InvestMacro

COT Stock Market Charts: February 21st Speculator Changes led by S&P500-Mini & Russell-Mini

Here are the latest charts and statistics for the Commitment of Traders (COT) data published by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday February 21st and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial entities) were positioned in the futures markets.

*** This data is still a few weeks behind the current data because the CFTC up-to-date data has been delayed due to a cybersecurity event that happened in early February to ION Cleared Derivatives (a subsidiary of ION Markets). This hack of ION has created a problem for the large trader positions to be reported and reconciled. The CFTC has back-filled some data over the past few weeks and will get the data back up to date in the coming weeks.

Weekly Speculator Changes led by S&P500-Mini & Russell-Mini

The COT stock markets speculator bets were higher through February 21st as six out of the seven stock markets we cover had higher positioning while the other one market had lower speculator contracts.

Leading the gains for the stock markets was S&P500-Mini (12,163 contracts), Russell-Mini (9,360 contracts), Nasdaq-Mini (8,755 contracts), MSCI EAFE-Mini (3,092 contracts), Nikkei 225 (260 contracts) and VIX (89 contracts) showing positive weeks.

The market with the declines in speculator bets was DowJones-Mini (-9,507 contracts).

Data Snapshot of Stock Market Traders | Columns Legend

Feb-21-2023	OI	OI-Index	Spec-Net	Spec-Index	Com-Net	COM-Index	Smalls-Net	Smalls-Index
S&P500-Mini	2,074,486	4	-234,291	13	241,153	83	-6,862	25
Nikkei 225	12,849	6	-2,022	68	1,824	39	198	31
Nasdaq-Mini	268,297	53	-14,069	67	34,620	48	-20,551	13
DowJones-Mini	91,288	58	-16,245	28	17,594	74	-1,349	34
VIX	333,082	51	-56,108	74	62,408	27	-6,300	61
Nikkei 225 Yen	41,957	25	12,005	71	431	12	-12,436	51

Strength Scores led by VIX & Nikkei 225 Yen

COT Strength Scores (a normalized measure of Speculator positions over a 3-Year range, from 0 to 100 where above 80 is Extreme-Bullish and below 20 is Extreme-Bearish) showed that the VIX (74 percent) and the Nikkei 225 Yen (71 percent) led the stock markets through February 21st. The Nikkei 225 (68 percent) and Nasdaq-Mini (67 percent) came in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, the S&P500-Mini (13 percent) came in at the lowest strength level currently and is in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent). The next lowest strength score is the MSCI EAFE-Mini (26 percent).

Strength Statistics:
VIX (74.0 percent) vs VIX previous week (73.9 percent)
S&P500-Mini (12.8 percent) vs S&P500-Mini previous week (10.5 percent)
DowJones-Mini (28.0 percent) vs DowJones-Mini previous week (49.3 percent)
Nasdaq-Mini (67.2 percent) vs Nasdaq-Mini previous week (62.3 percent)
Russell2000-Mini (39.2 percent) vs Russell2000-Mini previous week (33.6 percent)
Nikkei USD (67.9 percent) vs Nikkei USD previous week (66.6 percent)
EAFE-Mini (26.0 percent) vs EAFE-Mini previous week (22.2 percent)

VIX & Nikkei 225 Yen top the 6-Week Strength Trends

COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that the VIX (12 percent) led the six weeks trends for the stock markets. The Nikkei 225 Yen (9 percent), the Nikkei 225 (3 percent) and the Russell-Mini (2 percent) are the next highest positive movers in the latest trends data.

The DowJones-Mini (-16 percent) led the downside trend scores with the S&P500-Mini (-4 percent) coming in as the next market with lower trend scores.

Strength Trend Statistics:
VIX (11.5 percent) vs VIX previous week (8.1 percent)
S&P500-Mini (-3.9 percent) vs S&P500-Mini previous week (-14.7 percent)
DowJones-Mini (-15.9 percent) vs DowJones-Mini previous week (11.5 percent)
Nasdaq-Mini (-3.3 percent) vs Nasdaq-Mini previous week (-13.5 percent)
Russell2000-Mini (2.1 percent) vs Russell2000-Mini previous week (0.9 percent)
Nikkei USD (3.3 percent) vs Nikkei USD previous week (3.3 percent)
EAFE-Mini (-1.9 percent) vs EAFE-Mini previous week (-14.8 percent)

Individual Stock Market Charts:

VIX Volatility Futures:

The VIX Volatility large speculator standing the week reached a net position of -56,108 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly lift of 89 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -56,197 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 74.0 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 26.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 60.8 percent.

VIX Volatility Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	15.4	55.5	7.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	32.2	36.8	8.9
– Net Position:	-56,108	62,408	-6,300
– Gross Longs:	51,233	184,968	23,405
– Gross Shorts:	107,341	122,560	29,705
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.5 to 1	1.5 to 1	0.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	74.0	26.7	60.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	11.5	-11.6	3.4

S&P500 Mini Futures:

The S&P500 Mini large speculator standing the week reached a net position of -234,291 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly gain of 12,163 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -246,454 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 12.8 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 82.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 24.9 percent.

S&P500 Mini Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	11.2	74.4	12.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	22.5	62.7	12.5
– Net Position:	-234,291	241,153	-6,862
– Gross Longs:	231,808	1,542,524	251,654
– Gross Shorts:	466,099	1,301,371	258,516
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.5 to 1	1.2 to 1	1.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	12.8	82.5	24.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-3.9	5.2	-3.6

Dow Jones Mini Futures:

The Dow Jones Mini large speculator standing the week reached a net position of -16,245 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly reduction of -9,507 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -6,738 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 28.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 73.6 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 33.9 percent.

Dow Jones Mini Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	30.0	50.4	15.2
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	47.7	31.1	16.7
– Net Position:	-16,245	17,594	-1,349
– Gross Longs:	27,344	45,982	13,918
– Gross Shorts:	43,589	28,388	15,267
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.6 to 1	1.6 to 1	0.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	28.0	73.6	33.9
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish	Bullish	Bearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-15.9	10.1	11.1

Nasdaq Mini Futures:

The Nasdaq Mini large speculator standing the week reached a net position of -14,069 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly gain of 8,755 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -22,824 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 67.2 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 47.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 13.0 percent.

Nasdaq Mini Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	21.6	63.5	13.0
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	26.8	50.6	20.7
– Net Position:	-14,069	34,620	-20,551
– Gross Longs:	57,849	170,386	34,896
– Gross Shorts:	71,918	135,766	55,447
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.8 to 1	1.3 to 1	0.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	67.2	47.8	13.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-3.3	12.7	-28.2

Russell 2000 Mini Futures:

The Russell 2000 Mini large speculator standing reached a net position of -54,548 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly rise of 9,360 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -63,908 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 39.2 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 58.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 44.2 percent.

Russell 2000 Mini Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	10.3	81.7	5.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	22.9	70.5	4.5
– Net Position:	-54,548	48,858	5,690
– Gross Longs:	44,927	355,135	25,214
– Gross Shorts:	99,475	306,277	19,524
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.5 to 1	1.2 to 1	1.3 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	39.2	58.0	44.2
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish	Bullish	Bearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	2.1	-3.2	6.5

Nikkei Stock Average (USD) Futures:

The Nikkei Stock Average (USD) large speculator standing the week reached a net position of -2,022 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly rise of 260 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -2,282 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 67.9 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 38.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 30.8 percent.

Nikkei Stock Average Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	25.1	49.0	25.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	40.8	34.8	24.4
– Net Position:	-2,022	1,824	198
– Gross Longs:	3,225	6,296	3,328
– Gross Shorts:	5,247	4,472	3,130
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.6 to 1	1.4 to 1	1.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	67.9	38.8	30.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	3.3	-4.5	2.5

MSCI EAFE Mini Futures:

The MSCI EAFE Mini large speculator standing the week reached a net position of -14,968 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly gain of 3,092 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -18,060 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 26.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 69.2 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 56.7 percent.

MSCI EAFE Mini Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	8.1	88.3	3.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	11.9	86.2	1.5
– Net Position:	-14,968	8,460	6,508
– Gross Longs:	32,258	350,496	12,286
– Gross Shorts:	47,226	342,036	5,778
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.7 to 1	1.0 to 1	2.1 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	26.0	69.2	56.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish	Bullish	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-1.9	1.8	0.4

Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Newsletter

*COT Report: The COT data, released weekly to the public each Friday, is updated through the most recent Tuesday (data is 3 days old) and shows a quick view of how large speculators or non-commercials (for-profit traders) were positioned in the futures markets.

The CFTC categorizes trader positions according to commercial hedgers (traders who use futures contracts for hedging as part of the business), non-commercials (large traders who speculate to realize trading profits) and nonreportable traders (usually small traders/speculators) as well as their open interest (contracts open in the market at time of reporting). See CFTC criteria here.

11 Mar

Soft Commodities COT Charts: February 21st data showed Speculators boosted bets of Cocoa & Lean Hogs

By InvestMacro

Here are the latest charts and statistics for the Commitment of Traders (COT) reports data published by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The latest COT data is updated through Tuesday February 21st and shows a quick view of how large traders (for-profit speculators and commercial entities) were positioned in the futures markets.

Weekly Speculator Changes led by Cocoa & Lean Hogs

The COT soft commodities markets speculator bets were higher that week as seven out of the eleven softs markets we cover had higher positioning while the other four markets had lower speculator contracts.

Leading the gains for the softs markets was Cocoa (17,227 contracts), Lean Hogs (7,584 contracts) with Coffee (7,266 contracts), Soybean Oil (7,105 contracts), Soybean Meal (3,600 contracts), Live Cattle (3,446 contracts) and Soybeans (1,374 contracts) also showing positive weeks.

The markets with the declines in speculator bets were Corn (-21,689 contracts) with Wheat (-13,364 contracts), Cotton (-14,119 contracts) and Sugar (-5,488 contracts) also registering lower bets on the week.

Data Snapshot of Commodity Market Traders | Columns Legend

Feb-21-2023	OI	OI-Index	Spec-Net	Spec-Index	Com-Net	COM-Index	Smalls-Net	Smalls-Index
WTI Crude	1,756,029	32	219,671	4	-241,297	96	21,626	35
Gold	422,648	0	107,101	21	-129,355	77	22,254	36
Silver	123,906	3	9,902	32	-23,050	66	13,148	39
Copper	219,205	58	2,049	35	-8,510	62	6,461	63
Palladium	11,943	84	-5,188	0	5,552	100	-364	20
Platinum	67,499	58	2,905	22	-8,394	76	5,489	42
Natural Gas	1,270,686	63	-179,264	17	141,515	82	37,749	69
Brent	150,907	12	-39,900	33	36,847	65	3,053	51
Heating Oil	259,558	20	17,565	67	-26,091	45	8,526	28
Soybeans	731,529	34	193,260	67	-150,141	45	-43,119	0
Corn	1,340,322	20	283,023	66	-209,635	42	-73,388	6
Coffee	196,128	9	12,316	40	-14,198	62	1,882	26
Sugar	926,553	53	233,338	74	-277,742	23	44,404	63
Wheat	359,360	42	-47,488	1	47,552	97	-64	100

Strength Scores were led by Soybean Meal & Live Cattle

COT Strength Scores (a normalized measure of Speculator positions over a 3-Year range, from 0 to 100 where above 80 is Extreme-Bullish and below 20 is Extreme-Bearish) showed that Soybean Meal (100 percent) and Live Cattle (100 percent) led the softs markets on February 21st. Sugar (74 percent), Cocoa (69 percent) and Soybeans (67 percent) come in as the next highest in the weekly strength scores.

On the downside, Wheat (1 percent), Cotton (5 percent) and Lean Hogs (10 percent) came in at the lowest strength levels and are in Extreme-Bearish territory (below 20 percent). The next lowest strength score was Soybean Oil (28 percent).

Strength Statistics:
Corn (66.2 percent) vs Corn previous week (69.0 percent)
Sugar (74.2 percent) vs Sugar previous week (76.0 percent)
Coffee (40.1 percent) vs Coffee previous week (32.6 percent)
Soybeans (67.2 percent) vs Soybeans previous week (66.7 percent)
Soybean Oil (27.8 percent) vs Soybean Oil previous week (23.0 percent)
Soybean Meal (100.0 percent) vs Soybean Meal previous week (98.1 percent)
Live Cattle (100.0 percent) vs Live Cattle previous week (96.1 percent)
Lean Hogs (10.2 percent) vs Lean Hogs previous week (2.0 percent)
Cotton (5.0 percent) vs Cotton previous week (15.8 percent)
Cocoa (69.4 percent) vs Cocoa previous week (50.4 percent)
Wheat (0.9 percent) vs Wheat previous week (14.9 percent)

Coffee & Live Cattle topped the 6-Week Strength Trends

COT Strength Score Trends (or move index, calculates the 6-week changes in strength scores) showed that Coffee (28 percent) and Live Cattle (28 percent) led the past six weeks trends for soft commodities. Cocoa (21 percent), Soybeans (20 percent) and Sugar (16 percent) were the next highest positive movers in the latest trends data.

Lean Hogs (-26 percent) led the downside trend scores that week with Soybean Oil (-18 percent), Cotton (-16 percent) and Wheat (-8 percent) following next with lower trend scores.

Strength Trend Statistics:
Corn (6.3 percent) vs Corn previous week (4.8 percent)
Sugar (15.7 percent) vs Sugar previous week (3.6 percent)
Coffee (27.7 percent) vs Coffee previous week (6.0 percent)
Soybeans (19.6 percent) vs Soybeans previous week (16.0 percent)
Soybean Oil (-17.8 percent) vs Soybean Oil previous week (-28.6 percent)
Soybean Meal (9.6 percent) vs Soybean Meal previous week (8.3 percent)
Live Cattle (27.6 percent) vs Live Cattle previous week (34.5 percent)
Lean Hogs (-25.8 percent) vs Lean Hogs previous week (-53.0 percent)
Cotton (-16.0 percent) vs Cotton previous week (-4.1 percent)
Cocoa (20.7 percent) vs Cocoa previous week (1.1 percent)
Wheat (-8.2 percent) vs Wheat previous week (-1.9 percent)

Individual Soft Commodities Markets:

CORN Futures:

The CORN large speculator standing equaled a net position of 283,023 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly decrease of -21,689 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 304,712 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 66.2 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 42.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 5.6 percent.

CORN Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	30.9	41.9	8.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	9.8	57.5	14.0
– Net Position:	283,023	-209,635	-73,388
– Gross Longs:	414,502	561,129	114,376
– Gross Shorts:	131,479	770,764	187,764
– Long to Short Ratio:	3.2 to 1	0.7 to 1	0.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	66.2	42.0	5.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	6.3	-3.8	-16.1

SUGAR Futures:

The SUGAR large speculator standing equaled a net position of 233,338 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly fall of -5,488 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 238,826 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 74.2 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 23.5 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 62.8 percent.

SUGAR Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	34.3	39.5	10.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	9.1	69.5	5.6
– Net Position:	233,338	-277,742	44,404
– Gross Longs:	317,876	366,001	95,884
– Gross Shorts:	84,538	643,743	51,480
– Long to Short Ratio:	3.8 to 1	0.6 to 1	1.9 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	74.2	23.5	62.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	15.7	-13.0	-0.5

COFFEE Futures:

The COFFEE large speculator standing the week equaled a net position of 12,316 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly rise of 7,266 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 5,050 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 40.1 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 61.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish with a score of 25.6 percent.

COFFEE Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	22.5	46.2	5.1
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	16.2	53.5	4.1
– Net Position:	12,316	-14,198	1,882
– Gross Longs:	44,122	90,640	10,018
– Gross Shorts:	31,806	104,838	8,136
– Long to Short Ratio:	1.4 to 1	0.9 to 1	1.2 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	40.1	61.8	25.6
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish	Bullish	Bearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	27.7	-25.4	-21.6

SOYBEANS Futures:

The SOYBEANS large speculator standing the week equaled a net position of 193,260 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly rise of 1,374 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 191,886 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 67.2 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 44.9 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent.

SOYBEANS Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	32.8	45.2	6.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	6.3	65.7	12.4
– Net Position:	193,260	-150,141	-43,119
– Gross Longs:	239,615	330,719	47,851
– Gross Shorts:	46,355	480,860	90,970
– Long to Short Ratio:	5.2 to 1	0.7 to 1	0.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	67.2	44.9	0.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	19.6	-15.9	-11.6

SOYBEAN OIL Futures:

The SOYBEAN OIL large speculator standing the week equaled a net position of 36,282 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly boost of 7,105 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 29,177 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish with a score of 27.8 percent. The commercials are Bullish with a score of 70.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 53.0 percent.

SOYBEAN OIL Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	18.9	52.8	7.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	10.9	63.1	5.2
– Net Position:	36,282	-46,887	10,605
– Gross Longs:	86,110	240,461	34,271
– Gross Shorts:	49,828	287,348	23,666
– Long to Short Ratio:	1.7 to 1	0.8 to 1	1.4 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	27.8	70.7	53.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish	Bullish	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-17.8	15.4	5.0

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures:

The SOYBEAN MEAL large speculator standing the week equaled a net position of 175,951 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly rise of 3,600 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 172,351 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent. The commercials are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.0 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 14.7 percent.

SOYBEAN MEAL Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	41.5	33.8	10.5
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	3.1	75.6	7.0
– Net Position:	175,951	-191,708	15,757
– Gross Longs:	190,333	154,817	48,064
– Gross Shorts:	14,382	346,525	32,307
– Long to Short Ratio:	13.2 to 1	0.4 to 1	1.5 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	100.0	0.0	14.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish-Extreme	Bearish-Extreme	Bearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	9.6	-6.0	-36.7

LIVE CATTLE Futures:

The LIVE CATTLE large speculator standing the week equaled a net position of 104,274 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly lift of 3,446 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 100,828 net contracts.

LIVE CATTLE Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	45.0	23.3	10.4
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	14.0	51.6	13.1
– Net Position:	104,274	-95,188	-9,086
– Gross Longs:	151,310	78,368	35,012
– Gross Shorts:	47,036	173,556	44,098
– Long to Short Ratio:	3.2 to 1	0.5 to 1	0.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	100.0	0.0	38.8
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish-Extreme	Bearish-Extreme	Bearish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	27.6	-26.0	-11.4

LEAN HOGS Futures:

The LEAN HOGS large speculator standing the week equaled a net position of 1,704 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly boost of 7,584 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -5,880 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 10.2 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 94.8 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 74.0 percent.

LEAN HOGS Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	31.1	35.1	10.8
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	30.3	33.8	12.9
– Net Position:	1,704	2,763	-4,467
– Gross Longs:	65,678	74,070	22,814
– Gross Shorts:	63,974	71,307	27,281
– Long to Short Ratio:	1.0 to 1	1.0 to 1	0.8 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	10.2	94.8	74.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-25.8	25.6	10.2

COTTON Futures:

The COTTON large speculator standing the week equaled a net position of -2,969 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly decrease of -14,119 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 11,150 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 5.0 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 94.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bearish-Extreme with a score of 13.0 percent.

COTTON Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	27.8	51.2	6.6
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	29.4	49.9	6.4
– Net Position:	-2,969	2,542	427
– Gross Longs:	51,460	94,938	12,306
– Gross Shorts:	54,429	92,396	11,879
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.9 to 1	1.0 to 1	1.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	5.0	94.7	13.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bearish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-16.0	15.7	-10.1

COCOA Futures:

The COCOA large speculator standing the week equaled a net position of 46,085 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly increase of 17,227 contracts from the previous week which had a total of 28,858 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bullish with a score of 69.4 percent. The commercials are Bearish with a score of 27.1 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish with a score of 51.7 percent.

COCOA Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	35.8	39.9	4.9
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	20.2	57.4	3.0
– Net Position:	46,085	-51,594	5,509
– Gross Longs:	105,772	117,967	14,353
– Gross Shorts:	59,687	169,561	8,844
– Long to Short Ratio:	1.8 to 1	0.7 to 1	1.6 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	69.4	27.1	51.7
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bullish	Bearish	Bullish
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	20.7	-23.2	15.4

WHEAT Futures:

The WHEAT large speculator standing the week equaled a net position of -47,488 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday February 21st. This was a weekly reduction of -13,364 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -34,124 net contracts.

The week’s current strength score (the trader positioning range over the past three years, measured from 0 to 100) shows the speculators are currently Bearish-Extreme with a score of 0.9 percent. The commercials are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 96.7 percent and the small traders (not shown in chart) are Bullish-Extreme with a score of 100.0 percent.

WHEAT Futures Statistics	SPECULATORS	COMMERCIALS	SMALL TRADERS
– Percent of Open Interest Longs:	25.7	39.0	10.3
– Percent of Open Interest Shorts:	38.9	25.8	10.3
– Net Position:	-47,488	47,552	-64
– Gross Longs:	92,453	140,224	36,892
– Gross Shorts:	139,941	92,672	36,956
– Long to Short Ratio:	0.7 to 1	1.5 to 1	1.0 to 1
NET POSITION TREND:
– Strength Index Score (3 Year Range Pct):	0.9	96.7	100.0
– Strength Index Reading (3 Year Range):	Bearish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme	Bullish-Extreme
NET POSITION MOVEMENT INDEX:
– 6-Week Change in Strength Index:	-8.2	4.7	17.7

Article By InvestMacro – Receive our weekly COT Newsletter

COT Updates Financial News Soft Commodities

10 Mar

Economic growth doesn’t have to mean ‘more’ – consuming ‘better’ will also protect the planet

By Renaud Foucart, Lancaster University

Around 30 years ago, many developed countries started a process of absolute decoupling of their emissions of CO₂ and energy use from economic growth. This means keeping emissions stable, or better yet, shrinking them, while still growing the economy.

As a result, GDP is now much higher than it was in 1990 in the UK, France, Germany and the US, but CO2 emissions are lower. This is not just because of the deindustrialisation of the west: emissions decrease even if we include our imports from countries like China.

This trend may be too little too late to avoid the worst consequences of climate change and the destruction of wildlife. But it is a testimony of perhaps the biggest misunderstanding about economics: that growth is a measure of how much an economy produces, rather than an imperfect account of the value of this production.

Emissions versus GDP

Fighting climate change requires a radical transformation of the economy to use less energy and resources. This means it could cause economic growth by making us consume “better”, not more. Putting a monetary value on protecting the Earth means people will pay the true cost of their consumption.

“Better” consumption of goods and services

The things we buy typically become more valuable if the perceived quality of a product increases. And research shows that consumers are willing to pay more if they believe a brand is more valuable, for example, because it is more ethical or environmentally friendly. This is the case for low-carbon energy sources, fairtrade chocolate, organic and local products – and it’s even more the case for people that care about how others see them. So if this means replacing a £1.89 pack of beef burgers with £12 bean and mushroom patties, economic growth will certainly be good for the planet.

The same can be said for the services people spend money on. In fact, as the economy becomes more dependent on services than products, this part of our consumption is even more important to “green”.

This is because much of today’s economic growth is not about measuring the value of the objects we buy. Two-thirds of the world’s GDP is constituted of services, and those are increasingly provided from our own homes as we work remotely. The environmental cost is then almost entirely composed of the energy needed to make the internet work – and there is a way to make that greener.

Sci-fi authors and futurists of the 1960s correctly predicted that we would live in a world of wireless communications, flat-screen TVs and sophisticated kitchen appliances, while fewer foresaw that younger generations would celebrate the return of sleeper trains in Europe. They would probably also be surprised at how many people find love via their phone, using online dating services. The fact that Match.com is worth more than car companies Mitsubishi and Mazda combined shows how our economy is changing towards consumption of services rather than traditional goods.

This does not mean that free markets and technology alone can save the world from climate change. Government intervention is also needed. In fact, one of the oldest and most accepted ideas in economics is the principle that consumers should not only pay for the cost of producing what they buy, but also for its cost to society. This means taxing pollution, the destruction of wildlife, unhealthy food, traffic congestion and the depletion of natural resources, rather than raising the same amount by taxing income.

This could also be a source of economic growth. Research shows taxing pollution generates a “double dividend”: it restores fair competition between polluting and non-polluting products, and it generates tax revenue to invest for everyone’s benefit. If the prohibitive cost of pollution and limited natural resources forces us to innovate, we can actually create value instead of destroying it.

Green policies as the future of growth

In this kind of world, sustained growth for the next century would mean the phasing out of fossil fuels and increased energy efficiency, and largely replacing meat production with plant and lab-based alternatives. But also more value created by services, addressing wellbeing, and creating cleaner air and water, healthier food and safer cities.

Indeed, 15-minute cities are more of an economist’s dream than a socialist utopia. Charging for the true cost of car use by heavily taxing noise and air pollution is textbook introductory economics. Reallocating public land towards humans and public transport saves time for everyone. On the other hand, adding roads simply creates more congestion, while public transport gets more efficient as more people use it. Less time spent in a car means more time for work and leisure.

And when it comes to artificial intelligence, just like machines and robots in the past, it will not kill jobs but give us more time and money to spend on leisure. This is economic growth.

The real challenge for growth is not defying the laws of physics with technology that magically allows us to produce more with the same or fewer resources. It is the ability of our societies to tax polluting activities and regulate the use of land and natural resources, while still being able to redistribute wealth. This is the ability to do better with less.

We also need to work out how to correctly account for everything we value. What is counted under GDP figures has already started to change over time to include things not directly measured by traditional markets.

Making the case for the preservation of nature means being able to put a number on it: taxing social costs but also recording the value of the use of our parks, forests and mountains. If those who care about protecting the environment do not fight to put the highest possible number on nature because they find the idea of valuing it in monetary terms repugnant, someone who does not care will do it.

About the Author:

Renaud Foucart, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Economics & Fundamentals Opinions

10 Mar

Murrey Math Lines 10.03.2023 (Brent, S&P 500)

By RoboForex.com

Brent

On H4, the 200-day Moving Average has broken, and Brent quotes are now below it, which means they might develop a downtrend. However, the RSI has already reached the oversold area. As a result, we should expect a breakaway of 4/8 (81.25) upwards and growth of the price to the resistance level of 5/8 (82.81). The scenario can be cancelled by a downwards breakaway of the support at 3/8 (79.69), in which case Brent quotes will continue falling and might reach 2/8 (78.12).

On M15, price growth can additionally be supported by a breakaway of the upper border of the VoltyChannel indicator.

S&P 500

On H4, the S&P 500 index quotes and the RSI are in the oversold area, which points on a possible increase in the price. The quotes are expected to rise above 0/8 (3906.2) and then reach the resistance level of 2/8 (3984.4). The scenario can be cancelled by a downward breakaway of the support at -1/8 (3867.2). In this case, quotes might drop to -2/8 (3828.1).

On M15, a breakaway of the upper border of VoltyChannel will increase the probability of an increase in the price.

Article By RoboForex.com

Attention!
Forecasts presented in this section only reflect the author’s private opinion and should not be considered as guidance for trading. RoboForex LP bears no responsibility for trading results based on trading recommendations described in these analytical reviews.

Energy Financial News

10 Mar

The Bank of Japan kept its monetary policy unchanged. The US banking sector is under pressure

By JustMarkets

Yesterday, the US stock indices fell sharply, mainly due to falling banking sector shares. Shares of SVB Financial Group (SIVB) fell more than 55% after the bank disclosed a net loss of $1.8 billion and gave a negative outlook for the year on the impact of higher interest rates. SVB Financial Group said it was taking aggressive measures to shore up its balance sheet, including selling shares and liquidating its securities portfolio. The SIVB’s fall has dampened sentiment toward bank stocks, which have been pressured by a deeper inversion of the yield curve, a harbinger of recession. As the stock market closed Thursday, the Dow Jones Index (US30) decreased by 1.66%, and the S&P 500 Index (US500) lost 1.85%. The NASDAQ Technology Index (US100) fell by 2.05%.

Investors remain tense ahead of Friday’s jobs report. The US economy is expected to grow by 200,000 jobs last month, well below January’s 517,000. The unemployment rate is forecast at 3.4%. Yesterday’s weekly labor market data showed that US employers announced 77,770 job cuts in February, down 24% from the 102,943 cuts announced in January. This indicates a resilient labor market. Many fear that a strong Nonfarm Payrolls report could solidify the return of aggressive rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden unveiled a $6.9 trillion budget proposal. The proposal, which the Republican-controlled House of Representatives will undoubtedly reject, showed little inclination to compromise. The president’s proposal would increase funding for a number of government programs, increase Medicare solvency, lower prescription drug prices, and reduce the deficit by $3 trillion over the next decade. Biden also proposes adding $77 billion for defense spending.

Stock markets in Europe were mostly down yesterday. Germany’s DAX (DE30) gained 0.01%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) fell by 0.12%, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) decreased by 0.45%, and Britain’s FTSE 100 (UK100) closed down 0.63%.

The ECB will raise rates by 50 basis points at its March meeting, and analysts expect the central bank to signal the next such move, probably in May. Executive Board spokeswoman Isabel Schnabel recently said that in order to slow the pace of rate hikes, she needs to see the ECB’s monetary policy become restrictive, which should show up in credit markets, labor markets, and various components of aggregate demand. But there is disagreement within the ECB. On the hawkish side, Holzmann argued that the ECB should raise the rate by 50 basis points at all the next four meetings. On the other hand, Visco did not appreciate such comments from his colleagues and said that decisions should be made meeting by meeting in an environment of high uncertainty. But in any scenario, the ECB will remain hawkish until the summer.

On Wednesday, crude oil prices fell for a second straight day, even as oil inventories fell. Inventories fell by 1.694 million barrels last week, the first weekly drop in inventories since December. The rise in the dollar index on the back of the US Federal Reserve’s aggressiveness outweighs the factors of falling inventories and rising demand from China.

Oil prices continued to fall Friday due to fears of more aggressive interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve and disappointing data from China. Markets are worried that a potential US recession triggered by tighter monetary conditions could hit oil demand this year. China’s weak economic signals also upset oil markets, as the world’s largest oil importer recorded a drop in oil imports between January and February. Expectations of higher interest rates are strengthening the dollar, putting pressure on commodities priced in the currency, mainly oil. A stronger dollar makes oil more expensive for international buyers, which reduces demand.

Asian markets traded flat yesterday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) jumped 0.63%, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) fell by 0.61%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) ended the day down by 0.63%, India’s NIFTY 50 (IND50) fell by 0.93%, and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 (AU200) ended the day up by 0.05%.

The Bank of Japan kept interest rates at record lows on Friday and said it would continue the current rate of Yield Curve Control (YCC). The BOJ said in a statement that inflation is likely to slow by mid-2023, thanks to government subsidies on energy prices and easing pressure from high commodity rates. But the Bank of Japan also said that prices would rise again by the end of the year and that growing uncertainty about the economy underscored the need to maintain the adaptive monetary policy. This was the last meeting in the office for Haruhiko Kuroda.

S&P 500 (F) (US500) 3,918.32 −73.69 (−1.85%)

Dow Jones (US30)32,254.86 −543.54 (−1.66%)

DAX (DE40) 15,653.58 +75.19 (+0.01%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 7,879.98 −49.94 (−0.63%)

USD Index 105.28 −0.38 (−0.36%)

Important events for today:

– Japan BoJ Interest Rate Decision at 05:00 (GMT+2);
– Japan BoJ Rate Statement at 05:00 (GMT+2);
– Japan BoJ Press Conference at 07:00 (GMT+2);
– UK GDP (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+2);
– UK Industrial Production (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+2);
– UK Manufacturing Production (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+2);
– US Nonfarm Payrolls (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+2);
– US Unemployment Rate (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+2);
– Canada Unemployment Rate (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+2).

By JustMarkets

This article reflects a personal opinion and should not be interpreted as an investment advice, and/or offer, and/or a persistent request for carrying out financial transactions, and/or a guarantee, and/or a forecast of future events.

Economics & Fundamentals Financial News

10 Mar

Week Ahead: Say bye to EURUSD’s March gains?

By ForexTime

Even as markets brace for the highly-anticipated US jobs report due later today (Friday, March 10th), the prudent investor/trader will already be keeping an eye on what’s to come:
Sunday, March 12

US daylight savings time ends

Tuesday, March 14

AUD: Australia February business confidence; March consumer confidence
GBP: UK January unemployment rate, February jobless claims
USD: US February consumer price index (CPI)

Wednesday, March 15

CNH: China February industrial production, retail sales, jobless rate
JPY: Bank of Japan meeting minutes
EUR: Eurozone January industrial production
GBP: UK Chancellor presents Spring Budget
USD: US February retail sales

Thursday, March 16

NZD: New Zealand 4Q GDP
AUD: Australia February unemployment, March inflation expectations
EUR: ECB rate decision
USD: US weekly jobless claims

Friday, March 17

EUR: Eurozone February CPI (final)
USD: US February industrial production, March consumer sentiment

Here are 3 reasons why we’re especially focusing on EURUSD for the coming week:

1) US inflation still stubborn?

The incoming CPI (consumer price index – which measures headline inflation) is set to be the next major risk event (after today’s NFP release) for the US dollar, and by extension, the rest of the FX universe.

This is also arguably the most important datapoint that the US central bank a.k.a. the Fed will take into account ahead of its upcoming policy meeting on 21-22 March.

The February CPI number due Tuesday is forecasted to come in at 6%, which would be:

lower than January’s 6.4%
but still three times higher than the Fed’s inflation target of 2%

A significantly higher-than-6% CPI number implies that the Fed has to send US interest rates much higher to quell still-stubborn inflation. Such an outlook should strengthen the US Dollar which in turn would drag EURUSD lower.

On the other hand, a lower-than-6% CPI suggests that the Fed does not have to be as aggressive as markets fear, which would offer much relief to markets and potentially send EURUSD higher.

2) ECB rate hike

A 50-basis point hike by the European Central Bank (ECB) is all but certain at its Thursday meeting.

Less known is how high the ECB has to ultimately send its benchmark rate to subdue its own inflationary pressures, noting that the Eurozone’s February core CPI (released on March 2nd) came in at a higher-than-expected 5.6% – a new record high!

As things stand, markets forecasting that the ECB’s deposit rate will peak at 4% by the end of 2023, from the current 2.5% ahead of next week’s decision.

That implies a further 150-bps in rate hikes (including next week’s 50-bps hike).

And recall that, generally, the central bank that has more rate hikes in store (relative to the central bank’s peers) tends to see its currency strengthen.

Hence, markets will be more sensitive to what the ECB says about its plans for future adjustments to its benchmark rates:

If the ECB suggests strongly that another 50-bps hike is in store at its early-May rate decision, that should send the EURUSD higher either towards or above its 50-day simple moving average (SMA), depending on where EURUSD ends up after today’s US jobs report.
However, if the ECB strikes a more dovish tone and opens the door for a downshift towards a relatively smaller 25-bps hike for upcoming meetings, that could weigh on EURUSD and potentially drag it below its 100-day SMA and into sub-1.05 domain, depending on where this FX pair ends up by the weekend.

3) EURUSD’s 1-week implied volatility at year-to-date high

The EURUSD’s forecasted volatility over the next one-week period for has reached its highest levels so far in 2023.

The above chart lays bare just how sensitive the world’s most popularly traded FX pair is to the incoming US CPI print and also the ECB decision.

At the time of writing (and before the pivotal US jobs report due later today), Bloomberg’s FX model forecasts a 71% chance that EURUSD will trade within the 1.0411 – 1.0775 range over the upcoming week.

Although EURUSD has been in a downtrend since early February, printing a series of lower lows on the price charts, next week’s events would have major sway over EURUSD’s immediate fate.

Ultimately, EURUSD’s slim month-to-date gain of just 0.1% (at the time of writing) will either evaporate, or be added to, by the upcoming week’s events.

Key levels for EURUSD

RESISTANCE

1.060 region: around 38.2% Fibonacci level from January 2021 – October 2022 drop
21-day SMA
1.069 region: resisted EURUSD bulls on several episodes since mid-December 2023
50-day SMA

SUPPORT

100-day SMA
1.050 psychologically-important level
1.04832 cycle low in January 2023
1.04433 low on December 7th

Article by ForexTime

ForexTime Ltd (FXTM) is an award winning international online forex broker regulated by CySEC 185/12 www.forextime.com

Forex and Currency News Opinions

10 Mar

Fed hawks won’t be satisfied with cooler February jobs report: deVere CEO

By George Prior

Even a cooler jobs report on Friday is unlikely to stop the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates further on March 22, warns the CEO and founder of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory, asset management and fintech organizations.

The warning from Nigel Green of deVere Group comes as domestic and global financial markets hold their breath for the monthly US jobs report published on Friday 8:30 a.m. ET by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

He says: “This jobs report is being closely watched by investors around the world, after January’s gave analysts a massive surprise. It revealed the US economy had added more than half a million jobs and unemployment had fallen to a level not seen in more than five decades.

“All eyes are now on the February jobs data. We expect the US to have added around 225,000 in new jobs last month and the unemployment rate to remain at a 54-year low of 3.4%.

As this represents a cooling of the labor market, will the Fed impose only a quarter-point rate hike on March 22, rather than a half-point one?

“I doubt it,” says the deVere CEO. “Even a cooler jobs report on Friday is unlikely to stop the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates further later this month.

“Fed Chair Jerome Powell has been clear that officials are looking at ‘totality’ of the data. A couple of milder jobs reports won’t cut it for the central bank – especially following January’s bumper gains. A drop of even 100,000 new jobs would not be enough to satisfy the Fed.

“We would need to have several months of weakening employment in order for the Fed to respond by taking its foot off the gas on rates.

“As such, we expect a half-point rate hike on March 22. Markets are set to tumble as a result.”

Whilst inflation remains a major headwind, Nigel Green says that investors should “remain alive to other metrics” in investment decision-making.

When costs are going up, investors should increasingly be looking at a company’s ability to maintain margin, he notes.

“Investors should be paying close attention to margin because it can indicate how well a company is managing costs and competing in its industry.

“It can also impact a corporation’s ability to invest in growth opportunities or pay dividends to shareholders.”

In a recent media note, the deVere chief said that sectors that can maintain margin, despite inflation and interest rate hikes are likely to include healthcare, luxury goods, energy and agriculture.

“A cooler February jobs report is not going to satisfy the Fed hawks, so investors must expect higher for longer rates and may need to rebalance their portfolios as a result.”

About:

deVere Group is one of the world’s largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients. It has a network of offices across the world, over 80,000 clients and $12bn under advisement.

Bonds Economics & Fundamentals Financial News

09 Mar

Japanese Candlesticks Analysis 09.03.2023 (USDCAD, AUDUSD, USDCHF)

By RoboForex.com

USDCAD, “US Dollar vs Canadian Dollar”

On H4, USDCAD has formed a Shooting Star reversal pattern. Currently, the pair may go by the reversal signal in a descending wave. The target of the correction might be 1.3730; later the price might push off this level and continue the uptrend. However, the price may grow to 1.3875 without pulling back to the support.

AUDUSD, “Australian Dollar vs US Dollar”

On H4, AUDUSD has formed a Hammer reversal pattern. Currently, the pair is going by the reversal signal in an ascending wave. The target of the growth is 0.6655. Upon testing the resistance, the quotes might push off it and continue the decline. However, the price may drop to 0.6560 and continue the downtrend without any correction to the resistance.

USDCHF, “US Dollar vs Swiss Franc”

On H4, near the resistance level, USDCHF has formed a Hanging Man reversal pattern. The instrument is now going by the reversal signal in a descending wave. The target of the pullback might be 0.9370. After the test of the support, the price might push off it and continue with the uptrend. However, it may grow directly to 0.9450 without any correction to the support.

Article By RoboForex.com

Financial News Forex and Currency News

09 Mar

After oil: the challenge and promise of getting the world off fossil fuels – podcast

By Nehal El-Hadi, The Conversation and Daniel Merino, The Conversation

Our dependence on fossil fuels is one of the biggest challenges to overcome in the fight against climate change. But production and consumption of fossil fuels is on the rise, and expected to peak within the next decade.

In this episode of The Conversation Weekly, we speak to two researchers who examine the political challenges of transitioning to a world after oil, and what it means for those states who rely on oil for resources.

Oil is not only used as a fuel, but is integral to everyday life through its applications in plastics, manufacturing processes, fabrics, paints and chemicals. In order to consider alternatives to oil, we need to be aware of the scale of its integration into our lives.

Caleb Wellum is an assistant professor of U.S. history at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada.

“I almost hesitate to say this, because this kind of depiction of deep dependence on oil has actually been a strategy of oil companies themselves to say, look, you can’t have a modern world, a modern way of life without oil,” Wellum points out. “So this is not to say it’s inescapable, but it’s to say that the challenges are significant to transitioning to some kind of after-oil.”

Defining that transition can be tricky, because it carries different stakes depending on how it is interpreted: does it mean continuing to extract oil “until the last drop,” or finding alternatives right now?

Wellum notes that the 1970s oil crisis was a significant moment in human history that helped shape our current consumption patterns. There was a debate between environmentalists and economists that signalled a moment at the crossroads for our current relationship with oil.

“I noticed there was a need to transition away from oil. And there was also a free market argument that argued the energy crisis was a sign of bad government policy of governments intervening in markets and making it inefficient,” he said. “Eventually, this market argument won out and there was no energy transition.”

There was a growing awareness of the environmental impact of the extraction and consumption of fossil fuels, and the urgent need to combat climate change to reduce global warming. And recently, governments around the world — including in countries dependent on oil revenues — are committing to finding energy alternatives.

Natalie Koch is a professor of human geography at the Geography Institute at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Her research looks at how petrostates have presented spectacular alternative energy projects to distract from the need to move away from oil.

“There’s a focus on spectacular sustainability projects, and by that you see the scale and the size is just enormous. And that’s what spectacle does — it’s supposed to attract a lot of attention because the size range of the project is really quite impressive,” Koch said.

But these ambitious alternative energy projects aren’t all as they seem, she cautions. Koch describes how a solar farm in the desert in Morocco — one of the largest such projects in the world — is facing challenges because of the amount of water required.

A PBS report on the world’s largest solar farm in Morocco.

To transition to a world post-oil, whatever that may look like, requires more than successful and sustainable alternative technologies.

“There are a lot of factors that go into why it is that we’re dependent on oil, but they’re not just about the convenience of the source of energy,” Wellum points out. “It’s about political decisions.”

Listen to the full episode of The Conversation Weekly to find out more.

This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Mend Mariwany, who is also the show’s executive producer. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl.

You can find us on Twitter @TC_Audio, on Instagram at @theconversationdotcom or via email. You can also sign up to The Conversation’s free emails here. A transcript of this episode will be available soon.

Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed, or find out how else to listen here.

About the Author:

Nehal El-Hadi, Science + Technology Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation and Daniel Merino, Associate Science Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Energy Opinions

09 Mar

The Bank of Canada has officially taken a pause. China’s inflation numbers are down sharply

By JustMarkets

Analysts and investors struggled to find a reason to be optimistic about stocks yesterday. Still, stock indices remained under pressure Wednesday amid lingering fears of renewed aggressive rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. The latest labor market data showed that private-sector job gains in February exceeded economists’ estimates, increasing the likelihood that the Fed will be forced to accelerate the rate hikes at its March meeting. The probability of a return to raising rates by 50 basis points at the Fed meeting on March 21-22 rose to 80% compared to 71% the day before. As the stock market closed Wednesday, the Dow Jones Index (US30) decreased by 0.18%, while the S&P 500 Index (US500) added 0.14%. The NASDAQ Technology Index (US100) gained 0.40%.

The Bank of Canada left the interest rate unchanged at 4.5%. This was the first pause among major central banks. But the Bank of Canada reiterated its statement that it is willing to keep raising the interest rate if necessary to get back to its 2% target. But analysts believe this is just a formality, and officials have already hit the pause button for the rest of the year.

Stock markets in Europe were mostly up Wednesday. German DAX (DE30) gained 0.46%, French CAC 40 (FR40) shed by 0.20%, Spanish IBEX 35 (ES35) added 0.67%, and British FTSE 100 (UK100) closed yesterday on the plus side by 0.13%.

The increase in short-term rates in the US influenced the prospects of the European Central Bank. The swap market is showing more confidence (85%) in a 50 basis point rate hike in May, which would raise the deposit rate to 3.50%. Nomura raised its forecast for the ECB, predicting that the final rate will reach 4.25% — with changes of 50 basis points in March, May, and June, followed by a final quarter-point increase in July.

Asian markets traded flat yesterday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) jumped by 0.48%, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) fell by 0.80%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) ended the day down by 2.35%, India’s NIFTY 50 (IND50) gained 0.24%, and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 (AU200) ended the day negative by 0.77%.

Japan’s economy is suffering from slowing demand overseas due to worsening global growth, leading to a record trade deficit and the largest output contraction in eight months in January. Japan reported a record trade deficit for January (~3.2 trillion yen, or ~$23.7 billion). Japan’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.1% year-over-year in the last quarter against a preliminary estimate of 0.6% growth and well below economists’ average forecast of 0.8% growth. In an effort to boost household purchasing power, the government and the Bank of Japan (BOJ) are urging firms to raise workers’ wages at the annual spring wage talks, which conclude this month.

China’s annualized consumer price index fell from 2.1% to 1%, well below the 1.9% forecast. The factory inflation fell to 1.4% on an annualized basis. The data show that despite a rebound in business activity, China’s economic recovery is still in its infancy as the country struggles to recover from three years of strict COVID-19 restrictions.

S&P 500 (F) (US500) 3,992.01 +5.64 (+0.14%)

Dow Jones (US30)32,798.40 −58.06 (−0.18%)

DAX (DE40) 15,631.87 +72.34 (+0.46%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 7,929.92 +10.44 (+0.13%)

USD Index 105.69 +0.08 (+0.07%)

Important events for today:

– Japan GDP (q/q) at 01:50 (GMT+2);
– China Consumer Price Index (m/m) at 03:30 (GMT+2);
– China Producer Price Index (m/m) at 03:30 (GMT+2);
– US Initial Jobless Claims (w/w) at 15:30 (GMT+2);
– US Natural Gas Storage (w/w) at 17:30 (GMT+2).

By JustMarkets

Economics & Fundamentals Financial News

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