Only two people seem interested. So, here we go.
Lets look at the same chart marked up abit to see if we can identify the pressures. In the chart. That is, who has the upper hand, the bulls or the bears?
If you had to make a decision to go for a measured move up (green) and SL was at the bottom of the big bar or short at the top of the big bar for a MM down with SL a MM distance up; what would you do? Taking into account the WHOLE picture what would appear to be the MOST LIKELY OUTCOME? MM up or a MM down? What would you feel more comfortable doing shorting the top of the large bar or going long at the top of the large bar? Now in this scenario the R:R =1:1 SAME FOR BULLS OR BEARS.
There are three variables in any trade: Risk, Profit Target, Probability. You can set your Risk. You can even set you PT. The one variable that is harder to arrive at is probability. You have to look at the immediate and larger context to arrive at that best guess figure. So, if you look at all this together where do you think the higher probability is? Bullish or bearish PA after the big bar?
Here is another thing to contemplate. A climax. So, what is a climax in trading?
EVERY BO is a climax. A climax in trading is an extreme move. An accelerated move. That move can be up or down. Three things can happen.
1) it can lead to a pause in the trend (can be exhaustion and price go into a range)
2) it can lead to a reversal of the trend (Exhaustion Gap that can simply become a climatic reversal in the opposite direction of the climax bar)
3) it can lead to a continuation of the trend. (A Measuring Gap that takes the size of the BO and extrapolates that same distance <<in this case>> upwards, the same distance.)
Which one of the three that is most likely to happen depends much on the context; immediate and larger.
So, if you were gonna throw some money at this after seeing the big bar (climax bar) would you prefer to go long or go short as you look at the immediate context and the larger context?
Lets define the context:
Immediate context: Gap up open, the opening gap has held ABOVE the BO point. The climax bar is the largest bar in 77 bars, tight micro bear channel (yellow ..possible bull flag), price at the moment above both MA’s, climax bar is a BO of the last 10 bars, it is big bar closing near it’s high and it is a bull bar.
Larger context: Gap open above an aprox 67 bar range (yellow). Last leg in the range is a bull channel, the channel has consecutive bull bars, larger bull bars than bear bars in the channel, 15 bull bars..13 bear bars, price breaks above both MA’s and subsequent pb’s are not going below the MA’s.
So assign a probability % number between 0 and 100. For it to go up. For it to go down. What do you think? Take your best guess at probability but base it upon what you “see” on the chart. And please no random market BS. Markets ALWAYS move because of pressures at play. They can move ...sideways..up...or down. And which way they move is ALWAYS BECAUSE of pressures. It is imperative to make an attempt at identifying the pressures at play. For instance you might say “I think there is 70% chance it will go down a MM thus leaving a 30% chance it will go up.” “Or you might say I think it has a 55% chance of going up thus leaving a 45% chance it will go down.”
Another trend channel line could be drawn across the top of the last bull leg in the range below and extrapolated on up towards and above the high of the climax bar but to keep down on cluttering up the chart any more I didn’t draw it in. There is enough info on the pressures at play to make a decision without drawing it in.
Will await any responses. This is not a trick nor am I trying to trap anyone. I am just attempting to show how we as traders can read PA and make trade decisions. If you are right or wrong it doesn’t matter. It is just an exercise that is all. Maybe some good will cone from it? It certainly isn’t to prove who is right or wrong. Like I said only an exercise. Just use your judgement and look at the obvious.
Volpri