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Rob C

Rob C's Trading Journal - starting Feb 1 2019

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Tuesday 03/17/2020

I had a well-being score of 6.5/10 this morning.

I took 2 live trades with AMD and NCLH.

My watchlist: AMD, NCLH, TSLA, MRNA, CCL, and AAL.

I like AMD in the PM. The price was really respecting the 200MA-1min and the 50MA-5min. If it broke this level, after the open, with volume I would go long. AMD quickly made a hammer at the open with OK volume (not large volume). Though the volume wasn’t great, I liked the hammer and SPY was on the rise, so I went long when the price broke the levels I spoke of. The target was the 41.09 daily level, with a reasonably large stop at $40. The price immediately popped and I took a partial. Then it hovered for awhile and I took another partial, since I was losing faith. Then the price hovered even longer and I took another partial, since I was really losing faith. Then the price dropped and my auto B/E stop kicked in and sold my remaning shares.

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I liked the 2min ORB setup on NCLH. First it was creating a mini ABCD with the last PM candle and was creating a small wedge. I didn’t wait for the break of the wedge, because I felt confident with its weakness. My target was PDC, but definitely would partial at the LOPM (11.09). My stop was tight at the high of the previous candle. As soon as I took the trade SPY went bullish and took NCLH with it and I was quickly stopped out. I was watching for about 30 seconds to see if it would setup again, but then my swing trades needed managing so I missed the run down. But that is OK, it is good to know I planned a working trade.

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What did I do good today? I like both my trades and thought they were executed OK.

What I am grateful from todayFlat for the day for day-trading, but did really well on the swing trades that I went long before the close yesterday.

Edited by Rob C
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Wednesday 03/18/2020

I had a well-being score of 6.5/10 this morning.

I took 1 live trade with AMD.

My watchlist: AMD, BA, TSLA, AAPL, CCL, and ROKU.

I like AMD in the PM again. The price was really respecting the 39.90 level. The price dropped and bounced off the 20MA-1min. There was a sizeable ask on L2 at the 39.90 level so I went long with the same target as yesterday (41.09) with a stop using the 50MA-1min. A little scary heading into the open and I was almost stopped out. I took a partial at the 39.90 level and then the price dropped and touched my stop at B/E. ONLY VERY recently I have been lucky enough not to be stopped out at this point and wasn’t today either. I remember writing in my journal over and over, every week, the big run of the week I would take a partial and the price would drop back down just enough to stop me out at B/E and then go for a 10R run or something. Lately it hasn’t happen as much and sometimes I am along for the run. The price almost reached my target, then exited when the price made two new lows and lost the 9MA.

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What did I do good today? I had to keep a sharp eye on the bid to make sure I got a good fill.

What I am grateful from todayNot getting stopped out at B/E.

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Thursday 03/19/2020

I had a well-being score of 6.5/10 this morning.

I took 4 live trades with UBER, AMD and MRNA.

My watchlist: AMD, UBER, TSLA, MSFT, CCL, and MRNA.

Yep I am probably the only trader today who went long on UBER today and lost money. But no worries I still had a good day. There was a 15.92 level in PM that looked like a good break level. When the price broke that level, with an OK L2 signal, I went long in PM. I got a terrible fill. But R/R was still OK. My target was $16.50 with another PM level (15.81) as my stop. I waited for the open where we got an OK pop on OK volume. I was waiting the whole first minute to move higher. When it didn’t I took a partial. Then the price dropped quickly and I was S/O at B/E. I got a terrible fill on the stop as well so I actually took a small loss. By the time UBER was setting up again I was in another trade.

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MRNA was already green in the PM, but opened weak on good volume. Then was creating a strong 3rd 1min candle and a hammer on the 5min chart. There were two big asks on L2 so I went long when it seemed to be holding VWAP.

What it looked like when I took the trade (note L2):

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My stop was VWAP, but I took half shares since the price was jumpy and I knew I would not get a good fill. My target was the HOPM (33.24). The price really started moving 3 minutes later. I took partials until I ran out of shares.

 image.png.e88051ba581fa56816735701523d9147.png

 

AMD dropped big at the open but was recovering with SPY. When it broke VWAP and 38.50 (a level it was respecting) I went long. The price popped up and I took a partial then was stopped out at B/E. The price dropped a little more and bounced from the 9MA-1min, where I went long again. Then AMD had a nice run. I took too many partials until I ran out of shares.

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What did I do good today? Got back in a trade after it was setting up again. Not feeling FOMO from the early S/O from UBER.

What I am grateful from todayI had a good day even with a loss on UBER.

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Friday 03/20/2020

I had a well-being score of 7/10 this morning.

I took 1.5 live trades with UBER, and CCL (sort of).

My watchlist: AMD, UBER, TSLA, MSFT, CCL, and AAPL.

I made a hotkey mistake at the open with CCL making an accidental trade. I was about to quickly get out but L2 looked good so I held for a bit for break even. I won’t mention it any more.

As for UBER, there was a level created at 22.60 the last 7 minutes of PM, plus another level at 22.75 from PM. There was no 1st min volume, but solid volume the next two minutes. I also like the 200MA-1min just above, I always feel that level as a magnet at the open. I went long at the break of the 22.75, got a terrible fill, but my stop was a little lose since I assumed the bad fill. My target was 23.60 (a recent PM high) and stop was the 22.60 PM level. The price moved up quickly then leveled out and created a support level at 23.42. So I decided when it broke down through that level to sell half the reamining shares. Then all out at the break of VWAP.

 

What did I do good today? Recovered from that hot key mistake on CCL.

What I am grateful from todayI am always grateful for a green Friday.

image.png

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Monday 03/23/2020

I had a well-being score of 7/10 this morning.

I took 1 live trade with AMD.

My watchlist: AMD, UBER, TSLA, MGM, CCL, and ZM.

I was watching AMD at the open as default, since nothing else on my watchlist had a PM that was interesting. AMD opened weak with SPY. AMD made a reverse hammer. I shorted when the price broke the 200MA-5min with a L2 signal (but not a big signal).

What AMD looked like when I went long:

image.png.f3bfe906976c31e4466577c317cdcc28.png

My target was PDC (39.60) with a stop 40.60 (when my 1min candle would go green and the break 40.50 where PM was respected). I took two partials and did have my auto stop at B/E. But I hate when the price flies through my stop and removes all my profit. So I bailed a little early (my cover was exactly on my 1st partial so you can’t see it on the chart). But of course if I held to my stop I would have reached my target and beyond.

 image.png.907ba47d65d1ac5015512b8e32ad43f1.png

What did I do good today? Stopped at one trade. That took some resolve since I was only at +1R. But my goal is to find one good trade. Essentially, a trade that reaches my target. AMD did reach my target (and beyond), it was my fault I didn’t take advantage of it. So I took a trade that reached my target, so I am done for the day.

What I am grateful from todayI took a short trade. I have noticed I have been taking a lot of long trades lately, I am worried I am getting a bias. It doesn’t help that I have less stocks that have shorts (shorts I can take quickly) with Centerpoint.

Edited by Rob C
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I have similar problems with shorting in CMEG. A lot of stuff others have shorts for we do not. It will just make us that much better later.

Have a good night and trade safe tomorrow

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Tuesday 03/24/2020

I had a well-being score of 7/10 this morning.

I took 2 live trade with MGM and AMD.

My watchlist: AMD, UBER, TSLA, MGM, CCL, and AAL.

I was watching MGM as the opening approached. Then it broke a 11.50 level it had been respecting with an L2 signal so I went long.

What MGM looked like when I went long (note the large asks):

image.png.e387feb516f043f28f17e5906fbb270f.png

There was actually no level to use as a target and was not respecting dollar levels in PM. My stop was 11.15. The price popped up very fast and I quickly tried to take a partial (without checking the spread) and was filled at B/E. But the partial did reduce my risk. So when I was S/O shortly after it was only a -0.6R loss. Looking at the trade during review I see MGM made a hangman formation (5min chart) right as I took the trade. Those are very telling when volume is low. Hopefully, if I saw that, I would not have taken the trade.

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I was then watching AMD at the open. AMD opened strong at broke the HOPM with OK volume and a long bias L2. I went long and got a poor fill. But I saw the price moving up so fast I went half shares knowing the fill may not go well.

What AMD looked like when I went long (note the large L2 asks):

image.png.4dd407c1f8a67e201ec0b76bef7fa5e5.png

My target was the 44.75 daily level with a stop using the 44.12 PM level. The price fell back and I entered with the rest of my shares at the 44.12 level. Somehow I wasn’t stopped out but close enough I was quick to take partial profits. The price did reach my target and beyond and I exited when the price broke down below the 9MA-1min.

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What did I do good today? Used L2 well. Good risk management with stops and halving my share size.

What I am grateful from todayThe market gave me one good trade. Though I was not able to capitalize it, I am grateful for it.

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Wednesday 03/25/2020

I had a well-being score of 7/10 this morning.

I took 4 live trades with BA and AMD.

My watchlist: AMD, JBLU, DAL, MGM, CCL, and DAL.

I was watching BA in the PM. There was an area $152-$153 that the price was respecting but not a specific price. I was watching to see if it woud break with a L2 signal. It did make a break but without a L2 signal. Then created a strong 1min candle and then a L2 signal appeared and I went long. But now my stop is quite far ($152.91) and I took half shares since it is PM. So not to many shares taken on this trade. I did get a $2 move, but exited a few seconds before PM since I had no directional bias.

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Then I took 3 trades on AMD which opened weak and bounce from PDC. I shorted on the pull back with 2/3 share size in case I can get a better entry with a VWAP bull back. I was watching too intensely to add to my position as the price was approaching VWAP that I did not look at L2. There was a clear long bias on L2 telling me to exit. I didn’t see it and actually added to my position (I saw it later on my trade recording). I was stopped out about 1 min later.

When the price broke all the MAs I went long and quickly took a partial then was immediately S/O at B/E for a small loss. The price just filled my S/O and went higher again and now there was a L2 signal so I went long again. My stop was 20MA with 47.91 daily level as my target. I did get  a 50c move which was fine. Stopped out on the new 1min low. I probably should have waited for the break of the 9MA.

image.png.2ecf3a6297c84abd6bb74bbb0bfbce94.png

 

What did I do good today? I kept an eye on SPY through all my trades.

What I am grateful from today50% win rate today, but well into the green 🙂

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Thursday 03/26/2020

I had a well-being score of 7/10 this morning.

I took 1 live trade with MU

My watchlist: AMD, MU, DAL, F, CCL, and BA.

My main goal for today and tomorrow is simply to stay within my max loss. Tomorrow is the end of the month (I always end my month on a Friday). I am above my 20R goal for the month and if I max loss today and tomorrow I will still be above 20R. There has been so many months, in the last 2 years, that I give all my profits for the month on the last two days.

MU was already ~+5% in PM on good earnings. SPY has been powering higher during the PM and MU was respecting the $45 level in PM. MU opened weak Bounced off of a 44.40 level and had two large asks just above $45. I went long as it passed VWAP. HOPM (45.50) was my target with the bottom of the candle as my stop (with slippage). My first partial was just to reduce risk. Sadly I took a small second partial, since I thought it will break higher now since it broke the $45 level. Price then dropped below VWAP where I was S/O

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I then took a SIM trade on F and got chopped up really bad.

 

What did I do good today? Took a partial to reduce risk when MU was acting wild.

What I am grateful from todayDidn’t blow up my account. I am thinking of even just trading SIM tomorrow since I already reached my goal for the month.

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Friday 03/27/2020

I had a well-being score of 7/10 this morning.

I took 2 live trades with AMD

My watchlist: AMD, TSLA, DAL, UBER, CCL, and BA.

My main goal for today is simply to stay within my max loss. I succeeded but my discipline was definitely weaker today, being the last day of the month.

AMD opened weak and pulled back and bounced from the 50MA-1min. On the 2nd minute candle we got another bounce from the 50MA-1min. I can’t get my video recording to work but I thought I saw a bearish L2 and SPY dropping. So I shorted when it rebroke the LOPM. The price reversed almost immediately and I was stopped out.

I should have waited for a break higher above the 50MA-1min for verification (break of resistance and break of the wedge). But I didn’t and just flipped my position. The trade worked out but not good discipline. My target was the HOPM (47.10) with the LOPM (46.15) as my stop. The price did reach my target.

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What did I do good today? Didn’t lose all my profits for the month which I am known to do on the last day of the month (I end the months on Fridays).

What I am grateful from todayI finished the month up >+20R. Second month in a row >+20R and fourth month in row positive. 🙂

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Monday 03/30/2020

I had a well-being score of 6.5/10 this morning.

I took 2 live trades with ABT and CCL.

My watchlist: AMD, ABT, DAL, JNJ, CCL, and BA.

ABT had an interesting PM. It had a catalyst and a level at 83.25 it touched (or nearly touched) 3 times near the open. Then at 9:26 the volume really increased with a bullish candle and then a hammer. The L2 looked weighted to the ask side. Then 2 min before the open T/S lit up green and I went long with small share size. The price popped and retraced.

What the chart/L2 looked like when I took the trade:

image.png

The price popped, but not high enough to take a partial. Then the price dropped to my stop (82.50) and bounced and made a hammer where I added. My target was the daily level at 84.73.

The open had lots of volume but little movement at first. Then the priced moved higher and I got two partials. Then the price sat for almost 2 minutes while SPY was moving higher. Finally the price moved a little higher where I partailed again since I was losing faith. Then I tried to exit at the break of the 83.25 level, but wow what a slide that was.

 image.png

Right after the ABT trade I noticed CCL had a weak 1st minute then was bouncing between VWAP and the LOPM. If I could get a really good entry near VWAP I would short. I didn’t have to wait to long and actually got filled immediately. I had to only wait a minute for the drop to start. I took way to many partials. I got caught in the halt. Then I accidentally made a hot key mistake near the end when I was exiting, and added a few shares.

 

 image.png

What did I do good today? Good use of T/S.

What I am grateful from todayIt’s great starting the month (my trading months always start on a Monday) on a positive day.

Edited by Rob C
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Tuesday 03/31/2020

I had a well-being score of 6.5/10 this morning.

I took 3 live trades with ABT and AMD.

My watchlist: AMD, ABT, DAL, JNJ, CCL, and BA.

Not happy with my discipline today. Definitely more luck than skill that made me green today.

ABT had an interesting setup in PM. So I was watching to see if an L2 signal would appear. No signal occurred. Though volume was OK for PM, it wasn’t enough without a L2 signal. So I took an undiscipline trade mostly due to SPY being strong at the time. But the market was good to me and taught me a lesson by quickly stopping me out with a big slide on stop making a -1.5R loss.

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SPY was strong near the open. I took a very small entrance on AMD right before the open to see if there would be a pop. The price bounced around then dropped. Then I waited to see if it would drop to LOPM where I would buy more shares with a tight stop just below the LOPM. So I bought more shares and the price moved higher and created a hammer. SPY was moving higher and I added more shares. Now I had fill share size. And now I waited. Then over the next 5 minutes I took 3 partials all to reduce risk as I would lose more faith in the trade. When The price finally started moving I had only 25% of my shares left. I took more partials and exited but then decided to enter again into my position since I felt it would break the 200MA-1min. It did, I took 1 partial but then fell back below the 200MA where I exited at B/E. I made money but messy trading.

image.png

 

What did I do good today? Stopped trading while still green.

What I am grateful from today Stopped trading while still green.

Edited by Rob C
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Wednesday 04/01/2020

I had a well-being score of 7/10 this morning.

I took 2 live trades with CCL and AMD.

My watchlist: AMD, MGM, DAL, UBER, CCL, and BA.

I actually didn’t like anything in the PM. I usually like something and have a plan on which stocks and where to enter, but not today. That created some anxiety. So I was watching AMD  as default. At the open AMD dropped hard and made a sharp reversal. When the price reversed enough that I thought it wouldn’t double back I went long. My target was the HOPM (44.80) with a stop at the bottom of the wick. I took a quick 1st partial, then a second when SPY started heading lower. Then a few seconds later I got cold feet due to SPY and exited. Yes, the was still far away from my B/E which it never tested on the way to it’s big run. So I need to get better about that. I just hate when my stop gets slid right through and makes a winning trade into a losing one.

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CCL dropped the first minute and bounced on the LOPM. The price reversed back to VWAP and I shorted on the pullback. I was a bit nervous on theis trade but Andrew then called it a few seconds later which made me feel that the trade idea was OK. My target was the 11.70 level with a stop at the 200MA-1min. I did take an extra partial when I was losing faith but looking at it now there was of course no reason to. The price reached my target and I exited on a 1min candle engulfing.

image.png.ab58b324ce7bb967672f375ce7e236cc.png

What did I do good today? Not feeling FOMO (too much) about the AMD early exit. Just something I need to work on.

What I am grateful from today Shorted a stock. I have definitely gotten to long bias. I need to work on that.

Edited by Rob C
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