HXU update, could it be telling us the TSX might yet go up??

HXU jan 8 2015 b

I left RBCDS involuntarily on Nov. 6 ,2008. It is hard to believe that 6 whole years have gone by. Just before I left I had put buy orders in for the HXU in fairly large numbers and for relatively large amounts, basically anyone who would listen. Those orders were no doubt cancelled before they could be filled as there was nobody left to deal with such an esoteric product as the Hor. BetaPro  leveraged 2x TSX up, which is , of course, the opposite to the HXD (U=up, D=down). The objective was the usual 62% retracement in the form of an a-b-c. We got precisely that all though in fairness we would probable have bailed at $18, not having the patience to wait two years.

After reaching the 62% mark it dutifully drops 62% to about $14. It should have continued to almost zero as Europe fell apart but the powers that be saved the day with oceans of money and other goodies. Three more years pass and the goodies just keep coming and as a result the markets experienced one of the longest rallies ever without major interruptions, that is un till Q4 of 2014. Today we are essentially where we were 4 years ago! So where do we go from here?? This may come as a shock but despite my beliefs to the contrary, it would seem that we should at least entertain the possibility of being wrong! Here are the charts;

HXU jan 8 2015 mHXU han 8 2015 s

Just as with the inverse head-and-shoulder possibility on the NYA (two blogs ago) there is the equally alarming possibility that the HXU might go up. The main cause for concern is a triangle formation that seems to be forming over the past four months or so. In such a triangle all 5 legs must develop as a-b-c’s which does not seem to be the case but it is very hard to tell. Otherwise the triangle is well formed needing only c of d and all of e. This could be complete, if it happens at all, in one month or three months so the apex can shift both to the right or left. In fact the whole thing could already be complete! The triangle, as it must be, is clearly in a 4th wave position. It measures about $8 so a reasonable target once the “thrust” is done would be between $34 and $38, which would allow the HXU to double top. Time will tell!

For the record, I do not have an open mind and I cannot conceive of the TSX improving much further with what is happening to oil and the banks. So I will stick to the HXD on which I have already lost a lot, but I am aware that what should happen, does not necessarily happen which I understand is the main reason why people lose money.

The bears should keep in mind and console themselves with the thought that some triangles, at tops, are actually a series of 1-2’s which is very bearish.

HXD. Horizons BetaPro TSX 2x bear.

HXD may 21 2011

This is our favorite instrument. $8 was always an interesting  point as that is where the inverse HXU traded at the lows in March of 2009, see below;

hxu may 21 2011

A difference of only $0.08, and it has now held for the better part of two  months. And the HXU did a fairly straightforward A-B-C, which, by definition , is a corrective move. I think the time has come (or passed already) to buy the HXD. even at today’s price of about $8.65 or so. The Fed etc.etc. can not continue this shell game. The simple reality is that the world has mis-allocated roughly 3 trillion dollars or more, perhaps a lot more. By kicking the can down the road time is won but the question remains – as always – who is going to pay, bondholders, equity holders or taxpayers. Inevitable there will be a very serious headwind when we find out.

HXD and HXU

You could do all your trading with just these two ETFs. The Horizons X(TSX) D for down or U for up. They are leveraged so one should not go overboard but otherwise they do most of what is needed. Here are the charts;

hxd20112 HXu 2011

The HXU, the bull one on the left could have been bought for $8 at the lows in March, today it is at $24 and appears to have completed an A-B-C of sorts. The HXD, the bear version is on the left and seems to have completed an A-B-C as well, ending with a pretty nice wedge that seems to go on forever. Today it hit a low of $8.03 and even though one cannot be absolutely certain, it is clearly a buy at these levels and should trade towards the $20 level and perhaps a lot higher!

The wedge , in detail , is below. It is the 5th of the 5th which is the wedge so do not confuse the two charts.

HXD20113

HXU and HXD, 2x up or down the TSX

These leveraged  Horizons Betapro  vehicles are fairly simple, you do not lose on futures roll-overs as no futures are used and consequently you do not suffer the debilitating effects of a commodity in contango (such as in HNU).  They are straight vanilla no nonsense tools that go 2x as fast as the underlying TSX. There are many of these, Google ‘direxion’ and at least 2 dozen come up that are leveraged up to 3x.

I like to look at both the up and the down as they should mirror each other and, if done correctly one can theoretically make a living just alternating between the two. Here they are;

HXU Nov 2010 HXD nov 2010

Before being let go at RBC (I am being polite) I had every single client of mine with a standing order to buy HXU at $8. They would have doubled their money. At the 62% retracement the HXD should have been bought. It is difficult to get it exactly right but the beauty is that even if the market runs against you, the sensitivity is quite low, whereas if it goes your way it really goes. It could well be that the market has another leg up , but if you are convinced that there will be a bigger one down, either now or later, this is an ideal investment if used in moderation. The SDS does the same for the US S&P (in US$) or as HSD (in Can $). Remember that you are not trying to catch the 30% movement, instead you are aiming for at least 100%