In your image...
http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=416775
I'm commenting on #7, #2 and #11 based on your 11min chart setting...
On Jan 21st Weds you probably saw that nice looking Bullish White Hammer that completed @ 1014am est...
reason why I think you went long during the next chart interval without hesitation and without waiting for that interval to complete itself...
Here's the Volume Analysis on that trade...
That white hammer had increasing volume in comparison to the prior white candlestick...
this is something I like and
one of my criteria for a trade.
However...I've mentioned in a recent prior post here at ET about candlesticks...
Arguably the most powerful single candlestick line (not pattern) is a wide range body candlestick...up or down...especially one that contains a volume spike.
(Note: Be extremely careful about taking trades in a wide range body candlestick...best to wait and see what happens in the next 1-3 candlestick intervals...something you didn't do in image #11 on Jan 23rd Friday when you Shorted...resulting in a loss)
In image #7...the prior candlestick line was a down wide range body on lower volume in comparison to the prior down candlestick (the first 11min interval of the trading day)...
Simply, I would have either ignored that Bullish White Hammer or reduced my position size to control the risk because there was a good chance for more downside....
In fact...eventhough I don't know what your trade management rules were for that particular Long position...
It was profitable for a short period and I'm assuming you didn't chase the signal and got Long no more than 1539.00
Leads me into this question...
When NQ tested 1540.00 price area...what's your trade management rules when your at about a +1 point profit or more?
Specifically...at what point do you move your initial stop into a trailing stop.
When it comes to trading via candlesticks...the critical aspect is trade management.
I mean...at worst...you should have been stopped out at breakeven on that trade if you got Long @ 1539.00 or better...
not a loss.
Next...the 11min interval
after your entry interval was another down wide range body candlestick line...
This one was special...it had rising volume in comarison to the 2 prior down candlesticks...
a possible sign of seller exhaustion unlike the prior down wide range body candlestick.
Next, via Market Breadth Analysis...specifically the VIX and its 11min chart interval...
that entire day on Jan 21st was
screeming Long positions via your 11min chart interval.
The odds were high that this was a good time to take a jab at another Long position...
That's what you did in image #2...
Simply...you didn't give up on what the market sentiment was (bullish) eventhough you took a loss in image #7...
that's good and implies you were following a trading plan.
Hopefully, you took
ionly a small loss in image #7 and made it all back plus more in image #2...
resulting in a very nice trading day.
For example...I know someone that took similar trades as you did in almost the same interval (via the 5min chart)...
He got +1.50 in the first Long via an entry around 1538.00...and I think a +12.50 in that second Long.
Therefore...both you two enter in that first trade near about the same time...yet one was profitable and one wasn't...
reason why I say that trade management is key...all that stuff that happens after entry.
NihabaAshi