Back in early 2006 we established what have become known as the SMB Fundamentals. They are a list of 7 trading principles that SMB believes should be followed for every single trade. Fundamental #7–Replaying your important trades–trades that offered a ton of opportunity—help you mentally prepare and execute at a higher level when faced with a similar trading scenario in the future. Here is an email exchange yesterday between myself and my mentee Sammy regarding his trading in SHLD, which he failed to make money trading it short, despite the fact that it got hammered.
spencer: take a look at the following SHLD charts. let me know your thoughts if there was a better way to approach the short today. do u think u could have made money if approached differently?
sammy: I think, i approached it well, i thought about it a lot on the way home as i watched the stock tank from my phone. the one thing i should of done was use a bigger stop, like 20-30 cents that would of def kept me in the trade down to 34.20 where i thought it could get to. A lot of changes i have been working on, the main was is using bigger stops to catch bigger moves. After i got stopped out i tried getting back in but the move was starting and i wasn’t sure what price i would be able to get where i can maintain risk in the stock. It aggravates me getting stopped out twice in it and then missing the big move in it, the stop should have been bigger bottom line, i have no issue at all risking 200-250 in a trade if i know the reward can be 1.5k+….Looking back this probably wont happen again to me, i’m not scared to trade wide spread stocks. The second time i put the trade on i should of just had a bigger stop and it would of paid off big time.
spencer: good analysis. if u are not afraid to be in SHLD then u can’t be afraid to risk 30 cents.
sammy: i am def not afraid. After seeing some of the trades i am in i need to balance my aggression, which is one of the biggest things i have been working on. I get into some ridiculous setups, i just need that one day when it all comes together and i make 5k and that will get me to that next step.
spencer: i’m looking forward to that day for you as well 🙂
Steven Spencer is the co-founder of SMB Capital and SMB Training and has traded professionally for over 15 years.
*no relevant positions
3 Comments on “SMB Fundamental #7: Replaying Your Important Trades”
SHLD was a very good 2nd day play on the short side today, off of yesterday’s PM resistance. I marked off the 34.26-34.39 zone from yesterdays 3:10pm candle (5-min chart). The next level was at 34.66-34.89 but it never made it up there today. By the time this short trade triggered, entry 34.25, stop 34.40 (15 cents, 3,000+ shares if I am willing to risk $500 on this trade), yesterday’s low ($33.26, or 99 cents) had already established itself as a reasonable target for this trade based on the price action since opening bell. R:R ratio of 6:1. I am sure in the SMB arsenal of trading tactics there must have been other trading opportunities on SHLD before the afternoon short that I saw, but I continue to marvel at how well the 2nd day play works.
What are the other six fundamental trading principles? Have you talked about them in other posts?
SMB Fundamentals: proper preparation, hard work, discipline, detailed trading plan, sharing your trade, patience and replaying your important trades.