July Trading Summary

Net breakdown:
ZS $4207, GCL $3174

RESULTS FOR JULY
Contracts:	277
Net $P/L:	7381
Wins:	35
Losses:	33
Win%:	51
Avg$Win:	681
Avg$Loss:	-499

Year-to-date Daily Histogram:

Fri. 7/30

2:10pm CDT - Stayed conservative on the last day of the month and didn't trade my discretionary CL system. Glad to lock in the week and the month with a gain and look forward to August. July was like most months, it really boils down to at most a handful of good days with all the rest canceling each other out!

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS $1484(8), GCL -$698(4)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	12
Net $P/L:	786
Wins:	1
Losses:	1
Win%:	50
Avg$Win:	1484
Avg$Loss:	-698

For the week, net was $400 in crude and $1160 in beans.

Thurs. 7/29

1:55pm CDT - Today I was up $1500 on crude trades before giving most of it back on beans. I'm a terrible discretionary trader. My discretionary CL system which killed me yesterday, WOULD have saved me today. If I had taken the first 3 signals and executed properly, I would have grossed $600 per trade or $1800. Instead, I only took the first signal and took it off when it was 1/3 of way to target for $200 gross. The rest of my gain was an early long signal in CL for 24 cents on a 4 lot.

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS -$1282(16), GCL $1533(6)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	22
Net $P/L:	251
Wins:	2
Losses:	2
Win%:	50
Avg$Win:	767
Avg$Loss:	-641

Wed. 7/29

1:35pm CDT - Very frustrating day after initial wins in my primary ZS and CL systems had me up $2100. But then I started trading my discretionary CL system and went 0 for 6 (although 2 trades allowed me to stop out at breakeven losing only commission and 1 cent slippage on the last trade). I need to do some rethinking of that CL system because it kills me on choppy days like today.

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS $1459(8), GCL -$995(17)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	25
Net $P/L:	464
Wins:	2
Losses:	6
Win%:	25
Avg$Win:	1068
Avg$Loss:	-279

Tues. 7/27

1:45pm CDT - Short trades all around erased yesterday's loss.  Next on "to do" list, erase Friday's loss.

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS $918(16), GCL $591(2)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	18
Net $P/L:	1509
Wins:	2
Losses:	1
Win%:	67
Avg$Win:	925
Avg$Loss:	-341

Mon. 7/26

1:50pm CDT - Another tough start to the week.  I've given back half my month's profits in the past 2 trading days.  No cause for concern, drawdowns are normal.  I did look and it has been nearly 2 months since I've had 4 back-to-back losers in a row in ZS.  But did I piss off karma or something to have this happen again right when I increased size?

Unrelated article has some interesting stats:  Death of the Middle Class

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS -$1420(16), GCL -$35(8)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	24
Net $P/L:	-1455
Wins:	2
Losses:	4
Win%:	33
Avg$Win:	391
Avg$Loss:	-559

Fri. 7/23

1:45pm CDT - Augh, why couldn't the week end on Thurs. this week? No winners today and on top of that I picked today to increase my lot size on ZS from 6 to 8 lots to add a bit more to the red (and to the future green hopefully)! 3 of my trades would have been winners if my R:R was 1.0 but I'm shooting for more so a string of losers is inevitable...

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS -$1382(16), GCL -$1147(6)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	22
Net $P/L:	-2529
Wins:	0
Losses:	4
Win%:	0
Avg$Win:	0
Avg$Loss:	-632

For the week, net was -$1000 in crude and $580 in beans.

Thurs. 7/22

1:45pm CDT - A nice 4 cent short in beans made the day. Went 2 for 4 in crude in the chop after missing the early morning and late day up moves. And since I always bitch when I get stopped to the tick, I should report that one long crude trade came within a tick of stopping me but it didn't and reversed to hit my target! Carpe diem! :)

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS $1169(6), GCL $5(8)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	14
Net $P/L:	1174
Wins:	3
Losses:	2
Win%:	60
Avg$Win:	671
Avg$Loss:	-419

Wed. 7/21

11:15am CDT - Took a crude trade off 8 cents before target but didn't feel too bad because I got 5 cents out of the previous trade that was supposed to be a scratch.

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS $1157(6), GCL $522(4)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	10
Net $P/L:	1679
Wins:	3
Losses:	0
Win%:	100
Avg$Win:	560
Avg$Loss:	0

Tues. 7/20

1:50pm CDT - Couldn't get anything working in crude today and went 1 for 4 there. One trade got stopped by 2 ticks before reversing to target. I hate when that happens... Beans helped out but got in too late on a short and took a long off too early but followed my plan to the letter.

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS $676(12), GCL -$969(11)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	23
Net $P/L:	-293
Wins:	3
Losses:	3
Win%:	50
Avg$Win:	422
Avg$Loss:	-520

Mon. 7/19

1:30pm CDT - It would have been a $1000+ up day if soybeans had ticked up just 1 more tick to my target after I got long around 10am. But it was not meant to be and I was eventually stopped out on that trade. A win in crude on short side limited the losses on the day.

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS -$1037(12), GCL $582(4)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	16
Net $P/L:	-454
Wins:	1
Losses:	3
Win%:	25
Avg$Win:	591
Avg$Loss:	-348

Fri. 7/16

12:15pm CDT - Another nice day! 1 bean and 2 crude trades all on the long side. I'm so glad I didn't take the whole week off!

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS $1169(6), GCL $1574(6)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	12
Net $P/L:	2743
Wins:	3
Losses:	0
Win%:	100
Avg$Win:	914
Avg$Loss:	0

For the week, which is really 2 weeks since I was off 5 days, net was $3190 in crude and $3040 in beans.

$500 Supplemental Vacation Cost

1:50pm CDT - I'm back! Rested and ready to go and had 3 good trades today.

I always look back to my charts when I get back from a break to see what would have happened with my systems. If I had traded the 5 days that I was away I would have likely grossed about $700 total, less about $200 in commissions, or $500 gross. My crude system would have sucked with 3 losing days: -$550, -$650, and -$1000 and 2 days with no trades. My bean system would have done okay but just barely with the 5 days at: $750, -900, $750, -$900, $1200. My discretionary crude trades are harder to predict but I'm pretty sure I would have done well and should have grossed each day: $400, $800, $600, -$400, $600. Overall, not a bad 5 days to take off considering... If I had backtested a huge positive week I would have felt a little sick, and if I had calculated a huge negative week I would have rejoiced at my excellent vacation timing! But no matter how you figure things, this is the cost of being a trader. Days off are like tuition, they are an investment in the future!

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS $1169(6), GCL $1209(7)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	13
Net $P/L:	2378
Wins:	3
Losses:	0
Win%:	100
Avg$Win:	793
Avg$Loss:	0

Vacation

No trading today as I'm off for a few to recharge the batteries and get the discipline back that was lacking yesterday. Back at it later next week! Don't all fight over the spoils that I won't be around to pick up! Haha

Compounding Mistakes

12:00pm CDT - Mistakes on beans today cost me $1150. Funny how they tend to compound - once you make one mistake, it is much more likely you will make another. I nearly had a signal to short beans this morning but officially I didn’t. So what do I do? I enter a short order and promptly get stopped out just over a minute later with 1 tick slippage to boot! Clearly a breakdown in my recent flawless execution of my systems. So what do I do? I sit patiently and execute the next signal which is a long position. A+ for me, recovering from my F. But instead of letting it go to target (9.20), I take it off 2 cents earlier figuring it won't get there and seeing my bean P/L is now back at zero, I can negate the mistake I made earlier. But it doesn't work this way. Target was hit a couple minutes later without my limit order sitting there waiting. At least a 30 cent winner in crude made the day palatable....

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS $13(12), GCL $591(2)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	14
Net $P/L:	604
Wins:	2
Losses:	1
Win%:	67
Avg$Win:	580
Avg$Loss:	-556

Tues. 7/06

1:20pm CDT - Beans worked on the short side but not much else. The $2 straight drop in crude that began around 11am CDT I was long to start! After stopping out for -20 cents and reversing my position, I only held on for 30 cents (recouping most of my earlier losses earlier in morning). Coulda, woulda, shoulda gotten more than $1 more ($2000 on my 2 lot) if I had held. Oh well...

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS $688(12), GCL -$184(10)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	22
Net $P/L:	504
Wins:	3
Losses:	4
Win%:	43
Avg$Win:	657
Avg$Loss:	-367

Fri. 7/02

2:10pm CDT - I've been aware of a slight flaw(?) in my soybean system that hasn't burnt me until today. Today I traded the plan perfectly but the 2nd bean trade risked 19 ticks to make 3 ticks. This RARELY happens but it did today and despite the high odds of going 3 ticks in one direction before it goes 19 the other, it went the 19 today. So a $500 plus day (the first bean trade) ends negative. A couple crude trades went nowhere for a penny and two pennies each!

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS -$962(12), GCL $42(4)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	16
Net $P/L:	-919
Wins:	3
Losses:	1
Win%:	75
Avg$Win:	175
Avg$Loss:	-1456

For the week, net was $845 in crude and $530 in beans. Can I have those last few trades back please?

Thurs. 7/01

11:00am CDT - Good start to the month although I'm not happy with 4 ticks slippage ($300) on a bean stopout. The morning down move in crude was crazy! Glad I at least got a tiny sliver of it.

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS $388(12), GCL $551(2)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	14
Net $P/L:	939
Wins:	2
Losses:	1
Win%:	67
Avg$Win:	860
Avg$Loss:	-781