Stocks on the Verge of Breaking Lower

by Jeff Patterson
  • Equities are showing definitive signs of breaking lower, with the Russell 2000 index providing strong indication of a drop.
Stocks on the Verge of Breaking Lower
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Price action on June 29th sent major indices about 2% lower. Which is the first major sell off I have seen in a while.

With the situation over at Greece, and from what I understand a few other potential European countries, a "dash of shorts spice" was thrown into the markets.

Over the past few years, most short-term selloffs turned out to be a buying opportunity, but as they say hindsight is 20/20 vision.

As one who got burnt going short on the indices I am trying to be a bit more careful.

My analysis suggests that the Russell 2000 is the leader recently, so I opened a weekly mini Russell 2000 chart and plugged in some indicators I like to use along with Elliott Waves (which I think is one of the better timing tools available) and here is what I see below:

_TFE_-_Russell_2000_Index_Mini_Weekly_Continuation_Heikin-Ashi

In order for the Russell to confirm a sell signal based on the weekly chart, I need to see a daily close below 1244. Yesterday was VERY close to it but still closed above it.

I think that a close below 1244 can trigger 1089 over the next few weeks/months.

Not an easy scenario to trade with as the memories of short attempts in the past few years not turning into much to say the least....

One way one can trade this is by using straight futures and going short on close below 1244. The risk on this one would be quite high as one would need to use a stop above 1280 or maybe even past the recent high above 1292.

Another way to go about it (and one can choose stock index of their choice) is to buy a vertical put spread, where you buy a closer to the money put and sell a further out of the money put.

Last but not least, if the market is able to hold above this level we may yet see one more attempt higher before any serious chart damage occurs. Statistically, it might be the best set up as stocks simply refused to go down these past few years thanks to QE...

As always, certain strategies may be more appropriate for certain traders, depending on their experience, market outlook and risk capital.

For any additional information or to talk to a licensed futures broker, please contact us.

Disclaimer - Trading Futures, Options on Futures, and retail off-Exchange foreign currency transactions involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for all investors. Past performance is not indicative of future results. You should carefully consider whether trading is suitable for you in light of your circumstances, knowledge, and financial resources. You may lose all or more of your initial investment. Opinions, market data, and recommendations are subject to change at any time.

**Note about stops: THE PLACEMENT OF CONTINGENT ORDERS BY YOU OR YOUR TRADING ADVISOR, SUCH AS A ‘‘STOP-LOSS’’ OR ‘‘STOP-LIMIT’’ ORDER, WILL NOT NECESSARILY LIMIT YOUR LOSSES TO THE INTENDED AMOUNTS, SINCE MARKET CONDITIONS MAY MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO EXECUTE SUCH ORDERS.

Price action on June 29th sent major indices about 2% lower. Which is the first major sell off I have seen in a while.

With the situation over at Greece, and from what I understand a few other potential European countries, a "dash of shorts spice" was thrown into the markets.

Over the past few years, most short-term selloffs turned out to be a buying opportunity, but as they say hindsight is 20/20 vision.

As one who got burnt going short on the indices I am trying to be a bit more careful.

My analysis suggests that the Russell 2000 is the leader recently, so I opened a weekly mini Russell 2000 chart and plugged in some indicators I like to use along with Elliott Waves (which I think is one of the better timing tools available) and here is what I see below:

_TFE_-_Russell_2000_Index_Mini_Weekly_Continuation_Heikin-Ashi

In order for the Russell to confirm a sell signal based on the weekly chart, I need to see a daily close below 1244. Yesterday was VERY close to it but still closed above it.

I think that a close below 1244 can trigger 1089 over the next few weeks/months.

Not an easy scenario to trade with as the memories of short attempts in the past few years not turning into much to say the least....

One way one can trade this is by using straight futures and going short on close below 1244. The risk on this one would be quite high as one would need to use a stop above 1280 or maybe even past the recent high above 1292.

Another way to go about it (and one can choose stock index of their choice) is to buy a vertical put spread, where you buy a closer to the money put and sell a further out of the money put.

Last but not least, if the market is able to hold above this level we may yet see one more attempt higher before any serious chart damage occurs. Statistically, it might be the best set up as stocks simply refused to go down these past few years thanks to QE...

As always, certain strategies may be more appropriate for certain traders, depending on their experience, market outlook and risk capital.

For any additional information or to talk to a licensed futures broker, please contact us.

Disclaimer - Trading Futures, Options on Futures, and retail off-Exchange foreign currency transactions involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for all investors. Past performance is not indicative of future results. You should carefully consider whether trading is suitable for you in light of your circumstances, knowledge, and financial resources. You may lose all or more of your initial investment. Opinions, market data, and recommendations are subject to change at any time.

**Note about stops: THE PLACEMENT OF CONTINGENT ORDERS BY YOU OR YOUR TRADING ADVISOR, SUCH AS A ‘‘STOP-LOSS’’ OR ‘‘STOP-LIMIT’’ ORDER, WILL NOT NECESSARILY LIMIT YOUR LOSSES TO THE INTENDED AMOUNTS, SINCE MARKET CONDITIONS MAY MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO EXECUTE SUCH ORDERS.

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