Five Futures in Focus

Nasdaq 100 Surges as Bond Yields Reverse Lower

By:Christopher Vecchio, CFA

Also, 30-year T-bond, silver, gasoline, and British pound futures

  1. Nasdaq 100 E-mini futures (/NQ): +1.38%
  2. 30-year T-bond futures (/ZB): +1.81%
  3. Silver futures (/SI): +1.54%
  4. Gasoline futures (/RB): +0.52%
  5. British pound futures (/6B): +0.72%

The clearest signs yet from the Federal Reserve that the rate hike cycle is finished has breathed life into stocks and bonds. The collapse in U.S. Treasury yields across the curve, led by the long-end, has given considerable room for both the Nasdaq 100 (/NQZ3) and Russell 2000 (/RTYZ3) to trade nearly 1.5% higher ahead of the opening bell. Elsewhere, the U.S. dollar is being dragged lower alongside yields, even as the Bank of England kept rates on hold and decried calls for rate cuts as coming “much too early.”

Symbol: Equities

Daily Change

/ESZ3

+0.93%

/NQZ3

+1.38%

/RTYZ3

+1.43%

/YMZ3

+0.68%

Equity traders are bidding the indexes higher, with the E-mini Nasdaq 100 futures (/NQZ3) taking the lead alongside the Russell. A sixth weekly rise in U.S. jobless claims encouraged traders to take on some risk ahead of tomorrow’s jobs report, with Treasury yields moving lower and clearing a path for equities.

Strategy: (43DTE, ATM)

Strikes

POP

Max Profit

Max Loss

Iron Condor

Long 14600 p

Short 14700 p

Short 15500 c

Long 15600 c

29%

+1355

-645

Long Strangle

Long 14600 p

Long 15600 c

43%

x

-10040

Short Put Vertical

Long 14600 p

Short 14700 p

67%

+565

-1435

/NQZ3

Symbol: Bonds

Daily Change

/ZTZ3

+0.04%

/ZFZ3

+0.36%

/ZNZ3

+0.76%

/ZBZ3

+1.81%

/UBZ3

+2.54%

Another rise in U.S. weekly jobless claims is helping to guide yields higher on the view that it will fur ther pressure the Federal Reserve. 30-year T-bond futures (/ZBZ3) are soaring this morning, up the most on a daily percentage basis since March. All eyes are on tomorrow’s jobs report, when analysts expect to see 180,000 jobs were added in October. A weaker-than-expected report would likely push rates lower.

Strategy (22DTE, ATM)

Strikes

POP

Max Profit

Max Loss

Iron Condor

Long 110 p

Short 110.5 p

Short 114.5 c

Long 115 c

38%

+312.50

-187.50

Long Strangle

Long 110 p

Long 115 c

37%

x

-1671.88

Short Put Vertical

Long 110 p

Short 110.5 p

71%

+156.25

-343.75

/ZBZ3

Symbol: Metals

Daily Change

/GCZ3

+0.53%

/SIZ3

+1.54%

/HGZ3

+0.64%

Falling bond yields are clearing the path for silver futures (/SIZ3), which are moving about 1.5% higher this morning after the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision crossed the wires yesterday. A U.S. labor report showed jobless claims rose for the sixth week ahead of tomorrow’s non-farm payrolls report (NFP). With short-term concerns around monetary policy in the back seat, precious metals are more likely to move on broader market sentiment, specifically around the direction of bond yields.

Strategy (54DTE, ATM)

Strikes

POP

Max Profit

Max Loss

Iron Condor

Long 23.1 p

Short 23.2 p

Short 23.7 c

Long 23.8 c

11%

+440

-60

Long Strangle

Long 23.1 p

Long 23.8 c

46%

x

-7505

Short Put Vertical

Long 23.1 p

Short 23.2 p

56%

+235

-265

/SIZ3

Symbol: Energy

Daily Change

/CLZ3

+0.87%

/HOZ3

+1.85%

/NGZ3

-1.83%

/RBZ3

+0.52%

Despite the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reporting a surprise inventory build in gasoline stocks yesterday, gasoline futures (/RBZ3) were up slightly, about 0.52%, this morning. Still, prices are down nearly 4% this week as economic fears grow, which could throttle gasoline demand further. Meanwhile, several major refiners are returning from maintenance outages, which is boosting supply at a time when seasonal demand typically drops.

Strategy (xDTE, ATM)

Strikes

POP

Max Profit

Max Loss

Iron Condor

x

x

x

x

Long Strangle

x

x

x

x

Short Put Vertical

x

x

x

x

/RBZ3

Symbol: FX

Daily Change

/6AZ3

+1.15%

/6BZ3

+0.72%

/6CZ3

+0.60%

/6EZ3

+1.13%

/6JZ3

+0.63%

British Pound futures (/6BZ3) rose after a hawkish pause from the Bank of England (BoE), leaving rates at 5.25%. The decision wasn’t unanimous, with three of the nine members on the monetary policy committee voting for a hike to 5.5%. Rate traders continue to price in a cut as soon as August, and Gilt yields remain lower, suggesting the move in the Pound may fade if U.S. Treasury yields stop falling.

Strategy (37DTE, ATM)

Strikes

POP

Max Profit

Max Loss

Iron Condor

Long 1.195 p

Short 1.2 p

Short 1.24 c

Long 1.245 c

53%

+125

-187.50

Long Strangle

Long 1.195 p

Long 1.245 c

31%

x

-356.25

Short Put Vertical

Long 1.195 p

Short 1.2 p

84%

+62.50

-250

/6BZ3

Christopher Vecchio, CFA, tastylive’s head of futures and forex, has been trading for nearly 20 years. He has consulted with multinational firms on FX hedging and lectured at Duke Law School on FX derivatives. Vecchio searches for high-convexity opportunities at the crossroads of macroeconomics and global politics. He hosts Futures Power Hour  Monday-Friday and Let Me Explain on Tuesdays, and co-hosts Overtime, Monday-Thursday. @cvecchiofx

Thomas Westwater, a tastylive financial writer and analyst, has eight years of markets and trading experience. @fxwestwater 

For live daily programming, market news and commentary, visit tastylive or the YouTube channels tastylive (for options traders), and tastyliveTrending for stocks, futures, forex & macro.

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