Yet another difficult day but I managed to squeeze out my third straight victory, or the 16th of last 18. 14000 shares each way on 9 of 17 shooting, +880 before commissions, +647 after, no bullets. While my numbers are hardly top tier material, the level of consistency is there, and the effort I put into diversifying my game is definitely paying off. A good year under this kind of market condition would be a huge lift. When the smoke clears, I don't know how many guys on my squad can survive in a market that will destroy all but the ones that literally dedicate their lives to it, but I want to be the one left standing, for the princess of my dreams. Pre-Market: Increased oil price, economic number at 9:15 and options expiration made me increase my envelope to 1%, could have had 2 more fills and made quite a bit more. 9:30: Filled on TGT and got 18 cents. 9:40: Tried to bottom pick SPF and lost 10 cents. Took DNA on BTK move but it came in quickly and I bailed for a 6 cents loss. Got SGY for 50 cents but just got 100 shares filled. 10:15: Took PPG for a 30 cents move on chemical move. My daily chart pick SPG shook me out for a 10 cents loss before went much higher. My other daily chart pick SSP was better as I managed to take 40 cents out. Churned ROH as the stock could not move much despite of the chemical rally. 10:45: Hit CRA for just 15 cents as biotech ran. Lost 5 cents on CAL as it could not go with airlines. Churned more DYN/EP on energy move, churned more DYN . . . Tried TJX on RLX move but it could not go as I churned that. 2:16: Mini home builder rally, took MDC for 40 cents move, lost 5 cents on TOL, broke even on DHI, hit HOV as a huge BID showed up, just took 300 shares as I didn't believe it, made 60 cents . . . Time ran out and it was time to fold away yet another difficult game. Team Stats: 8 active traders 65400 shares each way on 31 of 75 shooting +2043 before commissions (4 of 8 positive) +550 after commissions (4 of 8 positive) Top 3 Symbols: PH, MDC, CCU Bottom 3 Symbols: MRK, CB, BR
Shorteee, Might I direct your attention to the lower right corner of each post where links for EDIT, QUOTE and KILL are there. I humbly suggest that EDIT would serve your purposes in case of a future miskey.
Trading can be a bitch. Over the past few weeks it seems the market wants to go up. I kept shorting and got nailed a few times. I trade at WorldCo and I have to say overall things are going well, even though I've been struggling lately. Attn: Don Bright, you should come down to WorldCo and check it out, we have 3 offices on Wall Street -- you may even get to meet "Hitman." I realize that until you can be a consistent money-making trader you should consider getting an additional job unless your pockets are already fat. I sit next to a trader who I've seen make $30,000 a day in this market as well as lose $15,000 the next day. It's best to be patient and try out different strategies. I notice the specialist will fight you for a penny! Oh well, remember you have to be nuts to be a trader, as you wait for the light at the end of the tunnel! I've tried to many times to outsmart the market, no more of that shit. Happy Trading to all. Cheers - BMW, WorldCo Trader
A very solid all around game to start the second pay period. 10700 shares each way on 11 of 16 shooting, +1205 before commissions, +1027 after, no bullets. I am playing at the highest level I have been playing at in a long, long time. With $7000 in the bag and 9 games left on schedule, this could be my first five digit month since last March, and it came in an extremely difficult market. What was the reason behind this run? I have to say that while Don's open strategy made me a combined $500 this month, what it did for me was invaluable. First of all, between 9:15-9:30 I run my calculations and put in 50-60 orders by hand and double check them, that greatly increases my level of alertness and concentration. By the time the market opens, my focus is already maxed out. Then instead of hesitate and think whether I should take certain set-ups, I will have a few automatic positions that I will have to immediately manage, so by 9:45, I am all warmed up and ready to switch to my main attack plan. Last but not least, in a choppy market, this strategy pretty much ensures that I start the day with some sort of lead. During this entire stretch I have not faced a serious deficit off the open, and hopefully, this strategy will continue to keep me out of trouble. Perhaps most importantly, it all started when I took her to my office on that fateful Sunday night right after the first game of the month (when I made $2), when deep in my heart I started to believe that I can become top tier material one day as I held her shoulders in emotion. I have been getting a lot more sleep every night (7 hours is a must), I have been going to the gym at least twice a week, and my mind, body, emotion are all peaking at the right time. It also helps that I was able to go out with her five times during this span, versus the average of twice a month, that is a huge improvement in my happiness level (that no amount of career achievements will truly make a difference without her). She has been busy with her midterms and I haven't seen her in 7 days, and I don't know how much longer I can stay hot without cooling off. She is my pillar of strength, I can only imagine the raw power I will have if I ever win her heart and get to be with her 365 days a year, she is the key to unlock my full potential. The more time I spend with her, the more I want it all, and that level of hunger is the driving force behind everything I do. Last night I had dinner with a few friends who recently graduated and some of them could not find a job. One guy, who has been a good friend for six years, told me that career wise, he almost can't see how I can possibly NOT make it, that he would put his money on me over just about anyone he knows even with my recent struggles, even over guys who are far more intelligent academically. It is that level of hunger he says, that he has yet to see in anyone else, that separates me from those who are equally talented. And that was a lift in itself, as even if I doubt it myself, he is the kind of guy who doesn't dish out compliments like that lightly, and as a result, a solid game Pre-Market: News on BAC and its M&A rumors, news on BMY, took them out of my open orders, wish I kept them in. I think I am going to experiment on news stocks with partial lots. MRK had news on Friday so I did a partial. 9:30: Got a quarter out of MRK unfortunately off the half lot. Got 13 cents from HD as I mooked out of a great short. Lost 2 cents on MWD. 9:31: Hit CRA for 35 cents on BTK move. Got HP for 40 cents on OSX move. Home Builder hard squeeze and I took 40 cents out of MDC on a partial fill. Lost 10 cents on LM as it could not participate in XBD rally. Lost 10 cents on LUX as it could not follow through what was a nice volume break out. Churned EOG/DYN. 2:30: Churned LEN/SPF as home builders again closed weak without substantial rallies. OSX/XNG rally and I took BR and KMI for decent moves. Kept my lots small as overall volume was weak. "When the mountain collapses, when the sky falls, I will still love you." 7 of 9 active traders 57200 shares each way on 34 of 56 shooting +3744 before commissions (7 of 7) +2467 after commissions (4 of 7) Top 3 Symbols: KMI, HP, EP Bottom 3 Symbols: FCS, CAL, EOG
Nice job You seem to be improving lately Hitman and it is showing in your P&L a lot more. The following will probably go over a few of the posters heads here One thing though I noticed is how the "princess" is everything. If she isn't with you it will break you. Your true power lies deep within yourself....tap that source and you will be top tier very soon. When you are at that level you can have the world in your grasp. It is the guy who try to control everything /resists things who isn't free. Realize this and accept anything can happen. A Samurai will never truely be great until he accepts the fact that he will sooner or later die and welcome the fact. If he resists this he will never fight with all his heart as there will be fear. When you worry about not having "princess" there is fear inside and you are not being true to yourself. Robert
Although I agree with what you say, the "problem" is that Hitman is 20 something (I think you are also in your mid twenties?) I for one would not try to "change" the way he is - the romance that he is experiencing now is just one of the treats of life, unless of course you are not the "romantic type," which Hitman seems to be. Really, the journey is as important as the destination - I think Hitman has already alluded that she is "more" important than trading success to him (he's even willing to shine Don's shoes for her sake!!! LOL) I am reading the book on Jim Cramer (I find it hillarious and sad.) If one has to turn into that guy, I wouldn't do it for all the money in the world. Of course, as usual, I am making a statement more about myself than anyone else. nitro PS I too find the Samurai the ultimate level of all that is embodied in many of the things that I like to do. Truly amazing people...