The AlphaMind Project
The AlphaMind Project Ltd
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Learning to trade and be a trader is a lifelong journey with many ups and downs, challenges, hurdles, and hopefully some decent compensation for the strength, trials, and tribulations suffered. Along this journey, it can be helpful, useful, and reassuring to hear the experiences of others who have suffered for their pains and gone on to achieve great success. The guest on this week’s edition of the AlphaMind Podcast is someone who that applies to in many ways.
30 years of trading success brought Jason Shapiro to the attention of Jack Schwager, who was looking for new interview subjects for the latest installment of his brilliant series of Market Wizards books ‘Unknown Market Wizard’. Shapiro’s chapter in the book is called ‘The Contrarian’, which tells you pretty much all you need to know about his approach and style.
In this episode, Jason opens up with about his trading approach, his contrarian philosophy, and a whole host of topics around the trading process which listeners will find fascinating.
Jason talks passionately about trading and his work. Some of the themes Jason talks about include: Why he is a contrarian. How being a contrarian is not the same as being a countertrend. Finding your edge. The importance of getting the process right. Being objective in your views. How markets discount the news. Using the Commitment of Trader’s report. And a host of themes that will inspire and fascinate the listener.
Jason really opens up with great honesty about the realities of trading, of how he has been to hell and back more than once, the pain of losing, the learning experiences of becoming successful than losing it all, the journey and path to better process and practice, of how trading success is ‘the long game’.
This is one of those interviews which is full of nuggets and lessons from beginning to end. Do not switch this episode off early, because it just gets hotter is it goes along.
Jason also talks about the Crowded Market Report, a Futures trading education website that focuses on and supports traders in developing a unique contrarian approach. Also full kudos to the Crowded Market Report, who donate a portion of their proceeds to the Charlestown Early Learning Center, a non-profit organization, to provide a high quality, affordable educational program for 3, 4, and 5-year-old children in the local community.
AlphaMind do not offer trading or investment advice and do not take responsibility for any investment or trading actions or decisions taken by clients or any observers of our material in any form of media, either now or in future.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD clings to small gains near 1.1750
Following a short-lasting correction in the early European session, EUR/USD regains its traction and clings to moderate gains at around 1.1750 on Monday. Nevertheless, the pair's volatility remains low, with investors awaiting this weeks key data releases from the US and the ECB policy announcements.
GBP/USD edges higher toward 1.3400 ahead of US data and BoE
GBP/USD reverses its direction and advances toward 1.3400 following a drop to the 1.3350 area earlier in the day. The US Dollar struggles to gather recovery momentum as markets await Tuesday's Nonfarm Payrolls data, while the Pound Sterling holds steady ahead of the BoE policy announcements later in the week.
Japanese Yen adds to strong gains and drags USD/JPY to 155.00 amid hawkish BoJ bets
The Japanese Yen extends its steady intraday ascent through the Asian session on Monday, dragging the USD/JPY pair to the 155.00 psychological mark in the last hour. Against the backdrop of the recent shift in rhetoric from Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda, an improvement in business confidence reaffirms market bets for an imminent rate hike this week.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD clings to small gains near 1.1750
Following a short-lasting correction in the early European session, EUR/USD regains its traction and clings to moderate gains at around 1.1750 on Monday. Nevertheless, the pair's volatility remains low, with investors awaiting this weeks key data releases from the US and the ECB policy announcements.
GBP/USD edges higher toward 1.3400 ahead of US data and BoE
GBP/USD reverses its direction and advances toward 1.3400 following a drop to the 1.3350 area earlier in the day. The US Dollar struggles to gather recovery momentum as markets await Tuesday's Nonfarm Payrolls data, while the Pound Sterling holds steady ahead of the BoE policy announcements later in the week.
Gold stuck around $4,300 as markets turn cautious
Gold loses its bullish momentum and retreats below $4,350 after testing this level earlier on Monday. XAU/USD, however, stays in positive territory as the US Dollar remains on the back foot on growing expectations for a dovish Fed policy outlook next year.
Solana consolidates as spot ETF inflows near $1 billion signal institutional dip-buying
Solana price hovers above $131 at the time of writing on Monday, nearing the upper boundary of a falling wedge pattern, awaiting a decisive breakout. On the institutional side, demand for spot Solana Exchange-Traded Funds remained firm, pushing total assets under management to nearly $1 billion since launch.
Big week ends with big doubts
The S&P 500 continued to push higher yesterday as the US 2-year yield wavered around the 3.50% mark following a Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut earlier this week that was ultimately perceived as not that hawkish after all. The cut is especially boosting the non-tech pockets of the market.
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