ASX 200 (2.9%), ASX Materials (3.1%), ASX Industrials (2.1%) and ASX Small Caps fell 3%.

September 24, 2023

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

Selected Oil stocks are full

Now, the noise around Oil prices is becoming louder.

The chart below plots the stock price of Shell plc versus Brent Crude.

The former is exhibiting signs of trading at the upper end of its extremes amidst an upward trend which is yet to show any strength.

Best I check the other oil related stock prices.

September 19, 2023

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

The herd is arriving in Uranium and Oil

Over the past 2 months, Crude Oil prices have climbed 21% while the price of Uranium has risen 18%.

In the past 5 months, they have risen 15% and 31% respectively.

It all depends on your starting point.

However, the latter is where I hear the most noise.

The latter is overbought (on my various measures) while the former, is not.

While overbought can stay overbought much longer than being oversold…….tactically, it’s valuable to observe when the noise heightens and the herd arrives, as many enter new buy orders.

Don’t be tricked by those touting the prospects of a ravishing advance as prices enter a new atmosphere.

Managing an existing long position with a much lower cost basis is not the same as buying at today’s prices……

Incidentally, the price of Orange Juice and Rubber have risen 21% over the past 2 months too.

September 18, 2023

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

#uranium #oil

Macro Extremes (week ending September 15, 2023)

A weekly Macro, Cross Asset review of prices trading at extremes which may generate future investment ideas and opportunities.

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

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

Australian Coking Coal

Oslo’s equity index

Overbought (RSI > 70)

Turkish and Russian 10 year government bond yields

U.S. 3 month bill yields

Cocoa

Cattle

Rubber

Russia’s MOEX

India’s Nifty

And Turkiye’s BIST 100

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

Uranium

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

Mexico and Copenhagen’s equity index

Oversold (RSI < 30)

U.S. Mid West Hot Rolled Coil Steel

Lithium Hydroxide

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

None

Notes & Ideas:

Government bond yields rose modestly, extending last week’s move.

However, they have mostly traded sideways for several months, failing to make new highs.

The exception is in the Japanese 10’s. The U.S. 10’s are close to doing so.

Equity indices had a good week, particulate those in Europe and Asia.

Although the major U.S. indices were subdued. The Dow Jones Industrials, Russell 200 and S&P 500 declined 0.2% for the week. The Nasdaq Composite, MidCap 400 and Nasdaq 100 fell 0.5%. The Small Cap 600 rose 0.2%.

Positively, the KOSPI, Nikkei 225, TAIEX, Singapore’s Strait Times and Chile all posted bullish outside reversal weeks.

The latter broke its 6 week losing streak.

Inversely, Istanbul’s BIST 100 performed an bearish outside reversal week

The ASX 200 recovered all of last week’s decline.

And the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index was down 2.5% for the week, mainly due to Friday’s 3% drop.

Commodities were mainly firmer with energy prices continue to have a starring role.

For example, Brent Crude has risen 10 of the past 12 weeks, climbing 27% over that time.

While U.S. Mid West Hot Rolled Coiled Steel has been oversold for 3 weeks and has fallen 40% since mid April 2023.

The Baltic Dry Index has soared 27% in the past fortnight.

Agricultural’s were mainly weaker.

Australian Coking Coal and Uranium have risen 32% and 19% respectively during their 10 week winning streaks.

Cocoa is at a 46 year high and in a 5 week winning streak.

Rubber has risen for 6 consecutive weeks. Sugar has climbed for its 4th week.

Inversely, Lithium Hydroxide has fallen for 11 consecutive weeks.

While Iron Ore and AUD Gold broke their respective 6 and 4 week winning streaks.

And the Gold Volatility Index closed at its lowest level since December 2019.

Amongst currencies, the AUD and the Canadian Loonie were stronger this week. As such, their own strength rendered the AUD/CAD pair flat for the week.

The U.S. Dollar (DXY Index) is in a 9 week winning streak.

The GBP/JPY isn’t overbought this week and the CNH/USD is no longer oversold.

The JPY/USD is nearing oversold levels whilst the THB/USD is at its lowest level since November 2022.

The EUR/USD weakness extends to its 9th consecutive week as does the DKK/USD.

Past editions made mention of the strength in the CHF/AUD. It has now eased lower from those highs.

And the NZD/AUD had a bearish outside reversal week.

The larger advancers over the past week comprised of;

Australian Coking Coal 7%, Rotterdam Coal 4.6%, Baltic Dry Index 16.4%, Cocoa 2.8%, China Coking Coal 7%, WTI Crude 3.7%, Lean Hogs 2%, Copper 2.3%, Heating Oil 2.6%, Coffee 7.1%, Cattle 2%, Newcastle Coal 2.9%, Palladium 5.1%, Platinum 3.9%, Sugar 2.3%, Natural Gas 1.5%, S&P GSCI 1.8%, CRB Index 1.8%, Dutch TTF Gas 5.7%, Brent Crude 4.2%, Uranium 6.8%, JKM 8.6%, KBW Banks 2.4%, CAC 1.9%, MIB 2.4%, IBEX 2%, BOVESPA 3%, KOSPI 2.1%, Nikkei 225 2.8%, NIFTY 1.9%, Oslo 2.7%, Helsinki 1.8%, SMI 2.3%, STI 2.3%, TAIEX 2.1%, TSX 2.7%, FTSE 100 3.1%, Chile 2.1%, ASX 200 1.7% and the ASX Materials Index climbed 3.9%.

The group of decliners included;

HRC Steel (2.2%), Lithium (2.2%), Tin (3%), Corn (1.6%), Oats (4.2%), Soybeans (1.7%), SOX (2.5%), BIST 100 (3.7%) and Mexico IPC Index fell 2.2%. 

September 17, 2023

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

Biotech is ‘uncrowded’

he Nasdaq Biotech Index has been ‘the same price’ for the past 20 months.

Specifically, it has traded within 6% either side of today’s closing price over that time.

While it has spent some time ‘digesting’, its price action is now becoming quite constructive.

Also, it’s hardly a crowded theme.

September 16, 2023

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

Going long the ASX 200? – queue the Loonie versus Aussie

When the CAD/AUD is overbought (along with a couple other metrics), the ASX 200 Index (the orange line) seems to extend the rally, advance or upward trend it is already in.

The study below shows the 12 notable moments over the past 30 years, when that occurred.

September 15, 2023

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au