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Tag: Future Trading

Trading Levels and Reports for January 16, 2012

Posted on by Ilan

 

Jump to a section in this post:

1. Market Commentary
2. Support and Resistance Levels – S&P, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Russell 2000, Dollar Index
3. Support and Resistance Levels – Gold, Euro, Crude Oil, T-Bonds
4. Support and Resistance Levels – Corn, Wheat, Beans, Silver
5. Economic Reports for Wednesday January 16, 2013

 

Hello Traders,

For 2013 I would like to wish all of you discipline and patience in your trading!

 

Risk Management for Technical Traders [Interview Excerpt]

Tips from EWI Senior Analyst Jeffrey Kennedy’s Stocks and Commodities interview
By Elliott Wave International

“Being an analyst and trader involves two totally separate skill sets. As an analyst, you are a master of observation. You are focusing on what could happen. As a trader, your primary focus is on what is happening…” Read more.

 

Trading Levels and Reports for January 15, 2013

Posted on by Ilan

 

Jump to a section in this post:

1. Market Commentary
2. Support and Resistance Levels – S&P, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Russell 2000, Dollar Index
3. Support and Resistance Levels – Gold, Euro, Crude Oil, T-Bonds
4. Support and Resistance Levels – Corn, Wheat, Beans, Silver
5. Economic Reports for Tuesday January 15, 2013

 

Hello Traders,

For 2013 I would like to wish all of you discipline and patience in your trading!

 

Using Volume Charts for Day-Trading:

 

My theory is that when it comes to short term day trading, volume is much more important than time, hence I use volume bars/charts quite a bit. I use bars of between 1,000 to 18,000 contracts traded (pending the specific market, based on recent volatility, average daily trade volume and a few other factors). That means that instead of bars completing based on time frame (i.e. 1 minute or 15 minutes etc.), I use volume instead of time. So each time X,000 contracts traded, a new bar will complete. When the specific market has high volume and is moving fast, the bars will complete faster. When market is in low volume without much action, the bars will complete slower.

 

For me personally, this has helped getting signals ahead of time when there is fast action in the market and avoiding false signals when volume is low.

 

Trading Levels and Reports for January 10, 2013

Posted on by Ilan

 

Jump to a section in this post:

1. Market Commentary
2. Support and Resistance Levels – S&P, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Russell 2000, Dollar Index
3. Support and Resistance Levels – Gold, Euro, Crude Oil, T-Bonds
4. Support and Resistance Levels – Corn, Wheat, Beans, Silver
5. Economic Reports for Thursday January 10, 2013

 

Hello Traders,

For 2013 I would like to wish all of you discipline and patience in your trading!

 

Some days are just losing days….Don’t fight it. You will have losing days. I have been in the futures industry for 15 years now and never have I met a trader who did not have a losing day…and  I will never meet one….impossible. 

Understand it and accept it.  One of your hardest jobs as a day trader is to make sure a losing day does NOT become a disaster…Our human emotions and our brain is not programmed very well to learn how to lose. Yet one of the key differences between traders and those who try to become “traders”…is that traders first learn how to lose. They understand losing is part of trading. The others, refuse to take a lose and will make many mistakes along the way to make a “normal losing” day into a disaster. That may be carrying positions overnight when they normally don’t, reversing, pyramiding and many other mistakes that they would normally not make. That turns a “normal losing day” (maybe for an acct of $10,000, a normal losing day would be down $500?) into one of those days where they wipe out half of their account.

 

Sometimes we need to learn how to lose before we can excel in trading.

 

Trading Levels and Reports for January 9, 2013

Posted on by Ilan

 

Jump to a section in this post:

1. Market Commentary
2. Support and Resistance Levels – S&P, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Russell 2000, Dollar Index
3. Support and Resistance Levels – Gold, Euro, Crude Oil, T-Bonds
4. Support and Resistance Levels – Corn, Wheat, Beans, Silver
5. Economic Reports for Wednesday January 9, 2012

 

Hello Traders,

For 2013 I would like to wish all of you discipline and patience in your trading!

 

Daily chart of the mini SP 500 for your review below. While I still think the medium term outlook for this market is higher, I believe that we may see”filling the gap” around 1428 before a move higher.
mini Sp 500 daily chart

 

Trading Levels and Reports for January 8, 2013

Posted on by Ilan

 

Jump to a section in this post:

1. Market Commentary
2. Support and Resistance Levels – S&P, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Russell 2000, Dollar Index
3. Support and Resistance Levels – Gold, Euro, Crude Oil, T-Bonds
4. Support and Resistance Levels – Corn, Wheat, Beans, Silver
5. Economic Reports for Tuesday January 8, 2012

 

Hello Traders,

For 2013 I would like to wish all of you discipline and patience in your trading!

 

Today we had one of these Mondays where the market had no major reports, low volume and just a choppy none directional market move.

Reminded me about a quick paragraph I wrote once and still holds true, so decided to share with you:

  • In my opinion there are 3 main types of trading days.

1. The most common day are two sided trading action with swings up and down – this type of trading day is most suitable for using support and resistance levels along with overbought/oversold indicators.

2. Strong trending days, mostly one directional – this type of trading day is the least common, many times will happen on Mondays and maybe 3-5 times a month at most – this type of trading day is most suitable for using ADX, MACD crossovers and pretty much looking for pullbacks to jump on the trend.

3. Slow and/or choppy trading days – this type of trading day is best suited for taking small profits from the market by looking at volume spikes, using stochastics as possible entry signals and usually wait for a pullback before jumping in.

  • A good question I’ve been asked is how can one asses what type of trading day we will have while the market is still trading….I have been doing some work in finding the answers and will be happy to hear feedback via email but here are some initial observations:
    1. Was the overnight session a wide, two sided trading range? If the answer is yes, good chances for similar trading day during the primary session (primary session is when the cash/stock market is open)
    2. Mondays have the highest chance for trending days
    3. The behavior of the first hour of trading can also suggests the type of action for the rest of the day.
    4. If the first 30 minutes of the trading day have good volume, better chances for type 1 or type 2 trading days.
    5. Low volume during the first 30 minutes can suggest a choppy (type 3 trading day)

 

Trading Levels and Reports for January 4, 2013

Posted on by Ilan

 

Jump to a section in this post:

1. Market Commentary
2. Support and Resistance Levels – S&P, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Russell 2000, Dollar Index
3. Support and Resistance Levels – Gold, Euro, Crude Oil, T-Bonds
4. Support and Resistance Levels – Corn, Wheat, Beans, Silver
5. Economic Reports for Friday January 4, 2012

 

Hello Traders,

For 2013 I would like to wish all of you discipline and patience in your trading!

 

Volatile session with average volume as some traders are still out.

 

Monthly unemployment report tomorrow! Be aware as this is a market moving event.
The gap open on Wednesday morning “needs to be filled” so we may see some more pressure down but over all I think the market is still strong so my output for swing or medium term trades is wait for lower prices to buy call options ( to “fill the gap” we need to see the market at 1425).
As far as day-trading, there are many ways and techniques to lose…and make money. I think the main factor for most daytraders is money management and discipline.

 

Trading Levels and Reports for January 3, 2013

Posted on by Ilan

 

Jump to a section in this post:

1. Market Commentary
2. Support and Resistance Levels – S&P, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Russell 2000, Dollar Index
3. Support and Resistance Levels – Gold, Euro, Crude Oil, T-Bonds
4. Support and Resistance Levels – Corn, Wheat, Beans, Silver
5. Economic Reports for Thursday January 3, 2012

 

Hello Traders,

For 2013 I would like to wish all of you discipline and patience in your trading!
2013 started out with a strong, volatile session across the markets. The strong open on stock indices and lower open on bonds/ ten years left a meaningful gap on the charts.While some of the institutions are still out, much of the volume returned to the markets.Below is a screen shot from mini SP500 daytrading session from today.

 

E mini S&P 2013 daily chart

 

Would you like to have access to my DIAMOND and TOPAZ ALGOs as shown above and be able to apply for any market and any time frame on your own PC ?   You can now have a two weeks free trial where I enable the ALGO along with few studies for your own sierra/ ATcharts.

 

To start your trial, please visit:

 

If so, please send me an email with the following information:

 

1. Are you currently trading futures?

2. Charting software you use?

3. If you use sierra or ATcharts, please let me know the user name so I can enable you

4. Markets you currently trading?

 

New Year 2013 Futures trading Schedule

Posted on by Ilan

Below please find the New Year trading schedule.  All times are listed in Central Time.  Feel free to contact me for any additional info. or clarification.

 

Monday, Dec. 31

 

  • CME Group Equity Products:

 

4:15 P.M. Regular CME Globex close for trade date Monday, Dec 31

 

  • CME Group Interest Rate Products:

 

4:00 P.M. Regular CME Globex close for trade date Monday, Dec 31

 

  • CME Group FX Products:

 

4:00 P.M. Regular CME Globex close for trade date Monday, Dec 31

 

Trading Levels and Reports for December 20, 2012

Posted on by Ilan

 

Jump to a section in this post:

1. Market Commentary
2. Support and Resistance Levels – S&P, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Russell 2000, Dollar Index
3. Support and Resistance Levels – Gold, Euro, Crude Oil, T-Bonds
4. Support and Resistance Levels – Corn, Wheat, Beans, Silver
5. Economic Reports for Thursday December 20, 2012

 

Hello Traders,

Action today on the SP500 is somewhat bearish to me. Good volume (especially for pre holiday trading), we made fresh high (recent highs) and turned around to close at the lows. To me that shows that there is good selling interest at the 1444 area and possible move down to 1412.

Great resource was just added to our website!
An interactive trading calendar, which includes reports, economic numbers, last trading days, option expiration and much more!
Bookmark this page and use it!

Happy Holidays!

Christmas Holiday Futures Trading Schedule

Posted on by Ilan

Below please find the Christmas trading schedule.  All times are listed in Central Time.  Feel free to contact us for any additional info. or clarification.

 

Monday, Dec. 24

  • CME Group Equity Products:

12:15 P.M. early close

  • CME Group Interest Rate Products:

12:15 P.M. early close

  • CME Group FX Products:

12:15 P.M. early close

  • NYMEX,COMEX Products on CME Globex:

12:30 P.M. early close for all Crude,Heating Oil, RBOB &, Nat Gas contracts

  • CBOT, KCBT, MGEX Grain & Agricultural Products on CME Globex:

12:00 P.M. early CBOT & KCBT close

12:15 P.M. early MGEX close

12:30 P.M. early CBOT Mini – Sized Grain close

Continue reading “Christmas Holiday Futures Trading Schedule”

RISK DISCLOSURE: Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results. The risk of loss in futures trading can be substantial, carefully consider the inherent risks of such an investment in light of your financial condition.