Jump to content

Welcome to the new Traders Laboratory! Please bear with us as we finish the migration over the next few days. If you find any issues, want to leave feedback, get in touch with us, or offer suggestions please post to the Support forum here.

  • Welcome Guests

    Welcome. You are currently viewing the forum as a guest which does not give you access to all the great features at Traders Laboratory such as interacting with members, access to all forums, downloading attachments, and eligibility to win free giveaways. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free. Create a FREE Traders Laboratory account here.

GeneTrash

YM Trader Log - GeneTrash

Recommended Posts

Hello all,

 

My story:

 

I have been sim trading for approx 6 months. The last few have been pretty serious and as of Monday March 17/08 I went LIVE!! I just felt I couldn't wait any longer as everyday with paper was lacking the real emotions of live trading. So I am started out with $5000 and will be trading one contract on the YM. I trade at work, and can get in as much screen time as safely possible while staying under the bosses radar :)

 

My two month goal is to still have the $5000 and re-evaluate then. On Monday I placed 3 trades, all stopped out for a -30 point total. Tuesday I traded my first FED day haha and learned a lesson. :crap: I knew it wasn't a good idea to trade on FED days, but I believe mistakes are the greatest teacher. I was down $-364 at the end of the day. So starting Wednesday I had a account balance of roughly $4440. This will be the last I mention money as it is not the focus of this journal. You can follow along as I will attach my trade summary and a graph each day.

 

From now on the maximum loss per day I will be allowing is 20 points, which is two trades as my stops are always 10 points. If I reach this I will close down the live software and start up my demo account. If I reach a profit of 100 points in a day I will close down and flatten everything, starting again tomorrow.

 

I use OEC and will be adjusting my post formats as this journal evolves. Feel free to offer advice if things are un-clear or confusing. The purpose of this journal is to help others and create another level of accountability for myself. I hope to update it everyday I trade. Look for updates in the afternoon or late evening.

 

This is the first account I have ever had and as of 6 months ago I had no experience in investing or trading.

 

I look forward to your discussions.

5aa70e4761111_3minYMM8March19(2)edit.thumb.JPG.95b07db42479ad8775a98381f5f8e479.JPG

5aa70e4768a1d_TradingSummary19March08-YMM8.thumb.JPG.73ddc90358694e5e86bdff5f531d1115.JPG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Gene,

 

Few things:

 

1) CONGRATS on starting the journal! That is awesome!!!

 

2) VERY nice detailed analysis here with your spreadsheet. That is a job well done.

 

I know it's hard, but it's not about the $$$ in the beginning. You've done the right thing here and making yourself accountable... as discussed here.

 

A few comments from a candle trader:

 

Trade 3: bullish hammer after your red candle. Nice confirmation for long.

 

Trade 4: HELLO inverted hammer on high volume. GORGEOUS short to me.

 

Trade 5: Hammer as well, depending on how you enter, it failed or did not fill.

 

Trade 6: In hindsight, a large engulfing candle. I personally would of had a hard time taking that to be honest.

 

 

Here's my view of the same YM chart with your S/R zones:

 

attachment.php?attachmentid=5554&stc=1&d=1205963884

 

 

As you can see, your VHA was tested numerous times and defended by the bulls until that invertered hammer occurred. Other trades nicely profitable as well.

 

The exits are key here as to whether some/all trades made money.

 

Good luck in your trading!

5aa70e476e40d_tlym.png.a29ab6a9c32cd047fcba33ed17f0976d.png

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

First of all...I agree with everything that brownsfan said. ;)

 

Second, it would be very helpful to know a little bit about your trading style be it Candles, VSA, MP, Indicators, Divergences, etc. It doesn't have to be specific but could be helpful for future comments. I like seeing that you have a 3M chart with Market Profile since that is what I trade off of :). Do you pay attention to any other possible fixed S/R areas like pivots? For example today you had a Pivot Point at 12304.33 and a S1 at 12199.67.

 

As far as the fed day for a BRAND NEW live trader. :doh:

 

You appear to be off to a great start. Keep it up!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Overall a disappointing day. Bad trade management killed me. I think I should be taking profits quicker while I am still learning. I find myself looking for home runs and it's costing me... I was aware it would be a slow market as it's the day before a long weekend after a wild week. Taking small scalps would have been smart.

 

I got to wrapped up in the potential breakthrough into yesterdays value area as you can see by some of the bad trades haha. I have to be more objective and analyze what the market is doing and not what I want it to do.

 

My execution was poor as I had an issue with accidently trading 2 contracts instead of one.

 

Tough to swallow going to the weekend but that the way she goes. Looking forward to Monday because I know the opportunities I missed will come around again. Have a great weekend everyone.

 

Thanks for the input on yesterdays entry guys!

5aa70e4806826_3minYMM8March20.thumb.jpg.80d976deaea0c6cb7b879930c0529c99.jpg

5aa70e480ded9_TradingSummary20March08-YMM8.thumb.JPG.9151122ffd855213c8e391b4e4b46152.JPG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Gene - I think what you saw today is what happens when you have fixed S/R levels based on previous price data. This is exactly why I do not use them (MP #'s, Pivots, etc.) as I could not get them to work for me. A day like today where it's just hugging your line will eat you up real quick if not careful.

 

Just an observation, take it for what it's worth. If your research shows that days like today are to be expected and easy to deal with, then great. If not, hit the homework this long weekend HARD before Monday.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
  brownsfan019 said:
This is exactly why I do not use them (MP #'s, Pivots, etc.) as I could not get them to work for me. A day like today where it's just hugging your line will eat you up real quick if not careful.
  GeneTrash said:
I got to wrapped up in the potential breakthrough into yesterdays value area as you can see by some of the bad trades haha. I have to be more objective and analyze what the market is doing and not what I want it to do.
In my opinion those fixed areas reacted as expected today. Yes, price hugged that LVA but did you notice what was also there? The previous days POC. Look at how price reacted when it went through it on the downside. That area has been a point of interest over the last couple of days. Without some extremely strong internals and a nice PA (candle) entry I would have been very cautious at playing the actual BREAK into the Value Area. Later in the day you have the so called "flip and test" of the HOD which also so happens to be the previous UVA area. Do you go back to the previous day and manually draw possible important S/R areas? Whenever dealing with potential S/R areas you MUST understand the other areas around you and how they might affect your risk reward. This is where you seem to be having trouble Gene. That being said...after reading your comments it appears that if you had stuck to your plan and had not made that silly contract mistake, the day might have ended decently. Of course when starting out with REAL money problems like that will occur. The key to success is to stomp out those problems as soon as possible. And yes, easier said than done...welcome to trading. ;)

 

Have a great weekend!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
  Hlm said:
In my opinion those fixed areas reacted as expected today. Yes, price hugged that LVA but did you notice what was also there? The previous days POC. Look at how price reacted when it went through it on the downside. That area has been a point of interest over the last couple of days. Without some extremely strong internals and a nice PA (candle) entry I would have been very cautious at playing the actual BREAK into the Value Area. Later in the day you have the so called "flip and test" of the HOD which also so happens to be the previous UVA area. Do you go back to the previous day and manually draw possible important S/R areas? Whenever dealing with potential S/R areas you MUST understand the other areas around you and how they might affect your risk reward. This is where you seem to be having trouble Gene. That being said...after reading your comments it appears that if you had stuck to your plan and had not made that silly contract mistake, the day might have ended decently. Of course when starting out with REAL money problems like that will occur. The key to success is to stomp out those problems as soon as possible. And yes, easier said than done...welcome to trading. ;)

 

Have a great weekend!!

 

Gene - HLM brings up an excellent point here if you are going to use these MP levels. I had no idea what all was going on there, but he does. Maybe if you are nice you can pick HLM's brain a little about how to use those numbers.

 

;)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Are you sticking only to the MP levels of the previous day or do you use a developing MP to make decisions?

 

Also in relation to your profit targets it seems as if you don't actually have a set profit target for each trade. What I've found is that by creating a quasi mechanical rules system to my trading its helped heaps because it effectively takes the emotion out of your trades. When trading one contract I'd take +10 all the time simply so i could used to it even if the price kept on going. It helped to develop my money management discipline. Now I'm trading 3 lots on the ES and I always hit +1.25 as an automatic exit on my first 1/3rd. The second target is +2.50 and the last contract is discretionary with my stop moving up to break even +.25 so I effectively have a free trade which covers my commissions.

 

Maybe you can look at setting up a more mechanical profit target system to get you used to being more mecahnical and less emotional.

 

Good luck mate.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Gene, may be you should exercise more patience and consider spending more time on the simulator. Six months is not much, believe me. From some of the trading blogs that I have read recently, many experienced traders are having problems in this market.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
  Nick1984 said:
Are you sticking only to the MP levels of the previous day or do you use a developing MP to make decisions?

 

Also in relation to your profit targets it seems as if you don't actually have a set profit target for each trade. What I've found is that by creating a quasi mechanical rules system to my trading its helped heaps because it effectively takes the emotion out of your trades. When trading one contract I'd take +10 all the time simply so i could used to it even if the price kept on going. It helped to develop my money management discipline. Now I'm trading 3 lots on the ES and I always hit +1.25 as an automatic exit on my first 1/3rd. The second target is +2.50 and the last contract is discretionary with my stop moving up to break even +.25 so I effectively have a free trade which covers my commissions.

 

Maybe you can look at setting up a more mechanical profit target system to get you used to being more mecahnical and less emotional.

 

Good luck mate.

 

Hi Nick,

 

I am charting the MP levels from the previous day(s). I am in the process of learning MP more in depth and at present do not take the type of day (normal day, trending day, neutral day etc) into account. Though I do try and note the levels at which the market finds value each day as well as overlapping levels. I try to review this list each morning to see if the market may potentially revert towards these areas.

 

I find if I try and focus too much on one technique (MP, VSA etc) it overpowers everything else and I start to notice only things needed to make these tools work, rather than what the market is actually doing. I'm not sure if that makes sense haha but I know in time I can incorporate more in advanced portions of MP into my trading.

 

In regards to the mechanical exits I think you are right. I wish I could trade another contract and scale out after 10 points as I had success on the sim doing that. I think I will be using 1 contract for a long while though haha and am starting to get a idea for target sizes per situation I trade in.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
  OAC said:
Gene, may be you should exercise more patience and consider spending more time on the simulator. Six months is not much, believe me. From some of the trading blogs that I have read recently, many experienced traders are having problems in this market.

 

OAC,

 

I debated staying on the simulator longer but just felt like I was getting a watered down experience. I am enjoying trading a lot more for the fact that it is real and am willing to step back on the sim if I lose this account. Besides, the greater the variety of markets I can experience now will help me in the future.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Very low volume day today. Took too many unnecessary trades. Struggled again with trade management. My goal tomorrow is to stick with my targets and stops better and be more patient on the setups I take.

5aa70e4922dc6_3minYMM8march24(1).thumb.jpg.b486ae0a07c6026816514fd2c5aeaf97.jpg

5aa70e4929cfa_3minYMM8March24(2).thumb.jpg.48339d8e92185726b76077ef4443cda8.jpg

5aa70e49309e1_3minYMM8March24(3).thumb.jpg.52055ef4600efd9bade1b76f3f0185a5.jpg

5aa70e49361a7_TradingSummary24March08-YYM8(1).thumb.JPG.cb3d46283654f8882585d82a22d719c5.JPG

5aa70e493c693_TradingSummary24March08-YYM8(2).thumb.JPG.4930f71e80b29a65b005e0e978afa3fd.JPG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • Topics

  • Posts

    • AMZN Amazon stock, nice buying at the 187.26 triple+ support area at https://stockconsultant.com/?AMZN
    • DELL Dell Technologies stock, good day moving higher off the 90.99 double support area, from Stocks to Watch at https://stockconsultant.com/?DELL
    • MCK Mckesson stock, nice trend and continuation breakout at https://stockconsultant.com/?MCK
    • lmfx just officially launched their own LMGX token, Im planning to grab a couple of hundred and maybe have the option to stake them. 
    • Date: 2nd April 2025.   Market on Edge: Tariff Announcement and Volatility Ahead!   The US economic and employment data continues to deteriorate with the job vacancies figures dropping to a 5-month low. In addition to this, the IMS Manufacturing PMI also fell below expectations. However, both the US Dollar and Gold declined simultaneously following the release of the two figures, an uncommon occurrence in the market. Traders expect a key factor to be today’s ‘liberation day’ where the US will impose tariffs on imports. USDJPY - Traders Await Tariff Confirmation! Traders looking to determine how the USDJPY will look today will find it difficult to determine until the US confirms its tariff plan. Today is the day when Trump previously stated he would finalize and announce his tariff plan. The administration has not yet released the policy, but investors expect it to be the most expansionary in a century. President Trump is due to speak at 20:00 GMT. On HFM's Calendar the speech is stated as "US Liberation Day Tariff Announcement". Currently, analysts are expecting Trump’s Tariff Plan to impose tariffs on the EU, chips and pharmaceuticals later today as well as reciprocal tariffs. Economists have a good idea of how these tariffs may take effect, but reciprocal tariffs are still unspecified. In addition to this, 25% tariffs on the car industry will start tomorrow. The tariffs on the foreign cars industry are a factor which will particularly impact Japan. Although, traders should note that this is what is expected and is not yet finalised. Last week, President Trump stated that he would implement retaliatory tariffs but allow exemptions for certain US trade partners. Treasury Secretary Mr Bessent and National Economic Council Director Mr Hassett suggested that the restrictions would primarily target 15 countries responsible for the bulk of the US trade deficit. However, yesterday, Trump contradicted these statements, asserting that additional duties would be imposed on any country that has implemented similar measures against US products. The day’s volatility will depend on which route the US administration takes. The harshness of the policy will influence both the Japanese Yen as well as the US Dollar.   USDJPY 5-Minute Chart   US Economic and Employment Data The JOLT Job Vacancies figure fell below expectations and is lower than the previous month’s figure. The JOLT Job Vacancies read 7.57 million whereas the average of the past 6 months is 7.78 million. The ISM Manufacturing Index also fell below the key level of 50.00 and was 5 points lower than what analysts were expecting. The data is negative for the US Dollar, particularly as the latest release applies more pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. However, this is unlikely to happen if the trade policy ignites higher and stickier inflation. In the Bank of Japan’s Governor's latest speech, Mr Ueda said that the tariffs are likely to trigger higher inflation. USDJPY Technical Analysis Currently, the Japanese Yen Index is the worst performing of the day while the US Dollar Index is more or less unchanged. However, this is something traders will continue to monitor as the EU session starts. In the 2-hour timeframe, the USDJPY is trading at the neutral level below the 75-bar EMA and 100-bar SMA. The RSI and MACD is also at the neutral level meaning traders should be open to price movements in either direction. On the smaller timeframes, such as the 5-minute timeframe, there is a slight bias towards a bullish outcome. However, this is only likely if the latest bearish swing does not drop below the 200-Bar SMA.     The key resistant level can be seen at 150.262 and the support level at 149.115. Breakout levels are at 149.988 and 149.674. Key Takeaway Points: Job vacancies hit a five-month low, and the ISM Manufacturing PMI missed expectations, adding pressure on the Federal Reserve regarding interest rate decisions. Traders await confirmation on Trump’s tariff policy, which is expected to impact the EU, chips, pharmaceuticals, and foreign car industries. The severity of the tariffs will influence both the JPY and the USD, with traders waiting for final policy details. The Japanese Yen Index is the worst index of the day while the US Dollar Index is unchanged. Always trade with strict risk management. Your capital is the single most important aspect of your trading business.   Please note that times displayed based on local time zone and are from time of writing this report.   Click HERE to access the full HFM Economic calendar.   Want to learn to trade and analyse the markets? Join our webinars and get analysis and trading ideas combined with better understanding of how markets work. Click HERE to register for FREE!   Click HERE to READ more Market news.   Michalis Efthymiou HFMarkets   Disclaimer: This material is provided as a general marketing communication for information purposes only and does not constitute an independent investment research. Nothing in this communication contains, or should be considered as containing, an investment advice or an investment recommendation or a solicitation for the purpose of buying or selling of any financial instrument. All information provided is gathered from reputable sources and any information containing an indication of past performance is not a guarantee or reliable indicator of future performance. Users acknowledge that any investment in Leveraged Products is characterized by a certain degree of uncertainty and that any investment of this nature involves a high level of risk for which the users are solely responsible and liable. We assume no liability for any loss arising from any investment made based on the information provided in this communication. This communication must not be reproduced or further distributed without our prior written permission.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.