Yes, I would second that. From what I have seen on this board many people set them too tight, at least for me and regardless of what the market suggests, that is in a somewhat arbitrary way. Now, that also means that you should set your targets at least to be 2 times your intended stop-losses.
My stops may be too tight, I'll keep an eye on that possibility. My strategy to this point has been to keep stops tight initially, give some breathing room through the bulk of the move, and reign them in again when I feel the move is coming to an end. Here are today's activities: 04/07/03 ADSK Long @ 16.81 (Close: 16.62) ADSK Sell Stop @ 16.30 DSPG Short @ 19.41 (Close: 19.44) DSPG Cover Stop @ 20.01 I have, as can be seen, broken my first rule of going only long. What I should have said was primarily long. Really, this short position is only a temporary hedge absed on my suspicions that we are about to undergo a correction.
the major trend is down.. yet you think it is a better play to go long... OK?! Will you be listing your trades on this thread for those that want to take the opposite position, and just general information? Also what is your upside target for the NDX, COMP, SOX, DOW etc. Good luck in trading... Ice
Yes I will. BTW, is the trend down? I thought the market has been going sideways. Lows: DJIA ~ 7300, S&P500 ~ 770, Nasdaq100 ~ 800. I don't plan on being in on the down swings of the chop, just the ups, waiting for the follow-through. Could be wrong though, could always be wrong. Oh yeah, upside. Don't know, will wait till things get started b/f estimating those numbers. Will say this though, things will probably stop short of or around the ol' '99/'00 highs.
To bet that the market will head up just because we've had a bear market for a couple years is a dangerous bet, especially at this time. It's like betting that your coin flip will come up heads just because you've had 6 tails in a row.
But is the market like the flip of a coin? Economies, politicians, citizens adapt to a situation. But this is really not the issue. I KNOW the market will go up, the question is when. My position is that the down trend has ended. The channel, though still in effect, has been played. And, b/c the channel is narrowing I ask myself which way is the market more likely to go next? Here are a few tangible reasons why I believe the market will be going up b/f too long. Off the top of my head: I figure Bush knows he cannot be re-elected if the economy is sour. His old-man failed in this respect and I feel confident he'll do anything in his power not to have that happen again. Far be it from me to have confidence in a politician though, so let's look elsewhere. The Fed lowered interest rates, 4-6 months ago (?) to a incredibly low level. This usually takes 9-12 months to have an effect. This may have very bad consequences 2-3 years from now (after the election) but I am not thinking that far ahead. I figure rates have kept and probably will continue to keep things afloat. The war is obviously crucial. Something horrible could happen. Barring this even if we can't win the war cleanly, the spinsters I think will do their job and help the euphoria along. And, from everyone I talk to, new jobs (as in jobs for small business owners) have been coming in very rapidly. I live in a fairly affluent area, so this probably only means the very wealthy feel secure. With all this, I really only feel a slightly in favor for the upside. And the idea of putting all my eggs on that side, I agree, would be a poor decision. p.s. I would be curious to know why you stated, "especially at this time."
Perhaps you have your Elite Trader account options set to "hide signatures" and have not seen my signature on my posts. It is more like the flip of a coin than not. True the spinsters will fan the flames of euphoria, and we will have contrasting ups and downs, as we did this morning. {Note, this evening NQ was back up 15 points around 1067} Especially at this time, because of the war. Like father, like son. George Bush Jr is more concerned with trying to prove to his old man that he too "is not a wimp" than he is even about getting, I won't say "re-elected", re-instated, and certainly more than he cares about what happens to the economy, even if he had the brains to do anything to improve it, which he doesn't. It's rollercoaster/seesaw time on the stock market. So take advantage of it if you can.
I think I'd stick to the onion soup. Try adding some big crusty croutons (seasoned w/ garlic, basil, etc) and above all -- top with lots of mozzarella and bake until the cheese is melted and gooey! and always order for the lady -- it's a classy move! (don't take my criticism of your plan too seriously). dog