Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Hot List

In addition to my previous hot list post, this market offers some unique opportunities. I have been gathering up stock symbols via different screeners. The resultant list is now over 100 stocks, way too many to type accurately here, or properly trade. (I have been trying -- and profiting)

I tuned up a google spreadsheet to help me pick the best of the best in the list, and here is today's results:

atpg 17.66
axl 7.66
cno 5.06
ctb 15.60
fire 19.88
gtn 1.25
hf 5.86
holi 7.69
ivn 12.03
mgi 3.24
mvis 3.66
pir 2.6
pxlw 3.98
rad 1.74
shfl 8.72
tpi 3.90
tvl 4.21

I added today's close price just for record keeping. I'll com back in a few days and check the results.

Please do not consider this to be a trade recommendation... just a watch list. Trade responsibly. I can hook you up with training if you are interested.

Buy The Dips!



Don'y have much time.... just wanted to say that it can be a buying opportunity here... I just bot LVS on this dip. (Not a recommendation -- ask your broker)

Monday, September 14, 2009

Minor setback today

Here is today's hourly SPY broad market ETF.
Notice the trendline I have drawn in.

Click for larger, browser back.

This morning, we gapped down below the line and some in the FTV chat room were talking doom and gloom. I kept track of the market internals while sitting on my hands. As I watched the NYSE up and down volume charts, I noticed that some stocks were becoming interesting. With all the discipline I could muster, I only bought (went long in) four of them.

The "buy the dips" strategy has worked many times recently, and according to the internals, it was the right thing to do. As it turns out, Price has improved and I was properly in synch with the markets (see post below).

The SPY daily chart still indicates upward strength and I am enjoying the ride.

We did get a pull-back on the weekly chart, eight candles ago, so this can not be expected to run many more weeks. When the next dip occurs, I hope that I'll be ready -- I am watching for it.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Wisdom from the Tao Te Ching Pt 2 of many

Market wisdom from the Tao Te Ching, Chapter 29, Translated by Derek Lin

Derek made a great presentation today in discussing the chapter copied here in part:

Those who wish to take the world and control it
I see that they can not succeed ...
One can not control it ...

Because all things:
Either lead or follow
Either blow hot or cold
Either have strength or weakness ...

Therefore the sage:
Eliminates extremes
Eliminates excess
Eliminates arrogance

Wow, that's a lot of material in just a few words!

What I am able to understand rite now is this:
- Don't try to catch the absolute bottom or top, just try to own a large chunk out of the natural run in the middle.
- Don't clutter the real story (Price and volume) with excessive indicators, or expectations (news, analysts, fundamentals, etc.)
- Don't trade by emotions, we are incapable of perfectly identify the tops or bottoms in real time.

Sure there's that obvious stuff, and so much more...

We should not allow ourselves to become angered or confused when the markets do not fulfill our expectations. The market is neither bad or good, it simply exists.
Likewise, our strongest hopes can not cause it to change into something else.

The only thing we can do is change ourselves. Our baggage, once discarded, will no longer bind us to making possibly (likely) incorrect assumptions.With baggage removal completed, we can place trades that are in synch with market direction.

My biggest piece of baggage is selling at a small loss and then missing the run my analysis indicates is eminent. What's yours?

---

Don't forget to read my post: Wisdom from the Tao Te Ching Pt 1 of many

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Breakout!

Here is the current daily SPY:


Click for larger, Browser back.

The Head and Shoulders pattern I warned about below, has failed. Market action has now turned all of that into a pleasant series of higher highs and higher lows. I cautiously stayed in my long positions, taking profits as was reasonable, and made some great $$$. I hope you did too.

Today, the broad markets formed a recovery high and rallied to the point of being over bought. Trading slowed down, but did not pull back. Therefore, I have begun the process of adding to my long positions with great value stocks. I'll tell you how I screen for these in another post... coming to my favorite blog (here) soon!

Note: There are some perma-bears out there. They add to their short positions on every rally just in case the markets might turn. I feel sorry that they are so determined to place trades that have absolutely no technical reason for support. Several small, "feeler" positions, can add up to big losses and their spouts of negativity can make newbies doubt properly positioned investments. So sad.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Change in the wind?

Here is the current SPY daily chart...

Click for larger, Browser back.

I am a little concerned here.
It is a left shoulder, the head, and maybe a right shoulder in the making.
In checking the volume, I see that one huge red bar, and a few green Pygmy's. This indicates strong downage and weak upage.

Not scary because we can make money from the market moving either direction, but I have a lot of long positions that I want to exit profitably.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Another Bull/Bear Indicator

In my never-ending quest for Market Mastery, I have assembled another indicator. This one is based on the NYSE Up/Down volume ratio. Here's what it looks like:


Click for larger, Browser back.
Here is a handy link: http://www.freestockcharts.com?emailChartID=b5425477-2f4b-448d-a529-7481db3ff95a

Here is another, possibly clearer way to see the same thing:
http://www.freestockcharts.com?emailChartID=a6b0191e-f165-4793-9732-f6280e67c6b6

Tonight's chart shows that Down Volume is higher than Up volume, but closing the gap. This should signal the eventual end of a bear rally... we'll see. Hopefully, with this tool, we'll get better.

And, for no extra charge, here is yet another good one...
This one allows us to the total number of up issues compared to a moving average

Click for larger, Yada Yada.



And... don't forget about the older Bull/Bear index.