Every trader and investor in the world should be following the U.S. Dollar Index futures (DX-M2) once the major stock indexes open for trading in the United States. Often when the U.S. Dollar Index starts to decline and trade lower the major stock and commodity indexes will inflate and trade off of the lows. This morning, all of the major stock indexes are selling sharply lower in a broad based decline. In the past, the one way that the markets have shaved the intra-day loss has been…

Copper is known to be a leading stock market indicator by many traders and investors. The highly used industrial metal will represent global growth when it trades higher. On the flip side, when copper declines it will usually tell investors that the economy is contracting or slowing down. Copper has lagged the major stock indexes since last year. This morning, the iPath Dow Jones-UBS Copper Subindex Total Return ETN (NYSEARCA:JJC) is trading lower by 0.96 cents to $49.02 a share. Short…

This morning, all of the leading base metal stocks are declining lower. Leading stocks such as Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc (NYSE:FCX), Rio Tinto plc (NYSE:RIO), BHP Billiton Ltd (NYSE:BHP), and Tech Resources Ltd (NYSE:TCK) are all coming under early selling pressure. The catalyst for today's decline in the base metal stocks are certainly due to the poor performance in the Chinese markets last night. The highly important Shanghai Index (China) closed lower by 2.60 percent…

This morning, all of the leading base metal stocks are declining lower. Normally, the catalyst for the weakness in the base metal stocks is the weak European markets and the problems in Greece. Today, the catalyst for the sell off in the leading base metal and commodity stocks is the weakness in the Chinese growth forecast for 2012. Leading base metal stocks such as Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc (NYSE:FCX), Southern Copper Corp (NYSE:SCCO), BHP Billiton Ltd (NYSE:BHP), and…

The metal stocks have stalled and fallen sharply over the last few weeks, not confirming the market strength. This has to be a warning of possible economic weakness in the coming months. Look at the iPath Dow Jones-UBS Copper Subindex Total Return ETN (NYSEARCA:JJC) . This topped out in mid January and has since chopped sideways while the markets have gone higher. In addition, stocks like United States Steel Corporation (NYSE:X)  topped out weeks ago and have been pulling back.



The…

Nearly everyday we hear about the problems in the Middle East with Iran. While there could be conflict with the oil producing nation; it is important to realize that this is not causing gasoline to increase in price. Gasoline has been steadily rising over the past four months and is now trading near a six month high. On December 16, 2011 the United States Gasoline Fund (NYSE:UGA) was trading as low as $45.17 a share. This morning the UGA is trading higher by 0.64 cents to $53.14 a…

This afternoon, the Federal Reserve Bank announced that they will keep the fed funds rate at zero to a quarter percent until the end of 2014. This statement by the central bank has caused the U.S. Dollar Index to plummet intra-day. As we all know by now, when the dollar dips the markets flip. Everything in the market has rallied higher. Gold, silver, copper, oil, and just about every other commodity has soared since the announcement. The SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE:GLD) have jumped higher…

The U.S. Dollar Index is still the driving force behind every commodity move. This morning, the U.S. Dollar Index futures (DX H2) are trading lower by 0.53 cents to $79.69 per contract. When the U.S. Dollar Index declines it will usually mean that most every commodity will trade higher. That is certainly the case this morning as oil, copper, soybeans, wheat, rice, gold, and silver are all on the rise.



Traders can easily see the price of the iPath Dow Jones-UBS…

Copper has been in rallying mode since December 15, 2011. At that time, the iPath Dow Jones Copper Subindex Total return ETN (NYSEARCA:JJC) was trading as low as $42.64 a share. This morning, the JJC is trading lower by 0.57 cents to $48.56 a share. Short term traders can watch for intra-day support around the $48.40, and $47.85 levels.



Southern Copper Corp (NYSE:SCCO), and Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc (NYSE:FCX) are also two leading copper producers…

Many traders and investors follow the industrial metals very closely as a leading indicator. The legendary trader Jesse Livermore used to say that copper was one of the most important industrial metals that a trader could track. He said copper would tell the investor where the economy was headed. Today, the leading copper stocks have sold off from the morning gap higher open and this is worth noting.



Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc (NYSE:FCX) is considered…

This morning, the U.S. Dollar Index futures (DX Z1) are declining ahead of the opening bell. Whenever the U.S. Dollar Index declines the major stock indexes around the world will inflate and trade higher. If and when the U.S. Dollar Index rallies or trades higher the major stock indexes will deflate and trade lower. The bottom line, if this stock market is to trade higher the U.S. Dollar Index must weaken and trade lower. Essentially, every trade is a trade on the U.S. Dollar at this…

The only chart that traders need to pay attention to is the chart of the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY). When the U.S. Dollar Index declines throughout the trading session the major stock market indexes will inflate and trade higher. Obviously, leading commodity and energy stocks such as Cliffs Natural Resources Inc (NYSE:CLF) BHP Billiton Ltd (NYSE:BHP), and Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX) will be some of the first stocks to react and trade inverse to the U.S. Dollar Index. It is important to note…

This morning, the major stock indexes are trading sharply higher. The 150.0 point rebound in the Dow Jones Industrial Average comes after yesterday's bloodbath decline in all of the major stock market indexes. The daily moves in the stock market have been very dramatic with wide range swings. One day risk is on and the next day risk is off. The trend since August 2011 has been very choppy and sideways. Is there so much uncertainty that traders and investors are not willing to commit…

Investors, traders and even institutions are feeling pain today after the markets collapsed for the second day in a row. Just days after the media proclaimed all was perfect in the world once more, poor economic news ripped the markets from China and the massive bailout of Greece may fall apart. The S&P 500 has fallen over 5% in the last two trading days. Just today, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (AMEX:SPY) is trading at $122.00, -6.60 (-5.13%).



This is a classic joke of a market.…

This morning, all of the major stock indexes are trading sharply lower. The problems in the European Union and the possible bankruptcy of MF Global Holdings Ltd (NYSE:MF) seems to be too much for investors. The real catalyst for today's decline is the strength in the U.S. Dollar Index futures (DX Z1), which are trading higher by 0.94 cents to $76.15 per contract. When the U.S. Dollar Index rallies the major stock indexes deflate and trade lower. Since October 4, 2011 the U.S. Dollar…

This stock market seems to have an illness called schizophrenia. In late September, the major stock indexes declined lower, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by over 1000.0 points only to recapture all of those declines in 15 trading days in the month of October. Ten percent rallies and declines are becoming normal trading ranges these days. In the past, the stock markets would rally higher or lower by ten percent in a year. These are certainly not normal times.…

As we all know, the major stock indexes have surged higher since October 4, 2011. On that date the S&P 500 Index e-mini futures (ES Z1) undercut the August 9, 2011 low before staging a massive rally in the final 45 minutes of the trading day. That chart pattern will usually create a low for several days to several weeks before showing signs of weakness again. In any case, the snapback rally has been nothing short of incredible as the Dow Jones Industrial Average has surged higher…