From the Desk of Steven Strazza @Sstrazza and Ian Culley @Ianculley
It’s been an action-packed year for the bond market. Rates have ripped, and bonds have been in free fall worldwide. But US yields stopped going up in June.
More recently, many European benchmark rates have turned lower in dramatic fashion.
Now the question is whether US yields will roll over and follow to the downside.
Instead of getting caught up in the Fed chatter and all its implications, let’s focus on the key levels we’re using as a roadmap for treasury markets in the coming weeks and months.
Here’s a triple-pane chart of the US 30-, 10-, and five-year yields:
All three are carving out potential tops just beneath their respective 2018 highs. You can see the tops in the chart above.
And those critical 2018 highs are highlighted below:
It’s the day after the FOMC announcement, and markets are mixed. They’ve already moved past yesterday’s 75-basis-point hike and are now in the process of pricing in all available data, including the prospects of future Fed policy.
Instead of getting caught up in the recession chatter and what the Fed might do next, let’s focus on one undeniable fact: The 10-year US Treasury yield $TNX is still at a key inflection point.
I know we’ve been obnoxious about the US dollar and rates. They continue to be two of the most important charts out there. That’s the environment we’re in – plain and simple.
And with the 10-year yield stuck just below a critical shelf of former highs, there’s no better time to remind ourselves of some classic intermarket relationships.
Here’s a chart of the US 10-year yield overlaid with the Metals and Mining ETF $XME with the ARK Innovation ETF $ARKK in the lower pane:
These ratios typically trend in the same direction as interest rates. But this hasn't been the case since last year.
And when we consider that yields are trapped below major resistance zones, we really like the counter-trend opportunity bonds are offering at these levels.
Let’s review a few setups from our Q3 Playbook we like for buying a bounce in bonds.
Investors have a lot of questions right now. With sentiment and at some of the most pessimistic levels in history, what will it take for some of these trends to change in the second half of the year? I believe some major trends are already changing.
The Playbook takes a step back and looks at things from a more Structural perspective. If you're specifically looking for more tactical opportunities, you can check out this week's Live Mid-Month Conference Call.
Here's what we'll be discussing in our Q3 Playbook: