Trades 30/01/15

Good trading today - again a bit lack of patience on $GURE - the float didnt seem to justify a move like this in my mind so I scalped in and out not expecting a $2 move; considering i bought in the 1.40s and sold lower in pre, im happy to at least not be down on the position, that'd be too embarrassing :)

Stuck to my rules for the most part, traded fewer names, if I felt like I must trade some non-perfect setup I took tiny size; Still much to improve there though

Other than that, my poorest trade was on $PSTI, bad entry, just never works with a bad entry; good trading on $CRMD (though it took 3 tries) and $IMGN

Trades: 

$PFMT bought 10 $5 calls at .10 just after a big buyer bought some there; got lucky with 200% gains ($200) 

$GURE long in pre on a dip; screwed up. sold bottom, but rebought, made it back with some change; rebought again on a dip; and again , this time with 100sh :( 
Traded it a few times long/short afterwords with little size and ended up even on the day on it. shameful; I am short some calls however so eventually I'll be up ...

$IMGN 1st trade nice dip buying; second trade was a short i covered quickly; third was a long with no conviction that i sold flat

$ADXS on weak open; meh was focused on too many plays again so minimised gains here

$PSTI bad entry really, should have waited for a pop, or a break under 2.50 and then waited for pops - my worst trade of the day

$TBIO tried a few jic - glad I covered quickly it went on to test 4

$CRMD tried a few times, only 3rd time had a decent entry; second time around didnt take profits when i could, wanted 3 flush; 3rd time worked well, prove again that i shouldnt whine when i take profits and miss out on a wash, as in this case it hadn't

$CPRX tiny chase position

$ARRY shorted a pop - small, looking for lod move

$MRVL bought a few calls on buyout rumours, just a tad

$GURE another long attempt here 2.20 risk; ah no go; leaving it alone

$GURE after that I became bearish and shorted a few 2.50 Mar calls

$ADES took some 10 puts on this sh*tstorm

$CRMD got back in after failed attempt at hod. 

$IMGN shorted before the close, added when line in sand broke

Trades 29/1/15

Good trading today - stood by rules set out yesterday (mostly)
Still many names traded, however only 4-5 day trades, rest were swings I closed today

Happy overall with entries today and better patience, though could still improve there; $FXCM after I shorted I set my covers to exactly 10% below, however I took profits on flushes; The idea was to swing short them not day trade, so I wasn't executing the plan properly

$GENE had great $2 avg buying on a dip, but no conviction to hold for the big move ... one day I'll learn to leave a few and let them run when it's a float rotation play

Trades: 

$EXEL on weak open with 2 risk; didnt work

$LEDS covered swing at 1.31-2 they seem to be supporting it there; 

$MIFI with .70 risk for a wash; added on multiday support snap; covered lower and rest of b/e; 

$FXCM shorted 2.4 covered some 2.32

$PSTI on a dip 3.50
$ARRY with hod risk - nice trade

$GENE low float runner, bought some on dip with 2 risk;

$GENE back in on a dip

$MIFI came back to it later:

$GENE one last try long; missed the big move, but was too worried about giving back gains

$GENE 

$MIFI again

Trades 28/01/15

So much for being a sniper today, total sh*t show, random trades left and right, just wasn't my day;

Such poor trading, not just one trade ruined me, but plenty of them, and I usually do well when the markets tank after a nice run earlier in the day.

The pre-planned trades (such as $ARRY) worked really well, it's the random/reactive stuff that hurt me 

Getting very frustrated with myself - trading is easy(ier) if you stick to a few setup; today $ADXS (or $ZIOP, executed properly) alone would have paid the bills for instance.

Less is more - tomorrow i'm really really focusing on fewer plays and wait for optimal setups

Lessons:

• Trade with more conviction - the setups you're more certain about, use wider stops
• BE MORE PATIENT DAMN IT

Trades: 

$FXCM was short o/n - news spiked me out of position, actually went long and minimised losses

$APRI long in pre; didnt work, shame it rallied after; tried later on a dip and it didnt work again, awful trading 

$ZIOP with 9 risk - messed up entry, messed up trade. faded nicely after my covers ... blarg

$ARRY 7 risk

$ARRY shorted again with prior high risk

$ADXS - this is why entry is so important, was a chase, so got spooked out fast

$PSTI had a nice long

$PSTI bought smaller on dip

$PSTI decided to take some long o/n - reason I'm long with conviction: it held pretty strong even with the markets being weak; big vol on the pops and little on the retraces; this is new to me so I could be completely wrong ... // after the awful spy close I took most of the position off and left tiny bit o/n

$NVIV plan was to snag a washout and sell; worked ok, then shorted good avg, but didnt cover in time, ended up a loser; will try again tomorrow

$APRI long on a dip with 1.50 risk, again fail

$MIFI tried twice, didnt work

$SPY one of few good trades today:

Trades 27/01/15

Pretty good trading this session, mainly on $ADXS and $ZIOP
A few unnneccesary trades out the gate, with the markets' weakness I tried hammering overextended shorts out the gate, instead of waiting for a good entry; At least I cut those short

Trades: 

$CANF in pre - expecting it to fade like $CNET yesterday, 2.50 risk

$VUZI 7.35 with 7.4 risk - scalped it a few times for a few cents each
$ARRY on lower high covered in the 50s and rest waiting for 7; covered in high .40s when .45 held - figured i can jump back in on a pop or if it gives; can barely make anything on the chart though

$ZIOP I always underestimate these - bought on a dip 8.34, sold high 40s and 50s

Trades 26/01/15

Today was overshadowed by $CNET unfortunately - took a position over the weekend, 2.10 avg; took 1/4 off at 2 in pre, and suddenly it went crazy, press release, so I covered 2.20s to 2.50s for a big loss. It did retrace back under 2 ... but I had no choice but to cover in pre, as with the float and $BIDU news it could have easily hit 3

Other than that made decent trades the first half hour, but then my head was just not in it and I was forcing ($BCLI) so decided to call it quits

$ARRY another case in matter how I'd fare better if i stick to fewer plays ... had some real good entries I would have otherwise been more patient with:

Update:
Came back after the lunch break and mainly practiced on $ARRY as you can read below, overall did well, had a nice read on it; will (again) try to stick to fewer stocks tomorrow so I could get to know and scalp them more efficiently 


Trades: 

$FXCM had a small long o/n position 2.35 which i sold in pre at 2.50 
$FXCM Mar $2.5 calls sold at the open on that gap up

$ASPS tried a tiny bit on $OCN settlement - long didnt work, later day was short biased and made most back

$CNET as explained above 
$OCN tried in pre on a dip - didnt work; tried again later - worked better, see chart

$OCN again good trade 

$RITT long the news, such a tiny float; worked well for +$250; unfortunately went back to it a few times and gave it all back ; disappointed I did that, i do have a rule to NOT revisit a long winner

$BCLI messed this one up - revenge trades galore, left it alone then 

$ARRY long 

$ARRY another long on break of lower highs trend

$ARRY short this time, bad entry

$MAT $28 risk - another good trade, only used tiny size though (100sh)

$AVP quick short scalp

$HTBX - nice covers, was going to be patient/greedy with it, but they were supporting 5.25s

$RMTI

$ARRY another short, small position

$ARRY hod rejection, 250sh

$ARRY another decent one

$ARRY they were absorbing loads at 7.70 however that's not somethign i'm used to doing; tested the theory with 100sh and piked it for 5c

This is what I mean by "absorbing"

$ARRY and when 7.70 gave up, i scalped it for another 5c

$AMPE long on this nice setup Dave spotted

Trades 23/01/15

Poor trading today in pre that set me back $300, $FXCM saved the day though, kept me in the green; done lots of practice on quick scalping (being nimble) both long and short $ARRY with mixed success, down overall, but good lessons there

$BOX was the best play of the day as explained below

$ADXS I let myself get squeezed on the o/n position, but added higher to better my avg

From next week I will stop executing most trades using DAS which means no more fancy charts; I find that it actually impedes my trading, so apologies in advance ...

Lessons:

• Buying news/rumour premarkets has gone cold again, back to no premarket trading (unless an un-passable opportunity) 

Trades: 

$AVP had o/n 8.5 puts, got very excited at the open when it gapped down and sold them all for a profit ... given today was expiry day and no official denial of rumour was released I wasnt in the mood to hold longer 

$CNET risky long in pre on news, assuming many are caught short in this, should spike at the open unless "they" sell heavily into the new buyers; risking 10c to make 20c+; well that didnt work ... lost 20c - shouldn't really have chased a day3 turdy stock

$APP on premarket news, like a good pop too that one; $1 risk, $1.15-20 target; worked out just like $CNET; had +5c but didnt take it; rumours get squashed in this market quickly

$CNET waited for it to settle and shorted with the intention of swinging a red close; didnt cover enough at the bottom and when it started perking i was worried a repeat of yesterday (test of lows and biiiig ramp into close); might take a few o/w if it closes weak

$ADXS added to yesterday's swing, had 8 as risk; managed to minimised losses here, better had i just covered on the green open

$FXCM had some o/n which sold for a profit; IB ran out of shares on the rumour that spiked it to 3+ so rebought the puts

$BOX once entire float traded in the first 10 minutes it was a decent long, shoulda woulda risked more as seen this many times before ... still, good trade, happy i grabbed few more on a dip (twice) to make it a decent trade overall, glad i wasnt too greedy and sold when it really sped up

$ARRY - traded it ok overall in the am session - training being nimble ... nice covering when 6.80 held; then just kept practicing with small shares; in the pm i was sloppier and chased entries long and short, so ended down on the day on it

$VGGL turd like the break of trend, needs some vol with .75 break and it's back at 3; vol didnt come, worked for peanuts

$VGGL switched to short with .80 risk; dumped it to concentrate on more lucrative plays

$ARRY stuffing at $7 - at least I'm picking up something finally about these super-momo plays; managed to scalp it quickly for 20c

$EGLT read it perfectly, stock so overextended i only too 100sh ...

$MHR risking 5c for 15c move; didnt work

$PKT