Results of Wednesday’s Best S&P Turning Points: The suggested buy @ 3990.00 ran for 32.75 points and had a “natural” exit just before the FOMC Minutes were released. 

Today’s Best S&P Turning Points (consider wider stops and less size in fast moving markets): 

Buy 3977.50 stop 3974.00. Short 4050.25 stop 4053.75. 

The World Sentiment Index: (+100/-100) JUMPS from -43 to -7 in a world of mixed sentiment and low volatility. 

Catalysts: GDP & Jobless Claims @ 8:30. Crude Oil Inventories @ 11:00. NVDA’s bullish forecast tips risk on.  

Quick Tip: "Close Enough"

Looking at yesterday’s price action prior to the entry you’ll notice that price moved sharply down and “based” for a while in a tight trading range. This occurred just above our high-volume price level. 

Sideways movement after a drop is called Accumulation in Market...

Results of Tuesday’s Best S&P Turning Points: The suggested buy @ 4029.75 offered 10.50 points. 

Today’s Best S&P Turning Points (consider wider stops and less size in fast moving markets): 

Buy 3990.00 stop 3985.75. Short 4050.25 stop 4053.75. 

The World Sentiment Index: (+100/-100) EASES up from -57 to -43 with all major world markets Bearish except the S&P Globex seeing an early morning rally to positive. 

Catalysts: FOMC Minutes @ 14:00. G20 Meetings begin (ending Saturday). 

Quick Tip: Sizing

New traders are usually focused on finding great entry signals. Clearly, we don’t want to enter randomly but the more important decision you have is WHEN and HOW to exit. That’s where the money is made or lost.   

The worst situation to be in trading futures or options is having one contract. Fortunately, with so many micro contracts in futures to select...

Results of Friday’s Best S&P Turning Points: Neither suggest trade triggered in a relatively narrow range day session. 

Quick Tip: Mastering Trading

George Leonard noted in his book Mastery that “Our culture has become hooked on the quick fix, the life hack, efficiency. Everyone is on the hunt for that simple action algorithm that nets maximum profit with the least amount of effort.”

Sounds like “Lottery Mentality.” And unfortunately, those are the kinds of teasers you read in your emails every day. Don’t fall for it. 

To master anything, you’ll find coaches and authors all agreeing on the same basics: 

1. Intense focus.

2. Practice.

3. Incrementally improving (day by day).

4. Persistence. 

5. Acknowledging Mastery is a journey, not a destination. 

Nothing quick and easy about that. 

Your trading plan should include personal development...

Results of Thrusday’s Best S&P Turning Points: The suggested buy @ 4133.50 was cancelled due to the economic news release volatility nearing 08:30 ET. 

Today’s Best S&P Turning Points (consider wider stops and less size in fast moving markets): 

Buy 4029.75 stop 4024.25. Short 4146.00 stop 4151.75.

The World Sentiment Index: (+100/-100) PLUMMETS from +21 to -64 with all major world markets bearish on rising volatility. Historically it’s a coin toss which way price closes.  

Catalysts: Import Prices @ 8:30. Fed’s Bowman @ 8:45. 

Quick Tip: Pre-Paying

Before online retailing we went to a brick-and-mortar store. We saw, touched, used and/or fitted the merchandise. Then we decided and paid. Very safe, the sequence of paying afterward. 

I recall the first time I wanted to buy shoes online. I couldn’t do it. I wanted to try them on, feel the fit, look in the mirror, and ...

Results of Wednesday’s Best S&P Turning Points: Shorting 4143.25 offered 16.75 points. 

Today’s Best S&P Turning Points (consider wider stops and less size in fast moving markets): 

Buy 4133.50 stop 4127.75. Short 4206.50 stop 4212.25 (Both trades are cancelled for the 8:30 ET economic news). 

The World Sentiment Index: (+100/-100) LIFTS from -14 to +21 in a world of mixed sentiment and low volatility. Historically it’s a coin toss which way price closes.  

Catalysts: PPI, Philly Fed MFG, Jobless Claims & Housing Starts @ 8:30. 

Quick Tip: How to Wait

Position and swing traders are naturally patient people. They must be. Their trades last days, weeks, months, maybe years. In fact, they probably chose the longer duration styles because they fit their personalities well. 

Day traders likely chose the short duration trades because they wanted to see faster results (self-included)....

Results of Tuesday’s Best S&P Turning Points: No trades were offered pre-CPI, and nothing triggered afterward.  

Today’s Best S&P Turning Points (consider wider stops and less size in fast moving markets): 

Buy 4089.75 stop 4084.25. Short 4143.25 stop 4147.75. 

The World Sentiment Index: (+100/-100) FALLS from +29 to -14 in a world of mixed sentiment. Historically price closed higher from the open 63% of the time.

Catalysts: Retail Sales & Empire State MFG Index @ 8:30. Industrial Production @ 9:15. Housing Market Index @ 10:00. Crude Oil Inventories @ 10:30. 

Quick Tip: Trade Less 

Doctors heal. Lawyers argue. Artists create. In those and other professions if you’re not doing something you’re not productive.  

The same doesn’t apply to Traders, however. You don’t have to trade all the time to be a productive, successful Trader. You don’t have to...

Results of Monday’s Best S&P Turning Points: The suggested short @ 4157.00 triggered during the Globex this morning @ 5:45 ET. This trade is filtered out due to the CPI announcement @ 8:30 (the volatility is predictable, but the direction is definitely not).

Today’s Best S&P Turning Points (consider wider stops and less size in fast moving markets): 

Holding off on selecting the turning points until the CPI is released and the volatility is assessed. 

The World Sentiment Index: (+100/-100) RISES from +21 to +29 in a world of mixed sentiment and low volatility. Historically price closed down from the open 56% of the time with drops averaging 50% more than rises.   

Catalysts: CPI @ 8:30. FOMC members speaking @ 11:00, 11:30 & 14:05. 

Quick Tip: Lethal Bias 

Have you ever looked at your trade result and said to yourself “If had a bigger stop it would have been a winner” or “If I...

Results of Friday’s Best S&P Turning Points: Neither trade suggestion triggered during a narrow range day. They remain active. 

Today’s Best S&P Turning Points (consider wider stops and less size in fast moving markets): 

Buy 4029.75 stop 4024.25. Short 4157.00 stop 4161.75. 

The World Sentiment Index: (+100/-100) JUMPS from -57 to +21 in a world of mixed sentiment and low volatility. Historically it’s a coin toss which way price closes.  

Catalysts: Nothing on the economic calendar, waiting on CPI tomorrow. 

Quick Tip: Adapting

Markets change character. They trend until they don’t. Volatility cycles. This means you must adapt your rules to these changes. 

But how? By re-framing your thinking about trade outcomes. Instead of allowing losers to give you negative feelings and winners to give you positive feelings, re-frame both outcomes into learning events. 

...

Results of Thursday’s Best S&P Turning Points: The buy @ 4131.50 offered 10.50 points.

Today’s Best S&P Turning Points (consider wider stops and less size in fast moving markets): 

Buy 4029.75 stop 4024.25. Short 4157.00 stop 4161.75. 

The World Sentiment Index: (+100/-100) PLUMMETS from +71 to -57 with all major world markets except Tokyo very Bearish on higher volatility. Historically price has closed down from the open 73% of the time. 

Catalysts: Consumer Sentiment & Inflation Expectations @ 10:00. Oil soars on Russian production threat. 

Quick Tip: Sequencing 

If trading is 80% psychological that leaves 20% to the edge your strategy has. We really don’t know if the 80% figure is accurate but you’ll hear a big number like that from many skilled traders and coaches. Regardless the accuracy, how we behave as traders is vitally important. 

Back when racquetball was popular I...

Results of Wednesday’s Best S&P Turning Points: Neither suggested trade triggered. 

Today’s Best S&P Turning Points (consider wider stops and less size in fast moving markets): 

Buy 4131.50 stop 4126.50. Short 4206.50 stop 4212.25. 

The World Sentiment Index: (+100/-100) SOARS from zero to +71 with all major world markets except Tokyo very bullish on higher volatility. Historically it’s a coin toss which way price closes but the up closes are much greater than the down closes are lower. 

Catalysts: Jobless Claims @ 8:30. Nothing else obvious.  

Quick Tip: This is Real

ChatGPT is certainly amazing technology. I don’t use it to write this blog, which it can do, but I do use it for research, much like you would use a search engine. 

For example, today I wanted to find a fresh quotation or two about trading psychology by well-known authors Brett Steenbarger, Mark Douglas, and...