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About Me

Retired chief investment officer and former NYSE firm partner with 50 plus years experience in field as analyst / economist, portfolio manager / trader, and CIO who has superb track record with multi $billion equities and fixed income portfolios. Advanced degrees, CFA. Having done much professional writing as a young guy, I now have a cryptic style. 40 years down on and around The Street confirms: CAVEAT EMPTOR IN SPADES !!!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Long Treasury -- Now in Caution Zone

The long T bond has done well this year reflecting a slowing in the pace of economic recovery, a
sell off in industrial commodities prices and the recent flight to quality. The T bond is now very
overbought relative to its 200 day m/a, is extended relative to its price range, and now sports
advisory sentiment which is excessively bullish (76% bullish on MarketVane).

For investors, the long T has provided a humble real return of between 2.0 -3.0% over the past
three years, so the real game here has been to trade the wide price swings in evidence over this
time. Sharp players have been able to earn up to 15% trading the unusual volatility of the market.

I am of the view the economy may do a little better than expected through year's end and also think
that industrial commodities prices will snap out of a seasonal funk over the remainder of the year.
So, I will be looking to short the long T in the weeks and months ahead.

My style of trading the Treasury is an uncommon one because it is contrarian, whereas most
traders are momentum players with very short time horizons. However, since I have been
trading bonds successfully this way for years on end, I hope you will give the price chart a
decent once over. $UBS chart

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