During the range bound market we experienced from 04-06 I learned how to fade stocks. Today I used that technique to make some good money in MS and JPM. As a trader you want as many arrows in your quiver as possible. This is one skill you should develop to become a well rounded trader. We can’t short the financials … Read More
Making the Adjustment
One of the things that I spoke to the desk about this past week was being prepared to make the necessary adjustments in their trading as market conditions change. Last week presented the greatest intraday volatility in US equity markets in about a decade. Our very young desk took incredible advantage of the opportunities that were presented to them. I … Read More
Bottom in Place?
This last week was out of control. I wish there was a better way to describe it. The volatility seen in the financials, specifically GS and MS was just absolutely silly. I remember I jokingly said on our morning meeting last Monday that GS could go as low as $80 and MS to $10 (they were trading at $140 and … Read More
Comfort Zone
In this market you must get outside of your comfort zone. We preach this at this time to the traders on our prop desk. And anecdotally, Steve and I were at dinner the other night and one of the best day traders from another firm made this same point. You must get into the financials if you do not regularly … Read More
Capitalize
One of our new traders asked me whether yesterday was like trading “Back in the Day” (think Internet boom). I quickly said no and explained that spreads were wider and programs were unborn. But I thought about his question some more that night and recognized that yesterday did offer the trading opportunities that we often saw during the late 1990s. … Read More
Movie Premiere Market Talk
Last night a few of us from our desk went to a movie short premiere, “$ Game,” written by Maureen Holohan and directed by Tom Cavanaugh. Great time and excellent short. At the after party many who I did not know but who either found out what I did or recognized me from “Wall Street Warriors” approached me to talk … Read More
Day Trading Dream
Today is the kind of day that those who trade intraday dream about. Most of our traders were at the office by 7:30 this morning preparing for what ended up being one of our best days this year. As the United States financial system continues its downward spiral the level of intraday volatility is moving towards a crescendo. How this … Read More
Super Bowl of Trading
Tomorrow is our Super Bowl. LEH may file for bankputcy. MER may be bought. Oil is below $100. AIG is seeking capital. We not gonna get all those funny commercials, chips, pizza and cheap beer. But we are gonna get some serious price action tomorrow. Can we just go to the office and start trading now? OK so what do … Read More
