uploaded image

Nasdaq 100 Treads Water as Silver and Yields Drop

By:Christopher Vecchio - CFA

Also five-year T-note, silver, crude oil and Australian dollar futures

  1. Nasdaq 100 E-mini futures (/NQ): +0.01%
  2. Five-year T-note futures (/ZF): +0.10% 
  3. Silver futures (/SI): -2.43%
  4. Crude oil futures (/CL): -1.63%
  5. Australian dollar futures (/6A): -1.18%

The earnings and macro calendar are thin this morning, but a procession of Federal Reserve policymakers are set to hit the lecture circuit over the coming hours. Comments from Minneapolis Fed President Neil Kashkari and Chicago Fed President Austin Goolsbee have suggested that Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC ) officials aren’t ready to declare victory over inflation just yet but aren’t keen on raising rates again, either.

Symbol: Equities

Daily Change

/ESZ3

-0.19%

/NQZ3

+0.01%

/RTYZ3

-0.36%

/YMZ3

-0.22%

U.S. equity index futures were pointing modestly lower ahead of the opening bell this morning , led lower by yesterday’s leader to the downside, the Russell 2000 (/RTYZ3). However, a drop in U.S. yields across the curve may help prop up stock prices as they did last week; the interest rate-sensitive Nasdaq 100 (/NQZ3) is treading water in positive territory, up by 0.01%. Read more here about how bond yields impact stock prices.

Strategy: (52DTE, ATM)

Strikes

POP

Max Profit

Max Loss

Iron Condor 

Long 15000 p

Short 15100 p

Short 15700 c

Long 15800 c

25%

+1450

-550

Long Strangle

Long 15000 p

Long 15800 c

45%

x

-9795

Short Put Vertical

Long 15000 p

Short 15100 p

65%

+600

-1400

Nasdaq 100

Symbol: Bonds

Daily Change

/ZTZ3

0.00%

/ZFZ3

+0.10%

/ZNZ3

+0.23%

/ZBZ3

+0.69%

/UBZ3

+0.92%

Comments from FOMC officials thus far have not propelled U.S. higher, and it’s the long-end of the bond curve that’s once again proving to be most moving early in the trading day today. Short-term T-bill issuances will hit the market later today, although in the wake of the Treasury’s Quarterly Refunding Announcement (QRA) last week, bonds have maintained an impressive rally that hints at meaningful technical bottoms having been formed.

Strategy (45DTE, ATM)

Strikes

POP

Max Profit

Max Loss

Iron Condor 

Long 104.5 p

Short 104.75 p

Short 106.75 c

Long 107 c

38%

+140.63

-109.38

Long Strangle

Long 104.5 p

Long 107 c

40%

x

-656.25

Short Put Vertical

Long 104.5 p

Short 104.75 p

80%

+70.31

-179.69

Treasury yields

Symbol: Metals

Daily Change

/GCZ3

-0.95%

/SIZ3

-2.43%

/HGZ3

-1.29%

Silver prices (/SIZ3) are down about 2.5%, its biggest daily percentage decline since early October, as traders pull back from their dovish view on future rate cuts after Federal Reserve members cast doubt on the view that inflation has been tamed. Elsewhere, a firmer dollar is weighing on other precious metals. 

Strategy (49DTE, ATM)

Strikes

POP

Max Profit

Max Loss

Iron Condor 

Long 22 p

Short 22.25 p

Short 23.75 c

Long 24 c

32%

+795

-455

Long Strangle

Long 22 p

Long 24 c

41%

x

-4265

Short Put Vertical

Long 22 p

Short 22.25 p

66%

+415

-835

Silver

Symbol: Energy

Daily Change

/CLZ3

-1.63%

/HOZ3

-2.09%

/NGZ3

-3.77%

/RBZ3

-1.62%

Crude oil (/CLZ3) dropped below $80 per barrel for the first time since August because traders expect Chinese fuel exports to slow through the rest of the year amid limited export quotas that will pressure refiners to reduce throughput. Inventory data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) is due today and will offer the next directional cue for the commodity. 

Strategy (37DTE, ATM)

Strikes

POP

Max Profit

Max Loss

Iron Condor 

Long 76 p

Short 76.5 p

Short 82.5 c

Long 83 c

26%

+350

-150

Long Strangle

Long 76 p

Long 83 c

44%

x

-4140

Short Put Vertical

Long 76 p

Short 76.5 p

61%

+190

-310

crude oil

Symbol: FX

Daily Change

/6AZ3

-1.18%

/6BZ3

-0.42%

/6CZ3

-0.47%

/6EZ3

-0.46%

/6JZ3

-0.42%

Despite a move by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to hike interest rates at its meeting today, Australian dollar futures (/6AZ3) are selling off amid a broader risk off move. The move comes after a selloff in Asian equity markets as traders reassess rate hike bets for the Federal Reserve and mull weakening economic data. The Australian currency is also suffering from growing confidence among RBA members that inflation will return to target, as suggested in the policy statement released alongside the rate decision. 

Strategy (31DTE, ATM)

Strikes

POP

Max Profit

Max Loss

Iron Condor

Long 0.62 p

Short 0.625 p

Short 0.6575 c

Long 0.66 c

62%

+120

-380

Long Strangle

Long 0.62 p

Long 0.66 c

25%

x

-290

Short Put Vertical

Long 0.62 p

Short 0.625 p

85%

+70

-430

Australian dollar futures

Christopher Vecchio, CFA, tastylive’s head of futures and forex, has been trading for nearly 20 years. He has consulted with multinational firms on FX hedging and lectured at Duke Law School on FX derivatives. Vecchio searches for high-convexity opportunities at the crossroads of macroeconomics and global politics. He hosts Futures Power Hour Monday-Friday and Let Me Explain on Tuesdays, and co-hosts Overtime, Monday-Thursday. @cvecchiofx

Thomas Westwater, a tastylive financial writer and analyst, has eight years of markets and trading experience. @fxwestwater 

For live daily programming, market news and commentary, visit tastylive or the YouTube channels tastylive (for options traders), and tastyliveTrending for stocks, futures, forex & macro.

Trade with a better broker, open a tastytrade account today. tastylive, Inc. and tastytrade, Inc. are separate but affiliated companies.


Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. Please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options before deciding to invest in options.

Related Posts

tastylive content is created, produced, and provided solely by tastylive, Inc. (“tastylive”) and is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not, nor is it intended to be, trading or investment advice or a recommendation that any security, futures contract, digital asset, other product, transaction, or investment strategy is suitable for any person. Trading securities, futures products, and digital assets involve risk and may result in a loss greater than the original amount invested. tastylive, through its content, financial programming or otherwise, does not provide investment or financial advice or make investment recommendations. Investment information provided may not be appropriate for all investors and is provided without respect to individual investor financial sophistication, financial situation, investing time horizon or risk tolerance. tastylive is not in the business of transacting securities trades, nor does it direct client commodity accounts or give commodity trading advice tailored to any particular client’s situation or investment objectives. Supporting documentation for any claims (including claims made on behalf of options programs), comparisons, statistics, or other technical data, if applicable, will be supplied upon request. tastylive is not a licensed financial adviser, registered investment adviser, or a registered broker-dealer.  Options, futures, and futures options are not suitable for all investors.  Prior to trading securities, options, futures, or futures options, please read the applicable risk disclosures, including, but not limited to, the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options Disclosure and the Futures and Exchange-Traded Options Risk Disclosure found on tastytrade.com/disclosures.

tastytrade, Inc. ("tastytrade”) is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA, NFA, and SIPC. tastytrade was previously known as tastyworks, Inc. (“tastyworks”). tastytrade offers self-directed brokerage accounts to its customers. tastytrade does not give financial or trading advice, nor does it make investment recommendations. You alone are responsible for making your investment and trading decisions and for evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of tastytrade’s systems, services or products. tastytrade is a wholly-owned subsidiary of tastylive, Inc.

tastytrade has entered into a Marketing Agreement with tastylive (“Marketing Agent”) whereby tastytrade pays compensation to Marketing Agent to recommend tastytrade’s brokerage services. The existence of this Marketing Agreement should not be deemed as an endorsement or recommendation of Marketing Agent by tastytrade. tastytrade and Marketing Agent are separate entities with their own products and services. tastylive is the parent company of tastytrade.

tastycrypto is provided solely by tasty Software Solutions, LLC. tasty Software Solutions, LLC is a separate but affiliate company of tastylive, Inc. Neither tastylive nor any of its affiliates are responsible for the products or services provided by tasty Software Solutions, LLC. Cryptocurrency trading is not suitable for all investors due to the number of risks involved. The value of any cryptocurrency, including digital assets pegged to fiat currency, commodities, or any other asset, may go to zero.

© copyright 2013 - 2024 tastylive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Applicable portions of the Terms of Use on tastylive.com apply.  Reproduction, adaptation, distribution, public display, exhibition for profit, or storage in any electronic storage media in whole or in part is prohibited under penalty of law, provided that you may download tastylive’s podcasts as necessary to view for personal use. tastylive was previously known as tastytrade, Inc. tastylive is a trademark/servicemark owned by tastylive, Inc.