🚨Market Chaos as Precious Metals Crash & Trump-Putin Call Shakes Markets🚨

🔥 KEY THINGS TO KNOW - TUESDAY TRADING SESSION

✅ PRECIOUS METALS BLOODBATH: Silver down -10% intraday, Gold -5% after CME margin requirement hikes
✅ TRUMP-PUTIN CALL: "Positive" call on Ukraine, but Putin reveals drone attack on Russian residence
✅ HOUSING MARKET STRENGTH: Pending home sales +3.3% vs 1.0% est - strongest beat in months
✅ ENERGY LEADERSHIP: Energy stocks leading as safe-haven rotation accelerates
✅ CRYPTO FEAR SPIKE: Bitcoin Fear & Greed at 24/100 (Extreme Fear) as metals selloff spreads
✅ SANTA RALLY STALL: Holiday chop continues, but breadth deteriorating into year-end

📈 MARKET SENTIMENT OVERVIEW

S&P 500 ($SPY): Last Close $687.34 | Pre-Market: Testing support at $685
Nasdaq ($QQQ): Under pressure, tech holding better than metals
Russell 2K ($IWM): Small caps resilient amid sector rotation
VIX: Elevated but futures showing no panic - controlled selloff

Current Market State:

🔴 RISK-OFF ROTATION in progress
🟢 ENERGY SECTOR BREAKOUT confirmed
🟡 PRECIOUS METALS CORRECTION - healthy or bank failure?

🌟 BREAKING NEWS CATALYSTS (Post 11 AM EST Dec 29)

🏛️ WHITE HOUSE IMPACT - MAJOR MARKET MOVER

TRUMP-PUTIN UKRAINE CALL (Released 11:54 PM EST)

• White House: "Positive call concluded between Trump and Putin"

• Kremlin reveals Ukraine drone attack on Putin's residence in Novgorod

• Trump "shocked" by attack details according to Kremlin advisor Ushakov

• Russia warns of determined counterstrike targets and timing

• MARKET IMPACT: Initial safe-haven buying in energy, selling in risk assets

GEOPOLITICAL RISK PREMIUM RISING:

• Defense stocks likely to benefit Tuesday

• Oil & energy positioning for potential supply disruption concerns

• Flight to quality favoring Treasuries over precious metals (paradox trade)

💰 MINNESOTA FRAUD INVESTIGATION - TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOCUS

FBI Director Kash Patel Surging Resources (Released after hours)

• $9 BILLION childcare fraud scheme under investigation

• Homeland Security Investigations deployed to Minneapolis

• House Republicans drafting criminal referrals for state officials

• TRADING ANGLE: Government efficiency theme strengthening

Sympathy Plays:

• Background check companies

• Fraud detection software ($FRSH mentioned in unusual IV)

• Government contractor stocks

💥 PRECIOUS METALS MASSACRE - WHAT HAPPENED?

Silver ($SLV) Analysis:

• Current: ~$72 (-10% intraday peak)

• 24h High: $83.76

• Catalyst: CME raised margin requirements dramatically

• Rumor: Major bank margin call speculation (unconfirmed)

• Polymarket odds: 71% chance of "systemically important bank failure" spiked

Gold ($GLD) Breakdown:

• Current: $4,302/oz (-5%)

• Context: 3rd worst session in 12 years

• Miners ($GDX): Only -6% (outperforming bullion)

Palladium ($PALL) Collapse:

• Down 17% at $1,588/oz

• Complete PGM (Platinum Group Metals) sector rout

⚠️ Trading Verdict:

BUYER BEWARE - This isn't normal profit-taking. Options flow shows:

• $SLV Feb $76/$81 call spreads (4,000 contracts) - bulls buying dip

• Feb $63 puts SOLD - institutional support level identified

• Some flippers made $500K on quick $64.50 call scalps

Action for Tuesday: Watch for dead cat bounce 9:30-10:30 AM, but don't catch falling knives without confirmation

🏠 HOUSING MARKET SURGE - BULLISH REAL ESTATE

November Pending Home Sales: +3.3% vs +1.0% estimate

• Pending Home Sales Index: 79.2 (prev 76.3)

• Down payment timeline: 7 years (down from 12 year peak in 2022)

• Typical down payment: $30,400 (was $13,900 in 2019)

Real Estate Sector Plays for Tuesday:

$ITB (Homebuilders ETF)

• Entry Zone: $138-140

• Target: $148 (+7%)

• Stop: $135
  ⭐ Rating: 8/10 - Strong momentum on housing data

$DHI (DR Horton)

• Entry Zone: $202-205

• Target: $218 (+7.5%)

• Stop: $198
  ⭐ Rating: 8/10 - Largest homebuilder benefits most

$RDFN (Redfin)

• Entry Zone: $15.80-16.20

• Target: $18.50 (+15%)

• Stop: $14.80
  ⭐ Rating: 7/10 - Tech-enabled brokerage leverage play

⚡ ENERGY SECTOR - THE NEW LEADERSHIP

Why Energy is Working:

✅ Geopolitical risk premium (Trump-Putin tensions)
✅ Inventory drawdowns supporting prices
✅ Natural gas storage: -166B (in line with forecast)
✅ Propane prices down 6.8% YoY = margin expansion for producers
✅ Secretary Burgum highlighting energy price drops as political win

Top Energy Trades Tuesday:

$XLE (Energy Select Sector)

• Current: ~$89.50

• Entry Zone: $89-90

• Target: $94 (+5.5%)

• Stop: $87
  ⭐ Rating: 9/10 - Highest conviction sector play

$XOM (ExxonMobil)

• Entry Zone: $115-117

• Target: $124 (+7%)

• Stop: $112
  ⭐ Rating: 8.5/10 - Quality energy exposure

$CVX (Chevron)

• Entry Zone: $158-160

• Target: $170 (+7%)

• Stop: $155
  ⭐ Rating: 8.5/10 - Dividend support + momentum

$HAL (Halliburton) - Services Play

• Entry Zone: $30-31

• Target: $34 (+12%)

• Stop: $28.50
  ⭐ Rating: 7.5/10 - Leveraged to activity increase

🚀 SPACE & DEFENSE - GEOPOLITICAL BENEFICIARIES

$RKLB (Rocket Lab) - Held gap down Monday

• Current: ~$28

• Entry Zone: $27.50-28.50

• Target: $33 (+17%)

• Stop: $26
  ⭐ Rating: 8/10 - Space infrastructure play into 2026

$ASTS (AST SpaceMobile)

• Entry Zone: $36-37

• Target: $42 (+15%)

• Stop: $34
  ⭐ Rating: 7.5/10 - High beta space play

$LMT (Lockheed Martin) - Defense

• Entry Zone: $495-500

• Target: $530 (+7%)

• Stop: $485
  ⭐ Rating: 8/10 - Geopolitical tensions = defense spending

💻 TECH SECTOR - SELECTIVE OPPORTUNITIES

Mag 7 Institutional Picks for 2026 (From Discord Intel):

Top Wall Street Picks:

• Morgan Stanley: $AMZN, $NVDA

• Bank of America: $NVDA, $AVGO, $GOOGL

• Wolfe Research: $AMZN, $META, $UBER, $GOOGL, $MSFT, $NVDA

Tuesday Tech Trades:

$AMZN (Amazon)

• #1 on Wall Street Bets 2026 list

• Entry Zone: $226-229

• Target: $245 (+8%)

• Stop: $222
  ⭐ Rating: 8.5/10 - Consensus top pick across institutions

$AAPL (Apple) - Options Activity

• Saw 1,560 July $240 puts + 780 July $295 calls (strangle)

• August BULL flow detected

• Entry Zone: $246-248

• Target: $265 (+7%)
  ⭐ Rating: 7/10 - Lower conviction but institutional interest

🏭 CHINA PLAYS - CONTRARIAN SETUPS

$BABA (Alibaba)

• "Raided in pre-market" - bullish wedge tightening (per Discord)

• "Someone wanted shares today"

• Entry Zone: $105-107

• Target: $118 (+12%)

• Stop: $102
  ⭐ Rating: 6.5/10 - High risk/reward, needs direction confirmation

$NIO (NIO Inc)

• Momentum building with May call buying

• Entry Zone: $5.80-6.00

• Target: $6.80 (+15%)

• Stop: $5.40
  ⭐ Rating: 6/10 - Speculative, but options flow improving

📊 OPTIONS FLOW HIGHLIGHTS - DECEMBER 29

Bullish Flow:

✅ $SLV - 4,000 Feb $76/$81 call spreads (dip buyers)
✅ $AAPL - August $295 calls, showing long-term confidence
✅ $TSLA - Stock buywrite: 100K shares + sold 1,000 Feb $535 calls (~20% return if called)
✅ $AMD - 550 Feb 6 $210 puts SOLD at $12.10 (earnings week play)

Bearish/Hedging Flow:

🔴 $PLTR - $13M sweep into Jan 16 $32 calls with BEARISH sentiment
🔴 $TSLA - 8,800 Jan 2027 $400 calls closed (year-long hold, taking profits)
🔴 $VIX - $890K OTM call at $30 strike (tail risk hedge)
🔴 $SPY - $64M in puts SOLD last 30 min (institutions selling protection)

🪙 CRYPTO MARKET BREAKDOWN

Fear & Greed Indices:

• Crypto: 24/100 - EXTREME FEAR

• Stocks: 49/100 - NEUTRAL

Bitcoin ($BTC):

• Sympathy pressure from metals selling

• Support zone: $94,000-96,000

• Resistance: $98,000

• Strategy: Wait for $94K test for entries

Ethereum ($ETH):

• Following BTC weakness

• Key support: $3,300

• Bullish above $3,500

Altcoin Action:

• Market cap heat map showing broad weakness

• $MSTR (MicroStrategy) resuming BTC purchases - $108M buy

• Wait for crypto fear to peak before aggressive entries

📅 ECONOMIC CALENDAR TUESDAY

10:00 AM EST - Consumer Confidence
10:00 AM EST - S&P Case-Shiller Home Prices
10:30 AM EST - Weekly EIA Petroleum Status (delayed from Monday)

Expectations: Housing data should support real estate trades, oil inventory key for energy direction

🎯 KEY CATALYST TRADES FOR TUESDAY

1. ENERGY SECTOR ROTATION ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

$XLE, $XOM, $CVX - Geopolitical premium + technical breakout
Conviction: 9/10

2. HOMEBUILDERS BREAKOUT ⭐⭐⭐⭐

$ITB, $DHI, $LEN - Pending sales surprise + down payment timeline improving
Conviction: 8/10

3. SPACE/DEFENSE MOMENTUM ⭐⭐⭐⭐

$RKLB, $ASTS, $LMT - Trump-Putin tensions = defense spending narrative
Conviction: 7.5/10

4. MAG 7 SELECTIVE LONGS ⭐⭐⭐⭐

$NVDA, $GOOGL, $AMZN - Wall Street consensus + institutional flow
Conviction: 8/10

5. PRECIOUS METALS BOUNCE ⭐⭐⭐

$GLD, $SLV - ONLY if confirmation, target 9:30-10:30 AM bounce
Conviction: 5/10 (too early)

📊 S&P FUTURES ($ES) KEY LEVELS

Current: ~6,935

Bull Scenario:

• Must reclaim: 6,959-6,961

• Next targets: 6,967 → 6,973-6,975 → 7,000

Bear Scenario:

• Support: 6,930 → 6,922 → 6,900

• Breakdown below 6,900 = test of 6,850

Trading Range: Expect 6,930-6,970 chop unless geopolitical news catalyst

🔄 MONEY ROTATION ANALYSIS

✅ SECTORS ADVANCING:

1. ENERGY 🔥🔥🔥 - +0.90% (LEADING)

2. Utilities - +0.65%

3. Real Estate - +0.20%

4. Consumer Staples - +0.10%

❌ SECTORS DECLINING:

1. Materials 💀 - -0.94% (METALS CRASH)

2. Technology - -0.83%

3. Consumer Discretionary - -0.91%

4. Financials - -0.48%

🔄 Rotation Theme:

RISK-OFF into DEFENSIVE + ENERGY
Classic late-year position squaring + geopolitical hedging

🏆 HOT TRADES MONDAY RECAP

Stocks:

• Energy names littered winners list

• Homebuilders on pending sales

• Metals stocks crushed

Options:

• $500K made flipping $SLV calls (per Discord)

• $TSLA buy-writes popular (20% potential return)

• $VIX tail risk buying (fear hedges)

Futures:

• $ES range-bound 6,930-6,970

• VIX futures stayed flat = no panic

Crypto:

• $BTC held $96K support

• Fear index extreme but price resilient

🎯 TRUMP MOMENTUM TRADES

Government Efficiency Theme:

Following Musk's $1.5T Fraud Claim:

• Background check: $HII, $BRKS

• Fraud detection: $FRSH (unusual IV spike)

• Gov contractors: $LDOS, $SAIC

Energy Independence:

• Trump admin highlighting energy price drops

• Secretary Burgum promoting propane -6.8%, gas -4.6%

• Trade: $XLE, $XOP (oil & gas producers)

Defense Spending:

• Ukraine tensions = increased focus

• Trump "shocked" by Putin residence attack

• Trade: $LMT, $RTX, $NOC

📰 MASTERMIND GUIDANCE - KEY TAKEAWAYS

From Trading Discord:

✅ "Don't overtrade the holiday chop" - Adam Mancini
✅ "VIX futures showing no lift = bodes well for rest of week" - Jason
✅ "Silver party over? Who's buying the dip?" - amit (answer: cautiously, with confirmation)
✅ "Santa rally turning into Santa chop" - TT3
✅ "Market breadth bad today... slow bearish grind" - Ripster
✅ "Energy stocks litter the winners" - Mike Zaccardi

Wall Street 2026 Predictions (Simplifying Stocks):

• S&P Target Range: $7,000 - $8,100

• Median: $7,500

• BTC: $152,000

• Gold: $4,925 (now questionable after Monday's action)

🚨 RISKS TO WATCH TUESDAY

1. Bank Failure Rumors - Polymarket showed 71% odds spike (likely false alarm, but monitor)

2. Russia Retaliation - Targets "determined" for counterstrike

3. Precious Metals Contagion - Could spread to other commodities

4. Year-End Liquidity - Thin markets = exaggerated moves

5. Consumer Confidence Miss - Would contradict housing strength

💡 OVERALL MARKET STRATEGY - TUESDAY

Morning (9:30-11 AM):

• Watch for gap fill attempts in $SPY

• Energy sector strength continuation

• Precious metals dead cat bounce (trade, don't invest)

• Real estate names on housing data momentum

Midday (11 AM-2 PM):

• Typically slowest period of year

• Use for position sizing, not new entries

• Monitor geopolitical headlines from Europe

Close (2-4 PM):

• Window dressing potential (year-end positioning)

• Energy sector likely holds gains

• Watch for institutional buying in beaten-down tech

🎯 DCG COMMAND CENTER TRADE SCORECARD

Highest Conviction Plays (9/10 or higher):

1. $XLE - Energy sector ETF (9/10)

2. $XOM - Exxon (8.5/10)

3. $NVDA - Nvidia (8.5/10)

4. $AMZN - Amazon (8.5/10)

Strong Secondary Plays (7.5-8/10):

• $ITB, $DHI (Homebuilders)

• $CVX (Chevron)

• $GOOGL (Google)

• $RKLB (Rocket Lab)

• $LMT (Lockheed)

Speculative/Higher Risk (6-7/10):

• $BABA (needs confirmation)

• $NIO (speculative)

• $SLV bounce (only with confirmation)

📢 FINAL TAKEAWAYS & ACTION ITEMS

✅ DO THIS TUESDAY:

1. Scale into Energy - XLE, XOM, CVX positions

2. Real Estate on dips - ITB, DHI if they pullback to entry zones

3. Selective Tech - NVDA, GOOGL, AMZN on weakness

4. Defense - LMT if geopolitical tensions escalate

❌ AVOID THIS:

1. Catching falling metals knives - Wait for confirmation

2. Overleveraging in thin holiday tape

3. Fighting Energy momentum

4. Ignoring geopolitical headlines

📊 Position Sizing:

• Large positions (5-7%): Energy sector leaders

• Medium (3-5%): Tech Mag 7, Homebuilders

• Small (1-2%): Speculative China, metals bounce

🎓 MASTER YOUR TRADING GAME

Want to learn the exact strategies behind these high-probability setups? Join aitradingskool.com for:

✅ Daily live trading room sessions
✅ Options flow analysis training
✅ Sector rotation playbooks
✅ Risk management frameworks
✅ Community of serious traders

Special Year-End Offer: Lock in 2026 rates before January 1st price increase!

🔔 CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Tuesday's session will test whether the precious metals selloff was an isolated margin-call event or the start of broader risk-off. The Trump-Putin call adds a wild card that could either calm markets (positive diplomacy) or spike volatility (retaliation fears).

Energy's breakout looks legitimate - not just a one-day wonder. The combination of geopolitical risk premium, technical breakouts, and year-end rotation makes it the highest conviction sector for Tuesday.

Housing strength is real and should support homebuilders despite the broader market chop. Don't overthink the Santa Rally absence - focus on what's working NOW (Energy, select Real Estate) rather than what should work (year-end rally).

Stay nimble, manage risk, and remember: The best opportunities come when others are confused. Monday's chaos created Tuesday's clarity.

Trade smart. Trade DCG Command Center style. 📈

This newsletter is for educational purposes. Always conduct your own research and manage risk appropriately. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Subscribe to our live trading room and take the trades with us.