There are three ways short term traders lose money: incorrect analysis, expectancy (a certain % of trades just don’t work), or making trades based on emotion (this one is a biggy for most). Take a look at the price action from GMCR and QCOM after they reported earnings. Since the initial down moves on the Open one has been a … Read More
Traders Ask: Did I Give Back Too Much of My Open Profit?
Hi Mike, I haven’t hit you up for a trading question in awhile, hoping you have a couple minutes to share your thoughts on a trading issue I’m wrestling with. I am trading only 100 share positions, trying to gain consistency in my day to day efforts before increasing size. I’m wondering how you teach your new traders to manage … Read More
The Trader’s Journey: How Long Before You Feel Comfortable and Competent?
I just watched Mike’s presentation in Georgia Tech and I have a question that I hope Mike could answer. He was talking about how he would feel at ease practicing basketball. I played competitively for 12 years and I know exactly what he is talking about. The court is like my home and I feel an inner peace and happiness whenever … Read More
The Blowup
As someone who has been in the trading industry for over 15 years I am familiar with many traders and firms that have “blown up” over the years. The most recent public example of this was MF Global. Billions wagered on Sovereign European debt brought MF to bankruptcy. Probably the most famous blowup of all time was LTCM, which was … Read More
Markets Change And So Must I
I received the following thoughtful email from a reader and former SMB student the other day: Steve, From your recent email: /* Simple chart set ups are just opportunities for you to consider a trade. They are not a signal to just make a trade. Skill is needed to determine when an excellent risk/reward is present. Skill is needed to … Read More
Measuring Opportunity Intraday
After having trading professionally for 16 years I still find the lack of understanding among friends and family as to how myself and other short term traders make a living humorous. Here are some of the comments I still hear on a regular basis from my parents and close friends “Market was flat today so I guess you didn’t make … Read More
The Lense Matters
One of the questions I am asked most frequently by aspiring traders is what time frame do I use on my charts for intraday trades. My stock answer (no pun intended) is that from 9:30-10:00 I am looking at 1min or tick charts and then I zoom out to 5min. But recently I have found that a 15 minute view … Read More
SMB Fundamental #1: Proper Preparation
Last month I wrote a post about SMB Fundamental #7–Reviewing Your Important Trades. Today I would like to discuss #1–Proper Preparation. All trading success begins with proper preparation and that is why it is #1 on our list of trading principles that must be followed for each trade. Part of my morning pre-market preparation is to review the price action … Read More