Results of Thursday’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: Buying 4551.00 was only good for a 4-point scalp. The breakout short failed. 

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

Buy 4557.50 stop 4551.75. Short 4598.50 stop 4604.25. 

The World Index: (+100/-100) falls from +50 to -14 in a world of mixed sentiment. 

Catalysts: Final MFG PMI @ 9:45. ISM MFG PMI & Prices @ 10:00.  Fed’s Goolsbee @ 10:00, Powell @ 11:00 and 14:00. 

Quick Tip: Measured Moves

Price tends to move in impulses and corrections. The impulse is the primary direction of the trend. The correction is the minor countertrend move. 

Get in the habit of looking to the left on your trading chart and measuring these impulses and corrections. Frequently you’ll see patterns that repeat. 

For example, an 8-point move higher, followed by a 3-point move lower, then a 9 point move higher, followed by a 4-point move lower, etc. These “moves” can be used to forecast t...

Results of Tuesday’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: The short at 4598.50 missed filling by 6 ticks. 

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

Buy 4551.00 stop 4546.25. Short 4598.50 stop 4604.25. 

The World Index: (+100/-100) jumps from -14 to +50 with all major world markets Bullish. 

Catalysts: Core PCE Price Index (primary Fed inflation measure), Jobless Claims & Personal Income/Spending @ 8:30. FOMC Williams @ 9:15. Chicago PMI @ 9:45. Pending Home Sales @ 10:00. OPEC meeting all day. 

Quick Tip: Find Your Filters 

Are there market conditions that your strategy performs better or worse in? Probably so. Price is either trending or not and volatile or not. These are very different conditions and knowing with evidence how your strategy performs in each of them is important. 

Why? Because you’ll be able to filter out trade setups in conditions that are not ideal. These filters become rules in your trade plan, which i...

Results of Monday’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: Buying 4551 filled in the Globex session early this morning running for 9.50 points so far, still open. 

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

Buy 4521.00 stop 4517.00. Short 4598.50 stop 4604.25. 

The World Index: (+100/-100) rises from -43 to -29 with most major world markets mildly Bearish. 

Catalysts: Home Price Index @ 9:00. Consumer Confidence, Richmond MFG Index, and Fed’s Goolsbee @ 10:00. More Fed speakers @ 10:05, 10:45, 13:05, and 15:30. 

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 them. 

To master anyt...

Results of Thursday’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: Neither trade triggered.

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

Buy 4517.00 stop 4511.25. Short 4598.50 stop 4604.25. 

The World Index: (+100/-100) rises from -36 to +14 with China/HK Bearish and the west mildly Bullish.  

Catalysts: Building Permits & Housing Starts @ 8:30. Fed’s Goolsbee @ 9:45. 

Quick Tip: Flexcasting

Forecasting is tough. You can find and analyze all the available evidence and still get it totally wrong. That’s where flexibility comes in. Hence the word “Flexcasting.” 

Here’s an example:

1. Historically the S&P trends long the best on Fridays. Maybe it’s due to short covering before the weekend. Maybe it’s just the high spirits going into two days off. It doesn’t matter. The evidence is there.

2. There are no major known catalysts today that could cause a selloff. 

3. The big picture trend is strongly up. 

4. The Globex session has been q...

Results of Tuesday’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: The short at 4498.00 stopped out. The breakout ran for 19.25 points. 

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

Buy 4430.00 stop 4425.75. Short 4598.50 stop 4604.25. 

The World Index: (+100/-100) soars from +7 to +64 with all major world markets solidly Bullish. 

Catalysts: PPI, Retail Sales & Empire State MFG Index @ 8:30. Fed’s Barr @ 9:30. Crude Oil Inventories @ 10:30. 

Quick Tip: Parabolic Moves

Yesterday was as fun as trading can be if you were long. Day, swing, or position trades all printed green.

For day trades you’re ready for a continuation or a reversal today. No worries. But for swing and position trades you have a tough decision to make. 

The S&P is in a near parabolic move up. These simply don’t last forever, sometimes not for long at all. Yes, we’ve all heard the advice “Let your winners run” but for how far? 

You should have some targets for exit o...

Results of Monday’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: There was a typo on the short yesterday, well below price. The long didn’t trigger. 

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

Buy 4364.75 stop 4360.75. Short 4498.00 stop 4502.25.

The World Index: (+100/-100) drops from +21 to +7 in a world of continuing mixed sentiment and low volatility. 

Catalysts: CPI (watch Core) @ 8:30. Fed’s Barr @ 10:00. Fed’s Goolsbee @ 12:45. 

Quick Tip: Big Picture

What’s your Big Picture? The correct answer depends on your time horizon (intended holding period) and trading chart time interval. 

If you’re a day trader using a 5 or 10-minute chart, you’d be out by the end of the day and watching the behavior of the 30 or 60-minute chart. 

If you’re a swing trader using a 60-minute chart, you’d be out in a several days or weeks and watching the Daily chart. 

If you’re a position trader using a Daily chart, you’d be holding long term and wa...

Results of Monday’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: There was a typo on the short yesterday, well below price. The long didn’t trigger. 

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

Buy 4364.75 stop 4360.75. Short 4498.00 stop 4502.25.

The World Index: (+100/-100) drops from +21 to +7 in a world of continuing mixed sentiment and low volatility. 

Catalysts: CPI (watch Core) @ 8:30. Fed’s Barr @ 10:00. Fed’s Goolsbee @ 12:45. 

Quick Tip: Big Picture

What’s your Big Picture? The correct answer depends on your time horizon (intended holding period) and trading chart time interval. 

If you’re a day trader using a 5 or 10-minute chart, you’d be out by the end of the day and watching the behavior of the 30 or 60-minute chart. 

If you’re a swing trader using a 60-minute chart, you’d be out in a several days or weeks and watching the Daily chart. 

If you’re a position trader using a Daily chart, you’d be holding long term and wa...

Results of Friday’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: Shorting 4397.50 stopped out. The breakout worked great but never retraced to fill (see Quick Tip below). 

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

Buy 4336.25 stop 4332.50. Short 4397.50 stop 4402.25.

The World Index: (+100/-100) jumps from -71 to +21 in a world of mixed sentiment and mostly low volatility. 

Catalysts: Nothing on the economic calendar of importance.  Waiting on CPI tomorrow. 

Quick Tip: Breakout Entries

The volume levels presented here can be traded as reversals or breakouts. The entry rules vary: 

Reversals: Enter at the price suggested. In solid trending markets look for further evidence of a potential reversal. Scaling in as price enters the level also works well.  

Breakouts: Allow the price to touch the stop from the reversal (we assume fill at touch). Look for one candle on a 2-point range chart to close outside the level. Enter on the retrac...

Results of Thursday’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: Neither level triggered.

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

Buy 4336.25 stop 4332.50. Short 4397.50 stop 4402.25.

The World Index: (+100/-100) plummets from +29 to -71 with all major world markets very Bearish. 

Catalysts: UofM Consumer Sentiment @ 10:00. Hangover from Powell’s comments.   

Quick Tip: Stops

To survive and thrive in trading managing risk is critical. The basic component in your risk management plan is the stop loss (how much you are willing to lose on each trade). 

There are many types of stop loss methods including:

1. Dollar

2. Maximum Adverse Excursion 

3. Volatility

4. Moving Average

5. Time

6. Opposing signal 

7. Percent Retracement

Like your choice in style of trading, your stop loss method needs to resonate with your personality. You must trust, even like it. 

Given that markets change in volatility constantly the volatility st...

Results of Wednesday’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: Neither level triggered and remain on the chart. 

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

Buy 4336.25 stop 4332.50. Short 4433.25 stop 4436.75. 

The World Index: (+100/-100) jumps from -14 to +29 with most major world markets Bullish.  

Catalysts: Jobless Claims @ 8:30. 30-year Bond Auction @ 13:01. Powell speaks on a panel discussion titled "Monetary Challenges in a Global Economy" @ 14:00. 

Quick Tip: Trade THIS Way

Should you trade multiple strategies? Or focus on one? 

Given a big enough account diversification becomes mandatory. You’ve never heard of a hedge fund that ran “one” strategy. But what about those of us with relatively smaller trading accounts? There are pros and cons. 

Pros: 

More trading opportunities. When one strategy is waiting for entry, another may be active. This means more efficient use of your capital and time. You'll have an "abundanc...