The topic of mindfulness has exploded in popularity in the broader public. Meditation and meditative activities like yoga are seemingly everywhere, building on the runaway success of books like Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now. This whole interest in mindfulness has only just started to filter through into the world of investing and trading, where I think that it can … Read More
When to be Hard on Yourself as a Trader (SMBU Daily Video)
In this video, I outline one of our best trades of the month in $GENE, and more importantly, what we needed to learn after that huge trade. And I question why many traders are so hard on themselves when they are stopped out on a losing trade. It can sound like this after one of these losses: “How could I … Read More
This Price Action Often Leads To A Sharp Down Move
In today’s AM Meeting I highlighted a short setup in Apple. It was based on the prior day’s price action. This pattern not only applies to AAPL but to the market more broadly and is important to learn. When the price action on the Open confirmed my short thesis I entered an automated script to get short between 131.30-131.50. Downside … Read More
The Value of Building a Trading/Investing Network
On the top left hand corner of one of my 6 trading screens (and above the ice tea with lemon) stands a list of professional traders that I follow on StockTwits and Twitter. This is my intraday trading social media trading network. I need it to make better trade decisions- as much as my ice tea or perhaps your ice … Read More
The Essence of Short Term Trading
I have been spending time since this morning reviewing trades going back to the beginning of the year. In this video I outline several factors that short term traders use on a daily basis to accurately predict short term price movement. In recent months I have begun to use “scripts” to take advantage of these predictions. In the near future I … Read More
Trading Lesson–How To Identify A Long Term Bottom
In a bull market there are many stocks that drop 10, 20, 30% or more prior to resuming a strong up trend. An important skill is being able to identify likely turning points in market leading stocks. By doing so you can greatly increase the risk/reward for long entries on your intra-day and swing long positions. _________________ Steven Spencer is the … Read More
How Yoga Can Help your Trading
We sit too long as traders leaving our bodies stiff, inflexible and drunk with stress. We can find best practices to alleviate these mental and psychical states that are not optimal for our best trading. One way is with yoga stretches that I have found very helpful. As I get older I rise from after the opening session around 11am … Read More
Running a Trading Desk- Why it’s so Hard
I received this note from a partner at a trading firm in Eastern Europe. I thought it would be interesting to share our exchange with the trading community as many might find it educational. Dear Mr. Bellafiore, Following my email from 25 Jan of 2014 (then i sent you a review of The Playbook) i am continuing my trading development … Read More