From the Desk of Ian Culley @Ianculley

Bonds are flying under the radar.

While everyone focuses on the S&P 500 finding resistance at its 200-day moving average, bonds are posting their most substantial rally since the early 2020 peak.

Treasuries have represented downside risk for almost two years. We get it. Nobody's wanted bonds!

Neither have we – until now.

Here’s why…

Momentum

The long-term Treasury bond ETF $TLT has gained almost 20% since late October. In the process, it registered its largest four-week rate of change in a decade (aside from the covid related volatility).

This is what a momentum thrust looks like:

Notice the previous rallies in mid-2021 and earlier this summer (highlighted in yellow).

Both advances failed to produce sustained strength. It not only shows in price but also in the lackluster momentum readings that followed (highlighted yellow in the lower pane).

The...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @Ianculley

The strong US dollar and higher interest rates have dominated the conversation this year.

But the direction of the US Dollar Index $DXY has changed, breaking its year-to-date trendline earlier this month. 

Will interest rates follow?

Not yet! So far, the uptrend remains intact for the five-, 10-, and 30-year yields. We have to give these trends the benefit of the doubt, for now.

Despite their persistence, it seems more a matter of when not if rates do eventually roll over.

Based on information from the US bond market and developed-market European yields, it could happen sooner than you might expect.

Let’s break it down.

First, we can’t dismiss the middle-long end of the curve holding above year-to-date trendlines.

Our outlook remains higher for these yields as long as their trend lines hold. If they...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @Ianculley

Bonds are bouncing off key levels of potential support.

For some, it’s a former low. And for others, it’s a downside extension level. Regardless, we can all rejoice that bonds have stopped falling.

That doesn’t mean we’re rushing out to buy Treasuries. Instead, it signals a constructive start to a potential bottoming process for the bond market and relief from downside volatility.

Let’s check out the charts!

First up is the long-duration Zero Coupon ETF $ZROZ:

ZROZ has rebounded above its former 2014 lows, posting a potential failed breakdown. Risks are to the upside above 82 with potential resistance at the shelf of former lows around 100.

It’s a similar story for the Treasury Bond ETF $TLT:

T-bonds reclaimed their former 2014 lows on Wednesday. As long as TLT holds above 101.50, our tactical...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @Ianculley

Don’t take your eyes off the US dollar and interest rates!

I know it’s been a long year, but we’re finally witnessing early signs of potential trend reversals. The breakdown in the dollar last week confirmed the mounting evidence suggesting the USD has reached its peak.

Now, will interest rates follow?

Check out the dual pane chart of the US dollar index $DXY and the 30-year yield $TYX:

They look almost identical. The recent breakdown in the dollar marks the lone flaw between the two, raising the question…

Will the strong relationship between rates and the dollar hold?

I won’t pretend to know where rates are headed. But if the dollar and rates remain on similar paths, my money is on declining yields at the longer end of the curve.

A falling 30-year yield also makes sense based on a...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @Ianculley

It’s been a lonely rise for interest rates.

The stocks and commodities that tend to accompany rising yields haven’t kept pace since early spring. Rates across the curve have accelerated higher, leaving these risk assets in the dust. 

But the seasons have changed – and the dust has settled. 

Cyclical value sectors have found their footing in recent months. Now, they’re playing catch-up.

One of the strongest market themes in recent weeks has been the reemergence of value over growth.

Check out the overlay chart of the 10-year US Treasury yield $TNX and small-cap value $IWN versus small-cap growth $IWO:

The 63-day correlation study in the lower pane highlights the strong relationship between these two charts. 

At a glance, they appear quite similar. But their positive correlation began to erode in late March, reaching negative territory by...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @Ianculley

Bonds are an absolute dumpster fire. 

Everyone knows fixed income is having one of its worst years on record. And, from the looks of it, we’ll all be dragging our Christmas trees to the curb before US Treasuries stage a miraculous comeback. 

Don’t get me wrong. I believe these safe haven assets will dig in and catch higher –  eventually. There’s just no sign of it happening any time soon.

Instead of focusing on the disappointing performance of bonds, let’s turn our attention to its relative trends against other major asset classes – stocks and commodities.

Here’s the commodities versus bonds ratio using the CRB Commodity Index and the 30-year Treasury bond futures:

The commodity/bond ratio completed a bearish to bullish trend reversal last year after violating a decade-long downtrend.

This major intermarket shift caught many off-guard, as 12 years of underperformance led the industry to...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @Ianculley

Bonds have stopped falling across the board!

That doesn’t mean it’s time to go all in. Tactically, it’s difficult to get behind this week’s near-term strength. 

Right now, we’re looking at just a few days of bullish price action. And where do we define our risk?

We have to know where we’re right and where we're wrong before we get involved in any investment. 

Thankfully, high-yield bonds answer this all-important question.

Check out the daily chart of the High-Yield Bond ETF $HYG:

Unlike most bonds, HYG has formed a small reversal formation.

We like the looks of this 4-week inverted head-and-shoulders on the HYG chart. Momentum is improving. And the bulls are reclaiming a key level of former support turned resistance marked by its...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @Ianculley

Don’t catch falling knives!

It sounds simple enough. But in reality, traders continue to lose fingers as they reach for downtrending assets.

Diving after downtrends isn’t one of my many afflictions. But I do have a theory…

Traders and investors don’t realize they're catching a falling knife in the moment. They believe they’re bargain-hunting.

So if you’re one of the many investors out there mending fresh wounds this week, I want to make one thing clear…

Bonds are a falling knife.

Check out the chart of the 30-year T-bond:

Do you really want to buy this chart?

Sure, the downtrend is stretched and ripe for some mean reversion. But as long as it’s below 127’23 we’re short with a target of 116. 

It’s the same story with $TLT:

I can’t buy a chart that’s breaking down to fresh 8-year lows. It doesn’t make sense to me...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @Ianculley

If you can pry your eyes from the UK gilt and Credit Suisse articles, you’ll find it’s not all doom and gloom across the bond market – especially high-yield debt in the US.

A quick warning before we continue: You probably won’t see a similar message on the financial news. It’s just too optimistic for the current environment. It wouldn't get enough clicks.

But facts are facts. And right now, high-yield bonds are hooking higher, while stocks are also rising.

Check out the dual-pane chart of the Fallen Angel High-Yield Bond ETF $ANGL and the S&P 500 $SPX: 

ANGL tends to bottom with the S&P 500 at significant turning points. That’s because high-yield bonds are risk assets more akin to small-caps than investment-grade debt or Treasury bonds. 

A sustained breakdown in ANGL implies growing risk aversion among investors. But that’s not what we’re witnessing...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @Ianculley

Don’t let credit spreads fool you. 

High-yield debt hasn’t blown out relative to Treasuries. Regardless, the largest markets in the world are buckling under pressure.

You have to look outside the US and beyond high-yield corporate bonds to see the stress. Here are three cautionary data points to consider: European sovereign spreads, US bond market volatility, and the steep decline in investment-grade bonds.

When you weigh the evidence, it’s clear risks are rising for US markets. 

Let’s look at the charts!

First, here's a look at European sovereign spreads:

At first glance, these spreads look similar to high-yield spreads. They’re chopping sideways at or near their peaks from the 2020 crash. Nothing alarming or unusual from the countries at the highest risk of default – Spain, Italy, or Portugal. 

It’s a different story when it comes to the UK, as the spread between the UK-...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @Ianculley

On Wednesday afternoon, the Federal Reserve announced another 75-basis-point rate hike following its September policy meeting. 

Yields across the curve ripped, and Treasury bonds dipped.

What else is new?

An aggressive hiking regime has been the Fed’s modus operandi since March. And it's made clear its intent to stay the course.

But what does the rest of the market think about the rise in rates?

Let’s look at our intermarket ratios to gain some insight.

First, we have a triple-pane chart of regional banks versus REITs, the copper/gold ratio, and the US 10-year yield:

These key intermarket ratios tend to peak and trough with interest rates. Notice all three peaked in 2018.

As rates roll over and growth slows, investors reach for the safety of gold and REITS versus the more economically sensitive copper and regional banks.

...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @Ianculley

Interest rates have resumed their ascent following a brief summer pause. And, in recent weeks, their climb has accelerated.

Aside from lower bond prices, what do higher rates mean for other assets, such as stocks and commodities?

It might seem like a simple question. But its relevance is undeniable given the current market conditions.

We’ve been vocal about the cyclical areas of the market that benefit most from a rising rate environment – think commodities, energy, materials, and banks. We’ve put out plenty of trade ideas in those areas.

But not all risk assets enjoy a tailwind when yields rise.

Higher rates mean downside pressure for long-duration assets in general, not just bonds. This also includes growth stocks!

Check out the chart of the US Treasury Bond ETF $TLT overlaid with the growth-versus-value ratio...