Weekly Futures Recap W/ Mike Seery

We’ve asked Michael Seery of SEERYFUTURES.COM to give our INO readers a weekly recap of the Futures market. He has been Senior Analyst for close to 15 years and has extensive knowledge of all of the commodity and option markets.

Michael frequently appears on multiple business networks including Bloomberg news, Fox Business, CNBC Worldwide, CNN Business, and Bloomberg TV. He is also a guest on First Business, which is a national and internationally syndicated business show.

Grain Futures-- The grain futures this week saw extreme volatile trading action with November soybeans up nearly $.16 this Friday to settle around 12.20 a bushel trading right at its 20 day moving average but still below its 100 day moving average after settling last Friday at 12.10 a bushel gaining slightly as floods have entered the Midwest. Soybeans on the daily chart could have a possible double bottom in the November soybeans as prices traded as high as 12.40 in Wednesday’s trading session before retracing only the spring right back as weather conditions in many states are still receiving record snow. December corn futures are lower by 5 cents this Friday afternoon trading above its 20 day moving average but below its 100 day moving average which stands at 5.69 after settling last Friday at 5.24 up around $.35 for the week as massive floods are delaying planting. The Midwest has had the 2nd coldest spring in the history of the United States and has delayed planting significantly which is concerning after last year’s terrible crop. Wheat futures for the July contract have broken out above the 7.20 level which is now at a 4 week high trading above its 20 day moving average but below its 100 day moving average which stands at 7.48 and I do believe that there will be further buy stops which could propel prices even higher. Continue reading "Weekly Futures Recap W/ Mike Seery"

Today's Video Update: Jobs Report Sends Market To All-Time Highs

Hello traders everywhere! Jeremy Lutz here,  with your mid-day market update for Friday, the 3rd of May.

U.S. Employers Add 165K Jobs
U.S. employers added 165,000 jobs in April, and hiring was much stronger in the previous two months than the government first estimated. The job increases helped reduce the unemployment rate from 7.6 percent to a four-year low of 7.5 percent.

The Labor Department report is seen as a reassuring sign that the U.S. job market is improving despite higher taxes and government spending cuts that took effect this year.

Watch Today's Video Update Here

The government revised up its estimate of job gains in February and March by a combined 114,000. It now says employers added 332,000 jobs in February and 138,000 in March. The economy has created an average of 208,000 jobs a month from November through April  above the 138,000 added in the previous six months. Continue reading "Today's Video Update: Jobs Report Sends Market To All-Time Highs"

How to Stress Test Gold Equities: Joe Mazumdar

The Gold Report: Where can long-term gold investors look for safety during times of market turbulence?

Joe Mazumdar: Is there safety in the gold market? The short answer is no. Both the equity and gold market have been volatile, lately more the latter. Gold stocks have a good correlation, a beta, to gold, and if the price of gold is volatile, the stocks will be volatile. This leverage to the gold price cuts both ways for gold equities. Year to date, gold is down 1015% as it has underperformed most commodities including copper, oil and natural gas, while the SP/TSX Global Gold index is down almost 3035%.

Other reasons why the gold equities have disappointed investors includes the failure to achieve benchmarks or guidance on costs, both operating and capital, and timelines, among others. The overriding financing risk, especially for the juniors, has continued to weigh on their performance.

Major gold producers provide liquidity, but are not necessarily a safe bet. Over the last few years, the large gold companies have not shown growth at a reasonable price. The amount of reserve repletion they require is their Achilles heel such that they have focused on dividends. This is nothing new, as the project requirements tend to create significant footprints and attract the attention of other stakeholders who want to slow down or cancel mining development. This issue is affecting Newmont Mining Corp.'s (NEM:NYSE) Conga project, Pascua Lama with Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX:TSX; ABX:NYSE) and El Morro with Goldcorp Inc. (G:TSX; GG:NYSE) and New Gold Inc. (NGD:TSX; NGD:NYSE.MKT). If a major's growth is linked to this type of project, it is not necessarily a safe place to invest. Continue reading "How to Stress Test Gold Equities: Joe Mazumdar"

Chart to Watch - AMZN

We've asked our friend Jim Robinson of profittrading.com to provide his expert analysis of charts to our readers. Each week he'll be be analyzing a different chart using the Trade Triangles and his experience.

Today he is going to take a look at the technical picture of Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN).

I hope you are having a GREAT week !!!

This week AMZN looks like a great chart to take a look at.

MarketClub put in a weekly and monthly red Trade Triangle, as AMZN was breaking out to the down side of a sideways channel. Continue reading "Chart to Watch - AMZN"

U.S. economic reports hold out hope for hiring gains

Fewer people are losing their jobs. Employers are struggling to squeeze more work from their staffs. The U.S. is producing so much oil that imports are plunging, narrowing the trade deficit.

A string of data Thursday raised hopes for stronger hiring and U.S. growth in coming months. More jobs would spur spending and help energize the economy, which has yet to regain full health nearly four years after the Great Recession officially ended.

And an interest rate cut Thursday by the European Central Bank, if it helps bolster the European economy, could also contribute to U.S. growth.

The U.S. economic reports came one day before the government will report how many jobs employers added in April. Economists think the gain will exceed the 88,000 jobs added in March, the fewest in nine months.

The government said Thursday that the number of Americans applying for unemployment aid fell last week to a seasonally adjusted 324,000  the fewest since January 2008. Unemployment applications reflect the pace of layoffs: A steady drop means companies are shedding fewer workers. Eventually, they'll need to hire to meet customer demand or to replace workers who quit. Continue reading "U.S. economic reports hold out hope for hiring gains"