Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Locking still more
Current open equity: $392.10
Starting equity: $290.49
Current position: Long 3,822 AUD/USD at 0.6319
Current exposure: Locked in $61.01 or 21.00% of starting equity.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
More locked.
Current open equity: $422.97
Starting equity: $290.49
Current position: Long 3,822 AUD/USD at 0.6319
Current exposure: Locked in $43.58 or 15.00% of starting equity.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Lock time.
Current open equity: $364.50
Starting equity: $290.49
Current position: Long 3,822 AUD/USD at 0.6319
Current exposure: Locked in $21.79 or 7.5% of starting equity.
Risk free in 90 minutes
Current open equity: $337.82
Starting equity: $290.49
Current position: Long 3,822 AUD/USD at 0.6319
Current exposure: 0
Trade triggered
Pending order (2): Short 3,822 AUD/USD at 0.6376
Current closed equity: $290.49
Current position: Long 7,644 AUD/USD at 0.6319
Current exposure: 57 pips, $43.57 or 15.00%
DIBS on Oz
Pending order (1): Long 7,644 AUD/USD at 0.6319
Pending order (2): Short 3,822 AUD/USD at 0.6376
Initial stop: 0.6262
Initial exposure: 57 pips, $43.57 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $290.49
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Stopped out in Sunday Slop
Previous equity: $269.56
Change: +$20.93
%Change: +7.76%
Current closed equity: $290.49
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Friday, November 21, 2008
Whoa!
Current open equity: $350.50
Starting equity: $269.56
Current position: Short 2,384 GBP/USD at 1.4976
Current exposure: Locked in +$21.65 or +7.5% of Starting equity
Quite the nail-biter!
Current open equity: $318.96
Starting equity: $269.56
Current position: Short 2,384 GBP/USD at 1.4976
Current exposure: 0
New new plan in effect
Pending order (2): Long 2,384 GBP/USD at 1.4885
Current closed equity: $269.56
Current position: Short 4,768 GBP/USD at 1.4976
Current exposure: 91 pips, $43.40 or 15.00%
New new plan
Pending order (1): Short 4,768 GBP/USD at 1.4976
Pending order (2): Long 2,384 GBP/USD at 1.4885
Initial stop: 1.5067
Initial exposure: 91 pips, $43.40 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $269.56
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
New plan
Pending order (1): Long 7,486 AUD/USD at 0.6283
Pending order (2): Short 3,743 AUD/USD at 0.6337
Initial stop: 0.6229
Initial exposure: 54 pips, $43.40 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $269.56
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Scratch that idea
Current closed equity: $269.56
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Next idea....
Pending order (1): Short 8,086 USD/JPY at 94.68
Pending order (2): Long 4,043 USD/JPY at 94.18
Initial stop: 95.18
Initial exposure: 50 pips, $43.40 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $269.56
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
I knew it would happen
Current closed equity: $269.56
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Umph..
Current open equity: $314.53
Starting equity: $269.78
Current position: Short 4,128 GBP/USD at 1.4790
Current exposure: 0
I'm in.
Pending order (2): Long 4,128 GBP/USD at 1.4741
Current closed equity: $269.78
Current position: Short 8,256 GBP/USD at 1.4790
Current exposure: 49 pips, $40.46 or 15.00%
Reposition again
Pending order (1): Short 8,256 GBP/USD at 1.4790
Pending order (2): Long 4,128 GBP/USD at 1.4741
Initial stop: 1.4839
Initial exposure: 49 pips, $40.46 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $269.78
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Reposition
Pending order (1): Short 6,322 GBP/USD at 1.4778
Pending order (2): Long 3,161 GBP/USD at 1.4714
Initial stop: 1.4842
Initial exposure: 64 pips, $40.46 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $269.78
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Next idea
Pending order (1): Short 7,356 GBP/USD at 1.4749
Pending order (2): Long 3,678 GBP/USD at 1.4694
Initial stop: 1.4804
Initial exposure: 55pips, $40.46 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $269.78
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Oh well.
Previous equity: $222.32
Change: +$47.46
%Change: +21.35%
Current closed equity: $269.78
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Stop moved again
Current open equity: $339.07
Starting equity: $222.32
Current position: Short 4,275 USD/JPY at 96.63
Current exposure: Locked in +$46.36 or +20.85%
Stop moved
Current open equity: $301.92
Starting equity: $222.32
Current position: Short 4,275 USD/JPY at 96.63
Current exposure: Locked in +$33.35 or +15.00%
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Risk free and some locked in
Current open equity: $275.55
Starting equity: $222.32
Current position: Short 4,275 USD/JPY at 96.63
Current exposure: Locked in +$17.32 or +7.79%
Too fast to log it!
Pending order (2): Long 4,275 USD/JPY at 96.24
Current closed equity: $222.32
Current position: Short 8,550 USD/JPY at 96.63
Current exposure: 39 pips, $33.35 or 15.00%
This one got a little complicated
Previous equity: $215.23
Change: +$7.09
% Change: +3.29%
Current closed equity: $222.32
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Ok, I'm in
Pending order (2): Short 2,603 EUR/USD at 1.2713
Current closed equity: $215.23
Current position: Long 5,206 EUR/USD at 1.2651
Current exposure: 62 pips, $32.28 or 15.00%
Hello old friend
Pending order (1): Long 5,206 EUR/USD at 1.2651
Pending order (2): Short 2,603 EUR/USD at 1.2713
Pending order (3): Short 5,206 EUR/USD at 1.2589
Pending order (4): Long 2,603 EUR/USD at 1.2527
If order 1 is triggered, cancel 3 & 4.
If order 3 is triggered, cancel 1 & 2.
Initial stop: (1) 1.2589 (3) 1.2651
Initial exposure: 62 pips, $32.28 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $215.23
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Stopped in at 5:06
Previous equity: $239.09
Change: -$23.86
% Change: -9.98%
Current closed equity: $215.23
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Next idea....
Pending order (1): Short 7,950 GBP/USD at 1.4936
Pending order (2): Long 3,975 GBP/USD at 1.4906
Initial stop: 1.4966
Initial exposure: 30 pips, $23.85 or 9.98%
I would have risked the usual 15%, but my broker doesn't offer enough leverage for me to do that! The nice thing is that we should know very quickly if this works...
Current closed equity: $239.09
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Nailed yet again
Previous equity: $281.18
Change: -$42.09
% Change: -14.97%
Current closed equity: $239.09
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Trade on at 2:34 am
Pending order (2): Short 2,027 GBP/USD at 1.5140
Current closed equity: $281.18
Current position: Long 4,054 GBP/USD at 1.5036
Current exposure: 104 pips, $42.16 or 15.00%
Long GBP this time?
Pending order (1): Long 4,054 GBP/USD at 1.5036
Pending order (2): Short 2,027 GBP/USD at 1.5140
Initial stop: 1.4932
Initial exposure: 104 pips, $42.16 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $281.18
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Monday, November 17, 2008
Just can't hold this turd!
Current closed equity: $281.18
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Risk free, Baby!
Current open equity: $317.84
Starting equity: $281.05
Current position: Long 3,977 AUD/USD at 0.6529
Current exposure: 0
Execution phase begins
Pending order (2): Short 3,977 AUD/USD at 0.6582
Current open equity: $254.97
Current closed equity: $281.05
Current position: Long 7,954 AUD/USD at 0.6529
Current exposure: 53 pips, $42.16 or 15.00%
Next plan
Pending order (1): Long 7,954 AUD/USD at 0.6529
Pending order (2): Short 3,977 AUD/USD at 0.6582
Initial stop: 0.6476
Initial exposure: 53 pips, $42.16 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $281.05
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Scratch orders
Current closed equity: $281.05
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Pile on the pound again
Pending order(1): Short 2,990 GBP/USD at 1.4648
Pending order(2): Long 1,495 GBP/USD at 1.4507
Initial stop: 1.4789
Initial exposure: 141 pips, $42.16 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $281.05
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Friday, November 14, 2008
We won't get to find out.
Previous equity: $281.61
Change: -$0.56
% Change: -0.2%
Current closed equity: $281.05
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Weekend, yea!
Current open equity: $320.42
Starting equity: $281.61
Current position: Long 3,352 AUD/USD at 0.6570
Current exposure: 0
Risk free trade achieved
Current open equity: $316.43
Starting equity: $281.61
Current position: Long 3,352 AUD/USD at 0.6570
Current exposure: 0
Trade on!
Pending order (2): Short 3,352 AUD/USD at 0.6633
Current closed equity: $281.61
Current position: Long 6,704 AUD/USD at 0.6570
Current exposure: 63 pips, $42.24 or 15.00%
Here's my best idea
Pending order (1): Long 6,704 AUD/USD at 0.6570
Pending order (2): Short 3,352 AUD/USD at 0.6633
Initial stop: 0.6505
Initial exposure: 63 pips, $42.24 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $281.61
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
One more for the loss column
Previous equity: $333.20
Change: -$51.59
% Change: -15.48%
Current closed equity: $281.61
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
May be a nail-biter
Pending order(1): Long 12,494 USD/JPY at 97.29
Pending order(2): Short 6,247 USD/JPY at 97.69
Initial stop: 96.89
Initial exposure: 40 pips, $49.98 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $333.20
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Rats!
Current closed equity: $333.20
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Short again
Current closed equity: $333.21
Current position: Short 2,300 EUR/JPY at 122.998
Current exposure: 0
Whack!
Previous equity: $392.43
Change: -$59.22
%Change: -15.09%
Current closed equity: $333.21
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
The plan
Pending order(1): Short 6,750 EUR/JPY at 119.31
Pending order(2): Long 3,375 EUR/JPY at 118.47
Initial stop: 120.15
Initial exposure: 84 pips, $58.80 or 14.98%
Current closed equity: $392.43
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Stop hit
Previous equity: $296.20
Change: +$96.23
% Change: +32.49%
Current closed equity: $392.43
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Moved stop yet again
Current open equity: $467.06 (a record!)
Starting equity: $296.20
Current position: Short 2,221 EUR/JPY at 124.11
Current exposure: Locked in $73.60 or 24.85% of starting equity
Moved stop again
Current open equity: $395.02
Starting equity: $296.20
Current position: Short 2,221 EUR/JPY at 124.11
Current exposure: Locked in $44.42 or 15.00% of starting equity
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Moved stop
Current open equity: $379.75
Starting equity: $296.20
Current position: Short 2,221 EUR/JPY at 124.11
Current exposure: Locked in $22.21 or 7.5% of starting equity
Risk free!
Current closed equity: $341.15
Starting equity: $296.20
Current position: Short 2,221 EUR/JPY at 124.11
Current exposure: 0
Yow!
Pending order(2): Long 2,221 EUR/JPY at 123.11
Current closed equity: $296.20
Current position: Short 4,442 EUR/JPY at 124.11
Current exposure: 100 pips, $44.42 or 15.00%
I like this better
Pending order(1): Short 4,442 EUR/JPY at 124.11
Pending order(2): Long 2,221 EUR/JPY at 123.11
Initial stop: 125.11
Initial exposure: 100 pips, $44.42 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $296.20
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Scrub mission
Current closed equity: $296.20
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Repositioning
Pending order(1): Long 5770 AUD/USD at 0.6708
Pending order(2): Short 2885 AUD/USD at 0.6785
Initial stop: 0.6631
Initial exposure: 77 pips, $44.43 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $296.20
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Having yet another go
Pending order(1): Long 5770 AUD/USD at 0.6760
Pending order(2): Short 2885 AUD/USD at 0.6837
Initial stop: 0.6683
Initial exposure: 77 pips, $44.43 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $296.20
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Monday, November 10, 2008
And over quickly it was.
Previous equity: $348.40
Change: -$52.21
% Change: -14.99%
Current closed equity: $296.19
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Going again
Long 12,432 AUD/USD at 0.6785
Pending order(2): Short 6,216 AUD/USD at 0.6827
Initial stop: 0.6743
Current closed equity: $348.40
Current position: Long 12,432 AUD/USD at 0.6785
Current exposure: 42 pips, $52.22 or 15.00%
Blast!
Current closed equity: $348.40
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
In and looking good
Current open equity: $415.56 (That's a new record!)
Starting equity: $348.19
Current position: Long 6,216 AUD/USD at 0.6876
Current exposure: 0
Wake up time...
Oz is looking up, and last hour formed an inside bar, so I'm playing the DIBS setup. (Appropriate stop on order 2, since I am going back to bed after hitting the 'Publish' button.)
Pending order(1): Long 12,432 AUD/USD at 0.6876
Pending order(2): Short 6,216 AUD/USD at 0.6918
Initial stop: 0.6834
Initial exposure: 42 pips, $52.22 or 15.00%
Yes, that's my biggest position yet in this account... more than 1 mini-lot, and each tick worth over $1.24. Exciting? Nah... it's just a bigger number.
Current closed equity: $348.19
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Ritholtz asks... I respond.
Open Thread: What Now?
'Ok, we have the Presidential election behind us, and ugly NFP yesterday... Market volatility still remains crazed... What is on your minds? What are you thinking about? What say ye?'
Interesting question. The answer is that it’s the same set of things that have been on my mind for the past several years. Mostly, I wonder how so many people believe so many contradictory stupidities and manage to avoid killing themselves while making a bowl of Froot Loops in the morning. On the one hand, the irrationality of my fellow humans is why I trade the markets, so I have mixed feelings about a sudden mass outbreak of Reason… but then again, if man were rational in all aspects of his life, I think humans would have colonized a good deal of the Galaxy several centuries and probably millennia ago. Nevertheless, I am not the least bit hopeful (worried?) that man’s nature will change for the better in the next few years. (Ray Kurzweil thinks 2029 may be a big year in that department. I’m skeptical, but intrigued and watchful.)
I don’t know much, and the things I do know are things that most people would rather not believe. Worse, they seem willing to bear any hardship and/or inflict any misery upon others in order to avoid believing them. Chief among these unpopular beliefs, and the main one from which they all proceed is handed down from a guy much smarter than me:
One cannot say of something that it is and that it is not in the same respect and at the same time.
-Aristotle
One who truly believes this is in for no end of trouble with his fellows. It means being at irreconcilable odds with just about everyone at one time or another. Consider the sum of two and two. It is always exactly four, and most people seem to agree… until it’s time to talk about bailouts, taxes, ’spreading the wealth’, etc. Consider the slave. A person who is forced against his will to work for another is a slave, regardless of the self-serving pronouncements of some black-robed buffoon. That will be a very popular sentiment on the floor of the NYSE at 11 o’clock this Tuesday, let me tell you.
So in the coming years, I expect to continue to be endlessly fascinated and frustrated by the behavior of individuals alone and in groups. I expect to have more proof that all governments are simply large gangs of liars, thieves, and killers with legions of apologists. (Stop at any time, as I need no further proof, thank you.) I expect to see more people getting what they deserve, along with other people getting what they do not deserve, in spite of what anyone feels or thinks about either. I expect to see low prices get lower, and high prices get higher…until they don’t. In short, I expect more of the same, but perhaps from different angles, because while the landscape may look different, it is still populated by the same terrible, wonderful flawed beings. The more things Change…
Be careful out there.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Closed trade
I'd rather just take the scratch and wait until the weekend is over, since spreads will widen to at least 10 and probably 20 pips. That wouldn't leave much room for the typical Sunday slop, making the chances of getting stopped out just too high to justify staying in this trade. There will be better opportunities to lose some money on Monday. In light of these considerations, I've hit the sell button and canceled the pending order.
Previous equity: $346.37
Change: +$1.81
% Change: +0.52%
Current closed equity: $348.18
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Plan in effect!
Pending order(2): Short 4558 AUD/USD at 0.6794
Current closed equity: $346.37
Current position: Long 9116 AUD/USD at 0.6737
Current exposure: 57 pips, $51.96 or 15.00%
Plan C...
Pending order(1): Long 9116 AUD/USD at 0.6737
Pending order(2): Short 4558 AUD/USD at 0.6794
Initial stop: 0.6680
Initial exposure: 57 pips, $51.96 or 15.00%
This is my largest position size yet... just shy of a full mini-lot. Let's see what it feels like with every tick worth 91 cents!
Current closed equity: $346.37
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Bah!
Current closed equity: $346.37
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Maybe this instead....
Pending order (1): Long 5196 EUR/JPY at 125.03
Pending order (2): Short 2598 EUR/JPY at 126.03
Initial stop: 124.03
Initial exposure: 100 pips, $51.96 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $346.37
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Ok, here's the plan...
Pending order(1): Short 6,662 USD/JPY at 97.48
Pending order(2): Long 3,331 USD/JPY at 96.70
Initial stop: 98.26
Initial exposure: 78 pips, $51.96 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $346.37
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Whacked again!
Previous equity: $314.54
Change: +$31.83
%Change: +10.12%
Current closed equity: $346.37
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Stop move
Current open equity: $359.27
Starting equity: $314.54
Current position: Long 3521 AUD/USD at 0.6747
Current exposure: Locked in +$31.74 or +10.09% of starting equity
Worked out allright
Current open equity: $384.76
Starting equity: $314.54
Current position: Long 3521 AUD/USD at 0.6747
Current exposure: 0
Ok, THAT'S never happened before!
Now I'm in long, and profitable, but price has fallen back from where the order in question was. I've gone ahead and placed it again.
Pending order(3): Short 3521 AUD/USD at 0.6814
Current closed equity: $314.54
Current position: Long 7042 AUD/USD at 0.6747
Current exposure: 67 pips, $47.18 or 15.00%
Yet another shot
Pending order(1): Long 7042 AUD/USD at 0.6747
Pending order(2): Short 3521 AUD/USD at 0.6814
Initial stop: 0.6680
Initial exposure: 67 pips, $47.18 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $314.54
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Knocked right outta there!
Previous equity: $302.87
Change: +$11.67
% Change: +3.85%
Yes... I was up by almost 33% at one point, but nearly 4% in two days is not too bad. I never said the swings would be pretty or easy to handle. (I can't wait to see what happens when $4,000 turns into $3,000 in a day!)
Current closed equity: $314.54
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Trying again
Long 2271 AUD/USD at 0.6861
Initial stop: 0.6811
Initial exposure: 50 pips, $11.36 or 3.75% of starting equity
Current open equity: $332.31
Starting equity: $302.87
Current position: Long 4542 AUD/USD at 0.68685 (avg.)
Current exposure: Locked in $11.35 or 3.75% of starting equity
Stack knocked down
Current open equity: $354.16
Starting equity: $302.87
Current position: Long 2271 AUD/USD at 0.6876 (avg.)
Current exposure: Locked in $22.71 or 7.50% of starting equity
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Stack success!
I've needed to remove the stop-losses since OANDA consolidated both legs into the same position. I've placed orders to flatten 1/2 the position at the breakeven on the 2nd leg (0.6885) and the original entry point on the 1st leg (0.68136). This will lock in 1/2 the risk on the 1st leg as a gain. ($22.71 or 7.50% of starting equity)
Current open equity: $393.93
Starting equity: $302.87
Current position: Long 4542 AUD/USD at 0.6876 (avg.)
Current exposure: Locked in $22.71 or 7.50% of starting equity
Stack 'er up...
Pending order (3): Long 4542 AUD/USD at 0.6939
Pending order (4): Short 2271 AUD/USD at 0.6993
Initial stop: 0.6885
Initial exposure: 54 pips, $24.53 or 8.10% of starting equity
Current open equity: $346.28
Starting equity: $302.87
Current position: Long 2271 AUD/USD at 0.68136
Current exposure: 0
Ka-BOOM!
Current open equity: $350.23
Starting equity: $302.87
Current position: Long 2271 AUD/USD at 0.68136
Current exposure: 0
Long down under now
Long 4542 AUD/USD at 0.68136
Pending order (2): Short 2271 AUD/USD at 0.69136
Initial stop: 0.67136
Initial exposure: 100 pips, $45.42 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $302.87
Current position: Long 4542 AUD/USD at 0.68136
Current exposure: 100 pips, $45.42 or 15.00%
Monday, November 3, 2008
Trades closed for blowing chunks
Previous equity: $238.44
Change: +$64.43
% Change: +27.02%
Current closed equity: $302.87
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Stack on!
Pending order (4): Long 1788 GBP/USD at 1.5752
Current open equity: $327.64
Current position: Short 5364 GBP/USD at 1.5922 (avg)
Current exposure: 50 pips, $17.88 or 7.50% of starting equity ($238.44)
Pressing the trade
Pending order (3): Short 3576 GBP/USD at 1.5802
Pending order (4): Long 1788 GBP/USD at 1.5752
Initial stop: 1.5852
Initial exposure: 50 pips, $17.88 or 7.50% of starting equity ($238.44)
Current open equity: $317.49
Current position: Short 1788 GBP/USD at 1.6162
Current exposure: 0
Nice!
Current open equity: $285.05
Starting equity: $238.44
Current position: Short 1788 GBP/USD at 1.6162
Current exposure: 0
Here we go...
Pending order (2): Long 1788 GBP/USD at 1.6062
Current closed equity: $238.44
Current position: Short 3576 GBP/USD at 1.6162
Current exposure: 100 pips, $35.76 or 15.00%
Shifting gears
Pending order (1): Short 3576 GBP/USD at 1.6162
Pending order (2): Long 1788 GBP/USD at 1.6062
Initial stop: 1.6262
Initial exposure: 100 pips, $35.76 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $238.44
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
And...
Pending order (1): Long 3576 AUD/USD at 0.6898
Pending order (2): Short 1788 AUD/USD at 0.6998
Initial stop: 0.6798
Initial exposure: 100 pips, $35.76 or 15.00%
Current closed equity: $238.44
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0
Stopped out
Previous equity: $281.71
Change: -$43.27
% Change: -15.36%
Current closed equity: $238.44
Current position: flat
Current exposure: 0