XLP Tightens Below Resistance — Defensive Rotation Setup in ProgConsumer Staples ( AMEX:XLP ) is forming a tightening symmetrical triangle after holding the key support area near $83.22 .
Price continues to hold above the key support zone near $83.22, while the trading range is becoming increasingly narrow. This suggests that selling pressure is being absorbed and the structure is preparing for a potential directional move, although breakout confirmation is still required.
The main area to watch is the descending resistance around $85.80–$86.00 .
A clean breakout and daily close above this zone could confirm renewed momentum in Consumer Staples and potentially signal that defensive rotation is strengthening beneath the broader market.
Sniper Alpha is already monitoring several individual stocks inside this sector. However, the sector must confirm first before those names become actionable.
Sniper Alpha Framework:
Identify the sector structure
Wait for breakout confirmation
Select stocks showing relative strength
Define risk before entry
No breakout, no trigger. The structure comes first.
ETF market
QQQ SEL BIASSame logic. Applied across every instrument.
Price over everything.
Every headline, every rumor, every report, every opinion is eventually reflected in price.
The footprints are there for those who know where to look.
I trade what price reveals, not what people predict.
A pure technical approach. Price is the only language I need.
qqq sellSame logic. Applied across every instrument.
Price over everything.
Every headline, every rumor, every report, every opinion is eventually reflected in price.
The footprints are there for those who know where to look.
I trade what price reveals, not what people predict.
A pure technical approach. Price is the only language I need.
How to spot overbought markets with Volatility RankMost traders chase breakouts and get crushed. The real edge is knowing WHEN volatility is stretched.
Volatility Rank measures current HV against its 100-bar range:
- Above 80 (red) = vol is fat, premium is expensive → sell options, take profit on calls
- Below 20 (green) = vol is cheap → buy protection, expect expansion
I use it to time my Diagonal Spreads: only sell OTM calls when rank > 60.
📌 Indicator: Volatility Rank by Yimu Quant (link in profile)
Follow @Yimu Quant for more quant tools.
Opening: EWY August 21st 130/140/215/225 Iron Condor... for a 3.25 credit.
Comments: High IVR/high IV at 85.5/81.
Metrics:
Max Profit: 3.25 ($325)
Max Loss/Buying Power Effect: 6.75 ($675)
ROC at Max: 48.1%
ROC at 50% Max: 24.1%
Will generally look to roll in untested side on side test, take profit at 50% max.
Opening: SMH August 21st 500/510/695/705 Iron Condor... for a 3.41 credit.
Comments: High IVR/IV at 94/58.5.
Metrics:
Max Profit: 3.41 ($341)
Max Loss/Buying Power Effect: 6.59 ($659)
ROC at Max: 51.7%
ROC at 50% Max: 25.9%
Will generally look to roll in untested side on side test, take profit at 50% max.
EIS | Continued growth ETF- Timeframe: Weekly
- Trade type: Buy stop order
- Price: 122.41
- Take Profit: Open
- Stop Loss: 117.68 (-3.90 %)
Idea: Long on a breakout above last week's high - bullish momentum continuation.
Entry: Buy stop above last week’s high.
Stop-loss: Below the low of the same candle.
If the weekly candle closes below this level, the trade is invalidated.
Take Profit: Trailing stop following the lows of new weekly candles.
Meme stocks rally with $XRT over the summer.AMEX:XRT ETF is an equal-weighted exchange-traded fund that tracks the U.S. retail sector. It is designed to give investors diversified exposure across various retail categories like apparel, automotive, and specialty retail. NYSE:GME and NYSE:AMC is included in this index. If this manages to break $96 in coming weeks, we could see an explosive move.
Research 13.07.2026🌏 Markets:
AMEX:SPY −2.51 −0.33%(pre/m)
NASDAQ:QQQ −6.74 −0.93%(pre/m)
🆕 Economic News:
The official US corporate earnings season begins.
14:00 USA – Monthly Budget Statement
📈 Gap Ups
Reaction to earnings/guidance:
Other news:
NASDAQ:QTTB posts positive 36-week SIGNAL-AA Part B topline results; plans registrational program in H1 2027
NASDAQ:MESO Moved to Buy from Speculative Buy by Bell Potter
Niel family’s Vega to acquire 16.2% Vodafone NASDAQ:VOD stake from e& for $5.95bn
Michael Burry Sees Hong Kong Market Benefiting From Korea's AI-Memory Unwind : NASDAQ:JD FTMO_OANDA:BABA NYSE:BEKE NYSE:YUMC
Software Rebounds on Chip Stocks Drop and in AI Trade Shift : NYSE:CRM NYSE:NOW NASDAQ:ADBE NASDAQ:WDAY NASDAQ:SHOP NASDAQ:CDNS NASDAQ:INTU NASDAQ:ADSK
NYSE:TSM Delivers Record Second-Quarter Revenue
📉 Gap Downs
Reaction to earnings/guidance:
Other news:
NASDAQ:SKHY SK Hynix drops from highs on 15% after IPO / memory sector falss in syphaty to SKHY : NASDAQ:MU NASDAQ:SNDK NASDAQ:WDC
Last week, two short-seller reports from Hunterbrook Research and Crossroads Capital alleged that Bloom Energy NYSE:BE has understated its reliance on Chinese-sourced scandium, a key material used in its solid oxide fuel cells.
FTMO_OANDA:META Lifts Cost of Louisiana Data Center to $50 Billion
‼️ Additional
S&P 500 futures are trading lower as escalation between the US and Iran intensified over the weekend.
-- The US has launched a new wave of strikes against Iran — CENTCOM.
-- Yemen’s Houthis said that Saudi Arabia’s new attacks on Sana’a airport have ended the period of de-escalation, and that Saudi Arabia will now be held accountable.
-- Iran’s Foreign Ministry: A crisis has emerged in the implementation of the memorandum with the US.
-- Iran will not fulfill its obligations under the memorandum of understanding with the US until the other side fulfills its own obligations — Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
JPMorgan AM expects the Fed to keep rates unchanged at least through the end of 2026.
This week, Kevin Warsh will testify before Congress for the first time as Fed Chair.
-- Warsh’s testimony before the House is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, and his testimony before the Senate is scheduled for Wednesday, July 15.
The official US earnings season begins this week.
-- The largest banks traditionally open the season: Goldman Sachs, Citi, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan, and BofA report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, and BNY report on Wednesday.
-- The peak of this earnings season is expected to fall in the final week of July and the first week of August.
🔁 Business Combination / SPAC Deal
NASDAQ:GFUZ – General Fusion Group Ltd.
Company develops fusion energy technology using Magnetized Target Fusion. General Fusion completed its business combination with Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. III and will begin trading on Nasdaq under NASDAQ:GFUZ , with warrants under $GFUZW. Core thesis is commercialization of fusion power for clean energy, energy security, AI and data center electricity demand.
Cash at Closing: ~$150M
Trading Date: July 13, 2026
Key points:
First publicly listed fusion company
Capital expected to fund Lawson program through key 2028 milestones
LM26 demonstration machine is already operating at commercially relevant scale
Main technical goals: plasma heating to 1 keV, then 10 keV, and ultimately Lawson criterion
Comparable public companies: NYSE:OKLO , NYSE:SMR , NASDAQ:CEG , NYSE:NEE , NYSE:GEV , NYSE:BE
📋 List of tickers involved:
QTTB NASDAQ:MESO NASDAQ:VOD NASDAQ:JD FTMO_OANDA:BABA NYSE:BEKE NYSE:YUMC NYSE:CRM NYSE:NOW NASDAQ:ADBE NASDAQ:WDAY NASDAQ:SHOP NASDAQ:CDNS NASDAQ:INTU NASDAQ:ADSK NYSE:TSM NASDAQ:SKHY NASDAQ:MU NASDAQ:SNDK NASDAQ:WDC NYSE:BE NASDAQ:GFUZ NASDAQ:GFUZW NYSE:OKLO NYSE:SMR NASDAQ:CEG NYSE:NEE NYSE:GEV
Best regards – hi2morrow team.
SPY Is At The Highs With The Read Still Fighting It.SPY Is At The Highs With The Read Still Fighting It.
SPY is holding at the highs, 752 just under Friday's 755 top, with the longer-term structure firmly bullish and the months-long anchor standing. But the near-term read keeps fighting the move - the surface conviction is reading bearish at the highs, the unsustainable-upside flag is still active, and the downside conditions remain loaded. This is the same standoff that has held for two weeks: price grinding to new highs while the shorter-term machinery leans against it. The trend is up; the read at the highs is not.
Resistance: 755.66 - Friday's high
Key resistance: 760.40 - the cycle high
Current price: 752.69
Support: 748 - first support below
Key support: 740.44 - the shelf that held the shakeout
Structural floor: 716.50 - the operative low this cycle
Two paths from here:
The trend breaks to new highs. The daily structure is bullish and the anchor is standing, so a clean break of 755.66 opens the 760 cycle high. Every dip has been bought and the highs keep getting made - the path of least resistance has been up for two weeks.
The euphoria caps it. The surface conviction is bearish at the highs, euphoria is flagged, and the downside book is loaded - the same divergence that has appeared at every recent high. A rejection at 755 and a loss of 748 then 740.44 puts the shakeout question back on the table. Buying the highs into this read is the low-reward side.
Two weeks of higher highs with the near-term read leaning against every one of them - price has won that argument each time so far. The trend is intact and the anchor is standing, but the divergence at the highs is real and persistent. 755.66 breaks it open to new highs; a rejection here with the read this negative is how the run finally pauses.
Built with SYNTHESIS v3.3 | SOM / ACE / IMP / SYNTHESIS
Study, not financial advice.
CPI + 4 megabanks same 8:30 Tue; last open Fed windowTuesday morning is the sequencing binary of the week. June CPI drops at 08:30 ET the same second as JPM, Goldman, Wells and Citi report before the open; PPI drops at 08:30 ET Wednesday alongside Morgan Stanley, BlackRock and ASML.
Then the FOMC blackout begins Saturday July 18. Under Warsh the base case is silence between meetings, so this week is the last open Fed window before the July 28-29 decision. The July 8 minutes deleted the easing-bias language, staffed five outside-led task forces on the conduct of policy, and named Hormuz as a driver of inflation persistence.
Behind the tape, the Hormuz situation re-escalated over the weekend: the IRGC struck a container ship and declared the Strait closed while the US struck ~140 targets and calls it open, two claims at once with transit volume the only referee, and Qatar has now suspended all maritime activity. Crude opened the week bid (Brent ~$79.16, up 4.1%, WTI ~$74.38), so energy is a two-front trade: the Northwest Europe diesel crack at an all-time record $60.77 over Brent on Russia's enacted export ban (July 8 through 31), and the barrel back in play on the closure and the Qatar suspension.
The highest-leverage catalyst is whether Saudi Arabia, the UAE or Kuwait follow Qatar; if they do, the closure turns real and Brent takes out $85. The OFAC GL-X wind-down cliff lands Friday July 17 with ~63M bbl of Iranian crude stranded on the water and no buyers, the bearish crude tail the products melt-up has been masking.
Signals scorecard sits low-conviction on the count (BULL 5 / BEAR 4) with three factors past kill lines: P/E 27.2x over 25, CPI 4.2% over 4.0, junk spreads 2.70 under the 3.0 contrarian line (credit pricing zero risk premium). Own cheap optionality over the directional bet.
Cheers,
Ivan Labrie.
XLF — financial sector structure ahead of bank earningsFinancials have quietly climbed for two years, and this week brings the real test — JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Citigroup all report earnings, with the sector ETF sitting near its highs going in.
Through most of this stretch the bundle held as support underneath a steady uptrend, pullbacks respected along the way. Like any market, there were stretches where the bundle compressed and the read got murky — no method reads a pause perfectly, and financials had a few of their own around rate-hike fears and banking-sector jitters.
Right now price sits near the top of its range, right before a week that could reset the sector's structure one way or another depending on what the banks report.
This is a visualization/analysis tool, not a signal service — not financial advice. Method: tendency planimetry (Insen / OpenTraders).
SPY 760 Breakout or 750 Retest? July 13
SPY is coming into the week with the daily trend still bullish, but price is sitting directly below an important resistance zone around 755.65–760.
The 15-minute chart shows a strong move from 748.10 into 755.65, followed by tight consolidation near the highs. That is constructive, but I would not chase calls directly into several stacked GEX resistance levels.
For me, the main question is whether SPY can accept above 755–756 and continue toward 758–760, or reject and rotate back toward the 753–750 support zone.
Daily Chart
The daily structure remains bullish with price continuing to form higher lows above the rising trendline from the April low.
SPY recently recovered from the 720 area and is now retesting the upper part of the larger rising structure. The previous high around 758.45 is the first major daily resistance.
A daily close above 758.45–760 would confirm another breakout and could allow SPY to continue making new highs.
The larger trend remains healthy while price stays above the recent rising support structure. The first major daily support is around 720, followed by 695. The larger chart would only begin showing meaningful weakness if those areas start failing.
15-Minute Chart
The 15-minute chart shows SPY recovering from 748.10 and trending higher into 755.65.
After reaching the high, price began consolidating around 754.80–755 instead of selling off sharply. That tells me buyers are still holding the move, but they have not cleared resistance yet.
The immediate pivot is 755.
A clean break above 755.65–756 could push SPY toward 757, 758 and the stronger 759–760 resistance area.
If SPY continues rejecting near 755–756 and loses 753, the next downside test would be the overnight level around 751.88 and then 750.
Key Levels
Resistance: 755, 755.65–756, 757, 758, 758.45, 759, 760
Support: 754, 753, 751.88, 750, 748.10, 746, 745.59, 740
GEX Positioning
The GEX chart shows several call levels stacked closely between 755 and 760.
The first nearby level is 755, followed by 756, 757 and 758. The largest visible call concentration appears around 759, making 758–760 the most important upside resistance zone.
Because GEX is positive, SPY could remain pinned near 755 unless buyers bring enough volume to push through the call walls. This can create slow movement, failed breakouts and premium decay while price stays inside the range.
The main support and high-volume level is around 750.
That makes 750 the most important downside pivot. As long as SPY stays above it, the broader intraday structure remains constructive.
Below 750, the next put levels are around 746 and 740. A confirmed break under 750 could allow volatility to increase as price moves away from the positive gamma area.
Bullish Scenario
For the bullish setup, I want SPY to hold above 754–755 and break 755.65–756 with volume.
A 15-minute close above 756 followed by a successful retest would give buyers a better chance of pushing toward 757 and 758.
The stronger breakout confirmation would come above 758.45.
Above 758.45, I will watch 759 and 760.
If SPY accepts above 760, the market could begin another price-discovery move into new highs.
Bearish Scenario
For the bearish setup, I will watch for repeated rejection between 755.65 and 758.
If SPY rejects this area and then loses 754, the short-term momentum would begin weakening.
Below 753, I will watch the overnight level around 751.88 and then the main 750 high-volume level.
A confirmed 15-minute close below 750 could open the move toward 748.10 and 746.
If 746 fails, the next downside levels would be 745.59 and the larger 740 put wall.
Trade Considerations
SPY is currently trading directly below several GEX resistance levels, so I would avoid chasing the first move above 755.
For calls, I want to see a clean break, hold and retest above 755.65–756.
For puts, I want to see rejection from 756–758 followed by a loss of 753 and 751.88.
The opening range and VWAP will be important. If SPY breaks resistance but immediately loses VWAP, the move could become a failed breakout. If SPY pulls back but continues holding above VWAP and 753, buyers may still be building for another attempt.
Options Outlook
The chart shows IV Rank around 28.6 and average implied volatility near 15.1, so SPY options are not carrying extremely elevated volatility.
However, positive GEX and the closely stacked levels between 755 and 760 could still create slow price movement and 0DTE premium decay.
The cleaner directional opportunity may come after SPY confirms above 756 or breaks below 750 rather than while it remains trapped between those levels.
Conclusion
SPY remains bullish on the daily chart, but price is approaching an important resistance cluster.
Above 756, I will watch 757, 758, 759 and 760.
Below 753, I will watch 751.88, 750, 748.10 and 746.
The main decision range this week is 750–760. A confirmed break above 760 could continue the larger uptrend, while losing 750 could create a deeper rotation toward the lower GEX support levels.
Jenkins Vectors and Channels = Better Time Reversal Indicator? I was charting AMEX:KWEB and was looking for Jenkins Vectors that gave good confluence, and to predict future turning points.
Interesting to note that a very clean channel gave a very clean top time indicator, when using the Jenkins Vector strategy.
A tool to add to our playbook.
==========================
Interested in more TA like this? Like and comment to let me know so I can post more.
Weekly Bias — 13 JulyNASDAQ:QQQ is still in balance, but AMEX:SPY is closer to breaking out
NASDAQ:QQQ is sitting almost exactly at fair value ($720–$726)
Upside becomes harder without new buyers
Downside becomes harder without aggressive sellers
This explains why NASDAQ:QQQ has felt "stuck"
The 50d EMA is major confluence support
Previous swing lows
Prior liquidity sweep
Lower Bollinger band
Psychological $700
Neither a bearish or bullish trend, but in balance
The larger pool is below & that's why I still think a downside sweep remains possible before earnings
If bulls finally reclaim $730, price can move quickly
If $705 breaks, there may not be much demand until the the 100d EMA
Bullish
Only if $730 closes → $735 → $741 → $748
I would use $725–$730 calls with 17 July expiration only after confirmation above $730
Initial stop/invalidation would be back below $725
Bearish
If $719 fails → $705 → $700 → $685
I would look at $720 or $715 puts (depending on where NASDAQ:QQQ opens) with 17 July expiration, but only after a confirmed loss of $719 or a rejection from $730
My first profit target would be $705–$700 because that is where buyers are most likely to respond
I'd be watching the bond market just as much as price this week
If the 10Y yield pushes decisively above 4.6%, it would increase the odds of NASDAQ:QQQ breaking below the $719–$705 support cluster, particularly given the lack of momentum
Conversely, if yields retreat back toward 4.4%–4.5% while NASDAQ:QQQ reclaims $730, the bearish case weakens significantly because the macro headwind for large-cap growth would ease just as price escapes its month-long compression
This is probably the highest-event-risk week we've had in several months given 3 volatility catalysts that all interact
Mid-East escalation (oil & yields)
CPI (inflation/rates)
Warsh testimony (Fed reaction function), with major bank earnings also beginning
Mid-East
The geopolitical news matters primarily through oil
If the conflict remains contained, oil may initially gap higher Monday, but fade
Equities often recover quickly after the first reaction
If the conflict expands & energy infrastructure or the Strait of Hormuz becomes materially disrupted, oil likely rises further
Inflation expectations increase
Yields could remain elevated or move higher
Growth stocks face additional valuation pressure
CPI
This is probably more important than the geopolitical headlines for the week's trend
If headline & core both come in cooler than expected, yields likely fall
NASDAQ:QQQ should outperform
Descending range likely resolves higher
$725 → $730 → $741 → $748
If inflation surprises higher
The market immediately asks, is Warsh becoming more hawkish?
This is dangerous for tech
Likely path:
$725 → $719 → $710 → $705
A hot CPI combined with elevated oil prices would reinforce the narrative that inflation is proving sticky
Warsh
Warsh matters because markets are still learning his policy reaction function
His testimony comes shortly after CPI, so the 2 events can reinforce, or offset each other
Soft CPI + balanced testimony = very bullish
Hot CPI + hawkish testimony = probably the worst outcome for NASDAQ:QQQ
NASDAQ:QQQ is still sitting almost exactly at the high-volume acceptance area, $725 — why it's been so frustrating because it's sitting at fair value
Above $730, very little resistance
If buyers can reclaim $730 → $735 → $741
Price could move surprisingly quickly
Below $705, there is another air pocket
$705 → $690 could happen faster than many expect if support fails
I don't actually think CPI is the only risk
It's oil → inflation expectations → Warsh → 10Y yield → NASDAQ:QQQ
If oil spikes & the 10Y pushes above its recent highs, NASDAQ:QQQ 's technical support becomes much more vulnerable
Initial downside sweep to $705–$710, then recovery (40%)
Fits the technical compression & support picture
Upside breakout above $730 toward $741–$748 (30%)
Requires cooler inflation or a drop in yields
Continued $720–$730 chop into earnings (20%)
Dealers keep the market pinned despite catalysts
Breakdown below $705 toward the 100d EMA ~$685 (10%)
Needs multiple bearish factors to align like hotter inflation, sustained higher yields & poor market reaction
This is one of those weeks where the reaction is more important than the headline
A hot CPI followed by NASDAQ:QQQ holding $719–$720 would suggest much of the bad news was already priced in
A soft CPI followed by NASDAQ:QQQ failing at $730 would tell you buyers still lack conviction despite favorable news
With 3 major catalysts clustered together, I'd let the first 15–30 minutes after the cash open establish whether institutions are accepting or rejecting the move before committing to short-dated premium since on event-heavy weeks, confirmation often provides a better edge than trying to predict the initial direction
SMH - Week of July 13thSee levels and key areas for this week:
After you click the link, click “Grab this Chart” at the bottom/right of the chart or Load Live Bars on far middle-right.
“Grab this Chart” opens a copy of the chart environment, but it doesn’t automatically save as a permanent layout in your dashboard. Once the chart opens, you need to manually save it as your own layout by clicking the cloud/save icon at the top of TradingView , “Save As”, name the layout. After that it will show up in your saved layouts/dashboard going forward.
GLD - Week of July 13thSee levels and key areas for this week:
After you click the link, click “Grab this Chart” at the bottom/right of the chart or Load Live Bars on far middle-right.
“Grab this Chart” opens a copy of the chart environment, but it doesn’t automatically save as a permanent layout in your dashboard. Once the chart opens, you need to manually save it as your own layout by clicking the cloud/save icon at the top of TradingView , “Save As”, name the layout. After that it will show up in your saved layouts/dashboard going forward.
USO (Oil Proxy) Week of July 13thSee levels and key areas for this week:
After you click the link, click “Grab this Chart” at the bottom/right of the chart or Load Live Bars on far middle-right.
“Grab this Chart” opens a copy of the chart environment, but it doesn’t automatically save as a permanent layout in your dashboard. Once the chart opens, you need to manually save it as your own layout by clicking the cloud/save icon at the top of TradingView , “Save As”, name the layout. After that it will show up in your saved layouts/dashboard going forward.
Market Rotation Cheat Sheet: Week of July 13thSee levels and key areas for this week:
After you click the link, click “Grab this Chart” at the bottom/right of the chart or Load Live Bars on far middle-right.
“Grab this Chart” opens a copy of the chart environment, but it doesn’t automatically save as a permanent layout in your dashboard. Once the chart opens, you need to manually save it as your own layout by clicking the cloud/save icon at the top of TradingView , “Save As”, name the layout. After that it will show up in your saved layouts/dashboard going forward.
RSP/SPY Ratio (Market Participation): Week of July 13See levels and key areas for this week:
After you click the link, click “Grab this Chart” at the bottom/right of the chart or Load Live Bars on far middle-right.
“Grab this Chart” opens a copy of the chart environment, but it doesn’t automatically save as a permanent layout in your dashboard. Once the chart opens, you need to manually save it as your own layout by clicking the cloud/save icon at the top of TradingView , “Save As”, name the layout. After that it will show up in your saved layouts/dashboard going forward.






















