$ndx has had a red hollow candle and a black candle back to back on the weekly chart that's the definition of trickiness and chop
Lots of volatility and no direction, not a good combo. There were some good days, though. Yesterday was good if you got long before the Fed announcement. I didn't because that's usually a crap shoot.
================== Well swTrader, we usually see more of what you admitted; especially due to the timimg -12-12-08 QQQQ,SPY went from about as good a downtrend[bias]; Sept, Oct,Nov, DEC 1st about as good a downtrend as as it gets. 12-12-08 week it went sideways[ sideways trend bias]; QQQQ open $29.55-$29.68 close of week. They both now closed above 50 dma; so it[trend bias ]changed.Another clue the trend changed, my shorts lost money.....................Just another business exspense. Profitable traders freguently have a bias[and know it;] the markets have a bias[up or down or sideways/trend]Not many made money on longs- Sept-NOV-DEC 1st; because of its downtrend bias . Dont agree with his politics; but MR. Sorsos said markets have bias,agree.
i got ripped this week i had a a solid month of profits, bet. 30-1100 bucks everyday, but this week i got ripped. So far only one day + this week
==================== Agree ro380; but with one exception. When investors, traders new,or semi new; all, like a herd of wildebeasts enter orders premarket,NasdaQQQ market makers may help them gap move it, a bit LOL Also,op; read Jack Schwager 3 top trader books, especially Bill''turtle'' Eckhardt, TODAY ,takes/solves wisely a bit of the hardness you are experiencing.........................
The volatility as measured by the Vix is coming down - yet may have another disconcerting spike. . .so be prepared.p$
if you trade smaller, use wider levels to get in an out, and pay more attention to the headfakes going on at this time of yr you still have a chance to make good money instead of losing it