Quote from WmWaster:
Here's the chart.
Smile up = current body > those of last 3 + is rising!
Smile down = current body > those of last 3 + is falling!
How can I determine entry/exit plan based on this?
Hi WmWaster,
Your original question didn't deal with any entry method questions and I had replied about exit methods because you said you were having some problems
about closing positions too early.
As for your chart attachment...
You have identified accurately the WRBs on a chart that has no entry signal discussion.
(Your WRB levels
could be different depending upon where your entry signal was at on that chart)
Thus, although I don't know what is your entry method...I'm going to assume the reason why you used that particular chart is that somewhere on it you had an entry signal that's not annotated.
With that said...lets pretend you got an entry signal for whatever reasons to go Long where you annotated as the 1st Up Smile character.
That 2nd Up Smile character is your WRB pt1 (profit target 1).
http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=1006980
If you haven't already researched here at ET...I have a thread called
Trading Hammers (revisited) where I talk about a few entry signals along with WRB Analysis as profit targets.
http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=52880
If your not interested in candlestick analysis...just ignore the Japanese Candlestick stuff in the thread and concentrate on the profit target discussions.
After you read that thread and seen some of the charts...
You'll realize I mainly (not always) scale out of my positions.
In fact, after pt1 has been reached...
I usually increase my chart interval to look for a pt2, pt3, pt4 or higher WRB levels.
For example, lets pretend you don't use Japanese Candlesticks and your entry signals is based upon Pivot Point Analysis.
You went Long at that 1st Up Smile character on the 5min chart.
Your pt1 should also be via the 5min chart whereas your pt2 should be via a higher chart interval that's one of your favorite.
In my particular situtation, I also use the 10min, 15min, 30min and 60min charts.
Most likely my pt2 would be via the 10min or 15min chart and I would scale out my positions from pt2 and higher via that same 10min or 15min interval.
Now...if you think you caught a trend for whatever reasons and you have some experience with WRB Analsysis and position size managment.
You'll know when to ignore pt2 as your next exit of part of your position and instead exit part of your position at pt3 and then ignore pt4 and exit the next part of your position at pt5 and so on.
That stuff I can't explain and must be learned on your on because there's too many variables involved that's also related to whatever entry method your using.
Yet, to give one variable example...
Lets pretend your trade is a counter-trend trade...you could dump a large portion of your position at pt1 and exit the small portions (remainders) at a pt2 or pt3 because the odds aren't good your going to reach those higher WRB levels because your counter-trend trading.
Yet, if your entry method was with the trend...you would scale out a small portion of your position at pt1 and dump the larger portion of your position at those higher WRB levels.
Another variable example could be related to if you use pivot points or whatever...as soon as a WRB forms in the area of that pivot point...
It's a pt level.
I think you should begin to understand now how to integrate WRB profit targets
after pt1 into whatever method your using and whatever variables are important to you will have impact on where you decide to exit at those higher level WRBs.
Once again...I don't know what your entry method is nor do I know what type of variables about the market are important to you.
Therefore, how to manage WRBs after a WRB pt1 level on your chart is almost impossible to talk about especially since I don't even know what trading instrument it is.
Here are some key variables that have impact on
my WRB levels after pt1:
* Key Economic Reports price reaction
* Intraday Price Action Tendencies (day trades)
* Market Seasonal Price Action Tendencies (position or swing trades)
* Entry Method
* Favorite chart intervals
* Trend Analysis (counter trend trading or trading with the trend)
Now...in all fairness...all the above requires a lot of market experience.
Thus, in the beginning for any trader new to using WRB profit targets...
Keep it simple.
Thus, know your strategy and any statistical information you have that tells you what are the odds for it to reach a pt1, pt2, pt3 and so on...
Manage your WRB profit targets via statistical facts about your method.
Then as you gain more market experience along with more experience with WRB Analysis...
Those other variables that I mentioned above as key to my own trading will begin to take shape and have impact on when to scale out, position size management, trailing stop management or to dump it all at once at a particular profit target level.
Last of all, WRB Analysis doesn't just involve the formation of the body upon completion of the interval.
It also involves its formation during the price action of the interval before that interval completes itself.
The
Trading Hammer (revisited) thread goes into in-depth details about such and its critical to understand such when getting involved in WRB Analysis for Profit Targets.
http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=52880
Mark
(a.k.a.
NihabaAshi) Japanese Candlestick term