Fixed Income In Focus. ETF Trades You Must Know #6
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Fixed income takes a tumble, with no major shifts in other ETFs. This means that energy, financials, and consumer discretionary are still decent trades.
- Fixed income ETFs sold off as UST yields rose last week, and look vulnerable to further sell offs
- No major shifts in US equity ETFs as current trends continue
- Sector ETFs are also mostly rallying together, although to different degrees
- Financials (XLF), Energy (XLE), and Consumer Staples (XLP) remain very bullish
- Consumer Discretionary (XLY) and Real Estate (XLRE) not so much, although they remain in broader uptrends
- Corporate bonds, LQD and HYG, are poised for a large move lower
- Emerging Markets equities (EEM) and sovereign bonds (EMB) continue to look very bearish
- Wildcards:
- Consumer staples stocks (XLP) continue to outperform consumer discretionary ones (XLY) even as the Fed grows increasingly hawkish
- The USD remains strong, and the US yield curve has gotten even flatter!
Trading Ideas – Performance
LONG | Entry | 7 Feb Close | Return |
XLE | 64.30 | 69.78 | +8.52% |
XLF | 39.25 | 40.22 | +2.47% |
XLI | 103.46 | 100.19 | -3.16% |
XLP | 76.40 | 76.03 | -0.48% |
SHORT | Entry | 7 Feb Close | Return |
IWM | 204.45 | 199.36 | +2.49% |
LQD | 128.13 | 125.68 | +1.91% |
HYG | 85.59 | 83.71 | +2.20% |
TLT | 141.07 | 139.10 | +1.40% |
EMB | 104.66 | 104.23 | +0.41% |
XLY | 189.32 | 184.02 | +2.80% |
Trading Ideas – Long
- XLE to take advantage of how bullish oil prices are
- XLF if you buy into the narrative that rate hikes are good for bank stocks
- If you don’t, most traders do, and would be looking to position themselves accordingly
- Regardless, XLF is trading in a very bullish manner
- XLI is starting to look like a decent bet
- Is currently more defensive than XLU, especially with traders following the “higher rates = utilities less attractive” narrative
- Retains upside potential from stronger economic growth
- XLP is an interesting bet which could offer the best of both worlds
- Defensiveness against current sell off and market volatility
- Upside potential from very bullish trend
Trading Ideas – Short
- LQD, HYG, EMB, TLT
- LQD and HYG look poised for a large move lower, possibly all the way to COVID 2020’s lows
- EMB also looks very weak technically
- TLT looks increasingly likely to test its Mar ‘21 lows at $133
- IWM has broken below its range, and is now in a clear downtrend
- This could be a good short if you do not think a bottom is in for equities, or if you simply want to follow the trend
- Buying IWM puts is another way to express this view which would also allow you to take advantage of a possible spike in volatility
- XLY is struggling, and now that IWM has broken out to the downside, it’s hard to imagine XLY doing well
- Could hedge a XLY short with a XLP long to create a pair trade that still makes money if XLY falls, and loses less if XLY changes direction
- EEM is trading in a well established bearish channel
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