The VR METALS/RESOURCE Letter provides subscribers his unique insights, opinions and education on the following market sectors: METALS (Gold, Silver, Copper, Palladium and Platinum) and all Natural Resource investments including ENERGY (Crude Oil, Natural Gas. Green/Solar energy and materials), Cyclical (Annual Forecast Model) analysis and technical analysis are utilized. Huge opportunities may lay ahead for all natural resource plays and the VR METALS/RESOURCE Letter will be on top of them regardless of which direction they move!

I’ve seen the NYSE Composite be a leading index periodically. It is moving strongly higher right now, more than other indexes. Many people are expecting a down February and March. This index will have to reverse its trend soon for that to happen.

The tech stocks as a group are not performing well except for a couple exceptions.

The finance and brokerage stocks are performing well. JPM, HOOD, IBKR, BLK, GS, MS.

For the metals, KGC and AEM continue their bullish runs. Silvers are beginning to play catchup, PAAS.

FCX continues to lag, which is not a good sign longer term.

Jensen Huang is one salesman and another salesman, Elon Musk convinced the market that brighter days are ahead even though this quarters numbers were disappointing, to the effect the stock went higher. PE is no longer a Price to Earnings ratio. It is a Promise to Earnings ratio.

Crude oil and the stocks have been in decline but are trying to put in a bottom.

Bitcoin continues to consolidate.

DIS has been working steadily higher.

BROS continues to make new highs.

Tomorrow wraps up January and Groundhog cyclicality is ahead.

 

Stocks saw considerable volatility over the course of the trading session on Thursday, with the major averages showing wild swings back and forth across the unchanged line before eventually closing in positive territory.

The Dow climbed 168.61 points or 0.4 percent to 44,882.13, ending the day within striking distance of the record closing high set in early December.

The S&P 500 also advanced 31.86 points or 0.5 percent to 6,071.17, while the Nasdaq rose 49.43 points or 0.3 percent to 19,681.75.

The major averages moved sharply lower late in the session after President Donald Trump said he would follow through on his threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico on Saturday, February 1st.

However, the major averages rebounded going into the close, reflecting the significant volatility seen throughout the session.

The choppy trading on the day came amid a mixed reaction to earnings news from several big-name companies.

Shares of IBM Corp. (IBM) skyrocketed by 13.0 percent after the tech giant reported fourth quarter earnings that exceeded analyst estimates.

Facebook parent Meta Platforms (META) also posted a notable gain after reporting fourth quarter results that beat estimates on both the top and bottom lines.

On the other hand, shares of Microsoft (MSFT) plunged by 6.2 percent after the software giant reported better than expected fiscal second quarter results but provided disappointing revenue guidance for the current quarter.

Delivery giant UPS (UPS) also showed a substantial move to the downside, plummeting by 14.1 percent after reporting fourth quarter earnings that beat expectations but forecasting full-year revenue below analyst estimates.

UPS also announced it has reached an agreement with Amazon (AMZN) to lower its volume by more than 50 percent by the second half of 2026.

In U.S. economic news, the Commerce Department released a report showing U.S. economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2024 slowed by more than expected.

Sector News

Gold stocks moved sharply higher as the price of the precious metal reached highs, driving the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index up by 4.1 percent to its best closing level in well over a month.

Interest rate-sensitive utilities and housing stocks also saw considerable strength, with the Dow Jones Utility Average and the Philadelphia Housing Sector Index surging by 2.4 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively.

Significant strength was also visible among semiconductor stocks, as reflected by the 2.3 percent jump by the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index.

Networking, airline and pharmaceutical stocks also saw notable strength, while the steep drop by Microsoft weighed on the software sector.

Other Markets

In overseas trading, stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region moved mostly higher on Thursday, with many markets still closed for Lunar New Year. Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index rose by 0.3 percent, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index climbed by 0.6 percent.

The major European markets also moved to the upside on the day. While the U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index jumped by 1.0 percent, the French CAC 40 Index advanced by 0.9 percent and the German DAX Index increased by 0.4 percent.

In the bond market, treasuries moved higher after ending the previous session roughly flat. As a result, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, fell 4.3 basis points to a one-month closing low of 4.512 percent.

Looking Ahead

A Commerce Department report on personal income and spending is likely to be in focus on Friday, as it includes readings on consumer price inflation preferred by the Federal Reserve.

On the earnings front, Apple (AAPL) and Intel (INTC) are among the companies releasing their quarterly results after the close of today’s trading.

Energy giants Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX) are also among the companies due to report their quarterly results before the start of trading on Friday.

 

 

FOLKS, AS PREDICTED WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING GROUNDHOG DAY VOLATILITY WHICH HISTORICALLY CAN COME TWO WEEKS EITHER SIDE OF OUR FURRY FRIEND’S APPEARANCE

What will Punxsutawney Phil see or not see his shadow? Not important, but we’re definitely in an important a fairly regular cycle period.

CRYPTO PRICES

 

DOLLAR

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://tinyurl.com/2s4chzdt

THE PRODUCERS WILL SWALLOW THE TARIFFS TARIFFS ARE NOT GOING TO PRODUCE INFLATION

https://tinyurl.com/38nmcnnz

INTERESTING CHARTS – Courtesy of Larry Williams:

WATCH LUNAR DATES FOR POSSIBLE CHANGE OF DIRECTION POINTS IN THE MARKET.

THE DECEMBER WINTER SOLSTICE WAS COINCIDENT WITH A CHANGE OF THE DIRECTION IN THE MARKETS – WAY AHEAD IS THE VERNAL EQUINOX MARCH 20-21

The Plunge Protection Team Explained

What is the Plunge Protection Team?

The Plunge Protection Team (PPT) is an informal term for the Working Group on Financial Markets. The working group was created in 1988 by then U.S President Ronald Reagan following the infamous October 1987 Black Monday market crash. It was formed to re-establish consumer confidence and take steps to achieve economic and market stability in the aftermath of the market crash. The U.S president consults with the team during times of economic uncertainty and turbulence in the markets.

The Working Group on Financial Markets’ informal name “Plunge Protection Team” was coined and popularized by The Washington Post in 1997.

What does the Plunge Protection Team Do?

The Plunge Protection Team was initially formed to advise the president and regulatory agencies on countering the negative impacts of the stock market crash of 1987. However, the team has continued to report to various presidents since that stock market crash and has met various U.S presidents on important financial matters over the years.

The team was believed to be behind the rally in the stock market shortly after a hefty drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) on February 05, 2018. As per some market observers, after the plunge, the market made a smart recovery in the following days, which may have been a result of heavy buying by the Plunge Protection Team.

Who is on the plunge protection team?

The Plunge Protection Team comprises several top government economic and financial officials. The Secretary of the Treasury heads the group, while the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, the Chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, are also part of the team.

Why is the PPT secretive?

The Plunge Protection Team’s meetings or activities aren’t covered by the media, which gives rise to speculations and conspiracy theories about the team. The probable reason behind the secretive nature of its activities is that it reports only to the president. Some observers opine that the team’s role is not only limited to giving recommendations to the president; rather, the team intervenes in the market and artificially props up stock prices.

Critics of the group claim that the members connive with big banks and profit from stock markets by carrying out trades on different stock exchanges when prices decline. They then artificially prop up the prices as part of their market stabilization efforts and profit from their transactions.

When does/have the PPT meet?

Although very little has come out in the mainstream media about the group’s activities, there have been some instances when the team’s meetings were reported. For example, in 1999, the team proposed to congress to incorporate some changes in the derivatives markets regulations. The last reported meeting of the group, at the time of this writing in June 2022, was in December 2018 when Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin headed the teleconference with the group’s members. Representatives from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Comptroller of the Currency also attended the meeting.

Before the teleconference that took place on December 24, 2018, the S&P 500 and the DJIA had been under pressure for the whole month. But after Christmas, the DJIA and the S&P 500 both recovered and reversed most of the losses in the next few days. Conspiracy theorists attribute the recovery and gains in the indices to the intervention by the Plunge Protection Team.

Final Thoughts

The Working Group on Financial Markets serves an important function: to advise the president on financial markets and economic affairs. Because the exact nature of the group’s activities or recommendations haven’t been made public, some critics of the group blame the group for market intervention and artificially propping up stocks’ prices. However, some market observers believe that the team’s quiet activities are excused as it reports directly to the president.

THE CASE FOR ABOLISHING THE FEDERAL RESERVE

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NEXT FOMC MEETINGS: (GOD HELP US)

For 2025:

  • Tuesday, January 28, and Wednesday, January 29
  • Tuesday, March 18, and Wednesday, March 19
  • Tuesday, May 6, and Wednesday, May 7
  • Tuesday, June 17, and Wednesday, June 18
  • Tuesday, July 29, and Wednesday, July 30
  • Tuesday, September 16, and Wednesday, September 17
  • Tuesday, October 28, and Wednesday, October 29
  • Tuesday, December 9, and Wednesday, December 10

OPPORTUNITY TO ACCESS MARK LEIBOVIT’S PROPRIETARY VOLUME REVERSAL INDICATOR – THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE TO DO IT!

Yes, that’s a cartoon of me. Louis Rukeyser had us dressed up in ‘elf’ costumes on the screen broadcast each week. I’ve dated myself. That occurred for me between 1988-1996. Lou didn’t like any bearish comments, so myself and other elves got dumped in 1996.

WHO am I?

MARK LEIBOVIT is Chief Market Strategist for LEIBOVIT VR NEWSLETTERS a/k/a VRTrader.Com. His technical expertise is in overall market timing and stock selection based upon his proprietary VOLUME REVERSAL (TM) methodology and Annual Forecast Model.

Mark’s extensive media television profile includes seven years as a consultant ‘Elf’ on “Louis Rukeyser’s Wall Street Week” television program, and over thirty years as a Market Monitor guest for PBS “The Nightly Business Report”. He also has appeared on Fox Business News, CNBC, BNN (Canada), and Bloomberg, and has been interviewed in Barrons, Business Week, Forbes and The Wall Street Journal and Michael Campbell’s MoneyTalks.

In the January 2, 2020 edition of TIMER DIGEST MAGAZINE, Mark Leibovit was ranked the #1 U.S. Stock Market Timer and was previously ranked #1 Intermediate U.S. Market Timer for the ten year period December, 1997 to 2007.

He was a ‘Market Maker’ on the Chicago Board Options Exchange and the Midwest Options Exchange and then went on to work in the Research department of two Chicago based brokerage firms. Mr. Leibovit now publishes a series of newsletters at www.LeibovitVRNewsletters.com. He became a member of the Market Technicians Association in 1982.

Mr. Leibovit’s specialty is Volume Analysis and his proprietary Leibovit Volume Reversal Indicator is well known for forecasting accurate signals of trend direction and reversals in the equity, metals and futures markets. He has historical experience recognizing, bull and bear markets and signaling alerts prior to market crashes. His indicator is currently available on the Metastock platform.

His comprehensive study on Volume Analysis, The Trader’s Book of Volume published by McGraw-Hill is a definitive guide to volume trading. It is now also published in Chinese. Mark has appeared in speaking engagements and seminars in the U.S. and Canada.

VOLCANIC ACTIVITY ON THE RISE

https://tinyurl.com/2bv24kuc

https://tinyurl.com/mvye2h6r

DO YOU BELIEVE THE PLANETARY ALIGNMENT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH MARKET SELL-OFF ON MONDAY?

GATA CHRIS POWELL PRSENTATION – NOV 2024

The Walt Disney Company has been criticized (MYSELF INCLUDED) for its “woke” content and has faced backlash from conservative politicians and social media voices. Some of the criticisms include:

  • Donations to LGBTQIA+ organizations

    Some shareholders have argued that Disney’s donations to organizations that serve the LGBTQIA+ community are “extreme pursuits” that ignore the beliefs of most Americans.

  • Inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters

    Some critics have taken issue with Disney’s inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters and elements in stories, such as a same-sex kiss in Lightyear and a nonbinary character in Elemental.

  • Black Ariel in Little Mermaid

    Some critics have taken issue with the inclusion of a Black Ariel in the recent Little Mermaid.

  • Economic and reputational consequences

    Some claim that Disney’s “woke virtue signaling” has had economic and reputational consequences, with Disney’s market cap falling nearly 40% since February 2021.

In response to these criticisms, Disney CEO Bob Iger has said that:

  • Disney’s biggest priority is entertaining audiences

  • Disney is focused on the future, not the past

  • Disney needs to be more sensitive to the interest of a broad audience

  • Disney’s primary mission is to entertain and then have a positive impact on the world through entertainment

I USE JOEL WALLACH’S SUPPLEMENTS EVERY DAY. MAY AGAIN PROVIDE A LINK TO PURCHASE THEM HERE

COME ON, DAD. IT’S TIME TO EAT

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