May Trading Summary

 Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS $407(1), 6E -$1259(2)

RESULTS FOR MAY
Contracts:	3
Net $P/L:	-852
Wins:	1
Losses:	1
Win%:	50
$Commissions:	15
Avg$Win:	407
Avg$Loss:	-1259

Fri. 5/09

11:20am CDT - Still on break but decided to trade crop report.  Pure discretion.

RESULTS FOR DAY
ZS Contracts:	1
Net $P/L:	407
Wins:	1
Losses:	0
Win%:	100
Avg$Win:	407
Avg$Loss:	0

Analysts

Not surprised by this chart, click for story. But it's only over 2 months. I recall reading of similar results over the long term for analyst picks but don't have any source.

Fri. 5/02

1:00pm CDT - Still taking a break but got a Euro system trade today so took it.  It got to within 1 tick of target and then price reversed and stopped me out hours later. This was only the 6th trade this year in this system and the first loser. 1 tick!!!! I know the market doesn't care about me but it sure feels that way on trades like this.

For grain traders, you should be aware of the new limit prices which will be adjusted twice a year.

RESULTS FOR DAY
6E Contracts:	2
Net $P/L:	-1259
Wins:	0
Losses:	1
Win%:	0
Avg$Win:	0
Avg$Loss:	-1259

April Trading Summary

Only traded 4/1 to 4/11/2014    Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS -$185(18), TF -$3813(89)

RESULTS FOR APRIL
Contracts:	107
Net $P/L:	-3999
Wins:	30
Losses:	57
Win%:	34
$Commissions:	331
Avg$Win:	186
Avg$Loss:	-168

Fri. 4/11

11:00am CDT - Wake up call day. This should have happened long before now but here it is finally slapping me in the face.  Threw my rules out the window on a final short TF sequence and ended up with twice my max size on and a stop so wide it could never get hit.  You know what happened from there.

With my larger of two accounts now below $20k, it's time to take a hard look at what I'm doing and why my head keeps coming unscrewed.  I think the main thing my psychological demons boil down to is I'm not convinced I have an edge/positive expectancy.  WTF!?  Why the hell am I trading then?  So I will stop. Not sure how long but as long as it takes.  I'll update when I can, perhaps even with some SIM trading results if I decide to go that route before getting back on the horse.

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS -$336(2), TF -$2092(16)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	18
Net $P/L:	-2428
Wins:	5
Losses:	9
Win%:	36
Avg$Win:	161
Avg$Loss:	-359

Thurs. 4/10

2:45pm CDT - New method today but didn't work so great.  Nearly did, but not quite.  You have to work really hard not to make money when the market falls mostly straight down with a $3500+ range per contract!

RESULTS FOR DAY
TF Contracts:	10
Net $P/L:	24
Wins:	3
Losses:	6
Win%:	33
Avg$Win:	140
Avg$Loss:	-66

Wed. 4/09

2:30pm CDT - Burned early on. Hard to trade TF when it's bouncing up and down 10+ ticks in mere seconds as it was this morning. Needless to say I'm rethinking things again. Poor trade management on beans after crop report too.  Patience severely lacking.

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS $150(16), TF -$642(16)

RESULTS FOR DAY
Contracts:	32
Net $P/L:	-491
Wins:	9
Losses:	17
Win%:	35
Avg$Win:	245
Avg$Loss:	-159

Tues. 4/08

3:10pm CDT - Missed the nice up move in the morning and got caught in some afternoon chop.

RESULTS FOR DAY
TF Contracts:	17
Net $P/L:	-245
Wins:	5
Losses:	9
Win%:	36
Avg$Win:	156
Avg$Loss:	-114

FYI, I updated my spreadsheet recording the range of various futures symbols from 8:30-10:30am CDT. If you want the full spreadsheet, you can download it here.

Mon. 4/07

9:35am CDT - Wild morning. Could have locked in $200-300 a couple times but that wasn't the plan. On the bright side, at least I quit early and didn't dig a hole that couldn't be climbed out of with one good day.

RESULTS FOR DAY
TF Contracts:	11
Net $P/L:	-569
Wins:	2
Losses:	8
Win%:	20
Avg$Win:	157
Avg$Loss:	-110

Fri. 4/04

3:10pm CDT - No trades yesterday, one today.  What a sell off!

RESULTS FOR DAY
TF Contracts:	1
Net $P/L:	407
Wins:	1
Losses:	0
Win%:	100
Avg$Win:	407
Avg$Loss:	0

Wed. 4/02

11:10am CDT - Once again my losing days are not of the same magnitude as my winning days.  Need to refine the plan and more importantly, stick to it!

RESULTS FOR DAY
TF Contracts:	17
Net $P/L:	-1005
Wins:	4
Losses:	8
Win%:	33
Avg$Win:	82
Avg$Loss:	-167

Tues. 4/01

2:45pm CDT - Just one today long near the open. 

RESULTS FOR DAY
TF Contracts:	1
Net $P/L:	307
Wins:	1
Losses:	0
Win%:	100
Avg$Win:	307
Avg$Loss:	0

Quarter 1 2014 Trading Results

March Trading Summary

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
6E $956(4), ZS $35(5), TF -$938(41)

RESULTS FOR MARCH
Contracts:	50
Net $P/L:	53
Wins:	13
Losses:	13
Win%:	50
$Commissions:	154
Avg$Win:	267
Avg$Loss:	-264

Mon. 3/31

12:15pm CDT - Early chop and lagging charts didn't help things today.  But only have myself to blame for not quitting earlier.  If you missed 60 Minutes last night check out: Is the U.S. stock market rigged?

RESULTS FOR DAY
TF Contracts:	31
Net $P/L:	-1792
Wins:	2
Losses:	9
Win%:	18
Avg$Win:	519
Avg$Loss:	-315

Fri. 3/28

2:10pm CDT - A quick bail out for BE after accidentally hitting "Buy Mkt" instead of "Go to Last" at the open. I was just trying to center my DOM. A long trade after that was enough for the day.

RESULTS FOR DAY
TF Contracts:	2
Net $P/L:	205
Wins:	1
Losses:	1
Win%:	50
Avg$Win:	207
Avg$Loss:	-3

Thurs. 3/27

2:35pm CDT -

RESULTS FOR DAY
TF Contracts:	2
Net $P/L:	255
Wins:	2
Losses:	0
Win%:	100
Avg$Win:	127
Avg$Loss:	0

Wed. 3/26

3:00pm CDT -

RESULTS FOR DAY
TF Contracts:	1
Net $P/L:	207
Wins:	1
Losses:	0
Win%:	100
Avg$Win:	207
Avg$Loss:	0

Tues. 3/25

3:30pm CDT - Some testing today but I decided to start posting results every day I trade again.  I don't think it has any affect on my performance and is not a distraction to my trading as I do it after I'm finished for the day and it only takes me a few minutes at most.  Comments and feeling like I need to respond to them, on the other hand, can sometimes be a distraction so they will be off for the foreseeable future.  See #20: www.lifebuzz.com/just-stop.  :)

RESULTS FOR DAY
TF Contracts:	5
Net $P/L:	187
Wins:	3
Losses:	1
Win%:	75
Avg$Win:	156
Avg$Loss:	-283

Week 3/17 - 3/21

3:05pm CDT -

RESULTS FOR WEEK
6E Contracts:	2
Net $P/L:	441
Wins:	1
Losses:	0
Win%:	100
Avg$Win:	441
Avg$Loss:	0

Week 3/10 - 3/14

4:00pm CDT - Some testing on beans on crop report day is all to report this week.

RESULTS FOR WEEK
ZS Contracts:	5
Net $P/L:	35
Wins:	2
Losses:	2
Win%:	50
Avg$Win:	173
Avg$Loss:	-155

23" Monitors

If you've been waiting for a deal, this is great for $100 after rebate with free shipping in the USA. Limit 5 so you can build that quad monitor setup!

Daytrading Millions

Several things spoke to me in this article and I'd bet they do to you too!

11 or 12 Things I Learned About Life While Daytrading Millions of Dollars

Week 3/03 - 3/07

2:50pm CST - Just 1 Euro trade this week.
And to ease the sound of crickets and cobwebs on this blog, here's some light reading for you:
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/10-invaluable-lessons-that-could-change-your-life

RESULTS FOR WEEK
6E Contracts:	2
Net $P/L:	516
Wins:	1
Losses:	0
Win%:	100
Avg$Win:	516
Avg$Loss:	0

February Trading Summary

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
6E $806(4), ZS -$2045(29), ES -$2716(44)

RESULTS FOR FEBRUARY
Contracts:	77
Net $P/L:	-3955
Wins:	18
Losses:	15
Win%:	55
$Commissions:	293
Avg$Win:	143
Avg$Loss:	-435

Week 2/24 - 2/28

3:40pm CST - Not much to say other than it's tough to win when you don't follow your plan.  That big red opening bar on 2/25 got me to deviate from plan and I threw in towel on week after that.  Overall, beans had a huge week and most anyone could see places on this chart to make a killing.  I am now working on a more "fool-proof" trade plan as well as thinking of longer timeframe systems that I can incorporate into the plan, perhaps even more focus on swing trading.  I know I can follow my rules and I think I may just need more distance away from my recent months of discretionary trading to really put it out of my system for good.  At least that's what I'm thinking right now.

RESULTS FOR WEEK
ZS Contracts:	19
Net $P/L:	-2678
Wins:	1
Losses:	4
Win%:	20
Avg$Win:	239
Avg$Loss:	-729

Week 2/17 - 2/21

4:00pm CST - Would have been an okay week if the high print Friday on ES, 1844.00, had been 1 tick less.

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS $326(9), ES -$2973(42)

RESULTS FOR WEEK
Contracts:	51
Net $P/L:	-2647
Wins:	12
Losses:	11
Win%:	52
Avg$Win:	81
Avg$Loss:	-329

Week 2/10 - 2/14

3:10pm CST - A bean trade Monday and ES trade yesterday and today.  Nice of my broker to add VX data (CBOE Volatility Index).  I didn't have access to that before.  1-hr chart for past couple weeks shown.

Net breakdown (contracts traded):
ZS $307(1), ES $257(2)

RESULTS FOR WEEK
Contracts:	3
Net $P/L:	564
Wins:	3
Losses:	0
Win%:	100
Avg$Win:	188
Avg$Loss:	0

Week 2/03 - 2/07

2:20pm CST - A couple Euro system trades gave me something to report. :)

RESULTS FOR WEEK
6E Contracts:	4
Net $P/L:	806
Wins:	2
Losses:	0
Win%:	100
Avg$Win:	403
Avg$Loss:	0