There are some promising signs that the markets are beginning to return to a more normal state and are beginning to trend again. Several markets have broken out of their trading ranges in the past week and a few more may be on the verge of doing so. This week the LS Trader system is entering 6 new trades, which takes our total number of open positions to 18, which is the most we have had open for quite some time. This is further indication that more markets are beginning to trend..

The long term trend remains up for the dollar, commodities and stocks

 

The LS Trader System Weekly Update

 

Stocks 

Stocks continue to advance from the ended the key lows formed on from Friday 5^th with several indexes heading up towards the highs for the year. The momentum is with the bulls and the odds are increasing for a bullish breakout to the upside. As we have written before, the main index is the S&P 500 and this remains below the highs formed earlier in the year at 1147 (March contract) and this level may provide resistance as there were numerous failed attempts at that level in January.Stocks continue to advance from the ended the key lows formed on from Friday 5^th with several indexes heading up towards the highs for the year. The momentum is with the bulls and the odds are increasing for a bullish breakout to the upside. As we have written before, the main index is the S&P 500 and this remains below the highs formed earlier in the year at 1147 (March contract) and this level may provide resistance as there were numerous failed attempts at that level in January.

 

Last week we wrote that the Nasdaq 100 had found support at 1780 and may test 1832.5 in the coming week. The test was successful and the Nasdaq 100 advanced to 1885 after advancing 3.68% for the week. We will likely see a test of new highs for the year this week.

The Nikkei has moved up towards the top of the wide box range that we wrote about last week and may test 10600 this week. A breakout from this range to the upside may push the Nikkei up to new highs for the year.

This week sees many traders rolling in to the June contract and out of March ahead of the quarterly expiry the following week.

Volatility Index (VIX)

The VIX declined 11.44% for the week to 1742 and looks to be headed lower to the lows of the year at 16.86. Complacency has returned to the markets and any fear that was present end of January/first week of February has abated.

Commodities

Crude Oil finally cleared the key $80 level and was able to stay above it. Strength was also seen in No leaded gas and Heating oil and both look set to follow Crude higher. Long term the trend is up for the energy sector.

Gold added 1.46% for the week but pulled back from the $1150 area to close at $1135. We may be on the verge of a new leg to the long term uptrend especially if $1150 can be cleared. All the metals were higher with the biggest gainer for the week being Palladium, which resumed the uptrend having posted new contract highs and gaining 9.9% for the week. Copper may test the January highs over the coming weeks. The trend remains up for the metals.

Currencies

The dollar index was marginally lower for the week having declined 0.16%. The long term trend remains up as it does for the dollar against most of the majors but we continue to be at a point where the market appears less certain about the dollar continuing higher.

The Euro once again found support at contract lows at around the $1.3450 level, which is looking like a immovable object at present. Each decline to that level has been met with buying so the downtrend may be drawing to a close soon. That said, if the bears get their way and $1.3450 is cleared to the downside there is room for a decent continuation lower.

The British pound posted new multi month lows during the past week at $1.4778 before a strong recovery led to a close back above $1.50 and a decline of only 0.58%. As with the Euro, strong buying was seen at the lows and these lows from last week may provide new support. The trend remains down for now and upside resistance should be found around $1.58 if cable is able to continue higher.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures were lower across the board but for now the trend remains up for the shorter term markets. The long term trend remains down for the 30 year T Bonds and this remains the most likely of the interest rate markets to break to the downside.

 
Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

The past week has seen an overall decline in volatility as the daily ranges in many markets move in to a narrower band. Indecision is still the order of the day for many sectors, including stocks, currencies and energy markets. As before, the long term trend remains up for the dollar and stocks. As we wrote last week, many markets remain in trading ranges that have held for quite some time so the probability increases that the next breakout from these ranges could lead to decent sized moves.

 

This coming week we are entering 2 new trades.

 

The LS Trader System Weekly Update

 

 

Stocks ended the week slightly lower but still remain above the key lows formed on from Friday 5^th which continue to providing support and look to as though they could be the bottom for the immediate term. The March S&P 500 declined for the week but closed above 1100 support at 1103. The Nasdaq 100 ended the week slightly lower but strong buying support was found around the 1780 level. We may see a test of 1832.5 this week. The Nikkei is in a wide box range between 9800 and 10600 with these 2 levels providing strong support(9800) and strong resistance at 10600. A break of either level may give rise to a good move.

Volatility Index (VIX)

The VIX had another down week but the declines were much smaller than some of the recent moves seen in this market. The VIX ended the week down 1.75% for the week. As we wrote last week, the lows for stocks formed on the 5^th February continue to provide support and stocks look fairly bullish as long as that level holds, which is also keeping the VIX in check.

Commodities

Crude Oil (April contract) declined 0.5% for the week having once again been unable to stay above the key $80 level. The range now spans between $70 and $80 with more range bound trading looking likely between these levels. Those 2 levels remain the key levels to watch for a breakout. Long term the trend is still up for the energy sector.

With the exception of Silver, the metals were all marginally lower. Gold was unable to hold on to the highs of the week at $1131.50 and drifted lower before closing the week out down 0.29% at $1118.9. The current range for gold is between $1131.5 and $1044.5. Long term the trend remains up.

Currencies

The dollar index was lower for the week but the long term trend remains up as it does for the dollar against most of the majors.

The Euro found support at contract lows at $1.3451 before ending the week with a gain of 0.19%. The current chart pattern shows indecision at these levels and support at around $1.3440 is proving to hold firm for now. If this support level can be broken then we may see a swift move lower, otherwise a continuation higher to around $1.39-$1.40 may be seen.

From last week “The current range for the Pound now looks to be between $1.53 and $1.58.” The market took out support at $1.53 before closing at $1.5245. New multi month lows were posted earlier in the day on Friday at $1.5150. This will be the level to watch as we may find support here. To the upside resistance should be found just above $1.58.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures were higher for the week, recovering from the recent lows and resuming the uptrend. Even the lagging market of the sector, the 30-year Treasury Bonds, moved higher from short term support. The long term trend remains up for the shorter term markets but is still down for the 30 year T Bonds.

 
Kind Regards

 

Robert Stewart

The past week has been a mixed week for currencies with some wild moves seen in both directions. The trend remains up for the dollar against most of the majors. Away from currencies, many other markets remain in trading ranges that have held for quite some time so as we wrote last week the probability increases that the next breakout from these ranges could lead to decent sized moves.

The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

Stocks edged higher for the week, continuing from the lows formed on from Friday 5^th which are providing support and for now look to as though they could be the bottom for the immediate term. The S&P 500 cleared strong resistance at 1100 and may continue higher from here.

From last week “The strong close on Friday for the Nasdaq 100 may provide sufficient momentum to push for a test of 1800 resistance this week”. The Nasdaq 100 advanced steadily throughout the week, taking out the aforementioned 1800 resistance level before closing at 1819.3 for a again of 2.02% for the week. We are now roughly in the middle of the current trading range between circa 1700 and 1900.

Volatility Index (VIX)

The VIX had another down week, declining just shy of 12% for the week before closing at 20.02, which is the lowest close for 5 weeks as the stock indexes continue to be complacent with the current levels. The recent lows for stocks continue to provide support for the stock indexes and stocks therefore look fairly bullish as long as that level holds, which is also keeping the VIX in check.

Commodities

From last week “The current range for Crude is between $69.50 and $78. A decisive break through either level may lead to a substantial move in the direction of the breakout”. Crude cleared $78 (April contract) and then advanced rapidly to close at $80.06. It remains to be seen as to whether there is sufficient strength to push higher towards the next resistance level.

It was another good week for the metals and all the metals were higher with Copper being the biggest gainer once again, after adding 8.93% for the week. Gold also moved higher having tested and cleared the $1100 level that we wrote about last week. The next upside target for the yellow metal is $1150.

Currencies

The trend continues to be up for the US Dollar Index as it does for the dollar against most of the majors. The dollar index ended the week higher having once again posted new contract highs on Friday.

The Euro moved lower again and took out the $1.35 target that we have been writing about recently. However, support came in for the market at just below that level and a strong close meant that after some steep declines the Euro only ended up down 0.16% for the week.

From last week “The pound has remained in a tight range spanning only a couple of hundred pips for the past few sessions and may be gearing up for a move, with the odds slightly favouring a break in the direction of the long term trend, which is down.” The pound did break down and fell all the way to $1.5336, which is the lowest level for the pound against the dollar since May last year. The trend remains down for the pound but there was a good recovery on Friday as the lows for the day were strongly rejected. The current range now looks to be between $1.53 and $1.58.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures were lower for the week again as the recent uptrend may be running out of steam. The 10-year T notes fell through support at 117 which we wrote about last week but recovered slightly on Friday and the trend is neutral. The 30-year Treasury Bonds remain the weakest of this sector and still look the most likely to break down first for a larger move lower. For now this market is hovering just above short term support

.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

This Monday is Presidents’ Day in the US, so the US markets will be closed, leading to a shortened trading week. The past week has been a mixed week for stocks and commodities and uncertainty in many markets is the order of the day right now. Many markets are in trading ranges that have held for quite some time so the probability increases that the next breakout from these ranges could lead to decent sized moves.

The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

Stocks edged higher for the week, continuing from the lows formed on the previous Friday, which are providing support. The S&P 500 has run in to strong resistance recently at 1100 and the lows from Friday 5^th at 1041 will likely provide support, so those 2 levels are the ones to watch for a breakout in either direction. 1041 looks to be the key level for now to the downside and the trend remains up for US stocks as long as those lows hold. If support at that level fails then we may see a substantial sell off.

The Nasdaq 100 gained 2.19% for the week the strong close on Friday may provide sufficient momentum to push for a test of 1800 resistance this week

Volatility Index (VIX)

The VIX moved sharply lower for the week, giving up 13.05% as stocks continued their steady recovery. Friday’s close at 22.73 was the lowest weekly close for 3 weeks and the VIX is in the middle of the range that has formed over the past few months.

Commodities

The $69.50 level for Crude Oil that we mentioned last week held firm and the long term trend for Crude, Heating Oil and No leaded gas remains up although all 3 markets remain in the middle of the recent trading range. March Crude ended the week ahead by 4.13% and ends the week back near the $75 level that has acted like a magnet over recent weeks. The current range for Crude is between $69.50 and $78. A decisive break through either level may lead to a substantial move in the direction of the breakout but until then more sideways action is likely.

The metals markets were higher across the board with the biggest gainer being Copper, which added 7.95% for the week and moved back above the 30000 level(May contract). Gold also moved higher from $1050 support before closing at $1090. We may get a test of $1100 this week. The trend remains up for the metals with the exception of Silver.

Currencies

The trend continues to be up for the US Dollar Index as it does for the dollar against most of the majors. The dollar index ended the week marginally lower having earlier posted new contract highs on Friday.

The Euro moved lower again and fell just short of the $1.35 target that we wrote about last week. Friday saw new contract lows for the Euro at $1.3531 and we may yet see $1.29 later in the year if support at $1.35 can finally be taken out.

The Australian, Canadian and New Zealand dollars all moved higher for the week and the British pound also posted a slight gain, having earlier posted new contract lows against the dollar. The pound has remained in a tight range spanning only a couple of hundred pips for the past few sessions and may be gearing up for a move, with the odds slightly favouring a break in the direction of the long term trend, which is down

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures were lower for the week but remain in the current uptrend with the exception of the 30 year T bond. The 5 & 10 year T notes are currently moving sideways with the 10 year note holding between 117 & 118. The trend will remain up as long as support around 117 holds. The longer term interest rate futures remain the weakest of this sector and will likely be the first to begin a new downtrend.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

As with last week, the short term trends continued in the stock and currency markets with stocks moving lower and the US dollar continuing higher. The long term trend is now up for the US dollar against many of the major markets. Commodity markets also continued their recent trend lower.

The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

Stocks were lower for the week after a strong start. The S&P 500 rallied early but was unable to pierce the 1100 level and moved lower from there before falling at 1059, which is the lowest level for the S&P 500 since early November. The Dow 30 was also lower and support at 10000 failed to hold up the market and support was not seen until 9800. There was a rejection of the lows in the US markets on Friday as buyers came in so it will be interesting to see what happens next week for US stocks. For now the long term trend is still up and Friday’s lows may provide support next week.

The Asian markets were also lower with the Hang Seng eventually ending lower by 3.29% having begun the week positively. The Nikkei also fell 2.34% and is right on the psychological 10000 level

Volatility Index (VIX)

The VIX moved sharply higher again Thursday and Friday having drifted lower for the first half of the week. The VIX at one point on Friday was at its highest level since early November but pulled back to the middle of the range that has formed over the past few months as stocks recovered some of their losses.

Commodities

Commodity markets were lower again with some good sized declines in several markets. Sugar ended the recent uptrend with a fairly steep sell off having failed to hold above the 30 cent mark that we wrote about last week.

The metals markets were once again heavily hit with large declines for all of the major metals markets. Silver took out support at 16 and continued lower and Gold fell to the $1050 level that we mentioned last week, reaching a low for the week at $1044 before closing at $1052. If gold continues lower the next support level is at $1029 and if that gives way then we may well see a move back to test major psychological support at $1000.

With the exception of Natural Gas, the energy markets continued lower and look to be headed towards a test of long term support. For now the trend remains up. From last week “March Crude Oil tested support at $72.45 before closing at $72.89. The $72.45 support level will be the one to watch this week as a break here will likely lead to a move lower to $70”. The market actually fell to $69.50 at which point buyers came in and pushed the market back over $70. $69.50 will be the level to watch this week because if buyers fail to come back in we may get an extended move lower.

Currencies

The US Dollar Index continued to gain steam and rose to its highest level since the middle of July 2009. The trend is now up for the Dollar against many of the majors. The Euro moved lower again but fell just short of the first downside target that we wrote about last week and as before we still target $1.35 and possibly later in the year may see $1.29.

The British pound declined sharply against the Japanese Yen and also the US dollar and the trend continues to be down for Sterling. The commodity-based currencies of Canada, Australia and New Zealand were all lower once again and a change of long term trend may be just around the corner.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures were higher across the board and even the weak link of the interest rate markets, the 30 year T Bond manage to move higher and reached its highest level since early December. The long term trend remains up for the shorter term interest rate markets and down for the 30 year bond.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

The recent short term moves in the stock and currency markets continued this past week with stocks falling once again and the US dollar gaining steam and rising for the week against all the major markets that we trade at LS Trader. Commodity markets continue to head lower with several new downtrends on the horizon.

The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

From last week “A correction in stocks has been on the cards due to both the size and duration of the recent rally but it remains to be seen what will happen from here. The long term trend is still up but this will not be the case for too long if heavy selling of the magnitude seen over the past week continues.”

Weakness in stocks continued but the moves lower were less than the previous week as stock market volatility declined somewhat from the previous week. Overall the long term trend remains up for stocks but weakness is evident in several indexes. The Nasdaq 100 was the worst hit after declining 3.25% for the week and falling to its lowest level since early November last year.

Volatility Index (VIX)

The VIX declined for the week, giving back a fair portion of the gains from the previous week. Support was found at around 22 and we may see a move higher again over the next couple of weeks.

Commodities

Commodity markets were generally lower with some good sized declines in several markets with Sugar and Rough rice being the only markets to move higher. Sugar added 3.89% for the week and broke out to new contract and multi year highs once again. There was a brief attempt at crossing the 30 cent mark which failed early in the week but a strong close on Friday at 29.90 suggests we may see another attempt at that level this week. If 30 cents is again rejected then a move back to support at around 28 cents may follow.

The metals markets were heavily hit with large declines in most of the metals. Copper took out support early in the week and brought a decent trend that had been in place for a few months to an end. Silver declined 4.38% for the week and is currently covering just above support at 16. April Gold was marginally lower but traded in a fairly tight range all week with traders undecided on the next move. Support at $1050 looks to be the downside target and $1148 the upside target.

Energy markets were all lower but the long term trend remains up for now. March Crude Oil tested support at $72.45 before closing at $72.89. The $72.45 support level will be the one to watch this week as a break here will likely lead to a move lower to $70 whereas support may push the market back up to the middle of the trading range that has been in place for the past few months.

Currencies

The US Dollar Index continued to move higher, advancing to its highest level since August last year. The Euro continued to decline and took out support at $1.40 that we mentioned last week. As before we now target $1.35 and possibly later in the year all the way back to $1.29.

All of the major currencies fell for the week against the dollar and the British pound declined against the Japanese Yen as well as the dollar. The commodity-based currencies of Canada, Australia and New Zealand were all lower but all have yet to show sufficient weakness for a change of long term trend.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures were higher with the 5 & 10 Year Notes leading the way. The 30-year bond continues to lag and registered a small loss for the week. The long term trend remains up for the shorter term interest rate markets and down for the 30 year bond.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

It’s been another choppy week in the markets, which has seen some of the recent trends come to an end, especially in the stock markets. Whilst there has been weakness in stocks, the US dollar continues to advance against most of the majors and the rally that began late 2009 for the dollar has resumed, having stalled over the past few weeks.

The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

Stocks were hit with heavy selling as the recent uptrend came to a fairly dramatic end. The Dow 30 plunged 4.1% for the week, the S&P 500 fell 3.9% and the Nasdaq dropped 3.46%. The European indexes were also hit heavily with the Dax down 2.97%. The worst hit index was the Nikkei 225, which fell 4.51%.

A correction in stocks has been on the cards due to both the size and duration of the recent rally but it remains to be seen what will happen from here. The long term trend is still up but this will not be the case for too long if heavy selling of the magnitude seen over the past week continues.

Volatility Index (VIX)

From last week “there will at some point in 2010 almost certainly be a correction of decent size in the stock markets and a probable large move higher in the VIX as fear returns to the markets and traders look to protect themselves.”

We certainly got a move higher in the VIX as the index moved sharply higher for the week. An explosive burst higher on Thursday and Friday pushed the market higher before closing at 27.31, a staggering 50.3% gain for the week. As we have been writing for many weeks, a move of substantial size has been on the cards and the markets are not so complacent now. It’s quite likely that the VIX will continue higher from here, especially if stocks continue to struggle.

Commodities

The commodity markets were mostly lower for the week with only a few exceptions. Sugar reached new highs again Thursday before pulling back slightly to the close on Friday. Orange juice recovered some of the previous week’s losses having moved higher from support.

Metals did not fare so well with all 5 metal markets lower for the week, with big losses for Silver (-8.11%) and Gold (-3.61%). The trend is still up for metals but Silver is leading the way to the downside and will likely be the first of the metals to give a change of trend if current weakness continues.

The energy sector was also heavily hit with big losses for Crude (-4.89%), Heating Oil (-5.1%) and No leaded gas (-3.9%). The only gainer in this sector was Natural gas, which added 2.25% for the week.

Currencies

The US Dollar advanced for the week, posting new contract highs for the week on the dollar index. The Euro also declined and took out the support levels that we have been mentioning for the past few weeks at $1.42. The Euro now looks set for a test of $1.40 and if this level can be taken out then we may well see further declines to around $1.35 and possibly later in the year all the way back to $1.29.

The British pound had another volatile week, firstly clearing resistance at $1.64 before reaching a high for the week at $1.6454 and then reversing back down towards the $1.60 level. The pound has remained in a range for several months between $1.70 and $1.57 and a breach of either level is likely to give rise to good movement. For now the trend is down so the odds are that the breakout will be to the downside.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures moved higher again and gains were seen in all 4 of the interest rate markets that we trade at LS Trader. As we wrote last week, the long term trend is still up for the shorter term markets and we may see a continuation higher from here.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

This coming Monday is Martin Luther King day in the US, so the US markets will be closed on Monday, so we will have a shortened trading week. It remains to be seen whether the weakness we saw in stocks at the end of last week continues in to the new week after the long holiday weekend. For now the long term trend remains up for stocks, up for commodities and down for the US Dollar.

This coming week we are entering 3 new trades.

The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

As we wrote last week the week just gone is historically weak on average and we ended up with weakness leading in to the holiday weekend as US markets had their worst declines so far in 2010.

The Nikkei did move up towards 11000, but fell short at 10960 before ending the week slightly down. Currently the stock indices are holding above support and the long term trend is up.

Volatility Index (VIX)

The VIX posted new lows again at 1686 on Monday but then moved gradually higher for the rest of the week before closing at 1817. So, once again the markets remain very comfortable at the current levels and complacency remains high. As we have been saying for the past few weeks there will at some point in 2010 almost certainly be a correction of decent size in the stock markets and a probable large move higher in the VIX as fear returns to the markets and traders look to protect themselves.

Commodities

Orange juice gave up a large portion of the recent gains on Monday as the exchange doubled the daily trading limit from 10 cents per pound to 20 cents per pound (the equivalent of an extra 1000 financial spread betting points). Orange Juice ended the week lower by 12.83%.

Metals had a mixed week with big gains for Palladium and Platinum but losses for Gold, Silver and Copper. The energy markets reversed after Crude, Heating Oil and No leaded gas reached new highs but then sold off in fairly dramatic fashion.

The long term trend for Natural gas is still down after declining just over 1% for the week (February contract). Upside resistance remains in place for February Natural Gas at 6100.

Currencies

The dollar index declined marginally for the week as direction remains uncertain. Resistance at 7900 to the upside remains in place and all attempts towards this level have so far ended in failure, pushing the market lower each time. The long term trend remains down.

The so called commodity based currencies of Canada and New Zealand posted modest gains but the Australian dollar ended marginally lower having failed to push up through resistance.

The British pound had a good week, gaining 1.41% against the US dollar. We may see a test of resistance at $1.64 this week but for now the long term trend remains down.

The Euro ended the week marginally lower having earlier reached $1.4577, which is the top of the current short term range. Support at $1.42 is still in place so these 2 levels remain the range for now and a break of either should lead to a move in the direction of the breakout. For now the long term trend remains up but Friday’s sell off was fairly ugly, so a test of support at $1.42 may be seen soon.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures moved higher for the week with shorter term prices moving up to their highest levels in over 3 weeks. As we wrote last week, the long term trend is still up for the shorter term markets and will remain so as long as support holds. Longer term futures also gained for the week but the longer term markets have been weaker of late and are lagging the shorter term markets.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

It’s been a very good start to 2010 with several markets trending well and some large moves being seen in a few markets, especially Orange juice. After the first week of the year the LS Trader financial spread betting system has gained 19% in just a single week, benefitting from continued moves higher in stocks and numerous commodity markets. This week we are entering 5 new trades.

Click here to sign up to the LS Trader system.

The LS Trader System Weekly Update Stocks

Stocks remain in very tight ranges as volatility remains at very low levels in the stock indexes. The S&P 500 advanced every day this week and is now at its highest level since October 2008. There is little in the way of resistance for the S&P until around the 1170 level so this extended bull market may yet continue higher. That said, this coming week is January expiration week and has been a poor week for stocks in 8 of the last 11 years. This same week in 2009 saw the S&P 500 shed 2.3%

The German Dax also reached new highs, as did the Nasdaq and the Nikkei, which may be headed for a test of 11000 this week. If 11000 can be taken out then there is the possibility of a continued moved higher.

Volatility Index (VIX)

The VIX moved lower again, reaching new low levels at 1816. This means that the markets remain very comfortable at the current levels and complacency remains high. As we said last week there will at some point in 2010 almost certainly be a correction of decent size in the stock markets and a probable large move higher in the VIX as fear returns to the markets and traders look to protect themselves.

Commodities

The big gainer for the week was Orange juice was gained 17.1% for the week and included 2 limit up days of the imposed-exchange limit, which is 10 cents per pound. 10 cents per pound equates to 1000 financial spread betting points. Some of the coldest weather in years is affecting the crops in Florida.

Copper continued to move higher, once again posting new contract highs and ending the week ahead in spite of a fairly large sell off on Thursday and Friday. The long term trend is still up for the metals sector and strength returned to both Gold and Silver during the past week with Silver adding 9.65% for the week and Gold adding 3.9%

Crude oil broke through resistance at $80 but remains just below the October highs. No leaded gas and Heating oil both advanced for the week and reached new contract highs in the process.

The long term trend is still up for energies with the exception of Natural gas. Natural gas remains the weakest of the energies but did briefly manage to clear resistance at 6000 in a volatile week before pulling back. Gas ended the week ahead by 3.18%.

Currencies

The dollar index declined for the week as the rally from the end of last year continues to fizzle out and the market remains unable to break  through resistance at 7900. Therefore we have still yet to see sufficient strength in the US dollar to confirm a change of trend and for now the trend remains down.

The so called commodity based currencies of Australia, Canada and New Zealand all advanced for the week on the back of higher commodity prices and may continue to advance. All 3 of these markets remain below the highs set in 2009 but have already recovered some of their losses from the US dollar rally at the end of last year.

The British pound ended the week slightly lower but closed once again above $1.60 having earlier been lower. The trend remains down for the pound.

The Euro held firm above support at $1.42 and a range is forming between $1.45 and $1.42. A break of either level is likely to give rise to a reasonable sized move. For now the long term trend remains up.

Interest rate futures

Longer term interest rate futures ended the week marginally higher but the shorter term advanced higher from support. The long term trend is still up for the shorter term markets and will remain so as long as support holds.

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Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

As we bring the curtain down on 2009 and move in to 2010 the long term trends remain as they have been for much of the past year with the long term trends being up in stocks and commodities and down in the US dollar.
The dollar though has been showing signs of strength and is the most likely of the above 3 sectors to give a long term trend change first.

2009 was a highly volatile year on the whole, with the main exception being the stock markets over the second half of the year, which for the most part moved quietly higher. 2010 may begin in a similar volatile fashion as investors position themselves for the year ahead but on the whole, 2010 is likely to be a less volatile year than 2009 with the exception of the stock markets, which will likely see an increase in volatility at some stage this year.

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The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

2009 had the worst January on record but still ended up with gains by the end of the year after a strong rally from the March lows pushed the market ever higher through to the end of the year. On a seasonal basis this strength can often be seen continuing through to February.

For the year, the Nadsaq was the best performer from the US stock indexes, gaining 43.9%. The S&P 500 gained 23.5% and the Dow ended with an 18.8% gain. The trend remains up for stocks but the first 5 days of January could give some clues as to what may happen through 2010.

Volatility Index (VIX)

The VIX ended higher for the week and moved up slightly from the lows of the year, which ended up being 1925. The close for the year ended at 2168, which is still a very low level. At some point in 2010 there will almost certainly be a correction of decent size in the stock markets and a probable large move higher in the VIX as fear returns to the markets and traders look to protect themselves. Currently though the stock markets (S&P 500) are comfortable at these levels.

Commodities

Copper continued the move higher that has been intact for most of 2009. New contract highs were reached on the last trading day of the year and the trend remains up. Copper has gained 123% for the year, which is a big trend and may yet continue higher.
The long term trend is still up for the metals sector although there remains short term weakness in Gold and Silver.

Crude oil edged higher for the week, gaining 1.68% and reached the $80 level that we mentioned last week, which was actually the high for the week before the market moved slightly lower to the close.

The long term trend is still up for energies with the exception of Natural gas, which once again failed to clear the 6000 and pushed lower from there.

Currencies

The dollar index ended the week slightly higher having moved around a bit during the shortened trading week. We have still yet to see sufficient strength in the US dollar to confirm a change of trend and for now the trend remains down but this may change soon.

The British pound had a mixed week have first posted new contract lows early in the week before a reversal took the pound back above $1.60 and closing at $1.6146. The long term trend remains down for the pound.

The Euro ended the week higher but remains undecided on which direction to take. Support at $1.42 has so far held firm and this level will have to be taken out for a change of long term trend.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures reached new contract lows on the last trading day of the year before moving higher to the close. The trend is down for long term interest rates but still up for shorter term rates. Shorter term markets may be set for a test of support soon. Whether this support level holds of gives way will indicate the direction of these markets in the near term.

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Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

Stocks continued the recent rally and posted new highs for the year as recent dollar strength took a pause. Commodities also had a strong week for the most part as several markets headed higher again. The long term trends remain intact and are still up for stocks and commodities and down for the dollar. Of all of these trends, the long term trend for the dollar looks most likely to change first.

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The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks continued the recent rally and posted new highs for the year as recent dollar strength took a pause. Commodities also had a strong week for the most part as several markets headed higher again. The long term trends remain intact and are still up for stocks and commodities and down for the dollar. Of all of these trends, the long term trend for the dollar looks most likely to change first.

Stocks

The S&P moved to new highs for the year, as did the Nasdaq 100 and the German Dax as the seasonal Santa Claus rally arrived a couple of days early, leading to 4 straight days of gains. We will likely see a continuation of this rally over the next few days and the probability of new highs again is on the cards.

Another week of gains for the Nikkei took the market up to its highest level since early October and to within reach of new highs for the year.

Volatility Index (VIX)

The VIX moved lower for the week and posted new lows for the year at 1947. This reading shows that the stock markets (S&P 500) are still comfortable at the current levels in spite of new highs being made.

Commodities

With the exception of Gold, metals moved higher again for the week. Weakness was seen early in the week for Palladium and Platinum but these market recovered from the lows posted on Tuesday to rally sharply higher. Copper had a strong week, posting new contract highs and reaching its highest level since August 2008. The long term trend is still up for the metals sector.

Crude oil continued the rally from the previous week, gaining just shy of 5% for the week. The February contract may now be set for a test of the $80 level. The long term trend is still up for energies with the exception of Natural gas, which is pushing towards a long term change of trend to up as well. Currently Natural gas is struggling with resistance at 6000 (February contract).

Sugar continues to do well having once again broken out to new highs for the year. We also saw new highs for the year in Orange juice, but Cotton, Coffee and Cocoa drifted lower.

Currencies

The dollar index declined for the week having earlier reached new contract and multi week highs on Tuesday and Wednesday. We have so far yet to see sufficient strength in the US dollar to confirm a change of trend and for now the trend remains down but this may change soon.

The British pound continued lower again and took out the $1.60 level. The pound remains on target for a test of major support from the October lows at $1.57. Support for the Swiss franc at 9500 continued to hold and the long term trend remains up.

As expected, the Euro moved higher for the week after the sharp declines from the previous week. The anticipated strong support at $1.42 put further declines on hold after lows for the week were posted Tuesday at $1.4215. Support at $1.42 will have to be taken out for a change of long term trend.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures headed lower led by longer term interest rates. There was weakness across the board for interest rate futures but longer term bonds broke lower first by taking out support. If longer term bonds continue lower then the other interest rate futures will follow lower and we may be at the beginning of a new downtrend for this sector.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

Stocks have held up well in spite of strength in the US dollar and may well test new highs for the year this coming week. For now the long term trends are as we were with trends are up for stocks and commodities and down for the dollar.

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The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

The S&P edged slightly lower for the week with the March contract closing just below the 1100. The Nasdaq 100 pushed up through 1800 and closed at 1807. This coming week normally brings with it the Santa Claus rally in the stock markets which usually runs for the last 5 trading days of the year through to the first 2 trading days of January. Since 1950 this rally has produced an average gain of 1.5% over the 7 trading days. We may therefore see new highs in the stock markets between now and Tuesday 5^th January.

Volatility Index (VIX)

The VIX ended the week slightly higher but is still at very low levels and remains just above the lows for the year. This reading shows that the stock markets (S&P 500) are quite comfortable at the current level at the moment.

Commodities

Gold briefly pushed through support at $1100 before moving slightly higher to close Friday at $1111. Support at $1100 remains the level to watch but failure here could lead to a decline back to $1050. In spite of the current correction the long term trend is still up for Gold as it is in all the metals.

Crude oil snapped a run of weekly declines and finished the week 4.99% up having earlier posted new contract lows at $68.59. The long term trend is still up but the market is in a range between $68.59 and $79 at present.

Natural gas continued the counter trend rally and has reached its highest level in 8 weeks. The long term trend remains down for Natural gas but this may change soon if recent strength continues.

The soft commodities sector continues to do well with another good week for Sugar, which broke out to new highs for the year again. Cotton also reached new highs for the year but pulled back slightly by Friday’s close. The trend is firmly up in the softs sector and these markets are currently outperforming the other commodity markets.

Currencies

The dollar index moved higher again, moving to its highest level since early September and taking out the 7800 level that we mentioned last week. It remains to be seen as to whether this is a bear market rally for the dollar or will continue to push on for a change of long term trend.

The British pound continued lower and may still be headed towards October lows at $1.57. The Swiss franc also continued its sell off but support came in at just over the 9500 level that we mentioned last week.

The Euro continued lower through support at $1.46 and also fell through support at $1.44 level. The 4 straight days of declines that we have just seen may ease early next week and strong support at $1.42 may be seen. If this level fails then a prolonged downtrend for the Euro may be on the cards which may last well in to January.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures continued to head lower and took out support levels bringing an end to the recent uptrend. The markets moved higher off the lows for the week to end the week flat. The long term trend is still up in this sector.

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Robert Stewart

The recent correction in many markets has continued this week but stocks have held up well and may well test new highs for the year in the week ahead. The long term trends are still unaffected in spite of the correction that has affected many commodity markets  and the long term trends are still up for stocks and commodities and down for the dollar.

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The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

The stock markets ended the week were they began, having recovered from some short term weakness mid week. The S&P closed above the psychological 1100 level for the second straight week and this may lead to a test of new highs for the year this coming week. The Asian markets ended the week lower in spite of some strength on Friday.

The long term trend remains up for the stock markets on the whole and this is normally a strong period of the year for stocks so we may see moves higher between now and the end of the year.

This week is Triple Witching week for stocks and on a historical basis is often a strong week with large gains often being seen on Triple Witching Friday. The odds are therefore with higher prices for stocks between now and the end of the year.

The VIX moved higher mid week but ended the week just slightly up but is still at very low levels and may still be headed back towards lows for the year at 20.10 as complacency remains in the markets.

Commodities

Gold continued the recent correction and many commodities followed gold lower. We are now back down to the lowest levels seen in a few weeks but still remain just ahead of support at $1100. Support at that level will likely be tested and if support holds then we may see a move back higher for gold but if support fails then the sell off will likely continue possibly back towards $1000 and dragging the other metals with it. In spite of the current correction the long term trend is very much up for Gold as it is in all the metals.

Crude oil broke out of the recent trading range that we wrote about last week having decisively taken out support at $75. The January contract closed just below the $70 level and may now be headed further south towards support at $66. No leaded gasoline and heating oil followed Crude lower and whilst the long term trend remains up for these 3 markets that may change if weakness continues.

The Natural gas downtrend halted after a rally cleared short-term resistance. The long term trend remains down for Natural gas.

Currencies

The dollar index moved higher for the second straight week moving close to its highest level in six weeks. The March contract may be headed higher towards the 7800 level over the next week or so. The trend is still down for the Dollar against most of the majors but that may be on the verge of changing, as the dollar is looking set for a bounce higher.

The British pound fell through short term support and may now be headed lower towards October lows at $1.57. The Swiss franc also continued its sell off having failed to stay above the 10000 level. The Swiss franc may now be headed towards a test of support at 9500.

The Euro, like the Swiss franc also took out short term support having been firmly rejected over the $1.50 level. The next support level is around the $1.44 level.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures continued to head lower and are now just above support levels which will likely be tested this week. If support fails then the recent uptrend in interest rate futures may well be over and we may see new contract lows soon.

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Robert Stewart

On the whole it’s been a volatile week for most markets with some large swings seen in commodities and currencies. The long term trends are still unaffected though with the trend still up for stocks and commodities and down for the dollar. It will take some fairly significant moves in these markets for a long term change of trend to take place, so last week’s moves will likely be viewed as short term corrections.

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The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

The stock markets gained for the week and the S&P 500 finally closed the week out above 1100. The Dow 30 tested the 10500 level, posting a new high for the year at 10510 before closing the week out at 10400.

The Asian markets reversed and buyers returned to the Nikkei at support levels just over 9000. The Nikkei ended up with a 10.9% gain for the week and may now be headed back
towards contract highs at 10690. The Hang Seng also advanced sharply, gaining 5.85% for the week, which erased the heavy losses from the previous week.

The long term trend remains up for the stock markets on the whole and this is normally a strong period of the year for stocks so we may see moves higher between now and the
end of the year.

The VIX erased the previous week’s gains and looks to be headed back towards lows for the year at 20.10 as complacency remains in the markets.

Commodities

Gold had a wild week having first cleared the $1200 level with ease and setting new all time highs in the process at $1227.50 on Thursday. Then Friday came and we saw a very steep sell off with gold declining all the way to $1147 before recovering to close the week slightly down at $1169.50. In spite of the dramatic sell off the trend is very much up for Gold and we will remain bullish as long as support above $1100 holds.

The energy markets returned to their recent trading range with Crude oil spending the week between $75 and $80. Both of these levels look to be the key to short term direction if either level can be decisively cleared to take the market out of the current consolidation. The long term trend remains up for the energy markets with the exception of Natural Gas. Natural gas continued its recent decline, dropping by 11.67% for the week and posting new contract lows in the process.

Currencies

For the first time in a while the dollar index failed to make a new contract low and moved higher from support just above the 7400 level. The long term trend is clearly still down for the dollar and Friday’s sharp move higher was likely a bear market rally. It will be interesting to see the reaction of the market next week, especially in terms of the Euro, which sold off sharply having been clear of the $1.50 level earlier in the week. There is clearly very strong resistance to the upside for the Euro at $1.5144.

The Japanese Yen had a sharp reversal and declined against the US dollar and the British pound. It remains to be seen whether this sell off was just a correction or is going to lead to a longer term change of trend. The long term trend for the Yen is still up against both the Pound and the dollar.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures reversed sharply with all the markets falling for the week in a counter trend move. The trend is still up for this sector and recent support levels may be tested soon.

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Robert Stewart

The news that came out of Dubai this past week wreaked havoc on the electronic markets (since US markets were officially closed electronic markets were traded around the world as Thursday was only a holiday in the US). The Thanksgiving Holiday is normally a quiet time for the markets but this news led to a knee jerk reaction and some big moves in the markets before the markets began to recover. By the end of Friday a lot of the damage had been corrected.

Prior to that the key levels that have been in place for the past couple of months had been taken out, such as the S&P 500 moving above 1100 and the Euro taking out the $1.50 level against the Us dollar. The Dubai news moved these markets back below these key levels although there was a partial recovery by Friday’s close. Therefore the stock and currency markets are back to within the trading ranges that have been in place for several weeks.

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The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

The stock markets declined for the week with the S&P ending the week back below the key 1100 level. The December contract had risen to a new high price this year of 1111 before falling sharply to a low for the week at 1066 and then recovering a good part of the sell off and closing at 1089.

The Dow 30 also declined for the week but still remains above its own psychological 10,000 level and the Nasdaq 100 also retreated further from the 1800 level before recovering somewhat.

The Asian markets were heavily hit with the Hang Seng declining 5.45% for the week. The Nikkei was also sharply lower having fallen 2.74% for the week. The long term trend is still up for the stock markets on the whole.

The VIX had declined to new contract lows and moved just a touch lower than our expected target of 20.10, posting a new low of 20.05. As we indicated may happen last week, the VIX then moved sharply higher from there and closed the week out at 24.74.The events of last week show how quickly we can get a large spike in the VIX. If we get more of a sell off in stocks soon we may see a jump above 30 in no time flat.

Commodities

The commodity markets broadly sold off in line with stocks but then mostly recovered with a couple of commodity markets ending the week at new contract highs, namely Soybean Meal and Lean Hogs.

Gold continued the recent uptrend and the February contract moved up towards $1200 but sold off slightly before closing the week out at a new all time high weekly close at $1175.5. Palladium and Platinum managed slight gains for the week in spite of sell off.

The energy markets declined with Crude oil and No leaded gas both declining below support. Both of these markets reached new 6 week lows and although the long term trend is still up, short term weakness is definitely present. Crude may find support around $75 but if that support fails declines down to $70 and possibly even $66 may be next.

Currencies

The dollar index once again posted new contract lows early in the week before the Dubai drama over the Thanksgiving Holiday on Thursday sent the Dollar Index higher again, closing just over the 7500 level. We still remain at levels that could go in either direction for the Dollar but the long term trend is still down.

The Swiss Franc cleared the 10000 level for the first time this years before falling back below this level and closing the week out at 9935 after a 1.14% gain for the week. The Japanese Yen had a good week with gains against both the US dollar and the British Pound.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures continued to trend higher with big moves for the week for both the 5-year & 10 year notes. The weakest of these 3 markets, the longer-term 30-year treasury bonds also joined the party and moved higher. The trend for interest rate futures remains up.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

It’s the same old story for the stock and currency markets as these markets remain within the trading ranges that have been in place for over a month now. The past week saw an overall rise for the US dollar and a decline for stocks.

This coming week will be a short trading week as the US markets are closed on Thursday 26^th for Thanksgiving, followed by a shortened trading day on Friday.

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The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

The Dow 30 remains above the psychological 10000 level but the S&P 500 once again rejected the 1100 level having reached a high for the week of 1112 on Monday before spending the rest of the week drifting lower and perhaps critically closing the week out below 1100 at 1090. The Nasdaq 100 also began the week well, clearing the resistance level at 1800 early in the week before declining later in the week and closing at 1763. The trend for all 3 of these markets is still up but this coming week may give us further indication of which way these markets will move longer tern.

The Nikkei 225 is currently the weakest of the global stock markets that we follow at LS Trader and looks to be headed lower having taken out support at 9600.

The VIX ended the week slightly lower and still looks to be headed towards support at contract lows of 20.10 at which point we can expect the VIX to move higher again. These low readings on the VIX indicate market complacency but this may soon shift if we get a sell off in stocks and may jump above 30 in no time flat.

Commodities

Gold advanced again for the third straight week and once again posted new all time highs and closed the week out at $1146.8. Silver also advanced for the week after strong buying on Monday with similar moves happening in Platinum and Palladium.

Copper finally cleared and managed to stay above the 30000 level and the 30000 level which has acted as resistance for so long may now switch to becoming support. The trend is up in all of the metals and this will likely continue unless we get a strong rally in the US dollar.

The energy markets were sharply higher early in the week as buyers came in to the market at just above support levels. Once again the level between $80 and $82 proves difficult to clear and failure at this level sent the markets lower again and look to be headed for another test of support this week.

Natural gas again posted new contract lows and the market continues to slide lower in line with the long term trend.

Currencies

The dollar index posted new contract lows on Monday at 7475 before buyers returned to the market and once again the level around 7500 is proving very difficult to break to the downside. The dollar index closed the week out at 7573 having been higher earlier in the day on Friday.

The Swiss Franc had another go at the 10000 level stalling at 9955 and then heading lower to the close on Friday. This past week has seen a move towards the defensive currencies of the Japanese Yen and US dollar and out of the higher risk currencies. The trend remains down for the US dollar but unless support can be decisively taken out at just below 7500 on the dollar index then we still remain susceptible to a bounce higher for the dollar.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures were higher across the board this week with the shorter end of the interest rate markets faring the best. The 5 year note is in a nice uptrend and this past week moved up to its highest level since the first week of April. Also moving up was the 10 year note and still lagging behind were the 30 year bonds which may be set to test resistance this coming week as we look to switch from the December to March contract.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

As we have been writing for the past month, the stock and currency markets remain within the trading range that has formed over the past month and these markets remain undecided on the next move. The US dollar remains the key focus and is currently still in long term downtrend and moves in the dollar are followed by moves in the opposite direction in the stock markets.

The level to watch in the stock markets is still 1100 for the S&P 500. Although the Dow 30 was able to clear and stay above the key 10000 psychological level the S&P 500 is the real stock market and remains the market to watch. A new contract low posted during the past week at 7485 on the Dollar Index is a major focus point. We also still have the $1.50 level for the Euro/US dollar in range, which has so far provided strong resistance on all attempts to clear it.

These markets could move in either direction although probability slightly favours a continuation in the direction of the long term trend. The longer the indecisiveness remains in these markets the more likely that eventual breakouts
in either direction will lead to substantial moves.

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The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

As mentioned above, the Dow 30 cleared the psychological 10000 level and remains in an uptrend. The S&P 500 is also in an uptrend but is not as strong as the Dow. The Nasdaq 100 has also performed well, continuing the uptrend and perhaps importantly, breaking out to new contract highs after a second straight week of gains. A test of 1800 is likely this coming week.

The VIX declined for a second straight week and still may fall to support at contract lows of 20.10 at which point we can expect them to move higher again.

Commodities

Gold cleared the $1100 level that we wrote about last week and posted new all time highs in the process at $1123 (December contract). Friday’s close at $1116.7 is a new all time high weekly close and the trend remains firmly up, especially as long as gold stays above $1100.

The past week also saw moves higher for Palladium and Platinum, with both markets registering new contract highs. Copper is slightly off the pace and remains unable to decisively move above the 30000 level and much more failure to clear that level is increasingly likely to lead to a sell off.

The energy markets were lower for the week with both Crude and No leaded gas testing short term support levels. There is a trading range that has formed between $82 at $76 that has held firm over the past few weeks and failure to clear the $82 to the upside has led to weakness. Buyers will need to come in to the market on Monday otherwise the recent uptrend in Crude is likely over for now.

Natural gas continues to slide lower in line with the long term trend and new contract lows were posted during the past week.

Currencies

The dollar index briefly posted new contract lows at 7485 before buyers came in to the market. The trend remains down but support is coming in every time the market approaches the 7500 level. 7485 will likely provide strong support, but if support fails then another wave of selling may hit the dollar.

The two best performing currencies at present against the US dollar are the Swiss franc and the Australian dollar. The Aussie dollar posted new contract highs this past week and the Swiss franc tested new contract highs before falling just short, having been unable to clear the 1000 level. The trend remains up for both of these markets.

Interest rate futures

The 10 year notes found support at just above the 11800 level that we wrote about last week and moved higher form there, reaching new highs for a month in the process. The 5 year notes were also higher and fell just short of new contract highs. The trend remains up for the shorter term interest rate futures. Longer term Treasury bonds are weaker though and the 30 year bond fell through support to reach their lowest levels since August before moving slightly higher to the close on Friday.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

The stock and currency markets remain within the range that has formed over the past couple of weeks and continue to be undecided on the next move. As we have previously mentioned, everything seems to be about the US dollar right now and moves higher in the dollar are sending stocks lower and vice versa. This week saw gains for stocks and an eventual decline in the dollar in spite of a move higher for the dollar index early in the week, which later corrected.

The levels to watch are still 10000 for the Dow, 1100 for the S&P 500, 7500 for the Dollar Index and the $1.50 level for the Euro/US dollar. Eventually these levels will be cleared or provide resistance (support in the case of the dollar index) and this will likely lead to the next move in stocks and currencies. Right now things can clearly go in either direction.

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The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

Stocks gained for the week with the Dow 30 finding support at 9600 and rallying all the way up to a test of 10000, which was again rejected. The market then closed just below 10000 and we will likely see a test of the psychological 10000 level again this week.

The S&P 500 also moved higher from support earlier in the week but remains further adrift from the psychological level of 1100 than the Dow is from 10000. The range is currently 1026 down and 1100 up for the S&P 500. If 1100 can be cleared to the upside then we may see a continuation of the rally but if 1026 support fails then a decline to 1000 is likely and if that fails then a steep sell off may follow.

After a huge rise in the Volatility Index the previous week the VIX declined for the week, having posted a new high on Monday that was the highest level for the VIX since early July. The VIX ended the week lower at 24.19 and may now fall to support just above the 20 level. The moves in the past couple of weeks show what can happen when a little fear returns to the markets and may be a preview of what will happen if stocks fail again to clear key levels and then start a sell off.

Commodities

Gold was the big mover for the week with large buy orders on Tuesday taking Gold passed previous all time high resistance. Friday’s close of $1095.7 is a new all time high close and falls just short of $1100. It will be interesting to see the reaction of the market this coming week if we get a test of this level. Clearly the trend is very much up for Gold.

For the most part commodity markets were lower with many markets declining near to short term support levels.

Currencies

It was an eventful week for the Dollar, with a spike higher in the dollar index on Tuesday, which later corrected and the dollar index resumed the downtrend although the spike higher will have taken many shorts out of the market. The dollar index ended the week lower and may now go on to test contract lows at 7508. We may well see strong support at 7500.

Interest rate futures

Shorter term interest rate futures gained for the week, with the uptrend still intact. The longer term Treasurys lagged behind with both the 10 year notes and 30 year notes finishing lower for the week. The 10 year notes were
only marginally lower but the 30 year bonds fell to test support at 118 before closing just above this level. 118 remains the level to watch this week.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

As we have been writing for several weeks, the markets have been at critical turning points and the direction for the next few weeks would likely be determined by the reaction of the markets to those key levels. During the past week stocks failed to clear key levels and sold off sharply, whilst at the same time the Euro failed to clear $1.50 and the Euro sold off against the dollar. The long term trend is still up for stocks and down for the dollar but both of these trends may be set change over

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The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

Stocks continued to struggle at key levels and this led to a sharp sell off. The S&P 500 continued the decline having failed to clear 1100 and the other markets followed suit. The S&P closed at 1033 and may be headed for a test of short term support at 1015 as early as Monday this week. Should 1015 fail then we will likely see a decline towards 1000 and the reaction at this level may determine what will happen to the stock markets over the next several weeks.

Commodities

Commodities were mostly lower on some new strength in the dollar and a flight to safety as stocks fell. However, there were some commodity markets that were higher in spite of the broad sell off and these included Lean Hogs, Lumber, Oats, Orange juice and Rough Rice.

Rice cleared key resistance and moved to its highest level in almost a year and we also saw large gains for Lumber and Lean Hogs. The long term trend in the latter 2 markets has been down for a long time, but if strength continues this may be set to change soon.

December Natural gas continues to head lower and the long term trend remains down.

Currencies

The December Dollar Index moved higher, reaching its highest level in almost a month. The long downtrend that has been in place for months may well be coming to an end and at least for now and we may be on the verge of a bounce higher for the dollar. The dollar and the Japanese yen are perceived as the safer currencies and these were the 2 big gainers for the week. The British pound also gained for the week and moves to within range of its highest level in a month.

As we wrote last week, the Euro was the key currency to watch. After a few feeble attempts at staying north of $1.50, the market rejected the level and the Euro sold off with many of the other currencies following suit.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures moved higher from Monday’s lows and a strong close on Friday may lead to continued strength early in the coming week. This was the first week of gains in 4 for interest rate futures and both the 5 and 10 year notes remain above support having tested support levels this week and the long term trend remains up.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

As has been the case for the past couple of weeks, the stock and forex markets remain at critical points with the 1100 level the focus for the S&P 500 and the $1.50 level the critical point for the Euro/US dollar. The trend remains the same as before which is up for stocks and down for the dollar at present.

This week the LS Trader system is entering 1 new trade as we wait on the sidelines on several markets until the trend direction becomes clearer.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

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The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

As mentioned above, stock index futures continue to struggle with key levels. The S&P 500 failed to clear resistance at 1100, reaching a high for the week at 1099. This will again be the level to watch this coming week as much more failure here is likely to send the S&P lower. However, if 1100 can be decisively cleared then that may also provide a platform for another move higher. The direction that the S&P takes will likely be mirrored by the other stock indexes.

The volatility index ended the week higher having reaching new 13 month lows midweek. If stocks decline then we can look for the VIX to begin moving higher.

Commodities

Gold and Silver are consolidating just below contract highs in an increasingly tighter range. Gold continues to find support at around $1040 and this is the level to watch to the downside as so far buyers have come in each time the market has dropped towards $1040. Copper broke out of the recent trading range and cleared long term resistance at   30000. The long term uptrend which began early in the year continues

December Crude oil hit a new contract high at $82 and closed on Friday above the $80 level at $80.50. The long term trend is up for Crude oil, no leaded gas and heating oil. December Natural gas dropped by 4.1% for the week and remains unable to confirm a new uptrend and follow the other energy markets higher and the long term trend remains down.

Currencies

The December Dollar Index edged lower again and continues to put in new contract lows and Friday’s close was the lowest weekly close of the year. The long term trend remains down but as before the key will be whether the Euro, which makes up 57% of the Dollar index is able to stay above 1.50.

The Euro will be the key currency to watch this week having cleared the $1.50 level for the first time since August 2008 and ironically closing right on $1.50. Clearly this market could go either way from here and whichever way it goes it will influence the Dollar index and the Swiss Franc which is highly correlated with the Euro.

The commodity based currencies of Australia and New Zealand continue to move higher, both posting new contract highs in the process. The Canadian dollar though was lower though, declining 1.4% for the week.

The British Pound had a volatile week after initially continuing higher from contract lows at $1.57 and rallying all the way up to just shy of $1.67 before selling off sharply and closing at $1.63. The Japanese Yen continued recent weakness and failed at key support levels, bringing an end to the recent uptrend.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures were higher earlier in the week but then moved lower to the close on Friday and the recent uptrend may well be coming to an end after a third week of declines.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

The markets remain at critical points with both stocks and the US dollar at potential turning points. The trend remains up for stocks and down for the dollar for now.

This week the LS Trader system is entering 5 new trades, taking our total number of open trades to 22 which is the most we have had open for quite a while, indicating that more markets are beginning to trend by breaking out from their trading ranges.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

Stock index futures once again moved higher after testing support levels and the trend remains up. The S&P 500 cleared the first resistance hurdle at 1080 but has so far been unable to clear 1100. This will be the level to watch this week and to a lesser extent the 10,000 level on the Dow 30. The German Dax posted new contract highs on Friday before a fairly steep sell off. The trend remains up for now.

The volatility index moved lower again, reaching 13 month lows and closing at 21.43 and may be headed lower towards the 20 year average of the index at 20.26.
This shows that the market is still complacent and that there is a lack of fear in the markets.

Commodities

Commodities were generally higher for the week on the back of another poor week for the US Dollar. Gold posted a new all time high during the past week at $1072 but could not hold there and closed at $1051.5.

Silver followed Gold’s higher and briefly crossed resistance at 1800 but was also unable to stay there and fell back to the close ending the week lower by 1.53%. Copper remains within the recent trading range and the levels to watch are still 30000 up and 26800 down.

Crude oil surged higher, clearing the key $75 level and may now be set for a move higher to at least $85 and possibly higher.
The long term trend is up again for Crude oil and no leaded gas and heating oil followed crude higher.

Natural gas ended the week marginally higher but still has yet to show sufficient strength for a long term change of trend and for now the trend remains down.

Currencies

The December Dollar Index continues to move lower and once again put in new contract and yearly lows before closing at 75.77. The long term trend remains down and key short term levels to watch are be 7773 up and
7540 down. One factor which may affect the Dollar index will be whether the Euro can push up through resistance at 1.50. The Euro has not been above 1.50 since August last year and this level may present considerable resistance. The Euro makes up 57% of the Dollar index, so moves in the Euro have a large impact on the Dollar index.

The commodity based currencies of Australia, New Zealand and Canada and gained for the week again, along with the Swiss Franc.

The British Pound found support from the $1.57 level we mentioned last week and rallied sharply higher. The Japanese Yen was lower for a second straight week, losing 1.13% for the week. The trend however is still up for the Yen but we may be headed for a test of support this week.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures were marginally lower for the week, making it a second straight week of declines. In spite of the past 2 week’s weakness, interest rate futures remain above short term support levels and the trend remains up. One marginally bullish sign for interest rate futures is that this past Friday bucked the trend of Treasurys falling on Fridays which has  been the case for the past few months, as Treasurys gained on Friday. As we wrote last week we may be set for a test of these support levels this week which may determine the direction of interest rate futures over the next couple of weeks.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

The LS Trader system gained in equity for the week, benefitting from moves in the metals and currency markets. This week we are entering 3 new trades, taking our total number of open trades to 18.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

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Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader System Weekly Update

Stocks

Stock index futures once again moved higher after testing support levels and the trend remains up. The S&P 500 is now approaching new highs for the year and the 1080 level which may well determine the direction of the stock markets over the coming weeks. There is considerable resistance at around the 1080 level for the S&P 500 which may send the market sharply lower should it be unable to clear it.

The volatility index moved lower having again been unable to clear the key 30 level again. The VIX has not been above 30 since the middle of July and this week fell to almost the lowest level for the year, closing at 23.12. This shows that the market is once more complacent.

Commodities

Commodities were generally higher for the week on the back of a poor week for the US Dollar. Gold stayed above key support and rallied sharply early in the week, setting new all

time highs in the process before closing the week at $1048.5. The December contract posted new all time highs of $1062.7 on Thursday and if that high can be cleared again then we will be in unchartered territory for Gold as we are at all time high levels, so there are no targets that can be set to the upside.

Silver followed Gold’s lead and also rallied sharply, posting new highs for the year. Unlike Gold, Silver is not at all time highs so we can look to the highs set in July 2008 at around   the 2000 level as the next upside target.

Copper found support at 26800 and may now test the 30000 level again, especially if Gold continues to rise. For now the levels to watch are 30000 up and 26800 down.

Currencies

Having been unable to clear resistance at 7773 the December Dollar Index moved lower again and posted new contract lows at 7568 before closing at 7662. The long term trend remains down and key short term levels will be 7773 up and 7568 down.

The commodity based currencies of Australia, New Zealand and Canada were the big gainers for the week with all 3 markets posting new highs for the year.

The British Pound ran in to short term resistance at $1.6117 and fell to close the week at $1.5832, still above the key level we mentioned last week at $1.5766. This will once again be the level to watch as a break may lead to a move lower.

The Japanese Yen hit new contract highs during the week but ended the week with a 0.26% drop. The trend remains up for the Yen.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures declined sharply on Thursday and Friday having failed to push on from the previous week’s advance and make new contract highs. In spite of this week’s weakness, interest rate futures remain above short term support levels and the trend remains up. We may however see a test of these support levels this week which may determine the direction of interest rate futures over the next couple of weeks.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

It may be a  little early to say yet but there are signs that we may be going to see a steep correction in the stock markets and a bounce higher for the US Dollar. Both of these events may lead to some good trading opportunities over the coming months but as ever we will not attempt to predict market moves, but wait for the market to tell us when the time is right for us to initiate our trades.

This week the LS Trader system is entering 3 new trades, which takes our total number of open positions back to 17 trades. Notably we now have quite a few short trades, more than we have had recently, suggesting further weakness ahead for stocks and commodities.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

Stock index futures recovered somewhat early in the week but then the weakness from the previous week emerged and the markets sold off below short term support. Long term the trend is still up for stocks but after the strength of the recent rally from the March lows, a correction looks due. As we wrote last week: “If the markets do fail at support levels then we could be on for a steep sell off over the next few weeks”.

The volatility index moved higher again, heading towards 30, which as we wrote last week may be a key level for the markets. If the 30 level is taken out it may be a sign that fear is returning to the markets. The VIX has not been above 30 since the middle of July.

Commodities

Gold held firm at support at $987 and pushed back above the $1000 level, closing the week at $1004. As with this past week we will look for support to hold otherwise the current bull run for Gold and the other metals will likely be over and we may see Gold fall towards $940.

Copper briefly fell through support at 26800 before closing right on the support line. The market looks undecided at this point but failure of support at 26800 may lead to a sharp decline.

Crude oil found support at just above $65 and moved higher, closing the week just shy of $70 and moving back to within the recent trading range. November Natural Gas had its first declining week in the past 4, leaving the long term trend down.

Currencies

The December Dollar Index climbed for the week, showing signs that we may be near a bottom for the US Dollar. The Euro fell for the second straight week and the Swiss Franc also declined for the week. The Australian and New Zealand dollars both declined slightly for the week and the markets are clearly undecided and may be approaching a turning point.

The British Pound fell to its lowest level since May against the Dollar but recovered slightly during the week. $1.5766 will be the level to watch this week and failure here may lead to a move lower. The Japanese Yen had 2 big moves higher during the week but was unable to hold those levels and ended the week just ahead by 0.31%.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures continued their advance after the 10 year notes took out resistance at 11851. As we wrote last week “If this level can be taken out then the other markets may follow through for the next leg higher, especially if stocks continue to decline”. The long term trend is now up in all the interest rate futures markets that we trade at LS Trader.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

This past week was a week of 2 halves for the markets, which for the most part began well before reversing on Wednesday with several markets selling off to the close on Friday. It’s too early to read too much into a 3 day move to suggest a long term trend change but there was certainly weakness leading in to the weekend. It will be interesting to see how the markets respond on Monday.

This week the LS Trader system is entering 3 new trades, which takes our total number of open positions to 17 trades, which is the most we have been in recently and indicates that more markets are beginning to trend.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

Stock index futures sold off after reaching new highs earlier in the week. The S&P 500 posted new highs for the year at 1075.5 mid week but ended the week sharply lower at 1041. The other stock indexes followed the S&P 500 lower after a reversal on Wednesday. Although the fundamentals don’t support a move higher by any stretch of the imagination, the key indexes all remain above short term support so we may yet see a test of recent highs. If the markets do fail at support levels then we could be on for a steep sell off over the next few weeks.

The volatility index moved higher from the lows of the year and may be set to move higher towards the 30 level. If this level can be taken out then it may be a sign that fear may be returning to the markets. The VIX has not been above 30 since the middle of July.

Commodities

Gold had a volatile week having pushed initially to new highs at $1020 but failing to clear that level which led to a fairly steep decline and back to below the $1000 to close at $991. We may see a further decline to support at $980 on Monday and if this fails then the current bull run for Gold and the other metals is likely over for now as we may see Gold fall towards $940.

Copper found support at 27550 early in the week and moved higher before failing and finally taking out support, bringing an end to the long bull run that has seen Copper rise almost 100% in 2009 alone.

Crude oil broke out of the recent trading range that had formed between $75 and $68 and may now move lower to test support at around 6250. Heating oil and No leaded gas followed Crude lower. November Natural Gas had another strong week after gaining 6.9% for the week. The long term trend is still down for Natural Gas but that may soon change if recent strength continues.

Currencies

The December Dollar Index fell to new contract lows midweek but bounced higher to the close on Friday. The Euro climbed to its highest level against the dollar since August 2008 but fell to the close on Friday. The Australian and New Zealand dollars also rose to new highs for the year but were both unable to stay there by Friday’s close.

The British Pound fell through support against both the Japanese Yen and the US Dollar and may bet set to decline further. The Japanese Yen reached new contract highs against both the Pound and the dollar and may continue rise to test the highs for the year.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures moved steadily higher throughout the week and the 10 year notes look set to test resistance at 11851. If this level can be taken out then the other markets may follow through for the next leg higher, especially if stocks continue to decline.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

We had a second straight week of equity gains for the LS Trader system which was quite well ahead for the week before a few markets sold off on Friday. We again banked some good profits from 3 contract rollovers which banked a total of 708 spread betting points from the US dollar index, the S&P 500 and the German Dax.

This week the LS Trader system is entering 1 new trade, which takes our total number of open positions to 16 trades.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

Stock index futures just keep on edging higher and gained for the week again in spite of a slightly lower close on Friday, which was off from the highs of the week. The S&P 500 blasted through the 1050 level that we mentioned was a target last week and reached a new high for the year at 1070.5 (December contract). The German Dax gained for a second week and hit new highs for the year again.

Commodities

We got the second close for Gold above the $1000 level that we were looking for and this led to new highs for the year with the market reaching $1020 on Wednesday before ending the week at $1010. We
may see a test of support at $1000 this week which should act as support. If $1000 fails then we may see a pullback to around $980. If Gold does find support at $1000 then we may see a move higher to test all time highs set in 2008 soon.

Copper again failed at 30000 having moved higher from support at 27650. We will look for support again at this level over the coming week which if it fails to hold will likely be the end of the copper bull run for now.

Silver was sharply ahead mid week and tested the 1750 level before selling off towards Friday’s close. The trend remains up and we may see a move higher towards 1850, especially if Gold holds over $1000. Silver is highly correlated with Gold and mirrors Gold’s movement to quite a large extent.

Crude oil remains within a trading range that has formed between $75 and $68. A break of either level may give rise to movement in the direction of the breakout. Heating oil and No leaded gas are also in trading ranges and are mirroring the movements of Crude. November Natural Gas had another strong week after gaining 16% for the week. The long term trend remains down for now but that may change
if the recent strength continues.

Currencies

The September Dollar Index fell to new lows for the year during the past week and we rolled forward in to December banking good profits in the process. This has been a good trade for us as we have
been short since the 22^nd May, riding the trend down. The trend remains down for the dollar which fell against most of the majors this week with the exceptions being the British pound and the Japanese Yen.

It was another week of gains for the New Zealand dollar and the Australian dollar with both markets continuing to make new 52 week highs.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures ended the week lower having fluctuated throughout the week. Interest rate futures markets are back in to the trading range for now.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

It’s been a pretty good week for the LS Trader system with the system gaining just under 8% for the week following a few markets continuing to trend well and some good profits being banked from the rollover of contracts on 3 trades. In total we banked 1072.5 financial spread betting points from the rollovers of the Nikkei, the Australian and New Zealand dollars.

This week the LS Trader system is entering 3 new trades taking our total number of open positions to 16 trades, which is the most positions that the system has been in for a while. As the LS Trader system is a trend following system and we only take trades in markets that are trending, this is evidence that the markets may well be beginning to trend again after a long period of consolidation and relatively trendless markets.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

Stock index futures were higher across the board for the week with the markets making new highs for the year during the week. The S&P 500 fell just short of 1050 with a high of 1048 for the week before closing the week out at 1041. We may see a test of 1050 this week.

The German Dax also rose to new highs for the year having risen above 5600. The Dax had previously formed a triple top which many technical analysts consider bearish, but the trend was too strong and after taking out new highs that pattern is over.

This Friday is September triple witching as the markets move in to the final quarter of the year.

Commodities

Gold rallied past the $1000 level on Tuesday but was unable to close above until Friday. If Gold can hold above $1000 and close again above the $1000 level then we may see a move higher to test all time highs set in 2008 soon.

Copper fell for the week having again failed at the 30000 level and the trend that has seen Copper gain almost 100% for the year may be coming to an end unless 30000 can be cleared soon.

Crude oil remains within a trading range with no clear direction. Heating oil and No leaded gas fell for the week roughly mirroring the movements of Crude. Natural Gas ended the week higher after a volatile week which saw some large moves in both directions. The long term trend remains down for now.

Currencies

From last week “The September Dollar Index fell slightly for the week but remains in a range between 7750 and 8000. A break of either of these levels will likely lead to a move in the direction of the breakout but the trend for now remains down.” The Dollar index fell through support at 7750 and hit new lows for the week at 7644 before closing slightly higher at 7664. The trend remains down for the dollar which fell against all the majors this week.

It was another week of gains for the New Zealand dollar and the Australian dollar with both markets continuing to make new 52 week highs. The Pound advanced strongly for the week from support at $1.61 and may now go on to test contract highs at $1.70

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures moved higher again for the week and may now be set for the next move higher if they can stay above the recent consolidation.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

This coming Monday is a holiday in the US due to Labor Day. US markets will therefore be closed. This holiday should bring with it an end to the light summer trading period and more substantial trading should resume from Tuesday onwards.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

Stock indexes futures were lower across the board after posting lows for the week on Wednesday. From Wednesday onwards stocks pushed higher but still closed the week down. All the stock indexes that we track at LS Trader still remain above key support levels. September is seasonally the weakest month of the year for stocks but that has not been the case in 3 of the last 4 years and is too unreliable as an indicator to base any trading decisions on. The trend is still up for stocks.

Commodities

From last week “A range is forming between $930 and $961 in December Gold and a break of either level could lead to movement in the direction of the breakout”. Gold (December contract) finally cleared the $960 level that we have been writing about for the past few weeks and this lead to a sharp 3 day rally, falling just short of the $1000 level. There may well be resistance at the psychological $1000 level but if this can be cleared then we may see a move higher towards all time highs set in 2008.

Copper fell for the week, mirroring the stock market moves but recovered some lost ground by the close on Friday. We did see a pullback to 28000 and slightly beyond as we wrote about last week but support came in at those levels and the trend remains up for now. Silver and Palladium followed Gold’s lead higher and Palladium may test 300 this week.

As we wrote last week, the key levels for Crude Oil were $75 up and $70 down. Crude fell through support at $70 before closing the week out at $68. The other energy markets followed suit. Natural Gas ended a week of heavy selling with a gain of 8.7% on Friday alone and that may be the start of a move higher although the trend is still down.

We saw an end to the recent rally in Sugar on Friday after a steep sell off which fell through support levels. The long term trend remains up but the current trend is over for now.

Currencies

The September Dollar Index fell slightly for the week but remains in a range between 7750 and 8000. A break of either of these levels will likely lead to a move in the direction of the breakout but the trend for now remains down.

It was another week of gains for the New Zealand dollar and the Australian dollar with both markets now at 12 month highs. The Pound declined to $1.61 but moved higher to the close. The long term trend remains up for the pound in spite of weakness over the past few weeks.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures moved higher again for the week with the shorter term futures clearing resistance levels. Longer term interest rate futures remain in the trading range.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

Over the past week we again saw some large swings in a few markets, especially in the energy markets. The light summer trading period is coming to a close and more substantial trading should resume over the next couple of weeks, especially after the portfolio managers return to the markets following the Labor Day holiday in the US, which falls on the 7^th September. This should lead to increased trading opportunities and hopefully some good trends.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

Stock indexes posted new highs for the year again. The S&P 500 hit new 2009 highs at 1038 but fell back to the close on Friday. The Nasdaq 100 also reached a new high for the year on Friday but also fell away to the close. The German Dax also reached new highs for the year early in the week but also ended lower on Friday. The trend remains up for the stock markets. It will be interesting to see the impact that the return of portfolio managers after the summer will have on the stock markets.

Commodities

Gold (December contract) did test the $960 level as we suggested last week but once again this level failed. A range is forming between $930 and $961 and a break of either level could lead to movement in the direction of the breakout.

Copper, which is already up over
97% year to date, continues to move higher but has as yet been unable to clear  the psychological resistance at 30000. We may see a test of 30000 this week but if resistance here holds then we may see a pullback towards 28000. A clear move higher through 30000 could lead to a considerable move higher and possibly up to the next resistance level at 32200.

Crude Oil had another volatile week after resistance at $75 held, leading to a sharp sell off almost back down to $70. Support came in at $70 and Crude ended the week roughly in the middle of the range between $70 and $75. Both these levels will be the levels to watch this week as they may determine the next move.

Sugar hit new highs for the year on Friday after clearing the recent consolidation that had formed near the highs for the year. Sugar is now up over 76% year to date and Friday’s close was the highest since 1981.

Currencies

The September Dollar Index is still holding above contract lows at 7752 but is in a relatively tight trading range as it has been for the last 6 to 8 weeks.

The New Zealand dollar moved higher for a seventh straight week and the kiwi is now at its highest level in over a year. The Australian dollar also briefly hit a new high for the year but closed slightly off the highs. The Pound declined again against the US dollar and may fall further towards support at $1.60.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures moved higher for the week, but remain below resistance levels and are therefore still in the trading range that has been in place for the past 3 months.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

It’s been another week of high volatility trading with huge gyrations seen in several markets, especially the stock markets. Trading conditions remain thin and volatile and we are now entering what
should be the last trading week of light summer trading. Trading volume and liquidity should start to pick up from the first week in September and we should see some more markets trend again soon.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

Stock indexes had a highly volatile week which saw a huge sell off early in the week and then a recovery back up to the highs of the year. The S&P 500 sold off to support at around the 980 area and the moved higher to reach new 2009 highs. The Nasdaq 100 had similar performance after a very steep sell off early in the week and closed just shy of new highs for the year. The German Dax also recovered from a sell off early in the week to close within a couple of points of 2009 highs. The trend remains up in the stock indices.

Commodities

Gold fell towards support at $930 but was then sharply higher to the close on Friday, ending the week at $954.7 (December contract). We may now see another go at the $960 level which has been a key level of late. If $960 resistance holds again then we may see Gold sell off back to $910 level.

Copper rolled over to the December contract and ended with a sixth straight week of gains. The 30000 level remains the upside target. Silver sold off heavily but a sharp reversal on Friday helped
silver recover some of the week’s losses. Palladium also rolled forward to the December contract and the December contract closed at new highs for the year.

Crude Oil again sold off early in the week but found support around the $65 level before moving higher (September contract). The October contract closed just short of 2009 highs and may find resistance at $75. If this level can be cleared we may see a move higher and possibly see $85 before year end.

Sugar ended the week slightly lower after a volatile week. The volatility in Sugar is now approximately double what it was just a month ago. The trend remains up but we may continue to see large swings.

Currencies

The  September Dollar Index began the week higher and just cleared the 7950 resistance area but then fell back towards contract lows. We may see a test of contract lows at 7752 this week.

The New Zealand dollar managed a sixth straight week of gains as the long uptrend continues and the Australian dollar recovered from early declines. The Swiss Franc closed just below contract highs and may move higher if resistance can be cleared. The Pound fell through the support at $1.64 which we wrote about last week but recovered slightly by Friday.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures were higher for most of the week but ended the week flat after a large decline on Friday, keeping them in the trading range which has been in place for the past couple of weeks.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

The past week was a week of two halves, with the markets on the whole trending well and continuing the trends from the previous week initially. The second half of the week bought an increase in volatility to most markets. We expect an increase in trading volume and liquidity in the final quarter of the year, commencing next month. This should lead to more normal trading conditions with quieter and more trending markets replacing the current volatile markets.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

Stock indexes continued to hold up fairly well during the past week and in spite of a fairly heavy sell off on Friday did not end the week much lower than they began it. The Nasdaq 100 posted new contract highs briefly on Thursday but after Friday’s decline ended slightly down for the week. The S&P 500 dipped below the psychological 1000 level on three occasions during the past week but was able to close at 1005. For now the trend remains up in the stock indices.

Commodities

One again Gold cleared the $960 but was unable to stay above it and ended the week lower after closing at $948. The longer that Gold is unable to push on through and stay above $960 the more chance there is of this market selling off back towards support around the $910 level.

Copper advanced for the fifth straight week and again hit new highs for the year during the week. In line with most other markets Copper sold off on Friday but was still ahead for the week. The 30000 level remains the upside target. Silver ended the week ahead after crossing the 1500 level during the week. The trend remains up.

Crude Oil had a steep sell off on Friday and fell below the $70 level which may prove significant in the short term. The other energy markets followed suit.

From last week “Sugar rallied sharply again and easily took out the 2000 level. We may see a pullback from here but the trend remains up. Further out we may see a move higher towards the 2400 level.” Sugar continued to advance and reached 28 year highs mid-week at 2333 before pulling back to the close on Friday.
Friday’s close at 21.98 was a new high weekly close for over 20 years.

Currencies

The September Dollar Index struggled to clear 7950 and ended the week lower at 7900. For now the trend remains down. The Japanese Yen was the big gainer for the week, erasing the previous week’s losses. The Euro ended the week lower for the second straight week as did the Canadian dollar.

The Australia dollar posted new highs on Friday but ended the week down after a sharp sell-off. The New Zealand dollar managed a fifth straight week of gains as the long uptrend continues. The British Pound ended the week lower against the US dollar and the Japanese Yen. The Pound may now decline towards $1.64 support which may be the key level in the short term.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures reversed and ended the week ahead after a return to the trading range which has been in place for the past couple of weeks.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

It’s been a fairly good week for the LS Trader systems as a few markets continue to trend well. The LS Trader model account gained almost 7.5% for the week on the back of those trends. This coming week the LS Trader system is entering another 5 new trades, taking our current total of open trades up to 17.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

Stock indexes continue to move higher with the Nasdaq 100 once again posting new contract highs and also new highs for the year.
Having again hit contract highs of 1633 this past week the Nasdaq 100 pulled back slightly but still ended the week with its highest weekly close of 2009.

There was also strength again in the other main stock indices with the Nikkei 225, Dax 30 and the S&P 500 all ending the week higher.
The S&P again posted a new high for the year and cleared the psychological 1000 level that we wrote about last week. The Nikkei and the Dax also closed at new highs for the year. The trend remains up.

Commodities

Gold finally cleared the $960 level but was unable to stay above it, closing just below it at $959.5 (December contract). The failure to close above $960 may indicate short term weakness next week and we may see a pullback from here, but the long term trend remains up and we still expect an eventual push higher towards $1000 later in the year.

Copper reached its highest level since September last year and despite falling from highs later in the week still ended with the highest weekly close for the year.
The 30000 level remains the next upside target. Palladium and Silver were also higher again.

Crude Oil ended the week higher once again and closed above the $70 level. The September contract posted new contract highs on Friday at $72.50 but sold off to the close.

From last week “Sugar cleared the resistance that we wrote about last week at 1853 before closing the week out at 1861.We may now see a move higher towards the 2000 level.” Sugar rallied sharply again and easily took out the 2000 level. We may see a pullback from here but the trend remains up. Further out we may see a move higher towards the 2400 level.

Currencies

The September Dollar Index posted new contract lows again during the past week but ended the week higher after support arrived at 7750. We may see a test of resistance at 8000 this coming week which may determine the short term direction for the Dollar.

The Euro finally took out resistance at previous contract highs at 1.4327 but was unable to stay above this level, and ended the week lower.

The Australia dollar ended the week slightly ahead and the New Zealand dollar had a strong week, once again posting new contract highs. The kiwi is now at its highest level since September last year. The British Pound easily took out contract highs that we wrote of last week at $1.6742 and briefly crossed the $1.70. The pound however was unable to stay above this level and sold off on Thursday and Friday.

The Japanese Yen was the big loser of the week, falling sharply against the US dollar on Friday. The Yen also fell to contract lows against the British pound.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures edged lower and may now be set to test contract lows over the coming weeks.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

Over the last week, we have seen the markets beginning to consolidate. There are several trades that are on the borderline of being long term trends and when these trends appear, we will enter into these positions. Generally when this happens, the expectation of these markets will be more profitable trends than normal due to the length of the recent consolidation.

This week we are entering 1 new trades taking the total open trades to 9.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

Stocks continued to advance with the Nasdaq once again posting new contract highs, reaching its highest level since early October last year. The Nasdaq 100 did briefly clear the 1600 level but was unable to stay above it. We may see a slight pull back from here but the trend remains up.

There was also strength in the other main stock indices. The S&P rose to its highest level since November last year, as did the German Dax. Both of these markets
may be due a pullback after recent strong rallies. The Nikkei closed above 10000 for the first time in several weeks and may yet test the highs of the year at 10230 where resistance may be found.

Commodities

From last week “We may now see Gold continue to gain and test the $950 level.” Gold did indeed test and clear $950 but failed at $960. That will be the key level for this coming week. Should Gold be able to clear $960 and stay above it this coming week then we may a further rise towards the $1000 level later in the summer.

Copper continued its good run for the year, reaching its highest level for the year on Friday. Palladium and Silver were also higher.

Crude Oil was higher for a second week, continuing to push higher from support at the $60 level.

Sugar was again sharply higher, taking out contract highs in the process. There may be resistance at 1853, which if cleared may lead the way higher towards the 2000 level.

Currencies

From last week “The dollar index was lower for the week and remains in a fairly tight range between 79 and 82. A break of either level should provide movement in the direction of the breakout. For now the trend remains down for the dollar against most of the major currencies. We may see the dollar index test the lows of the current contract at 7883 soon.” The dollar index did eventually break the 79 level and tested contract lows at 7883 before closing at 7889 (September contract). The contract lows set this past week at 7858 should now be the next support level and we may get a bounce from there. If support at 7858 fails then a move lower towards 7700 may be on the cards.

The Euro ended the week higher but fell short of contract highs at 1.4327. This level remains the upside target but may provide strong resistance.

The commodity based currencies of Australia, Canada and New Zealand were all higher for the week, with all 3 closing new key resistance levels. A move from here in either direction could be fairly decisive, at least in the short term.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures continue to consolidate with no real long term direction. Medium to long term interest rate futures remain in the middle of the current trading range.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

Over the last week, the markets continue to be choppy and it is has been relatively trendless week. It is my view that when the trends do come that we will probably get several coming along all at the same time and there is still plenty of time for us to have another profitable year

This week we are entering 2 new trades taking the total open trades to 12.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread  Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

After four weeks of declines, stocks bounced back with a vengeance. Early in the week the S&P 500 reached a low of 871.5, remaining just above support at 865. The market moved higher from there before closing the week at 936. We may now see the S&P 500 continue higher to test the highs of the year at 952.50  (September contract).

The Nasdaq, which has been the strongest of the stock indices is still in positive territory for the year and this week posted new contract highs, closing at 1528. This is in fact the highest level for the Nasdaq since early October last year.

For now stocks are holding up but before long there will likely be a correction to the downside. This could come any time within the next few months and when it does we may well see a fairly steep decline back towards the lows of the year.

Commodities

Metals advanced for the week with Gold moving higher from just above the psychological $900 support level. We may now see Gold continue to gain and test the $950 level. Silver also moved higher having posted 2 month lows the previous week and Copper was sharply higher and closed just below contract highs. If the US dollar continues to weaken then we may see another move up for the metals
sector before too much longer.

Crude Oil was unable to stay below the $60 level and rallied for most of the week before closing at $64.58(September contract). No leaded gas, heating oil and Natural gas were all higher, recovering some of the losses from the sharp sell-off in the energy sector.

Currencies

The dollar index was lower for the week and remains in a fairly tight range between 79 and 82. A break of either level should provide movement in the direction of the breakout. For now the trend remains down for the dollar against most of the major currencies. We may see the dollar index test the lows of the current contract at 7883 soon.

The Japanese Yen fell against both the British pound and the dollar as stocks rallied. The Euro advanced for the week against the dollar and may test contract highs at 1.4327 soon. The Euro has been in a fairly tight trading range for the past 2 months and an eventual breakout may give rise to movement.

Interest rate futures

Medium and long term interest rate futures fell after their recent strong period. The 5 & 10 year note were lower as were the 30 year treasuries. These markets all moved back in to the current trading range and remain without any clear trend. The 3 month Eurodollar again closed right on contract highs.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

During the past week the LS Trader system finally exited Lean Hogs and also the 10 year note. The 10 year note was a breakeven trade on the current contract but was profitable overall from previous rollovers. Lean Hogs was a highly profitable and was the longest trend of the year so far in terms of the number of days that the trade was open. We first entered Lean Hogs short on the 19^th January so this trade lasted for 5 ½ months. We banked a net profit of 1568 points from this trade. Lean Hogs has rallied over the past 10 trading days from contract lows which led to us exiting the trade.

This week we are entering 6 new trades so we may get an increase in volatility this coming week.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread
Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

The stock markets ended the week with a fourth straight week of declines. From last week “The S&P 500 remains below the 200 day moving average and the S&P 500 looks weak and may test support at 875 in the coming week.” The S&P 500 did indeed test 875 but closed right on this support level. We may see a small bounce from here but look for weakness if 875 fails to hold. If support at 875 fails then we may see a move lower down towards the 800 level.

The German Dax and the Nikkei were both lower, both falling through support levels. The Nasdaq 100, which has been the strongest of the stock markets recently, also fell to its lowest level since May. The Nasdaq is still in positive territory for the year.

There are certainly signs of weakness in the stock markets and the recent rally looks to be over for now and a correction due to the downside.

Commodities

Grains were lower for the most part with Rough Rice being the exception. All 3 Soybeans markets sold off, reaching new lows since the 15^th May.

Metals also declined with Gold holding just above the psychological $900 support level.
Silver posted 2 month lows and Copper tested support at 215 before closing higher.

Crude Oil fell below $60 for the first time since the middle of May. The September contract may fall further to $55 and then lower to support at around $53. No leaded gas, heating oil and Natural gas were all lower after a sharp sell off in the energy sector.

Currencies

The dollar index was marginally lower for the week with the Japanese Yen being the big gainer. The Yen gained against both the British pound and the dollar, reaching its highest level against the dollar since the middle of February. The Yen tends to move in the opposite direction to the stock markets so if the stock markets continue to show weakness then the Yen may continue to rise.

The dollar index is in a fairly tight range between 79 and 82. A break of either level should provide movement in the direction of the breakout. For now the trend remains down for the dollar against most of the major currencies.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures had another week of gains and are trending higher again. There were gains across the board for treasuries after the interest rate futures reached their highest levels since May. The 3 month Eurodollar hit new contract highs but it remains to be seen how much further short term interest rates can go due to interest rates in the US being close to zero.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

The past week was a shortened trading week as Saturday the 4^th was Independence Day in the US and the US markets were closed on Thursday. At present we are currently in open positions in 6 trades from our total portfolio, and we are entering into another 4 new trades this week.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

As we wrote  last week, we are now in to a seasonally weak time of year for stocks with the next 4 months being the weakest month of the year for the Nasdaq on a seasonal basis. The Nasdaq 100 closed the week sharply lower after a steep sell off on Thursday, the last trading day before the holiday weekend.

The S&P 500 ended the week lower again after a third week of declines. The S&P 500 remains below the 200 day moving average and the S&P 500 looks weak and may test support at 875 in the coming week. If support fails at 875 then we may see a move lower down towards the 800 level. A move such as this would likely pull the other stock markets down with it. The German Dax is also hovering just above support and also just above the 200 day moving average so a failure here may lead to a move lower.

There are certainly signs of weakness in the stock markets and the recent rally looks to be over for now and a correction due to the downside.

Commodities

The grains and soft markets were mixed for the week with Corn and Wheat making new contract lows. Rough rice however was sharply higher after an impressive 3 day rally. Cotton and Sugar were both higher after a strong rally in the Cotton market. Cotton may move higher at test the 6375 level and Sugar posted new contract highs during the past week.

Metals and energies were lower and soft markets were mixed. Silver hit new contract lows reaching its lowest level in 2 months and Gold continues to move sideways between $920 and $950. Crude dipped below the 200 day moving average and reached its lowest level in a month and heating oil, no leaded gas and Natural gas were all lower.

Overall the commodity markets remain mixed as they consolidate before the next move.

Currencies

The US dollar index ended the slightly higher as the higher risk commodity based currencies of Australia, New Zealand and Canada sold off. The dollar also ended the week ahead against the British pound and the Euro.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures were higher again after the recent period of strength continued. Shorter term interest rate futures were sharply higher. The 5 year notes closed right on the 200 day moving average so the long term trend is not clearly defined and moves could be seen in either direction.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewar

This coming week is a shortened trading week as Saturday the 4^th is Independence Day in the US. Therefore some US markets will be closed on Friday. This week also brings with it the end of the
second quarter so on a seasonal basis we are entering in to a weak time of the  year for stocks. July is the start of the weakest 4 months of the year for the Nasdaq on a seasonal basis. We can also see an increase in volatility in the stock markets as liquidity decreases over the summer months.

If you are  not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and  to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

The S&P  500 ended the week marginally lower and the long term trend remains down.
Earlier in the week the S&P fell through support at 900 and posted a low for the week at 884 before recovering to the close on Friday at 913. A Range is forming between 875 and 950 which has held since the 1^st May. A break of either level could prove significant and lead to a large move in the direction of the breakout.

As with the S&P500, the Nasdaq 100 dropped mid week but recovered by Friday to end the  week ahead and we saw similar patterns in the rest of the stock indices.

Commodities

The commodity markets had a volatile week which saw a sell off early in the week for many markets before an eventual recovery. Gold rallied to close at its highest level in 2 weeks and the other metal markets followed a similar pattern after weakness early in the week.

August Crude briefly cleared the $70 level but fell back to close below the key $70 level. Lean Hogs, which has been in a downtrend for nearly all of 2009 so far, once again posted new contract lows.

Currencies

The US dollar index ended the week lower for the second straight week and the trend remains down for the dollar. The dollar was higher earlier in the week but was unable to hold on to those gains. The Japanese Yen was higher again and may now be headed for a test of resistance at 106. The British pound and the Euro also gained against the dollar.

The Swiss franc ended a volatile week slightly lower after suspected intervention from the Swiss National Bank had led to large swings in the currency which included a huge sell off on Wednesday of over 300 pips.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures rallied and were all higher for the week. Long term interest rate futures closed at their highest levels for a month.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

Several recent trends came to an end during the past week as the markets on the whole sold off and even markets that are still in valid trends saw moves against the trend. This does not mean that the trends in the markets have changed as yet but only means that the markets have moved against the current trends. It remains to be seen over the weeks ahead whether these moves are corrections or
genuine reversals in trends.

During the past week we exited six trades, five of them for comparative small losses and one winner. We also rolled over six trades in to the next contract of which five were profitable. Of the five profitable trades three were very profitable with large profits being banked from Lean Hogs, Soybeans and Soybean Meal. From the closed trades and rollovers we banked a total of 7001 financial spread betting points for the week with the majority of them coming from the three trades mentioned above.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

The S&P 500 was once again unable to stay above the 200 day moving average and ended the week lower. The September contract tested support at 900 and moved higher from there to close the week out at 915. The Nasdaq 100 also lost ground for the week.

The Nikkei was unable to stay above the 10000 level and pulled back for the week. The Hang Seng and the German Dax were also lower.
The long term trend remains down.

Commodities

Commodities for the most part had a poor week with many markets selling off quite heavily. The grains and soft markets were lower for the week again. The soybeans markets, which have recently been in a very bullish uptrend sold off quite heavily on Friday. We have benefitted from the recent upmoves in the Soybeans markets and banked substantial profits from both Soybeans and Soybean Meal when these 2 markets rolled over on Friday.

The metals were lower again as these markets take a pause from the recent upmoves. The energy markets were lower for the week.
July Crude fell just short of new contract highs when it reached $72.75 on Tuesday but then fall back sharply to the close on Friday. July Heating Oil and No leaded gas were also sharply lower and Natural Gas ended the week flat.

Currencies

The US dollar index ended the week slightly lower and the trend remains down for the dollar. The dollar was ahead until the middle of the week against many of the major currencies but this changed by Friday’s close with most currencies regaining the losses that had been seen early in the week.

The big gainer for the week was the Japanese Yen, which gained against the British pound and the US dollar. As we have mentioned here before, the Japanese Yen tends to move in the opposite direction to the stock markets. The Japanese Yen has been consolidating against the US dollar for a few months now and is due to break out from the range. When it does we may see a fairly substantial move in the direction of the breakout.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures ended the week marginally higher but had been higher mid week. Volatility in the interest rate futures markets continues to rise steadily higher but the trend remains down.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

The past week has been another good week for the LS Trader system although account volatility was fairly high due the number of trades that we currently have open. The LS Trader model account gained 4.48% for the week for the fourth straight week of equity gains.

During the past week we exited 2 trades and rolled over the contracts on 5 trades to bank a net gain of 655 financial spread betting points. As of Friday’s close, 20 of our 23 trades are in profit with 3 trades showing small losses.

This week we are again entering 2 new trades to take our total number of open trades up to 25.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

The stock markets ended the week slightly ahead. The S&P hit new contract highs on Thursday and closed slightly ahead for the week at 944. As with last week this market has closed right on the 200 day moving average. The volatility of this market has dropped so we may be building up for a fairly large move in either direction soon.

The Nasdaq 100 posted a new contract high on Wednesday before ending the week lower. The Hang Seng had another good week and followed through to complete a long term trend change from down to up. The Nikkei also continued to gain and was able to  clear the 10000 level for the first time since early October last year.

This Friday is triple witching so we may see an increase in volatility.

Commodities

Commodities again had a mixed week again on the back of a volatile week for the US dollar.
Gold was sharply lower on a week of increased volatility. Copper ended the week ahead having posted new contract highs mid-week. The other metals all declined.
The grains and soft markets were generally lower for the week.

The energy markets were ahead for the week again with Crude oil taking out the $70 level and again posting new contract highs. The July contract closed the week at $72.04 and may now be heading for a test of $75. No leaded gas was and Heating oil both made new contract highs during the week and no leaded gas closed over the $2 level for the first time since October last year.

Currencies

The US dollar ended the week lower but volatility increased in this market for the second straight week. The long term trend for the dollar remains down.

The British pound was sharply higher for the week against the dollar but just failed to post new contract highs. The pound rallied for 4 straight days before a decline on Friday. The long term trend is still down for the pound/dollar but this may change soon. The pound also rose for the week against the Yen and posted new contract highs in the process.

The higher risk commodity based currencies were mostly ahead for the week with the Canadian dollar ending the week flat.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures ended the week higher but had earlier posted new contract lows. Interest rate futures had a fairly strong rally on Thursday and Friday but the trend remains down.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

The past week has been another excellent week for the LS Trader system although volatility across several markets was much higher this week. The LS Trader model account gained 6.8% for the week for the third straight week of equity gains.

This week we are entering 2 new trades.

If you are not a member of LS Trader, you can still join us, and start making these phenomenal profits today. To join the LS Trader system, click on the link below:

http://www.lstrader.co.uk/signup.php

Please note that this is a free weekly publication for members and newsletter readers, and to access the full weekly trades and login to the member’s area you will need to sign up.

The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

The stock markets ended the week slightly ahead. The S&P crossed the 937 level that we mentioned last week and also crossed the 200 day moving average but was unable to stay above the moving average and closed at 940. The stock markets could go either way this week as the S&P is right on the 200 day moving average and we may see a reaction in either direction.

The Nasdaq 100 had a good week and briefly cleared the 1500 level on Friday but was unable to stay above it before closing at 1495. The Hang Seng continues to perform well and may be on the verge of a long term trend change soon and the Nikkei also gained for the week.

Commodities

Commodities had a mixed week after a volatile week for the US dollar. Commodities are generally sold in US dollars so movements in the dollar affect commodity prices.

The metals were mixed for the week as Gold rallied to $987 on Tuesday but then sold off sharply for the rest of the week before closing at $962. Silver followed Gold’s lead hitting new contract highs early in the week but then falling away to the close on Friday. Copper, Platinum and Palladium all gained for the week.

The energy markets were ahead for the week with the exception of Natural Gas. Crude oil fell just short of $70, posting new contract highs (July contract) at $69.25 before closing at $68.44. The $70 level may be key this week. No leaded gas was and Heating oil both made new contract highs during the week.

Currencies

The US dollar ended the week ahead after a very mixed week. The Dollar index June contract posted new contract lows on Tuesday at 7837 but then rallied to close the week at 8073. The past week has seen quite a respectable counter trend rally from the US dollar. It remains to be seen if this rally can continue against the trend this coming week.

The British pound ended the week lower for the first time in a few weeks after 3 days of heavy selling. The higher risk commodity based currencies all lost ground for the week having at one point in the week
hit new contract highs again.

Interest rate futures

Interest rate futures were sharply lower across the board as the 5 year note convincingly took out key support levels. Short term interest rate futures have been the most resilient to the recent sell off but this week the 3 month Eurodollar sold off heavily hitting its lowest level in a month. The 5 year, 10 year and 30 year futures all hit new contract lows this week and all continue to trend nicely lower.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart

The past week has been another excellent week for the LS Trader system as the markets continue to trend very well. The LS Trader model account gained 16.7% for the week. During the week we rolled over 4 markets, banking profits from each of them. The total points baked from these 4 trades was 2479.55. As of Friday’s close, 18 of our 19 trades are in profit with only a very small loss showing on one trade. This week we are entering 4 new trades.

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The LS Trader Financial Spread Betting Weekly Update

Stocks

The stock markets ended the week ahead and closed out the month with a third successive month of gains. In percentage terms stocks indexes have gained more in the last 3 months than any time in the past 10 years. The S&P 500 moved higher off short term support at 880 at the beginning of the week and moved higher before closing the week out at 918. The range currently looks like 937 up and 880 down. A breach of either of these levels could give rise to movement with the other stock indices likely to follow suit. In spite of all the recent strength the S&P 500 is still below the 200 day moving average and the long term trend remains down.

Commodities

Commodities were higher again with only a few exceptions. The grains and soft markets had good weeks on the whole and continue their recent good run.

The metals were well ahead with the rallies in Silver and Gold continuing. Gold easily took out the $962 level that we wrote about last week and may now be headed for a test of $1000 especially if the US dollar continues to weaken. Silver again posted new contract highs and closed at its highest level since early August last year. The next level of resistance appears at around 1700.

The energy markets were all higher with rallies in Crude Oil, Heating Oil and No leaded gas. Crude oil may continue to rise to at least $70 and may even reach $75 over the coming months. No leaded gas was higher after a 4 day and closed at new contract highs.

Currencies

The US dollar continued to sell off after minor strength early in the week. The dollar index again posted new contract lows and may fall further to around 7700.

The British pound continued to move higher and closed at its highest level since November last year. The higher risk commodity based currencies all gained as commodity prices rose almost across the board. The Australian, Canadian and New Zealand dollar were all well ahead and ended the week at contract highs.

Interest rate futures

Long term Interest rate futures were sharply lower early in the week but recovered somewhat towards the end of the week. The 10 year note and the 30 year bonds both set new contract lows during the week but closed higher.

Kind Regards

Robert Stewart