The Power of BacktestingThe Power of Backtesting
Introduction
In the fast-paced and ever-changing world of stock trading, successful traders understand the importance of having a well-defined strategy that stands the test of time. Backtesting is an essential tool that can help traders evaluate the performance of their strategies using historical data. In this blog post, we will explore the significance of backtesting and provide valuable tips for effective backtesting to enhance your trading game.
Why Backtesting Matters
Backtesting, in its simplest form, is the process of testing a trading strategy using historical market data. It allows traders to see how their strategy would have performed in past market conditions. The benefits of backtesting are numerous:
Performance Evaluation: Backtesting provides an objective way to evaluate the performance of a trading strategy over time. It gives traders insights into the strategy's profitability, risk, and drawdowns.
Risk Management: By analyzing past drawdowns and volatility, traders can fine-tune their strategies and implement better risk management techniques.
Confidence Building: A well-tested and robust strategy instills confidence in traders, enabling them to execute trades with discipline and conviction.
Optimization and Refinement: Backtesting helps identify areas of improvement in a strategy. Traders can refine and optimize their approach based on historical data.
Effective Backtesting Tips
Now that we understand the importance of backtesting, let's explore some tips for conducting effective backtests:
Strategy Clarity: Clearly define the trading strategy you wish to test. Be specific about entry and exit criteria, position sizing, and risk management rules.
Quality Historical Data: Use accurate and reliable historical price data. Reliable data sources ensure your backtests yield meaningful results.
Realistic Assumptions: Factor in transaction costs, slippage, and liquidity constraints during backtesting. This helps simulate real-world trading conditions.
Multiple Tests: Run backtests on different timeframes and market conditions to assess the strategy's robustness and adaptability.
Risk Assessment: Analyze the maximum drawdowns and volatility experienced during backtesting. Understanding the strategy's risk profile is vital for proper risk management.
Position Sizing: Implement proper position sizing rules during backtesting. The amount of capital allocated to each trade can significantly impact overall performance.
Record Results: Keep detailed records of each backtest, including parameters used, the test period, and results. This documentation is invaluable for future analysis.
Learn from Backtests: Analyze the backtesting results to identify strengths and weaknesses in your strategy. Refine and optimize the approach based on these insights.
Conclusion
In conclusion, backtesting is a powerful tool that can elevate your stock trading game to new heights. By objectively evaluating the performance of your trading strategy with historical data, you can refine your approach and build confidence in your trading decisions.
However, it's essential to remember that backtesting is not a guarantee of future success. Market conditions can change, and unexpected events can impact trading outcomes. Always exercise caution and consider combining backtesting with other forms of analysis. Seek advice from experienced traders or financial advisors to further improve your trading approach.
So, arm yourself with data, embrace the power of backtesting, and take your stock trading endeavors to the next level! Happy trading!
Stocks
Balanced Diversification Strategy: A Smart Approach to InvestingThe Balanced Diversification Strategy: A Smart Approach to Investing
📈 Introduction 📈
Welcome, investors! Today, we're talking about a strategy that will help you navigate the stock market. It's called the Balanced Diversification Strategy. In this post, we'll explore how this approach can potentially reduce risk and provide consistent returns by spreading investments across various asset classes. So, let's get started!
📊 Understanding the Strategy 📊
The Balanced Diversification Strategy is a long-term investment approach that aims to achieve a fine balance between risk and reward. Instead of putting all your money into a single investment, it advocates diversifying your portfolio across different asset classes. Here's how it works:
Asset Allocation: The first step is determining the percentage of your portfolio allocated to each asset class. This allocation should align with your financial goals, risk tolerance, and investment horizon. A common approach involves distributing funds among stocks, bonds, and cash equivalents.
Diversification within Asset Classes: Within each asset class, further diversification is essential. For example, in the stock portion, invest in companies from various sectors and industries. This way, you avoid relying heavily on the performance of a specific company or sector. This way, performance from just one sector does not determine the performance of your entire portfolio.
Regular Rebalancing: As market conditions change, your portfolio's allocation might drift from the initial targets. To maintain the desired balance, it's crucial to regularly rebalance your holdings (every month, quarter, or year) depending on your investing timeframe. This involves selling some of the outperforming assets and buying more of the underperforming ones.
Dollar-Cost Averaging: Another aspect of this strategy is dollar-cost averaging. Instead of trying to time the market, invest a fixed amount of money at regular intervals, regardless of market conditions. This approach helps mitigate the impact of market volatility on your investments.
🔄 Putting the Strategy into Action 🔄
Let's take a real-world example. Imagine you have $100,000 to invest, and you decide on the following asset allocation: 60% stocks, 30% bonds, and 10% cash equivalents. Within the stock allocation, you further diversify by investing in companies from different sectors like technology, healthcare, finance, and more.
Over time, the stock market performs well, and the value of your stocks grows to $70,000, while the bonds and cash remain relatively stable. Due to this growth, the stock allocation now represents 70% of your portfolio, deviating from the initial 60% target.
To maintain the balance, you'll need to rebalance your portfolio. You would sell some of your stocks, bringing the stock allocation back to 60%. The proceeds from selling would then be used to increase the bond and cash allocations to match the original percentages. It is important to set a threshold at which you will rebalance: such as 5%, 10%, or just make it a habit to rebalance monthly, quarterly, or annually.
🔒 A Safer Path to Growth 🔒
The Balanced Diversification Strategy is well-suited for a wide range of investors, from those with a conservative risk profile to those more comfortable with risk. By diversifying your investments, you can avoid putting all your eggs in one basket, reducing the impact of potential losses from individual assets.
⚠️ Disclaimer ⚠️
Remember, though this strategy aims to mitigate risk, investing in the stock market always carries inherent risks. Past performance is not indicative of future results. It's vital to do your research and consider seeking advice from a financial professional before making any investment decisions.
📢 Conclusion 📢
In conclusion, the Balanced Diversification Strategy can be an effective way to navigate the ups and downs of the stock market. By spreading your investments across different asset classes and sectors, you can achieve a more balanced and potentially rewarding portfolio over the long term.
Happy investing, and may your financial journey be filled with growth and success! 🌟📈
7 points to check before investing in any companyStock picking is the core of value investing. Legends like Warren Buffet, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, and Vijay Kedia are Masters of It.
In this post ,l will teach you how to analyze stocks like a professional.
Stock picking plays a pivotal role in identifying undervalued companies with significant growth
potential.
Here are 7 points to check before investing in any company.
Let’s start...
(Last one is the most important)
Business profile:
How does the company make money?
If the business profile doesn’t look attractive or money-making system is complex for you to
understand, you can stop looking into the company right away.
Always invest in companies whose business is easy to understand and within your circle of
competence.
Management and Promoters structure:
You want to invest in companies with good management who are focused on long-term growth. Look at the track record of current management. Look whether insiders are heavily buying into their own stock, it’s a great sign.
I have seen many promoters who are just dumping their shares to retailers and exiting. Avoid such companies.
Moat:
Just like strategy provides an edge in trading to a trader. A moat is a unique competitive advantage that a company has over its competitors.
Invest in clear market leaders with strong pricing power.
For eg:
e Titan in Jewelry
e BSE in stock exchange
Growth capital:
Good companies don’t require much capital to grow. Check their annual report and seeing which companies are growing in revenue and profits, but the increase in expenses are very less.
CAPEX/Sales and CAPEX/Operating Cash Flow are 2 great metrics to look at the capital efficiency of a company.
Capital usage:
The most important task for company management is to use the capital wisely.
We want a company that is re-investing in its business and buying their own shares. You want to invest in companies with a ROIC > 15%
Balance sheet & profitability:
Only invest in companies which are in good financial health. Don’t trust what their management is speaking , see their results in balance sheet.
We want companies with low debt, high cash flow & high gross margins.
Outlook:
This is most important. Good past records don't gurantee future growth. So it iss very important to invest in a company with a good outlook.
Seek companies which are active in a secular trend. Invest in the Future.
Renewable Energy, EV, Ecommerce, Digital Payment, Luxury Etc.
Charlie Munger's 10 Golden Nuggets!Charlie Munger, the esteemed Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, is known for his investment acumen and his indispensable role in building an investment empire alongside Warren Buffett. Munger attributes their phenomenal success to a set of fundamental ideas that guide their investment decisions. Below are the 10 key principles:
1. Consider Opportunity Costs - It is imperative to approach capital allocation with rigor and discipline. Munger advises to cautiously evaluate investment options and wait for an opportunity with great potential. When such an opportunity arises, allocate capital decisively.
2. Mitigate Financial Losses - Munger identifies common reasons for financial losses among investors, such as susceptibility to trends, excessive risk-taking without safeguards, complacency in the face of losses, and the erosion of purchasing power through inflation and interest rates. Addressing these issues is essential for capital preservation and growth.
3. Decisiveness in Execution - Being well-prepared to capitalize on an opportunity when it presents itself is crucial. Munger emphasizes the importance of quick and informed decision-making when a highly promising investment opportunity arises.
4. Focus on Key Priorities - In a world with endless investment options, Munger suggests narrowing one’s focus on investments with a proven track record, paying attention to relevant details, and having a well-thought-out investment plan.
5. Flexibility in Investment Strategy - The ability to adapt to changing market conditions is essential. Accepting new information, even if contrary to prior beliefs, and making necessary adjustments to one's investment strategy can be vital for success.
6. Exercise Patience - Munger stresses the importance of a long-term perspective in investment. It’s vital to develop and refine your investment strategy, and patiently wait for the results to materialize.
7. Cultivate Humility - It is important to recognize the limitations of one’s knowledge. Accepting that there are things you do not know can open avenues for learning and making better-informed investment decisions.
8. Commitment to Continuous Learning - Staying informed and constantly seeking to understand the underlying reasons behind market movements is crucial. Munger recommends reading extensively and engaging with diverse sources of information.
9. Risk Management - Munger suggests focusing on the value that an investment offers over its price, prioritizing wealth preservation over the sheer size of the portfolio, focusing on meaningful progress rather than constant activity, analyzing individual companies in-depth, and making projections based on fundamentals rather than past trends.
10. Maintain Independence in Thought and Action - Rather than following the crowd, Munger believes in the importance of independent thinking in investment decisions. This requires carving out a unique investment path that aligns with one’s principles and understanding of the market.
In summary, Charlie Munger’s insights serve as invaluable guidance for anyone looking to achieve long-term investment success. By diligently applying these principles, investors can make more informed decisions and build a sustainable investment portfolio.
Market Makers Buy And Sell ModelThe market Makers' Buy and Sell Model is a strategy that reveals the market maker algorithm model for price delivery.
Basically, there are 3 things market makers' algorithms do with price in every trading session, day, week, and month
Those 3 things are; Accumulation, Manipulation, and Distribution.
AMD:
A: Accumulation
M: Manipulation
D: Distribution
1. Accumulation: They accumulate liquidity through the delivery of a ranging market.
The purpose of delivering a ranging market is to induce both buyers and sellers to enter the market thinking that price will go in their direction.
How to Identify a Ranging Market: You know price is in a ranging market when you see obvious relative equal highs and lows price range.
In a ranging market, price swing points have relatively equal highs and lows, that is, the price is neither delivering a higher high nor a higher low.
2. Manipulation: After accumulating both buy and sell orders, they then manipulate the market to further induce another set of traders which are breakout traders.
But, that particular manipulation move is not their intended direction for the day. They only use it to gather liquidity, Which will then lead them to the next action which is to move and distribute prices in their real direction for the day.
Usually, when price breaks out of a ranging market, the break-out is a manipulation to further induce a new set of traders to enter the market, further proving liquidity for market makers' real intended direction.
3. Distribution: After manipulating the price to a particular direction different from their plan, they then distribute the price to their original intended direction.
e.g to buy, they will first sell the market and then buy at the discount price level.
You know a price distribution through clean candles that left imbalances behind and then break market structure away from the previous manipulation move structure high or low to form a new structure.
Example of Market Makers Buy and Sell Model as described on the chart.
AMD:
A: Accumulation
M: Manipulation
D: Distribution
Accumulation: Price range for some time, accumulating liquidity on both sides of long and shorts.
Manipulation: Price broke the high of the accumulation to take out Buyside liquidity and then create a new higher high and higher low. But it's a manipulation move.
Distribution: Price moves away from the FVG leading to a shift in market structure, plus a short pullback, follow by a massive move to the downside to take out sell-side liquidity below.
Entry: Your entry should be inside the FVG created by price before the shift in market structure, you can set a limit order inside the fvg and place your stop loss at the high of the swing high created prior to the fvg and shift in market structure.
The same thing applies to a bullish market.
Basically, Marker makers push prices higher so they can sell the market at a premium, while they sell the market to lower prices so they can buy that market at very discount prices
This strategy can be used in any time frame and all markets including forex, crypto, stocks, future etc.
Follow me for more updates.
Feel free to ask me any questions in the comment.
Stock Heatmap: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners (2023)How to use the Stock Heatmap on TradingView to find new investment opportunities across global equity markets including US stocks, European stocks, and more.
Step 1 - Open the Stock Heatmap
Click on the "Products" section, located at the top center when you open the platform. Then click on "Screeners" and “Stock” under the Heatmap section. Members who use the TradingView app on PC or Mac can also click on the "+" symbol at the top of the screen and then on "Heatmap - stocks".
Step 2 - Create a Heatmap with specific stocks
Once the Heatmap is open, you have the capabilities to create a Heatmap based on a number of different global equity markets including S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, European Union stocks, and more. To load these indices, you must click on the name of the current selected index, located at the top left corner of the screen. In this example, we have the S&P 500 heatmap loaded, but you can load any index of your choice by opening the search menu and looking for the index of your choice.
Step 3 - Customize the Stock Heatmap
Traders can configure their Heatmap to create highly custom visualizations that’ll help discover new stocks, insights, and data. In this section, we’ll show you how to do that. Keep on reading!
The SIZE BY: Button changes the way companies are sized on the chart. If we click on "Market Cap" in the top left corner of the Heatmap, we can see the different ways to configure the heatmap and how the stocks are sized. By default, "Market Cap" is selected with the companies, which means a company with a larger market capitalization will appear bigger than companies with smaller market capitalizations. Let’s look into the other options available!
Number of employees: It measures the size of the squares based on the number of employees in the company. The larger the square size, the more employees it has relative to the rest of the companies. For example, in the S&P 500, Walmart has the largest size with 2.3 million employees. If we compare it to McDonalds, which has 200,000 employees, we can see that Walmart's square size is 11 times larger than McDonalds. This data is usually updated on an annual basis.
Dividend Yield, %: If you choose this option, you will have the size of the squares arranged according to the annual percentage dividend offered by the companies. The higher the dividend, the larger the size of the square. It is important to note that companies with no dividend will not appear in the heatmap when you have chosen to arrange the size by Dividend Yield, %.
Price to earnings ratio (P/E): It is a calculation that divides the share price with the net profit divided by the number of shares of the company. Normally the P/E of a company is compared with others in its own sector, i.e. its competitors, and is used to find undervalued investment opportunities or, on the contrary, to see companies that are overvalued in the market. Oftentimes a high P/E ratios indicate that the market reflects good future expectations for these companies and, conversely, low P/E ratios indicate low growth expectations. Going back to heatmaps, it will give a larger square size to those companies with higher P/E ratio over the last 12 months. Companies that are in losses will not appear in the heatmap as they have an undetermined P/E.
Price to sale ratio: The P/S compares the price of a company's shares with its revenue. It is an indicator of the value that the financial markets have placed on a company's earnings. It is calculated by dividing the share price by sales per share. A low ratio usually indicates that the company is undervalued, while a high ratio indicates that it is overvalued. This indicator is compared, like the P/E ratio, to companies in the same sector and is also measured over the most recent fiscal year. A high P/S indicates higher earnings expectations for the company and therefore could also be considered overvalued, and vice versa, companies with a lower P/S than their competitors could be considered undervalued.
Price to book ratio: The P/B value measures the stock price divided by the book value of its assets, although it does not count elements such as intellectual property, brand value or patents. A value of 1 indicates that the share price is in line with the value of the company. High values indicate an overvaluation of the company and below, oversold. Again, as in the P/E and P/S Ratio, it is recommended to compare them with companies of the same sector. Regarding the heatmaps, organizing the size of the squares by P/B gives greater size to companies with high values and it is measured by the most recent fiscal year.
Volume (1h, 4h, D, S, M): This measures the number of shares traded according to the chosen time interval. Within the heatmaps comes by default the daily volume, but you can choose another one depending on whether your strategy is intraday, swing trading or long term. It is important to note that companies with a large number of shares outstanding will get a higher trading volume on a regular basis.
Volume*Price (1h, 4h, D, S, M): Volume by price adjusts the volume to the share price, i.e. multiplying its volume by the current share price. It is a more reliable indicator than volume as some small-cap stocks or penny stocks with a large number of shares would not appear in the list among those with the highest traded volume. Also available in 1-hour, 4-hour, daily, weekly and monthly time intervals.
COLOR BY:
In this area we will be able to configure how individual stocks are colored on the Heatmap. If you’re wondering why some stocks are more red or green than others, don’t fret, as we’ll show you how it works. For example, click on the top left of the Heatmap where it says "Performance D, %" and you’ll see the following options:
Performance 1h/4h/D/S/M/3M/6M/YTD/Year (Y), %: This option is the most commonly used, where we choose the intensity of the colors based on the performance change per hour, 4 hours, daily, weekly, monthly, in 3 or 6 months, in the current year, and in the last 12 months (Y). Tip: this feature works in unison with the heat multiplier located at the top right of the Heatmap. By default, x1 comes with 3 intensity levels for both stocks in positive and negative, as well as one in gray for stocks that do not show a significant change in price. This takes as a reference values below -3%/-2%/-1% for stocks in negative or above +1%/+2%/+3% for stocks in positive and each of the levels can be turned on or off independently.
As for how to configure this parameter, you can use the following settings according to the chosen intervals. For 1h/4h intervals, multipliers of: x0.1/x0.2/x0.25/x0.5 are recommended.
For daily heat maps, the default multiplier would be x1. And finally, for weekly, monthly, 3 or 6 months and yearly intervals, it is recommended to increase the multiplier to x2/x3/x5/x10.
Pre-market/post-market change, %: When this option is selected, you can monitor the changes before the market opens and the after hours trading (this feature is not available in all countries). For example, if we select the Nasdaq 100 pre-market session change, we will see the day's movements between 4 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. (EST time zone). Or, if we prefer to analyze the Nasdaq 100 post-market, we will have to choose that option; this would cover the 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. time zone. For heatmaps in after-hours trading we recommend using very low heat multipliers (x0.1; x0.2; x0.25; x0.5).
Relative volume: This indicator measures the current trading volume compared to the trading volume in the past during a given period and it measures the level of activity of a stock. When a stock is traded more than usual, its relative volume increases. Consequently, liquidity increases, spreads are usually reduced, there are usually levels where buyers and sellers are fighting intensely and where an important trend can occur. The possible strategies are diverse. There are traders who prefer to enter the stock at very high relative volume peaks, and others who prefer to enter at low peaks, where movements tend to be less parabolic in the short term. In the stock heatmap, relative volume is identified in blue colors. Heat multipliers of x1, x2 or x3 are usually the most common for analyzing the relative volume of stocks. Let's do an example: Imagine that we want to see the most unusual movements in today's Nasdaq 100 after the market close. We select the color by Relative Volume and apply a default heat multiplier of x1. Then, in order to be able to see only those stocks that stand out the most, we uncheck the numbers 0; 0.5; 1 at the top right of the screen. After this, we will have reduced the number of stocks to a smaller group, where we will be able to see chart by chart what has happened in them and if there is an interesting opportunity for trading.
Volatility D, %: It measures the amount of uncertainty, risk and fluctuation of changes during the day, i.e., the frequency and intensity with which the price of an asset changes. A stock is usually referred to as volatile when it represents a very high volatility compared to the rest of the chosen index. Volatility is usually synonymous with risk, since the price fluctuation is greater. For example, we want to invest in a stock with dividends on the US market, but we are somewhat averse to risk. To do so, we decide to look for a stock with a high dividend yield with low volatility. We select the index source "S&P 500 Index", then size by "Dividend yield, %" and color by "Volatility D, %". Now, we deactivate the heat intensity levels higher than 2%, but higher than 0% (those that do not suffer movement, usually have low liquidity). From the list obtained, we would analyze the charts of the 10 companies that offer us the best dividend.
Gap, %: This option measures the percentage gap between the previous day's closing candle and the current day's opening candle, i.e. the difference in percentage from when the market closes to when it opens again.
GROUP BY:
Here you can enable or disable the group mode. By default all stocks are grouped by sector, but if you select ‘No group’, you will see the whole list of companies in the selected index as if it were a single sector. It is ideal for viewing opportunities at a general level, you can sort directly by dividend percentage and see the companies in the index with the best dividend from highest to lowest or, for example, the best yielding stocks by market capitalization size.
Another important note is that when you have chosen to group stocks by sector, you can zoom in on a specific sector by clicking on the sector name. Doing so, you will be able to analyze the assets of that sector in more depth.
TOGGLE MONO SIZE:
Here you can split all the stocks in the selected index completely equally in size, while still respecting the order of the chosen configuration. That is, if we have toggled the mono size by market cap, all the stocks will have the same square size with the first ones being the ones with the largest capitalization, from largest to smallest.
FILTERS:
One of the most interesting settings, where it allows you to filter certain data to eliminate "noise" and have a selection of interesting stocks according to the chosen criteria. It is important to note that in filters we can see in each of the parameters where most of the stocks are located by vertical lines of blue color. It is especially useful in indexes where all stocks of a certain country are included, for example, the index of all US companies. Making a good filter will help you find companies in a heatmap with very specific criteria. The parameters are the same as those found in the SIZE BY section, i.e. market cap, number of employees, dividend yield, price to earnings ratio, price to sales ratio, price to book ratio, and volume (1h/4h/D/W/M).
Primary listing: When you work on an index with stocks that may be, for example, from another country or not traded within the main market, they will be categorized outside the primary listing.
STYLE SETTINGS:
Here you can change the content of the inner part of the heatmap squares:
Title: The company symbol or ticker (e.g., AAPL - Apple Inc.).
Logo: The company logo.
First value: Shows you the value you have chosen in the COLOR BY section (performance 1h/4h/D/S/3M/6M/YTD/Y, pre-market and post-market change, relative volume, volatility D, and gap).
Second value: You can choose between the current price of the asset or its market cap.
These values are also available when you hover your mouse over one of the stocks and hold it over its square for a few seconds.
SHARE:
On TradingView, we can easily share our trading analysis and our heatmaps! You can download your Heatmap as images or you can copy the link to share it across social networks like Facebook,Twitter, and more.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading! We look forward to seeing how you master the Heatmap and all it has to offer. We also want to hear your feedback!
Leave us your comments below! 👇
- TradingView Team
Ninja Talks EP 23: Useless ToolsWhen it comes to analyzing price charts, simplicity is often the key to success. Overloading your trading chart with numerous tools and indicators can lead to confusion and hinder your decision-making process. In this post, we will explore the benefits of removing unnecessary and useless tools from your chart, enabling you to focus on the most crucial aspects of your trading analysis.
The Power of Minimalism:
In trading, less is often more. By decluttering your chart and removing unnecessary tools, you create a clean and focused environment that allows you to concentrate on key price action and market trends. A minimalist approach helps you identify patterns and signals more effectively, reducing distractions and improving your overall trading performance.
Eliminating Redundant Indicators:
Take a critical look at the indicators on your chart and ask yourself: Do I really need all of them? Many traders tend to overload their charts with multiple indicators that often convey similar information. By removing redundant indicators, you simplify your analysis and avoid conflicting signals. Stick to a few key indicators that align with your trading strategy and provide meaningful insights.
Prioritize Price Action:
Price action is the foundation of technical analysis. Removing unnecessary tools allows you to focus primarily on price movements, support and resistance levels, and chart patterns. By honing your skills in interpreting price action, you gain a deeper understanding of market dynamics and can make more informed trading decisions.
Clean Up Chart Overlays:
Chart overlays, such as moving averages, Bollinger Bands, or Ichimoku clouds, can be helpful in certain situations. However, having too many overlays can obscure the underlying price action. Consider removing overlays that you rarely use or those that add little value to your trading analysis. Stick to the ones that truly contribute to your strategy and trading style.
Simplify Trendlines and Support/Resistance Levels:
Trendlines and support/resistance levels are powerful tools for identifying key price areas. However, an overcrowded chart can make it challenging to distinguish significant levels from minor ones. Remove unnecessary trendlines and cluttered support/resistance areas to focus on the most critical levels. This allows for clearer visualization and enhances your ability to identify high-probability trading opportunities.
Conclusion:
Streamlining your trading chart by removing unnecessary and useless tools is a crucial step towards improving your trading performance. Embrace minimalism and prioritize price action analysis to develop a deeper understanding of the market. By simplifying your chart, you can gain clarity, reduce distractions, and make more informed trading decisions. Remember, the goal is not to completely eliminate all tools but to remove those that don't contribute significantly to your trading strategy. Start decluttering your chart today and unlock the power of simplicity in your trading journey.
Ninja Talks EP 22: 500 Followers!First off thanks for 500 followers, seems people like my Ninja Talks, so I'll keep um coming.
In today's episode I want to talk about two types of anger traders go through in the market, one makes you win and one makes you lose.
* Anger Numero Uno
The first is pure rage, complete emotionality and it's what the majority of traders even seasoned pros know very well. In poker this would be called "tilting", in trading it's the same shiz it's just the catalyst appears different, they see cards we see candlesticks. Anyway back to the rage, quick story; many-o-moons ago I tilted and blew up my entire trading account (which was basically my entire net worth at the time), I screamed and rubbed my face so aggressively I dislocated my jaw! It's still not 100% aligned years later. This is the brutality of giving into the 1st anger, it takes no prisoners and will at any moment dash your emotional AND physical well being 1000mph at the wall until you learn to master it.
* Which brings me to the second Anger.
The second Anger, if verbalised, would sound something like "That's it! Let's fuc🤬ING go!", it's a "game on" mentality, not tilted but ready - you understand you're down, but your not giving up - you remain calm but awake.
I'll give you an example, back in the day I had an MMA fight after not training for two years. Completely out of shape I took the fight on one week's notice lost 15lbs and jumped in there underweight, depleted, injured and weirdly stupidly confident. Round one begins and I'm tired after just 1 minute, the "gentlemen" across from me realising this proceeds to plod forward and tee off on my baldy head and skinny legs, but then something happened - my mind snapped out of it and basically said "Enough! Let's fu🤬ING go!" - I walked forward angry but calm saw his incoming kick grabbed it mid air, diverted it to my right and threw a rear high kick slapping the "gentleman's" temple "CRACKKKK!!!" and down he went, the fight was over just like that.
Here's the thing...
Understanding the difference between these two angers are a defining factor between winning and losing in the financial markets, yet very few learn from their outputs and instead point the finger outwardly at others, don't be that guy and instead learn to channel anger into determinative action.
Make sense Ninja?
Channeling rage (especially as a man) is one of our most potent potentialities, but it must be intentful and purposeful and preferably positive if we want to capture it's true essence.
Meditate on this Ninja.
I'll see you in the next ep!
Follow for more.
Bull Market Booming: Top Tips to Maximize Your Investment Gains!It appears that a bull market has taken hold in the US market, as evidenced by the remarkable rise of the S&P 500 index, surging over 20% from its October lows. Adding to this favorable outlook, the Federal Reserve has finally implemented a much-anticipated pause in the cycle of interest rate hikes.
With the shift in market sentiment from bearish to bullish, investors are eagerly looking for avenues to leverage this upward trend and make the most of the prevailing conditions.
Today, we will delve into the various factors that indicate the arrival of a bull market, along with strategies and invaluable tips to help you seize the opportunities presented by this favorable market scenario.
What Lies Behind All This Optimism?
The current wave of optimism in the market and the emergence of a new bull market can be attributed to several significant factors that are often overlooked or avoided in discussions. One key reason behind this optimism is the remarkable earnings results reported by companies.
Investors are celebrating the fact that companies are no longer delivering mediocre performance. Instead, they are exceeding expectations and showcasing strong growth. This shift in mindset from accepting average results to embracing a "glass-half-full" outlook is driven by the realization that companies are meeting and even surpassing the high growth expectations set for them.
This surge in optimism is fueled by the confidence that companies have proven their ability to generate substantial earnings and capitalize on market opportunities. Investors are therefore responding by driving up the market and contributing to the overall bullish sentiment.
It is important to acknowledge and consider this fundamental aspect when discussing the reasons behind the current optimism and the substantial year-to-date increases observed in the market. The impressive performance of companies and their ability to meet or exceed growth expectations have played a vital role in shaping the current bullish market sentiment.
S&P 500 daily chart
The positive forward guidance provided by CEOs further reinforces the current optimism in the market, as it signals their increased confidence in navigating challenges, particularly those posed by inflation. A notable example of this trend can be seen in Nvidia's Q1 earnings report, which highlighted the company's upwardly revised guidance. This adjustment reflects the strong demand for AI technologies that power applications at major industry players such as Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.
Nvidia's projected revenue of $11 billion for Q2 significantly surpassed the estimates put forth by Wall Street analysts. This impressive figure serves as tangible evidence that the AI craze is more than just hype. The surge in demand for graphics processing units (GPUs) from both established tech giants and startups as they develop their AI platforms has been a key driver behind Nvidia's remarkable performance. As a result, the company's shares experienced a staggering 26% surge, propelling Nvidia's market value to an extraordinary $1 trillion.
This achievement places Nvidia among the elite group of publicly traded US companies that have reached this milestone, joining the ranks of industry giants such as Apple, Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, and Amazon. The significance of Nvidia's market value milestone further solidifies the notion that the demand for AI technologies is substantial and here to stay, providing a strong foundation for the ongoing bull market in the US market.
Tesla stock daily chart
Tesla has also emerged as a significant player worth noting in the current market landscape. The company has experienced a remarkable turnaround, with its stock value surging by an impressive 70% over a six-month period, including a notable 53% increase in the past month alone. This is a noteworthy development, considering that Tesla had suffered a substantial loss of around two-thirds of its value in 2022.
The strategic and timely price cuts implemented by Tesla, although initially perplexing to some, are now proving to provide the company with a potential market share advantage. These price adjustments have contributed to the renewed interest and confidence in Tesla, ultimately fueling its recent resurgence.
As the Q1 reporting cycle has concluded, the results reveal a strong performance for tech stocks in the latter half of the year. This surge can be attributed to the prevailing optimism surrounding the Federal Reserve's approach to nearing the end of its rate hike cycle. The anticipation of higher interest rates, coupled with concerns of slower economic growth and softer labor market conditions, has contributed to a decline in inflation. Surprisingly, the adverse effects that were initially expected to impact households and businesses have been less severe than initially predicted.
Furthermore, with the concerns surrounding the US debt ceiling alleviated and the mitigation of inflation risks, the overall market sentiment has undergone a transformation from bearish to bullish. This shift in sentiment is likely to continue, with stocks, particularly mega-cap tech companies like Tesla, expected to maintain strong returns throughout the remainder of the year.
Overall, Tesla's impressive turnaround and the positive performance of tech stocks exemplify the overall market's optimistic outlook, driven by a combination of factors such as Federal Reserve actions, inflation dynamics, and improved market conditions.
Top Bull Market Stocks to Consider Buying Now: Tesla (TSLA)
This is not financial advice.
Indeed, Tesla's influence extends beyond its position as a dominant player in the electric vehicle (EV) market. The company's offerings go beyond vehicles and encompass solar and energy storage solutions. Tesla's plans to establish a factory in Shanghai for manufacturing Megapack batteries further solidify its position as a leader in the renewable energy sector. These batteries play a crucial role in storing renewable energy, alleviating strain on the grid during peak hours, and promoting a more sustainable energy ecosystem.
While Tesla's growth will be primarily driven by its vehicle production, the company's positive outlook is reinforced by upcoming price cuts and the launch of new products such as the highly anticipated Cybertruck and Semi. These product expansions contribute to the company's overall growth potential and indicate its commitment to innovation and diversification within the EV market.
Despite some mixed recent financial results, investing in Tesla during the current bullish market phase is seen by many as a reasonable bet on the company's potential to become the world's largest automaker. Tesla's strong market presence, technological advancements, and commitment to sustainability have garnered significant investor confidence and positioned the company for continued success in the evolving automotive and renewable energy sectors.
Alphabet (GOOGL)
Alphabet stock daily chart
Google, with a staggering market capitalization of $1.6 trillion, stands as one of the most prominent names in the business world. It secures its place among the top five most valuable companies globally and boasts a widely recognized and esteemed brand.
Google remains at the forefront of groundbreaking advancements in various technological spheres, including mobile technology, cloud services, data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and virtual reality. These innovative developments continue to drive the company's success and shape its competitive edge. Notably, a significant portion of Google's revenue stems from its dominance in internet advertising, a lucrative sector that contributes substantially to its financial performance.
The active integration of AI within Google's operations serves as a strong catalyst for the growth of its shares. As AI technology becomes increasingly prevalent, it expands the addressable market for Google, creating new avenues for growth and revenue generation. The global corporate AI market, in which Google actively participates, is projected to experience a remarkable annual growth rate of 34.1% until 2030. This highlights the immense potential and opportunities that lie ahead for Google as it leverages AI capabilities to propel its business forward.
With its continuous pursuit of technological innovation and a diversified revenue stream, Google remains a formidable force in the industry, poised for sustained growth and influence in the years to come.
Intel (INTC)
Intel stock Monthly chart
The increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has created a surge in demand for chips, leading to notable market movements for prominent AI chip manufacturers. Both Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and NVIDIA have experienced significant share price increases since the start of 2023, capitalizing on the growing enthusiasm surrounding AI advancements.
In light of this trend, chipmaker Intel is also seeking to position itself as a key player in the AI chip market. Intel has been engaged in negotiations for a strategic initial public offering (IPO) investment with Arm, a renowned British chipmaker. This move follows NVIDIA's previous unsuccessful attempt to acquire Arm.
By exploring this potential partnership, Intel aims to solidify its position in the AI chip sector and leverage Arm's expertise and technology to enhance its own capabilities. The negotiations highlight the fierce competition among chipmakers to secure a prominent position in the rapidly expanding AI market.
As the race for AI chip dominance intensifies, these developments demonstrate the strategic moves undertaken by major players in the industry to stay ahead in the evolving landscape of AI technology. The outcome of these negotiations will undoubtedly have implications for the future trajectory of the AI chip market and the competitive dynamics among key players such as AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel.
Strategies For Investing In A Bull Market
If we are indeed in the early stages of a new bull market, it's crucial to have strategies in place to make the most of rising stock prices. Here are four strategies to consider:
1 ) Diversification and Asset Allocation: Review your asset allocation to ensure you have sufficient exposure to stocks to benefit from the bull market. Consider rebalancing your portfolio by reducing your allocation to bonds and cash while increasing your allocation to equities. However, exercise caution and remain aware that market conditions can change rapidly. Don't assume that stocks will only go up from here. Maintain a well-balanced portfolio that includes a mix of stocks, bonds, and cash. If you're uncertain about the ideal mix, the Rule of 110 suggests subtracting your age from 110 to determine the percentage of your portfolio to allocate to stocks.
2 ) Focus on Growth Stocks and Sectors: In a bull market, growth stocks and sectors tend to perform well. Look for innovative companies that leverage technology to create efficiencies or address global challenges. Industries experiencing rapid growth in 2023 include CBD product manufacturing, 3D printing, solar power, and artificial intelligence. Remember that growth stocks offer higher return potential but also come with increased risk compared to more established companies.
3 ) Consider Value Investing: Value stocks are equities that appear undervalued relative to their intrinsic value. They may be trading at lower prices due to investor overreactions or a market environment that favors faster-growing assets. In a strong bull market, value stocks may lag as investors favor growth assets. However, for patient, long-term investors, this presents a buying opportunity. Value stocks often shine during bear markets and may offer dividend payments. Utilize the bull market to increase your holdings of value stocks, which can act as a buffer during the next bear market while providing dividend income.
4 ) Dollar-Cost Averaging: Implement a strategy known as dollar-cost averaging (DCA), where you invest a fixed amount on a regular schedule, regardless of market fluctuations. For example, invest $400 on the same day each month instead of trying to strategically time the market. DCA helps manage the volatility often seen in the early stages of a bull market. By investing consistently, you buy more shares when prices are low and fewer shares when prices are high. This approach lowers your average cost basis over time and minimizes the impact of short-term market fluctuations.
Remember that these strategies should be tailored to your individual financial goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon. It's advisable to consult with a financial advisor who can provide personalized guidance before making any significant investment decisions.
Risks To Be Aware Of In A Bull Market
While bull markets can present favorable opportunities, it's crucial to be aware of potential risks and pitfalls. Here are three significant risks to consider:
1 ) Overconfidence and Speculation: During a bull market, there is a tendency for investors to become overconfident and take on higher levels of risk. This can lead to speculative investing, where investors chase after high-risk, high-reward opportunities. However, when the bull market eventually ends, these speculative investments may experience substantial losses. It's important to maintain a balanced approach to investing and avoid excessive risk-taking, as downturns can permanently impact the outlook for smaller, less established companies.
2 ) Market Bubble: Bull markets can sometimes give rise to market bubbles, where stock prices become significantly detached from their underlying value. This occurs when investors, driven by excessive optimism, push prices to unsustainable levels. While market bubbles can provide opportunities for gains in the short term, they also carry the risk of a sudden correction or crash. Once the bubble bursts, panic can set in, causing a rapid decline in stock prices and the onset of a new bear market. It's essential to remain cautious and be aware of signs of excessive market exuberance.
3 ) Impact of Interest Rates and Inflation: The interplay between interest rates, inflation, and economic conditions can influence the trajectory of a bull market. Changes in interest rates by central banks, such as the Federal Reserve, can impact borrowing costs and corporate profitability. Additionally, shifts in inflation levels can affect consumer spending power and overall economic growth. Uncertainties regarding future interest rate hikes or spikes in inflation can introduce volatility and potentially dampen or reverse a bull market. It's important to monitor economic indicators and the actions of central banks to gauge their potential impact on market conditions.
It's worth noting that predicting the specific outcomes of these factors in the coming months or years is challenging. The key is to remain vigilant, maintain a diversified portfolio, and consider the long-term perspective when making investment decisions. Consulting with a financial advisor can provide valuable guidance in navigating the risks associated with a bull market.
Tips For Benefitiing From A Bull Market
To successfully navigate a bull market and maximize your investment potential, it's important to consider the following strategies:
1 ) Stay Disciplined: Maintaining discipline is crucial in avoiding excessive risk-taking and speculative behavior. Define your investing parameters and process, and stick to them. Establish clear criteria for the types of investments you're willing to make and the level of risk you're comfortable with. Evaluate any exceptions carefully and have a clear exit plan for more speculative assets. By staying disciplined, you can mitigate the risks associated with overaggressive investing and ensure a more measured approach to capitalizing on the bull market.
2 ) Think Long-Term: Adopting a long-term perspective is key to protecting your investments from short-term market fluctuations and potential downturns. While it can be tempting to make impulsive decisions based on short-term market movements, it's important to focus on your long-term financial goals. Allocate a portion of your portfolio to cash reserves to cover emergencies or major purchases, so you don't need to tap into your investment accounts during market volatility. This long-term outlook allows you to weather market cycles and take advantage of opportunities that may arise, while also providing stability and peace of mind.
3 ) Rebalance Regularly: Bull markets can lead to overexposure to stocks as their value appreciates. Regularly rebalancing your portfolio helps maintain your desired asset allocation. For example, if your target allocation is 70% equities and 30% bonds and cash, and stocks have outperformed, your allocation may shift to 75% stocks and 25% bonds and cash. By periodically selling stocks and purchasing bonds, you can restore your desired asset allocation and lock in some profits from the bull market. Rebalancing also helps manage risk by ensuring that your portfolio remains aligned with your risk tolerance and investment objectives.
4 ) Seek Professional Advice: Each individual's financial situation is unique, and it's important to consider your circumstances when implementing investment strategies. Regularly review your investment plan and consult with a financial professional to ensure it remains aligned with your goals and risk tolerance. A financial advisor can provide personalized guidance based on your specific situation, help you navigate market trends, and offer insights on potential investment opportunities. They can also assist in assessing the performance of your portfolio and making adjustments as needed.
By following these strategies, you can position yourself to make informed investment decisions, manage risk, and capitalize on the opportunities presented by a bull market. However, it's important to remember that investing involves inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. Stay informed, monitor market conditions, and be prepared to adjust your strategies as needed.
Conclusion:
As the bull market gains momentum, it is essential for investors to be well-prepared and make informed decisions. Employing various strategies such as diversification and asset allocation, emphasizing growth stocks and sectors, considering value investing, and implementing dollar-cost averaging can significantly enhance one's ability to navigate the market effectively. Nevertheless, it is crucial to remain cautious of potential risks, including overconfidence, market bubbles, and the influence of interest rates and inflation. To maximize gains during the bull market while minimizing potential risks, it is vital to maintain discipline, adopt a long-term perspective, regularly rebalance portfolios, and seek professional advice. It is important to note that individual circumstances vary, thus investment strategies should be tailored to align with personal financial goals and risk tolerance.
Understanding Market Corrections:Definition & Key ConsiderationsInvesting in the stock market has the potential to generate substantial wealth over the long term, although it comes with inherent risks. One notable obstacle that investors frequently encounter involves safeguarding their capital during periods of declining stock prices. When the market undergoes a downturn, the inclination to panic and sell off investments to evade additional losses can be strong. However, this reactive approach often results in even greater financial setbacks and hinders the ability to capitalize on future market rebounds. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the concept of a market correction and delve into various strategies that can assist investors in preserving their capital amidst market downturns, enabling them to emerge stronger when the market inevitably recovers.
Market Correction: A Comprehensive Explanation
In the realm of financial markets, a market correction is a notable event characterized by a substantial decline in the value of a financial instrument. This decline typically ranges between 10% to 20% and can encompass individual stocks of a specific company or even extend to encompass entire market indices comprising a vast array of companies. The duration of a correction can vary significantly, ranging from as short as a single day to as long as a year, with the average duration spanning approximately four months.
Market corrections can be triggered by a myriad of factors, each with its own unique catalyst. These factors can range from a company's disappointing financial performance and weak earnings report to more extensive global geopolitical conflicts. In some instances, corrections may occur seemingly without any discernible external cause.
It is worth noting that market corrections are not exclusive to stocks alone. They can manifest in various other financial instruments such as commodities like oil, platinum, and grain, as well as currencies, funds, specific industry sectors, or even the entire market as a whole. This exemplifies the widespread impact that a correction can have across diverse segments of the financial landscape.
To illustrate the significance of a market correction, let's consider an example from recent history. In the year 2018, the prices of over 500 companies experienced a decline of 10% or more. This widespread correction exemplifies how fluctuations in market conditions can influence a substantial number of companies simultaneously, affecting their valuation and investor sentiment.
In conclusion, a market correction denotes a notable decline in the value of financial instruments, with the range typically falling between 10% to 20%. The causes behind these corrections can be diverse and encompass factors ranging from company-specific issues to broader global conflicts. Moreover, corrections can impact various financial instruments and market segments, underscoring their potential for wide-reaching consequences within the financial landscape.
Example : AMZN stocks Daily chart showing a correction in 2018 - 2020
Market corrections are not uncommon events within the realm of financial markets. On average, a decline of 10-20% in the stock market transpires approximately once a year. These corrections, characterized by a significant decrease in stock prices, serve as reminders of the inherent volatility and fluctuations present in the market.
While corrections of 10-20% occur relatively frequently, more profound market declines exceeding 20% are less frequent, transpiring approximately once every six years. These substantial corrections are often referred to as market collapses, signifying a more severe and prolonged downturn.
One illustrative example of a market collapse occurred in response to the global pandemic outbreak in March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a swift and severe decline in stock markets worldwide, leading to a precipitous drop of approximately 38% within a matter of days. This extreme correction exemplifies the impact of unforeseen events and external factors on market stability and investor sentiment.
It is important to recognize that market corrections and collapses are not solely confined to a particular asset class or geographic region. They can have a broad-ranging effect, transcending national boundaries and impacting various financial instruments, indices, and markets worldwide.
In summary, market corrections, defined by significant declines in stock prices, are regular occurrences, transpiring approximately once a year with a magnitude of 10-20%. Market collapses, on the other hand, encompass more profound declines exceeding 20% and typically transpire once every six years. These events serve as reminders of the dynamic nature of financial markets and their vulnerability to various factors, such as the recent pandemic-induced collapse in 2020, which had a profound impact on global markets.
Example : SPX500 / US500 stocks Daily chart showing a correction in 2020
Investors who adopt a long-term investment strategy tend to navigate corrections with relative ease, primarily due to their extended investment horizon. By committing their funds for a substantial period, typically ranging from 5 to 10 years, these investors are less likely to be perturbed by temporary price declines. On the other hand, individuals who rely on leverage or engage in short-term trading bear the brunt of corrections, experiencing greater challenges and losses.
The impact of a correction can be readily observed by examining the chart depicting the historical performance of any given company. By selecting the annual or five-year chart display, one can identify specific time periods when the asset's value experienced temporary declines. Additionally, it is crucial to consider the decrease in stock price subsequent to the ex-dividend date, commonly referred to as the dividend gap. It is essential to note that the dividend gap phenomenon is distinct from a correction and should be treated as such.
What Causes A Correction?
A correction in the stock market can be triggered by a multitude of factors and events that impact stock prices. These events can range from speeches given by company executives, investor reports, pandemics, regulatory changes, economic sanctions, natural disasters like hurricanes and floods, man-made disasters, to high-level meetings of world leaders. Even the most stable companies can experience declines in their stock prices due to these events.
It is important to recognize that human behavior also plays a significant role in causing market corrections. The stock market is inherently driven by human participation and investor sentiment, which can sometimes lead to corrective actions. For instance, if a popular figure like Elon Musk garners significant attention and support, investors may pour money into his company beyond its actual earnings. Eventually, the overvaluation of such a "hyped" company may result in a decline in its stock price.
Furthermore, investors often attempt to follow trends in the market. When a particular stock shows an upward trajectory, more people tend to invest in it, thus increasing its demand and subsequently driving up its price. However, as the price reaches a certain peak, some investors choose to sell their holdings to realize profits. This selling pressure can initiate a correction, causing those who entered the market later to incur losses. Therefore, blindly chasing market trends without careful analysis may prove detrimental.
Additionally, corrections can exhibit seasonal patterns. For example, during the summer months, prior to holidays or extended weekends, investor participation in trading may decrease. This reduced trading activity leads to lower liquidity in stocks, creating an opportunity for speculators to exploit the situation. Such periods often witness sharp price fluctuations, potentially resulting in stock prices declining by 10-20%.
It is crucial to understand that corrections are a natural part of the market cycle, and it is neither productive nor feasible to fear them indefinitely. The market cannot sustain perpetual growth, and corrections serve as necessary adjustments. By acknowledging their inevitability, investors can adopt strategies that are mindful of market dynamics and position themselves accordingly.
How Long Do Corrections Last?
Between the years 1980 and 2018, the US markets experienced a total of 37 corrections, characterized by an average drawdown of 15.7%. These corrections typically lasted for approximately four months before the market began to recover. Consider the following scenario: an investor commits $15,000 in January, experiences a loss of $2,355 during the correction, and by May, witnesses their portfolio rebounding to $15,999, based on statistical data. However, it is important to note that outcomes may deviate from this pattern.
It is worth noting that the magnitude of a stock's decline directly impacts the duration of its recovery. As an illustration, during the financial crisis of 2008, US stocks tumbled by approximately 50%. The subsequent recovery of the stock market extended over a period of 17 months, primarily attributed to the active support provided by the US government and the Federal Reserve. This underscores the notion that severe market downturns necessitate more prolonged periods for recuperation, even with significant intervention from regulatory bodies.
Dow Jones Industrial Average index drop in 2008
The timing of a market correction is often challenging for financiers and experts to predict with certainty. In retrospect, it becomes clear when a correction started, but identifying the precise moment beforehand is a complex task. Taking the aforementioned example of the market collapse in October 2007, it was not officially acknowledged until June 2008. This highlights the inherent difficulty in pinpointing the onset of a correction in real-time.
Following a correction, the market's recovery period can vary significantly. In some instances, the market may swiftly regain stability and resume an upward trajectory. However, in other cases, it may take several years for the market to fully recover from a correction. The duration of the recovery depends on a multitude of factors, including the severity of the correction, underlying economic conditions, government interventions, and investor sentiment.
Hence, it is crucial to recognize that financiers and market participants can only definitively determine the start and extent of a correction in hindsight. The future behavior of the market after a correction remains uncertain, and it is possible for the market to swiftly recover or take a considerable amount of time to regain stability.
How To Predict A Correction
Predicting the precise timing, duration, and magnitude of a market correction is inherently unreliable and challenging. There is no foolproof method to accurately forecast when a correction will occur, when it will conclude, or the extent to which asset prices will change.
Some economists and analysts attempt to predict market trends by employing various theories. For instance, Ralph Elliott formulated the Elliott Wave Theory, which posits that markets move in repetitive waves. By determining the current phase of the market—whether it is in an upward or downward wave—one could potentially profit. However, if such theories consistently yielded accurate predictions, financial losses during corrections would be virtually nonexistent.
It is crucial to acknowledge that market corrections are an inherent and inevitable part of market cycles. While attempting to predict corrections may be enticing, it is important to remember that they will inevitably occur, regardless of how long it has been since the previous one. Relying solely on the absence of a correction for an extended period as a basis for investment decisions warrants careful consideration and analysis rather than being treated as a definitive indicator.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Market Correction
Advantages and disadvantages of market corrections can be summarized as follows:
Advantages of a market correction:
1) Buying opportunities: Market corrections often present favorable buying opportunities for investors. Lower stock prices allow investors to acquire shares at discounted prices, potentially leading to long-term gains when the market recovers.
2) Rebalancing opportunities: Corrections can prompt investors to rebalance their portfolios. Selling overvalued assets and reinvesting in undervalued ones can help optimize investment returns and maintain a diversified portfolio.
3) Expectation adjustment: Market corrections can serve as a reality check, helping investors reassess their expectations and risk tolerance. This can lead to more informed investment goals and strategies.
Disadvantages of a market correction:
1) Financial losses: Market corrections can result in substantial losses, particularly for investors who panic and sell their investments at lower prices. Reacting emotionally to market downturns may amplify the negative impact on portfolios.
2) Economic implications: Market corrections can have broader economic repercussions. They may lead to job losses, reduced consumer spending, and slower economic growth, potentially affecting industries and sectors beyond the financial markets.
3) Psychological impact: Market corrections can trigger fear, uncertainty, and anxiety among investors. These emotions may drive impulsive decision-making, such as selling investments hastily or hesitating to re-enter the market when conditions improve.
It is important for investors to carefully evaluate the potential advantages and disadvantages of market corrections and consider their own risk tolerance, investment goals, and long-term strategies when navigating such market events.
What Should You Do During A Correction?
Correction can make an investor richer or poorer or have no effect at all. The impact of a market correction on an investor's wealth depends on their actions and decisions during that period. It is impossible to predict with certainty the duration or direction of asset value changes during a correction.
However, there are general tips that can help investors navigate through a correction and potentially safeguard their finances:
1) Maintain a calm and rational mindset: During a correction, it is crucial to approach investment decisions with a cool head. Instead of making impulsive moves, take the time to understand the underlying causes of the correction and consider expert opinions and news.
2) Avoid excessive borrowing: It is advisable not to use borrowed money for investments, especially during a correction. This reduces the risk of incurring debts and potential losses. For beginners, it is often recommended to limit investments to the funds available in their brokerage accounts, particularly during a correction.
3) Assess company fundamentals: Evaluate the fundamental strength of a company by analyzing key metrics and ratios. Comparing a company's value with others in the same industry can provide insights. If a company is not overvalued, it may indicate that there is no fundamental reason for a correction, and its value may likely recover in due course.
4) View the correction as a buying opportunity: Prominent investors like Warren Buffett and Nathan Rothschild have emphasized that corrections present excellent opportunities for investment. If a stock's price has fallen, consider purchasing it based on the company's performance rather than solely focusing on the size of the discount. Maintaining some savings in cash allows for timely investments in undervalued assets.
5) Acknowledge the normalcy of corrections: It is important to recognize that corrections are a regular part of market cycles and serve as tests of an investor's composure. Following an investment strategy that includes provisions for investing during periods of 10-20% lower stock prices can help protect savings and optimize long-term returns.
By adhering to these general tips and maintaining a disciplined investment strategy, investors can better navigate market corrections and potentially preserve and enhance their financial well-being.
Conclusion
In summary, market corrections are an intrinsic aspect of the stock market's ebb and flow, and it is essential for investors to anticipate and navigate them effectively. During such periods, the inclination to succumb to panic and hastily sell investments can be strong. However, maintaining composure and adhering to prudent strategies that safeguard capital are crucial for weathering corrections and emerging stronger when the market inevitably rebounds. While corrections present challenges, they also offer advantageous opportunities, such as the ability to acquire stocks at discounted prices. Conversely, the potential for substantial losses exists, emphasizing the importance of a measured approach. A long-term investment strategy, rooted in sound analysis rather than reactionary emotions, serves as a vital compass for surviving corrections. By focusing on the broader picture and resisting the temptation of short-term market fluctuations, investors can position themselves for long-term success amidst the natural ebb and flow of the market.
Ninja Talks EP 14: ChyronsAs yours truly lives his life as the best damn trader he can be, I oftentimes wonder how I do it.
Time?
Experience?
Technique?
It's all of the above and none of the above, in reality it's something I've previously touched on, which is self talk - now last time I graced your beloved eyes with my beautiful words, I mentioned how to use self talk and verbalisation to increase your success rate.
(You can find that in Ninja Talks EP: Silence is Violence)
Today I'm going to talk about the use of Chyrons.
Definition;
" An electronically generated caption superimposed on a television screen or cinema screen."
Instead of the outdated blockbuster-esque TV and Cinema screens, we're obviously going to use our computer - this is 2023 after all.
Here's the point, how often do you place these Chyrons on your charts?
How often do you leave notes and annotations explaining your thought process?
TradingView has the feature, use it.
This (1) Allows you to see past thoughts and reasonings in perfect hindsight (2) Keeps the mind free - less clutter more flow (3) When the mind is light, it's playful - when the mind is playful opportunities, ideas and value come to you, no more chasing and finally last but not least (4) You know when you're BS'ing yourself!
Does this make sense?
Use Chyrons, annotations, text (whatever you want to call it) on your charts to get your mind sauce out of your head and onto the canvas.
If you like this episode of Ninja Talks, consider following for more psychological jumprope exercises daily.
Keep your blades sharp Ninja!
Nick
Ninja Talks EP 13: Monk ModeA Bambi's biggest trading obstacle in 2023 will be over trading in a bear market, especially the crypto kiddies looking for their next pump.
This is why you have to restrain from whoring yourself out to the market in the hopes of making a quick buck.
We call this, monk mode.
Not the whoring, the opposite.
Monk mode is abstinence from indulgence and has been the theme of a couple of our past episodes - and for good reason, it's what 99% of tiktok traders these days suffer from, so as a public servant and your local connoisseur of fine trade ideas I give you the following guidance.
Create a fatal funnel of filtration.
Filter trades through a strict process.
Example;
Potential
Potential high quality
Triggered high quality
Triggered+ confirmation on lower timeframe high quality
You can use tradingviews watchlists and flag function to get the job down easy.
This process will ensure you (1) Take only A+ setups (2) Remove all unnecessary trade setups (3) Maintain a higher win rate (4) Improve confidence and reduce anxiety and most importantly (5) Eradicate over trading.
Does this make sense what I'm saying?
Tldr version;
Create a very strict filtration system to ensure you don't chase weak trades and only profit from A+ setups.
Hope this helps.
Follow me here and on Twitter for more.
See you in the next episode Ninjas!
Nick
Preserving Your Capital Like A ChampIn the world of trading, effective trading capital management can mean the difference between success and failure. We cannot stress enough how critical this aspect is to long-term success. Today we will delve into the importance of managing your trading capital, the various strategies employed by many successful traders, and how you can implement these techniques to safeguard your investment and maximize profits.
Understanding the Importance of Trading Capital Management
Trading capital refers to the amount of money allotted for the purpose of trading your desired market. Proper management of trading capital is crucial for traders, as it helps them minimize losses and in turn, maximize profits. In essence, trading capital management is all about striking the right balance between taking risks and preserving your hard-earned money.
One key aspect that differentiates successful traders from gamblers is their mindset. Gamblers tend to chase big wins, hoping for a life-changing payout, while traders focus on consistently generating small, predictable returns over the long term. Don’t get us wrong, big wins can and do happen, and they feel great when they do. Think of trading as a really long boxing match. It's rare and impractical for a boxer to believe they can knock out their opponent by flying out of a corner with no defense and going straight for a haymaker each time. The foundation for success takes many consistent jabs, and an unwavering defense, much like trading. Traders who want to be long-term successful will prioritize risk management and capital preservation, ensuring that they can continue trading even after incurring losses so they can pursue consistent profits.
The Struggle is Real For New Traders
New traders often find difficulty in managing their trading capital effectively. This is primarily due to their focus on making profits rather than minimizing risks. The desire to make money can lead to taking unnecessary risks, which can result in significant losses. It is crucial to remember that every loss must be recovered through a profitable trade to regain lost ground. So why not implement strategies that mitigate that lost ground in the first place?
Strategies To Adopt for Long-Term Success
So, what are some of the techniques that successful traders use to optimize their chances of consistent profits in the markets? Here are a few suggestions to improve your trading capital management:
Implementing Stop-Loss Orders
Always trade with a stop-loss. There are countless ways to implement a stop-loss, and we covered this in great detail in a previous article that is linked below. A stop-loss order allows you to specify a price at which your trade will be automatically closed if the market moves against you. This is the most practical and easily enactable capital management technique you can use. Some would consider trading without a stop-loss to be one of the cardinal sins of trading, as it prevents you from managing risk effectively.
Utilizing Reward Risk Ratios (RRR)
Every trade carries the risk of making a loss. Successful traders assess their potential trade risk and potential reward before entering a position. Utilizing reward-to-risk ratios may seem complicated, but it doesn't have to be. Many traders will often aim for a reward that is twice their risk or a ratio of 2 to 1. So in theory for every $1 you risk you aim to make $2 in profit. Your RRR can also help you understand what your theoretical minimum win rate would need to be a profitable trader.
Utilizing this information is very handy when backtesting and forward-testing your strategy. In the early stages of a trader's journey, we highly recommend to keep a trading journal to keep track of these metrics. Keeping track of your wins and losses and keeping your RRR consistent offers deep insight into whether you are on the right path to consistency.
Managing Your Money
How much capital are you risking per trade? It's difficult to predict which trades will be profitable, but it's essential to risk a consistent amount on every trade. Coupled with an appropriate risk-to-reward ratio, this approach can help protect your trading account. For example, consider risking only 1-2% of your total trading portfolio on each individual trade with a maximum overall of 10% among your trades. This may not seem like much, but if you can remain disciplined with your stop losses and RRR you greatly increase the odds of success. If you have a small account don’t sweat it. It will help you grow that account size and compound those gains in a stable fashion that would outlast the method of throwing your entire account into each trade.
Hedging
Holding long and short positions on various assets in different sectors can help protect against any aggressive moves that affect the market as a whole. For instance, if there was a sudden 'flash crash,' the traders who solely went long would experience a loss or a potentially significant loss without proper risk mitigation. However, if you held both long and short positions, you could have made profits to offset the losses. Obviously, market events are hard to account for, but hedging can be a useful capital preservation strategy.
Focusing on a Single Asset to Limit Risk Exposure
Some traders prefer to concentrate on trading one asset to minimize risk exposure. This can be effective, especially when the trader has in-depth knowledge of the specific asset being traded. The potential downside is that this can limit your trading opportunities, but we highly advise this approach for new traders. Focusing on one asset can help you grow your experience and hone your strategy through a rigorously disciplined approach.
Consistency in Risk and Money Management
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to trading, and that's part of the beauty of it all. A strategy that works for one trader may not work for another. The key to improving your trading strategy is to adopt a disciplined approach to risk and money management. While this approach may not be as flashy as some in the trading community portray, consistently minimizing risk is an essential aspect of enhancing overall profitability and is a massive attribute to long-term success.
Final Thoughts on Trading Capital Management
Effective trading capital management is crucial for success in the world of trading. By adopting a disciplined approach to risk and money management, traders can minimize losses, maximize profits, and safeguard their investments. The techniques discussed – implementing stop-loss orders, utilizing reward-to-risk ratios, managing money, and diversifying trades – are all essential components of a successful trading capital management strategy.
Remember, the key to success in trading lies not in chasing the knockouts but rather by consistently landing the jabs while maintaining a stout defense. By following these strategies adopted by long-term, successful traders and focusing on preserving capital, you can improve your chances of obtaining that same long-term success in the markets.
Trading Through Time: From Stocks to CryptocurrenciesOnce upon a time, within the bustling boulevards of Amsterdam amid the 17th century, a progressive thought was born. Dealers assembled in coffeehouses and marketplaces, trading offers of the Dutch East India Company. This was the birth of stock exchanging as we know it nowadays.
Word of this modern frame of venture spread like rapidly spreading fire, and before long stock markets started to rise in other European cities. London, Paris, and other budgetary centers built up their possess trades, where people seem purchase and offer offers in different companies. These stock markets given a centralized stage for exchanging, enabling investors to take an interest within the development of businesses and share in their benefits.
As time went on, stock trades kept on advance. Within the bustling lanes of Modern York City, the famous Unused York Stock Trade (NYSE) was established in 1792. It rapidly got to be a image of America's financial control and a center for dealers from around the world. Companies looked for to be recorded on the NYSE, because it advertised expanded perceivability and get to to capital.
With the coming of the computerized age, the world of stock exchanging experienced a significant change. Conventional open objection frameworks were supplanted by electronic trading stages. Exchanges that once depended on yells and hand signals might presently be executed at lightning speed with the tap of a button. This democratized stock exchanging, permitting people to exchange from the consolation of their homes through online brokerages.
In parallel to these advancements, a modern frame of money risen from the profundities of the web. In 2009, an puzzling figure or bunch known as Satoshi Nakamoto presented Bitcoin, the world's to begin with cryptocurrency. Based on progressive blockchain innovation, Bitcoin pointed to make a decentralized advanced money free from the control of central banks.
Bitcoin's beginning checked the starting of the cryptocurrency transformation. Its unique properties, counting security, immutability, and namelessness, pulled in tech-savvy people and early adopters. As the esteem of Bitcoin taken off, individuals begun to realize the potential of cryptocurrencies past a simple advanced money.
Propelled by Bitcoin's victory, other cryptocurrencies started to grow like wildflowers in a computerized garden. Ethereum, Swell, Litecoin, and endless others entered the scene, each advertising special highlights and utilize cases. The world of cryptocurrency exchanging took off, with specialized trades giving stages for buying, offering, and exchanging these advanced resources.
To keep pace with the advancing scene, innovative headways played a imperative part. Calculations and high-frequency exchanging calculations revolutionized the speed and effectiveness of stock exchanging, whereas decentralized trades and shrewd contracts brought robotization and believe to the domain of cryptocurrency exchanging.
The development of stock exchanging and cryptocurrencies has not been without its challenges. Advertise instability, administrative concerns, and security dangers have postured deterrents along the way. Be that as it may, the charm of potential benefits and the crave to take an interest within the worldwide economy proceed to drive people and educate to lock in in these markets.
Nowadays, stock exchanging and cryptocurrency exchanging have ended up fundamentally parts of the worldwide financial ecosystem. They offer opportunities for speculation, riches creation, and budgetary consideration. As innovation proceeds to progress and modern advancements develop, the world of exchanging stands balanced for assist change, interfacing people, businesses, and economies in ways incredible within the early days of bargaining and stock trades.
And in this way, the story of exchanging in stocks and cryptocurrencies proceeds to unfurl, a story of advancement, theory, and the interest of financial thriving in a quickly changing world.
Thank you for reading my masterpiece haha, please consider following me or boosting this post for motivation to make more content like this :)
Candlestick Mastery: Reading Price Action for Winning TradesIn the ever-evolving world of trading, mastering candlestick patterns and effectively interpreting price action can significantly enhance your ability to make winning trades. This trading idea aims to delve into the art of candlestick mastery, equipping traders with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify profitable opportunities in the market.
Objective:
The objective of this trading idea is to empower traders with a comprehensive understanding of candlestick patterns and their significance in analyzing price action. By leveraging these insights, traders can make informed decisions, enhance their risk management strategies, and improve their overall trading performance.
Key Components:
Candlestick Basics:
To build a strong foundation in candlestick trading, it is essential to understand the fundamentals of candlestick charts. Dive into the various types of candlestick patterns and their characteristics. Explore patterns such as doji, hammer, shooting star, engulfing patterns, and more. Learn how to interpret the different components of a candlestick, including the body, wicks, and their sizes. Understand the significance of bullish and bearish candlestick formations in identifying market sentiment and potential trend reversals.
Pattern Recognition:
Mastering pattern recognition is a crucial aspect of candlestick trading. Gain in-depth knowledge of bullish and bearish reversal patterns that can provide valuable entry or exit signals. Study patterns such as the hammer, engulfing patterns, harami, and more. These patterns indicate potential trend reversals and offer opportunities for profitable trades. Additionally, explore continuation patterns like the flag, pennant, and symmetrical triangle, which suggest the continuation of existing trends. Real-life examples and case studies can help reinforce your understanding and sharpen your ability to spot these patterns in real-time.
Price Action Analysis:
Integrating candlestick patterns with price action analysis is a powerful approach to trading. Learn how to incorporate other technical indicators and tools into your analysis to validate and enhance the accuracy of your candlestick signals. Understand the importance of support and resistance levels, trendlines, and moving averages as they relate to candlestick patterns. By analyzing price action in conjunction with candlestick formations, you can gain deeper insights into market dynamics and improve your decision-making process.
Risk Management Strategies:
Effective risk management is paramount to successful trading. Develop robust risk management strategies specifically tailored to candlestick trading. Learn how to set appropriate stop-loss levels based on the structure of candlestick patterns and the surrounding market conditions. Explore position sizing methods to optimize risk-reward ratios and protect your trading capital. By implementing disciplined risk management techniques, you can safeguard against potential losses and preserve your long-term profitability.
Backtesting and Paper Trading:
Put your knowledge into practice by conducting backtesting using historical market data. Use candlestick patterns and price action analysis to identify potential trade setups and simulate trade entries and exits. Evaluate the performance of your strategies over different market conditions and timeframes. Additionally, utilize paper trading or demo accounts to execute trades based on your analysis without risking real capital. This hands-on experience will help you refine your trading approach, gain confidence, and validate the effectiveness of your strategies.
Trade Execution and Management:
Develop a systematic approach to trade execution and management. Learn practical methods for entering trades based on candlestick patterns and price action analysis. Define clear entry and exit criteria, set profit targets, and employ trailing stops to maximize potential gains. Additionally, explore techniques such as scaling in or out of positions to adapt to changing market conditions. Effective trade management strategies will enable you to stay disciplined and minimize emotional decision-making, leading to improved trading outcomes.
Mastering candlestick patterns and effectively reading price action can significantly improve your trading outcomes. By honing your skills in these key components, you can gain a competitive edge and increase your chances of making winning trades in the financial markets.
Thank you for reading and feel free to share your progress, ask questions, and discuss your experiences in the comments section. Let's learn from each other and continue refining this strategy together. Best of luck on your trading journey!
Disclaimer: Trading carries a level of risk, and past performance is not indicative of future results. It is important to conduct thorough research, practice proper risk management, and consider personal circumstances before making any trading decisions.
Enhance Your Trading Strategy with MACD and RSI ConvergenceIntroduction:
Welcome, fellow traders! Today, I'm excited to present a step-by-step tutorial on how to enhance your trading strategy using a combination of two powerful technical indicators: Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) and Relative Strength Index (RSI) .
Section 1: Understanding MACD and RSI - Exploring the Components
MACD:
The MACD consists of three components:
MACD line : Represents the difference between two moving averages, typically the 12-day and 26-day exponential moving averages.
Signal line : A 9-day exponential moving average of the MACD line.
Histogram : Displays the difference between the MACD line and the signal line, providing visual cues about the momentum of the price movement.
RSI:
The RSI is an oscillator that measures the strength and speed of price movements on a scale from 0 to 100.
Readings above 70 indicate overbought conditions, suggesting a potential price reversal.
Readings below 30 indicate oversold conditions, suggesting a potential price bounce.
Divergence between price and RSI can be a signal of a trend reversal.
Section 2: The Idea Behind the Strategy - Combining MACD and RSI
By aligning the signals of MACD and RSI , we aim to increase the reliability of our trading decisions.
When both indicators provide signals in the same direction, it enhances the probability of a successful trade.
The convergence of MACD and RSI helps filter out false signals and focus on high-probability trade setups.
Section 3: Implementing the Strategy - Identifying Bullish and Bearish Signals
Look for a bullish crossover:
MACD line crossing above the signal line , indicating upward momentum.
Confirm the bullish signal: Ensure the RSI reading is above a specific threshold, such as 50, indicating strength in the upward move.
Consider additional confirming indicators, such as positive divergence or breakouts from key resistance levels.
Identifying Bearish Signals:
Identify a bearish crossover:
MACD line crossing below the signal line , indicating downward momentum.
Confirm the bearish signal: Ensure the RSI reading is below a specific threshold, such as 50, indicating weakness in the downward move.
Consider additional confirming indicators, such as negative divergence or breakdowns from key support levels.
Section 4: Backtesting and Refinement - Improving Performance and Accuracy
The Importance of Backtesting:
Gather historical price data for the desired trading instrument and timeframe.
Apply the MACD and RSI convergence strategy to the historical data.
Analyze the performance of the strategy, considering factors such as win rate, average gain/loss, and maximum drawdown.
Adjust the threshold levels, timeframe, or other parameters to improve the strategy's performance.
Refining the Strategy:
Consider incorporating additional technical indicators, such as trend lines, Fibonacci levels, or volume analysis, to further confirm trade signals.
Evaluate the strategy's performance across different timeframes and trading instruments to identify its strengths and weaknesses.
Continuously monitor and adapt the strategy to changing market conditions and refine it based on your trading style and preferences.
Section 5: Risk Management and Trade Execution
Effective Risk Management:
Determine appropriate position sizes based on your risk tolerance and account balance.
Set stop-loss orders to limit potential losses if the trade goes against you.
Establish profit targets to secure gains and exit the trade when the desired level is reached.
Regularly review and adjust risk management parameters as needed.
Conclusion:
Congratulations! You've completed the tutorial on leveraging MACD and RSI convergence to enhance your trading strategy. By combining these powerful indicators, you now have a valuable tool in your trading arsenal. Remember to practice in a demo environment (aka. Paper Trading) before applying the strategy with real funds, and always adapt it to the evolving market conditions.
Feel free to share your progress, ask questions, and discuss your experiences in the comments section. Let's learn from each other and continue refining this strategy together. Best of luck on your trading journey!
Note: Trading involves risks, and this tutorial is for educational purposes only. Always conduct your own research, seek professional advice, and practice responsible risk management.
The Secrets of Making Four Figures Through Trading. The secrets of making four figures through trading.
In this Trading view Post, we will explore the key strategies and considerations that can significantly enhance your swing trading results. As a forex coach specializing in this trading style, I'm excited to share valuable insights and empower you to achieve your financial goals.
Small Accounts are Out, Prop Firms are In
Problem : Insufficient Earnings with Small Accounts
Solution : If you aspire to make four figures, it is essential to trade with five figures. Turning $100 into $10,000 or $500 into $100,000 is much quicker and more feasible when you have a larger capital base. With a prop firm, you can afford to trade less frequently and prioritize quality over quantity, eliminating the struggle often associated with small account trading.
Implement a Proper Risk Management Strategy
Trade with Skill, Not Luck
To safeguard your capital and increase profitability, it is crucial to limit your risk on each trade to no more than 1%. This approach allows you to rely on your trading skills rather than luck. Remember, success in trading is a result of consistent and disciplined decision-making.
Consistency in Risk Allocation
Maintain a consistent 1% risk level as your account grows. As your balance increases, the amount of money you risk will grow proportionally. For example, if you start with a $100,000 account, you would risk $1,000 (1% of $100,000). As your account balance reaches $101,000, your risk would be $1,010 (1% of $101,000), and so on. Consistency in risk allocation ensures that your percentage risk remains the same while adapting to account growth and drawdown phases.
Leveraging Position Sizing Based on Account Size
Your position size, or lot size, plays a critical role in determining how much you value each pip movement. It is essential to find the right position size to prevent excessive drawdown or losses that can jeopardize your trading account. Position sizing calculations consider your account balance, percentage risk, and stop-loss levels.
For instance, if your stop loss is 30 pips and you have a $10,000 account, your position size would be $100 (1% risk) divided by 30 pips, resulting in $3.33 per pip. Your lot size will be 0.33 per pip . By maintaining consistent risk management practices, you can aim for profitable trades while preserving capital.
Focus on Higher Reward-to-Risk Opportunities
Problem: Losing Trades Depleting Capital
To sustain long-term profitability, it is essential to prioritize trades with a higher reward-to-risk (RR) ratio. Winning trades compensate for losing trades and help you overcome drawdown phases. Avoid subpar trades that you force or that fall below your minimum RR requirements.
Strategies to Achieve Higher RR:
Multiple Timeframe Analysis: Shorten Stop Loss
Analyze multiple timeframes to identify strong trade ideas. Once you've determined a suitable trade on a higher timeframe, drop down to lower timeframes to tighten your stop loss. This approach allows you to manage risk effectively and maximize your RR ratio.
Utilize Higher Timeframes or Tools: Extend Take Profit
When dropping down to lower timeframes, refrain from shrinking your take profit target. Instead, utilize higher timeframes or tools like Fibonacci to extend your take profit level. By setting reasonable profit targets, you increase the potential for achieving higher RR trades.
Main Talking Point 3: Quality Trades and 4-Figure Trade Planning
Problem: Inconsistent Trading Results
Solution: Trading with a focus on quality trades offers numerous benefits. By targeting high-quality opportunities and planning trades effectively, you can profit during trending markets, reduce mistakes, and avoid the need to chase after four-figure profits.
Commitment to Make 4 Figures & Stay Under Drawdown Limits
Plan Weekly and Allocate Resources
Plan your trades every Sunday to determine the potential profit or loss for each trade. Identify high-quality opportunities and allocate 1% of your capital to each trade. Assess if each opportunity meets your minimum RR requirements and if it brings you closer to achieving four-figure profits.
Example: $10,000 Account
Suppose you risk $100 on Trade 1 and make $333 (3.33% return), followed by risking $103.33 on Trade 2 to make $516.65 (5.16% return). After two trades, you have earned $849.65, representing an 8.49% increase in your account balance. Continuously monitor and adjust your trades to maintain profitability.
Is this possible? Yes!
Is this easy? No!
Why? Because you'll have to get out your own way and head to make this possible.
While achieving consistent four-figure profits through trading requires dedication and skill, implementing the strategies discussed in this post can significantly enhance your chances of success. By trading with a prop firm, implementing proper risk management strategies, focusing on higher RR opportunities, and prioritizing quality trades, you can navigate the dynamic world of trading with confidence and boost your financial growth. Remember, trading success comes from discipline, continuous learning, and a well-defined trading plan.
Best of luck on your journey to four-figure profits!
Shaquan
Hey! If you found this post valuable like the post and let me know below what was your takeaway❤️
Price/Earnings: amazing interpretation #2In my previous post , we started to analyze the most popular financial ratio in the world – Price / Earnings or P/E (particularly one of the options for interpreting it). I said that P/E can be defined as the amount of money that must be paid once in order to receive 1 monetary unit of diluted net income per year. For American companies, it will be in US dollars, for Indian companies it will be in rupees, etc.
In this post, I would like to analyze another interpretation of this financial ratio, which will allow you to look at P/E differently. To do this, let's look at the formula for calculating P/E again:
P/E = Capitalization / Diluted earnings
Now let's add some refinements to the formula:
P/E = Current capitalization / Diluted earnings for the last year (*)
(*) In my case, by year I mean the last 12 months.
Next, let's see what the Current capitalization and Diluted earnings for the last year are expressed in, for example, in an American company:
- Current capitalization is in $;
- Diluted earnings for the last year are in $/year.
As a result, we can write the following formula:
P/E = Current capitalization / Diluted earnings for the last year = $ / $ / year = N years (*)
(*) According to the basic rules of math, $ will be reduced by $, and we will be left with only the number of years.
It's very unusual, isn't it? It turns out that P/E can also be the number of years!
Yes, indeed, we can say that P/E is the number of years that a shareholder (investor) will need to wait in order to recoup their investments at the current price from the earnings flow, provided that the level of profit does not change .
Of course, the condition of an unchangeable level of profit is very unrealistic. It is rare to find a company that shows the same profit from year to year. Nevertheless, we have nothing more real than the current capitalization of the company and its latest profit. Everything else is just predictions and probable estimates.
It is also important to understand that during the purchase of shares, the investor fixates one of the P/E components - the price (P). Therefore, they only need to keep an eye on the earnings (E) and calculate their own P/E without paying attention to the current capitalization.
If the level of earnings increases since the purchase of shares, the investor's personal P/E will decrease, and, consequently, the number of years to wait for recoupment.
Another thing is when the earnings level, on the contrary, decreases – then an investor will face an increase in their P/E level and, consequently, an increase in the payback period of their own investments. In this case, of course, you have to think about the prospects of such an investment.
You can also argue that not all 100% of earnings are spent paying dividends, and therefore you can’t use the level of earnings to calculate the payback period of an investment. Yes, indeed: it is rare for a company to give all of its earnings to dividends. However, the lack of a proper dividend level is not a reason to change anything in the formula or this interpretation at all, because retained earnings are the main fundamental driver of a company's capitalization growth. And whatever the investor misses out on in terms of dividends, they can get it in the form of an increase in the value of the shares they bought.
Now, let's discuss how to interpret the obtained P/E value. Intuitively, the lower it is, the better. For example, if an investor bought shares at P/E = 100, it means that they will have to wait 100 years for their investment to pay off. That seems like a risky investment, doesn't it? Of course, one can hope for future earnings growth and, consequently, for a decrease in their personal P/E value. But what if it doesn’t happen?
Let me give you an example. For instance, you have bought a country house, and so now you have to get to work via country roads. You have an inexpensive off-road vehicle to do this task. It does its job well and takes you to work via a road that has nothing but potholes. Thus, you get the necessary positive effect this inexpensive thing provides. However, later you learn that they will build a high-speed highway in place of the rural road. And that is exactly what you have dreamed of! After hearing the news, you buy a Ferrari. Now, you will be able to get to work in 5 minutes instead of 30 minutes (and in such a nice car!) However, you have to leave your new sports car in the yard to wait until the road is built. A month later, the news came out that, due to the structure of the road, the highway would be built in a completely different location. A year later your off-road vehicle breaks down. Oh well, now you have to get into your Ferrari and swerve around the potholes. It is not hard to guess what is going to happen to your expensive car after a while. This way, your high expectations for the future road project turned out to be a disaster for your investment in the expensive car.
It works the same way with stock investments. If you only consider the company's future earnings forecast, you run the risk of being left alone with just the forecast instead of the earnings. Thus, P/E can serve as a measure of your risk. The higher the P/E value at the time you buy a stock, the more risk you take. But what is the acceptable level of P/E ?
Oddly enough, I think the answer to this question depends on your age. When you are just beginning your journey, life gives you an absolutely priceless resource, known as time. You can try, take risks, make mistakes, and then try again. That's what children do as they explore the world around them. Or when young people try out different jobs to find exactly what they like. You can use your time in the stock market in the same manner - by looking at companies with a P/E that suits your age.
The younger you are, the higher P/E level you can afford when selecting companies. Conversely, in my opinion, the older you are, the lower P/E level you can afford. To put it simply, you just don’t have as much time to wait for a return on your investment.
So, my point is, the stock market perception of a 20-year-old investor should differ from the perception of a 50-year-old investor. If the former can afford to invest with a high payback period, it may be too risky for the latter.
Now let's try to translate this reasoning into a specific algorithm.
First, let's see how many companies we are able to find in different P/E ranges. As an example, let's take the companies that are traded on the NYSE (April 2023).
As you can see from the table, the larger the P/E range, the more companies we can consider. The investor's task comes down to figuring out what P/E range is relevant to them in their current age. To do this, we need data on life expectancy in different countries. As an example, let's take the World Bank Group's 2020 data for several countries: Japan, India, China, Russia, Germany, Spain, the United States, and Brazil.
To understand which range of P/E values to choose, you need to subtract your current age from your life expectancy:
Life Expectancy - Your Current Age
I recommend focusing on the country where you expect to live most of your life.
Thus, for a 25-year-old male from the United States, the difference would be:
74,50 - 25 = 49,50
Which corresponds with a P/E range of 0 to 50.
For a 60-year-old woman from Japan, the difference would be:
87,74 - 60 = 27,74
Which corresponds with a P/E range of 0 to 30.
For a 70-year-old man from Russia, the difference would be:
66,49 - 70 = -3,51
In the case of a negative difference, the P/E range of 0 to 10 should be used.
It doesn’t matter which country's stocks you invest in if you expect to live most of your life in Japan, Russia, or the United States. P/E indicates time, and time flows the same for any company and for you.
So, this algorithm will allow you to easily calculate your acceptable range of P/E values. However, I want to caution you against making investment decisions based on this ratio alone. A low P/E value does not guarantee that you are free of risks . For example, sometimes the P/E level can drop significantly due to a decline in P (capitalization) because of extraordinary events, whose impact can only be seen in a future income statement (where we would learn the actual value of E - earnings).
Nevertheless, the P/E value is a good indicator of the payback period of your investment, which answers the question: when should you consider buying a company's stock? When the P/E value is in an acceptable range of values for you. But the P/E level doesn’t tell you what company to consider and what price to take. I will tell you about this in the next posts. See you soon!
Factor Investing: An IntroductionThe concept of factor investing has garnered significant attention in recent years as an innovative approach to portfolio management. The idea behind factor investing is that it seeks to uncover the primary sources of return in investment portfolios, and to explicitly target these sources, known as factors. By systematically identifying and targeting these factors, investors can achieve improved portfolio diversification, risk management, and potentially, enhanced returns.
Factor investing can be traced back to the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) introduced by Sharpe (1964) and Lintner (1965). The CAPM was a groundbreaking theory that posited that a security's expected return is directly related to its level of systematic risk, measured by the beta coefficient. The concept of beta provided an early example of a factor in investing.
In recent years, factor investing has evolved and expanded considerably. Researchers and investment managers have identified numerous factors that drive investment performance, such as quality, low volatility, and liquidity.
Primary Factors in Investing
Market : The market factor represents the overall market return and is the core factor that drives investment performance. The market factor, or beta, is the exposure of an asset to the general movement of the market.
Size : Size is the factor that focuses on the market capitalization of companies. Small-cap stocks typically offer higher potential returns than large-cap stocks, although they also tend to exhibit higher volatility.
Value : Value investing targets stocks that are considered undervalued relative to their intrinsic value. Value stocks generally have low price-to-earnings, price-to-book, and price-to-cash-flow ratios, and they tend to outperform growth stocks over time.
Momentum : The momentum factor captures the tendency of stocks that have recently outperformed to continue to do so. Momentum investing strategies aim to capture this trend by buying recent winners and selling recent losers.
Quality : Quality is a factor that focuses on financially stable and well-managed companies. Quality stocks typically have high profitability, low leverage, and stable earnings growth.
Low Volatility : Low volatility investing aims to identify stocks that have exhibited low price volatility over time. Low-volatility stocks often deliver better risk-adjusted returns than high-volatility stocks
Benefits of Factor Investing
Factor investing offers several benefits to investors, such as:
Improved diversification : By targeting specific factors, investors can diversify their portfolios across various sources of return and risk, thereby reducing overall portfolio risk.
Enhanced risk management : Factor investing enables investors to better understand the underlying risks in their portfolios and to manage those risks more effectively.
Potential for outperformance : By systematically targeting well-established and robust factors, investors may achieve higher returns than traditional market-cap-weighted indexes.
Cost efficiency : Factor investing strategies are often implemented using rules-based approaches, such as smart-beta or quantitative strategies, which can be more cost-effective than traditional active management.
Transparency : Factor investing strategies are typically more transparent than traditional active management, as they rely on well-defined, rules-based methodologies that are easier for investors to understand and monitor.
Potential Risks of Factor Investing
While factor investing offers many benefits, it is important to be aware of the potential risks associated with this approach:
Factor timing : Just like market timing, attempting to time factor exposures can be difficult and often leads to underperformance. Investors should be cautious about trying to predict when a particular factor will outperform or underperform.
Overfitting : The process of identifying factors can be susceptible to overfitting, where a model is tailored too closely to historical data and may not perform well in the future.
Crowding : As more investors adopt factor investing strategies, the potential for crowding in certain factors may increase, leading to diminishing returns or increased risk.
Model risk : The effectiveness of factor investing strategies relies on the accuracy and stability of the underlying factor models. If the models are not robust or if they become less effective over time, the strategy's performance may suffer.
Diversification risk : While targeting specific factors can help diversify a portfolio, it may also expose investors to concentrated risk if those factors underperform or experience periods of heightened volatility.
Factor investing has revolutionized the way investors approach portfolio management, offering improved diversification, enhanced risk management, and the potential for outperformance. By identifying and targeting the primary drivers of investment performance, factor investing provides a systematic and transparent framework for constructing and managing portfolios.
Trade with care.
If you like our content, please feel free to support our page with a like, comment & subscribe for future educational ideas and trading setups.
Price / Earnings: Interpretation #1In one of my first posts , I talked about the main idea of my investment strategy: buy great “things” during the sales season . This rule can be applied to any object of the material world: real estate, cars, clothes, food and, of course, shares of public companies.
However, a seemingly simple idea requires the ability to understand both the quality of “things” and their value. Suppose we have solved the issue with quality (*).
(*) A very bold assumption, I realize that. However, the following posts will cover this topic in more detail. Be a little patient.
So, we know the signs of a high-quality thing and are able to define it skilfully enough. But what about its cost?
"Easy-peasy!" you will say, "For example, I know that the Mercedes-Benz plant produces high-quality cars, so I should just find out the prices for a certain model in different car dealerships and choose the cheapest one."
"Great plan!" I will say. But what about shares of public companies? Even if you find a fundamentally strong company, how do you know if it is expensive or cheap?
Let's imagine that the company is also a machine. A machine that makes profit. It needs to be fed with resources, things are happening in there, some cogs are turning, and as a result we get earnings. This is its main goal and purpose.
Each machine has its own name, such as Apple or McDonald's. It has its own resources and mechanisms, but it produces one product – earnings.
Now let’s suppose that the capitalization of the company is the value of such a machine. Let's see how much Apple and McDonald's cost today:
Apple - $2.538 trillion
McDonald's - $202.552 billion
We see that Apple is more than 10 times more expensive than McDonald's. But is it really so from an investor's point of view?
The paradox is that we can't say for sure that Apple is 10 times more expensive than McDonald's until we divide each company's value by its earnings. Why exactly? Let's count and it will become clear:
Apple's diluted net income - $99.803 billion a year
McDonald's diluted net income - $6.177 billion a year
Now read this phrase slowly, and if necessary, several times: “The value is what we pay now. Earnings are what we get all the time” .
To understand how many dollars we need to pay now for the production of 1 dollar of profit a year, we need to divide the value of the company (its capitalization) by its annual profit. We get:
Apple - $25.43
McDonald’s - $32.79
It turns out that in order to get $ 1 earnings a year, for Apple we need to pay $25.43, and for McDonald's - $32.79. Wow!
Currently, I believe that Apple appears cheaper than McDonald's.
To remember this information better, imagine two machines that produce one-dollar bills at the same rate (once a year). In the case of an Apple machine, you pay $25.43 to issue this bill, and in the case of a McDonald’s machine, you pay $32.70. Which one will you choose?
So, if we remove the $ symbol from these numbers, we get the world's most famous financial ratio Price/Earnings or P/E . It shows how much we, as investors, need to pay for the production of 1 unit of annual profit. And pay only once.
There are two formulas for calculating this financial ratio:
1. P/E = Price of 1 share / Diluted EPS
2. P/E = Capitalization / Diluted Net Income
Whatever formula you use, the result will be the same. By the way, I mainly use the Diluted Net Income instead of the regular one in my calculations. So do not be confused if you see a formula with a Net Income – you can calculate it this way as well.
So, in the current publication, I have analyzed one of the interpretations of this financial ratio. But, in fact, there is another interpretation that I really like. It will help you realize which P/E level to choose for yourself. But more on that in the next post. See you!
What can financial ratios tell us?In the previous post we learned what financial ratios are. These are ratios of various indicators from financial statements that help us draw conclusions about the fundamental strength of a company and its investment attractiveness. In the same post, I listed the financial ratios that I use in my strategy, with formulas for their calculations.
Now let's take apart each of them and try to understand what they can tell us.
- Diluted EPS . Some time ago I have already told about the essence of this indicator. I would like to add that this is the most influential indicator on the stock market. Financial analysts of investment companies literally compete in forecasts, what will be EPS in forthcoming reports of the company. If they agree that EPS will be positive, but what actually happens is that it is negative, the stock price may fall quite dramatically. Conversely, if EPS comes out above expectations - the stock is likely to rise strongly during the coverage period.
- Price to Diluted EPS ratio . This is perhaps the best-known financial ratio for evaluating a company's investment appeal. It gives you an idea of how many years your investment in a stock will pay off if the current EPS is maintained. I have a particular take on this ratio, so I plan to devote a separate publication to it.
- Gross margin, % . This is the size of the markup to the cost of the company's product (service) or, in other words, margin . It is impossible to say that small margin is bad, and large - good. Different companies may have different margins. Some sell millions of products by small margins and some sell thousands by large margins. And both of those companies may have the same gross margins. However, my preference is for those companies whose margins grow over time. This means that either the prices of the company's products (services) are going up, or the company is cutting production costs.
- Operating expense ratio . This ratio is a great indicator of management's ability to manage a company's expenses. If the revenue increases and this ratio decreases, it means that the management is skillfully optimizing the operating expenses. If it is the other way around, shareholders should wonder how well management is handling current affairs.
- ROE, % is a ratio reflecting the efficiency of a company's equity performance. If a company earned 5% of its equity, i.e. ROE = 5%, and the bank deposit rate = 7%, then shareholders have a reasonable question: why invest equity in business development, if it can be placed in a bank deposit and get more, without expending extra effort? In other words, ROE, % reflects the return on invested equity. If it is growing, it is definitely a positive factor for the company and the shareholders.
- Days payable . This financial ratio is an excellent indicator of the solvency of the company. We can say that it is the number of days it will take the company to pay all debts to suppliers from its revenue. If the number of days is relatively small, it means that the company has no delays in paying for supplies and therefore no money problems. I consider less than 30 days to be acceptable, but over 90 days is critical.
- Days sales outstanding . I already mentioned in my previous posts that when a company is having a bad sales situation, it may even sell its products on credit. Such debts accumulate in accounts receivable. Obviously, large accounts receivable are a risk for the company, because the debts may simply not be paid back. For ease of control over this indicator, they invented such a financial ratio as "Days sales outstanding". We can say that this is the number of days it will take the company to earn revenue equivalent to the accounts receivable. It's one thing if the receivables are 365 daily revenue and another if it's only 10 daily revenue. Like the previous ratio: less than 30 days is acceptable to me, but over 90 days is critical.
- Inventory to revenue ratio . This is the amount of inventory in relation to revenue. Since inventory includes not only raw materials but also unsold products, this ratio can indicate sales problems. The more inventory a company has in relation to revenue, the worse it is. A ratio below 0.25 is acceptable to me; a ratio above 0.5 indicates that there are problems with sales.
- Current ratio . This is the ratio of current assets to current liabilities. Remember, we said that current assets are easier and faster to sell than non-current, so they are also called quick assets. In the event of a crisis and lack of profit in the company, quick assets can be an excellent help to make payments on debts and settlements with suppliers. After all, they can be sold quickly enough to pay off these liabilities. To understand the size of this "safety cushion", the current ratio is calculated. The larger it is, the better. For me, a suitable current ratio is 2 or higher. But below 1 it does not suit me.
- Interest coverage . We already know that loans play an important role in a company's operations. However, I am convinced that this role should not be the main one. If a company spends all of its profits to pay interest on loans, it is working for the bank, not for the shareholders. To find out how tangible interest on loans is for the company, the "Interest coverage" ratio was invented. According to the income statement, interest on loans is paid out of operating income. So if we divide the operating income by this interest, we get this ratio. It shows us how many times more the company earns than it spends on debt service. To me, the acceptable coverage ratio should be above 6, and below 3 is weak.
- Debt to revenue ratio . This is a useful ratio that shows the overall picture of the company's debt situation. It can be interpreted the following way: it shows how much revenue should be earned in order to close all the debts. A debt to revenue ratio of less than 0.5 is positive. It means that half (or even less) of the annual revenue will be enough to close the debt. A debt to revenue ratio higher than 1 is considered a serious problem since the company does not even have enough annual revenue to pay off all of its debts.
So, the financial ratios greatly simplify the process of fundamental analysis, because they allow you to quickly draw conclusions about the financial condition of the company, without looking up and down at its statements. You just look at ratios of key indicators and draw conclusions.
In the next post, I will tell you about the king of all financial ratios - the Price to Diluted EPS ratio, or simply P/E. See you soon!
Financial ratios: digesting them togetherI hope that after studying the series of posts about company financial statements, you stopped being afraid of them. I suggest we build on that success and dive into the fascinating world of financial ratios. What is it?
Let's look at the following example. Let's say you open up a company's balance sheet and see that the amount of debt is $100 million. Do you think this is a lot or a little? To me, it's definitely a big deal. But can we say the company has a huge debt based only on how we feel about it? I don't think so.
However, if you find that a company that generates $10 billion in annual revenue has $100 million in debt (i.e. only 1% of revenue), what would you say then? That's objectively small, isn't it?
It turns out that without correlating one indicator with another, we cannot draw any objective conclusion. This correlation is called the Financial Ratio .
The recipe for a normal financial ratio is simple: we take one or two indicators from the financial statements, add some market data, put it all into a formula that includes a division operation - we obtain the financial ratio.
In TradingView you can find a lot of financial ratios in the section Financials -> Statistics .
However, I only use a few financial ratios which give me an idea about the financial situation of the company and its value:
What can you notice when looking at this table?
- Profit and revenue are frequent components of financial ratios because they are universal units of measurement for other reporting components. Just as length can be measured in feet and weight in pounds, a company's debts can be measured in revenues.
- Some financial ratios are ratios, some are percentages, and some are days.
- There are no financial ratios in the table whose data source is the Cash Flow Statement. The fact is that cash flows are rarely used in financial ratios because they can change drastically from quarter to quarter. This is especially true for financial and investment cash flow. That's why I recommend analyzing cash flows separately.
In my next post, I'll break down each financial ratio from this table in detail and explain why I use them specifically. See you soon!