Helenqu's Blog

Really been a dull week with regard to the futures trades, my two hour slot coincided with a very flat market on 4/5 days. Just did one trade for 0, it was open for eight minutes and did nothing so I closed it, only for it to shoot off in the direction I expected 30 seconds later. Well we've all been there so I won't lament too much!

The gap between my performance on SB stock trades and index trades continues, so much so that I think I may just stop the SB ndex trading. By nature I'm an impatient fiddler and I find it very hard to sit on my hands with trades (which is why scalping suits me).


Dax index trades - -7, -13, +9, +3, +10, +2
FTSE 100 stock trades - +5, +0.5, -5, +1, +7.75.

So I'm down 4E on my futures account over the week and +9.25 points on the SB account.

I am however going great guns with the PhD work Got the first section totally revised and I'm now moving onto the next bit.

Well done with the PhD.

It is such a valubale thing to be able to wear different hats and to swap them at will. Especially in a business where a lot of what happens is completely out of your control.

It is vital to be able to channel "trading energy" into something more productive when the market has very little to offer.

Marathonchap

My review of the week, which I do every week shows that this week was a very poor trading week on the STOXX. Only +46 points available with my (very safe) system between 9 and 3pm Monday/Friday. So I don't feel too bad. I'm very aware now of the importance of not trading when conditions are bad.

Thanks for the comments Dom

I've really scaled back what I have done this week. No SBs and only 3 futures trades. I've been available to trade for 10 hours (9-11 every day) but it's been pretty poor.

So just +2, +1 and -4. The first and last trades I was happy with but the middle one was where I had held it for 4 mins it was flat and I decided to close it, rather than hold. Had I held for 30 seconds longer it would have gone my way for +10 or so. Never mind I have been holding trades longer and that is a step forward.

It's half term next week so I probably won't be able to trade and the following week I have my brother staying for a few days so I think it is likely there will be a small gap in my journal for bit.

Is it one of your rules that when you have the kids home or relatives staying that you don't trade?

Probably a good rule to have.

Or are you going to try and sneak in some trading if there is an opportunity?

Helen,

If the market had gone against you in the next 30 seconds by 10 points, how would you then have felt about this trade ? In my view if you set rules you have to abide by them even if, as in this case, you would have been profitable.


Paul

Hi Paul,

Yes but I really didn't follow my rule. I'm trying to hold on to trades for six minutes and I was my usual "premature execution" self

I'm getting better but it's slow and it annoys me.

Hi Dom,

My rule is I don't trade unless I can concentrate properly. That basically means no trading with kids at home. The exception to that might be if they were watching a film and I could be pretty sure they would be quiet for an extended period. But even they they fight/cry/want food etc at regular intervals