Intraday Trends
Breaks:
A break is a dynamic event. It varies on a day to day basis. But the more breaks you see the better you get at identifying them early on. They occur very frequently and the best ones come on days where the market sells off all day.
So the anatomy of a break is as follows:
1. A test of the 20MA
2. A push up in the comp/nd100 (either one) to actually break through the 20MA. Sort of the comp's way of saying, "I'mma Commin' ".
3. Break confirmation comes when a pullback occurs after step 2, but 5MA does not violate previous lows of the rally that gave rise to the break. This is your entry.
4. Finally, you observe as the comp gets back on its 5MA and rides it up.
Exit Strategy:
Sell in incremental lots above a previous high. This way if there is only one previous high that you can identify you sell all your shares. If there is two previous highs you get rid of one half of your position and sell the other half at the next high. If you miss the next high or are not given an opportunity to sell at that high you can still sell and earn a good profit and watch the market for a potential reversal.
See attached chart displaying exit strategy.
http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=87374
quote:
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Originally posted by ANCHOR
super_ego,
What is the significance of the bottom listed as number 3 on your chart? Is it just that fact that it held at the low before the actual break of the 20sma? If so are you then looking for it to hold the low right before the actual break of the 20sma?
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Bottom 3 is last bottom before the break (the bottom that gave rise to the break). That bottom should not be violated and it rarely is (a violation would be the 5MA crossing below bottom 3)
You are going to notice the break (of the 20MA) after it happens. Then you are going to look back and see that there was a test of the 20MA in the previous rally. Then you are going to buy the next pullback, randomly, and watch the comp move up above the 5MA.
High probability stuff.