Ships don’t sink because of the water around them, they sink because of the water in them. There will always be many challenges happening around you, many financial experts trying to give you advise that often is better for them than it is for you. There will always be global events and so much more that happen around you that are certainly out of our control. Like the ship, the key is to not let any negative influences enter your world. Instead, create a bubble around you and your family so that whatever happens around you, and whether markets go up down or sideways for whatever reason, that for the rest of your life the negative impact on you and your financial well-being is minimal to none.

For trading, the separation in your mind needs to happen at the level of the influence on price and its relation on the movement in price itself. The number one challenge people have is that they think they are one in the same. What you need to really understand is this…

Any and all influences on price are reflected in price.

When you really understand that concept, you realize that all that needs to be considered is supply and demand to make your trading and investing decisions. Why the supply or demand is present is irrelevant, yet that is where most people’s focus is. Let’s take a look at a recent live trading session I delivered where we traded Oil Futures, a market that always has reports coming out and is always in the news.

Live Trading Session: Oil Futures – 6/5/18

OIL

At the end of May, Oil prices rallied into a strong supply zone where we took action, selling short and planning on a downside move. June 5th, price reached the profit target (blue line), moving from $72.00 a barrel to $65.00. This trade took about a week to play out and during that time there was plenty of news on Oil, plenty of reports that came out on inventory, production, etc. For us to plan and execute this trade, there were two key areas of focus:

  • We had to properly quantify supply and demand by analyzing the price chart.

  • We had to completely ignore any and all outside influences on price (news, reports, data, opinions…)

In other words, the ocean of influence is massive, but our trading ship is very healthy as long as we keep the water out of the ship.

Why is focusing on news, reports, and other influences on price a problem? Here is how it works… When news or reports are good, most people get bullish and buy. What they don’t realize is that by the time the news and data is positive, the price of the market in question is at or near supply (retail prices). When the news and reports are bad, most people get bearish and sell. What they don’t realize is that by the time the news and reports are negative, price is almost always at demand (wholesale prices). This leads to most market participants taking the opposite buy/sell action as they should at key turning points in the market. This is the primary reason most traders and investors never come close to achieving their financial goals; they let the water into their ship, on purpose.

Instead, make sure your strategy to buy and sell in markets is exactly in-line with how you make money buying and selling anything in life. That means making sure you focus on price and price alone, not any of the other influences on price. This will have you consistently buying at demand (wholesale) and selling at supply (retail) which is key in achieving your financial goals and ultimately living the life you choose to live.

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Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD hits two-day highs near 1.1820

EUR/USD hits two-day highs near 1.1820

EUR/USD picks up pace and reaches two-day tops around 1.1820 at the end of the week. The pair’s move higher comes on the back of renewed weakness in the US Dollar amid growing talk that the Fed could deliver an interest rate cut as early as March. On the docket, the flash US Consumer Sentiment improves to 57.3 in February.

GBP/USD reclaims 1.3600 and above

GBP/USD reclaims 1.3600 and above

GBP/USD reverses two straight days of losses, surpassing the key 1.3600 yardstick on Friday. Cable’s rebound comes as the Greenback slips away from two-week highs in response to some profit-taking mood and speculation of Fed rate cuts. In addition, hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill are also collaborating with the quid’s improvement.

USD/JPY drops back below 157.00, as focus shifts to Japan snap election

USD/JPY drops back below 157.00, as focus shifts to Japan snap election

USD/JPY is back in the red below 157.00 in the Asian session on Friday. The Japanese Yen recovers ground against the US Dollar amid some profit-taking ahead of Japan's snap general election on Sunday. The preliminary reading of the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index report for February will be released later on Friday. 


Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD: US Dollar to remain pressured until uncertainty fog dissipates

EUR/USD: US Dollar to remain pressured until uncertainty fog dissipates Premium

The EUR/USD pair lost additional ground in the first week of February, settling at around 1.1820. The reversal lost momentum after the pair peaked at 1.2082 in January, its highest since mid-2021.

Gold: Volatility persists in commodity space

Gold: Volatility persists in commodity space Premium

After losing more than 8% to end the previous week, Gold (XAU/USD) remained under heavy selling pressure on Monday and dropped toward $4,400. Although XAU/USD staged a decisive rebound afterward, it failed to stabilize above $5,000.

GBP/USD: Pound Sterling tests key support ahead of a big week

GBP/USD: Pound Sterling tests key support ahead of a big week Premium

The Pound Sterling (GBP) changed course against the US Dollar (USD), with GBP/USD giving up nearly 200 pips in a dramatic correction.

Bitcoin: The worst may be behind us

Bitcoin: The worst may be behind us

Bitcoin (BTC) price recovers slightly, trading at $65,000 at the time of writing on Friday, after reaching a low of $60,000 during the early Asian trading session. The Crypto King remained under pressure so far this week, posting three consecutive weeks of losses exceeding 30%.

Three scenarios for Japanese Yen ahead of snap election

Three scenarios for Japanese Yen ahead of snap election Premium

The latest polls point to a dominant win for the ruling bloc at the upcoming Japanese snap election. The larger Sanae Takaichi’s mandate, the more investors fear faster implementation of tax cuts and spending plans. 

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