NASDAQ futures are set to come into the holiday-shortened week gap up after an overnight session featuring normal range and volume.  Price managed to extend on last week’s rally before finding sellers at the value area low from the mid-April balance [see volume profile chart].  Price lingered on the high for several hours resulting in a weak high print on the market profile chart.  At 8:30am Personal Consumption data came out as follows:

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that personal income rose 0.4 percent in April the same as March 
and spending rose 1 percent versus a 0.1 percent rise in March.

Also on the economic calendar today we have Consumer Confidence at 10am and 3- & 6-month T-Bill auctions at 11:30am.

Last week the market trended higher.  The upward move continued into the weekend when we printed a neutral extreme up on Friday.

Heading into today my primary expectation is for buyers to push up and take out overnight high 4528.25.  Look for price to stall out just above, around 4530 and two way trade to ensue.

Hypo 2 sellers work into overnight inventory and close the gap down to 4511.50, taking out overnight low 4512.25 along the way.  Look for responsive buyers down at 4511.75 and two way trade to ensue.

Hypo 3 strong buyers push up through overnight high 4528.25 and sustain trade above it setting up a move to target the MCVPOC at 4546.50 before two way trade ensues.

Hypo 4 strong selling takes out overnight low 4512.25, closes overnight gap 4511.50 then sustains trade below 4511 setting up a move to target 4504 before two way trade ensues.

Levels:

Volume profiles, gaps, and measured moves:

 

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NASDAQ futures are coming into Friday flat after an overnight session featuring abnormally low range on normal volume.  Price extended up the gains made Thursday overnight before coming into balance.  At 8:30am annualized GDP came in below expectations, at 0.80% vs 0.90% estimate.  The initial reaction is some selling.

Also on the economic docket today we have final May reading of U. of Michigan Confidence at 10am, Fed Chair Yellen talking at the Harvard Radcliffe Day at 10:3am, then Baker Hughs Rig count at 1pm.

Yesterday we printed a normal variation up.  The session was balanced until late in the afternoon when buyers stepped in and pushed the market higher, ending the day at session high.

Heading into today my primary expectation is for chop.  Look for buyers to continue working higher, with 4524.75 putting a cap on upward action.

Hypo 2 sellers come in and book some gains ahead of the holiday weekend/month end.  Look for a move down to 4485 before two way trade ensues.

Hypo 3 Yellen says something that triggers a bit more liquidation.  We reenter the lower value and explore it, with sellers targeting 4470.50 before we come into two way trade.

Levels:

Volume profiles, gaps, and measured moves:

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NASDAQ futures came into the morning slight gap up after an overnight session featuring normal range and volume.  Price was contained inside Wednesday’s range overnight with the action contained to the upper half of the prior day’s regular cash trading session.  At 8:30am Initial/Continuing Jobless claims came in soft and Durable Goods Orders spiked way up, well above expectations.

At 10am Pending Home Sales came in well-above expectations.

See Also: Pending Home Sales Explode in April, Heavily Skewed Towards The South and West Coast

Yesterday we printed a normal variation up.  After opening gap up, sellers made a push into overnight inventory that stalled out right around 4443, which was a price level we gapped up through that was left behind on a gap down back on 04/26 [confused yet? 🙂 just ask].  From there buyers drove higher before coming into balance up near 04/26 highs.  This level, 4484.25 is important, because we briefly traded above it and has stalled below it since.  It is a significant swing high that if buyers cannot recapture, and soon, could trigger a failed auction.

This morning we opened gap up, sellers worked into the overnight inventory and closed the gap.  A strong responsive bid came in and worked up through the entire morning range to push us RE up.  Since then price has fallen back to the current daily mid and balanced out heading into lunch.

Heading into the afternoon and close my primary expectation is for price to continue working higher, with buyers targeting 4493 before two-way trade ensues.

Hypo 2 buyers push a bit further, up through 44893 and 4497.50 to tag the 4500 century mark before two way trade.

Hypo 3 sellers push back down through the range and take the market neutral.  Buyers defend around 4458 and two way trade ensues, closing flat.

Levels:

Volume profiles, gaps, and measured moves (zoomed out)

TUNES:

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I have to take a few meetings downtown this morning so there will not be a morning NASDAQ futures report.  Look for one to be out around lunchtime, to guide the afternoon trade.

And have a strong beard trading session lads.

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NASDAQ futures are priced to gap up into Wednesday after an overnight session featuring elevated range on normal volume.  Price continued working higher during Globex after a trend up took hold all day yesterday.  The market continued higher, up to the 04/26 range before coming into balance.

The economic calendar is spattered with medium impact events today.  At 9:45 we hear Market Service PMI, at 10:30am crude oil inventories, at 11:30am there is a 2-year Floating Rate note auction, and at 1pm they’re auctioning off 5-year notes.

Yesterday we printed a trend up, conviction day.  The session started with a gap up to the top of Monday’s range that was quickly followed by an opening drive.  Buyers were initiative well-beyond the first hour of trade, pushing range extension up just after 10:30am and continuing to slow grind higher for the remainder of the session.  We did start to see value for near the end of the day, giving the profile a slight P-shape.

Heading into today my primary expectation is for sellers to work into the overnight inventory and close the gap down to 4445.75.  From here the continue lower to take out overnight low 4443.  Look for responsive buyers at the low volume node print at 4440 before two way trade ensues.

Hypo 2 sellers cannot fill overnight gap.  Instead responsive buyers (responsive relative to the open, initiative relative to yesterday’s close) step in and work price higher.  They take out overnight high 4472.75 and continue working higher to target 4492.50 before two way trade ensues.  Stretch target is 4500.

Hypo 3 strong sellers take price down, close overnight gap 4445.75 and take out overnight low 4443 early.  Then they sustain trade below 4443 setting up a move to 4418 before two way trade ensues.

Levels:

Volume profiles, gaps, and measured moves:

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NASDAQ futures are set to gap up after an overnight session featuring elevated range on normal volume.  Price continued working lower during the evening, extending the late-day selling from Monday, before finding a strong responsive bid at the upper boundary of lower value and traversing the entirety of yesterday’s range.  The rally started around 3am.

On the economic calendar today we have New Home Sales at 10am.  This afternoon the U.S. is auctioning off lots of debt.  We have the 52-week and 4-week T-Bill auctions at 11:30am and the 2-year note auctions at 1pm.  These short duration note auctions will be followed closely by traders as the yield curve starts to flatten.

See Also – Danger: The Yield Curve Is Flattening

Yesterday we printed a normal variation down.  Value was attempting to migrate higher in the morning before we settled into balanced, two way trade.  Just after yesterday’s T-bill auctions [around 11:30am] sellers became more aggressive.  Eventually, by late afternoon they managed to push the market range extension down.  NASDAQ futures ended the day at session low.

Heading into today my primary expectation is for sellers to work into the overnight inventory and close the overnight gap down to 4352.75.  Look for a responsive bid right around these levels and two-way trade to ensue.

Hypo 2 sellers only work the half gap, trading down to about 4362.25 in choppy trade before responsive buyers step in.  We then go higher and take out overnight high 4382.25.  The auction stalls out just above overnight high, around 4385.50 and two way trade ensues.

Hypo 3 buyers gap-and-go higher.  Take out overnight high 4382.25 and sustain trade above 4385.50 early on, setting up a move to test 4397.  Look for a probe of the 4400 century mark before two way trade ensues.  Stretch target is 4418.

Hypo 4 strong selling, perhaps a drive after the T-bill auctions, fills the overnight gap down to 4352.75 then continues lower to take out overnight low 4341.75.  This opens the gates to explore lower value.  Target VPOC at 4318.75.  Stretch targets to downside are VAL levels at 4311.50 then 4298.50.

Levels:

Volume profiles, gaps, and measured moves:

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NASDAQ futures are set to start the week flat after an overnight session featuring normal range and volume.  Price held Friday’s range with sellers defending just below the Friday high and buyers defending just above the Friday morning conviction drive.  Rotations were equal, with bulls and bears taking the same sized swipes at each other.

The economic calendar is quiet to start the week and earnings season is coming to an end as we close out the month of May.  At 9:45am we have Markit Manufacturing PMI data due out, and at 11:30am both a 3- and 6-month T-bill auction are scheduled.

Last week the NASDAQ set balance by taking is already slightly balanced structure and firming it up by testing both the upper and lower boundaries of value.  Then Friday the bulls made a conviction drive off the open, successfully pinning price just above value to close out option expiration week.  The move, however, did not attract initiative buyers, and the resulting profile resembled the letter ‘p’.  This is indicative of a short squeeze.

Heading into today my primary expectation is for sellers to work down into the overnight inventory and take out overnight low 4348.25.  Look for a move to continue lower, down to 4342.75 before responsive buyers step in and two way trade ensues.

Hypo 2 strong selling takes price down through overnight low 4348.25 and sustains trade below 4342.75 setting up a move to target 4323.  Look for responsive buyers down at 4311.75 then two way trade to ensue.

Hypo 3 buyers work up through overnight high 4378.25.  Look for responsive sellers up at 4381 then 4385.25 before two way trade ensues.

Hypo 4 strong buyers take out overnight high 4378.25 then sustain trade above 4385.25 setting up a move to test 4396.25.  Stretch targets are the 4400 century mark then 4418.

Levels:

Volume profiles, gaps, and measured moves:

 

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NASDAQ futures are priced to start the session gap up after an overnight session featuring normal range and volume.  Price worked higher overnight to return price back to the NASDAQ pin point before settling into two-way trade.  This upward action put price up through yesterday’s high.

On the economic docket today we have Existing Home Sales at 10am and Baker Hughes Rig count at 1pm.

Yesterday we printed a normal variation down.  Price worked lower, fast at first, down to about 4290 before stalling out and fading back up toward the mean, or value, or the pin point…whichever you prefer.

Heading into today my primary expectations are low.  Price is right on value and I am looking for chop and sideways, range bound between 4344 and 4310.

Hypo 2 sellers work into the overnight inventory and close the gap down to 4317.25 then take out overnight low 4314.75 before buyers step in and two way trade ensues.

Hypo 3 buyers push up through overnight high 4341.50 and continue higher, up to test 4360, luring in ambitious long, before reverting back to the pin at 4340.

Levels:

Volume profiles, gaps, and measured moves:

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Welcome to the holding pattern, a place where expectations of movement are squashed by giggling market makers who ensure your stock options expire worthless.

NASDAQ futures are set to open gap down after an overnight session featuring normal range and volume.  Price held yesterday’s range while forming both a weak high and low, with the globex low looking more vulnerable than the high.  At 8:30am Initial/Continuing Jobless claims data was in-line with expectations, Chicago Fed National Activity index came in better than expectations, and Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing index came in well below expectations.

Also on the economic docket today we have Leading Indicators at 10am and a 10-year TIPS auction at 1pm.

Yesterday we printed a neutral day.  The session was working higher and went range extension up, pushing up through the single prints [as described in hypo 3 of yesterday’s morning report] before a huge buy program hit the NASDAQ tape:

Biggest buy program since 3/9/16 just ran on the NASDAQ??

— Raul (@IndexModel) May 18, 2016

Then, right as the minutes hit and increased the probability of a rate hike a hard sell order came to market and pushed the day into neutral territory.  Buyers then faded price back to the mean to end the session.

Heading into today my primary expectation is for sellers to take out overnight low 4313 and continue lower to test the 4300 century mark.  This will suck in short sellers, who will then be squeezed as price traverses back up through the range to close the overnight gap up to 4333.50 before two way trade ensues.

Hypo 2 buyers work into the overnight inventory and close the gap up to 4333.50.  From here they set their sights on overnight high 4340.75.  Look for responsive sellers around 4350 and two way trade to ensues.

Hypo 3 strong sellers push below yesterday’s low 4301 and continue working lower to target 4286.75 before two way trade ensues.

Hypo 4 strong buyers work to test above yesterday’s session high 4359 sucking in buyers before finding a strong seller up at 4360 and two way trade ensues.

Levels:

Volume profiles, gaps, and measured moves:

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NASDAQ futures dropped hard after the 2pm Minutes showed most Fed Policymakers viewed it ‘likely’ they would raise interest rates in June.

The verbiage spiked the probability of a June rate hike up over 30% per the Fed Fund futures.  Before the announcement the implied probability was just over 25%, see below:

After the minutes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The NASDAQ is now in a neutral print.  Look for buyers to work price back up the mean:

 

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