Insights from a Day Trader 2.27.2018

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Trading 102: Insights from a Day Trader on preparing for the trading day, mental notes and much more – Written by a current, active day-trader

The following was shared with me by a client of ours, an international trader, who has been trading with us for a few years now. I was VERY IMPRESSED with the content and the thoughts behind this so I asked his permission to share this with our readers and he agreed. The content was originally written in another language and the translation below is intended to try and preserve some of the authenticity of the writing….

Focusing for the Trading Day

  1. I believe that you can earn and make a living from intraday trading on futures contracts. It is very difficult but achievable.
  2. Responsibility – I am absolutely responsible for being an intraday trader in general and for my trading activities in particular. This responsibility is comprehensive, expansive (also subjects that are not directly responsible for me – they are my responsibility !!!) and can not be divided.
  3. My trading plan is orderly and has a positive financial profit expectancy. I believe in her.
Read More

Continue reading “Insights from a Day Trader 2.27.2018”

Seasonality in Futures Trading 2.21.2018

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Seasonal Futures Trading

There are seasonal commodity trends that may reoccur within the futures market. This could help guide traders and build a plan for a seasonal futures trading strategies.

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.

Seasonality of Futures

Continue reading “Seasonality in Futures Trading 2.21.2018”

Important Market Report Tomorrow – CPI 2.15.2018

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Monthly Metals Update
  • Record 3rd highest Gold futures volume day of 698,050 lots on January 25.
  • Platinum futures OI record of 92,277 contracts set on January 31.
  • Copper futures volumes continue to grow, up 55% YoY. Record 2nd highest Copper futures volume day of 260,330 lots on January 16.
  • U.S. Midwest Domestic Hot-Rolled Coil Steel (CRU) futures (HRC) set a monthly volume record in January of 10,435 lots (208,700 short tons), up 81% YoY.

READ REPORT

Continue reading “Important Market Report Tomorrow – CPI 2.15.2018”

Important Market Report Tomorrow – CPI 2.14.2018

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CPI report tomorrow early morning, will be watched closely by traders.
 

MARKET PLACE WRAP-UP

Interest Rates

Hedge Funds’ Biggest Short in Bonds Faces Make-or-Break Moment

(Bloomberg) — Hedge funds and other large speculators are more convinced than ever that the 2018 bond-market rout will resume in the days ahead.

The group, known for trading on momentum, boosted short bets in 10-year Treasury futures to a record 939,351 contracts, according to Commodity Futures Trading Commission data through Feb. 6. That means the violent market moves on Feb. 5, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average suffered an unprecedented drop and 10-year yields fell almost 14 basis points, weren’t enough to dissuade wagers that rates are headed higher. The next gut-check comes Wednesday, with the latest read on consumer prices.

Speculators’ positioning matters because it can push momentum to extremes, and can serve as a contrarian indicator since these traders are among the quickest to switch directions when prices turn against them. By contrast, longer-term holders like asset managers are seen as more likely to stay the course. Their net long in 10-year futures is the highest since October 2015.

The question facing Treasuries traders throughout the 2018 selloff is whether something is truly different this time that will push yields ever higher. After all, asset managers have been adding to long positions for months, and 10-year yields just keep setting multi-year highs. At the very least, investors may be recalibrating to a higher yield range.

The speculators’ stance “signals people think the 10-year has more value at 3-plus percent than at 2.85 percent,” said Ben Emons, head of credit portfolio management at Intellectus Partners LLC. “Anecdotal evidence suggests more pent-up demand for duration at 3 percent, especially by long-only players.”

Continue reading “Important Market Report Tomorrow – CPI 2.14.2018”

Volatile Markets – Be Careful!! Grains Weather Updates…. 2.09.2018

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Dryness Extensive Across Southern Plains Wheat Belt

Moisture levels have remained very low across the majority of the hard red wheat belt in the central Plains throughout the winter, with moderate drought now widespread across eastern Colorado into central Oklahoma, and severe to extreme drought located in southern Kansas, Oklahoma, and much of central and northwestern Texas (see map below).

The outlook for the next few weeks shows an upturn in moisture across the northern Plains, with Colorado and Nebraska likely to see some notable improvements in moisture in the form of snowfall. Meanwhile, moisture receipts will likely remain below normal across south central Kansas into west central Oklahoma and northwestern Texas. While moisture needs this time of year are very low for wheat as it remains in dormancy, an upturn in moisture will be critical for these areas once it emerges from dormancy.

However, a drier pattern is expected to continue across the majority of the region in March, which will likely result in some significant stress as spring crop growth resumes. An upturn in rains is possible across the heart of the hard red wheat belt in April, though, which should begin to improve moisture supplies and crop conditions. The rains will be critical to prevent substantial yield reductions for the wheat crop.

By: Don Keeney
Senior Ag Meteorologist
Radiant Solutions  Read More with charts and other data at: http://pages.cmegroup.com/index.php/email/emailWebview

Continue reading “Volatile Markets – Be Careful!! Grains Weather Updates…. 2.09.2018”

CME Raises Margins on Stock Indices 2.08.2018

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With the recent volatility the CME have raised some of the overnight margins for stock index futures.

Most of our clients enjoy $500 daytrading margins for the contracts below, depending on the platform and in rare cases market conditions. Few of the trading platforms will use % of overnight margins and/or  if you plan on holding positions more than intraday than note below:

ES was $5,555 –> now $6,105

NQ, $5,720 –> $6,380

YM, $4,620 –> $5,280

RTY, $3,245 –> $3,630

NKD, $4,565 –> $5,280

BE CAREFUL!! THESE ARE NOT “REGULAR OR NORMAL TIMES”

Plan your trade, trade your plan and ALWAYS try to asses the risk/ reward ratio you are about to trade.

Continue reading “CME Raises Margins on Stock Indices 2.08.2018”

Stock Index Bounce Back 3.5% in Volatile Trading! 2.07.2018

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Market Movers Video
Looking ahead to the February 8 Crop Report

Industry experts Dave Hightower, Founding Principal of The Hightower Report, and Dan Basse, President of AgResource Company, preview the February 8 USDA report discussing corn and soybean yields in advance of its publication.

watch video

On a different note and due to the crazy/historical volatility we are witnessing in stock indices, please read what I wrote yesterday once more:

The last few days volatility reminds me of 2008 days….I am not implying that this is what will happen but as far as volatility, risk and sharp market moves – Make sure you are aware and understand the environment we are in. This is NOT the same market personality from the past few months.

My advice when volatility picks up like this is: reduce trading size. Widen your “bands” understand what risk you are willing to take and trade accordingly.

Another thing to keep in mind is: LIMIT MOVES.

I recommend taking a few minutes and reading more about it ( especially if you trading stock indices) at:

http://www.cmegroup.com/trading/equity-index/faq-sp-500-price-limits.html

Continue reading “Stock Index Bounce Back 3.5% in Volatile Trading! 2.07.2018”

Futures Fundamentals + Monthly Outlook 1.23.2018

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The XXIII Winter Olympics start in early February, but instead of signifying a moment of global unity, these Games may present a reminder of international tensions. The Games are being held in PyeongChang, South Korea, just miles away from the world’s biggest pariah nation whose nuclear program is currently the most obvious threat to international security. Ahead of the Games, North Korea has reopened direct contact with the South, and tensions have eased somewhat. But the two Koreas have gone through cycles of detente before, only to see the North go back to its antagonistic ways.

Despite the geopolitical uncertainties, the global economic environment is on an uptrend. Equity markets have reached Olympic heights

Read Full Article here!

Futures Fundamentals online tutorial available for you to view and utilize INSTANTLY!

Start here!

Make 2018 a great one!

Continue reading “Futures Fundamentals + Monthly Outlook 1.23.2018”

Bitcoin Gone Wild…. 1.18.2018

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What a wild ride in the Bitcoin contract specifically and the cryptocurrencies in general.

Below you can see a 60 minutes chart on the XBT, the CBOE contract ( traded over 15,000 contracts today!!)

More on bitcoin futures:

https://www.cannontrading.com/community/bitcoin-futures

CFE Bitcoin Jan 18, 60 Min Chart Continue reading “Bitcoin Gone Wild…. 1.18.2018”

Reversal in mini Russell? 1.17.2018

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Today was the first time in quite a while I saw meaningful reversal in stock index markets. Time will tell if this was the first sign of correction or just another small dip and nothing else….

See mini Russell chart below ( the CME contract) and notice we made a new high and reversed to take out yesterdays lows and close lower then the open
and previous session lows. The action seems to be related to China downgrading the US credit ratings and perhaps sell off in CryptoCurrencies?

We need a bit more follow through to suggest more down side.

e-mini Russell 2000 chart daily chart Continue reading “Reversal in mini Russell? 1.17.2018”