Grains Struggle to Find Direction
Aug 28, 2012
TRADING COMMODITY FUTURES AND OPTIONS INVOLVES SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF LOSS AND IS NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL INVESTORS. YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER WHETHER TRADING IS SUITABLE FOR YOU IN LIGHT OF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, KNOWLEDGE AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES.
After a flurry of news late last week with Pro Farmer and Informa numbers grain markets have begun this week unsure of any sense of direction. The Sunday night session sure looked like we were going to see another spectacular rally day Monday only to be left with a mild sell off. Then Monday night into Tuesday it sure looked like we were going to see follow though selling, but we ended up very mixed with soybeans 21 cents off lows and corn making new lows on the close.
When Does Weather Matter: http://www.zaner.com/offers/?page=6&ap=tseifrie
I'll tell ya, the momentum traders are sure getting chopped up in this. But the bigger question here is - Are we taking a much needed break in volatility before this rally extends another leg higher? Or, is this the kind of market weirdness, or indecisiveness that leads to an eventual precipitous sell off? Time will tell, but I can not help asking myself the question - what new bullish news will we get to feed this aging bull? Maybe poor results off the combines. Maybe a slash in harvested acreage. (we almost certainly will not see that until November, and with Informa raising planted acreage you have to wonder if it ends up a scratch anyway). Maybe we get an early frost, wouldn't that just be the cherry on top? The point is we need something to keep this going right now and I'm not sure what that will be or if it will be.
CME Options On Futures: The Basics: http://www.zaner.com/offers/?page=9&ap=tseifrie
With high volatility in a market, option strategies may be a good tool for hedgers and specs alike.
December Corn Daily chart:
November Soybeans Daily chart:
All this means that speculators should be looking for opportunities and producers need to look to lock up some prices while we have new crop corn above $8.00 and new crop soybeans above $17.00. Give me a call for some ideas. In particular, producers looking to hedge all or a portion of their production may be rather interested in some of the options / options-futures strategies that I am currently using.
In my mind there has to be a balance. Neither technical nor fundamental analysis alone is enough to be consistent.
Please give me a call for a trade recommendation, and we can put together a trade strategy tailored to your needs.
Be safe!
Ted Seifried (312) 277-0113 or tseifried@zaner.com
Please check out my Blog at: http://tedseifriedfutures.com/
Additional charts, studies, and more of my commentary can be found at: http://markethead.com/2.0/free_trial.asp?rid=Seifried
Futures, options and forex trading is speculative in nature and involves substantial risk of loss. This commentary should be conveyed as a solicitation for entry into derivitives transactions. All known news and events have already been factored into the price of the underlying commodities discussed. The limited risk characteristic of options refers to long options only; and refers to the amount of the loss, which is defined as premium paid on the option(s) plus commissions.
FOR CUSTOMERS TRADING OPTIONS, THESE FUTURES CHARTS ARE PRESENTED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THEY ARE INTENDED TO SHOW HOW INVESTING IN OPTIONS CAN DEPEND ON THE UNDERLYING FUTURES PRICES; SPECIFICALLY, WHETHER OR NOT AN OPTION PURCHASER IS BUYING AN IN-THE-MONEY, AT-THE-MONEY, OR OUT-OF-THE-MONEY OPTION. FURTHERMORE, THE PURCHASER WILL BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT TO EXERCISE HIS RIGHT ON AN OPTION DEPENDING ON HOW THE OPTION'S STRIKE PRICE COMPARES TO THE UNDERLYING FUTURE'S PRICE. THE FUTURES CHARTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO IMPLY THAT OPTION PRICES MOVE IN TANDEM WITH FUTURES PRICES. IN FACT, OPTION PRICES MAY ONLY MOVE A FRACTION OF THE PRICE MOVE IN THE UNDERLYING FUTURES. IN SOME CASES, THE OPTION MAY NOT MOVE AT ALL OR EVEN MOVE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION
