...so we wake up to the headline that market to open with a gap lower. OK seems 40-80 points lower on the Dow, gap below support for the S&P 500 and Midcap 400. Lower for the Nasdaq, QQQ, etc.
BUT, we want to trade (thus far) in a narrow range and STILL fight back to the highs?
VIX/VXN has made significant jumps. Meanwhile my CC stock [IOC] gets pounded to the tune of 30%. A drop so quick in the last hour that if you weren't watching you couldn't avoid the serious clip.
Oh and on no news but a "rumored dry hole". Yeah, 6M shrs dumped when avg volume is 600k is more than rumor. Apparently the retail investor has to take the lumps, while institutions - who hadn't figured the market to correct when it did...drive [MM] it up so they can get out with their skins. What other reason?
So the previous gap up cost me more than a 50% stop on my naked positions (boy I feel vulnerable) and eliminate most all gains I rightly should have again calling this top with the subsequent sells. The only consolation is that these calls usually aren't this tough to capitalize on.
Trying to bide my time with my C2 account and get a 15-20% jump once this market tanks - avoid dumb losses like getting vested at this juncture and take a 3% clip. No prob. I'm in cash...market doesn't tank, says it's ok to buy, but warily I phase in. IOC goes up ITM in high volume as the week goes by, cool. get next positon. IOC implodes, now cashed out with 8%+ totaly loss - and adantage over market largely gone.
Anyway, will gain some leg up and regain 8% easy enough...BUT YOU CAN"T SAY I DIDN"T TRY TO AVOID this nonsense.
And the market still hasn't really broken down, yet!Ps