What Is a Trading Journal, and How Traders Keep One?What Is a Trading Journal, and How Traders Keep One?
For traders, keeping a trading journal is an important activity that helps them improve their trading skills. A trading journal is a systematic record-keeping tool that is used to document trades, strategies, and outcomes. It is a way to track performance by recording the entry and exit points, the reasons for entering the trade, and the results.
This FXOpen article discusses the way traders track their progress, identify patterns, and learn from mistakes. You’ll learn about the types of trading journals and their benefits and find out exactly what to record.
Types of Trading Journals
Here are three trading journal examples. You can choose a format that works best for you, whether it’s handwritten notes in a notebook, a trading journal online spreadsheet, or a specialised app. The key is to be consistent in recording your activity.
- Use a notebook . Simply record the details of each trade on a new page or divide the page into convenient columns.
- Create a spreadsheet to keep track of your trades. Consider including columns for the entry and exit points, reasons, and outcomes.
- Choose trading journal software from the multiple options available. Apps make it easy to record and analyse trades. Some popular ones include Edgewonk and Tradervue.
Benefits of Keeping a Trading Journal
Keeping a journal has several benefits. The most important thing is that by using this tool for self-analysis and learning, you can increase your chances of success in markets and make data-driven improvements. Let’s break down why it can be useful.
- Identifying patterns. By keeping a record, you can identify patterns in your behaviour. For example, you may notice that you tend to enter trades at certain times of the day or that you have a tendency to hold losing trades for too long.
- Learning from mistakes. If you review your losing trades, you may identify what went wrong and how you can avoid making the same mistake in the future.
- Tracking progress. A trading journal is a way to track your progress. You can see how much you’ve improved. It’s also a means to reflect on your decisions.
- Improving discipline. Recording your activities can help you improve your discipline. By stating the reasons for entering the trades, you hold yourself accountable for your decisions.
- Controlling emotions. A journal can serve as a therapeutic outlet to express your thoughts and feelings. This allows you to separate your emotions from your decisions and make them more logical and reasonable.
Whether it’s a forex trading journal or one for stocks, crypto* or indices, the benefits will be the same. The usefulness of keeping a record will be self-evident.
How to Keep a Trading Journal
It’s to be expected that over time, a journal will become an invaluable resource for improving skills, minimising risk and achieving more consistent effectiveness in the financial markets. The hardest part is getting started, although keeping a journal is actually easy. Here are the five steps you can follow.
1. Choose a Format
Decide whether you want to keep a physical trading journal book, use a digital spreadsheet, or employ specialised software. Choose a format that you’re comfortable with, and that aligns with your needs. If you’re using a spreadsheet or digital document, you can create a trading journal template that includes the key information you plan to record for each trade.
2. Record Your Trades
Record the details of each trade you make. You can include the date and time, as this information is essential for tracking the timing of trades and assessing how different market conditions may affect your decision-making.
Recording your strategy or approach is a great idea. Regardless of whether it is based on technical, fundamental, or combined analysis, be sure to state your methodology. You may also want to detail the risk management techniques you used, such as stop-loss and take-profit orders. On the TickTrader trading platform, you can find various tools for risk management. After using them, you can evaluate how effectively they protected your capital.
3. Record Reasons and Your Emotional State
Consider writing down the reasons that prompted you to enter the trade. What factors or indicators influenced your decision? For example, if you prefer currencies, did you enter the trade because of a certain technical pattern or a country’s GDP report?
Documenting your emotional state before and during the trade is also important. Were you confident, anxious or fearful? An honest self-assessment of your emotions is critical to identifying emotional triggers that can influence you.
4. Review Your Trades
Think about reviewing your trades and indicating the final result — profit or loss. Be sure to write down the actual numbers so that you can accurately assess your results. When documenting your trades, it’s crucial to remain objective. Do not justify bad decisions or self-glorify successful ones. The purpose of keeping a journal is to learn and improve.
You can schedule a regular review of your trades. This can be done weekly or monthly, depending on how often you trade. During these reviews, you are likely to find patterns and identify areas for improvement.
5. Be Consistent
Consistency is key. You can develop a routine for recording trades. Make sure you thoroughly document all of them, regardless of their size or perceived importance. If it’s too difficult to do this yourself, you can use an automated trading journal. This is a great solution for those who have a hard time making habits.
Final Thoughts
Keeping records of your trades is a way to have a structured and systematic approach to monitoring and evaluating trading activity. This leads to better-informed decisions and improved performance.
By recording details of trades, strategies, emotions, results, and risk management techniques, you can gain valuable insights into your behaviour and patterns. If you want to engage in trading in over 600 markets, you can open an FXOpen account.
*At FXOpen UK, Cryptocurrency CFDs are only available for trading by those clients categorised as Professional clients under FCA Rules. They are not available for trading by Retail clients.
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.
Community ideas
SMHI - Can an ugly chart actually be a good play?This is one of those charts I had on a watchlist titled "Waiting For Bottom". I checked in on Friday and it was touching the bottom of the channel. Boom!
Is this post a prediction? Nope. Do I think this Elliott Wave count is for sure accurate? Nope. So what is this?
First of all, remove all of the markings and look at the chart with nothing but price action. What do you see? If your answer is a "a complete mess that was generally melting up until the middle of 2024", you'd be correct. This is not a trending stock with a high probability setup. There is no clear 5-waves up pattern playing out. In fact, there is no clear anything pattern playing out. But that's exactly why I think this "might" be a diagonal and might be an interesting play for a solid risk/reward.
What is a diagonal you ask? Let's make sure you understand.
In Elliott Wave, there are only TWO types of bullish patterns. The first is the classic 5-wave impulse where the underlying trends up in odd numbered waves and correcting each one in the even numbered waves. Think of a lightning bolt.
1 - Up off a low.
2 - Corrects 1, can't move below it.
3 - The breakout, usually the most impulsive and powerful wave.
4 - Corrects 3, can't break below the top of 1.
5 - The final move up, can be powerful, can be weak, but will almost always give a higher high.
5-wave impulsive moves start when the underlying is very bearish. Wave 1 starts by getting back to or breaking a key resistance area. Those who jump in during it are considered early adopters. The only support is the previous low. The vast majority of market participants are avoiding. Once it tops and rolls over, the majority are convinced new lows are coming. Some early adopters sell out or take profit. But a successful Wave 2 holds above the previous low, giving a higher low setup. It is followed by a consolidation as momentum builds up in the beginning of the 3rd wave. Once Wave 3 breaks out above Wave 1, smart technical traders start jumping in. Maybe it happens on an earnings report and some fundies jump in. It starts to really trend as more heads start to turn and realize that not only did it hold a higher low, buts its also working on a higher high. And if it is powerful enough, it will break more resistance and more and more participants will jump in. Eventually though, Wave 3 tops. Many early adopters take their profit and leave. It consolidates into a Wave 4, holding another higher low above the Wave 1 top. But as it starts Wave 5, the majority of the participants are now the late adopters and retail traders, with a spattering of early adopters who still have a small tranche left, already being in the green on smart sales at the top of Wave 3. Wave 5 then completes, often trapping late adopters who were sure it was going to the moon.
Well this stock doesn't seem to be that. This thing overlaps all over the place. It could be an upward corrective wave of some sort before a drop to new lows. But as of now, it's playing along nicely with what its called a diagonal.
A diagonal is a 5-wave structure. But this one is different. With diagonals, Wave 3 "can" overlap below the top of Wave 1. And one of the leading clues you might be in a diagonal is when the subwaves break down into segments of 3 wave moves instead of 5 wave moves. Why does this exist? Well, it starts off similar to a standard 5-wave move. A low is formed and a move is commenced off of it. But the succeeding retracement of that move is VERY deep, retracing almost all of the first move up. The next higher high is then around 100-161.8% of the first move, with the retracement that follows also very deep. All of this is likely happening within Wave (1) and Wave (2) of the diagonal. See, market participants are so polarized with the underlying, that they are whipping it back and forth, neither side able to ultimately win very long, yet the bulls slightly nudging out the bears with marginal higher highs and higher lows. It continues this whipsaw with every move, slowly melting upward. Instead of the whole 5-wave pattern targeting the 176.4%-200% extension of Wave 1 from the bottom of Wave 2 (what happens in a standard 5-wave impulse), it targets lower extension levels, typically the 161.8% level.
Diagonals are either LEADING or ENDING moves. They CAN NOT be 3rd waves in larger patterns. So you will either get one as a first wave of a larger move, or you will get one to finish a larger move. In this case, it would be a leading diagonal of something much larger.
So back to this specific stock. Thanks for enduring the educational section. Let's talk why I think this is a diagonal.
You can see the wave labels clearly outlining the 3-wave moves within the larger 5-wave diagonal. They are labeled ABC within the (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). At present, this is within $1 of the ideal retracement level of the (3)rd wave for Wave (4). And it's clearly the 3rd segment of the ABC we would expect for a corrective (4)th wave. Not only that, it's holding the channel (but that's not required, just an area of support). Diagonals do often retrace deep, so I wouldn't be surprised to see it continue to the 76.4% correction area around $4.50. If you are risk averse, you could enter in the current area with stop just under $4.49. But as long as it holds the Wave (2) low, the diagonal stays valid. Ideally, it would be either contracting (trendline connecting (1), (3), and (5) contracting toward trendline connecting (2) and (4)) or expanding (same thing, but trendlines diverging away from each other), with expanding diagonals being pretty rare, but possible. They can tend to run in channels as well. So ideally, this doesn't get much lower as that would turn it into an expanding diagonal, which we know is rare, and leads to future bullish action being even MORE unreliable.
Standard supply and demand zones are on the chart representing major support and resistance areas. If this holds support, it likely finds renewed strength up toward resistance and will bounce around in mostly unpredictable, overlapping structures that generally melt up. But once it engages the next C Wave, you should be able to track a standard 5-wave pattern within that C, as C-waves are always 5-wave structures.
As I stated at the beginning, in no way is this a reliable structure. But you see things like this fairly often, and anywhere from second to monthly charts. The longer the duration, the more confusing, as you can have years of price movement that seem to make no sense. Ultimately, you have to watch supports and play smart. Is this something you want to align a lot of your money in? Probably not. It's unpredictable at best. And it could fail at any moment at worst since diagonals are "technically" corrective structures even when bullish. But is a chart like this giving up a setup for potentially phenomenal risk/reward? You bet. Just make sure and manage your risk. And you do that with your position sizing, using an appropriate stop *and if you get stopped, stay stopped. You set it for a reason, don't second guess), and understanding your targets, making sure to de-risk as quick as possible by selling enough at key levels to get your original equity back should it move upward.
Feel free to ask questions. This was meant to be educational and shed some light on a complicated chart structure while providing a thesis for how to potentially play it.
Standard disclosures:
1. This is 100% my idea. It was not sourced from any other avenue.
2. I am not invested in this company, though I am likely buying shares soon.
3. I am not paid to post content nor do I receive any contributions of any kind.
4. While this is outlining a potential profitable setup, this article is not investment advice. You should do your own due diligence on any company you invest in and apply your own trading strategies.
5. I know nothing about the fundamentals of this company. I suggest doing your due diligence if fundamentals are important to you.
6. Readers should always remember that markets are their own creature made up of millions of individuals and institutions each following some combo of inherent bullishness, inherent bearishness, fundamentals, technicals, stupidity, and pure emotion. Elliott Wave, and specifically Fibonacci Pinball (developed by Avi Gilburt at elliottwavetrader.net and prominent Seeking Alpha author), merely provide a framework based on the observed price action to date.
7. I know that while my wave outline is based on years and years of data and application from not only me, but some of the best in the game, I also know that markets do not follow a set path and that sentiment can remain irrational far longer than I can remain rational. That is why you MUST consider the alternatives and manage risk appropriately. Know the pivot zones that could lead to the primary path failing.
I warrant that the information created and published by me on TradingView is not prohibited, doesn't constitute investment advice, and isn't created solely for qualified investors. My analysis is not a recommendation for a specific trade. My analysis outlines a potential scenario and provides risk assessments for multiple alternate scenarios. My analysis is purely educational.
The Weekend: Prepping to Trade & Travel w/AIRAIn preparation for a trip to show my daughter more of Thailand, I've switched to a fully mobile setup. I’m running everything with just two laptops and a monitor for each, getting my mind ready for this new workflow. I’m excited for this change because our usual work routine felt like it was limiting her experiences at such a crucial time in her life. This upcoming week is a big one, but nothing is more important than her growth and development. So, I hope you enjoy this test video. Rest assured, What's Flowing videos will keep flowing, and my algorithms will stay busy spread trading across various markets.
Creating your Trading Plan🔸Creating a comprehensive trading plan is a foundational step for any trader, whether you are involved in forex, stocks, options, or crypto markets. A well-structured trading plan outlines your trading goals, strategy, risk management protocols, and the psychological mindset necessary for success. Let’s break down the core components: strategy, risk management, psychology, and confluence.
1. Trading Plan Strategy
A trading strategy is a set of rules or guidelines you follow to identify, enter, and exit trades. Here are the elements to consider:
▪️Market Selection: Define which markets you will trade (e.g., forex pairs, stocks, cryptocurrencies) and what your time frames will be.
▪️Trading Style: Will you be a day trader, swing trader, or a long-term investor? Your style will influence your strategy.
▪️Entry and Exit Rules: Specify the technical or fundamental indicators that will trigger your trades. For example, you might use moving average crossovers, support and resistance levels, or candlestick patterns for entry and exit points.
▪️Trade Execution: Outline how you will place trades and manage your orders (e.g., market orders, limit orders, trailing stops).
▪️Backtesting: Before committing real money, test your strategy on historical data to understand its effectiveness.
▪️Example: Suppose your strategy involves trading breakouts. You would define what constitutes a breakout, how to confirm it, and the risk/reward ratio you expect before taking a trade.
2. Risk Management
Risk management is about preserving your capital and minimizing losses. It's a critical part of any trading plan and focuses on controlling how much you stand to lose on each trade and how to protect your account over time.
▪️Position Sizing: Determine how much of your capital you will risk per trade. Many traders risk no more than 1-2% of their total capital on a single trade.
▪️Stop Losses and Take Profits: Always use a stop-loss to cap potential losses and set a take-profit order to lock in gains. This should be part of your trading strategy.
▪️Risk/Reward Ratio: Ensure that the potential reward on a trade is worth the risk. A common minimum risk/reward ratio is 1:2, meaning you risk 1 unit of currency to make 2. Diversification: Spread your risk by trading multiple assets or markets instead of concentrating all your capital in a single trade or asset class.
▪️Example: If your account balance is $10,000, and you decide to risk 2% per trade, the maximum loss you would accept on any trade would be $200. This would dictate your stop-loss placement and position size.
3. Trading Psychology
The psychological aspect of trading is often underestimated, but emotions can greatly impact your decision-making. Maintaining a disciplined and objective mindset is crucial.
▪️Emotional Discipline: Avoid trading based on fear, greed, or impatience. Develop routines that keep your emotions in check.
▪️Handling Losses: Accept that losses are part of trading and learn not to let them affect your confidence or decision-making. Sticking to your plan, even after a loss, is crucial.
▪️Confidence and Patience: Build confidence in your strategy through thorough backtesting and practice. Be patient and wait for high-probability setups.
▪️Avoid Overtrading: This happens when traders try to chase losses or enter trades impulsively. Stick to your plan and don’t trade just for the sake of it.
▪️Example: If you find yourself becoming anxious or stressed during a losing streak, take a break from trading to reassess your mindset. Practicing mindfulness or keeping a trading journal to reflect on your emotions can be very helpful.
4. Confluence
Confluence in trading refers to multiple factors or signals aligning to indicate a strong trade setup. Relying on confluence increases the probability of a trade working in your favor.
▪️Technical Confluence: This might include a combination of support/resistance levels, Fibonacci retracement levels, moving averages, or chart patterns lining up to give you a higher confidence trade.
▪️Fundamental and Technical Confluence: Sometimes, combining technical analysis with fundamental data can strengthen your trade setup. For instance, a bullish technical setup supported by positive economic news.
▪️Multiple Time Frame Analysis: Check if your trade setup looks strong on multiple time frames. For example, a bullish signal on a daily chart confirmed by a shorter time frame like 4-hour or 1-hour charts.
▪️Example: Imagine you see a bullish reversal candlestick pattern at a major support level, and your moving average indicates an upward trend. This confluence of signals might give you more confidence to enter a long position.
🔸Putting It All Together
A successful trading plan ties these elements together to give you a clear roadmap. Here’s a simplified example of a trading plan:
🔸Goal: Achieve 5% account growth per month.
Market: Trade major forex pairs (e.g., EUR/USD, GBP/USD) during the London and New York sessions.
🔸Strategy: Use a breakout strategy confirmed by volume and momentum indicators. Enter trades when a breakout occurs from a key support/resistance level.
🔸Risk Management: Risk 1.5% of the account balance per trade. Use a 1:2 risk/reward ratio.
🔸Psychology: Practice emotional discipline. Use a trading journal to record trades and emotions.
🔸Confluence: Only take trades when at least three confluence factors align (e.g., breakout, volume increase, trend confirmation).
🔸By crafting and following a trading plan that incorporates strategy, risk management, psychology, and confluence, you increase your chances of trading success while minimizing potential losses.
Be an expert at losing..Trading is a complex venture that involves understanding financial instruments, charts, patterns, market conditions, risk management and other factors.
Becoming a successful trader requires more than technical knowledge. You also need to develop the right mindset to navigate the psychological intricacies of trading.
Human emotion, instinct, and behavior can profoundly impact your decision-making process. That’s why it’s important to understand trading psychology.
~ OGwavetrader
Recommended Books for a Trader from Beginner to ExpertHere is my subjective list of recommended books for traders. While there is some overlap in the material—especially regarding technical analysis and risk management—each book offers unique concepts and tools, enriching your learning path and expanding your skillset. I'm not sharing any links but all books are easily accessible on the internet.
Beginner Level:
1. “Trading the Trends” by Fred McAllen
This book introduces readers to the fundamentals of market operations, technical analysis, and option trading. McAllen, a retired stockbroker and active investor, emphasizes the importance of recognizing market trends early and provides strategies suitable for long-term investing. The book includes real-world examples to help readers understand and apply trend-trading techniques effectively.
2. “How to Swing Trade” by Brian Pezim & Andrew Aziz
Co-authored by experienced traders, this book focuses on swing trading strategies, which involve holding positions for several days to weeks. It covers topics such as identifying profitable trades, managing risk, and understanding market psychology. Additionally, the book introduces fundamental analysis concepts, aiding traders in making informed decisions. Andrew Aziz is the founder of Bear Bull Traders, a community of independent stock traders and analysts.
Intermediate Level:
3. “Charting and Technical Analysis” by Fred McAllen
In this comprehensive guide, McAllen delves deeper into technical analysis, teaching readers how to interpret price movements and market trends. The book covers various charting techniques, candlestick patterns, and indicators, providing readers with the tools needed to make informed trading decisions. It's designed to help traders recognize market tops and bottoms, entry and exit points, and understand the dynamics of buying and selling pressures.
4. “How to Day Trade for a Living” by Andrew Aziz
This book offers a comprehensive overview of day trading strategies, including risk management principles and the configuration of stock screeners. Aziz shares his personal experiences and insights, making complex concepts accessible to intermediate traders. The book also provides guidance on developing a trading plan and maintaining discipline in the fast-paced world of day trading. Andrew Aziz is the founder of Bear Bull Traders, a community of independent stock traders and analysts.
5. “The Wyckoff Methodology in Depth” by Rubén Villahermosa
Villahermosa provides an in-depth exploration of the Wyckoff methodology, focusing on principles such as accumulation/distribution, markup/markdown, cause-effect and other. The book includes numerous case studies that demonstrate the application of these techniques, making it suitable for both day and swing traders. Readers will gain a solid understanding of market cycles and the behavior of different market participants.
Expert Level:
6. “Wyckoff 2.0” by Rubén Villahermosa
Building upon his previous work, Villahermosa introduces Volume Profile analysis and integrates it with Wyckoff principles. This advanced material is designed for experienced traders looking to deepen their understanding of market dynamics and enhance their trading strategies. The book provides detailed explanations and practical examples to help traders apply these concepts effectively.
7. “Markets in Profile” by Jim Dalton
Authored by a renowned industry expert, this book explores Market Profile analysis, a tool used by many traders to understand market behavior. While it may not be highly practical for all readers, it offers substantial insights and encourages traders to think critically about market structure and participant behavior. The book emphasizes the importance of context in trading and provides a framework for understanding market movements.
All Levels:
8. “Trading in the Zone” by Mark Douglas
Focusing on trading psychology, this book addresses the mental aspects of trading, such as discipline, confidence, and risk perception. Douglas provides insights into developing a winning mindset and overcoming common psychological barriers that traders face. It's a valuable read for traders at any level seeking to improve their mental approach to trading.
Let me know what you think
Comparing Full Time Trading and Full Time Job
Hey traders,
In this educational article, we will compare full-time trading and full-time job .
THE MONEY
And I guess, the essential thing to start with is the money aspect.
Full-time job guarantees you a stable month-to-month income with the pre-arranged bonuses.
In contrast, trading does not give any guarantees. You never know whether a current trading month will be profitable or not.
Of course, the average annual earnings of a full-time trader are substantially higher than of an employee. However, you should realize the fact that some trading periods will be negative, some will be around breakeven and only some will be highly profitable.
Sick-leave & Vacations
In addition to a stable salary, a full time job usually offers a paid sick-leave and vacation , while being a full-time trader, no one will compensate you your leaves making the position of an employee much more sustainable.
Office
Being an employee, you usually work in an office with the fixed working hours . Taking into consideration that people often spend a quite substantial time to get to work and then to get home, a full-time job typically consumes at least 10 hours, not leaving a free-time.
In contrast, full-time traders are very flexible with their schedule .
Even though they often stick to a fixed working plan, they spend around 3-4 hours a day on trading. All the rest is their free time, that they can spend on whatever they want.
Moreover, traders are not tied to their working place. They can work from everywhere, the only thing that they need is their computer and internet connection.
No Boss
Traders normally work alone. The main advantage of that is the absence of a subordination . You are your own boss and you follow your own rules.
However, such a high level of freedom breeds a high level of personal responsibility . We should admit the fact that not every person can organize himself.
In addition to that, working alone implies that you are not building social connections and you don't have colleagues.
Being an employee, you are the part of a hierarchy . You usually have some subordinates, but you have a supervisor as well.
You are constantly among people, you build relationships, and you are never alone.
There is a common bias among people, that full time trading beats full time job in all the aspects. In these article, I was trying to show you that it is not the fact.
Both have important advantages and disadvantages . It is very important for you to completely realize them before you decide whether you want to trade full time or have a full time job.
Increase the difficulty level on yourself. Often, traders like to make things a lot harder for themselves than they need to. Everyone is seeking a silver bullet, truth is "less is actually more".
Dow Theory is actually the Grandfather of technical analysis.
If you have never heard of this, or even if you have and brushed over it, you are missing out.
Some people will say things like "it's over 100 years old it can't work in today's market"
Yet, humans have changed very little in those last 100+ years. Sentiment driven by fear and greed is where the secret is hidden.
Let me explain by saying Dow theory has 6 "rules" (tenets).
1) Market Moves in Trends Markets have three types of movements: primary trends (long-term trends that last for years), secondary trends (medium-term trends that retrace parts of the primary trend), and minor trends (short-term trends that are typically noise).
You will notice I used the weekly for the larger and the daily for the second.
When I journal my trade setups; I simply use a traffic light system red lines size 4 for primary, then orange line 3 for secondary and green size 2 for the trigger phase. In addition to that, I mark the trends with 3 boxes and arrows pointing up down or sideways.
The second rule;
Each trend has three phases:
Accumulation Phase. In this phase, informed investors start buying or selling, counter to the general market opinion.
Public Participation Phase, more investors notice the trend after it is already underway, and media coverage expands, driving the trend further. (Wyckoff called this a mark-up or mark-down phase)
Excess Phase (or Distribution): At this point, speculation is rampant and detached from actual value, leading informed investors to prepare an exit.
This is where a lot of Wyckoff, Elliott and other tools such as Smart money concepts all overlap.
Then, the 3rd rule.
The market reflects all available information, such as economic conditions and sentiment. Therefore, movement in the market averages considers and reflects this information. (in simple terms, discount the news).
4) For a trend to be validated, different market averages must confirm each other. For example, the trend in the Dow Jones Industrial Average should be confirmed by the Dow Jones Transportation Average. If one index moves to a new high or low, the other should follow suit to confirm the trend.
(I like this one less, but in some instances it can make the next move very obvious.)
Rule 5) The trend is your friend, until the end. Until you see a clear change in the direction, a market shift. The trend is still in play. This one, I feel most just can't comprehend.
As you can see below, I have marked up the extreme high and low, I know both my primary and secondary trends are down. So now, I can use my EW bias or start looking for a Wyckoff schematic. (if I believe we are about to see a shift in the trend.)
You can start to look for information for areas of interest, look into volume and volume profiles.
The last rule. Confirming the trend volume expanding in the direction of the primary trend. For an uptrend, volume should increase as prices rise and decrease during corrections. In a downtrend, volume should increase as prices fall.
In this example, the Fibonacci levels line up, the volume is slowing, the EW count makes some sense and zoomed out you can see a shift.
Now, with all of this info - we could look at "areas of interest"
We are in a demand zone on the higher time frame.
At this stage, there is no trade entry, but if we were to view a change in the character we could simply take a trade as a pullback on the primary trend down.
Something like this;
You see, all you are doing is following the trend and taking a look at other tools, auction areas, fib extensions, an EW bias, and hints of a Wyckoff schematic. But under the hood, the 3 trend principle is a simple-to-follow process.
Disclaimer
This idea does not constitute as financial advice. It is for educational purposes only, our principle trader has over 20 years' experience in stocks, ETF's, and Forex. Hence each trade setup might have different hold times, entry or exit conditions, and will vary from the post/idea shared here. You can use the information from this post to make your own trading plan for the instrument discussed. Trading carries a risk; a high percentage of retail traders lose money. Please keep this in mind when entering any trade. Stay safe.
Smart Money Trading concepts 101🔸The Smart Money Trading concept, often used in Forex and stock trading, revolves around the idea of tracking the moves made by major institutional players (like banks, hedge funds, and large financial institutions) rather than retail investors. Smart money strategies aim to identify and follow the price action patterns that large investors create, as these institutions often have access to more market-moving information and capital than individual traders.
🔸A critical part of this approach is understanding market structure, which includes concepts like Higher Highs (HH) and Lower Lows (LL). These patterns help traders determine the current trend direction and potential reversals, which can inform trading decisions.
Here's how these concepts fit into the Smart Money Trading framework:
1. Higher Highs (HH) and Higher Lows (HL) in an Uptrend
▪️When the market is in an uptrend, it typically forms a series of Higher Highs and Higher Lows:
Higher High (HH): Each new peak in the price is higher than the previous peak.
Higher Low (HL): Each new low is also higher than the previous low.
▪️This pattern signifies strong buying interest, indicating that smart money may be accumulating positions in anticipation of further price increases.
▪️Traders look for breakouts beyond previous highs, as it often signifies a continuation of the uptrend.
▪️If the price breaks a recent Higher Low, it may indicate potential weakness and a possible trend reversal.
2. Lower Lows (LL) and Lower Highs (LH) in a Downtrend
▪️In a downtrend, the market structure often forms Lower Lows and Lower Highs:
Lower Low (LL): Each new low is lower than the previous low.
Lower High (LH): Each high in the price action is also lower than the previous high.
▪️This pattern signals that selling pressure is dominant, suggesting that institutional investors might be offloading positions.
▪️Traders watch for prices to break the most recent Lower High for potential continuation signals in the downtrend.
▪️If the price breaks above the most recent Lower High, it can indicate that the trend may be weakening, signaling a potential reversal or entry opportunity.
3. Using HH and LL to Spot Trend Reversals
▪️Trend Reversal: When a series of HH and HL in an uptrend shifts to LH and LL (or vice versa), it often signals that a reversal is underway.
▪️Smart Money traders use these shifts to spot market traps where retail traders might be misled, allowing them to capitalize on new trend directions as they unfold.
4. Smart Money Concepts in Action: Liquidity and Price Action
▪️Large players need liquidity to execute significant trades without causing excessive slippage (or price movement). This liquidity often exists near recent highs and lows.
▪️By analyzing HH, HL, LH, and LL patterns, smart money traders can identify areas of liquidity where institutions might step in.
▪️For example, a series of HHs might attract retail buyers, providing liquidity for smart money to enter or exit positions.
5. Application in Trading
▪️By following HH and LL patterns, traders can align their positions with smart money rather than getting caught in fakeouts or market traps.
▪️Traders often combine these patterns with other indicators (like volume, order blocks, or support and resistance) to confirm the presence of institutional involvement.
🔸The Smart Money approach relies heavily on understanding and interpreting these HH and LL structures to trade in sync with the institutions, avoiding common pitfalls that trap many retail traders.
Understanding Bitcoin ETFs: What They Are and Why They Matter?1. What is a Bitcoin ETF?
A Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) is a financial instrument that tracks the value of Bitcoin and allows investors to gain exposure to the cryptocurrency without directly owning it. Bitcoin ETFs operate similarly to traditional ETFs, which track the value of assets like stocks, commodities, or indices. Managed by financial institutions, Bitcoin ETFs are available on traditional stock exchanges, making it easier for investors to participate in Bitcoin’s price movements through regular brokerage accounts.
There are two main types of Bitcoin ETFs:
Spot Bitcoin ETFs: Track the current market price of Bitcoin, directly reflecting its value.
Futures-based Bitcoin ETFs: Track the value of Bitcoin futures contracts, which are agreements to buy or sell Bitcoin at a predetermined price at a specified time in the future.
In the U.S., Bitcoin futures ETFs have been approved and launched on major exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), while spot Bitcoin ETFs are still under regulatory review by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
2. How Does a Bitcoin ETF Differ from Buying Bitcoin Directly?
While both Bitcoin ETFs and direct Bitcoin purchases provide exposure to Bitcoin’s value, they differ in several key ways:
Ownership and Custody
Bitcoin ETFs: Investors own shares in the ETF, but not the actual Bitcoin itself. The ETF provider holds the underlying Bitcoin or Bitcoin futures contracts, taking on the responsibility of secure custody.
Direct Bitcoin Purchase: Investors who buy Bitcoin directly through cryptocurrency exchanges or wallets own the Bitcoin and have full control over it, including the responsibility for secure storage.
Access and Regulatory Oversight
Bitcoin ETFs: Are traded on traditional stock exchanges and are regulated by financial authorities. This oversight ensures investor protections that are not typically present in cryptocurrency markets.
Direct Bitcoin Purchase: Involves buying from cryptocurrency exchanges, many of which are less regulated and may lack certain protections offered by traditional financial products.
Trading Hours
Bitcoin ETFs: Trade during standard market hours, typically from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM EST. Investors can buy or sell shares only within these hours.
Direct Bitcoin Purchase: Bitcoin can be traded 24/7, giving investors the flexibility to enter or exit positions at any time.
Taxation and Fees
Bitcoin ETFs: Investors are subject to capital gains taxes and may also incur management fees for ETF administration.
Direct Bitcoin Purchase: Direct Bitcoin investors are also subject to capital gains taxes. However, they may face lower or no management fees, depending on how they store their Bitcoin.
Use of Leverage and Derivatives
Bitcoin Futures ETFs: These funds allow investors to speculate on Bitcoin’s future price movements without holding actual Bitcoin. However, futures-based ETFs can be more complex, as they rely on futures contracts rather than spot prices, which can introduce tracking errors.
Direct Bitcoin Purchase: Investors buy Bitcoin directly, holding actual units of the asset without derivatives or leverage, providing a more straightforward exposure to its current market price.
3. Why is a Bitcoin ETF Important for the Cryptocurrency Market?
The approval of a Bitcoin ETF is a significant milestone for the cryptocurrency market for several reasons:
1. Broader Accessibility
Traditional Investors: A Bitcoin ETF opens the door to traditional investors, especially those who may not be comfortable using cryptocurrency exchanges. Investors can access Bitcoin exposure through familiar brokerage accounts without needing to learn about wallets or private keys.
Institutional Interest: A Bitcoin ETF creates an easier path for institutional investors to participate in the Bitcoin market, bringing in large amounts of capital. As institutions enter the market, Bitcoin's market liquidity and price stability may improve.
2. Increased Legitimacy
The introduction of a Bitcoin ETF legitimizes Bitcoin as an asset class in the eyes of regulators, investors, and financial institutions. It signals recognition from regulatory bodies and increases trust in Bitcoin among mainstream investors.
3. Boost to Market Liquidity
Bitcoin ETFs can increase liquidity in the market, as they provide a regulated and accessible means for both retail and institutional investors to gain Bitcoin exposure. Greater liquidity can reduce volatility, making the market more stable over time.
4. Potential for Price Appreciation
With increased demand and accessibility, a Bitcoin ETF could lead to upward price pressure on Bitcoin. This is especially relevant for spot ETFs, which would require the fund to hold actual Bitcoin, thus increasing demand for the underlying asset.
5. Step Toward Broader Cryptocurrency ETF Adoption
Approval of a Bitcoin ETF could pave the way for ETFs focused on other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum or Solana, expanding the options for crypto exposure within traditional markets. This could accelerate the overall growth of the cryptocurrency sector.
4. Pros and Cons of Bitcoin ETFs
While Bitcoin ETFs offer numerous benefits, they also come with certain drawbacks.
Advantages of Bitcoin ETFs
Ease of Access: ETFs are easily accessible through traditional brokerage accounts, removing the need for new accounts on cryptocurrency exchanges.
Regulatory Protections: ETFs are regulated by financial authorities, providing investors with protections that may be absent on cryptocurrency exchanges.
Enhanced Liquidity: Increased market liquidity through ETF participation can reduce volatility and provide a more stable trading environment for Bitcoin.
Professional Custody: ETF providers manage Bitcoin custody and security, making it easier for investors who do not want to worry about wallet security or private key management.
Diversification Opportunities: Bitcoin ETFs can be included in retirement accounts or blended into traditional investment portfolios, broadening their appeal as a tool for diversification.
Disadvantages of Bitcoin ETFs
Limited Trading Hours: ETFs can only be traded during standard market hours, unlike Bitcoin, which is available 24/7 on cryptocurrency exchanges.
Management Fees: Most Bitcoin ETFs come with annual management fees, which can reduce overall returns for investors.
Potential for Tracking Errors: In futures-based ETFs, tracking errors may occur, meaning the ETF's performance may not accurately match Bitcoin’s actual price movements.
No Direct Ownership of Bitcoin: ETF investors do not own Bitcoin itself, which means they miss out on the ability to use or transfer the asset directly.
Market Dependency on Regulators: The introduction and ongoing success of Bitcoin ETFs depend on regulators’ willingness to approve and support crypto-based financial products, which may limit the ETF market’s expansion.
5. Outlook and Future of Bitcoin ETFs
The potential approval of a spot Bitcoin ETF in the U.S. could be a game-changer. With increased institutional and retail access, the Bitcoin ETF market could drive greater adoption and legitimacy for cryptocurrencies overall. However, regulatory challenges remain, as the SEC has thus far resisted approving spot Bitcoin ETFs due to concerns about market manipulation and lack of robust investor protections.
As regulatory clarity improves, we may see a broader array of crypto-based ETFs emerge, possibly including multi-asset ETFs that combine Bitcoin with other cryptocurrencies or assets, such as stocks or commodities. Furthermore, as institutional adoption grows, the role of ETFs in the financial ecosystem could increase, potentially influencing Bitcoin’s price dynamics and volatility as well.
Conclusion
Bitcoin ETFs represent a bridge between the traditional financial world and the emerging cryptocurrency market. While they offer unique advantages, such as regulatory protections and ease of access, they also come with limitations like management fees, limited trading hours, and the lack of direct ownership. For those who want exposure to Bitcoin within the security of a regulated investment product, Bitcoin ETFs provide a promising option.
The success and potential of Bitcoin ETFs lie in their ability to draw both individual and institutional investors into the cryptocurrency market, making it a potentially transformative development for the financial world. As more countries consider ETF approval, and as the cryptocurrency industry matures, Bitcoin ETFs could play a pivotal role in the mainstream adoption and integration of digital assets.
Hope you enjoyed the content I created, You can support with your likes and comments this idea so more people can watch!
✅Disclaimer: Please be aware of the risks involved in trading. This idea was made for educational purposes only not for financial Investment Purposes.
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• Look at my ideas about interesting altcoins in the related section down below ↓
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Enhancement of the SK SystemI developed an innovation for the SK system by integrating the Inducement concept from the ICT system. Traditionally, in SK, breaking the zero point is seen as a sign to abandon the sequence. However, with this innovation, I interpret the break as a liquidity trap rather than a signal to end the sequence.
This development:
1. Enhances market predictability by helping to avoid potential price traps.
2. Improves liquidity utilization by treating the false break as a new entry opportunity.
3. Increases system flexibility and accuracy by using the break as a continuation signal.
4. Combines SK and ICT methodologies, adding a stronger analytical layer.
This enhancement provides traders with a competitive advantage, marking an advanced step in liquidity and price trap analysis.
Developed by Engineer Mohammed
Enhanced Parallel Channel Tool with Fib Levels - AVAX Example AVAX on the Rise with TradingView’s Enhanced Parallel Channel Tool 🎯🚀💹
Hey fellow traders!
Today, I'm diving with excitement into AVAX and how TradingView's new Parallel Channel tool levels up my (our) analysis.
TradingView continues to prove why it's the #1 platform for traders, with new features that keep us ahead of the game! For me personally this extra steps, updates and tools are Very important as they help me do better with analysis and trading.
AVAX Example:
Right now, AVAX is showing promising action within an ascending parallel channel, with strong support around $24.32 and a secondary layer at $22.97. This channel setup, now enhanced with additional levels on TradingView, is giving us a clearer picture of potential price movements. By activating these extra levels, we get a deeper, more nuanced view of the trend—ideal for pinpointing resistance and support points with precision.
The new option to add my favorite Fib 0,618 level is AMAZING!
To enable these new levels on your chart:
Open the Parallel Channel settings.
Go to the Style tab.
Check the boxes to activate more levels, allowing you to customize coefficients, colors, thickness, and line styles.
With this upgraded tool, I will be targeting $31.79 as the next key resistance level for AVAX. If bullish momentum holds, we could see a push up to the $40 mark at the top of the channel. It’s a promising setup, and I'll be entering this trade with excitement!
FXPROFESSOR 202:
Personally i have added 0.618 level (on both sides) and you can see how well the chart works. Keep in mind that for this structure (parallel channel) the 0.50 level remains the Key Level on drawing the channel: There is no valid channel unless the middle level does not have a confirmation acting as S/R/S or R/S/R.
A massive shoutout to the TradingView team for continually refining these tools, setting industry standards, and empowering us to perform better analysis. This is why TradingView remains the best choice for serious traders everywhere. I am proud to be part of this community, right here and always.
One Love,
The FXPROFESSOR 💙
Explore TradingView’s Latest Channel Tool Update: www.tradingview.com
Transitioning from Successful Demo Trading to Live TradingHow to Avoid Choking Your Live Account
The journey from demo trading to live trading is often more challenging than most traders anticipate. The image you’ve shared captures the key steps of this transition—from mastering a demo account to navigating the psychological hurdles of live trading. While demo trading is an essential part of a trader’s education, live trading introduces emotional and psychological challenges that many traders find difficult to manage. Let’s dive into the key stages and explore how to transition successfully without choking your live account.
1. Successful Demo Trading
At the start, many traders achieve consistent results in demo trading. In a demo environment, there’s no real money at stake, which allows for calm, calculated decisions and plenty of room for mistakes. It’s here that you develop and fine-tune your strategy without the fear of financial loss. However, the ease of success in a demo account can create a false sense of security about your readiness for live trading.
2. Transition to Live Trading
Moving from demo to live trading is a crucial moment. Many traders believe that because they are profitable in demo trading, they are automatically ready to replicate that success in a live account. However, the difference between the two is the introduction of real money and real emotions. The fear of loss and the pressure to protect your capital can interfere with the clear thinking that guided you in the demo environment.
3. Overthinking Begins
In live trading, overthinking is a common problem that often creeps in early. Unlike demo trading, where decisions flow effortlessly, live trading introduces hesitation. Traders tend to question their strategies, second-guess their analysis, and get caught up in minute details that don’t necessarily matter. The fear of making a wrong decision becomes amplified when real money is on the line, often causing traders to overanalyze market movements.
4. Paralysis by Analysis
As overthinking intensifies, traders can fall into what is known as paralysis by analysis. This happens when you analyze the market so extensively that you become too hesitant to make any trading decisions. Constantly doubting your entry points, second-guessing signals, or being afraid of missing out can lead to missed opportunities and a lack of trading action. At this stage, fear dominates logic, and traders may either overtrade or avoid trading altogether.
5. Trading Failure
Inevitably, if you allow overthinking and paralysis to take control, it can lead to trading failure. This failure isn’t necessarily about blowing your account—it’s about failing to follow your trading plan, succumbing to emotional decisions, and deviating from the strategy that made you successful in demo trading. Fear of losing, coupled with poor decision-making, can lead to a downward spiral.
6. Need for Strategy
When traders hit a rough patch, they realize the importance of sticking to a well-defined strategy. A consistent strategy should not only outline entry and exit points but also incorporate risk management, stop-loss placement, and clear goals. At this stage, traders must revisit their demo strategies and adapt them to the emotional reality of live trading. Importantly, the need for strategy isn’t just about the technical side—it’s about managing emotions and sticking to the plan under pressure.
7. Implementing Strategies
Having a solid strategy is one thing, but implementing it consistently in live trading is a different challenge. This stage is where traders must learn to trust their strategy, let go of the fear of losses, and maintain emotional discipline. It’s crucial to trade small positions at the beginning to minimize the emotional impact of any losses. Gradually scaling up as confidence grows allows for emotional adjustment without the added pressure of large financial risk.
8. Successful Live Trading
The final stage is successful live trading, where traders have mastered not just the technical aspects of their strategy but the emotional and psychological elements as well. Success in live trading is marked by consistent execution of a plan, disciplined risk management, and the ability to stay calm during market fluctuations. At this point, you’ve learned to manage your emotions, handle losses gracefully, and take profits when the time is right.
Tips to Avoid Choking Your Live Account
Start Small: When transitioning from demo to live trading, start with a small account. Even if you’re profitable in demo trading, your psychological state will change when real money is at stake. Trade with smaller positions until you feel comfortable managing your emotions in a live setting.
Have a Trading Plan: Stick to the same strategies that worked in your demo account. A well-defined trading plan will give you clear guidelines to follow, even when emotions run high. Make sure your plan includes risk management and contingency plans for when trades don’t go your way.
Control Emotions: Live trading introduces a range of emotions—fear, greed, anxiety, and excitement. The key to success is emotional discipline. Set your stop losses and take profits before entering a trade and avoid changing your plan mid-trade based on emotion.
Risk Management: Risking too much on a single trade is one of the fastest ways to lose your live account. Never risk more than 1-2% of your total account balance on any trade. This will help you stay calm and reduce the emotional pressure to win every trade.
Accept Losses: Losing trades are part of the game. Even professional traders have losing trades, but they manage those losses with proper risk management and emotional control. Accept that losses are a part of trading and avoid chasing the market or trying to win back losses impulsively.
Regular Reflection: After each trading session, take time to reflect on your trades. What went well? What could have been improved? This reflection will help you adjust and improve your strategy over time.
Conclusion
Transitioning from demo trading to live trading is more about managing emotions than it is about mastering the technical aspects of trading. While the technical skills you develop in demo trading are essential, emotional discipline is what separates successful live traders from those who struggle. By starting small, sticking to your strategy, and managing your risk, you can avoid choking your live account and set yourself up for long-term success in the markets.
#Finnifty LevelsI’ve created a chart highlighting the key support and resistance levels for Finnifty, designed to help traders make informed decisions. These levels provide critical insights for understanding potential price movements, enabling traders to identify ideal entry and exit points.
Use these levels to gain a clearer perspective on Finnifty’s trends and optimize your trades with greater confidence. Remember, these levels serve as guidance, so always combine them with your own analysis and risk management.
Recognize the problems that you have..Trading is a complex venture that involves understanding financial instruments, charts, patterns, market conditions, risk management and other factors.
Becoming a successful trader requires more than technical knowledge. You also need to develop the right mindset to navigate the psychological intricacies of trading.
Human emotion, instinct, and behavior can profoundly impact your decision-making process. That’s why it’s important to understand trading psychology.
~ OGwavetrader
This is my setup !Those of you who are following me will know my logic!
At the cost of being repetitive
1. Gold indicators need to cool down. No asset moves in a linear fashion (except the Zimbabwean Dollar)
2. Trump is a bit ahead in the presidential race and we all know republicans are known for their inflationary policies
3. Stellar ADP jobs numbers and today's unemployment claims reaffirmed that there is no 'hard landing' in the US economy
4. Easing Geopolitical tensions in the middle east
5. India's gold festival season shopping as ebbing out
6. Non commercial Institutions will go long at a lower level so more sellers will come into play.
What are your views? Please share? Let us not trade in isolation.
Thank you for reading!!
Moving average crossover strategy by Cripto SolutionsI have been working with the crossover strategy for some time, I have been doing backtesting and I have been surprised by the level of success that they leave me with when it comes to putting it into practice. It is simply based on looking for where we have moving average crossovers, which are areas where The price ALWAYS has a reaction no matter how the movement comes. If it is going up it reacts downwards, if it is falling it reacts downwards. I have an operation precision level of more than 97% and with SL that does not exceed 1%, reducing unnecessary risks. The ideal is to identify the crossings from highest to lowest temporality, (Weekly, daily and 4H) smaller temporalities to polish the entries well. Put it into practice, you will never use an indicator other than the EMAs (5,20,200)
Daily ATR 2 and 10 Percent Values indicator for stop lossThis indicator displays three values: the ATR value, a 2% value and a 10% value of the Daily ATR.
After adding the indicator to your chart, follow these steps to view the values and labels on the right:
1. Right-click on the price level bar or click the gear icon at the bottom of the price bar.
2. Select "LABELS."
3. Check mark the boxes for the following options:
- "INDICATORS AND FINANCIAL NAME LABELS"
- "INDICATORS AND FINANCIAL VALUE LABELS."
4. Look for D-ATR % Value, click on the gear icon and verify these settings
D-ATR Lenght = 14
ATR Lenght = 14
Smoothing = RMA
Timeframe = 1 Day
5. Select Wait for timeframe closes
6. Click on Defaults, Save as default, and click ok.
You can move the indicator to the top of your chart if preferred, by clicking on Move pane up.
Please keep the following in mind: when you scroll to the left of the chart if the indicator appears transparent, as shown in this image, it means you are not viewing
the most recent values, likely because you are not at the end of the chart.
To obtain the latest data, either click this button or this other one to reset the chart view or scroll to the end of the chart.
Low hanging fruit continuation setup taken with Gold and NASIn this video, I walk you through my entire thought process during today's trading session. You'll learn how I selected the pairs and executed three key trades:
* Silver long scalp
* Gold LHF Short
* NAS LHF short
I'll also provide a detailed explanation of the LHF setup, helping you understand how to apply this strategy in your own trading. LHF is one of my personal A+ playbook setups. Don't miss out on these valuable insights and tips!
Trading NZDUSD | Judas Swing Strategy 28/10/2024 Last week highlighted the importance of a risk management plan for all traders using the Judas swing strategy as a case study. The strategy produced two trades on FX:GBPUSD and one on $EURUSD. Despite facing two losses and securing only one win, proper risk management ensured that the single win offset the losses, allowing us to end the week at breakeven. With these results in hand, we were excited to see what the upcoming week would bring. We got to our trading desk at 8:25EST and started our day by demarcating our trading zones.
Once we have demarcated our zones, we wait for the high or low of this zone to be swept, as this will assist us in determining our bias for the trading session. After 35 minutes, the high of the zone was swept, indicating that we should look for potential selling opportunities during this trading session.
Next on our checklist is to wait for a Break of Structure (BOS) on the sell side. After an hour, we observed a BOS on the sell side, which resulted in a Fair Value Gap (FVG) being formed in the process
We must wait for the price to retrace back into the Fair Value Gap (FVG). A trade can only be initiated once price has entered the FVG, and it is crucial to be patient and wait for the price to close before executing any trades. This waiting period acts as a filter to avoid scenarios where the candle entering the FVG proceeds to hit our stop-loss. The next five-minute candle entered the Fair Value Gap and closed, indicating that we can proceed with executing the trade
The position experienced a drawdown shortly after the trade was executed, but this did not concern us as we had only risked 1% of our trading account, targeting a 2% gain. Additionally, we implemented a minimum 10 pip stop loss to allow the trade sufficient space to fluctuate without prematurely stopping us out and then proceeding in our anticipated direction.
Upon checking the position later, we found it had shifted in our favor. However, we needed to remain composed since it had not yet reached our ultimate target. Our task was simply to be patient and wait for our targets to be achieved
Upon reevaluating the position, we noticed that price had returned to the entry point. At such moments, individuals who have risked more than they can afford may start to panic. That's why we continually stress the importance of only risking what you can afford to lose, as it greatly diminishes the emotional investment in trades. We have encountered situations like this before and will likely face them again. However, what remains within our control is the decision to risk only an amount we are comfortable with losing, which in turn lessens the emotional attachment to the trades.
According to our data, we can anticipate being in a position for an average of 11 hours, so the duration of this trade meeting our objective is not a concern we simply need to remain patient for it to occur. After 13 hours and 25 minutes, our patience was rewarded when our Take Profit (TP) was reached, resulting in a 2% gain on the OANDA:NZDUSD trade
MATH - This is how you REALLY use Elliott WaveThis is a great example of a beautiful setup and how to lay out a low risk, high reward trade, especially for those that are still learning and wondering how to apply Elliott Wave. Or maybe you are unfamiliar with Elliott Wave or someone who thinks it's nonsense. Well let me show you how I do it and hopefully help you learn the best technical strategy. These are the setups I salivate on. And I don't care if I lose 8 out of 10, because the 2 that hit will more than pay off the losers.
Support box is clear. Below the September low and I'd be out as we'd be below the reliable 61.8% retracement. Breaking that fib retracement level means that it can do anything from bullish, to diagonal, to sideways, to bearish moves. And we don't want to waste our time with stocks that aren't trending. Nothing is reliable anymore - therefore, we don't want to trade it below that. Toss it away. Move on to the next one.
For this play, you could accumulate shares under $2.25 which is the previous high. I have it labeled as a Wave (1) but it could easily just be an (A) wave. As a quick refresher, trending impulsive moves happen in 5-wave moves. Since we don't know for 100% certainty that this will become that, we have to prepare for the other likely scenarios. We are already protected from significant downside with our stop below the 61.8% retracement, so I just don't care what might happen in a bearish count. So for bullish, I want to accumulate under the last high and catch the breakout. Once broken out, minimum target is $4.25. That's the 100% extension of (1) from the bottom of (2), the first resistance. If this ends up being a 3-wave (A)(B)(C), it would top out there at the 100%, so we want to make sure we have all of our money back by then. A full bullish follow through could take it anywhere between $12 (161.8% fib) and $22.50 (200% fib, which is where a standard impulsive 5-wave rally is expected to end with no extensions).
If you buy a stock like this with stop below the 61.8%, you can go net free (return of original equity) by selling however many shares are needed to get your original money back at the previous high around $2.25 which should reject at first try (as it is the most likely landing spot for Wave 1 inside of Wave (3). Once a higher low forms from there (Wave 2 of (3)) between $1.20 and $1.75, you could go in even harder, buying more shares, and moving your stop on all shares to that higher low, providing a very low risk scenario. By the time $4.25 is hit, you should be completely net free with plenty of shares left and maybe even take some good profits.
Remember, this is an outline NOT A PREDICTION. That's why we have a stop, a plan, and multiple targets. As it plays out, we gain more clarity and update our outline. Probably even find a trend channel. This is Elliott Wave. This is Fibonacci Pinball (the creation of Avi Gilburt at elliottwavetrader,net). It's not telling you what's going to happen. It's telling you what could happen, laying out the most probable path, limiting your risk, and telling you when it might be wrong and how to pivot. And don't go thinking this will happen all at once. Keep good notes of your entry and all sales. This likely takes 1-3 years.
Standard disclosures:
1. This is 100% my idea. It was not sourced from any other avenue.
2. I am not invested in this company, though I am likely buying shares soon.
3. I am not paid to post content nor do I receive any contributions of any kind.
4. While this is outlining a potential profitable setup, this article is not investment advice. You should do your own due diligence on any company you invest in and apply your own trading strategies.
5. I know nothing about the fundamentals of this company. I suggest doing your due diligence if fundamentals are important to you.
6. Readers should always remember that markets are their own creature made up of millions of individuals and institutions each following some combo of inherent bullishness, inherent bearishness, fundamentals, technicals, stupidity, and pure emotion. Elliott Wave, and specifically Fibonacci Pinball (developed by Avi Gilburt at elliottwavetrader.net and prominent Seeking Alpha author), merely provide a framework based on the observed price action to date. 7. I know that while my wave outline is based on years and years of data and application from not only me, but some of the best in the game, I also know that markets do not follow a set path and that sentiment can remain irrational far longer than I can remain rational. That is why you MUST consider the alternatives and manage risk appropriately. Know the pivot zones that could lead to the primary path failing.
I warrant that the information created and published by me on TradingView is not prohibited, doesn't constitute investment advice, and isn't created solely for qualified investors. My analysis is not a recommendation for a specific trade. My analysis outlines a potential scenario and provides risk assessments for multiple alternate scenarios. My analysis is purely educational.