Last night on Stocktwits TV I discussed some adjustments traders can make to trade increased volatility. The VIX had climbed from 18 to 40. Friday the VIX closed above 41. These are the markets short term traders crush. Today I walked in with the VIX off over 30 percent. It has rebounded nicely to close above 30. … Read More
Catching the Opening Drive
Trading the open is a high risk/ high reward game. The moves can be bigger and quicker, but if you are on the wrong side, the rip can really hurt. Whereas patience and conviction payoff on longer term trades, aggressiveness and flexibility are the skills that help short term traders capitalize on the volatility right on the open. Yesterday AM, … Read More
Tough Shorts Today
When I woke up this morning and saw that the market was gaping down below the $99.5 in the SPY I was pumped! Finally some direction out of these dopey range market we established between 99.5 and 102 in the SPY. I came in with a short mentality as long as we were below that 99.5 level and it was … Read More
Low Volume
Today was the perfect example of how we need higher volume to confirm a break of support. We see this with stocks and the overall market. We need levels to be broken with significant volume as confirmation. And today we did not see this. SPY over the past two days have violated 88.50, which was a level the market had … Read More
Finally the Turn?
It seems that we are finally starting to turn. The overly talked pullback may be on its way. It started with the SPYs gaping down Monday with a failed attempt at filling the gap. Yesterday we closed below the trading range we had established for a while. Today we got confirmation by cleanly taking out yesterdays low and holding for … Read More
JToma talks Banks, SPY, and GS on CNBC’s Fast Money Halftime Report
News today was focused the repayment of TARP funds by 10 of the big banks. This news has been circulating in the market for quite some time and I believe that it was priced into the financials. The TARP trade for most financials is finished! In the broader market it seems that we are continuing to trade in a range. … Read More
Don’t Overthink the Market
Saw a lot of tweets about whether the market could trade higher this afternoon. Chirp! There were the call outs that volume was light. Chirp! Some pointed at the financials not rallying. Chirp! Others highlighted the weakness in V, MA, JPM, etc. I have to share a funny story. One of the smartest guys we have traded with … Read More
SPYs Holds Below 90
Last night I was hoping we would gap down near 90, get tested and hold so that we could have a strong day. I did get the gap I wanted and was trading lightly in premarket with the idea of buying into the gap. Unfortunately, the retail sales data at 8:30am was worse than expected and the SPYs traded cleanly … Read More