I think you would gain insight into futures actions by first asking what is the immediate action of the xjo players in the 30 mins following the cash close....ask, what are the percentage gains (short or long) in the swings prior to the the us markets next session...that is, you look for the moves that suggest the distribution (during times when major players anticipate a lower index level) and then place that into context of opportunity for them to take on supply.....there is no point in simply asking does the xjo follow or does the spx et al follow...afterall, by the time you know, the points have been travelled and the chart is history.....however, by context of the local trend you'll note that in some years the spx may make a minnow percentage gain while the xjo may make multi figure gain on a weekly/quarterly basis.....what this tells me is that the trend itself (that is, did xjo follow the spx) is irrellevant as to the percentage of the move....if the spx declines, in a strong uptrend, of say 1% and the xjo traders use that as an excuse to take on more supply then we may well decline 1.5% the following day..however, that is a backward view, so, you need to look at how the xjo moves prior to the us not after.....sydney futures players are very savvy...the news in the market is pretty much already known.....also, this week I traded the ftse and noted the days when the xjo post cash stays bouyant while the ftse ascends (instruments listed on the ftse from aus) is not always the same, that is, there are sessions when the both the ftse is bouyant and the spx is flat yet the xjo declines the next session, so, does that mean that the xjo is responding, or, more likely, the traders see that this is the opportunity to not buy at current offer, rather, allow supply to come to them from nervous traders.....you see, look at the context of supply and demand within the the whole trend set-up.....think in terms of liquidity in the asian area, liquidity through the fx markets....think of what is available to the players on the opposite side of the trader who have the opposing view of a falling/climbing price on a session over session basis.....
..has been a while since ive been in here and clearly remember trembling hands frustration over the non-thinking on this subject....there is much more than proffering "doesnt one follow or lead?"...again, the answer is largely irrelevant as the answer cannot be traded, yet, should lead the trader to, then, ask the right questions.....