Good traders pick their spots. Some opportunities allow us to be more aggressive than others. When we spot one of these opportunities we pounce, like a baseball player who takes a healthy cut a 3 and 1 fastball. If we fail to pounce then in our journals we must detail this opportunity so the next time we do. During our … Read More
From the Mailbag – Part 4
I received this email from Reader Josh. This is a very interesting dilemma he finds himself in as a new trader. For SMB Readers do you have any advice to offer Reader Josh? Hello Bella, I believe my question is geared towards adjustments. I am 25 years old. I have been playing poker and making money in it since 2004 … Read More
Generating Trading Ideas for Tomorrow
Into the Close I recognized that one of the stocks I was long was stronger than all the others. That was DNDN, which will now be the first stock I consider to trade as I prepare before the Open tomorrow. Let’s discuss. Into the Close I was long LVS, DRYS, AIG, and DNDN. SPY broke from its tight range and started an upmove … Read More
Your Job is Not to Make Money
What do all of these things have in common? We took down our leaderboard at our firm a few months ago. Today one of our traders left early because he got stopped out. The other day I was interviewing a candidate for our desk who defined a good trading day by how much he made or lost. What is your … Read More
Optimal Trading Day
This Sunday on StockTwits TV at 8:30 PM I will be discussing an Optimal Trading Day. I will discuss how some define an Optimal Trading Day, how not to define one, and offer a suggestion as to how to define an Optimal Trading Day. What I mean by Optimal Trading Day is what is a great day for you. What … Read More
Don’t Start Your Vacation Before Your Vacation
It is the summer. It is finally hot in NYC. It is so hot that when you just miss your subway it gets really uncomfortable waiting for that next one. Ripper. And most market commentators keep talking about slow summer trading. Chirp. Chirp Chirp. And most market players were predicting a correction a few days ago. Chirp. Chirp. Chirp. And … Read More
Can You Make it as a Retail Trader?
I received this email from a reader of our blog. I thought we could discuss: Hi, this is Ivan in NYC (Bulgarian immigrant), a regular reader of the blog. I’m a retail trader and a relative newbie. Although I can not formulate particular trading strategy just by reading the blog I enjoy reading it and find it useful. I would … Read More
Seen That, Traded That: AIG
“Have you ever seen anything like that?” asked a new trader. “The news isn’t new,” chirped a trader on Day 18 of his trading career. “AIG traded up from 15 to 23 and I barely made any money how is that possible?” Let’s discuss AIG and all the plays that will be like AIG going forward. 1) There will be … Read More