VEGAS TRADES GOLD IMAGE

VEGAS TRADES GOLD IMAGE

Monday, February 13, 2012

TRIP TO NOWHERE



                                     Right Market, Wrong Day



Often times we get focused on the wrong thing when looking at the bigger picture; gold trading is about intra day volatility and NOT prices. It makes no difference to me whether gold is at $300 or 3,000 per oz.; what matters is the intra day play of delta [price change].

As I write today’s post, we have a $17 range for the day. Even that came on a group of mystery ticks when the $13 range got taken out at 1720.

“I got filled where on my 1720 stop?”

I have repeatedly tried to focus your attention over the last weeks and months on the limitations of your algorithm. If you ignore this vital area, you are missing a key component of making money trading. Knowing how to prepare, and then implement key strategies is imperative if you want to be consistently profitable.

I know when volatility is below normal, I can expect lower viable signals and more false positives. My attention is more focused on the daily range than the actual buy/sell signal. I am also much more trigger happy than usual because given the nature of the beast, i.e., choppy trading with spikes/drops, I’m trying to find the profitability I want relative to my goals.

What makes it work for me is that I know my algorithm, and I know its limitations inside and out. I spend 99% of my trading time worrying about losses and the ‘what if” scenarios that could cost me money. Any chimp can handle winning.

What this means is that when the market gets a little abnormal [gold or any other], I have to be especially vigilant against market spikes/drops that can hurt me. The market isn’t going to give me a second chance, through intra day volatility, to make the money back if I take a “normal” hit. Some days making a $1.98 is a pure victory.

Have a great day everyone!

-vegas

No comments:

Post a Comment