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Top Ten Miscellaneous Slogans for the 21st of October

Top Ten Miscellaneous Slogans for the 21st of October

10. Evil Empires: The Yankees and Dodgers will square off in the World Series with their ultra expensive rosters competing for the championship. Maybe this is exactly what the U.S needs so people can take their minds off of U.S election concerns. A contest between Los Angeles and New York is a big selling card. TV ratings should soar as Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Mookie Betts, and Aaron Judge battle for the supremacy of baseball.

9. Vision: SpaceX achieved magical results as a Falcon 9 rocket booster was caught by ‘chopsticks’ as planned for and engineered. Elon Musk proved again that his preposterous ramblings are frequently correct. SpaceX is in a solid position to provide logistics for outer space exploration and development, but to also create new business endeavors as it evolves. The implied value of SpaceX mid-2024 was estimated to be around 200 billion USD.

8. 2017: Bitcoin was around 1,000.00 USD in January of 2017. The price of the digital asset is now approximately 68,500. The perception and betting that a Trump victory may be putting a spring in the step of the cryptocurrency market is intriguing. Bitcoin trades based on behavioral sentiment and not intrinsic value. Trump has spoken about crypto favorably time to time. A more welcoming SEC and CFTC regarding crypto could help values. For those looking for further correlation to BTC/USD and Trump, when he left office in January of 2021, Bitcoin was near 31,000 USD.

7. Downturn: Environmental, social and governance investing has taken a hit compared to results from the past couple of years as outflows from investment vehicles led by the likes of BlackRock and others make noise. ESG has lost its luster as the race for superior profits has run into headwinds and analysts question values and revenues. What will happen over the next few years, particularly if ESG investing finds that it has fewer friends in the U.S halls of power?

6. Data: U.S economic statistics will be rather lacking this week, the highlight may be the Flash Manufacturing PMI numbers on Thursday. Some may try to make the weekly Unemployment Claims a spectacle too, particularly brokers who may be trying to entice day traders into Forex positions. However, the rather calm seas regarding data will turn tumultuous next week because U.S Advance GDP, Core Personal Consumption Expenditures, and the Non-Farm Employment Change results are all on the schedule.

5. Underwater: WTI Crude Oil started to flirt with the 70.00 USD mark last Tuesday, and after a few days of remaining within a rather tight range, support was proven vulnerable. As of this writing WTI is near 69.65. The lack of an attack on Iranian oil infrastructure by Israel has seemingly calmed the energy sector. Fearmongering and bombastic rhetoric have not caused WTI Crude Oil to sustain highs. The commodity is within the lower elements of its long-term price range technically.

4. 24 Carat: Record values in gold are being traversed. As of this writing the precious metal is near 2,734.00 per ounce. Gold was around 1,200.00 USD in January of 2017. Inflation, speculation and concerns about central banks are likely helping gold shine. Some may say the rise in value is a derivative of safe haven investing. Day traders may view the price as speculatively high and dangerous because of its intraday volatility, but long-term gold bugs know the historical track record of the precious metal and its ability to preserve wealth.

3. FX: Major currencies paired against the USD are finding increasingly choppy waters near-term. The USD/JPY is dangerously close to the 150.000 mark, the USD/MXN is within sight of 20.00000, and the GBP/USD is hovering above 1.30000. The EUR/USD is battling too and scuffling below the 1.09000 ratio. With no major data coming this week, but major risk events approaching on the horizon, now is the time for Forex traders to remain cautious and not get too ambitious. Forex may provide technical traders with the ability to wager on perceived support and resistance near-term. But soon, a huge wave of volatility is going to hit currency speculation and financial institutions are certainly getting prepared for the storm.

2. Tick Tock: The U.S election is only a bit more than two weeks away. This may be the last week for any huge surprises which could sway the decisions of voters. Harris and Trump and campaigning hard and receiving intense media coverage. Early voting is underway, but November the 5th is the date everyone is focused on. When the clock strikes November the 6th in the U.S, global investors will react.

1. Behavioral sentiment: Key market barometers will continue to get plenty of attention in the coming days. U.S indices serve as a heat check regarding the potential outcome of the U.S election. Equities are near highs and this seems to be a rather solid indication risk appetite remains the dominant feature. While some will not want to hear it, this likely means many folks in the investment world are starting to believe Donald Trump might win the U.S election.

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AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Concerns for the 6th of October

AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Concerns for the 6th of October

10. Ya Gotta Believe: The New York Mets are finding ways to score in the late innings. Having won with last minute runs against the Atlanta Braves in the 8th and 9th innings early last week to save their season, hitting a home run to take the lead against the Brewers in the deciding game of the Wild Card in the 9th, and last night’s 5 runs in the 8th to take the lead in Game One against the Phillies in the Division Series has been rather remarkable. Game two between the Mets and Philadelphia will be played later today.

9. Information Technology: OpenAI’s value is now estimated around 157 billion USD, this after their latest round of investments garnered that includes both Nvidia and Microsoft funding. The search engine arms race will continue to get tougher and more competitive, but recent data released by Statcounter shows that Google still has over 90% of the U.S search engine traffic. While it has lost some ground in the search engine battles to upstarts statistically, Google remains dominant. Microsoft has made inroads with Bing, and Yahoo has also gained, but Google’s stranglehold via browser usage remains strong.

8. Helene Meets Milton: A pair of hurricanes – this if Milton fulfills forecasts and becomes a major storm – are not helping create easy days in the U.S Southeast, nor for the Biden administration. Criticism regarding a lack of government help has been heard in the aftermath of Helene and with another potential punch about to be delivered by Milton, U.S relief agencies like FEMA will certainly be pushed to the limit organizationally.

7. Oil Alerts: WTI Crude Oil went into the weekend close to 75.00 USD per barrel as nervousness increased about the potential of an attack on Iranian oil infrastructure. While many nations in the West do not purchase Iranian Crude Oil openly, the Iranian commodity is sold to China at nearly an 89% ratio. This allows oil from other suppliers like Saudi Arabia, the U.S and Mexico to sell elsewhere and the price of Crude Oil to remain relatively tame. However, if the supply of Iranian Crude Oil were suddenly to be crippled for any length of time, the price of the commodity from the other major suppliers would certainly go higher if expanded demand needs to be met. Speculators should pay attention to strike prices in the energy sectors via options trading in the future markets to understand potential vulnerabilities that large players may be anticipating.

6. Precious Metal: Gold prices remain within sight of record values, but below the apex values seen on the 26th of September. Risk sentiment, speculative forces and long-term investors are seemingly creating resilient support levels. Gold went into this weekend near the 2,653.00 USD ratio. Silver remains near 32.00 USD per ounce, which is where its price was traversing in May. Speculators intent on betting that silver will rise because nervous market conditions will create more demand need to be careful. A vast supply of silver exists in known mines globally, and producers simply need to extract more of the commodity to garner profits which is relatively easy. In other words, gold and silver do not correlate as much as some people believe.

5. Forex Chaos: Day traders of USDJPY, NZDUSD, EURUSD and a slew of other major currency pairs were taken on a wild ride last week as USD centric strength surged and fragile conditions in global markets grew. The coming days will remain difficult for FX retail traders as they face a whirlwind of threats. Technical and fundamental traders are being hit by shifting winds generating via a myriad of worries. Speculators without deep pockets are advised to remain cautious in the coming days because trading dynamics are not likely to ease. Yes, there will be price velocity which allows for quick profits, but those who are willing to bet on the prospects of fantastic gains must also accept the dangerous proposition that wildly expensive losses if they are on the wrong side of a trade are equally possible. Brokers will certainly welcome their clients with open arms this coming week because the volatility may entice many with the potential of getting rich. However, brokers will not tell you about the poor house on the other side of the street.

4. Unscripted: There are a little more than four weeks before the 2024 U.S elections on the 5th of November. Trump appears to be gaining momentum in polls, but certainly remains vulnerable per his ability to speak without a script and create verbal firestorms. Kamala Harris ran into problems recently with a suspected malfunctioning teleprompter and her inability to escape repeating the words ’32 days’. While the two candidates battle for voter supremacy, questions persists about the current leadership from the White House and who exactly is running the show.

3. Noisy Data: The Federal Reserve and economic data remain concerns. This Thursday the Consumer Price Index data will be released. If the inflation statistics can come in below expectations this may soothe financial institutions who have leaned into the notion the Fed needs to remain aggressive in November. Another interest rate has been expected, but some are nervous the Fed may not be able to cut as fully as wished. However, day traders need to also understand politics are playing a role in the bombastic soundbites being generated by the media, this as they try to deliver messaging which reflect their viewpoints. If inflation numbers remain under control the mid-term outlook continues to point towards more interest rate cuts. While the U.S jobs numbers on Friday were better than expected it should be noted revisions downward were seen again. There is one more Non-Farm Employment Change report before the election, by then it will probably not have an impact on potential voters, but its affect on the Fed will certainly be felt.

2. End Game: As the Iranian and Israel conflict escalates and threatens to become a dark spiral, some are still hoping for an avenue which will allow normality to return. That appears to be wishful thinking for the moment. Reports, perhaps paranoid, regarding an earthquake in Iran yesterday with a magnitude 4.5 seismic rating which was 48 kilometers from Semnan was noted by the USGS. The reason why it is potentially scary notion is because some are questioning if this was a nuclear test being conducted by Iran.

1. Risk Adverse: A trifecta of nervous behavioral sentiment is shadowing the financial markets via Fed outlook, Middle East tensions, and the approaching U.S election. Unfortunately none of these components are likely to disappear soon and in fact may grow in stature as outlooks potentially create more anxiousness. Safe havens in the USD, gold and U.S Treasuries may find they deliver some calm for those that are nervous. However, it must be noted that U.S equity indices gained nicely late last week after gains on Friday. The Dow 30 and S&P 500 remain near apexes and the Nasdaq Composite is within sight of highs. In other words, for all the talk about dark days, financial markets and investors are still active.

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AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Items on the 21st September 2024

AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Items on the 21st September 2024

10. Shohei Ohtani: The slugger hit another home run last night bringing his total to 52 for the season. There is more than a week of regular season action remaining. Incredibly, if Ohtani pitches next season while also hitting, his current statistics could be outshined. The Dodgers pitching staff is in tatters as the MLB playoffs approach, and it has been opined that Ohtani could pitch in the postseason. However, this option is highly unlikely. Ohtani is an outstanding athlete and has surpassed many expectations.

9. Beep, Beep: The purchasing of technology, including their production and logistics sources are likely coming into question in many diverse places around the globe. The detonation of pagers and walkie talkies used by the terrorist group Hezbollah which is largely based in Lebanon has certainly created panic about vulnerabilities. Contemplation in many nations regarding the buying of equipment that could be prone to spyware and other harmful acts is a reality.

8. Michael J. Saylor: MicroStrategy led by its Executive Chairman has added to their Bitcoin holdings. MicroStrategy is reported to have around 252,220 Bitcoins. The current value of BTC/USD is around 63,000 as of this writing. Part of Saylor’s love for Bitcoin rests in his belief that value is due to scarcity, and secure durability as a store of value technologically. However, each Bitcoin holds 100 million Satoshis, the units each Bitcoin is divided by digitally as source code. Even if conservatively there are only 15 million Bitcoin in circulation in ten years time, 15 million times 100 million is 1.5e + 15, meaning more than a quadrillion Satoshis in circulation. That is not scarcity, particularly when quantum computers could create lightning quick digital trading via coding sources. The premise and concern for a major devaluation in Bitcoin is legitimate. Do you disagree?

7: Equity: Intel has apparently been made a sales offer by Qualcomm. Intel’s market cap is 93.19 billion USD, and Qualcomm’s is 188.18 billion USD. The biggest shareholders of Intel are Vanguard, Blackrock and State Street, interestingly enough Qualcomm’s three biggest shareholders are identical. So if the largest shareholders are practically alike, it comes down to a management question, can Qualcomm run Intel better?

6. Closer: The U.S election will be in a little over six weeks times. The race for the White House according to many polls is very close and the outcome will depend on important swing States. There is still enough time for Harris and Trump to pick up votes, but also enough time for each to unwittingly make an error which can cost votes. Not only is the White House up for grabs, but the House and Senate are at stake too for the Democrats and Republicans.

5. Europe’s ability to put on blinders as the Ukraine and Russia battle in a not so distant land, and bickering between E.U nations while finding no solutions for the conflict have many historical comparisons within the continent. The ability to look the other way as chaos grows and inflicts harm on neighbors has a long tradition in Europe. Since the Middle Ages into the present Europe has a significant track record of negotiating harmony and procuring tenuous treaties, which eventually lead to additional discord.

4. USD/JPY: The currency pair closed at nearly 143.850 yesterday. Analysts are trying to create narratives regarding the climb higher the past handful of days, this after the USD/JPY touched the 139.600 level approximately last Monday. Here’s the thing: financial institutions that trade the Japanese Yen had positioned for a more dovish Federal Reserve and more hawkish BoJ. The Fed delivered their end of the bargain on Wednesday, confirming actions which had already been factored into the currency pair. The USD/JPY ‘correction’ higher is within equilibrium that financial institutions have to recalibrate as they make their new mid-term outlooks and decide how to shift their cash forward positions incrementally. The move higher has not been massive and is a natural reaction as large players rearrange their commercial paper. Incremental is the key word.

3. Energy Calm: WTI Crude Oil and Brent Oil continue to trade slightly above their lower price realms, which saw long-term values in the second week of September tested. Current ratios are still flirting with technical considerations seen in the late spring of 2023. While hyperbole is communicated far and wide regarding potential Black Swan events in the Middle East which could cause Crude Oil to increase rapidly, the energy resources remain rather tranquil and seemingly transfixed on concerns about mid-term demand globally due to recessionary pressures.

2. All-Time Highs: Gold created new record values going into this weekend near 2,622.00. In September of 2022, gold was trading near 1,600.00 USD per ounce. The move higher in the precious metal has come on the heels of global inflation. Some also correctly point to a distrust of global central banks and fiscal concerns regarding the world’s largest economies. The bullish run upwards in gold has been significant and the commodity will remain an important store of value for investors. Speculatively, some short and mid-term traders are wondering about gold’s ability to maintain a trajectory skywards and if sideways price action and possible downturns will ensue for a while. Long-term investors remain serene.

1. Applause: The Federal Reserve issued an aggressive interest rate cut of 0.50%. The Fed seemingly is acting as if they are trying to please financial institutions because of past incompetence. The U.S central bank now needs economic data to behave according to their prescribed outlooks. What could go wrong? Another Federal Funds Rate cut is likely in November, after that a lot will depend on behavioral sentiment and data which may be affected by as of yet unknown leadership from the White House starting in early 2025. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell sounded almost too optimistic about the U.S economy during his Press Conference this past Wednesday. The U.S Final GDP numbers coming this Thursday will prove interesting, the growth numbers carry an expected gain of 2.9%.

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AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Fireworks for the 5th of July 2024

AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Fireworks for the 5th of July 2024

10. Grudge: Ireland and the Springboks begin their rugby two match competition this Saturday in Loftus Stadium, Pretoria. Anticipation is palpable in South Africa. The weather is forecast to be good and the game is expected to be better. The battle between the Green Machines is real. The second game will be played on the 13th of July in Durban.

9. Digital Jitters: Bitcoin is trading near 54,300.00 USD as of this writing. As analysis filters in to explain this particular downturn which essentially began on the 7th of June, the fact is that BTC/USD has become a playground for institutional gamblers while many in the public remain dubious. Excuses such as the U.S election potential outcome and Fed monetary policy are all likely false narratives. Speculation is your answer.

8. Correlations: The USD/ZAR is near the 18.20500 mark, and the USD/MXN is around 18.06000 as of this morning. The South African Rand and Mexican Peso are not correlated, except as currencies that are witnessing a strong amount of political sentiment generate trading behavior in financial institutions which are trying to judge their long-term outlooks. The coalition National Unity Government of South Africa, and the Morena political party of Mexico are in the spotlights and are being watched by anxious investors.

7. National Security: The race for quantum supremacy is real as nations issue significant controls over the export of computing mechanisms to unfriendly competitors as reported by the New Scientist website recently. And the smuggling of semiconductors which are ‘forbidden’ to China who are using organized underground operations in order that Nvidia AI processors can be obtained, was reported on by the Wall Street Journal two days ago.

6. Commodities: WTI Crude Oil is trading above 84.00 USD, the energy has sustained prices above $80.00 since the 17th of June and is approaching mid-term highs, the slight rise in price earlier this week may have been because of hurricane concerns, but buyers have remained strong this morning. Cocoa is still traversing around 8,456.00 USD per metric ton, as it bounces along mid-term technical support levels. In early January of this year Cocoa was trading at half its current value.

5. Jobs Numbers: One of the favorite tools used by salespeople to get day traders geared towards speculating blindly are the monthly U.S Non-Farm Employment Change numbers which will be published today. But because of the U.S Independence Day yesterday, many financial institutions are celebrating a long holiday weekend and will be mostly inactive. Data has become increasingly lackluster from the U.S the past two months with rather pessimistic GDP, PMI manufacturing and services outcomes. Traders considering a dip of their toes into the markets today should be aware that volumes are going to be low which opens the door for volatility. Who will be paying attention to the Average Hourly Earnings report?

4. Markets: U.S Treasury yields are within sight of three month lows, this as the major stock indices via the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 make noise at record highs. The Dow 30 is not at a high but within a healthy territory as bullish behavioral sentiment remains rather abundant. When full trading volumes return next week, there is reason to believe the summer rally may continue.

3. Bank of Japan: The USD/JPY is trading below the 161.000 level. Some analysts suspect the BoJ engaged in a limited intervention earlier this week when the currency pair approached the 162.000 vicinity. The Bank of Japan is playing a dangerous game with speculators. The next BoJ Outlook Report is not due until the 31st of July. Until then the USD/JPY apparently is going to traverse in a higher price range with the threat of a potentially engaged Bank of Japan lurking which can punish speculators if they get too comfortable betting on the bullish trend. The price of Gold should be watched as it traverses around 2,365.00 USD, which remains in sight of record highs that touched the 2,425.00 vicinity on the 20th of May. Retail purchasing of gold in Asia is strong as citizens of some nations try to hedge against inflation.

2. Fallout: The Presidency of Joe Biden remains vulnerable as media pundits who have long supported him lurch towards public criticism, and question Biden’s inability to handle unscripted situations. Talk of replacing Biden with another candidate to face Donald Trump remains fever pitched, but there are strong obstacles which will not allow an easy path to unseat the current President. Biden owns his delegates won via Primary voting. He would have to officially relinquish his delegates at the Democratic National Convention in order to allow for a new candidate. The Democratic political party also knows that Vice President Kamala Harris is not particularly well liked, but if Biden were pushed to the side it would open the door for a potentially messy challenge by Harris who would certainly want the Presidency. Getting her to bow out of the race could be another potential disaster for the Democrats, and help create a level of disdain which could trigger a huge landslide for the Republicans in November.

1. Trouncing: Political incompetence is not only a stronghold in the U.S, this as the U.K and France are proving. The GBP/USD is near 1.27685 as of this writing, the EUR/USD is around 1.08230. Both currency pairs have gained this week. The massive defeat of the Conservatives in the U.K last night, and Macron’s political weakness which may increase after the 2nd round of voting this coming Sunday in France has been digested by financial institutions. The GBP/USD and EUR/USD were punished over the past few weeks due to knowledge that the Tories in Britain would suffer a resounding humiliation, and the belief that Macron opened the door for a loss of clout. Financial institutions have proven they are keen observers of politics and are accustomed to shifts of direction via new forces. Some may also say that financial institutions are comfortable as long as they know where power resides in the ‘deep state’ bureaucracies of every nation.

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AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Tastings for the 10th of May 2024

AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Tastings for the 10th of May 2024

10. Word of the day: Ultracrepidarian is a person who speaks assertively about subjects that are beyond their level of knowledge. The world is full of many suspects ladies and gentlemen.

9. Steve Albini: The musician and production sound engineer passed away earlier this week in Chicago. Albini was a pioneer and leader in ‘alternative’ music and battled homogenized corporate music for nearly 40 years. Nirvana, Fugazi, Jimmy Page, the Pixies, P.J Harvey are some of the many that worked with Albini.

8. Bitcoin: BTC/USD continues to hover around the 63,000.00 realm per a three month technical chart perspective. Bitcoin’s higher values via one year results are being maintained. BNB/USD is lurking near 600.00 per a three month glance.

7. Commodities: Cocoa and Coffee prices remain elevated. After touching a low around the 7,250.00 USD mark last week per metric ton, Cocoa is now within sight of 9,000.00 USD again. Retail speculators who like to wager via CFDs on commodities need to remember their bets have no influence on the markets, which are in complete control by the largest players in the commodities sector.

6. Wayve Technologies: A U.K based company specializing in autonomous driving software has announced they have raised more than 1 billion USD in investments recently via the likes of Softbank, Nvidia and Microsoft. The U.K government has highlighted Wayve, proclaiming it shows Britain will be a major force in AI development. Wayve was established in 2017 and is still a privately held company.

5. U.S Foreign Policy: Election concerns appear to be a prime motivator for the U.S executive branch as its attempts to walk a fine line regarding diplomacy and saber-rattling in the Middle East. Polling from a variety of sources indicate Joe Biden is in jeopardy of not being reelected.

4. USD/CNY: China will release its Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index numbers early on Saturday. The USD/CNY is trading around the 7.2245 mark as of this writing. Some analysts have expressed concerns about the China Yuan weakening via attempts by the Chinese government to boost exports. The USD/CNY certainly remains within the higher elements of its range, but is below marks seen in early September 2023 which were around the 7.3425 ratio.

3. Data Warning: While day traders may be inclined to look at the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment reading today, they should remember to pay attention to the Inflation Expectations statistics. Last month’s inflation report produced a result of 3.2%, which delivered a solid dose of volatility to financial assets.
2. Forex: Behavioral sentiment appears to be leaning towards a weaker outlook for the USD as major currencies like the EUR, GBP (solid GDP numbers also helped this morning in Britain) and others have gained. However, its should be pointed out that the USD/JPY has seen an incremental climb since touching a low of nearly 151.880 last Friday. As of this writing the USD/JPY is around the 155.650 level.

1. Equity Indices: Bullish optimism has been seen in the S&P 500, Dow 30 and Nasdaq as all three major indices are ready to start the day near highs for the week. The burst of upwards momentum which started last Thursday, has ignited the major U.S indices within sight of their apex realms achieved in late March and early April.

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AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Intrigues for the 17th of May 2024

AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Intrigues for the 17th of May 2024

10. Georgia and Slovakia: It would we wise to pay attention to Tbilisi demonstrations, and also cast an eye on Bratislava after the assassination attempt of Prime Minister Fico. Russia is certainly paying attention.

9. Superconductivity: Origin Quantum Computing Technology of China is making solid advancements and has announced they are ready to domestically produce a 72 qubit capable microwave module known as ‘Origin Wukong’. The battle to create efficient quantum components and operating systems between China, the U.S and others is real.

8. Secretary of Music: Anthony Blinken’s naive decision to play guitar in a Kiev nightclub this week is comparable to Nero playing music while Rome burned. U.S foreign policy continues to raise concerned eyebrows from friends and foes alike.

7. South African Election: The coming vote on the 29th of May is less than two weeks away. USD/ZAR as of this writing is near 18.22000, where will it be on the 30th of May?

6. Biden and Trump: The potential for debates between the two presidential candidates is growing. One question observers may be wondering is if there is adequate supply of caffeine to keep Joe energetic and ample enough hairspray for Donald to look under control?

5. GameStop: Yet another market manipulation of GME is causing massive losses for day traders. The price for the stock finished near $27.67 yesterday, this after touching a high above $56.00 on the 14th of May. GME was close to $10.00 on the 15th of April. Buyers that get in too late to these betting schemes created by frenzied crowds tend to go bust as the early manipulators cash out their profits.

4. Commodities: Cocoa is near 7560.0 USD per metric ton, and Coffee Arabica is traversing slightly below 200.00 USD. Speculative forces remain powerful in both and while they are likely still overpriced, risk management is imperative for those pursuing lower values.

3. Federal Reserve: After the weaker than anticipated CPI numbers printed this Wednesday, and last week’s eroding GDP growth statistics, financial institutions are increasing their risk appetite as they watch U.S Treasury yields decline and consider a mid-term outlook which is allowing for the contemplation of actual Federal Funds Rate cuts.

2. Forex: The EUR/USD is back above the 1.08000 level comfortably, and the GBP/USD has found sustainable trading beyond the 1.26000 ratio. While the major currencies versus the USD have pulled back slightly from near-term highs, large commercial traders are exhibiting risk appetite. A weaker USD centric notion is coming into vogue again.

1. Apex Equities: The three major U.S indices are all near record territories as solid earnings reports from corporations, amidst hopes the Federal Reserve will be able to cut rates a couple of times this year has combined to allow optimism to grow in the S&P 500, Dow 30 and Nasdaq 100. While the U.S public is starting to show they are losing confidence because of escalating consumer prices, financial institutions are wagering on solid returns via economic outlooks. Day traders looking to join the indices parade should make sure they limit their exposure, particularly if they are using CFDs and relying on short-term climbs which can suffer from sudden reversals lower.

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AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Tastings for the 10th of May 2024

AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Tastings for the 10th of May 2024

10. Word of the day: Ultracrepidarian is a person who speaks assertively about subjects that are beyond their level of knowledge. The world is full of many suspects ladies and gentlemen.

9. Steve Albini: The musician and production sound engineer passed away earlier this week in Chicago. Albini was a pioneer and leader in ‘alternative’ music and battled homogenized corporate music for nearly 40 years. Nirvana, Fugazi, Jimmy Page, the Pixies, P.J Harvey are some of the many that worked with Albini.

8. Bitcoin: BTC/USD continues to hover around the 63,000.00 realm per a three month technical chart perspective. Bitcoin’s higher values via one year results are being maintained. BNB/USD is lurking near 600.00 per a three month glance.

7. Commodities: Cocoa and Coffee prices remain elevated. After touching a low around the 7,250.00 USD mark last week per metric ton, Cocoa is now within sight of 9,000.00 USD again. Retail speculators who like to wager via CFDs on commodities need to remember their bets have no influence on the markets, which are in complete control by the largest players in the commodities sector.

6. Wayve Technologies: A U.K based company specializing in autonomous driving software has announced they have raised more than 1 billion USD in investments recently via the likes of Softbank, Nvidia and Microsoft. The U.K government has highlighted Wayve, proclaiming it shows Britain will be a major force in AI development. Wayve was established in 2017 and is still a privately held company.

5. U.S Foreign Policy: Election concerns appear to be a prime motivator for the U.S executive branch as its attempts to walk a fine line regarding diplomacy and saber-rattling in the Middle East. Polling from a variety of sources indicate Joe Biden is in jeopardy of not being reelected.

4. USD/CNY: China will release its Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index numbers early on Saturday. The USD/CNY is trading around the 7.2245 mark as of this writing. Some analysts have expressed concerns about the China Yuan weakening via attempts by the Chinese government to boost exports. The USD/CNY certainly remains within the higher elements of its range, but is below marks seen in early September 2023 which were around the 7.3425 ratio.

3. Data Warning: While day traders may be inclined to look at the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment reading today, they should remember to pay attention to the Inflation Expectations statistics. Last month’s inflation report produced a result of 3.2%, which delivered a solid dose of volatility to financial assets.

2. Forex: Behavioral sentiment appears to be leaning towards a weaker outlook for the USD as major currencies like the EUR, GBP (solid GDP numbers also helped this morning in Britain) and others have gained. However, its should be pointed out that the USD/JPY has seen an incremental climb since touching a low of nearly 151.880 last Friday. As of this writing the USD/JPY is around the 155.650 level.

1. Equity Indices: Bullish optimism has been seen in the S&P 500, Dow 30 and Nasdaq as all three major indices are ready to start the day near highs for the week. The burst of upwards momentum which started last Thursday, has ignited the major U.S indices within sight of their apex realms achieved in late March and early April.

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AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Observations for 3rd of May 2024

AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Observations for 3rd of May 2024

10. Formula One: The Miami Grand Prix race will be held on Sunday. Whispers have been heard that Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has been approached by Mercedes bidding an annual contract over 150 million USD, but that he has not accepted the offer. However, Adrian Newey, engineer and CTO of Red Bull Racing, has confirmed he is leaving the team after 19 years of leadership. F1 certainly needs more competitive racing, a shake up at Red Bull could deliver this for the sport.

9. De-movements: Desire for decolonization, decarbonization, depopulation, turned into delusion and dehydration for Columbia University protestors and the need for a glass of water per the request of a student leader. Perhaps de-escalation is next.

8. Geopolitics: The nation of Georgia is dealing with demonstrations as some citizens show disdain regarding feared political influence from Russia. Georgia has an approximate population of 3.7 million. The East European and West Asian country has seen civil disobedience on the streets of Tbilisi increase this week.

7. Lower Values: Cocoa is near 7,658.00 USD per metric ton as of this morning, on the 19th of April it traded above 12,000.00 briefly. BTC/USD is around 59,250 after having faced headwinds this week.

6. Gold: The precious metal has sold off this week and is hovering near 2,300.00 per ounce as concerns build about USD outlook remaining strong over the mid-term. A low of nearly 2,282.00 was seen on Wednesday. Today’s publication of U.S economic data will push the price of Gold around.

5. Mixed Trading: Equity indices have produced uneven results this week as investors try to find equilibrium. Optimism almost always is the eventual emotion long-term institutional market participants lean towards. The S&P 500, Dow 30, and Nasdaq Composite all gained yesterday, but remain below highs from earlier in the week. Behavioral sentiment appears fragile and many Fed observers are disgruntled.

4. Uncertainty: The Federal Reserve has admitted it is unsure about future economic progress this calendar year. When questioned about the potential of stagflation Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said he see no signs of this – while forgetting to add that politically saying such a thing would likely cost him his job. And lets remember, the Fed claimed they thought inflation was transitory in July of 2021.

3. Bank of Japan: A battle is underway with the USD/JPY as the BoJ has staged two interventions this week. Intent on trying to create economic growth via stronger exports, while allowing import inflation to be seen, the BoJ interest rate policy remains dovish. The USD/JPY is near 153.230 now, but it is unlikely to go into the weekend with this price. An apex on the 29th of April approached the 159.610 ratio. Financial institutions and Japanese Yen traders must remain alert.

2. High Anxiety: Day traders in Forex, equity indices and commodities have certainly seen heightened volatility and the choppiness is going to persist. Retail brokers will welcome speculators with open arms and point to opportunities, but traders need to understand the ‘casino’ often is making money via losses incurred because of leveraged wagers which turn into losing bets when price velocity hits.

1. Jobs Data: Yet another opportunity for inflation to be seen today via the Average Hourly Earnings numbers. A cautionary road sign was seen this Tuesday when the U.S Employment Cost Index came in with a stronger than anticipated quarterly gain of 1.2%. The USD will remain a lynchpin in many financial assets, and Treasury yields should be watched after the employment statistics have been printed.

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AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Missiles for the 19th of April 2024

AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Missiles for the 19th of April 2024

10. Fusion: The U.S Senate presented legislation yesterday which creates guidelines allowing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to authorize commercial investment and research of fusion energy. Significant strides are being made in the technology and the U.S government is preparing for the newest developments.

9. Cup of Joe: Your cafe is going to get more expensive. Robusta and Arabica coffee both remain at higher values having hit apex prices respectively this Wednesday and Thursday. And Cocoa remains ‘comfortably’ above 11,000.00 USD per metric ton this morning.

8. United Arab Emirates: The UAE has been hit by heavy weather, suffering its biggest rainfall in 75 years. It was reported that over 14 centimeters of rain fell this Tuesday in Dubai, which is the equivalent to one and a half year’s worth of typical accumulation in the city.

7. India Elections: The vote in the world’s biggest democracy has begun as millions decide on the the Lok Sabha. The election process will take place for nearly a month and a half with the results formally being presented on 4th of June. The Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to win a majority in the House of the People, thus likely re-electing Narendra Modi as the country’s Prime Minister.

6. Gold: The precious metal remains within sight of record values with the price around 2,388.00 USD per ounce. Today’s earlier ratios touched the 2,420.00 vicinity.

5. Cone of Silence: Israel and Iran have remained mum on military counterstrike action scuttlebutt, which was heard this morning throughout global media. The silence from the two nations did not stop the Nikkei 225 Index from dropping over 1000 points upon the news.

4. Bitcoin Halving: A coding change is anticipated to occur soon in Bitcoin which will affect ‘mining’ parameters for the digital asset. The code change will double the amount processing needed to create one BTC, making it twice as expensive for Bitcoin operators. Day traders tempted to wager on BTC/USD over the next couple of days need to be careful. BTC/USD is near 64,560.00 at the moment of this report.

3. Fear Factor: Price of WTI Crude Oil is near 82.70 USD per barrel. Large energy traders continue to show they are experienced in geopolitics, remaining relatively calm as Middle East concerns are being brandished.

2. While Flag: U.S Fed Chairman Jerome Powell conceded that inflation remains stubborn earlier this week. Stagflation is not being discussed openly by the Fed, but it is likely raising concerns among global central bankers. The USD has returned to very strong levels as financial institutions brace for the possibility of U.S interest rates remaining high into the late summer.

1. Behavioral Sentiment: Equity indices, Treasury yields and Forex are within the midst of nervous seas as central banks and geopolitical concerns create storms. Speculators should make sure they pay attention to the waters they traverse with their bets, which could prove dangerous to navigate in the near-term.

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AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Wonders for the 12th of April 2024

AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Wonders for the 12th of April 2024

10. Free Press: Brazil and the Lula de Silva government are cracking down on dissent in social media. ‘X’ – formerly Twitter – led by Elon Musk is fighting back and refusing to cooperate as Brazilian ‘leadership’ attempts to intimidate the ‘loyal opposition’ in the legislature.

9. GROOT: Nvidia is working on ‘humanoid’ robotics. Project GROOT was presented by Jensen Huang at the GTC Conference. The synergy between machine learning, semiconductors and robotics is an evolution taking place before our eyes. Tesla is involved in similar research as it works on Optimus.

8. Hot Chocolate: Speculation in Cocoa has brought the commodity above 10,400.00 USD per metric ton as of this writing. Questions about gravity and hypersonic speculative values are logical at this juncture.

7. Seclusion: Do humans still need each other? People are relying on their mobile devices for social interactions. Robotics with AI capabilities will make our existence potentially more lonely. Open source software DOBB-E will be part of this future as household chores are taken care of by ‘machines’.

6. Iran: Those with holiday excursion plans which include Teheran this weekend may need to check on ticket availability due to the possibility of flight cancellations.

5. Fed Liberty: President Joe Biden this week spoke about an interest rate cut coming from the Federal Reserve this year, yet Consumer Price Index statistics are demonstrating escalating expenses. Current U.S government leaders may want to spend less on ‘vote buying’ via student loan forgiveness and think about conservative fiscal practices. Why should Americans who choose not to attend universities pay for those who did via higher taxes? Are Fed and Treasury officials still independent?

4. Risk Averse: Gold is within sight of 2,400.00 USD this morning. In the meantime U.S bond yields have inverted completely except for the 30-Year issue. Financial institutions are showing nervous behavioral sentiment.

3. USD Centric: Forex has seen reactive trading this week as financial institutions begin to conclude the U.S Federal Reserve’s monetary policy ‘over time’ will remain disturbingly difficult and full of doublespeak.

2. Caution: Mixed results are flourishing in the major U.S stock indices as the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 touch late March values, and the Dow Jones 30 has returned to February levels. Higher than anticipated interest rates are causing turbulence.

1. Energy Illusions: As the prices of food, transportation and housing escalates isn’t it time governments start to question their ‘green’ policies which are making the costs of energy production more expensive? We all want a clean planet, but logical strategies must be applied to create efficient use of resources.

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AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Postings for the 5th of April 2024

AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Postings for the 5th of April 2024

10. Petrichor: The pleasant smell after a rain has fallen following a long dry spell which elicits earth’s fragrance. The Fed is likely hoping for this sensation via ‘weaker’ Non-Farm Employment Change numbers today. In December the Federal Reserve spoke about data signals needed in order to cut interest rates. If jobs statistics are stronger than anticipated, there will be no ‘petrichor’ for the Fed.

9. Underreported: Five engineers from China on their way to work for the Dasu dam project they participated, were killed in a ‘suicide’ terrorist attack in Pakistan on the 26th of March. Terror attacks in Pakistan on Chinese involved with infrastructure ‘Economic Corridor’ work have been increasing.

8. Qubits: Microsoft and Quantinuum recently announced they have made breakthroughs regarding quantum computing research reliability. Results have shown 14,000 ‘test routines’ without errors. The emergence of quantum technology approaches.

7. Intrinsic Value: Cocoa is near 9640.0 USD per metric ton as of this morning and remains speculatively energetic. Bitcoin is slightly below 67,000 USD and continues to ‘beat’ the notion that intrinsic value is important.

6. Precious: Gold prices have ‘fallen’ below 2300.00 USD per ounce, and is near 2289.00 for the moment, but the metal is shining as crowds admire its ability to create a safe haven.

5. WTI Crude Oil: Middle East news is rumbling and hyperbole is resonating, the price of the commodity is over 86.40 USD per this writing. A calm weekend, and peaceful end to Ramadan this coming Tuesday might help calm nerves. Higher oil prices will not help global inflation.

4. Forex: The USD/JPY has started to experience waves of volatility and has recently challenged long-term highs. Bottom line is the notion that large players are positioning for today’s U.S data which will affect all financial assets as USD centric power resounds.

3. Equities: The U.S major stock indices are beginning their day near lows not seen since the 15th of March for the Dow 30, and the 19th of March for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite. Nervous?

2. Bonds Watch: U.S Treasuries need to be monitored as the 5, 7, and 10-Years Notes respond to nervous investors and fears of a new ‘inversion’. Having come off of high yields a couple of days ago, doesn’t mean all is well as values languish near late September 2023 technical realms.

1. Data: Recent chatter from many Fed FOMC members have created anxious investors. Vivid reactions will occur after the Non-Farm Employment Change and Average Hourly Earnings. Bluntly, today’s jobs reports are crucial and the Fed would like the results to be weaker than anticipated in order to consider cutting interest rates. However, if hiring comes in stronger, it would be a sign of a resilient U.S economy and would ignite more USD strength. The first half hour following the jobs numbers may look counter-intuitive regarding price action as financial institutions adjust their trading positions.