WORK didn't work -3%

WORK didn't work? Hard to find a less original title.

Gapper above 3 day pattern so I'm wary to begin with. Not many setups today, and I already hit SPCE for my day, so this was almost an afterthought as it approached a level I liked. Took only a small position so as not to dump my day and not to kill this amazing trading glow I have about my week.

SPCE 2 trades for 30%

SPCE is a hot stock. Not my setup on the daily, but it has a lot of action and I gave it a shot when it set up interestingly intraday. Tight setup, tight stops. Not going to give away my sanity to a nms.

As a result of tight stops, 2 trades. No regrets about that. I traded each one like clockwork. Peace.

I feel good!

I feel so good about my trading this week.
LIKE CLOCKWORK! I think this is what I will name my trading entity: Clockwork Trading.

Boom! Picked great setups. Waited for ideal entries, and mercilessly cut when it doesn't do what I think it should.

I had 4/4 green days this week (Monday holiday), new account high. Psychologically very good trading.

Peace.

Z two trades for overall +16%

Two different positions in Z.

Of 3 picks today, only Z set up for me. I hesitated bc wide spreads, and then wound up not going small. I think I have to chalk this up to some luck today in that it didn't hit my stop on the pullback (would have given back first trade and more). 

But I also think it's a lesson that when I play my best setups, I should expect them to trade "right" or otherwise get out with confidence.

Double complexity here was the stock price volatility plus wide option spreads. Took my limit orders and PEACE!

First trade preempt ndh.

Second trade trying to grab resumption above 64, but it rocked me first. I think it was overconfident to add (though I did increase hard stop to below pivot), but it worked. Based on huge position and spread, I took off the front as soon as it was green and then gave zero room to the rest.

ALLY +19% lunch money

I entered ALLY at 9:52. Kind of late for me and I considered just not taking it. Spread was 5-10c on .20 option, so I went small(ish) and opened with a limit order. That was a bit harrowing, bc by the time it filled, it was pretty near my stop. As it dropped, I didn't like the option action (ex, bids would disappear to .05, even as it dropped) and I reduced my p/l target. I feel like I was right to play it like that and possibly lucky to get the fill on the limit as it bounced. Take a little lunch money and call it a day.

BHC +37% so juicy

BHC so juicy! I waited for buying to stall. Opened puts for mini flag b/d. Took beautiful p/l target then squeezed stop. After I stopped, it did a bounce to vwap and then continued to my target.

1. According to my rules, it was right not to give it room.
2. I considered shorting again at vwap test, but passed (nms)
3. Peace!

ADI eating the spread for -16%

I thought ADI was going to be pick of the day, but it sold hard in opening minutes. I waited for bounce, stabilize, round number and entered. It got to my p/l target twice without transaction. Almost stopped, and on the next run it got above the 9:45 trendline and still didn't GO, I squeezed stop and basically I ate the spread. 

In the past, I would have thought it regretable to eat the spread... would try to get out on limit order. That is a good way to eat s#!t. Better to start with small positions and eat the spread if I have to vs psychological damage.

I wish my target order had filled, but no regrets how I managed this. Peace.

Clockwork, baby!

I love how I feel trading today/yesterday. LIKE CLOCKWORK!
Good picks. Smart plays. Scrape in a little money. Peace.
Love it.
Just trade like clockwork.
Clockwork trading.

The trade I didn't take

I think it's worth posting, in light of down-is-up-and-up-is-down behavior that this one I passed on. It was a big opening gap above a very long downtrend. I marked it for a long. But in the moment it didn't feel right and I had other things going on so I passed. I also had it low probability bc despite gap above dt, it was a gap still near lows. Mostly, I'm glad I didn't take this loser. 

HSBC -7% option traded so wierd

Was wary of this bc strong support, but gap was so big. After wiggling, I got terrible fill on puts to preempt drop. It made the move I wanted, but the option didn't move. The spread opened up on the ask to my target (me!) but it didn't fill. The bid/asked continued to float without logic so I squeezed and dumped it.

Pleased with my judgement and management of crappy position. Peace!

CAG +4% Win a little, lose a little

Disappointed, but no regrets.

Gap down below huge pattern. After opening buying, short the drop. Took PL Target then squeezed stop. Spreads were wide, but still have to take stops. If anything, all the more reason to take targets.

Peace.

KR +59% beauty

I love how I traded today.
I made sure to pick the best gaps. Gap up at highs, gap down at lows.

KR set up great. I waited well while it initially traded below premkt stuff. Bought as it regained strength, watching Level 2.

It blew through my pl that before I could even set the order, so I squeezed stops.

Just plain beautiful. Peace!

Up is down and down is up. Over trading for multiple losses...on a Friday. HURTS!

Today up was down and down was up. Nothing did what it was "supposed to."
Today I seriously overtraded. While I did follow my system rules, I didn't take heed to stop total account losses.
What should I do on a day like this? I need to mind my total account loss. Don't take one more trade. The fact that nothing is behaving tells me not to waste any more time and money.



ROKU
gap up
pivot and bounce
-31.71%

NVDA
gap up
ran up, down, piviot and buy.
-42.86%

YNDX
gap down
wiggled around, short new low. spread too big
-57.18%

SPY
nms
run down. bounce and base below vwap,
-28.61%

AAPL for breakeven

Daily setup: watchlist. preempt daily breakout
Entry/play: vwap bounce
Management: trail/squeeze stop
Psychology: fine. If anything, bummed to have "wasted" my money on this sub-optimal daily setup.

TSLA -7%

Daily setup: pennant bd. watchlist.
Entry/play: short fail ndh at daily resistance
Management: trail tight stop
Psychology: fine. I had $$ in my eyes, but most importantly I observed "cutting losses brings profits". Helps that I had AMAT cushion.

AMAT +60% in too small

Daily setup: gap
Entry/play: waited more than 1 min new high bc of premkt resist. good thing bc it made smidge ndl before bounce.
Management: My stop was small. Should have gone bigger position. took p/l target. trailed and squeezed stop
Psychology: Good. I like that I waited for a good pivot entry and not chase. Tried to use a new calculation about position size, but hard to get all the parameters in fast situation. Glad I went "safe" but wish I went bigger.

ZM +18% after wrap

Daily setup: breaking down pennant
Entry/play: watching this pennant and 5ema. Intraday weakness, held the 5, but basing there. Preempt ndl.
Management: wide spreads so need to take target and not f' around with stops. At my ask, it didn't fill for a while and I got scared before it finally filled. Continued to squeeze stop down. Maybe should have grabbed out on 10:07 spike, but squeezed stop and can't complain.
Psychology: I took this trade after I had called it a wrap. Is that money burning a hole? I think the setup was valid and I played it right, but if I would have lost money, would I say it was impulsive?

UNH -5% then it ran without me

Daily setup: gap
Entry/play: after initial surge and pb near vwap, preempt ndh
Management: initial stop below pivot, then raise stop below breakout area. I got flushed on volatility there, and then it ran hard way past my target.
Psychology: OK. MU gainer was nice green cushion and that helped a lot. Here I went smaller not to mess that up. Was my stop too tight? No. I just got shaken out on chop. That can go either way, so I should just stick to my plan. A bit of fomo but I got my piece, and this time my piece was a small loser.

MU +44% beauty

Daily setup: gap
Entry/play: preempt ndh after pivot
Management: trail then squeeze stop
Psychology: Good. Nice opening trade. A loss here could have been big %, but I think the $ was moderated by position size.

Tuesday 2/11 trades

TMUS loser

CRWD gainer

SPY both ways ugh.

QSR +38%. Grab and go

Daily setup: gap
Entry/play: after whoosh and stabilize, long for continuation.
Management: Initial stop below pennant. After it didn't stop and looked to bounce, I added. Trailed stop. When it paused just below my T1, I took some off. Then squeezed stop on the rest.
Psychology: Good! Love how I played it and didn't go down with the ship.
No reason to give room. Grab and GO!

BYND -6%

Daily setup: NMS
Entry/play: after pb and pause below ndh
Management: initial stop below pause. trail stop below b/o bar.
Psychology: OK. was bummed at first, but super not-bummed when it went to ndl.
1. better small loss than psychological damage
2. never expect nms to behave like my usual setups

GILD -25% too patient

Daily setup: gap
Entry/play: after pb, buy against pivot
Management: didn't exactly stop against pivot. Didn't take a stop/limit when I should have
Psychology: Pissed!! I can't seem to get on the right side of anything lately. Including passing on winners and giving losers too much room.