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Trade Management Using Time StopsTrade management is one of the most crucial skills for any trader, especially when it comes to knowing when to cut your losses early. One of the key methods to achieve this is through the use of Time Stops, which provide a systematic way to assess your trades and manage risk.
While traditional stop losses are indispensable for protecting your capital against adverse price moves, they don’t always address the psychological challenge of cutting losing trades early. This is where Time Stops can step in as a complementary tool. By targeting trades that show no meaningful progress within a defined timeframe, Time Stops help reduce the size of your average loss—an often overlooked but critical factor in developing a positive trading edge.
It’s important to remember: Time Stops don’t replace traditional stop losses. Instead, they add an additional layer of discipline to your risk management.
What Are Time Stops?
Time Stops involve exiting a trade after a predetermined amount of time, regardless of whether your stop loss has been triggered. The idea is simple but effective: if a trade isn’t working as expected within the allotted time, it’s better to exit and preserve capital for better opportunities.
This approach works particularly well with strategies where winning trades are expected to show results quickly. These include breakouts, where price moves decisively through a key level, and reversals, which rely on sharp changes in direction. Time Stops provide a structured way to manage trades that fail to live up to these expectations.
Why Use Time Stops?
Time Stops offer several potential advantages:
• Emotional Discipline: One of the toughest aspects of trading is deciding when to exit a trade that hasn’t hit its stop loss but isn’t progressing as expected. Time Stops provide a clear, objective rule for exiting such trades, removing emotional decision-making and promoting a disciplined approach.
• Potentially Enhanced Trading Edge: By incorporating Time Stops, you align your exits more closely with your strategy’s performance expectations. This can help refine your approach by filtering out trades that fail to meet their initial criteria, allowing you to focus on opportunities with greater potential to match your strategy’s objectives.
• Maintaining Flexibility in Trade Allocation: Time Stops help ensure that your focus remains on trades that align with your strategy’s core conditions. By identifying trades that are unlikely to meet expectations early, you can keep your trading approach agile, allowing for greater readiness to act on new opportunities.
Strategies That Can Benefit From Time Stops
Time Stops are particularly effective in strategies that depend on quick, decisive price movements. Let’s examine examples for reversals and breakouts.
Reversal Strategy Example: Tesla Daily Timeframe
Tesla forms a two-bar reversal pattern on the daily candle chart at a key swing resistance level, with negative divergence on the RSI indicating potential weakness. A short trade is placed with a traditional stop loss above the two-bar reversal high and resistance level.
Tesla Daily Candle Chart
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results
To incorporate a Time Stop, you decide to allow three days for the trade to show signs of a reversal. However, Tesla tracks sideways without breaking lower, suggesting the expected momentum has not materialised.
Tesla T+3
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results
Using a Time Stop in this scenario prevents prolonged exposure to a setup that hasn’t delivered, allowing you to reallocate focus to trades with stronger potential.
Tesla Stopped Out
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results
Breakout Strategy Example: EUR/USD Hourly Timeframe
EUR/USD breaks out on the hourly chart with increased volume, signalling a potential upward move. You enter a long trade with a stop loss below the swing low.
EUR/USD Hourly Candle Chart
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results
With a Time Stop, you give the trade ten hours to demonstrate progress. While price consolidates above the breakout level initially, the anticipated follow-through does not occur within the allotted time. In this instance, the Time Stop allows you to exit and refocus on setups with stronger momentum.
EUR/USD +10 Hours
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results
EUR/USD +24 Hours
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results
EUR/USD Stopped Out
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results
Using Time Stops Effectively
To implement Time Stops successfully:
• Set a timeframe: Define the period based on your strategy and market. Momentum trades may require hours, while longer-term setups may need days.
• Analyse your strategy: Review historical data to identify how quickly successful trades typically progress. Use this as a benchmark for your Time Stop.
• Use Time Stops alongside traditional stop losses: Time Stops handle trades that stagnate, while stop losses protect against adverse price moves.
Summary:
Time Stops are a valuable addition to a trader’s toolkit, particularly for strategies like breakouts and reversals, where winners are expected to perform quickly. They help enforce discipline, refine focus, and manage trades that fail to meet expectations.
By combining Time Stops with traditional stop losses, traders can approach the markets with greater structure and objectivity. Over time, this disciplined approach can support the pursuit of consistent results while managing risk effectively.
Disclaimer: This is for information and learning purposes only. The information provided does not constitute investment advice nor take into account the individual financial circumstances or objectives of any investor. Any information that may be provided relating to past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results or performance. Social media channels are not relevant for UK residents.
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$ARTY Correction Complete, Great Entry / Time To Shine 🚀 AMEX:ARTY : A Hidden Gem Ready to Shine
I'm thrilled to announce that AMEX:ARTY is now part of my portfolio. The recent correction seems to have reached its bottom, presenting a perfect entry opportunity for those looking to capitalize on its long-term growth potential.
Why AMEX:ARTY Deserves Attention?
1️⃣ Strong Fundamentals with Huge Growth Potential
Market Cap: Only $16 million, making it significantly undervalued compared to its potential.
Circulating Supply: 80% of AMEX:ARTY tokens are already in circulation – minimal inflation risk and strong price stability.
2️⃣ Exciting Milestones Ahead
AMEX:ARTY is set to make waves in the blockchain gaming and NFT space, with massive upcoming developments:
Integration into the Epic Games Store, one of the largest gaming platforms globally.
Launch of Artyfact Mini-App on Telegram, bringing AMEX:ARTY to a massive user base.
Artyfact Launchpad to help new projects thrive in the ecosystem.
Expansion to major gaming platforms: PlayStation and Xbox.
Availability in Apple's App Store and Google Play Store, broadening accessibility to mobile users worldwide.
These milestones are poised to attract millions of new users to the AMEX:ARTY ecosystem, creating strong demand and long-term growth potential.
📈 My Long-Term Price Targets for AMEX:ARTY
Based on AMEX:ARTY 's fundamentals, market cap, and upcoming catalysts, I foresee massive upside potential:
First target: $10 – achievable in the near term with increased adoption and upcoming milestones.
Second target: $25 – reflecting the value of a more mature ecosystem and higher user base.
Ultimate target: $50+ – as AMEX:ARTY becomes a leader in blockchain gaming and NFT adoption.
At its current valuation, AMEX:ARTY has significant room to grow into a market cap that reflects its true potential.
🔍 Bullish Technical Analysis on AMEX:ARTY Chart
From a technical perspective, AMEX:ARTY 's chart looks extremely promising:
Correction Over:
The recent pullback has established strong support near $1.5.
Volume Spike: Increasing trading volume indicates growing interest from both retail and institutional investors.
Momentum Building:
The RSI is climbing out of oversold territory, signaling growing bullish momentum.
The MACD is showing a bullish crossover, further supporting a rally in price.
Key Levels to Watch:
Immediate Resistance:
$3 – breaking this level could trigger a significant upward movement.
Next Target Zones: $5, $7.5, and ultimately $10.
🌟 Why I’m Confident in AMEX:ARTY
With its low market cap, high token circulation, and an ambitious roadmap of developments across major gaming and app platforms, AMEX:ARTY has all the ingredients for explosive growth. The time to enter is now, while the project remains undervalued and under the radar.
Are you ready to ride this wave? Let me know your thoughts and analysis on $ARTY!
Dow Jones Likely Trending Up in the Next Four YearsCBOT: Micro E-Mini Dow Jones Futures ( CBOT_MINI:MYM1! ) #Microfutures
The United States will enter a new presidency on Monday, January 20th. Will the stock market continue its upward trend under the 47th U.S. President?
Before we set our sight on the future, it’s prudent to look back in history first. While it is not a guarantee for future performance, history does provide good intelligence. To find clues for our answer, I conducted an analysis on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA).
How the Dow Performed Under Different Presidencies
My research setup is as follow:
• I look at DJIA daily close prices for the past 50 years (from Aug. 1974 to Jan. 2025). This period covers 9 presidents and 13 four-year presidential terms.
• For all the presidents, I use their Inauguration Day January 20th as the start day, while setting the end day for January 19th four years later. I compare the changes in DJIA closing prices from start to finish for each 4-year term.
• The exceptions: Gerald Ford, who started his term on August 9, 1974, after Richard Nixon resigned; and Joe Biden, for whom I use the latest trade day January 15th.
Here is what I found:
• Gerald Ford (Aug. ‘74 – Jan. ’77): DJIA went up 181.7 points (+23.4%)
• Jimmy Carter (Jan. ’77 – Jan. ’81), down 8.4 points (-0.9%)
• Ronald Reagon (Jan. ’81 – Jan. ’89), up 1,288.1 points (+135.5%). The data can be further broken down to +68.6% in his 1st term and +45.7% in the 2nd term
• George H.W. Bush (Jan. ’89 – Jan. ’93), up 1,020.6 points (+45.7%)
• Bill Clinton (Jan. ’93 – Jan. ’01), up 7,345.6 points (+226.6%), including +110.8% in the 1st four years and +54.7% in the 2nd four years
• George W. Bush (Jan. ’01 – Jan. ’09), down 2,306.4 points (-21.8%), for which -0.4% and -20.9% for his 1st and 2nd terms, respectively
• Barack Obama (Jan. ’09 – Jan. ’17), up 11,783.3 points (+148.2%), including +71.7% in the 1st term and +44.6% in the 2nd term
• Donald Trump (Jan. ’17 – Jan. ’21), up 11,060.2 points (+55.8%)
• Joe Biden (Jan. ’21 – Jan. ’21), up 12,202.8 points (+39.5%)
Dow Jones advanced the most points under current administration (+12,203 points), with Obama coming in 2nd for 11,783 points. The DJIA index gained the most in percentage terms under the Clinton administration (+226%).
Across all nine presidents, DJIA was lower for one, flat for another, but moved up 7 out of 9 times. If you look deeper into the worst-performing years under George W. Bush, you will find that 9/11 terrorist attack happened in his first term and the 2008 financial crisis occurred in his second term. Both can be considered extreme events and outliners in the dataset.
Regardless which political party commands the White House, the Dow is more likely to move up than down. From the first day Gerald took office to the last week of the Biden administration, DJIA went from 777 to 43,133, a huge gain of 5,449%!
Trading with Micro E-Mini Dow Jones Futures
The above analysis gives us comfort in the upward mobility of the US stock market.
Further analysis of the DJIA shows strength in its Top 5 component companies.
• As of January 15th, DJIA went up 15.5% in the past 12 months
• Gold Sachs, which holds an 8.2% share by index weight, was up 57.5% in a year
• 1-year returns for the other top components are: United Health (+4.2%), Microsoft (+9.0%), Home Depot (+12.2%), and Caterpillar (+31.5%)
An investor may simply deploy the time-honored “Buy and Hold” strategy. The longer the holding period, the better the returns, barring extreme circumstances.
Given that the DJIA is trending up over the long run, active traders may consider using stock index futures to enhance their investment returns.
Micro E-Mini Dow Jones futures (MYM) offer smaller-sized versions of CME Group’s benchmark Dow Jones futures (YM) contracts. Micro futures have a contract size of 0.5 times the DJIA index, which is 1/10th of the standard contract.
CME data shows that the E-Mini and Micro Dow Jones futures have a combined open interest of 103,077 contract as of this Monday. According to the CFTC Commitment of Traders report, as of January 7, 2025, Leverage Funds hold 17,504 long positions and 11,695 short positions. With DJIA nearing its all-time high, “Small Money” is still bullish. Longs outweigh shorts by a 3:2 ratio.
Buying or selling one MYM contract requires an initial margin of $1,077. With Wednesday midday quote of 43,376, each March contract (MYMH5) has a notional value of $21,688. Compared with investing in stocks, the futures contracts offer a built-in leverage of about 20 times (=21688/1077).
Hypothetically, if Dow futures price moves up 10% to 47,714 in 2025, the index gain of 4,338 points will translate into $2,169 for a long position, given each index point equal to $0.50 for the Micro contract. Using the initial margin of $1,077 as a cost base, the trade would produce a theoretical return of 201.4% (=2169/1077).
Futures contracts have expiration days, and you may not hold them forever like stocks. To stay Long in the DJIA, a trader may consider a futures rollover strategy. An illustration:
• A trader would buy the lead contract March now, and hold it till the end of February
• He would then sell March and buy June, which will become the next lead contract
• He would repeat this process: buy September and sell June at the end of May
• Repeat this again to buy December and sell September at the end of August
This series of trades allows a trader to establish a long position in the DJIA throughout the year, while holding the most liquid contracts.
There is no guarantee that each trade will yield positive returns. But if the Dow is trending up over time, the winning would likely outpace the loses.
The leverage feature in futures works both ways. It would magnify the losses as well as improving the winnings. The good news is, a trader could put stop-loss on his futures trades, limiting the downside risks.
For example, our trader may set stop-loss at 42,000 when he buys the MYM at 43,376. If the Dow falls to 40,000, his position will be liquidated well before that when the price hits 42,000. The maximum loss incurred will be $688 (= (43376 - 42000) * 0.5).
The combination of Futures Rollover with Stop-loss could yield higher returns (thanks to the leverage) while maintaining a limited loss exposure. If the index bounces up and down but trends up in the long stretch, the trader will see both wins and losses. Since the wins are unbounded but the losses are contained, the overall returns would likely be positive.
The risk to long Micro Dow is that the US stock market enters a bear market, and DJIA trends down over a long period of time. The trader could incur a series of limited losses, and the gains were not sufficient to cover those losses.
Happy Trading.
Disclaimers
*Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services.
CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
EUR/USD : Approaching Critical Demand Zones! (READ THE CAPTION)By reviewing the #EURUSD chart in the three-day timeframe, we can see that the price has currently reached a very important demand zone, and the probability of a price reversal from this level is high! However, note that I personally have another scenario in mind, which is that after an initial short-term rise in the current area, the price will decline again to the very important demand zone of 1.005 to 1.007 , and then, with a suitable trigger in this area, we can look for an attractive BUY position !
All key levels and important zones have been marked on the chart! If you have any questions, be sure to ask, and I will try to respond as soon as possible!
Please support me with your likes and comments to motivate me to share more analysis with you and share your opinion about the possible trend of this chart with me !
Best Regards , Arman Shaban
Euro can start to move up to resistance level and break itHello traders, I want share with you my opinion about Euro. Observing the chart, we can see how the price some days ago entered to downward channel, where it at once rebounded from the support line to the resistance line and then started to decline. Long time, the price fell near the resistance line of the channel, until it reached 1.0455 points, after which it moved up to the resistance line and then dropped to the support line, breaking the 1.0410 resistance level. Then Euro exited from a downward channel and rose to the 1.0410 level, which coincided with the seller zone and some time traded between. Later it made a downward impulse to the current resistance level, which coincided with the resistance area and even fell a little lower than the 1.0250 level, after which started to trades inside a triangle. In this pattern, the Euro in a short time rose to the resistance line, which is located in the seller zone, and then fell to the support line back, breaking the 1.0250 level one more time. Also recently price exited from a triangle pattern and now it continues to decline. So, in my opinion, the Euro, after exiting from the triangle can decline a little more and then start to grow to the 1.0250 resistance level (1st TP). Then, the price will break this level and make a retest, after which continue to move up to 2nd TP - 1.0360 points. Please share this idea with your friends and click Boost 🚀
Kiwi H4 | Rising into multi-swing-high resistanceThe Kiwi (NZD/USD) is rising towards a multi-swing-high resistance and could potentially reverse off this level to drop lower.
Sell entry is at 0.5683 which is a multi-swing-high resistance that aligns close to the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement level.
Stop loss is at 0.5745 which is a level that sits above the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement and a descending trendline resistance.
Take profit is at 0.5540 which is a swing-low support.
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BTC - Where to Buy? Answer in VideoMy main trading principle is that the price always moves from swept liquidity levels to untouched liquidity levels.
In particular case we clearly can see the following context: price swept 1W key liquidity level and left untouched level higher.
But to take more statistically more probable trades we should wait for some type of lower timeframe confirmation, and it this case we can notice sign of strength, so potentially there is a higher probability to see price higher
Your success is determined solely by your ability to consistently follow the same principles.
Why do beginner traders fail? My next trade! In today's video, we dive into the crucial topic of trading psychology, exploring how limiting beliefs can hold beginner traders back from achieving their full potential.
We also analyze the next potential trade setup—a continuation play—highlighting the possibility of a reaction at the 4H breaker block or a drop back into the old demand range.
Stay tuned for actionable insights, and don't forget to follow for more trading strategies and tips!
BUY XAUUSD (GOLD) - Top down approach explainedTrader Tom, a technical analyst with over 16 years’ experience, explains his trade idea using price action and a top down approach. This is one of many trades so if you would like to see more then please follow us and hit the boost button.
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How Do Traders Identify Overbought and Oversold Stocks?How Do Traders Identify Overbought and Oversold Stocks?
Identifying overbought and oversold stocks is a key part of technical analysis for traders. These conditions occur when a market’s price moves to extremes—either too high or too low—compared to its recent performance. By recognising these signals, traders can spot potential turning points in the market. This article explores what overbought and oversold stocks are, how to find them using technical indicators, and the risks involved in trading them.
What Is an Oversold Stock?
Oversold stocks are those that have experienced a significant price decline, often beyond what might seem reasonable based on their underlying value. This often happens when market sentiment is overly negative, even if the company’s fundamentals remain solid.
Several factors can lead to a stock becoming oversold. For instance, bad news about a company, such as a missed earnings report or legal troubles, can cause investors to sell off shares quickly. Broader market events, like economic downturns or changes in industry regulations, can also drive prices down across the board. Sometimes, even strong stocks get caught up in these waves of negativity.
The concept of overselling isn’t just about price falling, though—it’s about the potential for a reversal. When stocks fall too fast, too far compared to their actual financial performance or growth potential, this is where traders look for opportunities, analysing whether the market is poised for a potential recovery.
What Is an Overbought Stock?
Overbought stocks are those that have risen sharply in price, often to a point where they may no longer reflect the stock’s true value. When a stock is considered overbought, it means there’s been a lot of buying activity, pushing the price higher than what its fundamentals might justify. This often happens when market sentiment is extremely positive, driving demand even when shares may already be trading at high levels.
Several factors can lead to an overbought market. Sometimes, positive news about a company—such as strong earnings, new product launches, or positive analyst reports—can spark a wave of buying. Market-wide optimism, particularly during bullish phases, can also lead to an overbought stock market. Speculative buying, where traders hope to capitalise on short-term price movements, can further inflate the price.
Being overbought doesn’t necessarily mean the stock is due for an immediate correction, but it does suggest that the price may have gone too high, too quickly. The most overbought stocks are often viewed as being in a vulnerable position for a potential pullback, especially if there isn’t enough underlying support from the company’s financial health or growth prospects. Traders consider this an opportunity to sell stocks at potentially good prices.
How Traders Find Oversold and Overbought Stocks with Indicators
Traders use technical indicators to determine whether a stock might be undervalued (oversold) or overvalued (overbought) based on its price action. These indicators allow traders to assess whether a price movement has gone too far in one direction.
Technical indicators are tools that use historical price and volume data to measure things like price momentum and trend strength. When it comes to finding overbought or oversold stocks, momentum oscillators play a key role.
These oscillators measure the speed and magnitude at which an asset’s price is changing. If a market has been rising or falling too quickly, it could be a sign that it’s either overbought or oversold. Also, if a stock has moved too far away from its typical price range, it signals a possible reversal. Traders rely on indicators to determine when the price may be at an extreme, helping them find entry or exit points based on market conditions.
Now, let’s break down some of the most popular indicators used for this purpose.
Relative Strength Index (RSI)
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is one of the most widely used overbought and oversold indicators. The RSI is a momentum indicator that gauges how fast and how much a stock's price is moving. It gives traders a visual signal of when a stock may have been pushed too far in either direction.
RSI compares the magnitude of recent gains to recent losses to assess whether a stock is overbought or oversold. The indicator ranges from 0 to 100 and is typically used to evaluate whether a stock is moving too fast in either direction. If the RSI falls below 30, the stock is considered oversold, suggesting it could be undervalued and due for a bounce. If the RSI rises above 70, the stock is seen as in an overbought zone, potentially signalling a price correction on the horizon.
While RSI can be helpful, it’s essential to look at it in the context of the broader market. For example, in a strong bull market, a stock might remain overbought for an extended period. Similarly, during a downturn, stocks can stay oversold longer than expected.
Stochastic Oscillator
The Stochastic Oscillator is another momentum indicator. It compares a stock's closing price to its price range over a certain period. The idea behind this indicator is that in an uptrend, prices will close near their highs, and in a downtrend, prices will close near their lows.
The Stochastic Oscillator helps traders identify when a stock’s price has potentially moved too far in either direction relative to its recent range. It’s similar in principle to the RSI, except the Stochastic is considered more useful for detecting shorter-term reversals.
It’s especially useful for identifying overbought and oversold conditions because it moves within a range — between 0 and 100 — similar to the RSI. The Stochastic Oscillator is made up of two lines: %K, which is the primary line, and %D, a moving average of %K. When these lines are above 80, the stock is considered overbought. When they are below 20, it’s considered oversold.
Given its sensitivity, it’s common to see the Stochastic signals a market is overextended for a longer period when there’s a strong trend. This makes it more prone to false signals than the RSI or MACD indicator and typically more useful for trading pullbacks in a broader trend.
MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence)
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) is another popular overbought and oversold indicator. Unlike the RSI, which focuses primarily on oversold vs overbought levels, MACD is more about trend strength and its direction. It shows the relationship between two moving averages of an asset’s price and can help identify potential shifts in momentum.
The MACD consists of two lines: the MACD line (which is the difference between the 12-day and 26-day exponential moving averages) and the signal line (the 9-day moving average of the MACD line). When the MACD line crosses above the signal line, it indicates a potential bullish reversal. When it crosses below, it signals a bearish reversal.
Since the lines are based on the difference between two EMAs, it’s also possible to gauge an overbought/oversold stock by examining the distance of the lines between their current values and the 0 midpoint. If the lines are far away from 0 and their historical averages, it could indicate a stock is overbought or oversold.
However, generally speaking, MACD is less about pinpointing specific overbought/oversold levels and more about identifying when momentum is shifting. A rapid crossover of the lines, especially after a strong move, can signal that a reversal might be near.
Considerations When Using Momentum Indicators
While momentum indicators like the RSI and MACD can be useful for spotting overextended stocks, there are a couple of key points to keep in mind when using these oversold and overbought indicators:
Divergences
A divergence occurs when the price moves in the opposite direction to the indicator. For example, if a stock is making higher highs but the indicator is making lower highs, this can signal weakening momentum and a possible reversal. Divergences offer another layer of insight, so it's worth paying attention to them alongside other factors.
Timeframes
Different timeframes can produce different results. An indicator that shows a stock is oversold on a daily chart might not show the same on a weekly chart. It's important to choose the right timeframe for your trading strategy, whether short-term or long-term. Generally, many traders take a top-down approach, allowing higher timeframe signals to better inform your analysis on lower timeframes.
Risks of Trading Oversold and Overbought Stocks
Trading oversold and overbought stocks can be appealing, as these conditions often suggest a potential reversal in price. However, there are some risks to consider when relying on these signals. A few important points to bear in mind include:
- False Signals: Just because a market is oversold or overbought doesn’t guarantee a reversal. Prices can continue to decline or rise despite what momentum indicators suggest. Traders need to be cautious about assuming that every extreme condition will result in a price correction.
- Extended Trends: In strong bullish or bearish trends, a stock can remain in overbought or oversold territory for longer than expected. This can lead to premature trades, where investors get in too early or expect a reversal that doesn’t come for a while.
- Market Sentiment: Sometimes, external factors like news events or broader economic conditions can overpower technical indicators. If there’s overwhelming optimism or pessimism in the market, a stock may continue in its overbought or oversold condition for longer than anticipated.
- Lack of Confirmation: Relying on a single indicator can be risky. It’s common to use multiple indicators or combine technical and fundamental analysis for a more balanced view. There may be no other supporting signals when a stock is oversold, meaning the trade carries higher risk.
The Bottom Line
Understanding overbought and oversold stocks, along with the indicators used to identify them, can help traders spot potential market opportunities. While these conditions may signal a reversal, it’s important to recognise there is no one best overbought and oversold indicator and use multiple tools for confirmation. Ready to apply these insights? Open an FXOpen account today to access more than 700 markets, including a huge range of stock CFDs, and four advanced trading platforms.
FAQ
What Is Overbought and Oversold?
Overbought and oversold are terms used to describe extreme price movements in markets. A stock is considered overbought when its price has risen rapidly and above its underlying value, which potentially makes it overvalued. It’s oversold when the price has fallen sharply and below its underlying value, which makes it undervalued. These conditions can signal that a price reversal may be coming, though they don’t guarantee it.
What Does It Mean for a Stock to Be Overbought?
The overbought stock meaning refers to a stock that has increased quickly and is potentially trading higher than its actual value. This often occurs due to strong demand or market optimism. Overbought conditions might signal that the price is at risk of a pullback.
What Does It Mean When a Stock Is Oversold?
The oversold stock meaning refers to a stock that has dropped significantly and may be below its true value. This often happens when there’s been excessive selling, and it could suggest that its price is due for a rebound.
How Can You Find Oversold Stocks?
Traders often use technical indicators like the Relative Strength Index (RSI) to find the most oversold stocks. An RSI reading below 30 typically suggests that a stock is oversold and may present a buying opportunity. Other indicators, like the Stochastic Oscillator, are also commonly used to identify oversold conditions.
This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.
Price Action Trading: Key ConceptsPrice Action Trading: Key Concepts
Price action is a popular trading method where traders analyse raw price movements on a chart, without relying on technical indicators. Traders identify patterns, trends, and key levels that help them understand market behaviour. This article explores what price action is, the key concepts, and how to get started with a price action strategy.
What Is Price Action Trading?
Price action is the movement of an asset’s price over time, and it’s one of the purest forms of market analysis. When using price action, indicators like moving averages or oscillators take a back seat, with traders focusing solely on the movement of the market itself. In studying how prices behave in real-time or historically, traders can spot trends, patterns, and potential turning points in the market.
At its core, price action is about reading the market’s “story” through its movements. Traders look at how an asset has moved in the past—whether it’s rising, falling, or ranging—to understand what it might do next. This analysis often revolves around key levels, such as support (where prices tend to stop falling) and resistance (where they tend to stop rising).
Because price action relies purely on market data, it offers a clear view of sentiment without the “noise” of external indicators. This makes it a go-to method for traders who prefer a straightforward approach. Price action also can be used in any market—whether it’s forex, stocks, or commodities—and across various timeframes too, from short-term day trading to long-term investing.
Understanding this style isn’t automatic—it requires practice, observation, and an eye for patterns. However, once traders get the hang of it, price action can provide valuable insight into the market’s behaviour and help them analyse future trends.
Key Price Action Concepts
Now, let’s take a look at some core price action concepts.
Support and Resistance
Support and resistance levels are foundational in price action analysis. These are key levels that the market has historically struggled to move past. Support represents a level where the market tends to stop falling, acting like a “floor,” as buying pressure increases. Resistance is the opposite, serving as a “ceiling” where upward movements tend to halt, as selling pressure grows.
Traders use support and resistance to identify potential levels where the market might reverse or pause. If a price breaks through one of these levels, it can signal a continuation of the trend, while a bounce off the level might indicate a reversal.
Trends
At its simplest, a trend shows the direction in which a given market is headed. In an uptrend, prices are making higher highs and higher lows, showing consistent bullish momentum. In a downtrend, the opposite is true: prices make lower lows and lower highs, indicating bearish sentiment.
Swing highs and lows are critical when spotting trends. A swing high is a peak formed when the market moves up and then reverses down. A swing low is the opposite. Tracking these highs and lows allows traders to identify the current trend.
Trendlines and Price Channels
A trendline is a straight line that connects multiple swing highs or swing lows in a trending market. It visually represents the direction of the trend and helps traders spot potential areas where the market may find support or resistance.
When two parallel trendlines are drawn—one connecting swing highs and the other swing lows—it forms a price channel. Channels help traders see the range in which the price is moving, and it’s common for prices to bounce between the upper and lower boundaries of the channel. Breakouts from them can signal a shift in trend direction.
Candlestick Patterns
Candlestick patterns are formed by the movement of price over a specific period and are widely used in price action trading.
Some common candlestick price action trading patterns include:
- Pin Bar/Hammer/Shooting Star: A candle with a long wick and small body, indicating a rejection of higher or lower prices. It can suggest a potential trend reversal.
- Engulfing Pattern: A two-candle pattern where the second candle fully engulfs the previous one, signalling a shift in momentum. A bullish engulfing pattern suggests buyers are taking control, while a bearish engulfing pattern shows sellers are gaining strength.
- Doji: A candle with little to no body, where the open and close prices are nearly identical. It suggests indecision in the market and can signal a potential reversal, depending on where it appears in a trend.
Chart Patterns
Price action chart patterns are shapes that form on a chart, which traders use to determine future price movements. They can indicate the continuation or reversal of a trend.
Some common chart patterns include:
- Head and Shoulders: A reversal pattern that signals a shift from an uptrend to a downtrend (or vice versa). It consists of three peaks, with the middle one being the highest (the "head") and the outer two being lower (the "shoulders").
- Double Top/Double Bottom: These reversal patterns form when the price tests a level twice and fails to break through, indicating a potential reversal.
- Triangles: Symmetrical, ascending, or descending triangles indicate consolidation periods before a breakout.
Breakouts
A breakout occurs when an asset moves outside a defined support, resistance, or trendline level. Breakouts can signal that the market is gaining momentum in a particular direction.
When prices break beyond a support or resistance level, it can suggest that traders are pushing prices in a given direction and that momentum is likely to continue. Traders often watch for breakouts from chart patterns like triangles or channels.
Reversals
A reversal happens when a market trend changes direction. In an uptrend, a reversal would occur when prices stop making higher highs and higher lows and start forming lower lows instead. Reversals are often marked by candlestick patterns or chart patterns like head and shoulders or double top/bottom.
Retracements
A retracement is a temporary reversal in the direction of a trend, where the asset moves against the prevailing trend but eventually continues in the same direction. Traders often use tools like Fibonacci retracement levels to identify potential areas where the market might retrace before resuming its original trend.
Volume
Volume measures how much of an asset is being traded over a certain period. In price action trading, volume is used to confirm the strength of market movements. For example, if the price breaks through a significant resistance level with high volume, it can indicate that the breakout is more likely to be sustained. On the other hand, breakouts on low volume might suggest the move lacks conviction and could reverse.
Volatility
Volatility refers to the degree of price movement in the market over time. Price action traders pay attention to volatility because it can influence how they interpret patterns and levels. In periods of high volatility, an asset may break through key levels quickly, while in low volatility periods, it might stay within a narrow range.
How Traders Read Price Action
Let’s now look at an overview of how the process typically unfolds:
1. Beginning with a Clean Chart
Price action trading doesn’t rely on indicators, so the first step is to clear the chart of anything unnecessary. Traders focus on raw market data, meaning you’ll only initially need candlesticks or bars in a price action chart.
2. Identifying Market Structure
Once the chart is clean, traders assess the market structure. This means figuring out whether the market is trending or ranging. In a trend, prices make consistent highs and lows, moving upwards or downwards. If the market is ranging, the price moves horizontally within a set range between support and resistance levels.
3. Looking for Patterns and Key Levels
Next, traders focus on spotting recurring patterns and identifying key levels where the price has previously reacted. Patterns such as candlestick formations and chart setups (e.g., triangles or head and shoulders) give insight into what the market might do next. These patterns help traders anticipate reversals or breakouts based on past behaviour. Key levels like support and resistance guide where the price might stall or reverse.
4. Analysing Price Movements in Real-Time
As the price moves, traders observe how it reacts to these key levels or patterns. Does it slow down near resistance, or does it break through with momentum? Does it pull back to support before continuing upward? These real-time reactions tell traders whether the market is maintaining its trend or if a reversal could be on the horizon.
5. Confirming with Volume and Volatility
Traders often look at volume and volatility to further validate what’s happening on the chart. Higher volume can suggest stronger market moves, while volatility reveals how quickly the market is shifting. These extra layers of analysis provide confirmation of whether a breakout or reversal is likely to hold.
Building a Price Action Trading Strategy
Creating a price action trading strategy is about developing a personalised approach based on key patterns and setups that resonate with you. The steps mentioned above form the foundation of price action trading. However, traders usually build their own strategy over time, focusing on a handful of setups they find effective.
Initially, traders choose a few concepts to work with and avoid getting overwhelmed by too much information. For example, you could look for pin bars that appear during retracements at support or resistance in line with a trend. Another approach might be identifying a breakout after a double top or bottom, especially if it’s backed by high volume. Alternatively, traders often use candlestick patterns to trade the upper and lower boundaries of a price channel.
Setups like these can be backtested in trading platforms with FXOpen, using historical data to understand why and where certain setups work. It does take time to develop an eye for price action patterns, but it’s worth the effort to be able to identify opportunities well before lagging technical indicators do.
Lastly, risk management is crucial when trading price action. Before you try out any setup, try to understand the best risk management practices for that pattern. For instance, traders might place a stop-loss just beyond a pin bar’s wick or slightly below the lows in a double bottom to limit potential losses if the market moves unexpectedly.
The Bottom Line
Price action offers traders a straightforward way to analyse market movements and make decisions based on real-time data, prioritising repeating patterns rather than indicators. To put price action trading into practice, consider opening an FXOpen account to access more than 700 live markets and our advanced low-cost, high-speed trading environment.
FAQ
What Is Price Action?
The price action meaning refers to the movement of an asset's price over time. Traders analyse these movements, without relying on indicators, to identify trends, patterns, and potential turning points in the market.
How to Read Price Action?
Reading price action involves analysing market movements on a clean chart. Traders identify trends, key levels of support and resistance, and chart and candlestick patterns.
What Is Price Action Trading?
Price action trading is a strategy where traders make decisions based on the raw movements of an asset. Instead of using technical indicators, they focus on chart patterns, trends, and levels of support or resistance to analyse the market.
What Is the M Pattern in Price Action?
The M pattern, or double top, is a bearish reversal pattern that looks like the letter "M." It forms when the price tests a resistance level twice but fails to break through, signalling a potential move downwards.
Do Price Patterns Work?
Price patterns can work, but they are not foolproof. They are often used to identify potential market movements, but outcomes may vary depending on market conditions and other factors.
Do Professional Traders Use Price Action?
Yes, many professional traders use price action as a core part of their trading strategies. It provides a direct way to analyse market behaviour without relying on external indicators.
This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.
Analyzing Coffee Futures: Key Insights for Traders and InvestorsICEUS:KC1!
The coffee futures market has recently attracted attention from traders and investors due to significant price movements. On December 10th, the commodity reached new historical highs, surpassing a record set in 1977. This post will analyze the current trends in coffee futures, key technical patterns, and provide insights into what may happen next for this important commodity.
Coffee Futures at a Glance 📈
New Historical Highs:
On December 10th, coffee futures hit $348, breaking the previous record of $339 set in 1977.
Key Technical Patterns:
A bearish crab pattern has formed at the $333 level, suggesting potential downside risks.
The Case for a Pullback or Consolidation 🔄
After reaching new highs, the coffee market could face a period of consolidation or a potential pullback. It’s not unusual for commodities to experience a cooling-off phase after such a strong rally. In this case, the price of coffee could correct lower, especially after a sharp upward movement.
Bearish Crab Pattern at $333
The formation of a bearish crab pattern at $333 suggests a possible downward movement.
A deeper pullback could take the price as low as $269, representing a 16% drop from current levels.
This potential correction is supported by technical analysis, including Fibonacci retracement levels.
Divergence Signals Indicating Weakness ⚠️
Another key factor to consider is the divergence in market indicators. Since the highs of April last year, there have been consistent signs of divergence, particularly with the Relative Strength Index (RSI). The latest price peaks have failed to match new RSI highs, signaling weakening momentum.
Factors Driving Potential Downside Pressure ⬇️
New Historical Highs:
While reaching a new high is exciting, it often leads to a correction or profit-taking, especially after a strong rally.
Bearish Divergence:
The failure of the RSI to match price highs is a classic signal of weakening buying pressure.
Bearish Crab Pattern:
This technical pattern, formed at the 1618% Fibonacci extension, further supports the case for a potential downturn.
What’s Next for Coffee Futures? 🔮
The outlook suggests caution in the short term. The combination of new historical highs, bearish divergence signals, and the formation of a bearish crab pattern presents a strong case for a pullback or period of consolidation. The potential target for this correction could be as low as $269, a significant drop from current levels.
However, as always, it’s important to stay alert and monitor the market closely for any changes in momentum. Technical indicators and patterns like the ones discussed here can provide valuable insights, but the market can be unpredictable. Traders should consider these insights while managing risk and staying prepared for potential shifts in the market.
For further updates and insights on the latest movements in coffee futures, stay tuned for future posts and analysis.
Happy Trading,
André Cardoso
Earnings Season Cranks Up for Gainless S&P 500. What to Expect?The S&P 500 SPX is now showing nearly zero growth since Election Day, November 5. Markets were euphoric to see Donald Trump win the White House for another four years and pushed the S&P 500 to the rarefied air of 6,000 points and above. But that’s not the case anymore.
A flurry of data has poured cold water on that breakneck rally, including the latest nonfarm payrolls, which showed employers tapped a whopping 256,000 workers in December, far outpacing expectations of 156,000. The news fanned fears that the Federal Reserve might take its time in cutting interest rates — every investor’s biggest concern right now.
It’s up to the earnings season to rejuvenate a falling stock market. To many, the fourth-quarter earnings updates will be the most consequential event as it will also mark President Joe Biden’s departure and the arrival of the main character, Donald Trump.
First through the door, as is tradition, are the heavyweight players on Wall Street. This week traders will get to see the earnings results from big banks including JPMorgan JPM , Wells Fargo WFC and Goldman Sachs GS . In addition, the world’s largest asset manager BlackRock BLK will also post its performance.
The banks’ updates will provide a glimpse into investor appetite for big-shot dealmaking, business sentiment and also how daring and bold consumers were in their spending activity. Things like net interest income — how much the bank earned on interest after paying out deposits — will be a key gauge for the banking system’s health.
Here’s what’s coming from Wall Street’s household names (and some extra).
➡️ Wednesday, January 15, before the bell:
Citi C
Goldman Sachs GS
JPMorgan JPM
Wells Fargo WFC
BlackRock BLK
Bank of New York Mellon BK
➡️ Thursday, January 16, before the open:
Bank of America BAC
Morgan Stanley MS
U.S. Bancorp USB
Other earnings include UnitedHealth UNH .
Once markets digest the updates from the lending giants, the focus will shift to the next big thing — the Magnificent Seven . It’s a high bar once again for America’s most powerful corporate juggernauts.
Investors expect Mag 7 earnings to be up 22% from the same period last year while revenue is eyeballed to have grown 12.3%. The consensus views follow the elite club’s 32.9% earnings jump in the third quarter on revenue increase of 15.4%.
Fun fact: the Mag 7 members accounted for 23.1% of all profits in the S&P 500 for the quarter ending September. For the three months to December, they are expected to consume about a quarter of the earnings pie.
And for 2025, their market cap is projected to devour more than one-third of the S&P 500’s value, which is around $50 trillion. For the tech geeks, here’s the Mag 7 earnings slate:
➡️ Wednesday, January 29, after the closing bell:
Microsoft MSFT
Facebook parent Meta META
Tesla TSLA
➡️ Thursday, January 30, after the closing bell:
Apple AAPL
Amazon AMZN
➡️ Tuesday, February 4, after the closing bell:
Google parent Alphabet GOOGL
➡️ Wednesday, February 19 (tentative), after the closing bell:
Nvidia NVDA
Overall, the foresighted market gurus (i.e. the analysts) expect all companies in the S&P 500 to report a roughly 12% advance in quarterly profits compared to the year-ago quarter. For 2025, the consensus call is a 15% increase in corporate profits from last year.
There are, of course, the permabears among us who spell doom and gloom. They say that Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs could hinder corporate growth by raising prices for US companies that rely on overseas products. And if those companies decide to pass these costs to customers, then inflation might rear back up, throwing the markets into another painful cycle of higher interest rates.
What’s your take? Are you optimistic about the corporate earnings season? And are you excited to see more growth in 2025? Share your thoughts in the comments and let’s spin up the discussion.
Are CL Futures starting a new bull trend in 2025?Crude Oil WTI Nymex Futures
NYMEX:CL1!
Big Picture:
Crude Oil WTI NYMEX Futures Update – January 2025
Crude Oil WTI NYMEX futures are trading higher, with bullish price action evident at the start of 2025. Price has broken above the 2024 Composite Value Area High (CVAH) and is now approaching the Composite Value Area High from the 2022 high, as shown in the chart above.
Macroeconomic Outlook
From a global perspective, persistent inflation may be supported by elevated commodity prices. Higher crude oil prices, coupled with potential trade wars and tariffs, could drive up costs in major sectors, such as rare earth minerals.
In this scenario, we anticipate central banks, including the Federal Reserve, maintaining higher interest rates. We believe the previously expected two rate cuts of 25 basis points each for this year may be reduced to zero. However, this creates a challenging environment for central banks. A combination of sticky inflation, resilient job markets, and low unemployment could lead to a "goldilocks" scenario. Recessionary risks will be increased unless some means of fiscal policy measures provide further support to the US economy.
Key Levels to Watch
Key levels represent areas of interest and zones of active market participation. The more significant a key level, the closer we monitor it for potential reactions and trade setups in alignment with our trading plan.
CVAH: 79.50
Resistance R1: 79.50 – 79.85
Resistance R2: 81.30 – 81.60
Neutral Level: 78.77
CVAH 2024 / Support: 75.00
Support (Yearly Open): 71.85
Scenario 1: Exhausted Buyers, Mean Reversion
In this scenario, we anticipate range-bound price action, offering a potential short opportunity if buyers appear exhausted. Price action and volume analysis would need to confirm this. Look for absorption around the neutral zone or below R1/CVAH, with prices failing to push higher. A lower high and seller dominance would confirm a mean reversion short setup.
Scenario 2: Breakout Above CVAH
A confirmed breakout above CVAH could indicate further bullish price discovery and the potential for a new uptrend. Consolidation above CVAH followed by strong price action would provide a trigger for long positions. However, significant resistance at this level necessitates confirmation via price action and volume analysis before taking action.
Scenario 3: Swing Failure at CVAH
In this scenario, prices rise above the neutral zone and R1/CVAH, but sellers regain control, pushing prices lower. A swing failure candle with a long wick near the resistance zone would indicate the failure. A subsequent higher low could present a short opportunity for a mean reversion trade.
We encourage you to monitor these levels closely and incorporate them into your trade planning. Share your thoughts or insights on these key levels in the comments below.
Understanding Risk Asymmetry in a Table▮ Introduction
With TradingView's new table creation feature , you can easily create and customize tables to enhance your trading analysis and presentations.
In this article I'll use it to explain Risk Asymmetry .
Trading involves a constant evaluation of risk and reward .
One of the critical concepts that traders need to understand is risk asymmetry .
This concept highlights how losses and gains are not symmetrical.
In other words, the percentage gain required to recover from a loss is greater than the percentage loss itself.
This article explores risk asymmetry and illustrates it with a practical example.
▮ What is Risk Asymmetry?
Risk asymmetry refers to the disproportionate relationship between losses and the gains required to recover from those losses.
For instance, if you lose 10% of your investment, you need to gain more than 10% to get back to your original amount.
This is because the base amount has decreased after the loss.
Understanding risk asymmetry is crucial for traders because it affects their risk management strategies.
Knowing that larger losses require exponentially larger gains to recover can help traders make more informed decisions about their trades and risk exposure.
▮ Illustrating Risk Asymmetry
To illustrate risk asymmetry, let's consider an initial investment of $1000.
The table below shows the required gain to recover from various percentage losses:
Explanation:
- Loss (%): The percentage loss from the initial amount.
- Value Lost ($): The lost monetary value from the initial amount.
- Amount After Loss ($): The remaining amount after the loss.
- Required Gain for Recovery (%): The percentage gain required to recover to the initial amount.
This table highlights the asymmetry in trading losses and gains.
As the loss percentage increases, the required gain to recover the initial amount increases disproportionately.
For example, if you lose 50% of your initial amount ( $500 ), it is not enough for you to gain 50% , because the amount left after the loss is $500 , and a 50% gain on the amount of $500 is $250 , which would result in a total amount of $750 with a remaining loss of $250 !
So, the most important question is not how much can I win , but how much can I lose .
Curiosity:
Why 100% is not applicable (-) in this table?
When you lose 100% of your investment, you have lost all your capital. Therefore, there is no remaining amount to recover from, and it is impossible to gain back to the initial amount from zero. This is why the required gain are marked as not applicable.
▮ Conclusion
Understanding risk asymmetry can help traders in several ways:
1. Risk Management:
traders can set stop-loss levels to limit their losses and avoid the need for large gains to recover.
2. Position Sizing:
by understanding the potential impact of losses, traders can size their positions more conservatively.
3. Psychological Preparedness:
knowing the challenges of recovering from significant losses can help traders maintain discipline and avoid emotional decision-making.
It is one thing to lose 100% of a dollar on a casino bet; it is quite another to lose 100% of a lifetime's worth of capital.
Therefore, the larger the capital at stake, the smaller the amount of money that should ideally be risked.
Mastering Fibonacci in TradingMastering Fibonacci in Trading
Unlock the secrets of Fibonacci and its applications in trading. Learn how to utilize this powerful tool to find optimal entry and exit points, manage risks, and enhance your trading strategies.
What is Fibonacci?
The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones. The sequence begins as follows:
The sequence is named after the Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, who introduced it to Western mathematics in his book Liber Abaci in 1202. One of the fascinating properties of this sequence is the ratio between successive numbers, which converges to approximately 1.618—known as the Golden Ratio .
The Golden Ratio and Its Significance
The Golden Ratio (1.618) and its inverse (0.618) appear frequently in nature, art, architecture, and financial markets. In trading, these ratios, along with derivatives like 0.382 and 0.786, are used to identify potential support and resistance levels.
How Fibonacci Became a Trading Tool
Traders and analysts observed that price movements often respect Fibonacci levels, retracing or extending along these key points. This led to the creation of Fibonacci-based tools, such as:
Fibonacci Retracement : Used to identify potential reversal levels during pullbacks.
Fibonacci Extension : Helps forecast profit-taking levels during trends.
Fibonacci Arcs, Fans, and Time Zones : Advanced tools for multi-dimensional analysis.
Using Fibonacci in Trading
Step 1: Identifying the Swing High and Swing Low
Select a clear price movement, either an uptrend or a downtrend, and mark the highest point (swing high) and lowest point (swing low).
Step 2: Applying Fibonacci Retracement
Using the Fibonacci tool on platforms like TradingView, draw from the swing low to the swing high (for uptrends) or from the swing high to the swing low (for downtrends). Key levels to monitor are:
0.236 (23.6%)
0.382 (38.2%)
0.5 (50%)
0.618 (61.8%)
0.786 (78.6%)
These levels often act as support or resistance zones.
ICT Optimal Trade Entry Zone
Fibonacci retracement levels have been widely used by traders, from traditional to Smart Money concepts. While technical analysis has evolved, traditional tools like Fibonacci retracement levels still hold their relevance. A modern adaptation of this is the ICT Optimal Trade Entry (OTE) concept.
The Fibonacci level range from 62% (0.618) to 79% (0.786) is known as the Optimal Trade Entry Zone . This zone is critical for identifying high-probability reversal points during retracements.
Bullish Setup : In an uptrend, the OTE zone provides a favorable entry point when the price pulls back to this area, indicating a potential continuation of the bullish trend.
Bearish Setup : In a downtrend, the OTE zone serves as a resistance area where the price is likely to reverse and continue its downward trajectory.
The Golden Pocket
The zone between the 0.618 and 0.650 levels is also referred to as the "Golden Pocket," emphasizing its importance as a high-probability area for price reversals or trend continuation.
Combining Fibonacci with Other Tools
Fibonacci works best when combined with other technical analysis tools:
Candlestick Patterns : Confirmation signals for reversals or continuations.
Trendlines : Validate key Fibonacci levels.
Volume Analysis : Assess the strength of price movements near Fibonacci levels.
ICT Strategies : Use concepts like mitigation blocks or liquidity voids to refine entry points in the OTE zone.
Practical Applications
Scalping: Use Fibonacci on shorter timeframes to identify intraday opportunities.
Swing Trading: Combine Fibonacci retracements with trend analysis for multi-day trades.
Long-Term Investing: Employ Fibonacci on weekly or monthly charts to identify major turning points.
Conclusion
Fibonacci tools are essential for any trader looking to enhance their market analysis. By mastering these tools, including the ICT Optimal Trade Entry concept, you can:
Identify optimal entry and exit points.
Manage risks more effectively.
Gain deeper insights into market behavior.
Start experimenting with Fibonacci today on TradingView and discover how it can transform your trading strategy!
Lucid Stock Dips Under $3 Ahead of Big Milestone—Should You Buy?Lucid Motors, the Saudi-backed luxury EV startup, is approaching its make-or-break moment. After the company exceeded its production target and delivered a record number of Air sedans, its first and only model, Lucid is getting ready to release its SUV, the Lucid Gravity. Game changer? Or more like... game on? Let’s find out.
Lucid stock LCID slipped under the $3 handle on Wednesday after it had advanced all the way to $3.60 on the upbeat news that it delivered a record number of luxury EV sedans in the fourth quarter.
Lucid, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, delivered a record 3,099 Air sedans in the three months to December, up from 2,781 units in the prior three-month stretch.
What’s more, Lucid exceeded its own production guidance for 2024 — 9,029 slick-looking wheels rolled off the assembly line, surpassing the 9,000 projected. Deliveries for the full 2024 came in at 10,241.
Now, the next milestone looms. The commercial launch of its sports utility vehicle (SUV) — Lucid Gravity is nearly here. The bad boy is already available for purchase and it’s getting ready to hit the roads in the coming weeks. The company kicked off production on time, as promised, before the end of 2024 and opened the hotline for orders .
The Gravity SUV is charged up to the teeth, able to drive farther than any Tesla TSLA . A unit of the higher-spec grade will run you about $95,000 and flexes 450 miles (roughly 720 kilometers) on a single charge, compared to Tesla’s max range of about 350 miles (560 kilometers). As a bonus, it boasts ultrafast charging times.
“We have achieved this with an impressively small battery pack compared to competitors. This is critical to preserving earth’s precious resources,” CEO Peter Rawlinson said in a statement on Monday.
Now let’s talk share price. The soft launch of the Lucid Gravity, followed by the record Q4 delivery figure fueled a wave of buying. In December alone, Lucid shares added more than 40% to their valuation, going from $2 to around $3.
But that’s 70% lower than the stock’s price tag on the first day it floated shares back in 2021 via a SPAC reverse merger. In all fairness, it’s excruciatingly difficult to navigate the challenging EV market , not to mention the vast universe of auto makers . And Rawlinson already knows it — he is the former Tesla Model S chief engineer.
Investors are ramping up hopes that the commercial release of the Lucid Gravity will help lift up the languishing share price. The company, however, is expected to continue burning cash (i.e. no profits any time soon) for the sake of expanding its production and maintaining sales growth. For the third quarter of last year, the net loss was $992.5 million, up from $630.9 million in the year-ago quarter.
Now everything hinges on the new SUV and its appeal to customers. The next step is to get it inside more than 50 showrooms for test drives, marketing and sales.
“Once we have produced those vehicles, we’ll start delivering to a broader group of customers. This is just the beginning,” Rawlinson wrote in a post on LinkedIn last week, promising a “remarkable 2025.”
So should you buy the shares? Here’s what Lucid got going for it.
🚀 The bullish case:
Affordable share price — retail traders can scoop up in boatloads
Tiny market cap of $10 billion — lots of room for potential growth
Backed by the Saudi monarchy — lots of cash to support the biz
Advanced EV battery technology — company can cut edge and innovate
Advanced, luxury EV niche — premium, high-performance models
Range above anything the EV market can offer — Tesla is in the dust
Scalable product line — Lucid plans to roll out sub-$50,000 models in 2026
💥 The bearish case:
High capital expenditures — low-hanging fruit here, Lucid spends a lot
Hasn’t been around for very long — making cars since 2016
Lacks the Lindy effect — uncertain likelihood of continued cash flow
Limited customer base — it’s a high-end product in a tough market
Pricing wars — competitors with more affordable EVs could limit Lucid’s market share
Concentration risk — Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) owns roughly 60% of Lucid and may decide to stop or reduce its cash injections
Prone to speculation — tiny market cap makes the stock vulnerable to swings (is that really bad, though?)
So is Lucid a gem for the diamond-handed, a rocket to the moon or a bag-holding investment? What’s your take? Share your thoughts below!
The Evolution of a Trader: A Structured Path to MasteryTrading in financial markets, especially in the volatile cryptocurrency sector, is both challenging and rewarding. I’m Skeptic , and through my observations, traders grow through distinct stages, each teaching vital lessons. Beginners focus on research, intermediates learn adaptability, and advanced traders refine emotional discipline and strategies. This article explores how to evolve from a novice to a master trader. 🌟
Stage 1: The Total Beginner 🧐📉
Characteristics: Beginners are often optimistic and eager, placing trades based on tips from friends, forums, or influencers. Early successes may create a false sense of confidence.
Challenges: Losses from unreliable tips reveal the necessity of personal research and a deeper understanding of the market.
Psychological Impact: Emotional highs from early wins are quickly followed by the disappointment of losses. This phase teaches humility and emphasizes the need for continuous learning.
Stage 2: The Search for the "Holy Grail" 🔍🔧
Characteristics: Traders enter a phase of hunting for the perfect indicator or strategy. They explore tools like RSI, MACD, or Fibonacci retracements and invest in advanced trading software.
Challenges: The realization that no single method guarantees consistent success. Markets are dynamic, requiring adaptable strategies.
Key Lesson: Success lies not in a magical formula but in understanding market psychology, developing a robust trading plan, and mastering risk management.
Stage 3: Making Money but Not Consistently 💰
Characteristics: Traders begin to see some profits but struggle with consistency. They may prematurely take profits due to fear or hold losing trades too long, hoping for a reversal.
Challenges: Emotional turbulence and inconsistent decision-making hinder progress.
Key Focus: Develop emotional resilience and adhere to a disciplined trading approach. Stick to your trading plan regardless of short-term outcomes.
Stage 4: Consistent Small Profits 📈💵
Characteristics: Traders start achieving consistent small gains by focusing on disciplined risk management and a refined strategy.
Challenges: Avoiding impulsive trades and staying committed to the process over the outcome.
Key Lesson: Small, consistent gains build the foundation for long-term success. Discipline and patience are critical at this stage.
Stage 5: Professional Consistently Profitable Trader 🏆
Characteristics: Trading becomes a reliable source of income. Traders implement advanced money management techniques and stick rigorously to their trading plans.
Challenges: Scaling positions responsibly and maintaining focus during market volatility.
Key Tools:
Position sizing
Trade management (e.g., stop-losses and profit targets)
Continuous performance review
Stage 6: The Master Trader 🎯
Characteristics: Trading becomes second nature. Master traders confidently manage large positions, adapt to market changes, and achieve multi-fold annual returns.
Key Focus: Controlled risks, strategic scaling, and calm decision-making.
The Pinnacle: Mastery is not about taking excessive risks but about deep market understanding and a systematic approach to trading.
Conclusion 📈💡
The journey to becoming a master trader is transformative. Each stage, from the enthusiastic beginner to the seasoned expert, offers lessons that shape both trading skill and personal growth. Success in trading is not about finding shortcuts but embracing the process, persevering through challenges, and continuously learning. 📚
Key takeaways:
Trading requires humility, discipline, and adaptability.
Consistent profits stem from robust strategies, risk management, and emotional resilience.
Mastery involves developing a systematic approach and achieving balance between risk and reward.
Thanks for reading until the end of this article! ❤ Your support keeps me going, and I’m excited to share more insights with you. If there’s anything you want me to cover next, just let me know. Let’s keep learning and crushing it together! ✨ - Skeptic :)