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A free excerpt from today’s Premium Analysis:
Market Mentor
Tuesday morning’s gains launched us above the psychologically significant 2,900 level and prices are within 100-points of all-time highs. People who sold last week’s headlines are now having second thoughts, and that’s the way this game goes. Traders who make the most money are the ones that trade proactively, not react reflexively to what everyone else is doing.
There is a very important difference between selling because your preplanned stop was hit and selling because you are scared things will get worse. Just like there is a difference between holding because that is what your trading plan said you would do and holding because you are hoping that the market will bounce at any moment. Pros trade their plans, amateurs trade their gut.
While there is no guarantee a trading plan will produce a profit in any single trade, following a solid trading plan definitely guarantees better odds for success over the long run. Always plan your trades. That includes when to buy, when to sell defensively, and when to take profits. Just as important, anytime we get flushed out for a loss, don’t get discouraged because the next buying opportunity could be hours away.
At the moment, the market is buyable as long as we hold 2,900 support. The opening gap made it a little more risky to buy because a sensible stop under 2,900 is a little further away. But we can manage that larger risk by trading smaller. Start small and add more after the position starts working.
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Tags: S&P 500 Nasdaq $SPY $SPX $QQQ $IWM
Jani Ziedins (pronounced Ya-nee) is a full-time investor and financial analyst that has successfully traded stocks and options for nearly three decades. He has an undergraduate engineering degree from the Colorado School of Mines and two graduate business degrees from the University of Colorado Denver. His prior professional experience includes engineering at Fortune 500 companies, small business consulting, and managing investment real estate. He is now fortunate enough to trade full-time from home, affording him the luxury of spending extra time with his wife and two children.