Brandon Wendell, CMT
Brandon Wendell
Most traders have heard that saying “the trend is your friend” before. In our classes at Online Trading Academy, we teach students not only how to trade with the trends, but how to identify the potential beginning and the end of those trends. One of the unique advantages of the Professional Trader Course is that we allow our students to trade live with our capital. This serves many benefits. The most obvious benefit is that the student gets real life experience in trading live and can feel the emotions that go with every push of the mouse click. The second, more important benefit though, is the ability of the instructor to monitor the students’ grasp of the skills taught and to be able to identify and correct trading errors before the students risk their own capital.
Free WorkshopIn analyzing many new traders’ performances I have seen a disturbing pattern. I notice that they are willing to enter long and short positions in the same security, in the same trading day. When I analyze their trades with them they quickly see how one side of the market was much more profitable than the other. So, why do we try to fight the trend instead of embracing it and trading in the safer, more profitable direction?
The trend can be divided into two distinct parts: the impulse and the correction. The impulses are the smaller moves in the direction of the larger trend, and are what we should be trading. The corrections are the pauses in the trend and may move sideways or opposite of the trend. These corrections allow traders the opportunity to re-enter into the dominant trend direction before the new impulse.
Impulses demonstrate several characteristics: they have fast moving prices, they tend to have larger candles and they may have gaps in the trend direction. Overall, they are violent moves that cover large price advancements in a short time period. Kind of sounds like you would want to trade with them, right?
Corrections differ greatly in that they are slower moving and cover less price action. These are riskier to trade in that if traders do not exit in time they will be on the wrong side of the new violent impulse. Corrections can usually be measured by supply and demand levels on the current time frame, a return to a moving average or trendline, or even Fibonacci retracements.
There are many techniques we teach in our classes to identify the current market environment. If you do not take the time to do this before putting your money into the market you greatly reduce your chances for success. Take the time to see where you are trading and trade with the direction that offers the greatest profit potential with the least amount of risk… the impulse. Use the corrective periods to set up for the next trade. If you are not sure how to identify these environments come to one of Online Trading Academy’s classes and learn. Trade with your friend, the trend!
Neither Freedom Management Partners nor any of its personnel are registered broker-dealers or investment advisers. I will mention that I consider certain securities or positions to be good candidates for the types of strategies we are discussing or illustrating. Because I consider the securities or positions appropriate to the discussion or for illustration purposes does not mean that I am telling you to trade the strategies or securities. Keep in mind that we are not providing you with recommendations or personalized advice about your trading activities. The information we are providing is not tailored to any individual. Any mention of a particular security is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold that or any other security or a suggestion that it is suitable for any specific person. Keep in mind that all trading involves a risk of loss, and this will always be the situation, regardless of whether we are discussing strategies that are intended to limit risk. Also, Freedom Management Partners’ personnel are not subject to trading restrictions. I and others at Freedom Management Partners could have a position in a security or initiate a position in a security at any time.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD edges lower toward 1.0700 post-US PCE
EUR/USD stays under modest bearish pressure but manages to hold above 1.0700 in the American session on Friday. The US Dollar (USD) gathers strength against its rivals after the stronger-than-forecast PCE inflation data, not allowing the pair to gain traction.
GBP/USD retreats to 1.2500 on renewed USD strength
GBP/USD lost its traction and turned negative on the day near 1.2500. Following the stronger-than-expected PCE inflation readings from the US, the USD stays resilient and makes it difficult for the pair to gather recovery momentum.
Japanese Yen trades just shy of 157.00 versus the USD
The Japanese Yen weakens across the board after BoJ announced its policy decision. A shortlived spike in the Yen may be testament to an attempt by the Japanese authorities to intervene. US PCE Price Index shows higher-than-expected inflation but does little to impact USD/JPY which almost touches 157.00.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD edges lower toward 1.0700 post-US PCE
EUR/USD stays under modest bearish pressure but manages to hold above 1.0700 in the American session on Friday. The US Dollar (USD) gathers strength against its rivals after the stronger-than-forecast PCE inflation data, not allowing the pair to gain traction.
GBP/USD retreats to 1.2500 on renewed USD strength
GBP/USD lost its traction and turned negative on the day near 1.2500. Following the stronger-than-expected PCE inflation readings from the US, the USD stays resilient and makes it difficult for the pair to gather recovery momentum.
Gold struggles to hold above $2,350 following US inflation
Gold turned south and declined toward $2,340, erasing a large portion of its daily gains, as the USD benefited from PCE inflation data. The benchmark 10-year US yield, however, stays in negative territory and helps XAU/USD limit its losses.
Bitcoin Weekly Forecast: BTC’s next breakout could propel it to $80,000 Premium
Bitcoin’s recent price consolidation could be nearing its end as technical indicators and on-chain metrics suggest a potential upward breakout. However, this move would not be straightforward and could punish impatient investors.
Week ahead – Hawkish risk as Fed and NFP on tap, Eurozone data eyed too
Fed meets on Wednesday as US inflation stays elevated. Will Friday’s jobs report bring relief or more angst for the markets? Eurozone flash GDP and CPI numbers in focus for the Euro.
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