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Online Trading Tool:  Pit IQ (Pit Intelligence) - Daily Online Trader Access to Trading Key Strategies, Setups & Levels live from the CME Trading Floor (Pits) in Chicago.

Monday 02/13/12 – Key Futures Trading Levels via CME Pit IQ

Equity Futures:

Online Trading Tool: Pit IQ (Pit Intelligence) - Daily Online Trader Access to Trading Key Strategies, Setups & Levels live from the CME Trading Floor (Pits) in Chicago.

Wednesday 02/01/12 – Key Futures Trading Levels via CME Pit IQ

Equity Futures:

Online Trading Tool: Pit IQ (Pit Intelligence) - Daily Online Trader Access to Trading Key Strategies, Setups & Levels live from the CME Trading Floor (Pits) in Chicago.

Thursday 01/2612 – Key Futures Trading Levels via CME Pit IQ

Equity Futures:

Online Trading Tool: Pit IQ (Pit Intelligence) - Daily Online Trader Access to Trading Key Strategies, Setups & Levels live from the CME Trading Floor (Pits) in Chicago.

Monday 01/23/12 – Key Futures Trading Levels via CME Pit IQ

Equity Futures:

Online Trading Tool: Pit IQ (Pit Intelligence) - Daily Online Trader Access to Trading Key Strategies, Setups & Levels live from the CME Trading Floor (Pits) in Chicago.

Tuesday 01/17/12 – Key Futures Trading Levels via CME Pit IQ

Equity Futures:

Online Trading Tool: Pit IQ (Pit Intelligence) - Daily Online Trader Access to Trading Key Strategies, Setups & Levels live from the CME Trading Floor (Pits) in Chicago.

Tuesday 01/10/12 – Key Futures Trading Levels via CME Pit IQ

Equity Futures:

We were bearish E-Mini Nasdaq futures and we forecasted an end-of-week price around the 2,235 – 2,240: our analysis proved accurate once again. Particularly, futures prices opened at 2,274 plummeted to 2,248 on Wednesday, rose to 2,252 on Thursday and closed at 2,222 on Friday

The actual volatility is 1.4% (22.2% annualised) and the TGARCH curve is undoubtedly extremely high but it appears that the conditional variance is now tending to mean revert and collapse even though the decreasing progression could be quite slow at the beginning.

The last week we were bullish E-Mini Nasdaq futures and our forecast proved right solely in the first 2 days of the week because once the Index achieved the top on Tuesday it started to decline. Specifically, the market opened at 2,333 rose to 2,375 it then plummeted to 2,321 on Wednesday whilst on Thursday it settled around 2,326 but it heavily plunged to 2,287 on Friday.



The current volatility is 1.4% (22.2% annualised) and the TGARCH curve is now displaying a slightly upward sloping curve which seems to be a warning against an augment of market fluctuations over the next trading days.

The uncertainty and fear which influenced equity markets clearly had a remarkable impact on the Nasdaq and the unsatisfactory unemployment figures, contained in a overall negative Non Farm Payrolls, are probably going to keep the hi-tech Index in a non-positive status.

The last week we were bearish the VXN Index but the great deal of uncertainty, the light volume, the bank holiday and the massive amount of macroeconomics news that have been released lifted the implied volatility of the Nasdaq Index. In fact, the VXN opened at 16.4% rose to 18.7% on Thursday and closed at 18.9% on Friday.

The current volatility is 8% (27.7% monthly) and the TGARCH plot is displaying a steep increase of the conditional variance which is followed by a shy drop. However, the plummet that is barely visible at the right hand part of the volatility chart has been mainly caused by the lateral movement of the oscillation rate occurred during the last 2 days of the week.

The last week our bearish expectations have not been met and therefore we did not enter the market at all. In fact, E-Mini Nasdaq futures opened at 2,315 dropped to 2,309 on Wednesday but Thursday and Friday saw a steady and sharp recovery of the price in fact 2,326 and 2,333 have been the last 2 closing prices before the end of the week.

The actual volatility is 0.97% - 0.98% (15.3% - 15.5% annualised) and the TGARCH curve is aggressively downward sloping highlighting the fact that the up move in futures prices was robust and steady.

The Nasdaq Index, like many other equity indices, moved sideways and we managed to “capture” that movement in our previous’ week analysis although we were expecting a stronger bearish movement around Thursday or Friday. Specifically, the market opened at 2,334 rallied to 2,367 on Thursday and it dropped back to 2,345 on Friday.

The actual volatility is 1.98% (31.4% annualised) and the TGARCH plot is displaying a downward sloping curve which normally we would interpret as a bullish signal but in the reality the drop in the conditional variance has been obviously caused by the lateral movement of the price action.

E-Mini Nasdaq futures were expected to rise but the massive drop in commodity markets pushed down most of the world equity indices including the Nasdaq. The market opened at 2,387 rose to 2,408 on Tuesday, on Wednesday it plummeted to 2,393 but on Thursday it rallied back to 2,408 and it closed at 2,371 on Friday: a really choppy week!!!  

The volatility is around 0.78% - 0.8% (12.3% - 12.6% in annual terms) but the TGARCH plot is now displaying a downward sloping curve which should be carefully interpreted. The conditional variance has been trading in its lowest level for almost 1 month and it is reasonable to wonder: is this going to last forever?