+11 Bought CAT 113.92 15:38 (300) Sold CAT 113.93 15:38* *Another accident where I pressed the wrong button again and entered on a market order. I was lucky to get out with a slight loss due to fees. Bought 117.14 15:54 Sold 117.16 15:54 Sold Short 117.47 15:58 Bought Cover 114.40 16:01** ** Thought for sure it went up to quick too fast but I'm not sure about holding overnight. I entered an amount to get out during after hours and got hit. After a tough loss a couple days ago, I'm starting all over again. Sigh.
I do want to be profitable. I realized the mistake of one of the setups I used couple days ago. I don't like the anxiety. That's part of why I want to get out so quickly. My account is running on fumes so that is additional reason why I want to just take small profits. The problem is that I seem to look at the P&L too much while the price moves. Often that is what gets me. The psychological part is tough for me to overcome. I do feel that I am better than I was on reading the market.
bayarea, why dont you try to program your strategy (and automate) or at least write a pseudo-code . this will take care of or or help with the mental aspect and force you to clarify and uncover any issues with your strategy or conceptual understanding of what you are trying to do. best regards, tihfa
Wish that I could, I'm not a computer science guy. There are a lot if this happens, then that response issues that have to be programmed in. I don't know how to do it. Theoretically, one could make a lot of money if they know how to design a program to seek through the market for the best setups.
+12 A lot of overlap today. Tough to figure out what's going on. Tried some with the trend ones. I don't like the scalps but a day where there is a lot of overlap, scalps seem ok. I just wonder when I will get back to where I was last week. Tough to get any traction. Sold Short 117.24 13:22 Bought Cover 117.19 13:25 Bought 117.18 14:42* Sold 117.20 14:43 *Another one where I didn't mean to get in via market order so I got out. Bought 117.33 15:00** Sold 117.36 15:01 **I meant to get in at a lower price put press wrong button for the price. Made another market order. It was an okay with trend small scalp. No trading for me tomorrow. Knowing my luck, there would be some huge setup that I'll miss tomorrow.
+14 Sold Short 116.50* 15:00 Bought Cover 116.60 15:05 One losing trade. Theoretically 2 bad trades. Thought it would try to go back down but I opted to just get out. It psyched me out and could've been positive had I waited. I hate it too when I only get a partial order. I had to wait until it came back again. By that time, it didn't look as good. Bought 114.55 11:47** Sold 114.73 11:55 Bought 115.08 11:57 Sold 115.11 11:57 * *Timed entry price exactly right. However, I was going to move the exit price up a little before I got hit. I entered 114.73 initially to as a point on the board above my entry. Just got hit too quick. Could've been much better than this. The entry point was the low of the day. In hindsight, I should've just put in a protective stop to guard profits rather than worrying about getting out.
-29 Bad trades ruined it. So hard to decipher direction in this market. SPY (300) Sold Short 134.98 11:30 Bought Cover 135.06 11:35 I read the previous bar low incorrectly. I wouldn't gotten in otherwise. Sold Short 134.99 11:47 Bought Cover 135.07 11:48 (200) Bought Cover 135.06 11:48 (100) I'm no longer going to use the EMA as a scalp tool. It ran right through without any pullback. Screwed up on the qty order in the order entry boxes so I am forking over the commission. Scalps GS Bought 116.10 10:12 Bought 115.14 11:38 Sold 116.13 10:12 Sold 115.22 11:40 Bought 115.82 11:07 Sold 115.85 11:08 SPY (100) Bought 135.07 11:48* Sold 135.12 11:50 * Mistake in setting price to get out of bad trade yielded 100 shares that I bought which was the right call. I accidently had the wrong qty loaded on one of the order boxes. I should've reversed everything at that point and go to the upside.
-177 Ouch. Revenge trading is the worst kind. Blocks logical thinking and setup entries in the wrong direction. I went and got in at the end yesterday thinking it would turn around today. Just guessing. I got tired of just getting small gains or losses. Holding overnight got me again. The market just opened low. In hindsight, it was a channel that I bought at toward the top and the trend was downwards so I should not be buying into that. I'm only going to concentrate on one setup from now on that has worked for me consistently. If the setup doesn't appear, then so be it. No gain is better than a bad loss. Bought 116.20 Yesterday Sold 115.33 Today. The only bright spot was that I got out toward one of the highs of today. It could've been much worse.
-29 CAT Bought 113.23 13:28 Sold 113.10 13.54 Could've scalped out but didn't. Was holding for higher target which was reached after I exited. Sigh.. One of those I could've scalped out or not scenarios. I was waiting for the right setup all day on GS and it didn't happen. It did happen at CAT but I missed it. I was too impatient. I realize if I don't get the right setup on the scenario I want, I should just scalp out.