Earnings week

 

Hurricane Sandy

Earnings season is similar to a hurricane I guess? Everything gets pretty wild!

All I traded this week was earnings and most these plays were therefore gap plays.

I got the week of to a bad start, losing too much by trying to trade too large at the outset. I also made an order entry mistake, luckily not too big, but that threw my P&L out of whack, a little.

Thursday and Friday I traded small at the market opening and kept pounding away all day.

All in all, it wasn't such a bad week as I learnt a lot again.

I again set some stop loss orders too tight and was stopped out before the big moves up! I am slowly learning to identify my own plays, but am still dependent on others for those quality plays!

I have also learnt, not to enter trades too quickly, but to rather stalk it, and look for better entries, if it is going to be a longer trend move. Today I entered a trade, after a quick glance, and should rather have waited a little.

I am still looking for a stock scanner that can identify intraday plays that comply with my criteria.

So before I get caught up in the office, I'm heading home to board up the house and survive the hurricane! I am also not going to make any jokes about women and hurricanes here either!



P.s. I would have liked to attend Stocktoberfest, but will surely make it next year!

http://stocktwits.com/stocktoberfest

Marvel...

...not the entertainment company!
Traded $MRVL (Marvell Technology).

I was just about to post this blog and went and deleted the draft version by accident!


Anyway, what I wanted to say was that I ended the week profitable, even though only small.

Next week I will increase my risk/ position sizing.

This week I made mistakes of keeping, or trailing, my stops too closely to the price. I was stopped out a few times this week because i never had the patience to trust my stop loss levels and to wait for them to trigger!

I have been trying to trade gaps the last two weeks, and seem to be understanding them better and the reasoning behind them. I am still implementing my initial strategy, but would ideally like to trade at least two strategies that suit the market conditions.

I am also setting up my stock screening process, so that I can identify the best stocks that are in play, for me.

Heading home for the weekend again, but will be back on Monday morning, ready for next week ahead.

Enjoy the weekend.

Everything is going to be alright...!

Missed another trade that was called out in the trading room, and that was the trade of the day. Everyone, except yours truly, made money, not a great feeling with everyone positive for the day and cheering all day!

Took another trade that was called out on the trading floor, never looked at my indicators, bad mistake on my behalf! Lost a little money!
 
I traded three other stocks and just think that my stops were set too tight! There was money to be made, I never made money. Stopped out every time.

I need to stay positive and come in positive tomorrow morning!

Green Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tijW_SrCoxs&feature=related

Boulevard of broken dreams
"I walk a lonely road..." has something to do with my trading career and experiences thus far.
Thank goodness for my family!

I have had two green days, Monday and Tuesday. 

Feeling good about myself and my trading discipline.

I have been taking a few trades, one a day to be exact, from the online trading room posts! The other trades have been my own ideas/ finds. I need to to keep coming up with trades myself for the time when I am no longer part of the online chat room.

I traded six different shares today, still keeping volumes small. I am really not risking too much on a trade, so at the moment I am relying on the home runs to add extra green to my account. I figure that if I can stay profitable and consistent, I can slowly increase my my risk size and not risk blowing my account out, too early! At some or other stage I will need to either add additional funds to my account, yet I don't know where theses funds are going to come from at this stage!

Have a great evening.

The week is done...

I would say I broke even this week, maybe down a dollar or two!
Traded small with minimum risk.
Next week I am going to increase my risk size.
I couldn't find a stock this week, or enter a trade, that went my way, for long enough!
I feel that I was disciplined, and never over-traded!

On my way home to see the family, will be back on Monday morning, ready to take a few more trades, hopefully more profitable trades!

Going to swing the golf clubs this weekend, hope I can find my swing as I haven't swung a club in over a month!

I need a beer.

HONOR...Awesome!

"All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope."
-Winston Churchill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScNNfyq3d_w&feature=youtu.be

While the market does nothing, listening to this!

Thursday post, late!

So what am I gonna talk about today (yesterday, Thursday)?

Took a few trades, four different stocks traded today, broke even!
Feel more positive as my system that I follow or have been wanting to follow with full commitment, seems to be working! I took a couple of trades from other sources. These sources were "trading room" recommendations and/ or twitter! I now I shouldn't, but I didn't want to miss out on any trade! Not wanting to miss out is surely a beginners mistake!

So I lost on those trades but made it back on my own "calls"!

I'm looking forward to tomorrow (today Friday), another day, and another chance to see that I can do it!

I also need to give my spouse a detailed report of my week! If I am convincing enough, I may get the go ahead to carry-on trading?

I should also consider my fitness!

Need to get fit!

Have always tried to get some exercise, but now all the exercise I get is from climbing steps to catch the train or subway! I also haven't been eating home cooked meals, so I am not getting all the necessary nutrients in!

As soon as I am able to settle down, I promise I will change these bad ways! Even though I don't choose current lifestyle this!

Useless info: The above post was composed while on the LIRR.

Thank you, thank you...

 

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, you're far too kind
  Now can I get an encore, do you want more?"


I don't know where to start! Yes, I've been gone for over a month and now need to get trading, and trading for a living again!

The break was good, yet maybe too long.



Stay strong

I have arrived back and started trading again. I have had to download a new trading platform, and am still trading relatively small. At this rate I will not be able to support the family and earn a living as a trader. There are many thoughts that have gone through my head lately, and I have had to convince myself to stay strong and stay positive.

I have a strategy that I am trying to trade, yet am still not convinced that it is successful. I believe it is, I just need to stick with it! Maybe I should back test it? Just don't know how.  I have also looked at and am now following/ learning a new strategy.

I am also considering remote trading, as it will be a cheaper option, and I will have a better quality of life? Better quality of life if I am profitable!

I find myself very confused at the moment, as there are many things happening in my/ our life, decisions need to be made, but due to financial constraints, I/ we can't simply move ahead. Every decision needs to be carefully thought through.

I do get excited when I hear other traders making a success of their trading! Either those that have had a great month, or a simple explanation highlighting the "huge" potential of a trade, that is within my reach!

Yeah, so all in all, I'm still learning to trade, perhaps with "scared money", which I know is not a good thing! Hey, what else can I do? I am looking for any opportunities to learn quicker, get profitable, and that wont cost me money!

A free trading education...to be successful?