The myth of letting your winners run

Discussion in 'Risk Management' started by Flowfollower, Jun 2, 2020.

How do you do it?

Poll closed Jul 21, 2020.
  1. Outlier hunting

    20.7%
  2. Profit target

    44.8%
  3. A combination of both eg trim and trail

    34.5%
  1. volpri,

    Agree on the adjusting the PT due market dynamics (e.g., the market saying "screw your PT, I am the boss boy, I do what I wanna do, and you follow me" see the first 20 seconds of video on how the market talks to me. lol hahahah). The market is the master, and I am the slave.

    "I am the boss motherfucker" LMFAO ....the market is the boss.

     
    #111     Jun 3, 2020
    Tradex likes this.
  2. deaddog

    deaddog

    See if you can find a backtest that buys new highs then manages the portfolio so that the portfolio never holds a loser and exits when a stock breaks it's trend line.
     
    #112     Jun 3, 2020
  3. Tradex

    Tradex

    It's hard (if not impossible) to backtest a system based on "trendlines", a subjective concept by definition.
     
    #113     Jun 3, 2020
    SimpleMeLike and wrbtrader like this.
  4. deaddog

    deaddog

    True; I suppose you could use a moving average but the point is these studies that prove something doesn't work are usually based on holding for a specific period, not based on managing the portfolio. Exits are as important as the entries.
     
    #114     Jun 3, 2020
  5. Sprout

    Sprout

    Not if one gates and kills price based on volume. Annotating Trendlines can be logically derived using parallel lines, 3 pts and recognizing the market structure of nested fractals.
     
    #115     Jun 3, 2020
  6. Tradex

    Tradex

    I could not agree more my friend, and I will keep you posted if I find something.

    That said, buying high and selling higher DOES work (and vice versa for short positions), no doubt about that.

    In fact that's how legendary trader Nicolas Darvas made 2 million dollars, by buying stocks making new highs (what he called the "box"), as explained in his fantastic book "How I Made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market."
     
    #116     Jun 3, 2020
  7. Tradex

    Tradex

    Of course, and we can also use regression lines.

    But I like to keep things VERY simple, that's why I use pure price action and nothing else.
    Buy (or sell short) and let your winners run until you see some evidence that the party is over.

    That's it.
     
    #117     Jun 3, 2020
    SimpleMeLike likes this.
  8. yes, I agree.

    Manual back testing the method to exit position at break of trendline will be too confusing.

    Try the break and close of EMA one or two times as an exit method. That keeps my black ass simple.
     
    #118     Jun 3, 2020
    Tradex likes this.
  9. Tradex

    Tradex

    After years of trading I discovered that this is still one the best ways to exit a winning position!

    The added advantage is that the trader can still re-enter the position if the trend resumes.

    Excellent comments man, you really did your homework! :thumbsup:
     
    #119     Jun 3, 2020
    SimpleMeLike likes this.
  10. volpri

    volpri

    Ok I took a break from the gardening. Boy is it hot out there. Decided to take an averaged down LONG trade in the NQ a few minutes ago. It was 6 contracts. Netted $780.00

    Lock in those profits. BTW while at it I also took a few more trades in Mes and a couple straight scalps in ES.

    All trades winners today.

    Here are the charts or NQ

    So far today All winners. Grab them profits. Cut them winners short and average down them losing positions. Wear that pistol backwards Eastwood. Got to get back to gardening.


    14 NQ.jpg

    15NQ.jpg
     
    #120     Jun 3, 2020