REVIEW
Dollars to defeat Russian and Iranian aggression are necessary. Yet with $33 trillion in debt, there is no room for both guns and butter. – Kimberly Strassel, “Biden’s Supplemental War Games,” Wall Street Journal, October 27, 2024.
If you are a subscriber to MMA’s daily, weekly, or monthly reports, you probably have only one market on your mind right now, and that’s Gold. This splendid yellow metal has now appreciated 10-fold and more in the options strategies provided in MMA’s special Gold report issued on October 4. Gold itself has now rallied from a low of 1823.50 on October 6 to a high of 2019.70 as of Friday, October 27, a gain of nearly $200 in just three weeks.
Unfortunately, the surge in Gold prices is related to the sudden increase in world tensions following the brutal attack on Israel by Hamas. In dangerous environments where hate and/or revenge gets combined with a fanatical resolve to annihilate another group of people, Gold becomes a preferred investment, and equities (other than companies that manufacture weapons and war materials) suffer.
Indeed, last week was another down week for most world stock indices. The NASDAQ, for example, was down 340 points, to its lowest level since late May. The German DAX fell to its lowest level since March, while the Zurich SMI and Shanghai Composite plunged to lows not seen since last October.
In other markets, Bitcoin soared above 35,000 early last week, its highest level since July 2023, and up well over 100% from its four-year cycle low in November 2022, which had accompanied the collapse of the FTX exchange and led to Sam Bankman-Fried’s current legal problems that are at the forefront of this week’s financial news. Crude Oil, strangely enough, did not benefit from the global turmoil. In fact, on Wednesday, October 25, it re-tested its primary cycle low of October 6 at 81.50. It ended the week around 85.50 due to a healthy rally on Friday.
SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS AND LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS
Political opposition has become a learned reflex. Whatever you’re for, I’m against. End of story. – Daniel Henninger, “Can Israel Win the Message War?” Wall Street Journal, October 26, 2023.
Despite last week’s sharp price activity in a variety of markets, the cosmos is just beginning its most intense and dangerous campaigns this week and lasting through November 25. It begins with the war god Mars in opposition to the expansive and often overconfident Jupiter on Saturday, October 28. If violence breaks out with Mars in Scorpio, there may be few boundaries to contain it. This is followed by the Sun moving into opposition with Jupiter on Friday, November 3, which is more over-the-top behavior with few controls. The next day, Saturday, November 4, finds Saturn turning direct. Saturn rules controls, but it also rules loss, so a pause may be reached where parties are allowed to step in and assess the damage and don’t like what they see. Each of these is a powerful Level 1 geocosmic signature – the strongest and most consistent related to reversals in financial markets.
To this list, we can also add heliocentric Mercury, which will begin its transit of fiery Sagittarius from October 31 through November 11. This, too, correlates with sharp price moves in financial markets, especially Gold and currencies. The end of that period reveals yet another combustible geocosmic grouping as Sun and Mars conjoin in opposition to Uranus, November 11-18. Both the Sun and Mars then square Saturn November 23-25. That’s a lot of firepower coming up in November and could very well coincide with important cycle highs or lows in several financial markets. It could also coincide with a turn in the war games, thus making this month one that offers exciting trading opportunities.
Incendiary aspects involving the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus like this do not only relate to nations and armies at war. They can also affect individuals who have any tendencies towards violence, such as the gunman who went on a deadly shooting rampage in Maine last week. Yet, there are positive ways to integrate these principles, too. They don’t have to manifest as violence, hatred, and a crazed desire to annihilate others. They can be expressed in acts of adventure, bravery, courage, trying out new things, and pioneering new activities that give one a rush of vigor. This is a period of daring aspects, one in which many may have a sudden yearning to try something new, to speculate on a risky venture. In terms of investment and trading, one must know how to channel this energy into well-thought out measured risks and not put one’s lifestyle at risk by over-speculation. Huge profits can be made. But under aspects like these, large losses can also be experienced if one loses control. The message in this week’s letter is simple: know your risks and their limits in all of your activities, and don’t lose control.
Q & A With Ray
This week’s question comes from subscriber Veronique, who asks: Thank you for the YouTube of Sept 20. I don’t understand when you talk about gold; you say 1980 when the price of GLD is 190 or 180. Thanks for clarifying!
A: GLD is the ETF of Gold that represents about 1/10 the value of Gold – 1/10 of an ounce, a little bit less for exchange and management fees. There are other ETFs that track the percentage moves in Gold prices, like CEF and PHYS. But GLD is the most common, and it is about 1/10 the value of one ounce of Gold; hence, GLD may be trading at 190, whereas Gold itself is quoted at 1900 (or, more likely, closer to 2000, due to management fees of the ETF).
Please don’t hesitate to ask other questions as long as they don’t involve things like: “What will the market do next week?” That’s what we cover in our subscription reports for subscribers 😊. But questions about how to use our reports are always welcomed. Have a great week ahead!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: LAST TWO DAYS TO SAVE ON FORECAST 2024 BOOK!!!! The “Annual Forecast Pre-Order Event” will end this Tuesday, October 31st. Order now and Save Big Bucks!!! This super sale includes our once-a-year sale discounts on both the annual Forecast Book and all MMA Subscription Reports $275+. You may pre-order Forecast 2024 Print at the discounted rate of $55, or the eBook at $45. And the best deal on MMA Subscription Reports is also offered at this time! Save 10% off any subscription ($275+) with purchase of Forecast 2024 by using discount code: SALE2024 at checkout.
After the pre-order event ends on November 1st, the retail price of Forecast 2024 Print increases to $66, and the eBook increases to $55.
MMA will also offer a special “bundle” discount rate for those who wish to order both the eBook and print editions of Forecast 2024. The eBook usually comes out 1-2 weeks before the print edition, and avoids delays caused by the postal system, especially if overseas. Yet many readers prefer the print edition, so ordering both via the Forecast 2024 Bundle makes sense. You will receive the eBook on December 15th, and your Print copy will be mailed mid-December.
This year’s printed and eBook versions will also be available in these languages:
German: www.mma-europe.ch/ or email at info@mma-europe.ch
Japanese: https://www.toushinippou.co.jp/
Chinese: www.nodoor.com/
For more information on this year’s Forecast Book, please view our recent YouTube Video Interview with Ray and Alie at the Merriman Market Analyst YouTube channel, or by clicking here.
We created an updated list of our most common Forecast FAQs to help this Forecast season.
The Forecast 2023 Scorecard of the Forecast 2023 Book can now be viewed by clicking here.
NOTE 2: Special Offer this season!!! MMA’s newest monthly report, “MMA Monthly Grains Report” by Grains Analyst Wyatt Fellows. The cost of this subscription is normally $325, but on sale now for only $300 for a 1-Year subscription. If ordered together with the Forecast 2024 Book, there will be a further 10% discount bringing the cost of the report down to only $270 for a 1-Year Subscription! To order, click here. The next Grain Cycles Report will be issued October 30th. Note that the next issue of this report will be released this week!
NOTE 3: THE OCTOBER ISSUE OF THE MMA Monthly Cycles Report Plus+, edited by Pouyan Zolfagharnia, will be issued this week. This market letter has become a very popular addition to the MMA Cycles Report (less technical, more visual with horoscopes of current importance, high-quality analysis, and update on MMA Cycles Report markets). The mid-month addendum to the MMA Cycles report has stunning graphics and charts (people love it!) and is very readable. It contains more illustrations and references to geocosmics than most MMA Cycles reports and is only available for subscription to those who also subscribe to the MMA Monthly Cycles Report. If you wish to try this month’s addendum, along with the latest issue of the MMA Monthly Cycles Report, sign up online at the link above. The cost for a monthly copy of both reports is $55. That will give you both the most recent June copy of the MMA Cycles Report and the June MMA Cycles Report Plus+ addendum coming out this week. Please note that subscriptions rates for this report will increase as of January 1, 2024. By ordering this week with Forecast Book, you save Big Bucks!!! For further information and ordering instructions, please click here.
NOTE 4: THE OCTOBER ISSUE OF THE MMA Monthly ETF Report by Gianni Di Poce was issued last week. The ETF report is a monthly newsletter that everyone trading ETFs is encouraged to read, especially those that seek less risky trading venues than futures. This report covers 8 ETFs on a monthly basis for readers. The ETFs include: SPY (S&P 500), GDX (gold miners), BITO (Bitcoin), TLT (+20-year Treasuries), USO (Crude Oil), XLV (healthcare), XLK (technology), and XHB (homebuilders). This is a report that was requested by popular demand, and Gianni’s insights and strategies are excellent. For further information, click here.
NOTE 5: THE MMA WEEKLY YouTube show, Geocosmic Week in Review and Look Ahead, with Gianni Di Poce, is now conducted on Wednesday evenings! Each 5-15 minute FREE episode reviews the market activity of the past week and offers a preview of the geocosmic signatures in effect for the next week and beyond. You may subscribe to MMA’s YouTube Channel today at no cost and get alerted when a new weekly episode is released!
NOTE 6: MMA’S FREE WEEKLY COLUMN IS NOW ON SPOTIFY, APPLE, AND AMAZON PODCAST! Now you can listen to a podcast of this weekly column by Thomas Miller on Saturdays! Just follow Merriman Market Analyst on Spotify or Apple to listen to all our episodes. New Podcast episodes will be released every weekend. This is a FREE service and is available to everyone. Checkout out our Podcasts on Apple, Spotify, and Apple Music. It makes for great listening!
EVENTS
December 10, 2023: SPECIAL “INTRODUCTION TO OPTIONS” WORKSHOP. On September 30 and October 7, veteran options trader and MMTA student Derek Panaia gave a presentation to MMTA students on how to use options and option spreads to trade big moves in Gold as suggested by MMA market timing methods. The strategies he presented during these two presentations have so far resulted in gains exceeding 500% in less than 2 weeks. By popular demand , the students have requested a full three-hour Zoom workshop on his methods, and MMA will sponsor this workshop on Sunday, December 10.
In this workshop, Derek will discuss the nature of options, terminology, and calculations of Delta and other Greeks, to determine the best value options to trade at the given time. He will also cover simple option strategies with limited risks like bull and bear spreads when large price moves are anticipated. His strategy to buy Gold calls and bull option spreads in early October has already resulted in exceptional profits for MMTA students. He will revisit this trade and discuss new strategies in other markets that look attractive for options trading in early December. The cost will be $195.00 if registered before December 1, and $250 afterwards. Registration for this workshop is now open. Click here for more information and registration.
January 12, 2024. “Trends for 2024,” sponsored by AstroData of Zurich, Switzerland. Speakers to be announced shortly, but will include Ray Merriman giving his outlook on 2024. This event is in German, and Merriman’s presentation will be translated from English to German. For further information, contact www.AstroData.com.
February 18, 2024, MMA’s Annual Forecast 2024 World Webinar. Details and reservations will be opened after January 1. Save the Date!
Disclaimer and statement of purpose: The purpose of this column is not to forecast the future movement of various financial markets. However, that is the purpose of the MMA (Merriman Market Analyst) subscription services. This column is not a subscription service. It is a free service, except in those cases where a fee may be assessed to cover the cost of translating this column from English into a non-English language. This weekly report is written with the intent to educate the reader on the relationship between astrological factors and collective human activities as they are happening. In this regard, this report will often cite what happened in various stock and financial markets throughout the world in the past week and discuss that movement in light of the geocosmic signatures that were in effect. It will then identify the geocosmic factors that will be in effect in the next week, or even month, or even years, and the author’s understanding of how these signatures may affect human activity in the times to come. The author (Merriman) will do this from the perspective of a cycles’ analyst looking at the military, political, economic, and even financial markets of the world. It is possible that some forecasts will be made based on these factors. However, the primary goal is to both educate and alert the reader as to the psychological climate we are in from an astrological perspective. The hope is that it will help the reader understand the psychological dynamics that underlie (or coincide with) the news events and their potential effect on financial markets.
No guarantee as to the accuracy of this report is being made here. Any decisions in financial markets are solely the responsibility of the reader, and neither the author nor the publishers of this column assume any responsibility whatsoever for anyone’s trading or investment decisions. Readers of this report should understand that commodity futures and options trading are considered high risk.