Quote from austinp:
Stock index markets remain very quiet. The major difference between markets a decade ago versus past few years: most sessions, and we do mean MOST sessions long-term offer far less opportunity for sheer number of trades. Far fewer oscillations, fewer swings, less directional movement. Much more congestive algo-bot buzz.
Traders who wish - hope - think - feel they can or even should bang-bang-bang ES trades all day will surely lose. Matter of fact, most of that flip-flip crowd is already broke, or soon getting there now. Trading in the modern era is all about catching one swing more days than not, and content with that.
We will see random weeks or months of high-flying volatility to come, but lower volume and muted sessions overall than in the past is the new norm since about 2010. Hence my own permanent mode of taking chunks of profit out asap and direct my attention for the remainder of that day elsewhere.
So far today's emini session has been one brief program-sell slam, and hours of flat congestion from there. One lone shot at the money... whether you catch or miss, the market itself doesn't care either way