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China stocks rallying on government stimulus plans–I’m buying iShares China FXI

China stocks rallying on government stimulus plans–I’m buying iShares China FXI

Just because we’ve seen this page from the play book before and just because I’m skeptical about the long-term effects of this policy doesn’t mean I don’t want to own the China rally now. On Monday March 24, I’m adding the iShares China Large-Cap ETF (FXI) to my Perfect Five ETF Portfolio and to my Jubak Picks and Volatility portfolios. (In the Perfect Five ETF portfolio I’m replacing my India ETF with this China ETF.)

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Huge volume today but not much movement

Huge volume today but not much movement

Just five minutes before Wall Street’s close, the Standard & Poor’s 500 erased a slide that earlier in the session exceeded 1%. The index closed up 0.08% on the day. The NASDAQ Composite added 0.52%. The CBOE S&P 500 Volatility Index (VIX) dropped 2.63% to 19.28. These relatively minor directional moves came despite huge volume.

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Trump criticizes the Fed’s decision to hold interest rates steady

Trump criticizes the Fed’s decision to hold interest rates steady

That didn’t take long. Wednesday afternoon the Federal Reserve decided to keep its benchmark interest rate steady–no rate cut. Wednesday night President Donald Trump renewed his call for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates as he criticized the central bank’s decision. “The Fed would be MUCH better off CUTTING RATES as U.S.Tariffs start to transition (ease!) their way into the economy,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Do the right thing.” Trump added: “April 2nd is Liberation Day in America!!!” President Trump’s criticism of the Fed’s decision certainly isn’t a surprise.

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Good news from the Fed today–central bank still sees two interest rate cuts in 2025

Good news from the Fed today–central bank still sees two interest rate cuts in 2025

The Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee surprised no one with today’s vote to keep the benchmark federal funds rate in a range of 4.25%-4.5%. The mild surprise came in the revisions to the Dot Plot projections. The Fed continued to pencil in two interest rate cuts for 2025. Some investors had feared that the Fed would show it has moved to projecting just one cut in 2025.

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Please watch my new YouTube video: Hot Money Moves Now Vix Call Options

Please watch my new YouTube video: Hot Money Moves Now Vix Call Options

Today’s Hot Money Moves NOW: Buy VIX Volatility Call Options. Toward the end of January, I bought VIX Call Options, hoping to make money as volatility increased in the market. I bought a VIX call with a strike of 20, and a VIX call with a strike of 26–both with May 21, 2025 expirations. Both of these buys were up about 40% before Friday’s snap-back rally. And looking at probable “events” I think volatility is going to increase in the second half of March. But this week we may see some optimism bring the VIX down and you may be able to buy more options on that future volatility at a temporarily depressed price. I would look to buy these options this week and hold for the next three weeks or so, through more tariff uncertainty in April and sell before the May 21 expiration. For more detail om my VIX options buys see the Volatility Portfolio on my subscription JubakAM.com site.

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Monday adding more VIX options on volatility after snap-back rally

Monday adding more VIX options on volatility after snap-back rally

Friday’s snap-back rally took a big bite out of the CBOE S&P 500 Volatility Index (VIX). The VIX dropped 11.72%, or 2.89, to 21.77. But the plunge in Call options on the VIX was even bigger with the VIX Call option with a strike price of 20 and an expiration of May 2025 falling 23.34% and the VIX Call option with a strike price of 26 and an expiration of May 2025 26.000 falling 31.34%. (I’m citing the action on these two options because they are the Calls that I own in my Volatility Portfolio.)
This is exactly the opportunity I flagged last week to add more volatility bets without paying too much after the run upon options prices that came to a screeching halt on Friday.

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