Tired? That’s what many traders thought when describing this 11-year bull market run. And with geopolitical tensions rising, it felt on Friday we might see it breakdown. Not only have stocks been able to shake-off the headlines—we’re back to all-time highs. And you know what? I positioned myself to capture gains no matter which way … Read more
Volatility is BACK. All you had to do is look at the Dow futures last night, which were down 400 points—only to see them trading flat this morning. While most of the talking heads spent the first week of 2020 comparing it to 2018, and how this market was destined to go higher—politicians had another … Read more
The best traders appear to turn profits in any type of market condition. What is the essential element all of them have? Are they better at timing the market than the rest of us? Or is it something deeper that we just can’t put our finger on? Despite being Mensa certified, nothing came easy to me when … Read more
A strong November jobs report surprised the market on Friday and sent stocks surging higher. The surprise report showed payrolls adding 266,000 jobs in November, dropping the unemployment rate to its historic low of 3.5%. The Dow gained 300 points on the number, and Apple hit an all-time high ($270.71). The stage is now set … Read more
Make no mistake about it, there has been a lot of talk about tariffs this year—learning more about them will only make you a better trader. After all, it never hurts to understand the headlines driving the market. Why? Because trading off the wrong headline can cost you money. For example, stocks came off all-time … Read more
Congratulations, you’ve almost made it through the trading week…and what a roller coaster ride it’s been! Let’s get you squared away with where things stand after some wild market action with the midweek market update. The SPY managed to fill the gap today left open from Monday’s massive decline. That comes after a sharp reversal Tuesday that … Read more
I wasn’t surprised to see volatility return after the signals the market was throwing last Friday – the VIX spiked over 7%, the markets had a mini-selloff, and a few stocks ran into liquidity issues on Wednesday. Traders must have realized their mistakes, as they pushed the VIX up nearly 20% at one point yesterday. … Read more
I love it when other traders leave early on Friday. The less competition, the better…that leaves more for me! They don’t know what they’re missing. My highest profit trades often come when no one is looking—and last Friday was no exception. Despite the anemic trading volume and the slow grind we were experiencing—my money pattern pointed … Read more
Believe it or not, some of the best trading happens during slow periods when everyone expects trading volumes and market volatility to be on the low end. SPY daily chart And while I’ll be thinking about family, Thanksgiving, and football this week – don’t think for a second, I won’t jump in and throw some trades down … Read more
Over the last six weeks, the S&P 500 has gained nearly 10%. Back then it was a news-driven market—a time when itchy twitter fingers and fake news mattered. And while the media circus will only intensify as we approach the 2020 election, the market has currently muted the news… Markets continue their relentless push higher … Read more