Journal / Growing a small account (Sim Trades)

[Brandon K 64]

Trading Challenge 4 - Negative

Ah, man... Got clobbered today. Started out fine with $ABIO then got squeezed by $SQ with 1000 shares. Also, broke a rule and traded first 5 minutes, but that was for a low float which worked out. Wasn't too upset about it, but did make some mistakes on my sizing. Just got cocky and went heavy on bad entries. There's still some banger trades in here, though. My trade log looks like I traded a lot and went hulk, but I really didn't. Most of that is scaling out, but I will say that each of my trades had a good thought behind them. Just misread a few.

$ABIO 5/2/2019

Felt a squeeze coming at open. After getting a small move up, went long 500 shares on the first minute. Scaled out and got hit with a drop. Got back in thinking another move was gonna happen, stopped out for a small loss. Deleted it from my list afterwards to prevent attempting it again.

$SQ 5/2/2019

I got bit hard... After the first 5, I foolishly went short 1000 after that 1-minute squeeze. Should've went a smaller size. After getting squeezed up, I covered for an almost $1000 loss. I wasn't shook or anything, but realized that the entry was trash. Waited for a better set up and got back in short 750 shares and scaled out on the way down. You can tell I was a bit unnerved on the price action on how close my cover points are. Took another short on $SQ looking for the fade down and took one partial. Price action didn't hold. Then, I took it to the long side but stopped out before the move happened. Didn't want to get caught in a wash. I'm okay with all of these trades, but my heavy sizing on that first trade didn't give me a good stop out point. If I took 1000 on the second trade, I had logical stop out points at the 9/20MA 1-minute. So, I'm not upset about any of it.

$UAA 5/2/2019

After the first 5-minutes, price actoin closed above the 9. Looking back on this, I felt I made a good trade. Went long 1000 shares looking for HOD. Didn't get the move and stopped out before the drop happened. I'd take this trade the same.

$W 5/2/2019

I am on the other hand upset about this trade. While the price action could have pushed up, I went too heavy on this with the gap between my entry and the moving averages. That said, I think I got a solid entry. I should have gotten out way before I did, though. I thought it would hold and pop up (which it did), but it didn't make the move I was looking for. Took a big loss on this.

$TSLA 5/2/2019

This was my misread fail of the day. Went 200 on $TSLA for a fade back down and shorted during an uptrend. Looking back at my first entry, Could've waited for more confirmation. I went back and forth on whether to short or long this but I was looking for that move up. After getting the close below the 9/20MA 5-minute, I went short and then stopped out. Then, swapped over to long after getting a close between the 20 and 9/50 to stop out as it fell to a short. I think the second trade was fine, but the first was a blunder.

$QCOM 5/2/2019

Banger for the day. Got the close above VWAP/9MA, hit it long 500 shares. Scaled out accordingly. 

Result:

[Brandon K 64]

Trading Challenge 5 - Negative

Just wasn't my day. Felt like I was trading the wrong stuff and missed some moves. Misread one play today ($CTSH) although I'd probably take it again the same way. Managed risk well. Didn't go hulk but after my last trade I decided to just take the L for the day. Right at a 5% equity loss for the week. Considering how aggressive I traded today I'm okay with that. If I capitalized on my moves and stopped with the few blunders I had, might be a bit better. I'm happy that I traded well with 25K and didn't blow it up. My habits from trading a small account are benefiting. Now, I have to change my share sizing back and get my mind back to 5K-10K equity mode. 

Watchlist:

$ATVI 5/3/2019

Went short after the first 5, looking for a wash. Didn't like my possible entry so I went 500 short under VWAP. I anticipated a squeeze above the 9MA 1-minute. Got a move down and took half off. Didn't hold and covered all at break-even. Came back with a long  750 shares to the upside. I realized that it was a bad entry and sold half after getting a pop. Sold all at break-even. Took another short and stopped out after it didn't hold. Came back long and stopped out before the move happened. Shorted again, but went 1000 shares heavy after getting a close below 9MA/VWAP 5-minute and the 9MA 1-minute. Price action didn't hold and sold for a small loss, lol. I traded $ATVI too much. Went long on it one more time and stopped out for a loss. Closed everything down after the last trade $ATVI.

$CTSH 5/3/2019

This one was unfortunate. I felt like like was a long, but didn't hold. Instantly dropped on my entry and I sold it for a loss. Could've swapped over to a short with it being under the 9MA/VWAP 5-minute and 9MA 1-minute. Would've been a great short, but didn't take it.

$SQ 5/3/2019

This one was disappointing as well. Went long 300 shares looking for the pop and stopped out shortly after my entry. Then swapped over to a short 500 shares after getting a move under the 9MA 1/5 minute and it didn't hold. Stopped out on both. 

Result:

Edited May 3, 2019 by Brandon K

[Mark D. 435]

I took that same SQ short. It looked so promising then boom false breakout! You did well to ditch before I did

[Brandon K 64]

On 5/3/2019 at 2:01 PM, Mark D. said:

I took that same SQ short. It looked so promising then boom false breakout! You did well to ditch before I did

Yeah, I normally don't flip my positions, but I think both attempts were good ones.

[Brandon K 64]

Changes made to sim account set up:

Changed equity/buying power to 5500/33000

Changed commissions from 4.95 to 2.95 to reflect CMEG structure.

[Brandon K 64]

Not bad of a day, but could've been better. Took two trades only as I wasn't fully in sync. Was second guessing myself on some trades and decided to sit out after being positive for the day. I will note that trading on $2.95 commissions gives me a bit more hope versus $4.95. Had I traded on SureTrader commissions versus CMEG today, I would be near break-even. Commissions were $23.60 versus a normal $39.60. That saved me a considerable amount for a small account. That $4 less per one trade in/out took some pressure away.

Watchlist:

$CGC 5/6/2019

Missed the ORBU from looking at the other stocks on my watchlist. Waited for a pullback and went long 300 after the price action closed above the 50MA 5-minute. After 2 minutes, took half. Price action neared the 9MA 1-minute and I covered everything near break-even. $CGC offered some more opportunities, but I watched the rest of the day.

$AMD 5/6/2019

Second guessed myself on $AMD the second time. First move, I went long 300 after thinking the price action would bounce off the moving averages. the 1-minute looked good, but got caught in a trap. Sold at break of the 9MA 1-minute and VWAP 5-minute. Waited for another opportunity and got a good entry above the 9MA/VWAP 5-minute. Long 400 shares and took half off at the top of the 5-minute candle. Waited and the price action neared the 9MA 1-minute and sold all. Part of me thought it would turn back into a short or like $CGC, but I sold at "C" of an ABCD pattern. Good opportunity to add or go long from there. I'm satisfied with the trade.

$OXY 5/6/2019

Didn't trade it, but was watching it before it exploded on the ABCD pattern at open. I didn't touch it because I felt like the price action was choppy.

Result:

Edited May 6, 2019 by Brandon K

[Brandon K 64]

Didn't trade well today and got beat up bad. A lot of my entries were late and ended up immediately stopping out shortly afterwards. I'm slipping back into old trading habits (waiting for the close) versus entering the moving averages when I see the opportunity. Felt like I was reacting to the market versus anticipating a particular direction. Reacting meaning I'm already late on the trade. I got lucky with $SQ today, but it shows that had I waited for the pullback where I normally would take my trades, I would have gotten a safer and better entry. $AIG, each of my trades were late. $HTZ/$MNK, I think both of those attempts were good for a long, but again my entries were late. I could have stopped out at break even if I took it a few minutes early then swapped over to a short after getting the close below VWAP and then waiting for pullbacks on the 1-minute at the moving averages. I will go back and practice these trades, but my losses today reflect my poor entries. A part of me also feels like I'm beginning to get more long biased on trades. Will check on that too.

Watchlist:

$SQ 5/7/2019

Went long after the first 5 looking for a push up to previous day close. My entry was utter trash. I didn't wait for a pullback or anything. I don't think it was FOMO, but I really wasn't thinking about waiting for pullbacks today. Had I waited, woudl have gotten not only a better entry, but more profit and a better risk to reward. Also, my stop loss would have been super close to VWAP which is how I like to take these trades. I got lucky and it worked out, but I held through a nasty pullback.

$AIG 5/7/2019

Trash trades of the day go to these. Went long at open on a late entry looking for the squeeze up and got caught in a fade. Attempted again on another trash entry and got caught again. Then swapped over to short on a late entry and stopped out before the squeeze. After getting the close below the 9MA/VWAP 5-minute, went short again on another late entry and stopped out. The type of sizing I take I need to get in closer to the moving averages because the pullbacks are always brutal. The move of course happened after I covered. 

$MNK 5/7/2019

Was looking for a long off the ABCD pattern and the close above the 9MA/VWAP 5-minute. I think I was late here as well since I normally get in at the moving averages, go bigger on size with a tight stop loss below the 1-minute moving averages. 2 -minutes before my entry would have been the best entry because my stop loss would've been less than 10 cents. When the move didn't work out, I would have taken a partial where my entry is and then stopped out at break even (similar to my $SQ trade). That's how I should have traded it, but my entry was late.

$HTZ 5/7/2019

Went long looking for the pop after getting a close above VWAP/9MA 5-minute and previous day close. Price action was above the 50MA 1-minute too. I caught the top of the price action and it faded. Sold everything for a loss. Should have taken this trade a few minutes earlier. Then swap over to a short after getting that close below VWAP/9MA 5-minute and 1-minute.

$O 5/7/2019

I was skeptical of this one, but after getting the close below the 9MA 5-minute, was looking for low of day. I should have anticipated a squeeze to the 50MA on the 1-minute before this decided to move, but I do feel like I got a good entry. My share sizing was large on an already crappy day, but I stuck to my stop loss. It was hit and I got out.

Result:

 

[Mark D. 435]

Hi Brandon, are you still trading? Hope everything is going well 

[Brandon K 64]

On 5/18/2019 at 8:46 AM, Mark D. said:

Hi Brandon, are you still trading? Hope everything is going well 

Hey, Mark! I am. I just don't journal here anymore. I might start back, but I grew tired of posting bad trades. Been doing video journals on Youtube. Thanks for checking in!!!

[Mark D. 435]

22 hours ago, Brandon K said:

Hey, Mark! I am. I just don't journal here anymore. I might start back, but I grew tired of posting bad trades. Been doing video journals on Youtube. Thanks for checking in!!!

happy to hear it! what's your youtube channel if you dont mind

[Brandon K 64]

On 6/21/2019 at 10:59 AM, Mark D. said:

happy to hear it! what's your youtube channel if you dont mind

Here ya go: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUiyez_EAHb854yvNM_-Dg

[Mark D. 435]

12 hours ago, Brandon K said:

Here ya go: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUiyez_EAHb854yvNM_-Dg

Thanks! I subbed