This is going to be my another attempt to keep a journal. Have tried few times but was unable to follow through.
The reason is entirely selfish. I have a workable system but have taken profits too soon and I have traded my opinions several times which have hurt my P&L.
There are no technical indicators used. It is based entirely on price action, S/R and momentum patterns. The patterns are V-bottom upside reversal, late-day upside price surges, extereme momentum days, Friday to Monday momentum, momentum break patterns and 1% true selling days (For more info on these patterns, please see Ch. 12---- How I Trade for a Living By Gary Smith). I will monitor S/R for entry, exits and stops..
My trading instrument is E-mini. I will hold overnight and use EOD price. I will go both long and short. (I beleive Gary was a long only trader).
The day after the London bombing was an extreme momentum day. The E-mini was down about 22 pts after hours but staged a comeback by the time the market opened. Next day I went long at 1201 and sold for a gain of about 14 pts. 14 pts is not bad at all but it went up another 35 pts after that. The right thing to do was to hold on to it and maybe add more to it. Instead I looked at my other technical indicators which was overbought, so I shorted at around 1220. I was stopped out in that trade with a loss of 6 pts. My stop was at 1226, 1 pt. above the recent high. I shorted few more times and was stopped out again and again and again.
I shorted again on July 28 at around 1245 with a stop loss at 1251. The next day Friday market opened at around 1248 and closed at 1237. It was a 1% true selling day, and I shorted another contract at 1236.75 with a stop at 1243 on both contracts. I was looking for Friday to Monday momentum and was looking for a week Monday. When there was no follow through on the downside, I should have just closed my position for a profit but I did not and left my positions open with stop at 1243. The next day I was stopped out with a loss.
Gary mentioned in the book that 1% true selling days are the least reliable indicators, but it protects you at times and ocassional false signals is just a cost of doing business.
Thursday August 4th was another 1% true selling day. I went short at 1236.75 on Thurday close. The reason being that we had two 1% -true selling days in 6 days. Friday the market closed at 1229.75. I'm still short.
I do not have a specific price target, although my stop is at 1245. The next support levels are 1225 and 1200. On this trade I do not intend to take profits prematurely. I will move my stop as the market moves in my favor. For example if the market closes at 1220 on Monday, I will move my stop loss to 1225 (current support) +1 or 2 pts.
We'll see how this goes.
The reason is entirely selfish. I have a workable system but have taken profits too soon and I have traded my opinions several times which have hurt my P&L.
There are no technical indicators used. It is based entirely on price action, S/R and momentum patterns. The patterns are V-bottom upside reversal, late-day upside price surges, extereme momentum days, Friday to Monday momentum, momentum break patterns and 1% true selling days (For more info on these patterns, please see Ch. 12---- How I Trade for a Living By Gary Smith). I will monitor S/R for entry, exits and stops..
My trading instrument is E-mini. I will hold overnight and use EOD price. I will go both long and short. (I beleive Gary was a long only trader).
The day after the London bombing was an extreme momentum day. The E-mini was down about 22 pts after hours but staged a comeback by the time the market opened. Next day I went long at 1201 and sold for a gain of about 14 pts. 14 pts is not bad at all but it went up another 35 pts after that. The right thing to do was to hold on to it and maybe add more to it. Instead I looked at my other technical indicators which was overbought, so I shorted at around 1220. I was stopped out in that trade with a loss of 6 pts. My stop was at 1226, 1 pt. above the recent high. I shorted few more times and was stopped out again and again and again.
I shorted again on July 28 at around 1245 with a stop loss at 1251. The next day Friday market opened at around 1248 and closed at 1237. It was a 1% true selling day, and I shorted another contract at 1236.75 with a stop at 1243 on both contracts. I was looking for Friday to Monday momentum and was looking for a week Monday. When there was no follow through on the downside, I should have just closed my position for a profit but I did not and left my positions open with stop at 1243. The next day I was stopped out with a loss.
Gary mentioned in the book that 1% true selling days are the least reliable indicators, but it protects you at times and ocassional false signals is just a cost of doing business.
Thursday August 4th was another 1% true selling day. I went short at 1236.75 on Thurday close. The reason being that we had two 1% -true selling days in 6 days. Friday the market closed at 1229.75. I'm still short.
I do not have a specific price target, although my stop is at 1245. The next support levels are 1225 and 1200. On this trade I do not intend to take profits prematurely. I will move my stop as the market moves in my favor. For example if the market closes at 1220 on Monday, I will move my stop loss to 1225 (current support) +1 or 2 pts.
We'll see how this goes.