MadMarketScientist

We have learned a lot this year at TL, through both trading and discussing ideas with other traders. I’m proud to end the year by highlighting some really great threads where we reflect on the mistakes we have made this year, as well as some of the trading strategies and techniques developed by the community members. Print them up and enjoy them by the fire with some hot cocoa by the fire this Christmas while the markets are quiet. What Really Works for Technical Traders Trading with PA - No Indictators Why Do More Than 90% of Traders Lose? Using Trend, Momentum, & Timing to Trade Well Is Day Trading Dead? Happy Holidays everyone and see you all in 2012. thx, MMS

Hi onesmith, This is a community and everyone is entitled to their opinions and preferences. And there might be some people who would like to help a student out and take his survey. No harm done is there? If you don't want to take the survey just ignore the thread. thanks, MMS

Yes there is a RSS feed - look for the RSS icon in the footer of site thanks, MMS

TradersLaboratory Newsletter - Dec 13, 2011 This newsletter is brought to you by our sponsor Oanda http://bit.ly/vWA5Gn TOP POSTS & THREADS [1]Handling Early Success When you say 5% a day, I do not feel comfortable with that expectation. In fact, I don't feel comfortable assigning any expected percentage return or daily trading goal. Since ... 1. http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/beginners-forum/11449-handling-early-success-3.html#post133612 [2]Britain Stands Firm! Today, PM David Cameron faces MP questioning over his veto on new financial changes to the EU Treaty. Mr Cameron said no because there were no safeguards for Britain's financial ... 2. http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/trading-markets/11463-britain-stands-firm.html [3]Risk On, Risk Off is Bull I'd like to see what others think about the phrase which has been used more and more recently. Anyone with even a slight interest in the markets has probably heard this phrase. "Today is ... 3. http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/trading-markets/11440-risk-risk-off-bull.html [4]New To Trading : My Bio Hi everyone, just joined today. My bio: 34, married with 3 children, ages 9, 6 and 2. Worked in the financial industry for around 7 years and then decided to go back to school. Double ... 4. http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/beginners-forum/11464-hi-there-my-bio.html [5]Is the Technical Analysis Valid Under the Current Market Situations? What I am interested in knowing is whether the current market situation such that it will be following some trends. There are events which affect markets out of no where ... 5. http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/technical-analysis/11454-technical-analysis-valid-under-current-market.html [6]Debate: Hard stops or mental stops? often well known stop order levels can be triggered as people try and push prices.....thats just the market working normally. These days with automated systems and brokers having ... 6. http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/technical-analysis/294-debate-hard-stops-mental-stops-3.html#post133515 HOT TOPIC [7]How to Pick Intraday Market Direction – the 80% Rule Let me introduce you to one simple technique I've used to pick intraday market direction with 80% accuracy. Would you like to know if a particular trade has an 80% probability of working? Would you like to know exactly where to enter that trade, and where to exit? Would you like to trade this technique with a 2 point stop loss or less ... 7. http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/futures-trading-laboratory/11423-trading-tip-13-how-pick-intraday.html#post133081

Your picture isn't working ... please try posting it again MMS

My pet peeve is when I read a headline says 'Company X surges on Y' ... and the stock moved up 1% Surges ... seriously?? MMS

wow that is pretty impressive!!

Yes that is right. Generally its not a good idea to place Market orders simply because there is a small chance it shoots quickly out of the range you want. But in practice, if its a very liquid stock you should be ok. The biggest risk with shorting is your loss can be 'infinite'. Since you are shorting, a stock can go up 10x and thus you are on the hook for 10x the position. If you were just long a stock, the most you can lose is your original position. MMS

Interesting article about 24hr trading ... Rest at: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/24-hour-stock-trading-never-took-off-heres-why-2011-11-30

TradersLaboratory Newsletter - Nov 26, 2011 This newsletter is brought to you by our sponsor Oanda http://bit.ly/vWA5Gn TOP POSTS & THREADS [1]How Large Players "Shred" Market Orders in Futures This thread is concerned with understanding how large players break-up or "shred" market orders in the futs mkts.The reason I am trying to understand better how this is done is part of ... 1. http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/trading-markets/9364-instutional-shredding.html [2]How Do You Know the Markets Aren't Random? Following on from "The Question of Randomness" thread. How do people know the markets aren't random? I'm up for creating some random data to see if someone can show me how they know ... 2. http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/technical-analysis/11150-how-do-you-know-markets-arent.html [3]Subliminal Stimuli- Anyone Using It? Since the owner of Trader's Laboratory had been so kind to us, as a small token of my appreciation, I will share the following mp3 that has previously only been available to CFRN Partners ... 3. http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/trading-psychology/11143-subliminal-stimuli-anyone-using.html [4]Trading the Storm - Methods for the Struggling Trader I thought it worth sharing as he emphasizes the importance of qualifying / confirming with patterns which you know I'm an advocate of...have really been on a roll, up net 67% since Oct ... 4. http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/technical-analysis/10206-trading-storm-methods-struggling-trader-26.html#post132417 [5]The Main Reason Why Forex Traders Fail There are many answers in the market to this question: Why do most forex traders fail? - Some blame it on over trading - Some blame it on emotions - Some blame it on revenge mentality ... 5. http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/trading-psychology/10765-main-reason-why-forex-traders-fails.html [6]Building Your Own Trading Company This thread is for the subject of a trading company. What it is, it's benefits, it's detriments, how it would be run, how you would find people to be a part of it, and what it's mission would be ... 6. http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/trading-markets/9487-trading-company.html HOT TOPIC [7]Type of Volume (delta) Important? I am prompted to write this post because I have read this a couple of times over the last year and have thought about it again today: "As I said, and as I've said a great many times before, a "lot of people" can't buy unless "a lot of people" are also willing to sell. Unless someone is willing to sell and also someone willing to buy, there can be no transaction. If there is no transaction, there is no volume." ... 7. http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/wyckoff-forum/11151-type-volume-delta-important.html

eToro provides a simple, transparent and enjoyable way to invest and trade in currencies, commodities and indices online.

STRATO Markets is a premier provider of online trading services in the Foreign Exchange marketplace for individual traders and registered partners.

Check out this presentation by Deutsche Bank: The Tipping Point? Time to Call the ECB DB Tipping Point Nov 2011 FINAL This thing in Europe is not going to end well. I'm holding some gold\silver anticipating some currency printing, holding a Short Euro ETF, and shorted some banks including DB & RBS What is everyone else doing? thx MMS

You might also want to look at selling naked puts ... this guy has some interesting trades each month. http://www.traderslaboratory.com/forums/options-trading-laboratory/10170-monthly-option-trade-log.html MMS

Move on to where Steve? We all appreciate your thoughtful posts - don't stay away too long. MMS

Are you after yield or capital gains? If its yield then I would go for the big steady telecoms like Verizon, AT&T, China Mobile, Bell (in Canada). If its capital gains, you can't really go wrong with Apple and Google. Personally, I stay away from commodity component manufacturers as they live and die by the whims of their masters, namely the product innovators. But I have to admit these are the guys most likely to be a 5 bagger. MMS

Never tried them but it sure is costly ... MMS

Yup ... the only thing 'good' about the US is that Europe is worse! Funny but the flight to safety from the Europe is straight to US treasuries ... but eventually hopefully it will be to gold and silver. MMS

Hi, No, the contract would be exercised at the strike price of $55. So you would have 100x$55=$5500 + $200 premium for a total of $5700 MMS

Yup that is essentially Object Oriented Programming ... the Objects are the individual instances of a Class. You never really 'control' all the instances of a Class (Human) just the individual instances of the class (Mark) regards, MMS

AAPL is an interesting stock these days with Steve gone. I'm still in my put position and will most likely sell another just like it come expiration. But its not 'a sure thing' as it used to be. thx MMS

Have to agree with you 100% here Steve. Like I say to my employees - "if you don't have input don't complain later". BOD definitely has a responsibility to the shareholders to keep a watch on whats going on. But on the other hand. the CEO also has a responsibility to work in the best interest of the company as a whole - not just what is good for him. Lots of blame to go around here ... but it does look like someone is going to jail. MMS

Not really comparing them, just wanted to see if people do both or are they strictly in one camp MMS

Yes I agree the biggest problem with Value investing is having the discipline to wait and wait for the value to be revealed. In fact, this is one of the reasons why I like options trading vs. buying stocks as it forces a timeline on the trade for me. MMS

Very true. I guess this is just identifying an even bigger problem with public corporate structures and responsibilities. But that is a topic for another thread ... MMS