ES
Open:
Short 2 @ 1416.75. 60m Rubber Band trade, the trend past two weeks is up, this is a break-out out of consolidation at the highs that failed and bonds are rallying . 3 point stop loss, 1 ticks above the high, targets are 2 points at the mean and 4 points at the -L1.
Close:
1st: Cover 1 @ 1414.75. First target hit, 1 tick heat.
2nd: Cover 1 @ 1414.75. Closed out the trade 10m before the open. It then hit the -L1 target 1 tick above the original target at the open, but not sure if I could've gotten a fill, it was a bottom tick. It retraced to 3 ticks below entry and hit the original -L1 target again this time with a certain fill.
2 contracts $200 gross, $189.36 net.
ZB
Open:
Long 2 @ 151.05. 1st Hour Bond trade, got filled 50m after the first hour, the overall trend of the indices are up, and this trade got filled when there was a 60m TC18 on the ES, missed that trade. My feeling is that chances are this trade will get stopped out if the indices continue the uptrend from that 60m TC18.
Close:
Sell 2 @ 151.01. Stopped out.
2 contracts -$250 gross, -$260.32 net.
For the day -$230 gross, -$254.20 net.
GC
Open:
Long 2 @ 1726.1. Gold Rush, it's up 7 after a big down day, planning to take 1 contract off quickly and let the other one run to the 61.8% retracement 40 ticks above. This last leg up is pretty extended too.
Close:
1st: Sell 1 @ 1726.3. Got out of the first contract after adjusting the order on the offer side a couple of times, no heat.
2nd: Sell 1 @ 1726.1. There were several failed push-ups and left tails, I felt like I'd waited long enough and exited the trade. It eventually got up to my target.
2 contracts $20 gross, $6.12 net.
ZB
Open:
Long 2 @ 151.02. This trade is based on the analysis that the indices are gonna go down and bonds are gonna go up. Looked at different ways to trade it and found this was the most convenient way with tolerable risk. The plan is to take off 1 contract with 1 tick profit and let the other one run, I did though put an order to take profits at 61.8% retracement 14 ticks above entry. The stop loss is 12 ticks at 2 ticks below 50% retracement and shouldn't be hit is my analysis is right. Total risk if failed to take off 1 contract is $750.
Close:
1st: Sell 1 @ 151.03. First target hit, 1 tick heat. Moved down the stop loss by 1 tick, the risk is now $375.
2nd: Sell 1 @ 151.16. 5 ticks heat from entry. Target hit, was thinking about taking profits 2 ticks below the target because it already hit my target without a fill, but stuck to my guns.
2 contracts $468.75 gross, $458.43 net.
6E
Open:
Long 2 @ 1.5956. 30m TC18, was going to sleep, didn't have a order out upfront, got in with market order. 13 ticks to 60m TC18 add-in point, ready to add in 4 to 6 contracts, max risk about $1000. May jump out the trade fairly quickly because I want to go to bed. I'm also holding a swing short position after a big light volume holiday up day.
Close:
1st: Sell 1 @ 1.2961. First target hit, 5 ticks profit, 3 ticks heat. Turning this into a hedge for my swing position, lifted stop loss to 1.2950 which is where the exit for the swing trade is and target set to 1.2990, a few ticks below the last day's high. Now I can go to sleep.
2nd: Sell 1 @ 1.2950. Stopped out while I was asleep. It happened to be the 60m 18EMA, but I wasn't there to take the trade. Still a good hedge, got out of my swing position the way I wanted to.
2 contracts -$12.50 gross, -$26.98 net.
GC
Open:
Long 2 @ 1725.3. Gold Rush, still have 1 contract left over from the last trade.
Close:
1st: Sell 1 @ 1726.6. Market order, after taking 5 ticks heat, dropped down the order to exit the first contract from 20 ticks to 13 ticks at the current price level. Jumped the gun there, guess I just got nervous seeing that I was longing 3 contracts of gold, could've easily gotten 20 ticks. All in all I had a +3 contract position for only 2 minutes and freaked out a little bit.
Raised the stop loss to break-even after the 50 ticks target from last trade got hit.
2nd: Sell 1 @ 1730.4. I moved the order down after a 1600+ volume spike, trailed it a few ticks above the current price but never managed to get filled. It then turned back up and I moved the order up, was going to move it higher again, but it just got filled too quickly.
2 contracts $640 gross, $626,12 net.
For the day $1190 gross, $1162.24 net.
GC
Open:
Long 2 @ 1722.7. 15m Squeeze, Gold was up 8, the uptrend looked good and was in a 15m Squeeze, had been watching it for 15 minutes trying to figured out whether to take the trade or not. Finally decided to enter when 5m entered a Squeeze and the momentum was rising. Put an limit order and got filled. The plan is to take off 1 contract fairly quickly and then put the stop loss behind the 60m 35EMA and let it run.
Close:
1st: Sell 1 @ 1723.2. 1 tick heat, could've had 10 ticks, but didn't want to wait and take the risk. Stop loss moved to 6 ticks behind 60m 35EMA, or 50 ticks from entry, total risk is now $450. The target is at +50 ticks from entry. Also put out a Gold Rush order 26 ticks above the entry of this trade.
Gold Rush trade got filled.
2nd: Sell 1 @ 1727.7. 50 ticks target hit.
2 contracts $550 gross, $536.12 net.
GC
Open:
Short 2 @ 1708.7. Gold Rush, missed the first chance, got in on the subsequent one.
Close:
1st: Cover 1 @ 1708.5. Volatility was low, it pushed down a little bit and then came back against me, changed the first target to +2 ticks, didn't want a full stop loss, can just let the second contract run. 6 ticks heat.
2nd: Cover 1 @ 1706.5. Took 20 ticks heat, almost closed out the trade with a small loss, the 30m chart had 2 bars with long tails suggesting a bounce. I waited the last 5 minutes for the second bar to close. It moved in my direction, I adjusted the target to 5 ticks above the 50% retracement which was also yesterday's low. It turned out to be a good decision. Was thinking about doing a compounded trade, but was too scared to do it, could've gotten some money out of it.
2 contracts $240 gross, $226.12 net.
6A
Open:
Short 2 @ 1.0308. 15m TC20, market order, 5 ticks and open target, ready to add in 2 contracts at 30m TC18 9 ticks above.
Close:
1st: Cover 1 @ 1.0303. First target hit, wanted to take off 1 contract quickly in case I needed to add in, and was also a little scared of losing money. 2 ticks heat.
2nd: Cover 1 @ 1.0303. After taking 6 ticks heat, and it was getting closer to the add in point, I moved the order to +5 ticks and got filled. Could've gotten 10 ticks a few minutes later.
2 contracts $100 gross, $85.52 net.
GC
Open:
Long 2 @ 1734.1. Gold Rush, wasn't sure if I wanted to trade the FOMC minutes news, but as the price came close to the entry level, I put the order out. Top tick fill.
Close:
Sell 2 @ 1731.1. Stopped out. Should've taken 1 contract off after nearly being stopped out. It went down to 2 ticks from stop loss and then came back to -10 ticks from entry, there was my chance. Was hoping it would break out today, but probably should've just waited.
2 contracts -$600 gross, -$613.88 net.
For the day -$1347.50 gross, -$1399.78 net.
ES
Open:
Long 2 @ 1363.50. Bottom Fishing, $TICK kept hitting -1000, but the price wasn't going lower and was at support. Decided to try to pick a bottom with 2 point stop loss, 2 and 5 points target. Against the trend, but relatively low risk trade.
Close:
1st: Sell 1 @ 1364.75. Moved target to take 1 contract off to reduce risk, didn't wait for it to hit the target which it did a few minutes later. 2 ticks heat.
2nd: Sell 1 @ 1367.50. Moved target to 15m 18EMA, didn't want to sit through the news.
2 contracts $262,50 gross, $251.86 net.
GC
Open:
Long 2 @ 1733.3. Gold Rush, 2 ticks slippage. Used 15 and 30 ticks target because it's quite extended at this point. Missed the first Gold Rush too. Will try to take off 1 contract quickly.
Close:
Sell 2 @ 1730.1. Stopped out. Wasn't fast enough to take 1 contract off with a profit, adjusted order a couple of times a few ticks above the current price but never manage to get filled. Max +7 ticks.
2 contracts -$640 gross, -$653.88 net.
GC
Open:
Long 2 @ 1729.9. Gold Rush, 2 ticks slippage. Put in the order a few minutes before the PPI news and got filled 1 minute before.
Close:
1st: Sell 1 @ 1726.7. Stopped out 1 second after the entry, bottom tick fill. Bracket order only trigger 1 contract.
2nd: Sell 1 @ 1729.4. "Flatten" button, decided to close the trade, not sure what was going on at the time and was trying to double check the orders and positions. Put an order to try it again.
2 contracts -$370 gross, -$383.88 net.
GC
Open:
Short 2 @ 1724.4. 50% Ambush trade, 20 ticks stop loss (4 ticks above 62% retracement), 15 and 30 ticks target.
Close:
1st: Cover 1 @ 1723.4. First Ambush trade, wasn't sure if it would give me 15 ticks, and it was stalling a little bit around 10 ticks, decided to take profits. It reached 15 ticks the next minute, 2 ticks heat.
2nd: Cover 1 @ 1724.5. Decided to move the stop loss to break-even after the push down failed. 1 tick slippage, it got to max +25 ticks. Good call.
2 contracts $90 gross, $76.12 net.
For the day $110 gross, $82.24 net.
GC
Open:
Short 2 @ 1720.4. Gold Rush, order was at 1721.1, 7 ticks slippage.
Close:
1st: Cover 1 @ 1719.5. The entry bar had a 3000 volume spike, decided to take off 1, limit order got filled, bottom tick, lucky there, but could've gotten 20 ticks if I took 11 ticks heat and waited longer. Stop loss moved to where it would've been without the slippage, if the price moves down far enough, I'll bring the stop loss to break-even.
2nd: Cover 1 @ 1721.1. A push down failed to break the low and bounced, decided to move the stop loss to where the entry would've been without the slippage and try to do a ambush trade instead if it gets there. The distance was 35 ticks from the supposed entry to the low, I figured this would be enough space to move the stop loss to break-even. Good call.
2 contracts $20 gross, $6.12 net.
GC
Open:
Long 2 @ 1738.5. Gold Rush, order was at 1738.1, 4 ticks slippage. Not so sure about this trade, gold has had 4 days of big range up days bouncing from a low, it's a little above 50% retracement of the whole move down.
Close:
Sell 2 @ 1735.3. Stopped out, it went as high as 1739.4 in the same minute with 1500 volume and then turned back. Bottom tick too, would've gotten out with break-even otherwise. Next time, if small slippage, adjust the stop loss to where it should've be without the slippage. The decision to go through with the trade was probably a little bit because I missed so many Gold Rush trades in the last 4 days.
2 contracts -$640 gross, -$653.88 net.
For the day -$1102.5 gross, -$1156.82 net.
6J
Open:
1st: Long 2 @ 12623. 15m TC19, market order. Ready to add in 4 contracts at 30m TC18, 10 ticks stop loss behind that.
2nd: Long 4 @ 12612. 30m TC18, add-in. 10 ticks stop, targets are: 3 at 5 ticks, 2 at 10 ticks and 1 at 15 ticks. Average is now 12615.67.
Close:
1st: Sell 3 @ 12617. First target hit, 2 ticks heat.
2nd: Sell 2 @ 12602. Stopped out. It got to 3 ticks from stop loss, and snapped back 10 ticks, should've take off at least 1 contract there.
6 contracts -$462.50 gross, -$505.94 net.
GC
Open:
Long 2 @ 1687.1. Gold Rush, missed the initial entry, got in at where it would've been after another push up and a pullback. Will take 1 contract off with scratch or a small profit asap, and see if it can go higher with a 30 ticks stop loss.
Close:
1st: Sell 1 @ 1687.2. Didn't put an scratch order immediately, missed the first chance, took 10 ticks heat before getting out with 1 tick above entry. It went on and hit the +20 ticks mark.
2nd: Sell 1 @ 1690.1. Didnt think the move up would be sustainable and took profit after a minor price spike. It eventually reach the original 50 ticks target 20 minutes later.
2 contracts $310 gross, $296.12 net.
GC
Open:
Long 2 @ 1722.0. Gold Rush, 4.30am CET, didn't have an order out when it went through the entry point, limit order got filled 3 ticks below what the entry would've been. May move the second target as it is slightly above the 50% retracement.
Close:
1st: Sell 1 @ 1722.2. 23 ticks heat, it went up to 1 tick from the first target, was thinking about taking profits, but hesitated, and it tanked 10+ ticks in one minute, and continued to drop below break-even, decided to take off half with a scratch. Didn't move the stop loss, it's now 7 ticks below the swing low, moved up the target to 1729, right around the daily 18EMA and at the lower band of a resistance zone overhead, with the daily 20EMA 10 ticks higher and 61.8% retracement 45 ticks higher. May still take profits earlier if a volume spike appears.
2nd: Sell 1 @ 1726.6. 21 ticks heat, limit order to exit after a volume spike. Good Call.
2 contracts $480 gross, $466.12 net.
