I have found that trading ES has gotten fairly "challenging" for me this summer. My profitable trades are smaller on average, and I have a larger proportion of losing trades than was previously the case. Equally frustrating, I also find myself missing meaningful moves more often because they were preceded by messy price action that precluded my consideration. I'd like to think that it is a "summer thing" as has been the case in the past, but I am also well aware that previously profitable trading methods can lose their effectiveness over time. And so, I am always looking over my shoulder. With this in mind, I would be interested to know how other traders here on ET have been doing with their ES trading lately. Specifically, I refer to intraday trading since I enter and exit a few times a day. However, I would welcome comments from position traders as well.
Hi Just wondering about the botton line. Are you still *reasonably* profitable? (just learning here) Stephen Szpak
Let's just say that, thus far, I would have done well to have taken the summer off. Thanks for asking. Meanwhile, I had hoped to receive more responses to my thread. Is the topic that irrelevant? Perhaps I am the only one here who currently finds himself struggling somewhat.
Thunderdog I thought about starting a thread with a title something like: "The priority list" or something like that. It would be a list of the very very most important technical things that would have relavance to today's trading: 1) previous days high 2) previous days low And just a **FEW** more. It is too easy to be overwhelmed by a multitude of support and resistance levels, etc. Not saying this is your problem of course. I'm sure you'll get some responses, Stephen Szpak
Stephen, I appreciate your input. However, I am not looking for guidance or market direction. That topic belongs in another thread. I started this thread with the hope of getting an idea of how other ES traders are doing presently. I don't wish to know how they trade or what they look for, since I am not looking for advice. I don't really care if they think tomorrow will be a trend day or not. I only wish to know how they are currently faring with their ES trading, regardless of their respective methods.
I don't trade ES or any futures for that matter but I can tell you that I've been having trouble since early March. I trade mainly sectors and find that the number of fake moves, short squeezes, crooked games is way up compared to last year or year before. I've attributed this in other threads to lack of real buyers or sellers, so the manipulators can take things just far enough to trip up a lot of orders, only to then move things the other way. Yes, I have days where I'm up $5-6K only to give all back the next 2-3 days. Feels too much like gambling to me.
I prefer to swing trade the ES but have been scalping a few points here and there for the last few weeks and they have been adding up. This week doubled my size and it is working out well but don't think it will last as it lookslike too many people are doing this.
Yes I understand. But what will you do when this survey is complete??? Regardless of the outcome. Stephen Szpak
Interesting point. However, one of the things I like about ES is its liquidity/volume. I think that this makes it less susceptible to significant and ongoing manipulation than other, more illiquid markets or individual stocks. I suppose it can still happen and occasionally does, however, I don't think that I can use "manipulation" as a legitimate explanation for my recent trading results in ES.