Thurs Mar 30 Trade Summary

20170330
Short 2 NQ 5431.25, 5431.25, -2.0, -2.0
Short 3 TF 1375.9, 1375.9, 1376.5, +0.7, +0.7, +1.5
Long 1 TF 1375.2, +1.5
Short 2 YM 20649, 20649, +7, -8
Long 3 TF 1373.7, 1372.8, 1372.4, -1.4, +1.1, +1.6
Short 2 TF 1375.9, 1375.9, -0.5, -0.5
Short 2 TF 1377.7, 1377.7 +0.7, +1.5
Total NQ -4.0
Total YM -1
Total TF +6.9

Wed Mar 29 Trade Summary

20170329
Short 2 TF 1363.9, 1363.9, -0.7, -0.7
Long 3 TF 1362.6, 1362.6, 1362.6, +0.7, -0.0, -0.0
Short 2 NQ 5321.0, 5321.0, -0.0, -0.0
Long 2 NQ 5317.75, 5318.0, +3.0, +5.0
Short 2 TF 1368.6, 1368.4, +0.7, +1.4
Short 1 NQ 5323.25, +2.0
Short 2 TF 1371.5, 1371.5, +1.5, +1.5
Long 2 NQ 5322.25, 5322.25, +2.0, -0.0
Long 1 NQ 5319.0, +2.0
Total NQ +14.0
Total TF +4.4

Tues Mar 28 Trade Summary

20170328
Long 2 TF 1352.9, 1352.9, -1.5, -1.5
Long 3 TF 1351.3, 1351.3, 1351.3, +1.4, +1.4, -1.0
Long 2 NQ 5365.0, 5365.0, +3.0, +7.0
Short 3 TF 1355.5, 1355.4, 1355.4, +0.7, +1.0, +1.4
Long 3 TF 1351.2, 1351.2, 1350.4, +0.2, +0.2, +2.0
Total NQ +10.0
Total TF +4.3

Mon Mar 27 Trade Summary

20170327
Short 2 TF 1336.1, 1336.1, +0.7, -0.7
Short 3 TF 1339.9, 1339.9, 1340.4, +1.0, +1.0, +2.0
Short 2 TF 1338.8, 1338.9, +1.0, +2.0
Total TF +7.0

Fri Mar 24 Trades & Journal

20170324
Short 2 NQ 5383.5, 5383.5, -2.25, -2.25
Short 2 NQ 5389.0, 5389.3, -2.0, -2.0
Short 4 TF 1370.4, 1370.4, 1370.4, 1370.4, +0.7, +0.7, +3.0, +3.0
Short 2 TF 1359.8, 1360.0, +1.1, +0.7
Short 4 TF 1361.4, 1361.4, 1361.4, 1361.4, +0.7, +0.7, +2.3, +2.3
Total NQ -8.5
Total TF +15.2

Many, many years ago (I started trading futures in 1979) I took training in the S&P pit. It didn't take me long before I realized how unfit I was for the ordeal of the noise and the crowd. However, I did learn something very important that surprised me about pit traders. They tend to trade around the edges. If you relayed to them the axiom from the basic traders rule book that warns never to sell a new high or buy a new low, they'd just laugh at you. That's where they spend most of their time. And since many new traders believe the market is supposed to benefit them with a trend, trying to first define how a trend is determined and then trade only in that pre-determined direction is the main thrust of their efforts. And indeed, if most days were of the Persistent Trend Day model, the actions of taking breakouts in the perceived trend direction or buying narrow pullbacks to that trend would succeed on a regular basis. But it does not. Most days consolidate, correct, swing and overlap whatever trend can be perceived in previous action. So when I discovered Serial Sequent as the tool most likely to identify those breakouts that would fail, I looked for the extremes to trade into, fading the breakout as the market relaxes, and riding the reversal of climax action back in the opposing direction. That put me in sync with the market's action on some 80% of trading days. And once the technique of using rising sell-stops as entries for shorts and falling buy-stops as entries for longs became natural, catching fills as the market broke 'can't break' climax zones became common. Before that, I never knew such fills were possible. And even now, I'll come across the over-educated student who still insists they are not. ...oh, but how inflexible we become in our ways...

Thurs Mar 23 Trade Summary

20170323
Short 4 TF 1349.7, 1349.7, 1350.4, 1350.7, +0.7, +0.7, +1.4, +1.6
Short 3 TF 1357.0, 1357.0, 1357.0, +0.5, -0.0, +1.0
Short 1 TF 1357.6, -0.6
Short 2 TF 1357.9, 1357.9, +0.7, +1.4
Total TF +7.4

Wed Mar 22 no trades, away from mkt

Tues Mar 21 Trade Summary

20170321
Long 2 TF 1386.9, 1387.1, -1.4, -0.0
Long 2 TF 1383.3, 1383.5, -1.4, -1.4, -1.4, -1.4
Long 6 TF 1381.1, 1381.1, 1381.1, 1381.1, 1381.1, 1381.1, -0.7, -0.7, -0.7, -0.7, -0.7, -0.7
Long 8 TF 1375.3, 1375.3, 1375.3, 1375.3, 1375.3, 1375.3, 1375.5, 1375.5, +2.2, +2.2, +2.2, +2.2, +1.5, +1.5,+2.0, +2.0,
Long 4 TF 1372.1, 1372.1, 1371.7, 1371.7, -1.4, -1.4, -1.4, -1.4
Long 2 TF 1369.7, 1369.7, -1.4, -1.4
Long 6 TF 1368.6, 1368.6, 1368.6, 1368.6, 1368.6, 1368.6, +2.0, +2.0, +2.0, +2.0, +2.0, +2.0
Total TF +8.2

Mon Mar 20 Trades and Journal

20170320
Short 2 YM 20856, 20856, +5, -5
Short 4 TF 1383.7, 1383.7 1384.0, 1384.0, +0.7, +0.5, +0.7, -0.7
Short 6 TF 1384.7, 1384.7, 1385.2, 1386.0, 1386.2, 1386.2, -1.7, -1.7, -1.4, -1.4, -1.4, -1.4
Short 6 TF 1387.4, 1387.4, 1387.4, 1387.4, 1387.4, 1387.4, +3.0, +3.0, +3.0, +3.0, +3.0, +3.0
Total YM -0
Total TF +10.2

Breadth and divergence can be very tricky. Sometimes the TF contract can be a good 'tell' as to the market's eventual intentions. But leadership can take turns. And in the give in take of a game of tug-a-war, one side can get dragged into playing catch-up to the other before getting its footing and regaining the upper hand. However, my early shorts in the TF today were a bit excessive. I lacked patience and needed just a bit more of a wait-n-see aspect to the development. But what's worst of all, is how many times this has happened to me. Lessons are hard to learn..... Stay focused. Learn from your mistakes.

Fri Mar 17 Trade Summary

20170317
Long 2 TF 1381.7, 1381.7, -1.0, -1.0
Long 2 YM 20890, 20890, +7, -2
Long 2 NQ 5414.0, 5414.0, +2.0, -2.0
Short 2 NQ 54.14.25, 5414.5, -0.0, -0.0
Long 3 YM 20876, 20876, 20876, +7, -2, -4
Long 2 TF 1381.5, 1381.5, +0.7, -0.5
PM Trades:
Short 2 TF 1387.6, 1387.6, -0.3, -0.7
Short 2 TF 1389.3, +.04, +1.1
Total YM +6
Total NQ -0.0
Total TF -1.3

Thurs Mar 16 Trade Summary

20170316
Short 2 TF 1384.9, 1384.9, +0.5, -.5
Short 2 TF 1384.9, 1384.9, +0.7, +1.0
Short 2 NQ 5424.0, 5424.0, +2.0, +3.0
Long 4 TF 1385.0, 1384.9, 1384.0, 1384.1, -0.0, -0.1, +1.1, +1.0
Long 1 NQ 5413.75, +1.0
Total NQ +6.0
Total TF +3.7

Wed Mar 15 Trade Summary

20170315
Short 2 TF 1370.4, 1370.4, +1.3, +1.0
Short 1 TF 1370.4, -0.4
Short 2 TF 1371.0, 1370.8, -0.0, -0.6
Long 1 TF 1371.6, -0.1
Long 2 TF 1369.5, 1369.5, +0.5, +1.7
Short 1 TF 1379.3, -0.7
Short 2 TF 1374.7, 1374.7, +0.5, +1.4
Total TF +4.6

Tues Mar 14 Trade Summary

20170314
Long 1 YM 20756, -7
Long 2 NQ 5364.75, 63.54.75, +3.0, +7.0
Short 2 TF 1354.9, 1354.9, -2.0, -2.0
Short 2 NQ 5374.25, 5374.25, +2.0, +5.0
Short 3 TF 1357.8, 1357.8, 1357.8, +1.6, +1.6, +1.6
Short 2 YM 20814, 20814, +7, -2
Short 1 TF 1359.8, +1.5
Total YM -2
Total NQ +17.0
Total TF +2.3

Mon Mar 13 Trade Summary

Trade Summary
20170313
Long 2 TF 1364.5, 1364.5, +1.0, +2.0
Short 4 TF 1368.3, 1368.1, 1368.2, 1368.6, -2.0, -2.0, -1.4, -1.4
Short 6 TF 1371.6, 1371.6, 1371.6, 1371.6, 1371.6, 1371.6, +2.0, +2.0, +2.0, +1.5, +3.0, +3.0
Short 2 TF 1371.4, 11373.1, -0.5, +1.2
Long 2 TF 1369.2, 1369.2, +0.7, +1.5
Total TF +12.6

Fri Mar 10 Trade Summary

20170310
Short 1 TF 1366.4, -0.7
Long 3 TF 1364.7, 1364.7, 1364.6, +1.0, +1.0, -0.3
Long 2 TF 1364.2, 1364.4, +2.0, +2.0
Short 2 TF 1368.1, 1368.1, -0.1, -0.1
Long 3 TF 1363.4, 1363.4, 1363.0, +1.0, +0.7, +1.0
Total TF +7.5

Thurs Mar 9 Trade Summary

20170309
Short 1 TF 1164.5, +1.0
Long 1 TF 1165.0, -0.1
Short 1 NQ 5360.75, -2.0
Short 2 TF 1367.4, 1367.4, -0.2, -0.2
Short 2 NQ 5366.0, 5366.0, +2.0, +4.0
Short 2 TF 1368.8, 1368.8, +0.7, -0.7
Short 2 YM 20892, 20892, -2, -2
Long 2 TF 1167.8, 1367.8, +0.7, +1.1
Long 1 NQ 5352.25, -1.0
Long 2 NQ 5360, 5360.0, +2.0, +3.0
Long 2 TF 1366.4. 1366.4, +0.7, +1.4
Long 2 TF 1365.0, 1365.1, +0.5, -0.7
Long 4 TF 1364.0, 1364.0, 1364.0, 1364.0, +0.5, +0.5, +1.9, +1.6
Total NQ +8.0
Total TF +8.7

Wed Mar 8 Trades & Journal

20170308
Short 2 TF 1381.6, 1381.4, 1382.1, +0.4, -0.0, +1.5
Long 1 TF 1378.6, -0.1
Long 2 TF 1377.3, 1377.5, +1.1, +1.5
Long 1 TF 1377.3, -0.6
Short 5 TF 1376.3, 1376.3, 1377.2, 1377.2, 1377.4, -1.6, -1.6, -0.7, -0.7, -0.8
Long 2 NQ 5364.25, 5364.25, +2.0, +3.0
Long 2 TF 1371.0, 1371.0, +0.5, -0.0
Long 2 NQ 5355.0, 5355.5, +2.0, +3.0
Short 2 TF 1374.1, 1373.9, -0.0, +1.2
Total NQ +10.0
Total TF +0.1

Most of my losing days are associated with large divergences between the indices. If it's the NQ going one way, the TF is going the other. The larger frame charts have told this story well over the last few months, and is echoed down into the lowest time frames in tandem. Sometimes, the best strategy is just to take both signals, even if it puts you into opposing positions. One will surely fail eventually. The problem is, one failing does not assure that the other will succeed, as opposing trend directions often produce very choppy, stutter-step action. Therefore, you can lose in both...
So, on such days of obvious divergence in trend, keep your loses small, reduce your frequency of trades and your trade size. Some days are better trading than others....

Tues Mar 7 no trades, away from mkt

Mon Mar 6 Trade Summary

20170306
Short 1 NQ 5354.25 +3.0
Short 1 TF 1382.5, -0.3
Short 1 TF 1385.0, +2.3
Short 1 TF 1383.8, +1.2
Long 1 TF 1379.9, -0.7
Long 2 TF 1372.2, +0.7, +1.5
Total NQ +3.0
Total TF +4.7

Fri Mar 3 Trade Summary

20170303
Short 3 TF 1399.1, 1400.1, 1400.3, -1.4, -0.0, +1.1
Long 2 TF 1396.1, 1396.1, 1395.6, -1.4, -1.4, -1.4
Long 4 TF 1393.5, 1393.5, 1393.5, 1393.5, -1.4, -1.4, -1.4, -1.4
Long 4 TF 1389.9, 1389.9, 1389.9, 1289.9, +3.2, +3.2, +3.2, +3.2
Long 2 TF 1388.1, 1388.1, -1.4, -1.4
Long 3 TF 1387.5, 1387.5, 1387.7, -0.5, -0.5, +0.7
Long 2 TF 1386.9, 1386.9, +1.5, +2.2
Total TF +3.3

Thurs Mar 2 Trade Summary

20170302
Short 1 TF 1409.4, +1.5
Long 1 TF 1406.1, +1.5
Total TF +3.0

Wed Mar 1 Trade Summary

20170301
Short 1 TF 1408.3, +2.2
Short 2 TF 1407.4, 1407.4, +1.0, +1.7
Short 1 YM 21046, -0.0
Short 1 YM 21049, -7
Short 2 YM 21056, 21056, -0, -0
Short 1 YM 21054, -3
Long 1 TF 1407.6, -0.7
Long 1 TF 1406.8, +1.4
Total YM -10
Total TF +5.6