Seasonals in Futures Trading 12.20.2017

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Dear Traders,

Christmas Holiday trading Schedule is now available! 

Trading Commodity Seasonal Patterns

Every calendar year there are different seasons. It is how we plan our lives. Weather is the first to come to mind, but there are holidays, sports, shopping and many more that help break up the monotony of our day to day patterns. The commodities market is no different. Just as you use a calendar to plan and differentiate Thanksgiving from Opening Day in baseball, you can use the same calendar to blueprint possibly when wheat futures will be high and copper prices low. Traders can use these seasonal patterns to their advantage because it allows a certain degree of predictability of future price movements, rather than being bombarded by an endless stream of often contradictory market noise. Now of course there are other factors too numerous to list that can affect the futures markets, but certain conditions and events reoccur at annual intervals and help traders anticipate where the market is headed. Continue reading “Seasonals in Futures Trading 12.20.2017”

How to Trade in Futures

Long-term success in futures trading usually doesn’t begin overnight. You need to develop a proven trading technique that – more often as not – works. For new traders, Forbes magazine is a solid source for financial information. In one article, it flatly states, “You would be better off just giving your money to experienced traders . . . it would save on your emotional wear and tear.”

  • First Things First: Research

The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance.
-Benjamin Franklin

  • Time is on your side. As a beginner in futures trading, it’s important to research risks and leverage. You will learn the ins and outs of this exciting marketplace when you work with a trustworthy, experienced online futures trading broker.
  • Part of your research into futures trading is to choose your online futures trading brokerage. The type of guidance you need will change as you learn more about the futures commodities trading market. Hopefully, your brokerage company will mentor your futures trading evolution; as a beginner, you may need a full-service broker. Later, you may opt for lower commissions and fees as you become more knowledgeable and adopt a do-it-yourself approach to online trading. Your considerations include:
  • Brokerage’s reputation for customer service
  • Commission rates you can afford
  • Margin requirements that you can handle
  • Software that is user-friendly and meets your requirements
  • Types of futures in which you are interested

Continue reading “How to Trade in Futures”

Guide to Choosing a Broker + Futures Trading Levels & Economic Reports for Sept. 7th 2017

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Voted #1 Blog and #1 Brokerage Services on TraderPlanet for 2016!! 

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A good piece, worth reading if you are in the stage of looking for a commodity broker for your new trading account or NOT happy with your current one and considering switching…..

How do futures traders go about selecting a futures broker they can be happy with? 

By John Thorpe Senior Broker with Cannon Trading

  1. History

A futures trader should find considerable comfort in doing business with a firm that is sound from a regulatory perspective. The Futures trader should ask for the regulatory history of both the firm and the Individual Registered Representative.

There would be a few red flags: 1) The firm is too new to have a history;  2) Several financial settlements in the past are assessed to the Firm; 3) Disciplinary actions have been taken against an Individual Registered Representative.

  1. Availability

Another aspect that a firm should exhibit to a potential futures trading client is the availability of the Individual Registered Representative or the trading staff. Is the individual available while you have market risk?  Is the Trading desk available while the markets are open?

  1. Knowledge

Continue reading “Guide to Choosing a Broker + Futures Trading Levels & Economic Reports for Sept. 7th 2017”

Top 5 mistakes traders make and 4th of July trading hours 6.29.2017

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Voted #1 Blog and #1 Brokerage Services on TraderPlanet for 2016!! 

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Excellent, short article by yours truly…..

Trading Futures: 5 Big Mistakes Beginners Should Avoid Making

 Trading futures is a tough business, but if you are one of the very few that can succeed, this could be a very lucrative business as well

Ilan Levy-Mayer| June 27, 2017 |

I have seen quite a bit since I became a broker in 1998. Some war stories to share about the markets, some crazy moves and much more in between. I was trading futures with clients on the sad Sept. 11th 2001 day when the planes hit and the markets were plunging before they were closed for almost a week. I witnessed the meat contracts making limit up and limit down moves over the years and much more…..

Continue reading “Top 5 mistakes traders make and 4th of July trading hours 6.29.2017”

Seasonal Trade Idea to start 2017! 1.04.2017

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Dear Traders,

* Wishing all of you the best in 2017 – Trading wise, health and all that you wish for!   *** To start the new year, a look at a different approach to futures trading ( I highly recommend to speak with one of our brokers before attempting to take any action with a strategy you are NOT familiar with):

Moore Research Center, Inc.
Free Futures Trading Strategy Of The Month
Seasonal
Strategy
Entry
Date
Exit
Date
Win
Pct
Win
Years
Loss
Years
Total
Years
Average
Profit
Average Profit
Per Day
Sell Mar Canadian Dollar(CME)-CDH7
01/03/2017
01/22/2017
87
13
2
15
1395
70/20

 6a797318 a7a7 4a59 8344 5d9087edd6b8

Seasonal tendencies are a composite of some of the more consistent commodity futures seasonals that have occurred over the past 15 years. There are usually underlying fundamental circumstances that occur annually that tend to cause the futures markets to react in a similar directional manner during a certain calendar period of the year. Even if a seasonal tendency occurs in the future, it may not result in a profitable transaction as fees, and the timing of the entry and liquidation may impact on the results. No representation is being made that any account has in the past or will in the future achieve profits utilizing these strategies. No representation is being made that price patterns will recur in the future. Hypothetical performance results have many inherent limitations, some of which are described below. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown. In fact, there are frequently sharp differences between hypothetical performance results and the actual results subsequently achieved by any particular trading program. One of the limitations of hypothetical performance results is that they are generally prepared with the benefit of hindsight. In addition, hypothetical trading does not involve financial risk, and no hypothetical trading record can completely account for the impact of financial risk in actual trading. For example, the ability to withstand losses or adhere to a particular trading program in spite of trading losses are material points which can also adversely affect actual trading results. There are numerous other factors related to the markets in general or to the implementation of any specific trading program which cannot be fully accounted for in the preparation of hypothetical performance results and all of which can adversely affect actual trading results. Results not adjusted for commission and slippage.

 

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Continue reading “Seasonal Trade Idea to start 2017! 1.04.2017”

Big day on the last trading day of the month tomorrow! 11.30.2016

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In today’s blog, note about tomorrow’s full day of reports, changes to Russell contract size, reminder of current front months

Dear Traders,

Looking at the schedule for tomorrow – BIG day ahead.

We have OPEC, Crude Oil report, Beige book, ADP employment report, CPI and much more.

Check the calendar on section 3 of this blog. Set alarms. Know which reports affect the markets you trade so you don’t get caught in one of those moments where you yell ” What the heck just happened??

Effective on trade date Monday, December 5th,  ICE Futures US will change the contract size for mini Russell 2000:

Mini Russell 2000 used to be that one point  was $100 or 1 tick was $10. As of next Monday, one point will be worth $50 and each tick will be $5.

Assigned Deliveries can be a very costly process to try and reverse…..make sure you are trading the correct months:

  • Front month for Gold is February.
  • Silver front month is March.
  • Front month for most grains is March.
  • Crude oil and Natural gas are January.

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Continue reading “Big day on the last trading day of the month tomorrow! 11.30.2016”

Accept a losing day and you will increase your winning ratio…..11.16.2016

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1. Market Commentary
2. Futures Support and Resistance Levels – S&P, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Russell 2000, Dollar Index
3. Commodities Support and Resistance Levels – Gold, Euro, Crude Oil, T-Bonds
4. Commodities Support and Resistance Levels – Corn, Wheat, Beans, Silver
5. Futures Economic Reports for Wednesday November 16, 2016

Greetings!

So I was trying to think of a valuable advice I can provide you as volatility increased quite a bit the last few weeks and I think it will remain higher than average for a while as we are facing quite a bit of uncertainty. This is what I came up with:

So many times as a broker I see clients who know how to make money…I see it in the daily statements, good winning %, and consistent profits UNTIL….something happens.

Either the client who is normally a day-trader decides to carry his/hers losing position and make it into a swing trade…..OR the trader is down and refuses to accept the fact it may be a losing day and decides to double down and get more aggressive because if this trade is a winner he will have another winning day….the examples go on and no I am not referring to anyone specific although many of you probably think I am talking about them.

I have done it before as a trader. It is the inability to accept a loss that creates this snow ball.

I am not a psychologist nor a professional writer (English is my second language if you did not tell by now (-:

What I am hoping for is that by writing this I may help the “good voice” inside your head that tells you DONT double down OR just keep the stop, win over that bad voice that is whispering to you to go ahead and reverse the position and double it when it is clearly not in your game plan…Trading is tough mentally, financially and emotionally, help yourself be a better trader by being a more disciplined trader.

Last but not least, do NOT enter a trade with the thought of let me get in and see how it goes…Risk levels, potential targets, game plan…should all be there BEFORE you enter the trade! Continue reading “Accept a losing day and you will increase your winning ratio…..11.16.2016”

No Trade is Better Than a Bad Trade 11.10.2016

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1. Market Commentary
2. Futures Support and Resistance Levels – S&P, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Russell 2000, Dollar Index
3. Commodities Support and Resistance Levels – Gold, Euro, Crude Oil, T-Bonds
4. Commodities Support and Resistance Levels – Corn, Wheat, Beans, Silver
5. Futures Economic Reports for Thursday November 10, 2016

Greetings!

Wow! What a volatile 24 hours we had across many markets. Mini Nasdaq limit down at one time, Mexican Peso down 11% at one point, bonds saw a 6 point swing, Dow had a range of over1100 points!! This one will definitely go down in the history books of trading….

What’s next?

Expect volatility and uncertainty to remain although not to this extent. Go back in your notes, research some volatile trading periods and adjust your trading accordingly and last but not least, remember that “No trade is better than a BAD trade”.

Continue reading “No Trade is Better Than a Bad Trade 11.10.2016”

FOMC tomorrow 11.02.2016

Connect with Us! Use Our Futures Trading Levels and Economic Reports RSS Feed.

Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterView our profile on LinkedInFind us on Google+Cannon Trading Futures Trading Resistance & Support Levels and Economic ReportsFind us on Yelp

1. Market Commentary
2. Futures Support and Resistance Levels – S&P, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Russell 2000, Dollar Index
3. Commodities Support and Resistance Levels – Gold, Euro, Crude Oil, T-Bonds
4. Commodities Support and Resistance Levels – Corn, Wheat, Beans, Silver
5. Futures Economic Reports for Wednesday November 2, 2016

Greetings!

BIG day tomorrow!

FOMC meeting along with ADP employment report earlier in the day and crude oil numbers…

Be aware of the reports, know your strengths and weaknesses and decide if you should be trading during these reports or not.

refer back to notes from your ( hopefully ) trading journal and stay disciplined and consistent. No trade is better than a bad trade!

Here are some notes I share before every FOMC day….

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FOMC days have different characteristics than other trading days. If you have traded for a while, check your trading notes from past FOMC days that may help you prepare for tomorrow.

if you are a newcomer, take a more conservative approach and make sure you understand that the news can really move the market.

The following are suggestions on trading during FOMC days:

  • Reduce trading size
  • Be extra picky = no trade is better than a bad trade
  • Choose entry points wisely. Look at longer time frame support and resistance for entry. Take the approach of entering at points where you normally would have placed protective stops. Example, trader x looking to go long the mini SP at 2105.00 with a stop at 2099.00, instead “stretch the price bands” due to volatility and place an entry order to buy at 2099.75 and place a stop a few points below in this hypothetical example.
  • Expect the higher volatility during and right after the announcement
  • Expect to see some “vacuum” ( low volume, big zigzags) right before the number.
  • Consider using automated stops and limits attached to your entry order as the market can move very fast at times.
  • Know what the market was expecting, learn what came out and observe market reaction for clues
  • Be patient and be disciplined

Continue reading “FOMC tomorrow 11.02.2016”