Risk Management

If you don’t have risk management rules, you don’t have a method. You are gambling. Knowing when and what to enter is only one side of the coin. It is necessary, but not sufficient.

Breakouts

“The breaking of a longer-term consolidation (stage one accumulation or stage three distribution) attracts players fromĀ  multiple timeframes (both shorter term traders and longer-term investors) who attempt to establish new positions near the beginning of a fresh trend. The breaks of consolidation levels from longer-term timeframes tend to lead to sharp and sustained movement due to competition from different timeframe participants for liquidity.

When trend begins to develop on a longer-term (monthly or weekly) timeframe, view it as a signal that there will be numerous trading opportunities in coming weeks, months and even years. Once underway, the fresh trend will create alignment trade opportunities after short-term pullbacks. Entries after these pullbacks typically offer a low-risk way to participate in established trends. The larger the volume on a break of longer consolidation levels, the greater the odds of a new trend being able to sustain the move. Fundamental developments that accompany a break higher or lower also increase the odds of continued directional movement as more participants are attracted to the action.”

an extract from “TA using multiple timeframes”

by Brian Shannon

We have tested every system under the sun and amazingly, we have found one that actually works well. It is a very good system, but for obvious reasons, I can’t tell you much more about it. The basic premise of the system is that market move sharply, when they move. If there is a sudden range expansion in a market that has been trading narrowly, human nature is to try to fade that price move. When you get a range expansion, the market is sending you a very loud, clear signal that the market is getting ready to move in the direction of that expansion.”

Paul Tudor Jones II

IPHS update

In a typical bull market, stock like IPHS would gap up significantly on earnings (as it did) and from there it would continue to rise. Not in this non-trending environment, where most earnings’ breakouts don’t see an immediate follow through and correct. 13% of IPHS float has been shorted. Now, the stock being close to its all time high, most shorts are under water. That should have added more fuel to the upside momentum. Unfortunately, market doesn’t always agree with my analysis. This is why stop losses and position sizing were invented.

I have said it many times before, that during bearish markets and during non-trending periods is not a wise idea to buy a stock after it gaps up 20%, disregarding how good the earnings were. In many cases, such big move is partially faded away, giving savvy traders a very low risk opportunity to enter and make a quick profit.