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SPY Volume 40% Below Average

Tyler Durden's picture




As the market shoots up once more, there is absolutely no volume breadth participation aside from the traditional program traders who now enjoy complete domination over daily market moves. The SPY intraday volume is plunging relative to average, and at last check 62 million shares were traded compared to a 105 million average by this point in the day: a 40% drop! This should account for all those on the "sidelines" who have taken the Wall Street equivalent of the Main Street revolt to heart, and refuse to participate in what everyone realizes is a market that has no connection to any underlying fundamental reality. We wish the computers all the best as they gun the S&P to 1,600 on 20% real unemployment, $9 trillion in budget deficits, a CRE collapse, waning stimulus effects, and a fast approaching 10% savings rate.




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Wed, 09/09/2009 - 12:51 | Link to Comment Bearish Spirits
Bearish Spirits's picture

Exactly.  Volume won't matter until it becomes a crushing selloff.  Otherwise, last Tuesday's action would have meant something.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 12:56 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 17:03 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 12:52 | Link to Comment AnonymousMonetarist
AnonymousMonetarist's picture

Rule of 4 breakout.

Sell if you got 'em.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 12:52 | Link to Comment tradertim
tradertim's picture

"We wish the computers all the best as they gun the S&P to 1,600 on 20% real unemployment, $9 trillion in budget deficits, a CRE collapse, waning stimulus effects, and a fast approaching 10% savings rate."

it works until it doesn't. ride it out till it turns.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 12:55 | Link to Comment lizzy36
lizzy36's picture

I thought the new rules dictated that SPY only trade volume in AH session?

Does size really matter?

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:08 | Link to Comment lizzy36
lizzy36's picture

issue here is the defination of normal/benchmark. because everything is relative - hahaha.

not to change the subject but steve jobs looks like a walking corpse, jesus. 

 

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:15 | Link to Comment Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

Was the appearance of Steve Jobs the market's jumping of the shark? He really doesn't look like he should be out of bed, let alone on a stage.

Do I smell desperation?

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:25 | Link to Comment lizzy36
lizzy36's picture

DJ Barrick Dehedging Drove Gold Price Move - Analysts

this came out about 5 mins ago

 

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:35 | Link to Comment Mediocritas
Mediocritas's picture

Quite likely, but ABX wouldn't drop the hedge if it wasn't confident about firm prices.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:40 | Link to Comment lizzy36
lizzy36's picture

Their hedges were in the $300 range.  So their removal should mean that ABX is quite confident that gold will stay about the $300 level.

 

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 14:11 | Link to Comment Señor Tranche
Señor Tranche's picture

At $300 I'd go all in bullion.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 14:13 | Link to Comment Señor Tranche
Señor Tranche's picture

not that it's ever going to happen again though

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 15:15 | Link to Comment Hephasteus
Hephasteus's picture

Crazy to have hedges at $300. They have to cover.

http://www.gata.org/node/7773

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 19:49 | Link to Comment Mediocritas
Mediocritas's picture

I make their cover at about $600 based on the cash they take from the share dilution. I always avoided ABX in favour of GG, now even moreso.

Two scenarios here:

1. The Gold Carry Trade is over and ABX just took a big one courtesy of China. In that case gold is going up big. If China does the same with silver, then silver is going up even more.

2. Just another sucker play to add to the list. CBs and the IMF will start crapping on about gold sales real soon, lease away, start some swaps, double book and flood PM paper out there to re-establish the GCT. ABX turn around and sell-forward again having taken advantage of a cash infusion from sucker investors.

I wanna see some very big players (BRICs) run up some huge contracts and stand firm for delivery, then things are gonna get really interesting.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:58 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 19:42 | Link to Comment Mediocritas
Mediocritas's picture

+1 for cynicism, I like it. But in this case I don't actually think ABX had a choice. Their covering should eliminate a lot of paper which is bullish...until the assholes turn around and sell forward again.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:30 | Link to Comment lizzy36
lizzy36's picture

at the risk of suffering the censorship of tyler (he censored a "vaseline" comment of mine but he gets to use goldfingered?)

imho, as long as you have a core competencies and are open to guidance, all will turn out very well.  just stay away from valtrex girls!!!

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:59 | Link to Comment Ghettomedic
Ghettomedic's picture

A corpse with a new liver. Poor liver will outlive its host.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 12:55 | Link to Comment Sardonicus
Sardonicus's picture

isn't it always vapors for volume pre-beige book?

the market going up is no mystery as shorting a dull market is always a bad idea.

Shorts will probably get blow torched again after a jerk down reaction to fed BB.  Has been a reliable pattern.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 12:57 | Link to Comment AnonymousMonetarist
AnonymousMonetarist's picture

Hope it goes straight to 1045.

And then the frog takes a bath.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 12:59 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:00 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:04 | Link to Comment Hondo
Hondo's picture

I agree this is going to end very badly........except the computer controllers (banks) don't care because of taxpayer monies.  If you not a bank don't bet on the government saving your ass this time.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:08 | Link to Comment Dr Hackenbush
Dr Hackenbush's picture

and about 1 in 100,000 of those is an actual market participant (non liquidity provider).

by my guestimation.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:07 | Link to Comment Fish Gone Bad
Fish Gone Bad's picture

I am not trading.  My wife is not trading.  My friends are not trading.  My family is not trading.

That said, I am hoping FAZ can get shit-canned down to $5.   Maybe then I will get back into the market.

 

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:16 | Link to Comment walküre
walküre's picture

It's a casino. Since May I'm leaving only that amount of money on the table that I can afford to loose. Rest is cash.

I'm playing the penny slots and have had better luck than going short.

Ask me if I'd throw any serious money into blue chips, banks or high tech.

Nope.

Even emerging markets are hyped up on bull shit. The traders there are not able to understand that S&P and DJI get ramped up on propaganda and manipulation.

On the ground the real economy is deteriorating further. Nobody dares to look.

 

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:17 | Link to Comment MountainHawk
MountainHawk's picture

I bought FAZ today, hope you're WRONG for my sake... ;-)

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:30 | Link to Comment mule65
mule65's picture

Nice chart.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 14:02 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 16:11 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 16:21 | Link to Comment Big Al
Big Al's picture

Only if your time frame for "buy and hold" doesn't exceed 5 trading days. 

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 16:34 | Link to Comment E Thomas St.
E Thomas St.'s picture

Like Big Al said, it doesn't work if you hold it for any considerable amount of time beyond a week or so. Timing is everything with these and no, "buy both, one has to win" isn't an exception to the rule about timing. One has to get near 100% return on one of the ETFs for it to work and if you can time 100% gains that well, why not buy the profitable ETF wholly?

For me the most I hold these is 4 days. The way the markets are right now it's hard to capture intraday gains that haven't already been made by 10, or built upon by 3:30.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:07 | Link to Comment TumblingDice
TumblingDice's picture

What a farce.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:09 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:10 | Link to Comment Mediocritas
Mediocritas's picture

It'll probably keep on like this for the rest of the week. We'll see.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:13 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:14 | Link to Comment I need more cowbell
I need more cowbell's picture

Woo Hoo

 

Just sold my house, just 7% under asking price, and am happy as a clam.

Will either downsize mucho or lease for a while. Would lease a good while if I was sure mortgage rates would stay down, but no guarantees there.

I have zero debt, and even if I do buy soon will have very little debt. Waht unbelievable stress relief.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:22 | Link to Comment walküre
walküre's picture

Congrats.

Unless you own it, it's not really yours!

Feels good to be debt free, doesn't it?

 

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:23 | Link to Comment Mediocritas
Mediocritas's picture

Congratulations man, seriously. That feeling of stress relief is worth a lot more than a 7% miss.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:32 | Link to Comment I need more cowbell
I need more cowbell's picture

Thanks all. But seriously, I thought 7% was nothing, I was prepared to go much lower.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 14:15 | Link to Comment Miles Kendig
Miles Kendig's picture

I am so happy the hopium trade worked for you.  at least you weren't the one chasing the dragon in that transaction.

Welcome to the freedom of being debt free.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:18 | Link to Comment Ben Graham Redux
Ben Graham Redux's picture

Our President is talking healthcare tonight - need to drum up some optimism from the peanut gallery.  Funny, I never used to think like this but I've seen these moves happen on no news too many times to discount intervention for political means.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:20 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:21 | Link to Comment JohnKing
JohnKing's picture

Sounds like a server rack went offline.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:21 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 16:39 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:24 | Link to Comment Tomified
Tomified's picture

They have built a lot of paper profits since March, but if more than a few try to book them the house will fall down.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:26 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 15:40 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:34 | Link to Comment SteveNYC
SteveNYC's picture

A classic sign of a market that has little participation from anybody (as you said) outside of the momentum players. The public has BUGGER ALL money in this sham, therefore it is primed to collapse like never before. Nobody will be buying on the way down this time, as even shorts have been restricted with what they can do. They have sealed its fate.

Look for the NASDAQ to hit 2,100 and the SPX 1,100 before an all-on collapse.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:39 | Link to Comment Ben Graham Redux
Ben Graham Redux's picture

Steve;

 

You bring up an important point regarding short sellers.  When you burn them and restrict them, there are no natural buyers on a correction.  I think we've seen the equivalent of pushing all of our chips to to the center of the table to bet on a pair of twos.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:48 | Link to Comment JOHNICON
JOHNICON's picture

More like three-seven off suit...

:(

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 14:10 | Link to Comment VegasBD
VegasBD's picture

two-seven off suit is the phrase... three-seven can still fill a straight.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 14:17 | Link to Comment Miles Kendig
Miles Kendig's picture

Ace Eight was Wild Bill's last hand....

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:51 | Link to Comment ratava
ratava's picture

With 5 players left in the hand and JQK suited on the board.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:55 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:50 | Link to Comment MountainHawk
MountainHawk's picture

Great point on the short sellers, can't wait to see it all unfold.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:38 | Link to Comment What_Me_Worry
What_Me_Worry's picture

The DTG/CAR/HTZ computer must have gotten a RAM upgrade this week.  Having positive tangible book value is so 2007.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:47 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:50 | Link to Comment OrganicGeorge
OrganicGeorge's picture

Re: Steve Jobs

For those of us who have been on deaths doorstep the one thing you want to do is get back to normal activity.  Yea you may look like shit, but your not dead and you will do anything to just get back to living.

Instead of seeing desperation; try seeing the triumph human sprit.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 14:15 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 19:46 | Link to Comment Mediocritas
Mediocritas's picture

You're a bastard, but you made me laugh.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 13:53 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 14:05 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 14:09 | Link to Comment Señor Tranche
Señor Tranche's picture

How much of this volume is from arbitrage against the underlying, and is there a way to find that number?  Netting that out would produce much more accurate indication (and I would expect a much sharper decline) of the true volume. 

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 14:13 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 14:45 | Link to Comment Ben Graham Redux
Ben Graham Redux's picture

WalMart has a very heavy fixed cost component.  Their stores require enormous turnover to stay profitable, as does their distribution network.  What happens if consumer spending continues to go soft?  Operating leverage cuts both ways.  That's the only downside I see for WalMart.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 14:32 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 16:14 | Link to Comment Ben Graham Redux
Ben Graham Redux's picture

Nadeem Walayat is right based on definitions but the problem with the Bull camp is what supports the bull market, not that it exists today.  People like Walayat are only concerned with what happens, never why it happens. 

 

In my opinion, we're seeing a carefully orchestrated plan to give us the appearance that everything is alright in the world.  A 246,000 drop in employment is marketed as a big improvement over previous months.  A 3.5% rise in German export orders from a bottom is marketed as definitive proof that the global economy is back on its feet. 

 

Cash for clunkers was a plan that helped two sets of economic variables - retail sales and manufacturing activity - gives the appearance of stability.  $8,000 tax credits for first-time home buyers gives the appearance that the housing  market has fixed itself because new and existing home sales are no longer falling.  These are the things that are supposed to tell us that green shoots are for real.

 

The stock market rising on no volume and rising HFT as a percentage of total is marketed as proof that things are getting better.  The problem is that those of us who look behind the numbers don't like what we see.  Speaking for other bears, we see what appears to be a concerted effort to put us at ease.  Maybe it is a bull market but the foundation upon which real bull markets are built isn't there this time and no amount of credit or public relations can change that.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 18:36 | Link to Comment walküre
walküre's picture

Right, I love it when technicals and fundamentals are used to support a bull market but in the same context are supposed to be ignored.

 

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 15:11 | Link to Comment Achilles
Achilles's picture

Tyler,

Can you compare these volumes also against 2006-2007 average volume? Since the volumes we have seen in the last year cannot be considered as normal.

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 17:30 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 18:06 | Link to Comment ricky663
ricky663's picture

I think it is possible that the current stock "bull market" run is a cleverly thought

out plan to bilk private investors of the remainder of their savings. After all, there seems to be few fundamental reasons for the markets to keep going higher.

 

The big boys still have major financial problems with their balance sheets, despite receiving a huge amount of bailout funds, and need to pocket more profits. Time is of the essence.   It is possible that they may have to mark to market someday, which would show that some (most?) of them are really insolvent (though I would say it is unlikely to happen soon, if ever).

 

It could work something like this:

 

Step 1) get small investors to buy into mutual funds, or other "managed" accounts. This is done via direct advertising via TV/radio/internet, mailings, etc. Getting new accounts should be easy now, as the markets have had historic run ups, and show little sign of correcting. The cheerleaders on TV, online, etc., posit that "the recession is over," "economy is picking up," "we see signs of solid growth," etc.

 

Step 2) run up the stock prices, by trading via the financial companies’ private trading accounts, using computers, and sophisticated software, of course. Something like “I will buy yours, if you buy mine” i.e.… JPM buys from UBS, who buys from GS, who buys from…

 

Step 3) Once you have reached the "target" number, dump (by selling… you get a commission that way too) whatever shares are in the company trading accts into the fiduciary/managed accounts (existing/old accts, and those obtained in step #1), and pocket the profits.

 

Step 4) pay out big bonuses, and enjoy the holiday season.

 

Step 5) at this point, the "big boys" can crash the markets, (and short on the way down, using their trading accounts), and suck their fiduciary accounts dry.

 

Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

Of course, for this to work, the regulators must be absent, or not enforcing the regulations. That means the big boys must be working along with the government….

Ya think??? Nah…

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 20:27 | Link to Comment Natural
Natural's picture

Have you started to notice the correlation between volume on up days and down days?  Have you noticed that its no different today than 20 years ago?  Have you ever wondered why options volatility smiles exhibit skew?  Have you wondered why they have had skew for almost as long as data goes back?  Rallies are typically off of low volume, crashes are typically off of high volume.   Rallies are expected, crashes are not.  SPY was up .77% today, that is not a statistically significant move, the vix is 24ish.....

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 22:28 | Link to Comment johngaltfla
johngaltfla's picture

Amazing. 40% lower volume and the primary stocks trading the heaviest volume on the NYSE are zombies: C,GE, BAC, FRE, FNM, WFC, etc. on any given day of the week. And out of that list, most have or are under some degree of total or heavy government control.

And we "the people" are supposed to believe the markets are not rigged? Uh, huh....

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 22:43 | Link to Comment Anonymous
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