Trading Review for 3/27/2000

Successful trading is about knowing where to look for opportunities, knowing when to seize the opportunity (or not), and managing their risk to maximize their profits.  To that end, let's take a quick look at today's trading action relative to the top Trade Prospector signals:

Volatility - Volatility Compressions, Trading Range Patterns, and Multiday Patterns

ABGX Triggered traders short at its 190.3 lower breakpoint for up to 3 points - but it still looks like it's compressed - keep an eye on it for opportunity tomorrow
CRGN Rallied at the open but failed one point short of its 100 upper breakpoint and sold off for the rest of the day - if you took the failure at resistance you picked up to 15 points, if you waited for a breakdown through the 86.6 lower breakpoint you picked up to 1 point - look for a possible continuation of the selloff tomorrow
AETH Triggered long trades at its 251 upper breakpoint for up to 9 points - this still has some room to cut loose, watch for potentially volatile waters ahead
RBAK Triggered traders short at its 314.3 lower breakpoint for up to 19 points
TERN Triggered traders short three times at its 209.1 lower breakpoint - first for up to 3 points and again for up to 2 points and finally for up to 7 points - a strong afternoon rebound brought the stock up through its 214.2 upper channel boundary for up to 3 points - This stock finished very strong above its trading channel, look for potential continuation of this momentum tomorrow.
AFFX Lacked sufficient strength at its 164.3 upper breakpoint to hold its rally - no trade
PDLI Gapped open  about 1 point short of its upper breakpoint and lost steam - it sold of through its 95.1 lower breakpoint for up to 3 points - looks weak, look for continued selling tomorrow

Momentum - Breakthrough Momentum and Momentum Intersections

SCMR Continued its upward momentum through its 153.4 continuation boundary for up to 3 points before losing its momentum and selling off - if it continues to sell off tomorrow through 144.7 look for a shorting opportunity
TIBX Lost all of its momentum from yesterday right from the open and sold through its 122.4 failure boundary for up to 1 point - look for the failed momentum to potentially continue pushing the selloff tomorrow
DNA Sold through its 161.4 downward continuation boundary for up to 9 points
CPN Gapped open above its 91.3 failed momentum boundary and immediately sold off - reversal traders who took the clear failure at resistance signal and shorted picked up to 13 points, momentum traders who waited for the 86.5 continuation boundary picked up to 8 points
MSTR Lost momentum at the open and fell through its 120.6 failed momentum boundary for up to 8 points
MMWW Trade within its boundaries - no trade
POWI Continued its downward momentum through its 28.5 continuation boundary for up to 2 points

Trading Channel - Channel Breach, Near Trading Channel, and Near/Narrow Channel

RMBS Triggered longs at its 346.1 upper breakpoint for up to 2 points - this one's curling up for a volatile explosion - look to go short below 334 and long above 350 in the next day or so
EBAY Held a tight trading range for most of the day until it rallied through its 252.6 upper breakpoint for up to 1 1/2 points but found too much resistance near that key boundary and lost its momentum - the failure at the key resistance boundary and the weak finish means you should look for possible continued selling tomorrow
MUSE Remained within its boundaries - its failed rally in the morning and lackluster momentum later in the day could indicate upcoming selling - look for shorting opportunities below 173 tomorrow
EMLX Triggered traders long at the 214.9 upper breakpoint for up to 10 points
FDRY Triggered brief shorts at the 142 lower breakpoint for up to 2 points, the double test of support near the lower breakpoint were signs of a brewing reversal off of support which eventually resulted in a 10 point pop higher
MEDX Triggered shorts at its 70.6 lower channel boundary for up to 2 points - but look for a real break either way in the next day or two (long above 76.7 and short below 66.2)
PPRO Triggered shorts at its 121.2 lower channel boundary for up to 7 points

Envelope - Breakout Patterns and Envelope Patterns

NITE Gave a failed breakout signal short of its 60.2 continuation boundary - if you took the reversal it was worth up to 3 points, otherwise no trade
PWJ Gapped lower and sank through its 44 false breakout boundary for fractional gains
EGRP Continued its upward movement through its 33.2 continuation boundary for up to 1 point - its subsequent selloff indicates a potential loss of strength and the possibility of continued selling tomorrow
TCP Gapped open beyond its 65 buy entry - no trade
MRL Triggered fractional shorts at its 23.6 false breakout boundary and then rallied to exactly its 25.5 breakout buy entry before selling off - no other trades
GSTRF Triggered shorts at its 14.5 sell entry for up to 1 point - its subsequent attempt to rally failed at the 14.5 boundary which may indicate further selling tomorrow
PGEX Gapped open and triggered longs at its 17.3 false breakout boundary for up to 1 point before it settled down and congested around 17 3/4 - the failed rally and the subsequent congestion may indicate more selling is coming

Knowing where to expect, and capitalizing on, reversals is a key profit making tool in the daytrader's arsenal.

Whipsaws can happen in choppy markets and traders should always step away from the trade or give themselves more distance from the original entry boundary when a reversal occurs (such as adding one point to the reversal side of the trade entry boundary) to reduce the effect.  Losses are a fact of life, but they can be easily kept to a minimum while maximizing your profits with proper stop management.

Recognizing that a mere one point per day profit when trading 500 shares (or 5 option contracts) is $120,000 per year, you  begin to understand the potential for profit in applying Trade Prospector's information.

Copyright 2000, by Third Millennium Trading.  All rights reserved.  This information is proprietary and reserved for the personal use of Trade Prospector users and registrants.  No other use is permitted without the express authorization of Third Millennium Trading.

Disclaimer: Third Millennium Trading does not recommend the purchase or short sale of any stocks.  Trading should be based on your own understanding of market conditions, price patterns and risk.  The information presented here is designed to contribute to your understanding. Controlling risk through the use of protective stops is critical (more).