Today’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: Nothing tradeable today.  

Thursday’s results: This strategy is on hold... but is improving and likely out of the drawdown soon.

The World Index: (+100/-100) reverses from +29 to -36 with most major world markets Bearish. 

Catalysts: Fed’s Williams @ 10:40, Bostic @ 13:00. Banks, airlines & exchanges challenged by Crowdstrike/Microsoft bug, apparently fixed. 

Quick Tip: Critical Add-On

If you're trading stocks or options you need to ensure your portfolio is adequately diversified. Hot sectors in the market come and go, sometimes simultaneously. 

This is a critical component of your plan regardless of your entry and exit rules. 

The problem with trying to diversify your picks without a proven method is difficult. You can easily get stuck trading one hot segment of the market (think AI) and ignore others that are primed to explode. 

Our swing trading...

Today’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: Nothing tradeable today.  

Monday’s results: This strategy is on hold. 

The World Index: (+100/-100) drops from +21 to -14 in a world of mixed sentiment and rising volatility. 

Catalysts: Home Price Index @ 9:00. Consumer Confidence & Richmond MFG Index @ 10:00. Fed’s Cook @ 12:00 and Bowman @14:10.  

Quick Tip: Rotation

If you swing trade stocks and options you’re likely to have a portfolio of positions open. It’s easy to get mesmerized by the movers, like NVDA, and lose focus on a key and important consideration, diversification. 

All sectors of stocks don’t move in the same direction all the time. Looking at the heatmap of yesterday above (courtesy of Finviz.com) it’s interesting that while the S&P was down on the day, most of the sectors were up!

Since the S&P is a market cap weighted index, companies...

Today’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: Nothing tradeable today.  

Thursday’s results: This strategy is on hold. 

The World Index: (+100/-100) rises from -43 to -36 with the Western world the most Bearish.   

Catalysts: Import/Export Prices @ Fed’s Mester @ 8:30. UofM Consumer Sentiment @ 10:00. Fed’s Mester @ 13:15, Goolsbee @ 14:00.  

Quick Tip: Position Trading

If you’re too busy to trade short term, or simply don’t prefer that style, buy-and-hold is probably how you’re invested. You can potentially improve your results by treating those positions as trades, hence the name Position Trading. 

The stock market is an excellent source of position trade ideas. The selection is second to none. The returns over time can be incredible. The capital efficiency is not great though. You can do better by substituting options for stocks. 

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Today’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: Nothing tradeable today.  

Monday’s results: This strategy is on hold. To understand why, read yesterday's newsletter.

The World Index: (+100/-100) plummets from +57 to -29 with most major world markets Bearish.  

Catalysts: JOLTS & Factory Orders @10:00

Quick Tip: Your Hot List

If you’re a directional stock or options trader you know the importance of stock selection. All the trading skills in the world don’t matter if you’re trading assets that don’t move. 

You could look at the historical performance of stocks to assume their past will repeat in the future but that’s not ideal. 

There is a better way… a true Leading Indicator. Insider buying. Key executives have only one reason to write 7 and 8-figure checks to own more of their company. They think it’s going up and research has proven this to be true.

From "The...

Today’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: Buy 5321.50 stop 5317.50. Short 5318.25 stop 5322.25 if price drops below and retraces up to entry. 

Monday’s results: No trade triggered in a narrow range day session.  

The World Index: (+100/-100) plummets from +50 to -57 with all major world markets abruptly turning Bearish. S&P futures stable so far. 

Catalysts: Fed Speakers: Waller & Barkin @ 9:00, Williams @ 9:05, Bostic @ 9:10, Barr @ 11:45. Waiting on NVDA earnings tomorrow. 

Quick Tip: Catalysts 

Directional trading strategies require movement to succeed, and that movement is usually initiated by a catalyst. Once the buying (or selling) catches on momentum kicks in. Simple enough. 

Popular catalysts include earnings releases, new product announcements, expansion plans, C-level changes, economic news, geopolitical events, and interest rate changes, etc. 

On occasion a company becomes so...

Today’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: Buy 5184.25 stop 5179.00. Short 5296.25 stop 5300.75.

Friday's Results: No trades triggered. 

The World Index: (+100/-100) gains from -50 to +14 with most major world markets flat or modestly Bullish. 

Catalysts: Nothing on the economic calendar today.  

Quick Tip: Morning Routine

Preparing for your trading day is critical. You should have a routine you follow that includes the following:

Review Market News: Start by scanning major financial news outlets for any overnight developments that could impact the market. This includes economic data releases, geopolitical events, key corporate earnings reports, and news specific to the contracts you trade. 

Check Futures and Overseas Markets: Assess how global markets are performing by checking futures contracts for major indices like the S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq. Also, review how overseas markets, particularly in Asia and...

Results of Thursday’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: The short at 5142.25 stopped out and the breakout buy at 5238.25 only offered a 5.50-point move before failing. 

Today’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points (consider wider stops and less size in fast moving markets): 

Buy 5113.75 stop 5109.25. Short 5155.00 stop 5159.00 if price drops below and retraces to entry. 

The World Index: (+100/-100) jumps from -44 to +6 with the world markets mixed within low volatility. 

Catalysts: Non-Farm Payrolls @ 8:30. 

Quick Tip: All-Time High

What is your plan? Stay long, hedge, go flat, or short? 

Evidence from an analysis of stock market returns since 1926 done by Schroders.com might help: 

1. Of the 1,176 months since January 1926, the market was at an all-time high in 354 of them, 30% of the time.

2. 12-month returns following an all-time high being hit have been better than at...

Results of Wednesday’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points: Neither trade triggered. 

Today’s Best S&P Futures Turning Points (consider wider stops and less size in fast moving markets): 

Buy 5142.25 stop 5137.50 if price rises above and retraces to entry (breakout). Short 5138.25 stop 5143.00. 

The World Index: (+100/-100) plummets from +31 to -44 with most major world markets Bearish on rising volatility in Asia. 

Catalysts: Day Jobless Claims @ 8:30. Powell @ 10:00. Fed’s Mester @ 11:30.

Quick Tip: Ask Yourself

Earnings season is over. Generally, stocks that beat expectations will rise and vice versa. Your portfolio will likely have winners and losers. If all you look at is the total value you’re missing opportunity. 

You should be asking yourself how you’re going to manage each position. Being proactive and planning will get you the calm confidence to execute with no doubt. 

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