While most of my futures trading could be classified as swing trading (holding positions from a few days to a few weeks) I still like to do some limited day trading in the emini (ES) S&P 500 futures contract and the S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:SPY) ETF when an opportunity looks strong. The way I approach ...…
This is just a quick post, as I thought today’s price action in the S&P 500 futures (ES contract) and SP500 ETF (SPY) nicely reflected some of the concepts and ideas that we have examined in the free NAS Trading articles. Here is a chart of today’s action: The following is a list of relevant ...…
One of the most useful concepts when constructing trading strategies is the idea that key markets are related and interconnected. This concept is particularly applicable to the relationship between stocks and bonds. The stock and bond relationship – Basic concept review: On one side, asset managers see stocks and bonds as their primary asset allocation ...…
There are times when following a company closely pays off. For example: Investors who acted on my first National Beverage article were rewarded with a quick 20% gain, as we successfully anticipated last year’s special dividend, which lead to a subsequent jump in price. I am now prepared to make a major call on National ...…
Are trading entry strategies or exit strategies more important to profitability? I have seen this question asked and debated by traders in many places. If you have ever read a trading-related message board, you know that such simple questions can at times spill into heated arguments, where each side is convinced that they are 100% ...…
In recent years, VIX ETF, ETN, and Futures contracts have paradoxically been one of the greatest trading opportunities for individual investors, as well as one of the great money losers of all time. The reason for this paradox is simple: Unlike a stock, bond, or even a standard commodity futures contract, volatility products have no ...…
NAS Trading has a new article out in the February issue of Active Trader Magazine. In the article, I document three factors that influence when intraday breakout-type strategies have been most effective in the emini (ES) stock index futures contract. I then show how these factors can be combined to create powerful trading edges. Like ...…
Our article on “Turnaround Tuesday” documented that weekly seasonality has existed in S&P 500 prices, and that this seasonality (while never constant or fixed) can be a useful secondary tool for practical traders. In fact, this “turnaround Tuesday” pattern was just one example of how seasonal market tendencies can be incorporated into trading strategies. One ...…
Here is your chance to provide valuable feedback. Thanks, Nat…
One area of trading and investing strategy that seems to spark a great deal of debate is the use of a stop-loss points or stop orders. Briefly, the question is: Should traders have a pre-defined point at which they will abandon trades, and should this be a regular, integrated part of all trading strategies? There ...…
The trading pattern we will discuss here is inspired by a book with a remarkably cheesy title: “Trading Secrets of the Inner Circle” by Andrew Goodwin. I read this book years ago when I was first learning about pattern-based trading. After reading this book, I went through each chapter and backtested every single pattern that ...…
The graphic below is a visual model for the divergence that exists between real, actual investor time horizons, and perceived, or “idealized” time horizons. While the above graphic could use some refinement, it contains several powerful trading and investing concepts. Most market participants want to believe they are “investing for the ...…
Trading strategies that work: Morning momentum short squeeze in emini (es) futures contract Trading strategies that work: Trading breakouts from consolidation Trading strategies that work: Scalp-trading the Emini market with support and resistance (Part 1) Backwardation and Contango: Futures traders and commodity ETF investors who do not understand the d… You can profit from other investor’s mistakes: Price action research in the SP500 (SPY) index Short Term Stock Index Trading: Entry vs. Exit Strategies Day trading the emini (ES) S&P 500 futures contract Turnaround Tuesday: A day-of-the-week factor that has added value to S&P 500 trading approaches Emini Day Trading – combining gap strategies with opening range analysis Trading strategies that work: Scalp-trading the Emini market with support and resistance (Part 2) Swing trading tactics: Buying after a low close in S&P 500 Futures (ES) and ETF (SPY) Volatility Breakout Trading Multiple time frame analysis: Day trading after a breakout day Futures trading and forex trading: is it really a zero-sum game? Using Bond Market Data To Trade Stock Index Futures and ETFs 
