Stocks, charts, risk management & coffee

I did not post much last week because not much has changed. The game plan remains the same.

spy_011

There is obvious resistance on the SPY chart in the $115-117 area. Momentum is extended (RSI 14 above 70) and it is unlikely that we would see this kind of resistance breached without some of this momentum burning off (sideways action, small dip).

I have my opinions like everyone else, but I don’t have a magic system to tell me whether the market is going to continue higher. What I do have is a system to manage risk and positions in a methodical way.

I mentioned last Sunday that I didn’t expect to add to my positions last week. I nudged up my portfolio from 25% invested to 29% invested. I would expect this week to be more of the same.I just think we need a little more time to see these major resistance levels taken out before the market can go higher.

So is sideways or even a small selloff a bad thing? Nope. Every trading day that passes is another day for the moving averages to catch up with the current price (momentum burn). So while my portfolio basically stayed in neutral last week, I was able to move up my stops just a touch last week. The higher my stops go, the closer I get to being a position where only profits are at risk.

Before I continue, here is my Sunday moving average table. Nothing worth updating from last week.

Primary Trends 3/21/2010
50 day MA – SPX Above
100 day MA – SPX Above
200 day MA – SPX Above
300 day MA SPX Above
   
50 day MA -QQQQ Above
100 day MA – QQQQ Above
200 day MA – QQQQ Above
300 day MA -QQQQ Above
   
50 day MA – PGJ Above
100 day MA – PGJ Above
200 day MA – PGJ Above
300 day MA – PGJ Above
   
50 day MA – IWM Above
100 day MA – IWM Above
200 day MA – IWM Above
300 day MA – IWM Above
   
50 day MA – GLD Below
100 day MA – GLD Below
200 day MA – GLD Above
300 day MA – GLD Above
   
50 day MA – SLV Above
100 day MA – SLV Below
200 day MA – SLV Above
300 day MA – SLV Above
   
50 day MA – PTM Above
100 day MA – PTM Above
200 day MA – PTM Above
300 day MA – PTM Above
   
50 day MA – USO Above
100 day MA – USO Above
200 day MA – USO Above
300 day MA – USO Above
   
50 day MA – UNG Below
100 day MA – UNG Below
200 day MA – UNG Below
300 day MA – UNG Below
   
50 day MA – SGG (Sugar) Below
100 day MA – SGG (Sugar) Below
200 day MA – SGG (Sugar) Below
300 day MA – SGG (Sugar) Below
   
50 day MA – LD (Lead) Below
100 day MA – LD (Lead) Below
200 day MA – LD (Lead) Above
300 day MA – LD (Lead) Above
   
50 day MA – NIB (Cocoa) Below
100 day MA – NIB (Cocoa) Below
200 day MA – NIB (Cocoa) Below
300 day MA NIB (Cocoa) Below
   
50 day MA – JO (Coffee) Below
100 day MA – JO (Coffee) Below
200 day MA – JO (Coffee) Below
300 day MA – JO (Coffee) Below
   
50 day MA – JJG (Grains – Corns, Soybeans, Wheat) Below
100 day MA – JJG (Grains – Corns, Soybeans, Wheat) Below
200 day MA – JJG (Grains – Corns, Soybeans, Wheat) Below
300 day MA – JJG (Grains – Corns, Soybeans, Wheat) Below
   
50 day MA – JJN (Nickel) Above
100 day MA – JJN (Nickel) Above
200 day MA – JJN (Nickel) Above
300 day MA – JJN (Nickel) Above
   
50 day MA – JJC (Copper) Above
100 day MA – JJC (Copper) Above
200 day MA – JJC (Copper) Above
300 day MA – JJC (Copper) Above
   
50 day MA – BAL (Cotton) Above
100 day MA – BAL (Cotton) Above
200 day MA – BAL (Cotton) Above
300 day MA – BAL (Cotton) Above
   
50 day MA – COW (Livestock) Above
100 day MA – COW (Livestock) Above
200 day MA – COW (Livestock) Above
300 day MA – COW (Livestock) Above
   
50 day MA – $USD Above
100 day MA – $USD Above
200 day MA – $USD Above
300 day MA – $USD Below
   
50 day MA -LQD Above
100 day MA – LQD Above
200 day MA – LQD Above
300 day MA – LQD Above
   
50 day MA – FXE Below
100 day MA – FXE Below
200 day MA – FXE Below
300 day MA – FXE Below
   
50 day MA – FXA Above
100 day MA – FXA Above
200 day MA – FXA Above
300 day MA – FXA Above
   
50 day MA – FXB Below
100 day MA – FXB Below
200 day MA – FXB Below
300 day MA – FXB Below
   
50 day MA – FXC Above
100 day MA – FXC Above
200 day MA – FXC Above
300 day MA – FXC Above
   
50 day MA – FXY Below
100 day MA – FXY Below
200 day MA – FXY Above
300 day MA – FXY Above
   
50 day MA – FXF Below
100 day MA – FXF Below
200 day MA – FXF Below
300 day MA – FXF Above
   
50 day MA – JNK Above
100 day MA – JNK Above
200 day MA – JNK Above
300 day MA – JNK Above
   
50 day MA – TLT Above
100 day MA – TLT Below
200 day MA – TLT Below
300 day MA – TLT Below
   
50 day MA – $VIX Below
100 day MA – $VIX Below
200 day MA – $VIX Below
300 day MA – $VIX Below

 

When I was pushing up stops, I noticed that some of my positions were at good buy points. Here are a few examples:

V: All time high breakout on 3/8/10 at $88. Stock moved up over $92 and is now retesting the breakout.

GOOG: The stock has been bouncing on the Google.cn news. There is a confluence of support that the stock is respecting at $554. Not a bad place to take a shot at the stock. The $545 level could be used as a tight stop and the $520 level  (recent low) can be used for a wider stop.

MA: Similar to GOOG. Confluence of support at $240 level.

I expect this week to be pretty slow. For the reasons mentioned last week, I think the market will continue higher but I’m not so sure it ready to do so this week. The market will dictate, but I’m not expecting to add positions this week. I likely won’t raise my amount invested until (and if) the major indexes take out these major resistance levels sitting in front of us. Being patient. That will likely take weeks, not days.

§2730 · March 21, 2010 · Uncategorized · · [Print]

  • forex_cat
    Good blog.
    very interesting.
    Please hold out in the future.

    ...(I'd be pleased if you exchange reciprocal link with me.)
    my blog:
    http://forex-chart-analysis-and-a-cat.blogspot.com/
  • I'm in the process of re-working part of the blog and I'm not currently
    updating the trading blog list. Nothing personal with your site.
  • Open looks good so far. Key support levels were tested and held. Market internals have reversed to bullish from bearish. $$
  • pierce90
    I have been watching "V" for the past week now and have been waiting on this pullback, that is currently taking place. The stock has pulled back to the 61.8% Fib retracement indicator. It will be interesting to see where this stock moves, but I believe that if it can hold this 88-89 level for 2 to 3 days then there will be a potential upside for this stock.

    I'm just curious as to what you meant by "were at good buy points" in your post. Where you referring "good buy" as in adding to your position? or Goodbye as in selling? Further clarification on this would be much appreciated.
  • I was meaning a good low risk place to buy the stock. I have full positions
    in those stocks, but if I didn't I would be interested in buying them here.
    I agree with you that if V holds $88 it is a buy.
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