SD'S -2023 DON'T JUST SIT THERE TO SURVIVE- MOVE&PROSPER!

[sd]

7.24.23 futures in the Green....


2 orders filled at open TNA now with stops higher, TQQQ with a stop below the open low.
Tight stop on TNA to lock in gains.


That's a quick +2.1% gain in 15 minutes! I had tried to raise the stop to $40.08 , but computer is so slow, price had pulled back to that level, stop would not go through so I kept it below the round dollar number-


TNA Drops like a ROCK!





TQQQ trade stops out for a 0.42% loss



Viewing TNA for a u turn on both the 2 min and 5 min charts side by side-



TNA charts @ 10:20 am See that price bar drop to yesterdays lows and the higher Close- that Low made today should represent a potential low/support if price weakens further . Notice that the 2 min psar has not turned from sell to a potential Buy- Here's where a trailing buy-stop can be used to get in on a R.O.T. move higher... if it occurs.

Instead, I took a gamble on a small trade because I had a potential blue reversal bar that was close to the prior am swing low- I set my stop under that swing low- , and it was hit a few minutes later as price declined lower. This was indeed a 'gamble' trade as there wasn't any single confirmation by an indicator cross- but the histograms were improving and stochastic tried a slight hook up below the "oversold" level. This was me 'front-running' the indicators prematurely- But for a tight stop.


While i was busy posting the prior trade, annotating the chart, Price rebounded, with several strong green bars, had a shallow pullback, and indicators turned bullishly higher- I bought on the 2nd rise higher off that shallow swing low on the green bar- I also sized up on this last trade with the expectation that a bullish momentum surge higher may occur.
I'll use the Psar as a potential trailing stop- If I get stopped out at the present $38.94, due to the increase in position size, I will be at net $0.00 on the TNA trade and chew up what remains of the earlier profit...from the 1st trade. But, Risking $0.08 more would put the stop below the swing low bar made @ 10:32- That's a wider Risk that would put me in for a small loss $8.00- I'll Risk that small loss instead with a stop $38.88 with the expectation I may be outside of the low of the sideways range that appears to be developing.
Potentially, this range will resolve to the upside and selling pressure will be abated.


My computer over the past 2 weeks has gotten to be extremely slow as well as stockcharts and TDAmeritrade- Website orders used to show an order screen with 2 seconds, and stockcharts was very responsive and the charts would update quickly- Now, it often takes 5-7 seconds for an order screen to place the order and stockcharts isn't keeping the charts updating- even with the 15 second lag that is known .
Very frustrating- and trading decisions are tough with the lagging charts, lagging orders to update etc.

As I wrote previously, The Price action weakened, and -if I had adjuysted my stop using the Psar, I would have been stopped out--
Now getting the price up momentum I was looking to see develop.
The MACD justmade an upside cross on the 5 minute chart.



Price is testing the top of this am's attempt top go higher- That's a resistance level that needs to be overcome....I'm going to try to be patient but I will plan to scale out partial shares on a good momentum move above the $39.30 level.
Holding a 100 share position presently- I'll split the position into 1/3 to sell partials if we get a breakout .
This present trading range could go either way - but it looks like the bulls are trying to pressure for an upside move to occur-

Price made a push up above that level, but then got pulled back into the trading range. bASED ON THE FAILED ATTEMPT, i'M RAISING 2 STOPS TO $39.10 (rISKING JUST $0.05 FOR 66 SHARES)
And, I'll leave the remaining 34 share stop $38.90 That way, the TNA trade retains a +gain on the day if stops are taken out. and an opportunity to take another trade later...



11:55 -a Bullish upside gap inside the trading range.


12:00 stops raised to trail Price on a bullish up momentum.
Did a partial sell, raised stops to be profitable.




I had meant to raise both the partial stop and one of the 33 shares to $39.48 but apparently I filed to "submit" the order- so both of the remaining stops triggered $39.39
All in all. a good trade and smart to be trailing stops-




Back in TNA @ 12:30 bounce off the pullback.
Failed to get the early entry due to busy annotating charts- again !
So far 3 prior trades- 2 wins, 1 small loss- have net Profits and, should this trade become a loss, will still retain gains on the day!



All the indexes are showing gains on the day so far, but relatively subdued. This appears to be resolving into a slightly up trending range-
My stockcharts page isn't updating automatically, page requires refreshing by me.
The prior swing high @ 12:02 now represents the upper resistance level - and this could be the level Price would need to exceed, but it appears my stop will get triggered momentarily


SLOOOOWLY trending- stops raised on the entire position to be Risking just $0.03 cents from my Entry Net potential $3 loss.



Stop is $39.43 and the pullback was $39.44 low! Now seeing a couple of bullish green bars slightly higher- 2:03 pm

Got a nice gap up to the resistance line- sold 1/4 of the position there - locked in some gains and raised the remaining 78 shares in 2 orders to breakeven $39.47


as a potential strategy, I presently have 3 stop orders for TNA at the same price- Breakeven.
I took 1/4 position off to net a small gain at the resistance level- with the gap and the price action basing just under the resistance line, I'm allowing the stops to stay relatively wide instead of taking smaller gains, hoping that allowing it some leeway, the trade will gain breakout momentum for a larger gain - Seeing a pullback as I write this, so perhaps that's not in the cards today


Overall, I'm still very much in the learning mode , and not trying to leverage with very large position sizing. I'm learning to watch Price Action, and, even as I see 3 red bars, not jump in to capture a small gain- with stops set at B.E. I still have a potential small net win in the bag on this Trade- so far, that's 3 wins- 1 loss on the day @ 2:30 with 3/4 of the entry position holding .
Got a green bar as price bounced off the $39.53 level. coinciding with the 50 ema -green line.



OK, That wraps it for the TNA trade- The failure occurred at 2:30 with that lower Blue bar well below the green bar- and a gap down as well. Also notice that there is not a price bar showing at 2:28- perhaps that's a stockcharts issue only- It's 2:45 pm as I write this, and - unless I see a setup in TQQQ, or SOXL- I think I'm done with TNA for the day..
It's been fun, and educational today- I did focus on just trading 1 chart-at a time, and I think that's essential for me to do and not get extended between different charts...

Overall a slow day, Made enough for dinner for two at Applebee's WOOHOO!

Back in for a final trade @ 3:20 on positive price action off a swing low - but it fails for a tight small loss of $0.04 on a



Fed likely announces a raise in Rates this Wed. Mkts expects this,so likely not much impact-
Earnings are big this week- NXPI semi beat on earnings and gives strong guidance....



Got business tomorrow AM- won't be trading in the AM.

[sd]

7.25.23

Won't be participating in the Open today- Things to do elsewheres in the am...
Futures are up, modestly green.
Lots of earnings this week- MEEKs is citing MSFT as being very expensive at these prices and thinks there will be a disappointment -
Should any of the Mega Tech fail to meet and guide higher, it potentially puts the stall in this market.
Bears are being crushed by this continued rally .


Got back too late in the pm to think about trading- Did go ahead and bought a position in energy - XOB- as my recent energy positions- SLB, XLE, CVX are in the green-

Industrial position gave a drop this open, but recovered- I will use the low of todays pullback to set a higher stop-loss in XLI-

Afterhours earnings - SNAP drops -18%; MSFT down just -1% but guidance is still on going- GOOGL beat on top and bottom lines- +6% and is growing market share-

Dan Ives of Webbush on CNBC - have to respect his judgement- thinks that both MSFT and GOOGL will be the leaders in the Mega- thinks AMZN is struggling a bit here- and that the AI stimulus will be seen in the future quarters- He also thinks software and cyber- are 2 critical areas that will grow....Seemed to like service NOW....in the software space.
Holding through earnings is a crapshoot-

F,GM,TSLA all rolling over lower the past days......

TXN delivering a weak guide for it's Chip- outlook.....


Valuations are relatively high for many stocks due to the run up in recent months. Any disappointment will be sold into- potentially sharply-
Dangerous to hold through earnings- and rewarding if the stock gives an upside meet and beat...

Dan Niles- Satori fund- dumped both his MSFT and AMZN positions upon hearing the decline in the Azure platform.... AWS also declined for AMZN-

So, potentially the Tech being overextended and overhyped for the present valuations- As was pointed out on the conference calls, AI as a buzzword was used many dozens of times during conference calls. AS Dan Niles observed- Building up an AI envelope around one's business is a costly endeavor- meaning, companies may have to trim budgets on other business segments to pay for the development of AI compatible offerings.... So, the AI HYPE caused this recent market surge- perhaps the AI reality is that it will take a long time to adopt and implement - and perhaps be expensive to do so relative to the benefits it brings in the immediate near term....

As earnings season continues- and future guidance- and summer approaches, expect markets to moderate.
Home builders seem to be continuing higher. While commercial real estate is a big hangover....

RTX- Ratheon sub division Pratt Whitney Airplane engines are being inspected for some potential issues-
Should be a boost for GE ....

Suddenly, airlines may be calling for a decline! Domestic travel suddenly decreasing??? Intl travel still in demand....
Crossmark - is shorting airlines, thinking the fall will see a decline in airlines profits
Crossmark cites the last 1/2 of seeing higher comer debt levels, student loans resuming, consumers relying more on creditcards and delay in payments- all sign of a potential slowing by the consumer in spending...

So, will the 3rd quarter show the decline that has been foretold by analysts all of 2023?

Very respected analysts that have been continued bears this year keep finding that this market's actions baffle them- based on the knowledge that the Fed is continuing to tighten rates- including tomorrow likely. And the expected slowdown and job lay-offs just hasn't fallen into place as anticipated.
Earnings will be the Test....

[sd]

7.26.23 Futures all in the RED @ 6am- Up to early withy the dog barking at a glimmer of daylight-
Checked the Live traps, and no critters to transport across the river this am.
Drip irrigation module seems to be not functioning properly - Have to go out and water by hand .....

GOOGL is still up , holding it's after hours gains. MSFT down slightly on it's continued weakness in cloud services.
AMZN dipping down -and is in the news for the Gov't's Liza Khan bringing anti-trust suits to try to break Amzn up-
Khan failed in her suit vs MSFT buying ATVI -Activision.
She also wrote a paper while attending Harvard that was critical of MSFT.

Computer is still extremely slow in loading stockcharts and TD ameritrade orders. Puts me at a distinct disadvantage due to this lag in trying to get
timely trade signals- I've closed all unnecessary applications on start up - going to do another series of PING tests... and will try to see if the
issue is likely with my internet provider slowing down my service....
SQQQ PREMKT BID WAS UP- SET A LIMIT TO BUY- fILLED $17.74 @ the open- Got a surge higher- raised stop - stop triggered $17.84
Scalping for a dime- Also, I set a new buy-stop @ $17.90 which I will potentially trail lower above price.



thought we had a bottom here- Nope- Stopped out - no indicators confirming




This computer lag is a killer for trading- everything is delayed , charts, orders,fills etc.
See this TQQQ chart- I took an entry- late as the price popped off the lows- Note the big drop down in both the stochastic and the CCI- The ideal entry would have been made by watching the chart and targeting the reversal, but waiting for that Blue bar to close higher- and entering on the next bar moving higher. The stop would have been set below the bottom of the reversal blue bar -Risking about $0.20 initially for a wide stop .
I tried to front run the indicators as SQQQ declined- and that stopped out, negating my initial gain made at the Open.

This chart of TQQQ does a good example of how I should be stalking a potential entry looking for that eventual and initial Reversal of Trend.
The trade set up has indicators showing the move is into the 'oversold' levels - as seen on both stochastic below the 20 line, and the CCI graphically illustrating the downside momentum.
Obviously, the MACD histogram and fast line is heading lower when this occurs.


Enlarged chart views:





Markets weak, in pause mode, waiting for the Fed today to announce the expected .25 rate hike as a moderate continuation of the Fed's aggressive approach to fight inflation.

Didn't try trading with all the computer issues-Went on line to YouTube- Kevin Stratvert-

this guy has a number of excellent tutorial videos on computer, programs
Watching this video, he has links to 3 programs to test your internet/wifi-
I did the speed test and found I had a huge lag- high ping score , very small download - I called my Spectrum provider and asked why I had such poor performance and such lag issues ... She put a service tech order in for tomorrow-
Amazingly, late this afternoon ,after the LOLO fiddled with some wires, the connection miraculously returned to excellent-
I wonder if spectrum didn't slow down my connection intentionally.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz_Qkt3jBDA

I decided to take a gamble and bought Meta 5 minutes before the Close with it scheduled to give earnings- It gave a very positive report- and has popped up a very respectable $20/share- I had traded Meta- should have held it like LOLO though- got stopped out protecting profits with a too tight a stop- Nice $250.00 gain over 30 minutess - but I'm holding ...not trading in after hours.
We did go and see Oppenheimer this weekend- Good movie- a long 3 hours- but it was well made, flowed, and learning the history behind the Abomb and it's developers was really interesting. Some graphis sexual content in a few scenes would make this inappropriate for younger viewers- perhaps they'll come out with a censored version with a PG rating.... Just for the historic content....
May be able to try some trading Thursday- Fed met expectations with a lower rate hike and a Pause until the September meeting- Fed is taking a wait and see approach- which is prudent -on inflation....

Off topic- We had 2 mangoes that were likely over ripe- cut them in half, and added them to the 3 live traps that I have set up- Found a small rabbit dead under a fig tree with only it's head removed- and gone- body intact- Raccoon, CAT,FOX? Wasn't our dogs.....
Set up 2 trail cameras near the live traps to see what passes by ......The tally now is 5 grown racoons, 5 possums captured on my property, and transported and released about 5 miles away across the river...They climb up , break branches, and eat the tender leaf growth-
I assume they moved in and caused the Foxes to leave- crowded tenement housing in that construction materials storage area!
Since I've a large investment in terms of time and effort on some of the plants they want to forage on, my only recourse is to transplant them elsewheres where they have to work for their buffet, other than foraging on my plants.....

[sd]

7.27.23

Futures up !
Computer appears to be functioning FAST- Websites loading quickly!

Will cancel the Spectrum visit if everything behaves quickly during the 9:30 -10 am time frame when active trading loads are underway!

Very solid 10% pop in Meta this premarket! Gamble paid off!

I thin k the FED .25 rate hike and willingness to Pause in the next meeting bodes very well for a market that may widen out but continue higher-
Seasonally, summers are not big monthly gainers- but my "fear" of all of those analysts crying out "overvalued, narrow mkt negatives has kept me on the skittish side.

Will again look at the Bid/ASK premarket a few minutes prior to the open...
Today's Open is a strong green - so there will be gap opens across the board from yesterday's Close-
I may do some limit Buy at the open using a limit lower than the Bid/Ask -
Still have to learn to judge the Open- Often the sentiment reverses- Fast- I think that's market maker manipulation - as they can See all of the orders in the QUE- and so they intentionally can front run the market with Buy-Sell or short orders- TZA the other day had a gap UP open, but then a sharp sell-off. immediately- Allowing that 1st 2 minute bar to see if it Closes above or below the Open may be adequate to try to determine direction. I need to review this.
Getting a mix of semi earnings TXN disappointed. poor guidance as well.
Small caps can potentially see additional upside if the market thinks that we may actually not fall into a deep recession in the fall, but indeed glide to a soft landing. Small caps are generally considered as a "value" - but they have disappointed YTD....

MSFT is showing a small gain premkt. Odd to see this happen as the news is just all about Europe going to bring a suit against MSFT-
I'm holding a small MSFT starting position from this week- and plan to try to hold and ADD to it on upside.

Looking to make a few BUYS/swing trades-
Considering RIVN $28.26 premkt- broke out of the base. PLTR gaining. , ARKQ -


Stopped out on my 1st daytrade for a loss- Big gap ups are not holding- TNA took an entry at the Open 1st minutes moving higher- but that caught the top of the momentum, stop hit for a net loss.

Seeing continued follow thru this am in my META, GOOG positions-
MSFT bought a starter yesterday on the decline- I will set a stop just under yesterday's Low $332.90 and will Buy another 3 shares- average in.
It tried to move higher today, but that upwards Momentum is fading post 10 am.
I did ADD 3 MSFT as it pulled back- stop set just below yesterday's lows- Seeing indexes pulling back from that vigorous open

Buy-stop order in TNA filled $40.52 as price rebounded higher from $40.17- I hadn't adjusted the order lower as i was viewing other positions.
Potentially - W-C-S- paid better attention to get that tighter entry - Trade is slightly above my entry, so I'll tighten my stop to $40.47 as I'm getting a drop back bar at my entry cost.

Tightened a stop under the META 10:30 am pullback low- It's pulled back from that $325 big gap open high. Stop is set $317.90 - That's just my compulsion to capture a nice quick gain without seeing it pullback .
The TNA weakness hit my higher stop for a $0.05 loss.

If I'm going to scalp a gain on the trade, I need to watch to get that better entry closer to the P.O.F.
Dow is on it's longest consecutive daily wins- 14 that hasn't occurred since 1897- Not a Typo!

tOOK A BUY-STOP ENTRY IN gm FOR 50 ON A MOVE HIGHER- It filled but failed to surge higher-
I added 50 more at a low limit order recognizing the low of the basing- This is very Close to the P.O.F.

My avg cost is now $39.304- stop $39.24 Risking $6
$6 spent as stop triggers


sO, is msft WORTH A POTENTIAL ENTRY ON THIS PULLBACK?




The Trend for SOXL- Today's initial gap up and the 10 am high made saw a $1 pullback by 10:30 am , but then made a reversal higher- @ 12:00,
it finally managed to make a higher move- MACD finally made an upside cross on the fast MACD 8,12,9 but the 12,26,9 on the 5 is almost there-
Stochastic is holding up well.
The breakout of the AM highs looks promising for the afternoon session! Holding a small position as i bought in at an extended price.

Stock ended up rolling over stopped out 1 pm for a small loss, went on to decline through the afternoon.


Looks like it's becoming one of those days....


Took an afternoon Nap- kept my trigger finger in the holster!
Indexes all Closed lower! Taking a dive in the PM....
Defense contractors beating, but seeing selling- NOC L3Harris, ; HON as well-

At least the slow computer issues appear to be a non event today!
Swings i tried DIS, TAN,ENPH,NOW, stopped out- Dow failed to Close higher...

TSLA was initially higher today, but Closed at it's prior pullback low- looks bearish with a Close at $255, and it's a quick sell off to the prior pullback swing @ $240.

Joe Laorgna still promoting a bearish outlook heading into the remainder of 2023....

F reporteda beat after hours, and the stock is up 1%- see if it holds tomorrow- It took a $-1B loss in the EV division. and project further EV losses....F also admits that the EV segment is moving much slower than projected...

RIVN appears to be the 1 to watch for a successful EV business sooner... compared to TSLA...

The lower Close in the indexes and some sectors after a bullish Open initially .

INTC beat the lowered expectations- cost cutting, and slowing business-Up in the EH..

Time perhaps to take a wider perspective- Energy positions were down a bit today, but oil Closed higher-
Worries that China has issues and will not be as strong an economy....

[sd]

TGIF! 7.28.23
Premarket futures are all in the green.....












TNA sold- didn't care for my entry higher. it was a small position- Lost $0.15 ....

Meta stop raised to cover my entry - Day trade- Will trail stops




Misread the chart pricing- meant to raise the stop lower than I did- Stop triggered almost immediately


TSLA price pulling back


i USED A bUY-sTOP ABOVE THE META SWING HIGH TO SET A RE-ENTRY .
That order triggered, $320.80 as price moved higher- just 20 shares- but I've raised my stop from Break Even to $321.10 . on this entry
Should Price reverse on me.
i.imgur.com/M1hrj7A.png
Viewing the price action on the slower 5 min chart, I'll use the 10 ema as a trailing stop....to give price a bit of breathing room -
The Buy-stop cost is covered by this slightly higher stop- Price will have to weaken back through that 10 ema to trigger my sell stop.



THE 2 MIN CHART SHOWING A 1ST RED BAR @ 10:50 pOTENTIALLY THAT SWING LOW $321.50 WILL NOT DROP LOWER....

I had initially jumped a stop up to gain a $1 gain- but on just 20 shares, I'll try to just protect my entry and see if Meta can go higher-
This swing low pullback- should be a low that a stop can be raised just under-- IF Price can trend higher- and make a higher high...




OK, Got over a $100 gain as Meta continues it's uptrend- Jumping the stop to the 10 ema on several bullish bars continuing with higher momentum .


Tightening stop on another pause in momentum-


Adding a

It's been a good day , ending the week with gains- We also put a lot of freed cash to work for potential swing trades....
Not trying to pursue Meta or TSLA this late pm -

[sd]

Weekend is here, lots of heat across the country-
Plenty of watering to do, and repair or get a new drip irrigation automatic valve...
Cute critters, but they and their brethren are foraging on my plants, figs, and garden. They think I have a sanctuary yard .
Relocate them across the river in the county owned park/bike ride habitat...
This is the 1st year I have seen this kind of animal pressure - likely due to their loss of habitat due to all of the construction and subdivisions being constructed-
Absolutely amazing- Big houses with postage stamp backyards, set just 30' apart....
About enough room to set up a swing set and maybe a trampoline in the backyard....
I

[sd]

7.31.23
New Week ! Nice gains in most of the swing positions- Soft in BA, BX . PLTR up +8% -

No time this am to set up day trades for the Open---Swing trades taken last week
With PLTR gains +$400.00 - and the present gap higher open still showing upside momentum, I'm trailing this with split stops as my active day trade today-
MACD, CCI and Blue bars from green indicate momentum is slowing at 10:14 am....

I'll trail a tight stop @ $0.15 +/- as price is now up +11% on the day.




sTOPS ALL RAISED- TIGHT STOP WILL BE TRIGGERED 10:28


#/4 OF THE POSITION HAS STOPPED OUT ON VERY TIGHT STOPS-
A 50 SHARE POSITION IS STILL ACTIVE @ STOP $19.30.

A re-Entry buy-stop order is waiting- presently above today's high if Price pushes further.



The 2 min chart: red bars in decline


I'll lower the buy-stop to try to get a reentry closer to the P.o.F. if I thin a reversal of the present decline is there- A closing Blue bar higher than the preceding red bar would be front running the indicators-


I took a re-entry on a potential green bar reversal- 100 shares $19.61- I set a stop below at $19.43 and set the sell order for the entire position 150 stop


Seeing red bars developing, - ideally, the prior swing low will hold and we will see a reversal higher - Didn't happen. stop triggers.










the 100 share position stops out $19.33- break even ....I thought i had an order for the entire 150 shares, but not the case- perhaps failed to properly click the 'submit-
Stop on the $19.46 buy stop triggeres to a sell $19.28- Still did this trade based on Price action, front running the indicators- taking an early gamble-
So, 2 attempts to re-enter take losses-
Seeing on the 2 minute a potential 2nd attempt for price to make a base/reversal...

one more entry on the range breakout. 2 min indicators positive... Can this resume an uptrend is the question...
Stop is under the swing low. holding 101 shares.





oN POSITIVE PRICE ACTION- RAISING THE STOP TO $19.39 - rISKING $10.00
iF pRICE CAN MOVE HIGHER WITH MOPMENTUM-GREEN BARS, i'LL GET MY STOP UP TO BREAK EVEN, AND THEN POTENTIALLY TRAIL a split stop position to net some gains.

sTOP IS RAISED TO rISK JUST $5 NOW @ $19.44 11:30 pRICE ON THE 2 MIN IS SEEING A BASE LOW @ $19.50 -
The 'Round' number level may be an important level for buy-srs and sellers- The Vwap is $19.44 so that coincides with my stop .


sTOP TRIGGERS $`19.44 nET LOSS OF $5 AS THE UPMOVE NEVER DEVELOPED- pOTENTIALLY, THE PRICE WILL TREND IN A SIDEWAYS RANGE FOR THE AFTERNOON- nICE $350.00 GAIN TODAY ALONE ON THIS TRADE.



@ 12:00 SIDEWAYS RANGE- lOOKING ELSEWHERES UNLESS THE INDEXES GET SOME MOMENTUM...

cHECKING OUT THE lb bOARD THIS PM...

2:30- Checked out PLTR and set a buy-stop for an add 50 as a potential hold overnight.initially stop wide- below the swing low- got a continuation on the breakout, raising stops to be tight in this lack luster mkt.



Seeing some upside momentum- stop raised to $19.55



gOOD EXAMPLE OF A BUY-STOP ORDER WORKING AS ONE EXPECTS- Order fills, and price progresses higher-
Technically I could have set the stop to be wider at the entry cost- and I intend to take a position in PLTR for a swing today to be held overnight....
The momentum in Tech- QQQ is to the downside compared to the more bullish Open.

As the sector goes, often the tide pulls most everything along with the index....



Price action going into the Close can often find some volatility in the remaining minutes- This final order is for 100 shares @ $19.60 Buy-stop- The stop loss due to the tight basing that is occurring will Risk $0.12 @ $19.48. with the expectation that the 'breakout' can sustain a quick raise of the stop to . here we go- got the fill




@ 3:40 pm- PLTR price action looking positive- Price now up to $19.73 I'll trail a tight stop for 1/2 and hold 50 shares back for a potential swing ..

Working higher @ 3:51- I plan to hold 50 shares overnight- but will trail a stop for 50 shares to see if I can get a run higher into the Close.
Price stair stepping tepidly higher.




Ended up trailing split stops, but PLTR never weakened into the Close to stop out-
So, I'm carrying PLTR over as a swing position

In the IRA, I added more to the XOP energy exploration. I have only 1 position that is showing in the RED- BX Global financial-down slightly- Modest gains


What is obvious in reviewing this trade is that the bulk of the gains were made by holding this overnight as a swing trade.
If I had waited to Buy PLTR at today's Open,

$18.90, Price only moved up $1 before topping out.

PLTR DAILY- Once was a pick by IRA for long term gains-



Sector Spotlight - Julius provides a video on sector rotation.
stockcharts.com/articles/rrg/2023/07/sector-spotlight-energy-techs-753.html

[sd]

AUGUST is here- Markets all will Open in the RED!

I'm going to take a hit on PLTR at the Open- Allowing it a $50 give back before stopping out as a swing trade.
Too many swing positions to watch today - Let's see if the 10 am provides a turnstyle.

Yesterday's positions looking good...


Today's open :



Buying ETN as a swing on the breakout here.
F- daytrade - Up on news about a plant reopening that will produce more F150 lightening trucks- Still F not a good position for an investment.
i.imgur.com/opHMjb0.png
Only industrial sector in the green


UBER stopped out by a -5% drop at the open- recovering ,now down -2.8% Bizarre- since they posted their 1st ever beat on Earnings!

CAT - strong Beat on earnings! Congrats Swift!


Jolts report comes in lower, ISM lower. Data is weaker showing some slowing- Dow now in the green...
The FED wants to see these numbers lower,,,, supports the FED perhaps pausing.


F trade intact @ 10:07 stop is Risking $7.00 on the 13.30 entry fill.


Summary page @ 10:10 improving - as what often happens in the markets, the initial trend can shift around the 10 am hour...
I'm trying to allow some wider stops in swing positions- Difficult for me to allow myself to do...
Daytrading reinforces the mindset to lock in that profit on any weakness...

Got a bearish Red bar pushing lower when I took the screenshot-




10 yr note is now rising above 4%. Tom Lee- Perma bull usually- expects weakness and a shallow drawdown in August-
He also thinks too many are shifting onto the bullish side...





@ 11 am, seeing some positions showing a bit of green...


Mid day
uber, F, XBI all stopped out this am-


Note- with ETN as an add to the portfolio- big green bar.


It would be prudent to adjust my stops at the EOD for the swing positions- taking notice of today's lows- I did add to my ARKQ position on today's pullback- but the stop will be today's opening low ....

This year, the commercial real estate markets were the albatross around the Reit sector- With lower occupancy, and pricing declining for lack of demand, it was a threat to the regional banks that hold the mortgage/loans on these type of commercial properties-
Saw a bullish interview on CNBC with the ceo of ESRT- A NYC reit landlord- So, VNO was also a mention for having a strong book of desireable properties-
Another Reit is DLR- that buys commercial warehouses for servers and the like supporting the Tech industry.
After looking at the 3 charts, I elected to take an entry in all 3 for some diversification into the sector- with stops - Essentially averaged about 1k per each position- on this starting position- we'll see if they stop out, or show continued strength- and I will potentially double the position size in the IRA-

@ 3:30 pm, Still some red but also some Green.



but to put this into perspective, instead of the intraday- viewing the 1 week performances...

[sd]

8.2.23 FITCH DOWNGRADES US DEBT-!
Downgrade contributes to the market weakness-

Markets again in the RED with an hour to the Open.
Seeing gains evaporating on recent positions- Will set Stops at Break even where I have gains, and will tighten stops on the remaining positions.
The Bid/Ask sometimes is realistic premarket- and sometimes way off and wide. Not necessarily where the price will Open.

PLTR


Stops getting triggered as a number of positions see Price gap down below my stops- PANW, CRWD. META, BX

THE 10 AM PICTURE- Often this will see Price having made a pause and potential move back higher.
In this chart, I have included the Indexes- DIA,IWM,QQQ,SPY




tRIED AN ENTRY CLOSE TO the P.O.F. in UDOW as it attempted to make a base following a move lower from a deep oversold on the CCI.
I w-c-s- have used the swing low, but instead elected to set the stop tight below the following bars.
Trade stops out for a net loss .


UDOW a few minutes later still heading lower- but waiting to see STO confirm the MACD


Tried to Front run-Price. Stochastic remains bearish - and not confirming-
Lost $0.02 on this very tight 2nd try at a very low entry - with a super tight stop- Just experimenting here

@ 1 pm, been a tough 2 days to try to play "investor" Down $ 2K ....Now holding a pocketful of cash and only a few positions-
ETN is still positive- but I've raised the stop just above the entry....

Today's losses were exaggerated by a number of stops seeing Price gapping down below the stop levels... and being sold for a more significant loss.
I knew that Auguast and September are normally weak- but we had good momentum until the Fitch downgrade scuttled the rising tide....
@ 1 pm , my present remaining holdings include DLR,ESRT,ETN,VNO,WMT,INDA,ETN,PAVE



I'm inclined to get more defensive as we move deeper into August- The Catalyst for the sell-off -US downgrade- may take the winds out of the mkt sails- and gives the momentum pause-
Good place to protect gains where we have them, and don't trust any FOMO for a few months-

Wheres the gains today?

[sd]

8.3.23 Futures in the RED- QCOM disappoints, AMZN reports tonight-


Down to a few positions- Will this be the overdue correction starting? Seems probable, at least for this time of year...



Tried a shot at SQQQ at the open, came back and stopped out $18.40- small loss, tight stop. I was anticipating that the open bar low would be the low of Day- Not so-
I see the small cap bear also is pulling back from the open gap. Same with the SOXS semi bear fund.
The realestate funds that were trending today reversed and sold off- Now, I'm all cash in the IRA.

@ 10 am -still a lot of RED- Sectors down except Energy with a slight gain



CMI tanking -7%
CAT made a topping tail yesterday, touching $293.88, and pulled back today -$10.00 but still

SQQQ enlarged 2 minute - Again, the 10 am hour often sees a turn in the price action- both higher or lower-

TZA

SOXS



SOXS TRADE INITIATED -
Testing the bear waters $9.52 entry- Stop $9.39 Risk is $0.13- Viewin g the overhead dbl top @ $9.60 as a resistance level- Stop will be tightened to $9.44 - Reducing Risk to $0.08



In this entry, no Macd cross, but stochastic is holding near the 80 level. Histogram is showing improvement, but still below the 0.0 line- Bearish +DI and CCI taking a dip down -was turning up on the entry. Stop is triggered @ $9.44

Another SOXS early shot on the blue bar 11:03 - $9.47 with a stop $9.44- Upturn on the stochastic- upturn on the +DI- MACD histogram closer to the 0.0 line.







Trying to front run the 2 min MACD has resulted in 2 losing trades- relatively small losses-
With the CCI below the -100 level often indicates strong downside momentum, . and the reaction to the upside can be strong- @ 11:27 price is heading close to the prior lows.
With the assumption that the lows of the day $9.31 as a potential 'support' - $9.35 as an entry.

Hook u turn on the sto; +DI- stop $9.30 - High of Day $9.82 - Last front run entry Close -to the P.O.F. clearly defined.

Also resting on the 5 min 34 ema.


AHH, Down she goes!




What can I learn from these 3 losing trades?
THIS NEXT CHART SHOWS a potential upturn Hook in the indicators, bullish price action, PSAR BUY signal on the 2 min chart- all at the Low range of the day -
However, this fails as Price will proceed to make a new Low on the day-



Obvious in hindsight- the counter trend trade is SOXL- bull for the semis.



So, ignoring the bear Bias that is prevailing- viewing both the Bull and Bear options at the same time and shift as the trend shifts between the 2.



Markets improving as we reach the Noon hour.


Belated SOXL entry- Positive price action allows me to bring my stop to B.E.



Headed for a shower- came out and saw Price had trended higher, but dropping- stop elevated a couple of cents below PSAR



Trade stop is triggered- Gains on this trade covers the earlier losses in SOXS ...



Took an entry in SOXS

Profitable up move

Seeing momentum picking up , will trail a tight stop
Stop hit for a net + $0.10 gain with a buy stop order to reenter $9.28


Buy stop fills $9.28- stop $9.22



Trade looked promising as the buy-stop order was triggered by an upmove, but there was no follow thru higher.
Stopped out- $9.22 loss of $0.06 -




Screenshot @ 2:25



2:50 -





in 30 min - Time to take the dogs to the vet this pm....

GONE-



PM update- President Trump charged on 4 counts; AMZN beats and shares rise in EH. AAPL Down slightly after reporting....


OK, the A-I Hype is now a month old- perhaps 6 weeks-
And this week comes the announcement of a new breakthrough super conductor.....LK-99

[sd]

8-4-23 Futures in the green premarket! Pre 7 am
Sector performace as of yesterday's Close: Notice that energy led the day, the 1 week, the 1 month.
aLSO NOTE -IMPORTANTLY, THAT THE SECTOR ROTATION IS SEEING A DECLINE in Tech's performance.

i.imgur.com/5mCODNI.png[i/img]

AAPL revenue is a miss for the 3rd straight quaRTER- aapl IS DOWN MODESTLY -2%
amzn BIG BEAT IS UP +9%....



jOBS REPORT- mARKETS WENT FROM GREEN INTO THE RED, AND NOW BACK IN THE GREEN-- jOBS REPORT CAME IN LESS THAN EXPECTED, Wages may be up a bit , Older persons are not going back into the workforce- go figure- new life priorities post the lessons of Covid....


Adding SPXL - S&P 3x bull. as a potential daytrade-


Didn't jump in at the Open on the bullish pop and gap higher.... May have missed the best opportunity for an entry on a day trade.
I'm seeing that small caps opened higher, but are now declining. I will wait and not front run the 2 min indicators




Choppy and Sloppy across the 3x group @ 9:50 am




Short AAPL w/AAPD- swing position.

@ 10 am, moves are to the downside....

Long TNA 10:18 up move follows thru higher. 2 min verify- indicators bullish- The question is whether any upside momentum will occur-

Stop raised to B.E. $38.96



Working- stop elevated




As Price is approaching the morning open High- I'm giving it a bit of wiggle room- but not much -Stp $39.34 and Price had reached $39.45 .



Price is testing the AM high....


10:42 momentum slowing -stop raised



stop fills $39.41 Trade nets $0.45 Buy stop above today's high to re-enter $39.56 on a potential trend move higher.



I'll set a buy-stop higher-
Buy stop filled- but price fell back into the range- stop triggers $39.40 Loss of $0.16





rE ENTRY 11:27 WORKED- ENTERED AS pRICE CAME OUT OF THE BASE STOP IS NOW PROFITABLE. nET GAIN $0.07 ON A STOP $39.51 - eNTRY $39.44

jUMPED UP A TIGHT STOP -THAT FILLS FOR A NET GAIN $39.51-
i NOW HAVE A BUY-STOP TO RE ENTER $39.61 BUY STP.


Have to watch as price seems to weaken- the prior base swing low $39.30- will this be a support level?



Buy stop fills on a big green bar- suggest momo here!
Stop at B.E. on this bullish up move.


Stop gets triggered on a price pullback

Also made another entry buy - looking for that bigger momentum move- - and I SET MY STOP TO COVER @ B.E. AND THAT FILLED FOR A $0.01 LOSS BELOW THE ENTRY.

Somewhat copying the short term trading done by MMOY- and Wolverine- whose approach is to aggressively raise stops and take profits- over at the LB website.

Bearish Red Bar- develops as Price is unable to breakout higher. No more buyers willing to pay up more?


Likely a last trade here- noon time, tight bars- everyone headed out for lunch- "support" low $39.55- stop $39.54


Gap up move ! will this evolve and go higher-? stop is net profitable above my entry by $0.04 @ 12:22
Instead of trying to get a few pennies on these up moves, hoping to get the stop to Break even, but capture that high momo surge.....
Potentially, this will be it as Price moves higher!



Now that's more like it!





sLOWING?


@ 1 PM , PRESENT MOVE IN tna SLOWING- TIGHT STOP - seeing a red bar on the 2 min.


Added back some swing positions- PAVE, J, INDA had added to yesterday - averaging in at a low with a final stop under the low...
Short AAPL w/ AAPD-


TNA stop triggers
nice gain .


follow up - a few minutes later


Time to consider the W-C-S-
What if I allowed my am entry to run on the 5 minute chart- with a stop raised to cover the entry, but then kept wide for the duration-

SQQQ POTENTIAL UPSIDE?







sOLD A PARTIAL 50 FOR A SMALL GAIN-
sTOP RAISED TO ABOVE ENTRY COST ON THE REMAINING 50
sEE WHERE THIS GOES- TIME TO FLIP THE cHOPS ON THE GRILL


ok, RAISED THE STOP- TIME TO EAT!



Good Chops on the grill, mushrooms & onions, Mac/n/cheese, and corn on the cob! MMMM.

SQQQ trade is also douing well with a wider trailing stop allowing the trade to continue higher after a shallow pullback below the fast ema.




3pm- Between the 5 min and 2 minute chart - 5 min chart MACD about to make a downside cross- Histogram printing a bearish sub 0.0 line .
Fast stochastic is still above the 80 level though and CCI, +DI still holding high.
The 2 minute chart indicating weakness.
pulled the stop back from $18.44 to $18.39 - giving up $0.05 to allow this room to potentially go higher-
Fast stochastic still holding bullish as is the +DI

The 10 ema on the 5 min chart has held the uptrend since being touched @ 1:45-
Price is trying to get through the $18.55 level-
Stop will raise to $18.42



SQQQ stops out as Price rolls over- Note that the 5 min chart PSAR went to a Sell @ $18.45 prior bar.
It's 3:17 and the earlier swing low was $18.37.
Successful trading today - followed the guidelines. seeing price possibly rebounding - fake out?
Hooks on the 2 minute
Had to see if this could work
Green bar reversal with the 2 min stochastic hook to the upside +DI upturning from the - DI- 2 min MACD not confirming-
Risk is now just $0.04 - adjusted to Risk $0.01 $18.48.



stop triggers 3:30 - net loss $0.02 - $2/100 shares. Price had overhead resistance-


wILL WATCH TO SEE HOW IT PERFORMS INTO THE cLOSE
mADE A SMALL 50 SHARE ENTRY AS IT BROKE OUT HIGHER
20 MINUTES TO GO- THIS COULD POTENTIALLY SEE A surge into the Close as Tech positions see more selling.... or not....
Stop is $18.54- Price up to $18.63 3:45pm




Check out the basing on the 2 minute chart @ 3:53 pm



I decided that since price in SQQQ closed so solidly at the high of the day, I will hold this trade overnight and trust that it will have a pop UP tomorrow.



GEEZ, Why didn't somebody tell me it's Friday!

[sd]

Check out Leavittbrothers.com for a trial .
Check out Jason's Masterclass. Applying TA signals to one's time frame....

If interested in Day trading- or simply learning to get that better entry on a swing trade-
Check out Devoid's many posts---
and- during July, he posted many "teaching' examples....

Other members there post their different styles- and if you're into Fib analysis , check out the RAT and GEO posts-
Tortua posts about crypto, Jase posts some potential 2 dozen swing trades each week- plus a market commentary.

Pete and logan- swing trades....

It's an interesting Mix, often interesting commentary- give it a try.
www.leavittbrothers.com/index.cfm?&CFID=28445474&CFTOKEN=c3ffa5c5ee5b7bed-3A86EA59-155D-974A-75DBF6755C8D952E

[sd]

8-6--23 Sunday PM. Off Topic-
Our 14+ year family member- Raider Dog - goes to the Vet in the Am - for a diagnosis of his likely terminal condition-

So, priorities on Monday are not focused on trading- just the welfare of our companion of all these past years....And all the joy and smiles he has brought to our family over these many years.

Such an impact he has made on our family, and our daughters who grew up with him as their family pet....Most of all, he was the Lolo's best friend- and ultimate heartbreak as he now declines .

Such bitter sweet memories of the animals we embrace , perhaps provide a small window to prepare us for the ever greater loss we will eventually face ; or a stark reminder of someone we cherished that has passed, and the sense of loss and separation that
makes us appreciate the memories of who they were, and what they meant to us.....
It's so important, as human beings, to embrace those that we came to know, that we loved, and to carry on their memories , for that is how they still continue on-

While raised under the strict catholic doctrine that my mother embraced, And the Catechism teachings and obvious Failings of the Catholic church- ....
I am pleased that both of our daughters have a more aware sense of the Universe and spiritual connectivity that structured religious dogma suppresses. There is much more in this life than can be realized in this lifetime.
Thank you daughters, and Spouse.
While this is certainly off-topic from trading and investing- and charting.... I often think of those I have known , lost to this life, what their impact was on me in my formative years, and , in some way hope that my recollection respects their time here and the impact perhaps that they had on others- at least myself. I give thanks to those that have passed before me...... Sounds kind of odd and out there, I guess, but if I don't carry a sense of spirituality - and a reminder- - perhaps the simplest concept of right and wrong , generosity vs pettiness and vindictiveness... Where am I ? With time on my hands, I can reflect on how I w-c-s done things better in my past- and perhaps can do in the future-
Walking through the garden, watering, I talk to those that have touched my life- Sometimes i challenge, sometimes i apologize, for thing i did, or should have done better... .... Perhaps it's just these senior moments that occur much more often....
Perhaps it's as simple on focusing on the Positive, and not giving the negative room to grow ........ Light vs darkness in the ultimate human battle of the Spirit.

the joy of being a parent- Both of our daughters are now outstanding adults, excellent Mothers, and so focused on their children. It's like watching evolution in progress compared to the upbringing I and Lolo had as children. The world-with all of it's issues and conflicts, is evolving to be a better place for those that are given the opportunity.....
So, Girls- should you ever read this- I'm Proud of what both of you have become....



OK, I'll get back to the technicals and the approach to make $$$ in the day's ahead....For now, Our Pup needs us.....Priorities call

[sd]

8.7.23

Futures are in the green-
I held a partial (50) SQQQ position over the weekend, that will open in The RED today--
Because of the market's often mixed opening- and then reversing, I'll set a stop risking $0.20 below my entry - as we will be at the Vet's office @ 9:45 am...

Setting a stop just below the present Bid/Ask- but with 45 minutes to go, the futures could vary widely- The Bid Ask will undoubtedly change as we get Closer....
Position held over is a partial 50 share position.






AAPL short- AAPD-Premarket also in the RED premkt by .5%



Home @ 11:30 am- Apparently I failed to confirm the stop order this am in SQQQ-Getting sloppy when I'm in a hurry- or just too many 'senior' moments when I
Price fell well below my stop target, and then made a R.O.T. and is now where I purchased it as a final trade on Friday-




2 HR CHART OF AAPD- with the stop set Friday on the positive up move.





Trend breakdown -AAPL Daily chart.


Thinking that AAPL will have a major sell-off is not likely- so I'm taking this 1 day at a time, and adjusting stops - Presently set to lock in a 3% gain in AAPD if Price loses momentum this pm......Using the 50 ema on the 5 min.

SQQQ stopped out on my raised stop...Took a small loss -below the Friday price entry.




Sector performance @ 1pm- Tech still borderline negative on the day- But down -4.6% over the past 5 days. Flat on the past 20 days (Month)






Added VNO back- Looks to be outperforming some of the other funds I have notes on...
BA looking strong-

Small PYPL position taken at the Close- Up slightly following the recent sell-off last week on some 'News'
This may fizzle out, and so there's a well defined stop placement below the swing low today.

[sd]

8.8.23 Lotta RED @ 7 am!


Futures still indicating a sharp drop at the open- @ 9 am-
June trade report revised came in weaker, Global economy perhaps slowing more than expected-
Energy down today on that perception of a weakness in Global demand and China weaker than expected...
AAPD short working, but I'm in the RED in swing positions- I'll see how things look @ 10 am, and perhaps choose to lighten up .
TSLA also continues down- TSLQ perhaps is the trade to go there...
IGV software- down -2% so that's the AI Hype deflating...

Student debt repayment is an upcoming concern as those debt repayments will commence-
Credit card debt is seeing the card raise rates- average now is -20% on revolving debt- More credit card devbty is being added by the consumer- Not a bullish sign....
Banks- Moody's downgrades a number of banks.


Damage control as recent swings drop into loss. Energy particularly- Stops and net small gains In J, ETN,
AAPD short taken - I had entered 3 days ago on the initial gap up, and then Doubled the position as price made another leap higher- This raised my average cost to $21.48-
Stop was set using the 50 ema overnight- Price made a pullback lower on the Open, but turned back higher- I'm raising the stops to be below today's open Low.
Didn't have time to do any 3x trades- I had a limit buy just below the premarket bid/Ask for SQQQ that never filled-
Today was a day , the gap higher open had plenty of upside...for the bears..



I had dbld my position in INDA a few days ago- (buying the Dip) and had gains yesterday, evaporated today- India is supposed to be the next up and coming economy- but concerns about global growth slowing is taking it's toll across the boards....


SEEMS the banking downgrades are really pushing the markets lower.

sEEING -$800 across the IRA- stops under today's swing lows to halt the bleeding.

Averaging down on a losing position is not recommended- particularly if the trend is in decline- Sure fire way to Lose more money.

I am holding 200 PAVE-from last week's positive higher prices. the infrastructure ETF that has now dropped into the red following an upday yesterday. Pave was extended when I entered the initial trade as it moved higher above the prior week's basing. My average cost is NOW $32.26 by adding 100 on today's pullback. mY DROP DEAD stop was $31.92- Under today's swing low.
That's Risking $0.36 /300 shares - for a $9.6k position size- Risk is $.36 x 300 = - $108/9600 = -1.1%

I don't want to continue to Hold this large a PAVE position- so I will likely trail a stop higher if the momentum continues to the upside.... See how this works out...later




TQQQ -long w/size

In decisive stop at Base low


Stp triggers- Out loss.


AAPD- stop raised as Price fails to develop a trend...

OK, a little 1st harvest to sweeten the day:



cAUGHT A QUICK SCALP TRADE in SOXL, raised the stop-
Stop triggers, price made a rebound- re entered- Price is testing the earlier High level $24.04



Now looking like a bullish trend higher move- Potential R.O.T. UNDERWAY!






Didn't try to trade small caps today- but notice the similarities in the charts-
From an initial decline, a sideways range gradually settles in - and a breakout of the highs of that range - offered a very nice R:R for someone that jumped in @ 12 pm.


I could have protected my entry with a stop @ B.E $24.02- RAised stops above the entry- caught small net gains- but missed the rest of the uptrend....
Allowing it to run would have made a substantially better gain on the trades in SOXL.

@ EOD, Energy positions made a rebound higher, PAVE and INDA also up off the pullback lows-
AAPD came back and hit my raised stop on 1/2 the position, remaining 50 shares stop justr above B.E.

Sector performance today-software got beat down...


Energy was down hard early this am, but Closed higher! It was pointed out that Energy historically holds an 11% weighting, but is down to just 4% in the indexes- Remember back 2 years ago? Energy was the dominant sector for a very long time....



Learning to identify when a potential R.O.T. reversal of Trend -is getting set to occur-
Can occur by a V reversal, where Price declines and then suddenly reverses and goes immediately higher- or , more commonly, there is a basing process that - in the case of SOXL today- took many hours of buying and selling and buying and selling.
Price action- cHART WITHOUT PRICE SHOWING:




As can be seen, despite the different MACD time frames- The upside cross on each MACD would have been followed by a retracement lower in Price.
If you waited for a stochastic upside cross for confirmation, that initial cross came at 11:20 am.

Notice that the MACD fast and slow line were well below the 0.0 line , and, only after 12 pm does the fast MACD cross above the 0.0 line in the 8,12,9 MACD- about 1:30 pm the fast line crosses the 0.0 line on the 12-26-9