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The bulls continued to punish the shorts this week, as both the Invesco Trust Series 1 (QQQ) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) rallied into brand new all-time highs (ATH). Though it’s difficult to tell by looking at a chart of the SPY (below), this is not a “market-wide rally.” All of this momentum is being driven by the strength in technology and semiconductor stocks, and that’s where our focus will be to the upside over the next few weeks.

 

 

The most important thing to take into consideration right now is that the indexes (see NDX below) are very much extended, as are leading names like GOOGL, NVDA, MSFT, and many others. Without a doubt, technology is where the leadership is right now, but with the index so extended we need to position size appropriately. We save our big positions (10% risk) for when the indexes are setting up at the 21 exponential moving average (EMA) and we scale down in size once the indexes are at the 2-3+ average true range (ATR) extensions. By making this slight adjustment, should the markets dip before the next leg higher, we won’t take too much damage.

 

 

This week, we took advantage of hourly squeezes in both TSLA and GOOGL (see below) that led to some great trades in the options room. Our TSLA put credit spread was bought back this morning for 75-80% of max profit and the GOOGL calls we bought at the open served us incredibly well. Simple setups, simple execution, and we are ready for the next one.

 

 

Over the next few weeks, we will have a big focus on AMZN (chart below) as it approaches earnings. Very much like last quarter, the stock has fired a daily squeeze, pulled back to the 8 EMA, and is now resting on the moving average with a handful of lower time frame squeezes setting up. This setup, and the push into earnings, was our biggest trade of the year last quarter. In this Sunday’s prep video, we’ll cover how we’re looking to trade it this time around.

 

We hope you enjoy the long weekend, spend some time with family, and are well-rested for next week!

Stay Focused!

 

 

The market this week has been bullish and extended which makes for some fun trading. We’ll continue to drive the following point home: the daily Ichimoku Cloud has and will likely continue to be a great compass for buying dips as the overall market, or E-mini Futures (ES), continues to reach new all-time highs after bouncing off the Cloud.

Keltner Channels are another good indicator to keep an eye on at the moment, especially the 2+ average true range (ATR) lines, since they seem to be working as a limit for the market. This means that as we near the 2+ ATR line we need to start playing a bit more defensively. Watch the video below to see how we can use the hourly and 4-hour Clouds as gauges for market moves and also how the Non-farm Payroll (NFP) job report may affect things tomorrow.

Stay Focused!

 

The way the market has been lately can test many of us psychologically and even physically, leaving us exhausted and stressed at the end of the day. This week we want to take some time away from the charts and focus on something many traders tend to neglect —  ourselves as people.

Balance is key when it comes to performing at optimum levels as a trader. If your goal is to become the best trader you can be, then the information below should be seen as pieces of a larger puzzle that should not be ignored.

 

Proper Nutrition

We’re sure many of you have heard of traders that sit at their desk all day looking at charts and eating junk food. If this is you, know that you’re not alone, but also recognize that this could be very detrimental to your trading. We like to focus on proper nutrition and foods that will give us the natural energy needed to fuel our bodies throughout the day. This means no fast food and no sugary drinks. Water is your number one friend if you’re thirsty and home-cooked meals that have the least amount of processed ingredients are paramount. If you don’t have the time to cook for yourself, we recommend you find yourself a supplement that meets your body’s nutritional needs. We drink green juice every morning (Chandler getting his glass below), and feel the difference in our bodies. There are many different supplement brands out there, find the one that works best for you.

 

 

Exercise

One thing that we swear by, is working out in some way. Your body is your temple and keeping it in tip-top shape is very important. Whether you hit the weights (Taylor’s morning workout below), practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or just go for a leisurely stroll every day, getting some physical activity in daily will bring you health benefits. The benefits can include: reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, reduced risk of high blood pressure, stronger bones and muscles, etc. This also does two things that are extremely beneficial to traders: 1) reduce stress 2) increase mental clarity. A less-stressed trader can execute trades with unrivaled focus. We’re all about focus.

 

 

Proper Rest and Sleep

Trading is mentally taxing to say the least and if you’re doing some exercise to go along with it, then you need to let both your body and mind rest. When we don’t get enough rest, we feel a lack of focus and energy and no one wants to be sitting at the charts with no energy and a foggy mind. That is a recipe for disaster. We recommend getting a good 7-8 hours of sleep, and taking some breaks from the desk when you feel the need. Blue light glasses are also something worth looking into, especially if you sit at your workstation the majority of the day.

 

Work-Life Balance

Last but definitely not least is “work hard, play hard.” If you are doing your best day-in and day-out to be in the best physical/mental state so your trading improves, then you deserve to spend some time doing the things you enjoy. We like to dabble in some healthy escapism by watching some basketball, playing some video games every once in a while, or just going on drives. Whatever gets your mind off of the everyday “noise” and leaves you with a fresh mindset is worth doing. Spending time with your loved ones is highly recommended, too.

“As within, so without”

― Hermes Trismegistus

Always remember, your outer circumstances will always reflect your inner state. Take care of yourself and the benefits will spill over into other areas of your life. Trading included. Happy Tuesday everyone.

Stay Focused!

 

 

The most important (and for many the hardest) part of swing trading is waiting and patiently standing by until the ideal entries and setups present themselves, then making the right move to take profits.

Right now, we have to follow our rules and wait for pullbacks to offer better entries. Leading names like AMZN, GOOGL, NVDA, and TSLA all look promising, but entries at their current extended levels aren’t worth the risk.

Watch the video above for a more in-depth analysis.

Stay Focused!

 

After finishing last week with an ugly flush to the downside, the SPX (shown below) bounced back with a vengeance, hitting a brand new all time high (ATH) to finish the week.

 

 

The bounce and the move to new highs were a big “change in tone” in comparison to how we finished last week, and this sets us up for a very interesting next few weeks.

While the indexes look strong, many of the stocks on our watch list are far too extended for new entries. Our leader as of late, technology, is the first place we’d like to get long, but we simply can’t take entries with NDX, GOOGL, FB, MSFT, and other tech stocks trading above +2 average true range (ATR) on the daily charts (shown below). This leaves us patiently waiting for a reversion to the mean, which is a pullback to the daily 21 exponential moving average (EMA), before we jump into long positions.

 

 

 

This also raises another question; if tech should pullback, will this “stick a fork” in the overall market’s push higher? Without a doubt, this is where the strength has been,  and it’s this strength in tech that has kept the market grinding higher, even as sectors like XLI (industrial) and IYT (transportation, chart below) lose their bullish structure. If and when tech does come back down to earth, the market will need to see other sectors step-up and “take the baton” to avoid an overall loss of momentum.

 

With the markets currently extended at the highs, we will continue to hold our SPX call-credit spread as we have plenty of time until expiration; this position will serve us very well should we see the markets pull back a bit.

This week, we hit GOOGL with a quick put-credit spread (we entered in the 1 hour squeeze), and bought the position back for 75% of max profit this morning. With the markets extended, we’ll continue to look for these shorter-term swings off of lower time frames, but we will continue to wait for a pull back across the board before we start opening bigger positions for swing trades.

Stay Focused!

 

 

Stocks keep bouncing off the daily Ichimoku Cloud and into new all-time highs (ATH). This has become a pattern for the market lately, which has thankfully kept its bullish structure. 

The possible moves we discussed in Tuesday’s newsletter unfolded nicely, so we will continue to keep an eye on the same levels and indicators, namely the daily Cloud and point of control (POC). Check out the video above for a deeper dive.

Stay Focused!

 

 

 

We may have a pivotal week ahead of us, so now is a good time to pay attention to a few things that will give us a roadmap to our next moves. The daily Ichimoku Cloud on the ES has continued to serve as a good signal to buy the dip while point of control (POC) and the 50-day simple moving average are two other good indicators to keep in mind as we approach our trades this week.

Here is our Focus List:

NVDA – Let it pull back and settle near the mean. We’re stalking some intraday squeezes for a continuation, but it needs a little break before it gets there.

FB – Setting up a daily squeeze under the all-time high (ATH). Waiting on tech to make a move.

GOOGL – Similar to FB, currently sitting right under the ATH and waiting on tech. Be patient!

ROKU – Firing on the daily squeeze and above the daily Ichimoku Cloud. If it holds at 380, then it has a chance to hit our goal of 400.

SNOW – Watching the daily squeeze. Also watch for rebalance buying to break through 256 and move toward 280.

ETSY – Keeping an eye on a daily wedge and a daily squeeze. There is also a gap fill above that we can look at.

Stay Focused!

 

 

This week sectors such as industrials, financials, and transports have started to fire squeezes to the downside, which is putting pressure on the SPY exchange traded fund (ETF) and could lead to a move lower.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be looking for a pullback to the weekly 21 exponential moving average (EMA) for the QQQ and SPY. Now is a good time to consider hedging your long positions, and scaling down in position sizing should you open new longs.

Stay Focused!

 

This week the move into new highs that we’ve been waiting on from the QQQ exchange traded fund (ETF) finally unfolded, and we used that momentum as an opportunity to take profits into the strength.

With the boost of strength in QQQ, GOOGL (shown below) moved nicely into the 2+ average true range (ATR) extension this week. With that we bought back our put credit spreads to lock in the profits. All in all, we’ve closed just shy of $20,000 in profits on GOOGL from this move that started with the daily squeeze a few weeks ago.

 

With tech stocks now extended to the upside, and other sectors such as industrial (XLI), transportation (IYT), financial (XLF), and energy (XLE) showing some pretty big distribution, we are looking for the daily squeeze in the SPY (shown below) to fire to the downside over the next few weeks. One by one, as different “pockets” of the market start to sell off, this puts a lot of pressure on the index itself.

Technology could lead the way, but the charts are too extended here for new entries. As good as the tech charts may look, the downside pressure of the SPY potentially firing short could cause a move lower in tech as well.

As the saying goes, “as goes the markets, so goes the stocks.” With that being said we closed COST this week for small profits as we’re skeptical of the overall market here.

 

Moving forward, we suggest decreasing position sizes on longs and taking serious consideration to having a few hedges open. On Thursday, we sold an out of the money (OTM) call credit spread on the SPX with short strikes at 4,300 (chart above). We are looking for a flush to the weekly 21 exponential moving average (EMA) over the next few weeks. In Sunday’s newsletter, we’ll take a closer look at that trade and a few other potential setups we’ll be keeping an eye on.

Stay Focused!

 

 

After a volatile Fed announcement, the price dip in technology was bought up like crazy. Will this fuel the market higher or will tech creep back down with the lagging indexes? Patience is key for the rest of the week.

The 50-day simple moving average and the daily Ichimoku Cloud will definitely give us some insights into what the market may do next. The indexes will also be something to keep an eye on as we wrap up the week. Now we just need to sit and wait for the market to sort itself out.

Stay Focused!