Thursday 19 September 2013

190913 Longterm Trade update



PL: +2% / £50.66  CAP: £2419.29

LT Trade: Buy when price closes above 21EMA (+2%)

Summary: In all honesty I'm on holiday and have just been checking in once a day for a couple of minutes (if that). Don't know the specifics of this trade I just took the trade signal entry and the FOMC did all the work, guess I could have been caught the other way ( but that's what my trailing stop is for). But I'll take any win.

Friday 13 September 2013

130913 Friday the 13th, not my luck day




PL: -0.7 (£14.40)  CAP £2369.63

Trades:
A. OBS, this looked like a pretty easy trade but it wasn't my setup. Buying on a PB to the 50SMA looks pretty obvious though!
1. LSH @ 252 (-0.3),  exit 8SMA, good trade.
2. REV from 252 (-0.4),  exit CAPH,  good trade. (NB 8/21 was tight on trigger, maybe this rules should apply to REV traded too).
B. HSL, avoided because 8/21 was tight on trigger.

Summary: Not much to say.  After initial move which I didn't have an entry for price got stuck on 252EMA until Retail sales.  I actually traded alright because I followed the plan, strategy kept me out of most poor trades. Just would have liked to have been able to trade the AM move and PM up trend fail.  Actually off until October 1st (late summer holiday). So will look at that while away. 

Thursday 12 September 2013

120913 being too hard on myself, looking at M1 TF



PL: -0.7 (-18.76)   CAP £2383.03

Trades:
A. HSL,  couldn't takes as 252EMA just below so RRR less than 1:1
B. HSL,  couldn't takes as 252EMA just below so RRR less than 1:1
C. HSL,  couldn't takes as 252EMA just below so RRR less than 1:1
D. OBS: feels like there's a reversal trade here.  price trends down , tests 252, then RL to 50SMA where a HSL works out , note that the triggers real body touched the 50SMA.
1. Data Trade (-0.7),  exit 8SMA, fault should have been CAPH.  Felt like I was being the dumb money trading into D1 21EMA (I was).
2. HSL (0), realized my mistake and managed to get out break even (price needed to RL to 252)
E. REV to & thru 252 (+0.9),  missed this I got in such a tisswoss over trades 1&2 I gave up for the day.

Notes:
M1 strategy: 8/21/50 must be in alignment: buy on LSH @ 21/50,  sell on HSL @21/50. ISL conf + 2pips / TSL / exit:   FTMNH - ATMNL. IPT 1:2 / S/R
OR Use 221/50 as direction,  price must PB/RL to at least the 21EMA, but not touch the 50SMA.  use LSH / HSL as entry,  ISL trigger high,  IPT

Summary: price flirting around 252EMA,  plus jobs in the PM made the day quite draining for me, a lot of concentration and no reward. I must note here that because there are so few trades that are trade-able my reaction to losses when they occur is over the top (but at least I'm aware of this). The data trade is pissing me off, I feel like I should be fading these moves (NFP's last friday see 060913 post) instead of going with them but I don't know how to trade them correctly ie stop loss, entry , target. This is something I need to work on (having said that I have been getting a lot of help from JMF3 and without his help I doubt I would have had the thought to fade, so this is progress (thank you)). Trade 2 I was damn lucky with to get out BE but this then ruined my confidence in my ability to follow my guide so I quit early and missed trade E ( I'm being too hard on myself). If I'd had E I'd be slightly up for the day. With the current 30- 40 pip ranges
over the last 2 days I've been drilling down to the M1 to see if I can get setups which won't be as affected by the RRR the M5 setups currently are,  I can't see anything obvious using the close of a session as confirmation yet  but will continue to look ( a scalping method is looking very appealing at the moment!). Ultimately though my strategy performed well,  while I did not because I didn't follow it.

Wednesday 11 September 2013

110913 Nasty range stayed out of most of it



PL: -0.2 / £3.80  CAP £2401.79

Trades:
A. HSL, couldn't take because price needed to RL to 252EMA and confirmed thru D1 21 EMA (0)
B. LSH, couldn't take because confirmed thru 252EMA.  (-0.5)
C. LSH,  couldn't take because RRR less than 1:1 before meeting D1 R (-0.3)
D. LSH,  couldn't take because conf didn't cls ab 8 and RRR less than 1:1 before meeting D1 R (-1)
1. LSH (-0.2),  exit CBPL
E. SS, couldn't take because RRR less than 1:1 before meeting 252EMA (+1)
F,  HSL, couldn't take because confirmed thru 252EMA. (-0.4)
G. REV to R, couldn't take because RRR less than 1:1 before meeting D1 R (-0.2)
H. LSH,  couldn't take because RRR less than 1:1 before meeting D1 R  (-1.0)
I. LSH ,  couldn't take because RRR less than 1:1 before meeting D1 R  (+2)

Summary:  Just following the guide and avoiding all the trades that didn't meet my criteria . Frustratingly massive and un-tradeable BO late in the day. I followed the rules!  If had taken all the trades I would have been exhausted and down -0.6.  Strategy performed well because it kept me out of all these trades.  A good day for me and my strategy. 

Tuesday 10 September 2013

100913 Better psychology concerning actioning plan



P/L: 0 / -£1.20  CAP: £2405.59

Trades:
1. REV to 252,  exit TSL,  fault, should have taken profit at D1 21EMA add to guide. usually trade thru S&R levels when trading back towards 252EMA.  But obviously the D1 21EMA is stronger than the H1 21EMA.
A.  HSL that I luckily missed because I was out, would have made a 0.4 loss

LT Trades:  placed a long on the D1 chart as it triggered ( close above 21EMA)


Notes:
Much happier today, been working on my psychology in particular the emphasis and energy I need to put into executing my plan. Puttingt in the updates for my records...
1. Take Responsibility (of everything in your life) to take control of your Life.
This is a simple decision
2. Direction and Drive charged with Positive Emotion
Explain what you want, why you want it and spend time linking it to desire,  faith,  love, romance, sex,  enthusiasm, hope. A "Think and Grow Rich" method.
3. Plan of Action
create a plan of action in which every step is easy to understand and easy to achieve
4. Action charged with Positive Emotion
Action requires that you action/execute your plan, this is your sole purpose in (working) life so spend time linking it to ( desire,  faith,  love, romance, sex,  enthusiasm,  hope) . If you are actioning/executing your plan you are successful.
5. Fear and Progress
Fear occurs when your imagination focuses on the potential negative outcomes rather than the action/ execution of the logical plan. this is a breakdown, recommit to the plan.
External problems (plan failure, things you cannot prepare for) are not your fault.
all you need to do is points 1. 2. 3. 4.
6. Psychology (overcoming breakdowns, fear and depression)
1. Have Direction and Drive (everyone needs a purpose in life)
2. Acknowledge your achievements ( to update your perception of reality and self)
3. Be positive ,  say your affirmations
4. Be Grateful, say your gratitudes
7. Physiology (maintaining a health body)
1. Go for a walk in the morning to get some fresh air and work your psyhcology
2. do a little exercise in the morning to get some fresh blood and oxygen to the head
3.  do some vigourous exercise 4 times a week to work the heart and lungs and relase endorphins.
4. watch what you eat and drink and get enough sleep.  these can really effecting your psychology.
8. Communicate (with others)
1. it inspires creative thought because you have to think in the third person to explain things
2. it creates help (because you're telling people what you are doing)
3.  it inspires commitment ( because you’re telling people what you’re doing and don’t want to fail)
9. Persist (with actioning your plan)
If you don’t persit with your plan you will never achieve what you want

Summary: Price got stuck on and around the D1 21EMA, H1 21EMA and W1 and D1 S&R defined a range. This was a bit of a bugger for my trend following method. Happy with my discipline, I traded the plan, on days like this I find it very tempting to reinvent the wheel as there are large moves but usually the the RRR is whack if using the close as your signal (imagine scalpers enjoyed the US open). So the guide performed well because it kept me out of these poor RRR trades on the M5 TF.

Monday 9 September 2013

090913 question threw me off




PL: -0.5 (-11.81)  CAP £2405.77

Trades:
A.  LSH , avoided due to rules
1. LSH (-0.4),  discretionary shouldn't have taken due to BO of R
B. LSH , correctly avoided.
C. LSH (-0.4)  Should have taken (question threw me off)
D.  LSH (+2)  Should have taken (question threw me off)

Longterm Trade: closed due to hitting TSL


Summary: Short post because blogger crashed and I can't be fucked to right the whole thing again. In short  questioned a part of my guide concerning the 252EMA and requiring PB/RL after a BO/BD of it. Was getting confused about XO/XD of the 252 on the PB/RL. Basically I only need to worry about the initial PB/RL after the BO/BD ( the XO/XD on the PB/RL don't matter). This question upset my thinking resulting in me not taking trades I could have (there was a XO/XD that I was concerned about from laast week and this is why this question and worry was prevalent today). Guide performed well, I didn't (but not that badly either,  considering working through question).

Friday 6 September 2013

060513 Holy $!?* I booked some profit.



P/L: +1.2% / £27.80  CAP £2417.58

Trades:
1. Data Trade (-0.4) exit CBPL . Not ideal as contradictory data, NFP's down, Unemployment rate down =  stalemate,  went with initial M5 move, not that confident in trade but wanted to follow guide to the letter as a personal exercise because I have struggled to do so this week. This confirms that the result(s) has got to be definitive to trade it.
2. LSH (+1.5) exit TPO @ MN R.

Summary: Boring waiting for NFP's / US jobs. Got to remember (add to guide) only to trade data trades that have clear results.  Today's US jobs trade was shite with NFP's declining but US jobless rate falling,  this is not clear or decisive. Trade 2 was a nice simple setup. See George it's not hard to follow the rules. Got to start next week where I finished this week.

Thursday 5 September 2013

050913 No trades



Trades:  
A.  LSH (+0.6) , exit CBPL, fault missed this.  This is a rare variation of my setup. usually it pulls back  to the 21EMA , in this case it PB to the 252.
B. Data trade (+2),  exit TPO, TBH wasn't sure about this trade because W1 and MN S was just underneath so I didn't take it. Add to guide that I can trade Data through S&R.
C. HSL,  didn't take as guide says not to trend trade through S&R.

Notes: 
working on some stock stuff

Summary:  To be honest not as focused on trading as I should have been today. I shouldn't have missed trade A, I was doing some work on stocks and got distracted. Trade B not so upset about, I think my worry was understandable,  but learnt from it.  Trade C I was correct in not trading as my guide says not to trend trade thru S&R. Guide worked.  To the most part I followed it.

Wednesday 4 September 2013

040913 Use the GUIDE! you DINGBAT!




P/L: -1.6% / -£37.94  (should have been -0.2ish) CAP £2389.78

Trades/Analysis:
A. H1 Trending =  respect 252
B. Price needs to RL to 252 after clean BD of it.
C. Trend weakness : Failure To Make New Low - Able to Make New High
D. Rev to 252, didn't trade as poor RRR.
E. LSH,  didn't take as open of confirmation same as W1/MN S
1. REV from 252 (-0.4),  exit 8SMA, should have used close abv prior high  for -0.1 loss.
2. HSL (-1),  exit ISL,  Fault price needed to RL to 252 after clean BD,  this was because I was not using my guide when entering trades. 1. Mark every BO/BD of 252. 2.  use guide for every setup add to guide.
3. REV thru 252 (-0.2), exit CBPL, Entered trade late because feeling edgy about last setup and mistake. Out of room when finally decide to take trade so used MT4 app to place trade (got slipped to fuck, confirmation time took nearly 10 seconds. Won't be using that again)
3 losses in a row  =  stop trading for day!
F. NOT A REV thru 252,  wanted to make a not of this because it initially looks correct but infact the PB to the 21EMA (trigger) was not a PB because price did not close above the low at the 21EMA.
G. REV  thru 252.  Dubious because the 50 and 252 were all out of whack.  Was going to leave this out but thought strictly it is a trade.  exit would have been CBPL. (-0.2)

Notes:
H1: Direction /  Entry : don't know got a basic strategy here but want to firm it up.
Stocks:  can I make stock investing the same in my head as property investing.
Exits:  
Long =  close below prior low (not SS / NRC)
Short = close above prior high (not HM / NRC)
TSL:
Long = close above prior high,  track prior low (not SS / NRC)
Short = close below prior low ,  track prior high  (not HM / NRC)

Summary: Guide worked well,  1st trade was correct, but could have got out slightly earlier for small win, 2nd trade shouldn't have been traded because of prior weakness (personal error, not using guide),  3rd trade was correct and trade-able, unfortunately I didn't enter when i should have and got slipped, so BE trade ended up as small loss ( again my fault).  Personally did not perform well as I did not follow my guide! Positives - money management good, setup identification good. Negatives -  ability to check the setup against guide before entering!

Tuesday 3 September 2013

030913 Back to it after August, Notes on exits



P/L: -0.4% / £8.88 CAP £2427.72

Trades:
A. HSL ,  don't trade because confirmation BD W1+MN S.
1. REV to (and thru) 252 (-0.4),  exit CBPL (close below prior low)
B.  HSL,  was out from 1130-1330 so luckily missed this trade that didn't workout.
C. HSL,  didn't take this trade because 8/21 was too tight on trigger.
D. REV to 252 ,  didn't take because RRR less than 1:1 before meeting 252EMA.
E. Gap down on News

Notes:
Watched a couple of videos today on trading. Ari Kiev, I basically got from it stuff I already knew from his books but a good reminder to , set a goal, take responsibility for it by doing whatever work is needed to achieve it and a note on actually timing with a stop watch your discomfort as it occurs in an effort to over come it.
Some exits / TSL I spotted. Using closes above / below prior sessions high /  low (see guide).

Summary:  Great to see price moving but TBH I had a feeling it was going to bang straight into W1 and MN S and do naf all, which it did until news. At least price seems to be making a home beneath W1 and MN S so hopefully the downside should be free to trend.  No bias just an observation, I don't care where price goes as long it moves.  Happy with personal performance as I did everything I should have.  Happy with strategy as it kept me out of most of the poor action. Good day.