Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Cocoa

Cocoa got hot again the last few days. I should have re-bought that half I flipped before. Oh, well, the other commodity positions I had were distracting me.

I've liked cocoa for a long term bull trade for awhile now. I think that medical data that chocolate is healthy has much more to run. I heard that over 18 months ago, but the data is better now and is getting play in the press. Over time I figure the public will eat enough more chocolate [do we really need an excuse?] to increase the prices a lot.

There is an ongoing drought in Ivory Coast where about 40% of the world's cocoa is grown. I don't play the weather in cocoa, but read about what's going on in research so I can interpret market moves better.

So I play the long side on dips. Lots of beefers are in it, so cocoa is volatile, as the spike & dip just proved again.

46 comments:

mern said...

first named storm on May 9th?

rut oh

Bunkerman said...

Yeah. Not a good start. Will make landfall, too.

Bud said...

Bunkerman you remember what happened last year on may10th?

Bunkerman said...

No. What?

Bud said...

Take a look at the chart of the S and P.

Bunkerman said...

That was the Maria-leak of Ben-speak that caused investors to think the Fed would keep raising rates. But they raised in June (an error, imho).

Bunkerman said...

Uh, are you superstitious, Bud?

Lol, "It's different this time" lolol.

mern said...

so if the fed says economic weakness is a biggger concern than inflation, we off to 1550?

that, to me at least, wud imply, the fed is smoking crack, but the cheebah is getting really expensive. crack is pretty cheap from what ive heard. bud crack the same price as when u started smoking it?

mern said...

someone bet 4 mil on the vix june 20's calls. now thats some beef or one crazy mo fo

Bunkerman said...

That's not my thinking, Mern. They can recognize that inflation is declining with moderate growth & talk dovish, that inflation is LESS of a concern. That would be very bullish, imho.

Bunkerman said...

Hmm. It's hot here today. I might have to buy some beer for the summer. Guess that will be an inflation data point. One case of my local beer, Ipswich Ale (the best, a British style ale that's not pasteurized since it's made about 10 miles away) cost $24.95 for the past two years. I'll probably buy a case on Saturday. If I do, I'll post the inflation rate.

mern said...

thats likely gone up. miller lite has stayed 15 bucks a case.

it probably wud be bullish if the fed says that, but only the govt data even hints at that scenario.

i think we r looking at below avg growth say 2%. eps growth, probably over half comes from the weaker $ and buybacks (sponsored by corp debt). and inflation for the avg american is way over 5%.

im totally wrong, i know that, the market tells me that. but what i see from florida, to ohio, to colorado to cali is all the samething. Stagger Lee

Bud said...

I don't know what you talkin about Mern. What is cheebah?

Bud said...

Kirin Lite my favorite beer. Although I am not really a beer fan.

mern said...

geez bud u smoke crack but dont know the slang for gud weed?

that was probably one the funniest things ever. when i was staying with u. i broke my bag of weed out and asked u for a bowl and u gave me a cereal dish. LOL LOL

i guess i needed to break out the base for u to get the hint. LMAO

mern said...

seemed a bit hawkish to me

Bunkerman said...

I didn't hear a bullish surprise. Oh, well. One good month's downtick wasn't enough. Maybe June we can get a more dovish statement. At least not hawkish.

Bunkerman said...

Lite beer? Ptui!

mern said...

omg, cramer was finally wrong about something. no may cut, and there is not one coming in june.

mern said...

this MHK short is the gift that keeps on giving today. gotta love a company that crushes its own buyout rumors

mern said...

june cracks at 32.27 up 1.94. guess its going to 4 at the pump
:-)

Bunkerman said...

I think we have an outside shot for June. Not based on weakness in growth, but in declining core inflation numbers. We'll have two more data points by then, I think.

mern said...

im 200% long ;-)

Bunkerman said...

Not sure whither comes this rally - maybe beefers were playing short bigtime re the calendar play from last year. If so, they deserve to be crushed for sheer stupidity.

Bunkerman said...

Gosh, we're with spitting distance of teh S&P all-time high. [ "spitting distance = 1% ;-) ]

Perma-bear beefers must be dying.

mern said...

From my perch, the odds favoring a housing-induced recession are now increasing. My bearish preoccupation with the health of the housing markets appears to be justified by history.

dougie kass.

if i was as wrong as him, id give up. oh thats right, i have. LOL

Bunkerman said...

Kass. Arghhhhhhhh. Well, he's a short only fund, so the bigger the rally, the lower goes his benchmark. Hmmm. hither come the buyers, thither goes his benchmark. lolol. ;-)

Cramer is sooooooooooo shallow. I'm embarrassed he was a year behind me in college.

Bud said...

Jimmy nailed FWLT. He a long time fan of that stock.

mern said...

even when he admits to being wrong, he says he is still right.

it really surprises me he goes to Eagles games and doesnt ever get beat up.

well with the way the tixs at the linc have been going up, i think unless u as rich as cramer its either season tixs or investing so maybe noone at the games invests?

mern said...

so y did he sell it last yr? (flwt)

Bunkerman said...

Sheesh. It's hot here & I'm wearing flip-flops. If I take them off, Sky the puppy steals them to chew in his lair.

Bunkerman said...

I need to figure out how to post dog photos on this blog.

mern said...

oh nellie, pisani trashing a trader who is probably a million times richer than him. ive seen this movie before. it was late 99. like 50 yr old money managers hiring 20 yr old gunslingers becuase they didnt get the market anymore.

its a total puke fest on cnbc

Bunkerman said...

What is wrong with these "modern" traders? Pisani is full of it. "Old school traders" let the winners ride, aka Jesse Livermore, until something changes.

D'uh.

"The trend is your friend"

Bud said...

Jesse Livermore traded in an illiquid manipulated market.

Bunkerman said...

Well, I guess Jesse Livermore made his really big money NOT being a trader - "sitting", he said.

Why do we give a crap what "traders" do? They're just virtual noise in the market. This trend is from real buyers.

Bud said...

Uh........I 'give a crap' what traders do. I wanna know what stevie cohen or paul tudor or boone pickens are doing.

Bunkerman said...

The illiquidity was why he had to hold onto swings to "keep his position". He had such big positions compared to the liquidity, he couldn't "trade" at all once he got to be a big hitter.

mern said...

its still manipulated bud. ;-)

this is the horniest ive ever seen the bulls, ever

Bunkerman said...

Ok, I shouldn't have said, "we", I meant I. But I do care about Boone since he has longer-term views. but I care zilch re the other two guys, unless they're doing month trades. Cohen said he was doing more longer trades in that article, so maybe him. I suspect we're not gonna hear about what they do until they're done, anyway or want us to buy their stock. I thought that was why SAC filed all those 13-D's -> to get others to buy their stock at a high price.

Bunkerman said...

We have a long way to go, PE-wise, to get to mid 1980 pricing, or even mid 1960 pricing.

Bud said...

Lmaooooooooo..... thank you for changing from 'we' to 'I'.
Amazing how different we think. But that's why I like this blog. I learn about others opinions and that reassures me that I must be right.

mern said...

GE looks really cheap. im surprised no LBO's on that.

imagine that. i cud see haines moon the camera and say " i quit!"

Bunkerman said...

GE is really cheap. It might be too big, though, for an LBO.

One of the few.

They like their Aaa/AAA rating so won't lever up, either.

I bought it for Mom a while back - a good one for the older people, safe dividend & growth.

Bunkerman said...

Solid day.
I think I'll have a brewskie. :-)
Peace.

mern said...

just got home from soccer, its only 70 degrees out, nice!