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S&P Insights
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Full Process is detailed below:
The name is truly what I aim to deliver each day, insights into the price action of the S&P 500 futures contract, one of the most traded securities on planet earth. Call it the narrative, the pulse, whatever. Its the broad understanding of what the market has done recently and what the likely scenarios are for the next trading day. Understanding, interpreting and implementing this process can give you an edge in the marketplace for that next trading day.
The mission is to provide some clarity from the complex using basic technical analysis, volume profiling and order flow footprint charting techniques to identify high probability, low risk opportunities in the market. I don’t have a crystal ball, I don’t have access to the institutional algo’s, I don’t have a direct line to the trade desks of Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Citi or Merrill Lynch. None of that, I’m just a guy with a computer in the Midwest who’s fairly decent at assessing price on the S&P 500. That’s the background and the mission, you decide if I meet those expectations.
Understanding the price movement of the S&P 500 and extracting profits is not something that can be picked up by passively reading one or two daily publications, its a process. One that I’ve crafted over the last decade and use daily to trade the S&P. In order to truly understand how I’m approaching the market and trading (or any trade plan and routine for that matter), you have to actively apply the process (See Below). Most will need a minimum 4-6 weeks of consistent, mindful reading, observing and charting the levels along with me. Some may pick it up sooner, some may never pick it up, and some may have altogether a better process for identifying opportunities and all of that is okay.
Full disclosure, you will take losses trading. I take losses. My analysis is not 100%, I get it wrong from time to time. What I’ll never do is mislead you on promised instant success like the endless stream of YouTube/Instagram private jet/Lamborghini bros that PLAGUE the retail trading industry. They are misleading you when they say I made 17 billion dollars in 14 minutes and only risked $12. The higher the YouTube production quality, frat boy energy, the more wild the claims, the higher the probability it’s not real.
On to S&P Insights:
Each day as the markets are headed into the close I am writing up my analysis and schedule it to deliver to your inbox by 6pm CST. I give you a full rundown on relevant weekly, daily, and intraday key takeaways from the day’s price action. I give you trends, my daily bias or conditional bias for the next day (bullish, bearish, or neutral), bullish and bearish “if/then” scenarios, I include a full scope charting of data driven levels for typically +/-100 S&P points from current price daily, relevant news to be on the lookout for, initial levels to focus on for the next opening bell and I also give you several live entry examples per week from my own trading for your review, both good and bad.
There are three layers to this top down, multi-time frame process that all work in conjunction with one another to be able to read the market, identify opportunities, isolate and execute trades at predetermined price points and extract profits from the market. It’ not easy, it can be very difficult. If you’re new to trading you may find this challenging, don’t feel bad, it is. If it were simple, everyone would do it. 95% of my trades are done on the ES, or the S&P 500 futures contract. Sometimes I dabble in the Nasdaq (other indices), Crude oil, Bitcoin, sometimes the Euro. But my expertise and main focus is the ES.
The Process:
The first layer is the Macro Analysis or the long view. This can include month to month, week to week, day to day direction and pattern analysis using candle sticks on the Daily, Weekly and Monthly charts, but mostly conducted on the Daily. At the close of each day I cover the relevant moves of the day and string together the broad context of the market price. It’s also where I begin to craft my personal bias for the next trading day. If you don’t know candle stick charting, learn it. In this view I assess high quality large time frame levels where I’m potentially interested in doing business and monitor the primary and secondary trends.
Here’s where you can start:
Second layer is the mid range view using a volume profile on a 30m chart. What has happened intra-day for the last 2-5 days? Where is value coming from and potentially headed? In this view I assess intra-day levels where again, I’m potentially interested in doing business and also monitor that tertiary trend or intra-day trend. If you don’t know Volume Profiling, learn it, here’s where you can start:
The third layer is the order flow footprint on typically a 1-5 minute chart. What are the buyers and sellers doing in real time and who is in control? This is where I tie it all together for potential trade executions. What are the buyers and sellers doing at my price levels of interest and where are they likely attempting to steer price? Again if you don’t know the footprint chart, learn it.
Here’s where you start:
https://youtube.com/shorts/pX0Tamtd1Ho?si=G5iufIKB9atX_hd4
Once again, this is not an easy process by any means. It’s very difficult and requires seat time of active, mindful participation in assessing levels. If you’re not passionate about understanding how to read market price action or any other trading process there are plenty of sites, plenty of Lamborghini flashing frat boys out there that require nothing of you other than to pay, click and pray.
I appreciate all those who have subscribed, and again I’m glad you’re finding value in S&P Insights.
None of this constitutes financial advice, these are merely my opinions, strategies and insights that I personally use to trade the S&P 500 and are for educational purposes only. This is not an offer or recommendation to trade futures, stocks, options or forex.
RISK DISCLAIMER: THERE IS A VERY HIGH DEGREE OF RISK INVOLVED IN TRADING. PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS. ALL INDIVIDUALS AFFILIATED WITH THIS SITE ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR TRADING AND INVESTMENT RESULTS. ALL THE MATERIAL CONTAINED HEREIN IS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT, HOWEVER, TRADERDAN WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTAL OVERSIGHTS, TYPOS, OR INCORRECT INFORMATION FROM SOURCES THAT GENERATE FUNDAMENTAL AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION. FUTURES AND FUTURES OPTIONS TRADING CARRIES SIGNIFICANT RISK. OPTIONS TRADING CARRIES SIGNIFICANT RISK. FOREIGN EXCHANGE TRADING CARRIES SIGNIFICANT RISK. STOCK TRADING CARRIES SIGNIFICANT RISK. TRADING SECURITIES, SECURITY OPTIONS, FUTURES AND/OR FUTURES OPTIONS IS NOT FOR EVERY INVESTOR, AND ONLY RISK CAPITAL SHOULD BE USED. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR UNDERSTANDING THE RISK INVOLVED WITH TRADING FUTURES, OPTIONS, STOCKS, AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE PRODUCTS. PRIOR TO TRADING ANY SECURITIES PRODUCTS, PLEASE READ THE CHARACTERISTICS AND RISKS OF STANDARDIZED OPTIONS AND THE RISK DISCLOSURE FOR FUTURES AND OPTIONS
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