Sentiment towards a number of metals is changing as they attempt to hold onto recent strong price gains. Now is a great time to check out the most extreme sentiment traders look for contrarian trading signals via sentiment readings.
Trading sentiment is most effective when retail traders are running counter trend, meaning that they are heavily leaning against established market trends and in increasingly large numbers. Additionally, once big sentiment skews build it can be a powerful sign that the retail crowd are being too one-sided.
Typically, market sentiment readings for an instrument that has reached around 75 to 80 percent is considered to be at an extreme level, while market sentiment readings over 80 to 95 percent is often a strong indication that the trade could be topping or about to reverse at any time.
I will now look at the strongest sentiment bias amongst the retail crowd right now. Some of the sentiment skews suggest that current price trends in FX, stocks, and precious metals are breaking point and big moves may be nearing.
GOLD – High reading
According to the ActivTrader Market Sentiment tool we are starting to see sentiment neutralize towards the yellow metal, which alludes to price stabilization in the short-term.
The ActivTrader Market Sentiment tool shows that only 55 percent of traders are expecting more downside in the yellow metal. This is a large sentiment decrease since the previous trading week.
It should be noted that sentiment is very crucial for the price of gold as we typically look to fade extreme sentiment biases for precious metals.
COPPER – Bearish sentiment
The ActivTrader market sentiment tool shows that only 32 percent of traders are bullish towards the price of copper as it continues to race higher as sentiment starts to improve towards China.
The sentiment bias certainly alludes to more upside trading, however, it is important to state that the red metal has also come too far too fast and could correct lower.
I think we are about to see more gains in the copper as traders are caught being extremely short, however, at some point a correction will come.
SILVER – Still High
Market sentiment towards the price of silver is high right now, which is a bad sign for bulls as one-sided sentiment skews tends to mean directional reversals or breakouts.
The ActivTrader market sentiment tool showing that 74 percent of traders currently bullish towards the widely traded metal. Sentiment was 90 percent bullish at one point.
I think it is worth noting that the more traders turn bullish or bearish then we should expect the opposite price effect to happen.