๐ฃ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ก๐: ๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ก๐ง ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐จ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ก๐
The most important thing to understand about a stock, an event, or the entire market is positioning. Where are all the players already positioned?
This does not mean the event isnโt real. It doesnโt mean the macro situation isnโt bad or that the war with Iran isnโt dangerous. It means markets do not move based only on whether the news is good or bad. Markets move based on whether there are still buyers or sellers left to act on that news.
We saw it at peak fear during the war with Iran. We saw it during the financial crisis. And we see it every day in individual stocks.
You donโt even have to go that far. Look at the current obsession with a 10% drawdown. Everyone keeps repeating that every midterm-election year had a 10% drawdown. That fear has already pushed hedge-fund exposure to extremely low levels.
That positioning is more important than the prediction itself.
If positioning is already extremely bearish, much of the fear is already reflected in the market. This does not mean the market cannot fall another 2%, 3%, or 4%. It means many potential sellers have already sold. The supply of new sellers is becoming exhausted.
At the end of the day, markets fall because people sell and rise because people buy. If almost everyone who wanted to sell has already sold, even terrible news may struggle to push the market much lower. You need new sellers, not another person on television repeating the same bearish argument.
The opposite is equally important. If everyone is optimistic and already positioned max long, who is left to buy?
$TSLA is a great example. Tesla may be a great company, and we have been hearing that robotics are coming for the past four years, yet the stock has gone nowhere. Why? Because everyone who loves Tesla is already in the stock. Everyone who believes in robotics is already in the stock. The story may eventually be right, but if everyone is already positioned for it, there are very few new buyers left to push the stock higher.
The entire market cycle can be explained through positioning:
๐๐๐น๐น ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐๐บ, when almost everyone has already sold.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐บ, as cautious investors slowly begin buying.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐๐บ, when the majority is already invested.
๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ, when everyone is positioned max long and there is nobody left to buy.
So, if there is one thing you should learn to understand, it is this:
๐ฃ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ก๐. ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ก๐, ๐๐จ๐ง ๐ช๐๐ข ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ก ๐๐ง.
Show more
Think like a contrarian. CNBC says a 10% correction is coming because โthatโs what always happensโ before midterms.
Goldman says hedge funds are the most deleveraged theyโve been all year.
Sounds bearish. But then ask: who is left to sell? You need sellers for a 10% drawdown.
Show more