From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

Stocks aren’t the only risk assets falling this week.

Rebar, Corn, and Cotton are posting multi-year lows. Dr.Copper is slipping below four bucks. And our short cattle trades are working.  

But as most commodities slide, one area (aside from precious metals) is finding its feet.

Notice the CRB Index is carving out a two-year base while our equal-weight index hits its lowest level since early 2021:

The disparity between the two indexes comes down to their construction. 

We weigh 33 commodities equally for our index, so rebar futures carry the same weight as crude oil. 

On the other hand, crude comprises almost a quarter of the CRB Index.

These stark contrasts reveal two pertinent themes: broadening weakness among commodities and emerging relative strength from energy.

Our index captures the failed breakouts and fresh breakdowns in grains, livestock, and base and industrial metals.

Perhaps Dr.Copper had it right all along.

...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

Aside from gold’s new all-time highs, commodities look rough.

Natty gas is falling below two bucks. Copper is retesting four. And corn is rolling to its lowest level since 2020.

But of all the vulnerable commodities contracts, only one area stands out as a viable short: cattle.

Feeder cattle futures closed below 250 this afternoon, triggering a sell signal:

Notice the 14-day RSI led price by registering a new multi-month low ahead of today’s breakdown. The waning momentum speaks to weakening demand and the possibility of a swift move lower.  

As highlighted in June, our downside targets are now 234 and 175.

Live cattle futures also...

From the Desks of Ian Culley @IanCulley and Sam Gatlin @Sam_Gatlin

It’s time to buy natty gas.

A bullish momentum swing is on the verge of flashing green. And seasonal tailwinds are due to pick up as price pulls back. 

Plus, the dominant four-year cycle is approaching the next expansion phase.

Buckle up!

Check out the monthly natty gas chart with a MAC-D momentum indicator in the lower pane:

The monthly MAC-D is nearing a bullish crossover at extreme oversold conditions. This long-term momentum setup occurs after cyclical lows, marking critical inflection points in 2012, 2016, and 2020.  

Also, all three previous natty gas cycles hit bottom in the spring and ripped higher toward the end of summer – the start of the best three months of the year (August- October).

I expect stiff seasonal tailwinds to start whipping buyers into a frenzy by the second week of August:

...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

Risk assets are taking a hit.

The major equity indexes are seeing red. Crude oil is slipping below eighty bucks. And gold is failing at new all-time highs.

Perhaps the markets are navigating the summertime blues – a tune base and industrial metal investors have been humming for months.

Remember copper’s failed breakout in May:

Oof!

Dr. Copper is living up to the trading adage that from failed moves come fast moves in the opposite direction.

The futures continue to fall – down almost 8 percent this week. 

Meanwhile, track the 4.16 level for potential support:

That level coincides with a key retracement and former resistance area – a logical place for buyers to step in and defend price. 

On the other hand, momentum is drifting toward oversold conditions. If the 14-day RSI drops below 30, I imagine copper will reach...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

Today’s analyst meeting was one broken record after another as we ripped through the most important charts on the market.

Not a top, never hit oversold…

Not a top, never hit oversold…

There’s a raging bull market on Wall Street right now. 

But the fun and games will come to a screeching halt if the following chart rolls over.

Check out the economically sensitive Home Construction ETF $ITB:

ITB checks both boxes.  It never hit oversold levels and is only a top if it breaks below 97. 

Plus, it’s ripping! 

Of course, we need a decisive resolution above the March high of 116.34 to confirm our bullish bias. 

But if the next bull run has legs, ITB will post new all-time highs. 

That also means lumber futures have to stop falling.

Futures have slid more than  28% beneath the March peak. If buyers are ever going to step and support higher lumber prices, this is it!

...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

Forget about the selloff in Bitcoin for a minute.

Coal stocks are ripping!

Perhaps they’re giving back some recent gains today, but most stocks are.

More importantly, Monday marked the largest one-day rate-of-change for our Coal Index since 2020…

If you’re wondering why we created an index of coal stocks, the answer is simple: The December 2020 delisting of the VanEck Vectors Coal ETF $KOL forced our hand.

They shut down the only coal ETF just as commodities began ripping (many toward new all-time highs). You can’t make this stuff up… 

One of our favorite names – Alpha Metallurgical Resources $AMR – has gained over 4,000% off the December 2020 lows. Unbelievable!

Almost four years later, the rally isn’t over for these names. 

Our coal index is on the verge of kicking off the next leg higher:

In this week’s commodity trade section, I’ll review the six coal stocks from our index, outlining critical levels to trade against and logical areas to...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

Our cotton and sugar trades are working. Coffee is raring to go.

And crude oil is pushing toward a solid first-half finish.

Beyond that, commodities are dribbling lower.

Let’s review an energy contract that broke out two months ago and has never looked back—Natty Gas!

Natural gas futures are carving out an eighteen-month base below last year’s high:

I outlined our bullish outlook in late April. Natty Gas ripped the following week, rallying more than a dollar in just six weeks.

Now, price is consolidating within a twenty-percent range (potential right shoulder):

An upside resolution above the June highs offers another opportunity to buy natural gas. I like adding to current...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

Cattle futures are defying gravity.

Unlike most commodities during this cycle (pick your favorite base metal or grain contract), cattle have yet to correct lower. 

Instead, they’re still hanging around new all-time highs.

Something has to give...

Check out the diamond top taking shape on the live cattle chart:

Diamond tops are a rare bearish reversal pattern. They’re so rare that I’m slow to draw their boundaries. 

But I was reassured when referencing Richard W. Schabacker’s Technical Analysis and Stock Market Profits: “The real bible of technical analysis.”

He points out,

It [diamond pattern] is rarely found in perfectly symmetrical and clearly defined form: a certain amount of latitude must be taken and is permissible in drawing its boundaries.

Schabacker’s the authority, so I’ll give myself some wiggle room.

I see a broadening price action...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

I’m avoiding the US dollar and interest rate chopfest.

That includes interest rate-sensitive commodities like crude, copper, and gold.

So, let’s check in with a commodity group that walks to the beat of its own drum…

The New York City Softs: Cocoa, Coffee, Cotton, and Sugar.

First up, Cocoa. 

I’m sure you’ve seen Cocoa’s 45-year base breakout to new all-time highs:

Cocoa futures have been the main attraction, showcasing a face-ripping rally reminiscent of the 1970s.

In the 70s, Cocoa experienced two 400-plus rallies, each spanning approximately two years trough-to-peak (December ‘71 to April ‘74 and June ‘75 to August ‘77).

Cocoa might have another explosive rally in the tank!

For now, it’s bouncing between two critical extension levels:

Bulls are supporting higher prices at roughly 7,200, while bears are capping the next rally at 10,...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

Copper Springs into Action… Buyers Dig Copper… Copper, F%$# Yeah!

Those are a few titles I spitballed last night. But the markets wouldn’t have it.

This morning, the overall theme of the metals space turned on its head, trashing my bullish bias.

To be clear, I still have a favorable outlook for base and precious metals over longer time frames…

Yet we’re all forced to navigate the near-term selling pressure. 

Earlier this week, Dr. Copper found support right where we would expect – a key retracement level:

Buyers stepped in and drove prices higher, regaining more than 3% since mid-week. However, sellers are having the last laugh this morning as they take it back and some before lunchtime. 

Copper futures fell 3.50% during the morning session. 

Luckily, today is National Donut Day. So...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

Metal and mining stocks are hanging tough.

Sure, miners aren’t flashing an overwhelming number of new highs, but they’re also not registering an alarming number of new lows.

That’s impressive, especially considering Copper’s epic false start.

While many precious and base metal stocks consolidate, let’s review the next group of mining names before they rip…

Check out the Junior Uranium Miners ETF $URNJ versus the Uranium Miners ETF $URNM:

Despite the significant overlap between these two ETFs, I view a breakout in the URNJ-to-URNM ratio as a clear risk-on signal (much like the relative strength displayed by junior gold miners). 

The top four URNJ holdings – accounting for approximately 60% of the ETF – also belong to URNM. In comparison, those same four stocks combine for just 28% of URNM.

URNM also includes the $24B uranium bellwether...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

Don’t let a few days of selling pressure fool you.

Despite intense gold, copper, and crude oil pullbacks, many commodity-related assets are flashing buy signals.

For instance…

The Global Carbon ETF $KRBN:

KRBN holds a basket of European and U.S. carbon allowance futures – also known as carbon credits. Companies use these credits to offset the costs of releasing greenhouse gases.

Interestingly, the similarities between the carbon allowances, copper versus gold, and silver versus gold charts are uncanny. All three are violating multi-year downtrend lines, suggesting bullish trend reversals and a risk-on market environment.

We like KRBN long above 35, targeting 56.

That’s it for today. We’ll be back with more next week.

Thanks for reading.

Premium members, be sure to check out the Commodity Trade of the Week below.