Australian (ASX) Stock Market Forum

Duc's Daily Dozen

Another early start:


In its latest 2023 Net Zero Roadmap, the International Energy Agency softened its stance on upstream projects, changing its 2021 wording of "no new oil and gas fields” to a more nuanced "no new long-lead-time upstream projects”.

- Setting the stage for COP28 in Dubai from November 30 to December 12, the IEA has hailed electricity as the new oil, calling on all countries to speed up the permitting and modernization of power grids.

- The IEA’s repeated calls on fossil fuels to peak before 2030, followed closely by global carbon dioxide emissions, have done little to stop emissions from jumping to an all-time high of 36.8 billion gigaton CO2e last year.

- The IEA bemoaned the slow progress seen in the hydrogen and CCUS industries, pointing out that so far it is only the solar segment and electric car sales that are growing in accordance with 2050 net-zero targets.

Market Movers

- US shale producer Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN) said it expects 2024 capital expenditure to be lower than this year due to falling production costs, aiming to maintain production levels around 650-660,000 boepd.

- Italy’s oil major ENI (BIT:ENI) landed the most exploration deals in Egypt’s recently finalized oil and gas licensing round, taking two blocks by itself and one in a consortium with BP (NYSE:BP) and QatarEnergy.

- UK-based energy major Shell (LON:SHEL) spudded a much-anticipated exploration well in the largely untapped offshore waters of Mauritania, aiming to unlock some 1 Bbbls of oil with the Panna Cotta-1 wildcat.

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

US bonds surged this week with the 10-year US Treasury yields jumping to 4.55%, adding strength to the US dollar vis-a-vis other currencies and pushing the dollar index to its highest since November last year. The dollar strength has prompted the US Federal Reserve to signal another interest rate hike before year-end, and "higher for longer” rate concerns have been tangibly weighing on oil prices, as ICE Brent fell back to $92 per barrel.

Global Biofuels Production Lags Climate Ambition. According to the IEA, production of biofuels has been increasing by an average annual rate of 4% over the past five years, but its 2050 net zero target would need that growth to be triple what it is currently, at 13% per year.

Chevron Ramps Up Venezuela Drilling. US oil major Chevron (NYSE:CVX) expects to add 65,000 b/d of crude production in Venezuela by the end of next year, as laxer sanctions allow it to start the first major drilling campaign in the country, although sourcing drilling rigs might be a problem.

Russia Eases Export Ban, Exempting Gasoils. Seeking to soften the impact of last week’s diesel and gasoline export ban, Moscow has tinkered with its curbs in a new set of regulations, lifting export restrictions on some bunkering fuels as well as on gasoils with high sulfur content.

TMX Avoids Further Delays after New Route Approval. Canada’s Energy Regulator has approved an updated plan from the Trans Mountain Corporation that changes a 0.8-mile pipeline section south of Kamloops, BC, enabling TMX to come online by the end of next year.

US Drillers Call for Policy Consistency. Shale pioneer Harold Hamm has called for the end of back-and-forth energy policy coming from the White House, arguing that the Biden-era rule of not drilling on federal lands should be overturned as restricted land availability increases energy costs.

Iranian Refining Debilitated by Refinery Blast. Following emergency repairs at an unnamed unit of the 300,000 b/d Bandar Abbas refinery, one of the largest in Iran, a blast killed one worker and injured four. Iran’s state media announced there was no impact on refinery production.

White House Sticks to Wind Energy Plans. Despite mounting calls for a US policy revamp on offshore wind projects, the Biden administration reiterated its intent to hold three promised wind lease sales in the Central Atlantic, off the Pacific coast of Oregon, and in the Gulf of Maine in 2024.

Uruguay’s Untapped Waters Attract Global Majors. Uruguay, A country that has never yielded a commercial hydrocarbon discovery, is finalizing 7 new offshore exploration licenses that will see the arrival of Shell (LON:SHEL) or APA (NASDAQ:APA) in the country, hoping for a new Namibia.

China’s Coal Woes Continue. Merely a month after a deadly coal mine explosion in China’s Shaanxi, 16 people were killed in another coal mine collapse in the southwestern Guizhou province, leading to suspended production in a region that accounts for 5% of the country’s coking coal output.

EU Agrees on Euro 7 Car Emission Rules. EU countries have agreed to a new set of emission rules labeled "Euro 7” that would introduce new standards on particle emissions from brakes and tires, advancing the regional bloc’s collective 2035 target of banning sales of carbon-emitting vehicles.

Iron Ore Slumps on Steel Curb News. Chinese iron ore futures plunged to ¥845 per metric tonne ($115/mt) as weaker-than-expected steel consumption in the peak demand months of September-October might prompt Beijing to mandate lower steel production in the country.

Panama Delays Lift VLGC Freight to Multi-Year Highs. The worsening congestion of tankers idling outside of the Panama Canal has lifted VLGC freight rates from the US into Japan to the highest since 2015, reaching 245 per metric tonne this week, with a two-week demurrage costing shippers almost $2 million.

Indonesia Launches Carbon Trading to Lower Coal Usage. Indonesia launched its own carbon emission trading mechanism as the Asian country aims to limit coal utilization at home and reach net zero by 2060, with prices opening around $4.5 per mtCO2 on the first day of trading.

Screen Shot 2023-09-28 at 5.40.11 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-09-28 at 5.41.08 AM.png

Value investing.

Took quite a long time to enter a batch of bracket orders this morning, so very brief post.

jog on
duc
 
i watch the global economy ( and the various nations trying to balance deficits).. that is enough horror from me , i don't need to pay for a movie to be horrified

more scary times to come , i think
 
Another early start:


In its latest 2023 Net Zero Roadmap, the International Energy Agency softened its stance on upstream projects, changing its 2021 wording of "no new oil and gas fields” to a more nuanced "no new long-lead-time upstream projects”.

- Setting the stage for COP28 in Dubai from November 30 to December 12, the IEA has hailed electricity as the new oil, calling on all countries to speed up the permitting and modernization of power grids.

- The IEA’s repeated calls on fossil fuels to peak before 2030, followed closely by global carbon dioxide emissions, have done little to stop emissions from jumping to an all-time high of 36.8 billion gigaton CO2e last year.

- The IEA bemoaned the slow progress seen in the hydrogen and CCUS industries, pointing out that so far it is only the solar segment and electric car sales that are growing in accordance with 2050 net-zero targets.

Market Movers

- US shale producer Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN) said it expects 2024 capital expenditure to be lower than this year due to falling production costs, aiming to maintain production levels around 650-660,000 boepd.

- Italy’s oil major ENI (BIT:ENI) landed the most exploration deals in Egypt’s recently finalized oil and gas licensing round, taking two blocks by itself and one in a consortium with BP (NYSE:BP) and QatarEnergy.

- UK-based energy major Shell (LON:SHEL) spudded a much-anticipated exploration well in the largely untapped offshore waters of Mauritania, aiming to unlock some 1 Bbbls of oil with the Panna Cotta-1 wildcat.

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

US bonds surged this week with the 10-year US Treasury yields jumping to 4.55%, adding strength to the US dollar vis-a-vis other currencies and pushing the dollar index to its highest since November last year. The dollar strength has prompted the US Federal Reserve to signal another interest rate hike before year-end, and "higher for longer” rate concerns have been tangibly weighing on oil prices, as ICE Brent fell back to $92 per barrel.

Global Biofuels Production Lags Climate Ambition. According to the IEA, production of biofuels has been increasing by an average annual rate of 4% over the past five years, but its 2050 net zero target would need that growth to be triple what it is currently, at 13% per year.

Chevron Ramps Up Venezuela Drilling. US oil major Chevron (NYSE:CVX) expects to add 65,000 b/d of crude production in Venezuela by the end of next year, as laxer sanctions allow it to start the first major drilling campaign in the country, although sourcing drilling rigs might be a problem.

Russia Eases Export Ban, Exempting Gasoils. Seeking to soften the impact of last week’s diesel and gasoline export ban, Moscow has tinkered with its curbs in a new set of regulations, lifting export restrictions on some bunkering fuels as well as on gasoils with high sulfur content.

TMX Avoids Further Delays after New Route Approval. Canada’s Energy Regulator has approved an updated plan from the Trans Mountain Corporation that changes a 0.8-mile pipeline section south of Kamloops, BC, enabling TMX to come online by the end of next year.

US Drillers Call for Policy Consistency. Shale pioneer Harold Hamm has called for the end of back-and-forth energy policy coming from the White House, arguing that the Biden-era rule of not drilling on federal lands should be overturned as restricted land availability increases energy costs.

Iranian Refining Debilitated by Refinery Blast. Following emergency repairs at an unnamed unit of the 300,000 b/d Bandar Abbas refinery, one of the largest in Iran, a blast killed one worker and injured four. Iran’s state media announced there was no impact on refinery production.

White House Sticks to Wind Energy Plans. Despite mounting calls for a US policy revamp on offshore wind projects, the Biden administration reiterated its intent to hold three promised wind lease sales in the Central Atlantic, off the Pacific coast of Oregon, and in the Gulf of Maine in 2024.

Uruguay’s Untapped Waters Attract Global Majors. Uruguay, A country that has never yielded a commercial hydrocarbon discovery, is finalizing 7 new offshore exploration licenses that will see the arrival of Shell (LON:SHEL) or APA (NASDAQ:APA) in the country, hoping for a new Namibia.

China’s Coal Woes Continue. Merely a month after a deadly coal mine explosion in China’s Shaanxi, 16 people were killed in another coal mine collapse in the southwestern Guizhou province, leading to suspended production in a region that accounts for 5% of the country’s coking coal output.

EU Agrees on Euro 7 Car Emission Rules. EU countries have agreed to a new set of emission rules labeled "Euro 7” that would introduce new standards on particle emissions from brakes and tires, advancing the regional bloc’s collective 2035 target of banning sales of carbon-emitting vehicles.

Iron Ore Slumps on Steel Curb News. Chinese iron ore futures plunged to ¥845 per metric tonne ($115/mt) as weaker-than-expected steel consumption in the peak demand months of September-October might prompt Beijing to mandate lower steel production in the country.

Panama Delays Lift VLGC Freight to Multi-Year Highs. The worsening congestion of tankers idling outside of the Panama Canal has lifted VLGC freight rates from the US into Japan to the highest since 2015, reaching 245 per metric tonne this week, with a two-week demurrage costing shippers almost $2 million.

Indonesia Launches Carbon Trading to Lower Coal Usage. Indonesia launched its own carbon emission trading mechanism as the Asian country aims to limit coal utilization at home and reach net zero by 2060, with prices opening around $4.5 per mtCO2 on the first day of trading.

View attachment 163067View attachment 163066

Value investing.

Took quite a long time to enter a batch of bracket orders this morning, so very brief post.

jog on
duc
Mr @Skate and other fellow trend systems builder will be interested in the priceactionlab link above👍
Got similar resulting curves on my own when choosing the max amount of shares used, due to fixed limited budget.in most of my strategies a dozen or so allow you to benefit of outliers but more reduce volatility and risk..and allow better sleep...
 
Mr @Skate and other fellow trend systems builder will be interested in the priceactionlab link above👍
Got similar resulting curves on my own when choosing the max amount of shares used, due to fixed limited budget.in most of my strategies a dozen or so allow you to benefit of outliers but more reduce volatility and risk..and allow better sleep...

@qldfrog , thank you for resharing @ducati916 "priceactionlab" link, which I found very interesting. Concentrating my trading on one market (ASX) and one index (XAO) can increase the impact of outliers, but it also increases the volatility and risk, a worthy trade-off.

Fooled by Technical Analysis - Michael Harris
I thought it would be a good exercise to give my opinion on the topic of Michael Harris's book but with a search, the book has been discussed in this forum.

For those interested
The hyperlink to the discussion of the book can be found here:




Fooled by Technical Analysis.jpg

As a bonus
Here is a transcript of an interview between John Navin and Michael Harris - "Why Some Technical Analysis May No Longer Be Effective"


Footnote
As you would appreciate, my input isn't required even though I would have a lot to say on this topic, especially the subject matter.

Skate.
 
Fooled by Technical Analysis.jpg

Fooled by Technical Analysis - The perils of charting, backtesting, and data-mining
On second thought, I want to have my say, from my perspective. The book written by Michael Harris, a trader and software developer who runs the Price Action Lab Blog is available online only, and you need to subscribe to read it. The book has 270+ pages and 74 charts, and it was revised three times.

The main idea of the book
Basically, it's the author's attempt to expose the flaws and limitations of technical analysis, which is a method of analysing price movements and patterns in financial markets. The book argues that technical analysis is based on faulty logic, unreliable data, and naive assumptions. The book also shows how backtesting, which is the process of testing trading strategies on historical data, can lead to data-mining bias and false discoveries. The book claims that most technical analysis methods are unprofitable and ineffective and that only expert chartists and quants can have some edge in the markets, which is one person's perspective, a premise I can't agree with.

Skate.
 
interview between John Navin and Michael Harris - "Why Some Technical Analysis May No Longer Be Effective"

Furthermore
Michael Harris's book is intended for traders who want to learn the truth about technical analysis and how to improve their trading skills. The book also provides some practical advice on how to develop effective trading systems and strategies from his experience.

When it comes to the interview
John Navin and Michael Harris discuss "Why Some Technical Analysis May No Longer Be Effective". The main idea of the interview is to discuss and challenge the validity and effectiveness of technical analysis. Harris argues that technical analysis is based on faulty logic, and criticises backtesting, which is the process of testing trading strategies on historical data, for being prone to data-mining bias and false discoveries. He claims that most technical analysis methods are unprofitable and ineffective and that only experts have an edge in the markets.

Skate.
 
How Little We Know - The Unseen Dangers of High-Frequency Trading
As I delved into the realm of High-Frequency Trading (HFT), I believed it was the natural progression for my trading journey. The sheer volume of trades, the intensity of the algorithms, and the lightning-fast execution times fascinated me. However, I quickly realised that there was more to HFT than meets the eye. The lack of human involvement and the potential for unintended consequences made me question the very foundations of this trading method.

The playing field is not level
Hobby traders like myself are not competing in the same arena as the big players. The high-frequency quants hold the upper hand, manipulating the market with their sophisticated algorithms. It's like playing a game of chess against a grandmaster and the outcome is already predetermined.

Skate.
 
How Little We Know - The Unseen Dangers of High-Frequency Trading
As I delved into the realm of High-Frequency Trading (HFT), I believed it was the natural progression for my trading journey. The sheer volume of trades, the intensity of the algorithms, and the lightning-fast execution times fascinated me. However, I quickly realised that there was more to HFT than meets the eye. The lack of human involvement and the potential for unintended consequences made me question the very foundations of this trading method.

The playing field is not level
Hobby traders like myself are not competing in the same arena as the big players. The high-frequency quants hold the upper hand, manipulating the market with their sophisticated algorithms. It's like playing a game of chess against a grandmaster and the outcome is already predetermined.

Skate.
more than that , they often have a speed advantage of placing orders as well as an advantage in costs ( per trade )

HOWEVER computers still generate errors , usually rare to be sure , now the top end might have programmed in parameters to stop the obvious errors being placed , but 'flash crashes'and 'fat finger' events show even built in 'circuit breakers by the bourses fail sometimes and to make it worse should the little guy score a juicy outcome the bourse is likely to unwind the trade to protect the highly valued customer

but good luck to you if you can make it work for you
 
HOWEVER computers still generate errors , usually rare to be sure , now the top end might have programmed in parameters to stop the obvious errors being placed , but 'flash crashes' and 'fat finger' events show even built in 'circuit breakers by the bourses fail sometimes and to make it worse should the little guy score a juicy outcome the bourse is likely to unwind the trade to protect the highly valued customer

I'll show you a flash crash of 2010
I would have trouble articulating just how wild the "Flash Crash" of 2010 was, lasting only a few minutes but leaving devastating results in its wake. The charts in the "hyperlink" are mind-boggling, and the concept of "Quote Stuffing" - bursts of quotes with extremely unusual characteristics, including bizarre price or size cycling and large bursts of quotes in short time frames is still hard to wrap my head around. I'm not sure I can adequately explain succinctly the intricacies of the Flash Crash and the role that Quote Stuffing played in it.

I've spent too much time on these reports
That being said, if you're interested in learning more, I'd be happy to give it a shot. Just keep in mind that the details are complex and may be difficult to follow. Alternatively, feel free to explore the reports and charts yourself and draw your own conclusions. It's a fascinating topic, even if it is a bit mind-numbing making sense of something non-sensical.


Skate.
 
I've spent too much time on these reports
That being said, if you're interested in learning more, I'd be happy to give it a shot. Just keep in mind that the details are complex and may be difficult to follow.


My brief summary
The hyperlink above tries to make sense of a very unusual event that happened in the US stock market on the 6th of May 2010. On that day, the prices of many stocks and other financial products suddenly dropped very fast and then went back up very quickly, all within a few minutes. This "Flash Crash" was very scary and confusing for many people who trade and it's important to revisit times such as these to make sense of what happened before, during, and after the crash.

Skate.
 
I'll show you a flash crash of 2010
I would have trouble articulating just how wild the "Flash Crash" of 2010 was, lasting only a few minutes but leaving devastating results in its wake. The charts in the "hyperlink" are mind-boggling, and the concept of "Quote Stuffing" - bursts of quotes with extremely unusual characteristics, including bizarre price or size cycling and large bursts of quotes in short time frames is still hard to wrap my head around. I'm not sure I can adequately explain succinctly the intricacies of the Flash Crash and the role that Quote Stuffing played in it.

I've spent too much time on these reports
That being said, if you're interested in learning more, I'd be happy to give it a shot. Just keep in mind that the details are complex and may be difficult to follow. Alternatively, feel free to explore the reports and charts yourself and draw your own conclusions. It's a fascinating topic, even if it is a bit mind-numbing making sense of something non-sensical.


Skate.
i wasn't interested in the market when the 2010 flash crash occurred but i have on interest in computer hardware ( and some of the geeks that tap the keyboards ) but have read a little since ( and put my hobby hardware under the microscope .. some ex-government , some ex large corporations and have found some amazing things , from quality-cutting , just endemically flawed hardware , and just seriously dumb compromises ( one old server i DOUBLED the speed by inserting a $10 video card ) others were designed to need enhanced cooling in summer ( and the inherent risk of cooling system failure , because they used $5 fans internally

however in recent years i have seen the short-comings of stop-loss ( i never use them ) but interesting to see WHEN they work and when they don't

and 'quote-stuffing ' yes i have seen some wonderful displays of that ( that usually go unpunished )
 
however in recent years i have seen the short-comings of stop-loss ( i never use them ) but interesting to see WHEN they work and when they don't

@divs4ever, to save clogging "Duc's thread" let me give you an example in the "Dump it here" thread. The most common question I get asked is when to buy and rarely "when to sell".

There was good banter in the WDS thread and I'll use this company as an example.

Buying good companies is the name of the game but buy them too early or too late in the cycle and you'll be in for a great deal of pain.

Skate.
 
Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 3.03.43 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-09-29 at 3.04.11 AM.png

The point being that similar to 2000/2001 the market leaders are holding this market up. Always a dangerous situation.

Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 3.05.26 AM.png

Apparently COST is selling 1oz gold bars. More on gold in a minute.

Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 3.23.54 AM.png

Dug this up.

Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 3.46.40 AM.png

Currently sits at $33T+. You do the math.

Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 3.31.49 AM.png

Recession is well on its way.

Now for the important gold story:

Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 3.40.47 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-09-29 at 3.41.26 AM.png

The short version is that the West's media have spun the story as: the PBOC defends the CNY to prevent USD outflows. The primary issue is that there is a major, to the death currency war going on between the USD (weaponised) and BRICKS (gold).

What the Chinese have just demonstrated is that they control gold and they can weaponise it if they choose.

Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 3.53.02 AM.png




And of course, another attack on gold via the paper gold markets:

Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 3.55.07 AM.png

Which increasingly, goes nowhere.

In the 'past' a strong dollar coupled with high interest rates would have a weak POG. Arguably interest rates are not 'high' relative to rates in 1980, but they are far higher nominally than the negative real rates that we have had for the last few years.

Gold sits near its ATH. Which is still a gross undervaluation.

Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 4.09.33 AM.png

Translated:

Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 4.09.14 AM.png

I also noted the flurry of activity and comments that appeared yesterday. I haven't really had time to fully consider some of these, but I will as the w/e is fast approaching.


jog on
duc
 
Lots going on today, so a second helping and my w/e starts today.




Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 7.42.58 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-09-29 at 8.03.32 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-09-29 at 8.03.56 AM.png

So WHY are the USD up, Yields up and oil up? What does that mean for stocks et al? The answer to the question is: the US NIIP is (-70%) of GDP. Foreign holders of US assets have plenty of assets to sell UST and US stocks, to provide them USD (driving it higher) to pay for higher oil.

Energy is the trump card here.

Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 8.04.28 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-09-29 at 8.05.01 AM.png

See above.

Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 8.05.46 AM.png

Clueless half-wit.

Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 8.06.09 AM.png

And will continue to get their teeth kicked in until the Fed (as they will) go to QE, YCC or some new moniker.

Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 8.06.40 AM.png

LOL. Another half-wit.

Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 8.14.37 AM.png

Just love those history charts.

Screen Shot 2023-09-29 at 8.15.15 AM.png

jog on
duc
 
@divs4ever, to save clogging "Duc's thread" let me give you an example in the "Dump it here" thread. The most common question I get asked is when to buy and rarely "when to sell".

There was good banter in the WDS thread and I'll use this company as an example.

Buying good companies is the name of the game but buy them too early or too late in the cycle and you'll be in for a great deal of pain.

Skate.
but which is worse .. too early or missing out completely , yes i expect to endure some discomfort ( i have picked absolute tops and bottoms in a market move and often ended up with a part-filled contract with brokerage costs taking a lot of joy out of the achievement

and that is why i rarely take big ( for me ) positions in a single buy

now those with a large reliable income , or packed to the rim war-chest can make big moves without a worry of running of of powder at important moments ( for instance i suspect Buffett always has a lazy $100 mill. stashed in a hollow log somewhere even in the worst downturns )

now in my opinion the worst time to sell , is when you are forced to , say a margin call , a big expense hits you between the eyes , if you can take the edge out of your desperation and sell what you would like to sell ( NOT anything you can ) life is a lot less stressful .
 
and i suppose the obvious needs to be stated

IF you have bought a good company at a fair price , do you really want to sell it ?? say you scoped up some $15 BHP during the Brazil dam failures , the fallout from the disaster is still washing through BHP .. BUT the share price has close to tripled anyway despite shedding the petroleum arm

so if you have a position in a good business at a sweet entry point why the hurry to sell , now i might REDUCE at take some cash off the table , but i usually sell ( completely ) because of company decisions i dislike , not because the price is high or falling
 
Screen Shot 2023-10-03 at 5.54.57 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-03 at 5.55.57 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-03 at 6.00.04 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-03 at 6.01.34 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-03 at 6.02.02 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-03 at 6.02.56 AM.png

Contained within those charts is a simple message: USD higher, Bonds lower.

Oil:

Friday, September 29th, 2023

The expiry of November ICE Brent futures has seen backwardation between the expiring month and the December contract shoot up to a whopping $2 per barrel. At the same time, despite some very bullish news this week, ranging from wafer-thin Cushing stocks to an improving macro outlook in China, oil prices have been rangebound lately as crude remains overbought and any surge above $95 per barrel triggers resistance. With OPEC+ meeting next week on October 4, focus will now move back to Saudi Arabia and the future of its production cuts.

Strained Cushing Stocks Stoke Fears of Shortages. As crude inventories at the key US storage hub of Cushing, Oklahoma fell to their lowest since July 2022, at 22.0 million barrels, operators are fearing operational risks as oil becomes difficult to remove if tank storage holds less than 20 million barrels.

UK Approves Largest Oilfield in Years. The British government has greenlighted Equinor’s (NYSE:EQNR) Rosebank oil field, the largest project in the UK North Sea in years despite its relatively meagre 300 MMbbls reserves, despite fierce opposition from environmentalists.

Saudi Aramco Boosts Chinese Portfolio. Saudi Arabia’s national oil company Saudi Aramco (TADAWUL:2222) signed a preliminary deal with China’s Jiangsu Eastern Shenghong to buy a 10% stake in the petrochemicals-focused refiner, operating a 320,000 b/d plant in Lianyungang.

IATA Warns of High SAF Prices for Aviation. The head of the International Air Transport Association Willie Walsh said sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is likely to stay more expensive than kerosene even after large-scale production is brought in, creating upward pricing pressures for air travel.

Argentina Offers Oil Drillers Preferential Currency Rates. Argentina’s incumbent government will allow oil producers to tap into a preferential exchange rate for the next two months, double the value of the official rate of 350 ARS per USD, in the run-up to the October 22 presidential ballot.

Iraq Eyes Maritime Demarcation Deal with Kuwait. Iraq’s prime minister Shia al-Sudani signalled the Middle Eastern country’s readiness to overcome a maritime border demarcation dispute with Kuwait, legacy of the UN’s 1993 border settlement that only covered the land border.

China Pours Cold Water on Hopes for Next Quota. According to Chinese reports, the country’s economic planner NDRC does not intend to issue more oil product export quotas this year, sapping hopes for an additional 4-5 million tonne Q4 allocation to further China’s diesel and jet exports.

Iraq Has No Plans to Rush Pipeline Restart. Whilst both Ankara and Baghdad have been expressing their hopes for a timely restart of the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline that brings Kurdish production to the Eastern Mediterranean, talks on Turkey’s $1.4 billion compensation have seen little progress.

Australia’s Key Gas Project Back to Square One. Australia’s Federal Court halted approval for Australia’s largest upcoming gas project, the 12 billion Scarborough field developed by Woodside (ASX:WDS), to conduct another round of seismic surveying after a legal challenge by an Indigenous woman that claimed Woodside had not properly consulted her.

Exxon Relinquishes Guyana’s Oil Frontier. US oil producers ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) and Hess Corp (NYSE:HES) have relinquished the Kaieteur block in offshore Guyana abutting their multi-billion-barrel Stabroek Block, citing disappointing results of their exploration wells there.

Nigerian Oil Workers’ Strike Disrupts Drilling. Nigeria’s leading oil and gas union NUPENG will join a nationwide strike to protest the Tinubu government’s measures that worsened living conditions for Nigerians, most notably the scrapping of the $10 billion fuel subsidy that sent fuel prices soaring.

Copper Contango Soars to Highest in 40 Years. Declining spot copper prices have pushed the spread between spot and LME 3-month futures to the widest contango since 1994, at $70/mt, with weakness in the prompt driven by surging inventories with LME stocks alone up 50% since the start of September.

Biden’s 5-Year Offshore Plan Sees No Leases Next Year. The Biden administration’s 5-year plan for offshore oil and gas leasing does not include any auctions to be held in 2024 and features only three in the subsequent years of 2025-2028, marking the lowest leasing activity since at least 1992.


Screen Shot 2023-10-03 at 6.13.01 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-03 at 6.12.51 AM.png

Which is driven by higher oil.

To get the USD lower, oil must be forced lower. Last time they released the SPR reserves. Empty this time. So the only way forward is to get the Arabs to release an additional 2M barrels/day or somesuch. Short term solution creates a secular problem going forward. The politicians are so stupid/dishonest.

Of course a lower POO is a death knell for fracking oil in Texas. They need $90/barrel+ on a sustained level to bring production back.

Bonds:

Screen Shot 2023-10-03 at 6.11.31 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-03 at 6.11.54 AM.png

Hedge Funds are HUGE in the Bond basis trade. How huge? Try x500 leverage huge. That is just a recipe for disaster. Yesterday I was watching a pre-market discussion and buying a long in TLT was this chap's #1 trade.

Everyone and their granny is looking for a bounce in TLT. The pain trade is therefore by definition lower.

Screen Shot 2023-10-03 at 6.21.28 AM.png

Now all of my 'technicals' are also suggesting a bounce here.

But I am a great believer in the 'pain trade'.

Fundamentally what the TLT buyers want/need is: lower USD, lower POO or higher inflation. How does that work for bonds?

Essentially the trade in TLT is actually a trade in thinking you know what the Fed will do. The Fed has no idea what the Fed is going to do. Their models are bust.

Screen Shot 2023-10-03 at 6.27.23 AM.png

Clueless.

jog on
duc
 
The issues continue to build:

Screen Shot 2023-10-04 at 5.07.20 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-04 at 5.09.00 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-04 at 5.09.26 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-04 at 5.09.52 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-04 at 5.11.19 AM.png

The inversion is turning up as the 10yr starts to go parabolic. The upturn is the signal that s**t is about to get real.
Screen Shot 2023-10-04 at 5.05.43 AM.png

USD up, 10yr yield up, oil up, everything else down.

The MOVE index (VIX for BONDS) late last week:

Screen Shot 2023-10-04 at 5.16.57 AM.png

Signalling UST dysfunction.

Unless the US can get POO down significantly, ie. back to $70+/barrel, the SHTF. Without the co-operation of the OPEC+, that now is a zero probability. OPEC hates Biden. OPEC needs to announce a production increase of +/- 2M barrels/day to collapse the POO back into a 7-handle.

Where the 'technical' buyers of TLT get stopped out if they are sensible, carried out if dumb:

Screen Shot 2023-10-04 at 5.24.49 AM.png

Technicals mean nothing when the fundamentals turn against you. The correlations are again moving towards 1. TLT is being bought because it is widely believed that the Fed will not (cannot allow) UST market dysfunction. Correct.

However, when the Fed do step in, 100% probability (timing is the issue) the result will be high inflation. Bad for UST. Of course many are trying to time the bounce via technicals.

Forget technicals. If you want to buy the bounce wait for Powell to make the press release. Will you miss out on a few %? Sure. Who cares.

Until Yellen can get USD lower, oil lower, this will continue. The world holds $7T in UST that can be sold to obtain USD with which to buy oil.

Meanwhile inflation will move higher. Probability 100%. Which means gold will move higher once Powell steps into the UST market or before as it is realised that the USD is toast.

Oil News:

Negative price arbitrage for Atlantic LNG cargoes going into Asia has been limiting flows into Asia since April, a potentially dangerous trend heading into peak winter season.

- There has been an increasing reluctance to divert more Atlantic Basin LNG cargoes towards Asia due to Panama Canal congestion, high freight rates, and more convenient supply routes into Europe.

- Amidst wide inter-month contango Asian buyers have been building floating LNG storage stocks in view of the upcoming winter, with global floating volume reaching 2.6 million tonnes of LNG at the end of September.

- US LNG exporters currently garner $0.6 per mmBtu more if they deliver their cargoes to Europe, whilst for African LNG exporters the JKM/NWE spread is even wider at $1 per mmBtu, prompting Asia to rely on arbitrage flows from Australia and the Middle East.

Market Movers

- Saudi national oil company Saudi Aramco (TADAWUL:2222) agreed to buy a “strategic” minority stake in LNG developer MidOcean Energy for $500 million, its first venture into LNG markets.

- Algeria’s state oil firm Sonatrach replaced its CEO Toufik Hakkar, the chief architect of the country’s new 2019 upstream law with Rachid Hachichi who already did a 7-month stint at the NOC in 2019.

- US lithium miner Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) agreed to pay more than $218 million to settle a US DoJ probe into its scheme to bribe government officials in Vietnam, Indonesia, and India.

Tuesday, October 03, 2023

Oil prices have weakened with the expiry of the November futures contract, with ICE Brent back to trading around the $90 per barrel mark. The US dollar rose to its strongest since December 2022, and combined with another round of weak European manufacturing data it all added to a weaker start to October crude trading.

COP28 Brings Together Emissions Supply and Demand. As the UAE prepares for the COP28 summit set to take place in Dubai in early December, the summit organizers have brought together more than 50 oil and gas firm CEOs with executives from the aluminum, steel, and cement industries to fix carbon-cutting commitments.

Italy Rejects Glencore’s Recycling Project Bid. After the Italian region of Sardinia rejected Glencore’s (LON:GLEN) request for a fast-track approval of its planned metal recycling hub in Portovesme, an erstwhile zinc smelter shuttered in 2021, the metals giant started to look for other options.

Iran to Build New Refinery in Syria. Iran’s state-owned oil refining company NIORDC revealed that Tehran signed a tripartite agreement with Syria and Venezuela to build a new 140,000 b/d capacity refinery in Syria’s Homs governorate, also aiding Damascus in boosting idled oil production.

Carmakers Assess Damage from “Unfeasible” Fuel Rules. A carmaker’s industry group representing the US’ leading automobile producers stated that the Biden administration’s fuel economy standards through 2032 are not feasible and would cost carmakers a total of more than $14 billion in fines.

Germany Moves Closer to Nationalizing Key Grid Operator. The German government is reportedly close to a deal with Dutch state-owned grid operator TenneT to buy the latter’s German power infrastructure portfolio for $21 billion, giving Berlin more control over its power grid build-out.

Vietnam Probes Chinese Wind Turbines on Dumping. Vietnam’s industry ministry launched an investigation into wind turbines from China following complaints by domestic producers that warned of potential dumping, indicating it might potentially apply temporary anti-dumping measures.

South Africa Approves Offshore Drilling. South Africa’s environmental ministry gave the greenlight to TotalEnergies’ (NYSE:TTE) offshore drilling program in Blocks 5,6 and 7 of the country, reinstating the projects authorization after six months of consultations triggered by a series of lobby group claims.

Skyrocketing Sugar Prices Hit Africa Hard. Apart from high energy prices, African countries are set to be tested by sugar prices spiraling out of control as ICE raw sugar futures shot up to a 12-year high of $27.5 per pound mid-September, up 40% since the beginning of this year.

Plunging Lithium Prices Cloud China Outlook. Cautious restocking of Chinese car and battery manufacturers before Q4 has pushed the price of lithium carbonate in China to as little as ¥166,500 per metric tonne ($22,800/mt), halving in just three months the lowest quote in two years.

Mexico’s Pemex and Vitol Settle Graft Allegations. Mexico’s national oil company Pemex accepted a $30 million settlement with global trader Vitol and resumed trade after almost three years of severed ties, following the 2020 discovery of Vitol’s kickback scheme to win business with the NOC.

ENI Discovers Giant Indonesia Field. Italy’s oil major ENI (BIT:ENI) announced the discovery of a sizable gas field in offshore Indonesia, with the Geng North-1 exploration well unearthing up to 5 TCf of natural gas and 400 MMbbls of condensate, to be tied into the Bontang LNG facilities in the future.

Hedge Funds Turn Away from Oil Futures. Hedge funds and other money managers sold the equivalent of 25 million barrels in the six key oil futures in the week ending September 26, marking the first net negative week since mid-August even though WTI length is still rising (+16 MMbbls).

Venezuela Crude Exports Rebound on Chevron Output. Venezuela’s national oil company PDVSA exported more than 800,000 b/d in September, the second highest monthly average in 2023 to date, just as Chevron produced 145,000 b/d last month and aims to expand output to 200,000 b/d next year.

jog on
duc
 
Last edited:
The issue is UST.

This article touches on some of the issues: https://www.advisorperspectives.com/articles/2023/10/02/rates-bonds-rising-larry-swedroe

So let's get into the guts of it:

Screen Shot 2023-10-05 at 6.21.54 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-05 at 6.22.21 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-05 at 6.22.41 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-05 at 6.23.00 AM.png

From the first chart: UST used to be covered 100%+. Now they can barely cover 50%.
What is being bought includes equities.
The strong USD increases the probability of selling UST by foreign holders to buy energy.

Chart #2
Because the marginal buyer of UST currently are the Hedge Funds and their 'basis' trade. They are weak hands by definition. The Hedge Funds have leveraged this trade 500:1. WTF. This is a disaster just waiting to happen.

Chart #3

More supply than demand. The US Treasury has a $2T deficit this Q4 and needs to roll $5T next year (prior to any further deficits). Of course if there is such a high demand, why is the price (higher yields) falling through the floor?

Screen Shot 2023-10-05 at 6.06.05 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-05 at 6.05.27 AM.png

Banks that hold UST (banks were previously the marginal buyers of UST) are holding MTM losses. If they sold, they would be insolvent and fail like Silicon Valley Bank. Hence the Fed backstops them with BTFP (Buy the f**king paper) bailout.

Screen Shot 2023-10-05 at 5.59.01 AM.png

The YEN has relative to USD been in freefall. Japan is a huge energy consumer. Japan holds lots of UST to sell.

Screen Shot 2023-10-05 at 5.53.03 AM.png
Screen Shot 2023-10-05 at 5.51.09 AM.png

And along with others is selling.

So although 'technically' the chart is at 'support' the actual support will be any political deals that can be made to accomplish:

(a) weaker USD
(b) lower POO

From Mr flippe-floppe-flye:

Screen Shot 2023-10-05 at 6.01.14 AM.pngScreen Shot 2023-10-05 at 6.01.28 AM.png

Is the Fed aware?
Of course.

The issue is that they are fast becoming, if not already, powerless.

There will be 'headlines' coming out of the Fed that will drive rallies (bounces) in UST. They will fail. The problem is structural and secular driven by an excess of debt. Default is the only outcome. 100% probability.

The only question is: (a) slow default, inflation or (b) fast default, massive deflation? It will be (a) unless the Fed totally loses control of events. 98% probability.

jog on
duc
 
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