Slope of Hope Blog Posts

Slope initially began as a blog, so this is where most of the website’s content resides. Here we have tens of thousands of posts dating back over a decade. These are listed in reverse chronological order. Click on any category icon below to see posts tagged with that particular subject, or click on a word in the category cloud on the right side of the screen for more specific choices.

The Fed May Not Be Raising Rates In The Second Half Of 2018

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Written by Elliott Wave Trader: For those that have followed the long-term bond market, you have likely seen many analysts attempting to call the top to the market.  And, many have even tried multiple times.  However, through the years, bonds continued to chug higher and high.

On June 27th, 2016, we sent out a major alert to our members at Elliottwavetrader.net entitled “Beware of Bonds Blowing Up.”  Yes, we took our turn in attempting to call a top to the bond market.  But, a little over a week later, the bond market struck its highs.  Since that time, TLT has dropped almost 20%.

Since Xenia Taoubina began providing her bond analysis to our members at Elliottwavetrader.net two years ago, her view has been that TLT was going to strike a significant high in 2016, and set up a large decline off that high. That’s exactly what we saw, followed by a nearly two year long decline in the price of bonds (rise in yields). (more…)

How I Learned Cryptos and Became the Ethereum Whisperer

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By Ryan Wilday, ElliottWaveTrader.net

While we still await the crypto bottom, I want to start this week’s article off with a personal narrative. I owe my current working life to ethereum.

In 2016, I was a practicing design strategist for Samsung while trading as a hobby. In fact, I had already been trading for two decades when I decided to continue my study of the market by learning Elliott Wave Theory as a member of elliottwavetrader.net. Soon after that, I started using my new knowledge with ethereum (ETHUSD), then a new coin.

It was by applying Elliott Wave Theory to ethereum that I gained the nickname the Ethereum Whisperer on the site. The theory, even while I was still learning it, proved helpful in spotting key turning points in ethereum.

I exited ethereum trading in May 2016, right after the Dao catastrophe. I didn’t exit because of the hack, but because Elliott Wave Theory suggested we had started a large decline with a break of $17. (more…)

Time To Buy Gold As A ‘Safe Haven’

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From Avi Gilburt: For those that follow me regularly, you will know that I have been tracking a set up for the GLD as a proxy for gold. I believe that the GLD can outperform the general equity market once we confirm a long term break out has begun, and I still think we can see it in occur in 2018. This week, I will provide an update to the GLD. While I have gone on record as to why I do not think the GLD is a wise long-term investment hold, I will still use it to track the market movements.

I want to start this write-up to dispel the notion of the metals being a “safe haven,” as many in the media are now parroting. I have discussed this topic many times in the years I have been writing, but I just want to set everyone straight on this issue as it rears its ugly head yet again.

Every time the media sees the metals rally when the stock market declines, they begin to parrot the ridiculous claim that the metals are a safe haven for market volatility. Anyone who makes such a claim knows nothing of market history. If they did, they would not ever make such a claim.

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The Crypto Market Conundrum 

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By Ryan Wilday, ElliottWaveTrader.net

In my last article I stated that we had the potential for a lasting bottom in the crypto market, starting with a low in most coins on February 6th. However, in that article I also gave the conditions for that bottom to fail.

Those conditions, unfortunately, became reality. We have since seen both Ether and Verge, highlighted in that article, slide to new lows below the February 6th low. Bitcoin and Ripple did not fall below their February 6th levels, but did confirm the unlikelihood of that low marking the beginning of an impulsive wave.

In the process, Ripple is largely acting as expected. (more…)

Are The Bears About To Fumble?

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Do you think we will ever see a week of market moves associated with news events for which you will not shake your head?

Week after week I think analysts say something so stupid that I just want to scream. As I have pointed out so many times over the years, I keep hoping that some form of sanity will grip pundits one day. I keep hoping that they may wake up and recognize the error of their ways. But, alas, I continue to long for that day.

So, whenever the market moves, everyone goes through the exact same thinking process: “Hey, look. The market just saw a big move. Let’s go see what news caused this move.”

Is this not the structure of almost all the analysis you see presented? Let’s look at this past week, for example. During the week, the futures took a strong downturn. And within hours, every analyst was certain that it was “caused” by Gary Cohn’s resignation.

So, let’s think about this. For how long has this resignation been telegraphed? I think we all knew it was coming. So, are you going to tell me that the market did not already have this “priced in?” You see, this is where this type of analysis gets really fuzzy.

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