ICT 2024 Mentorship \ Lecture #12 August 19, 2024
Live Stream Overview and Market Analysis
Introduction to the Live Stream
- The speaker introduces the live stream, noting it will be shorter than usual, lasting only an hour.
- The purpose is to review market actions from today and highlight key points for future reference.
Market Review and Technical Analysis
- A daily chart is referenced, with a focus on previous discussions about market trends from August 13th.
- The speaker emphasizes a long-term bullish outlook, indicating that they are not trying to predict market tops but rather looking for upward movement.
- Discussion of liquidity levels above current prices; today's high was noted at 19871.7, surpassing previous resistance levels.
Candlestick Patterns and Trading Bias
- The speaker highlights a specific candlestick pattern where the low of one candle aligns with the high of another, suggesting potential price movements.
- Emphasis on understanding volume imbalances in candlestick patterns as critical for trading decisions.
Trading Strategies and Learning Opportunities
- The speaker shares insights on teaching trading concepts to their son, focusing on developing skills in reading market dynamics.
- Discussion includes identifying liquidity zones and how they influence buying/selling opportunities in trading sessions.
Challenges in Trade Management
- Transitioning into a 15-minute time frame to analyze today's market action; mentions challenges faced during longer streams.
- Insights shared about maintaining trades longer and recognizing problematic conditions that can arise while trading or demoing strategies.
Language Use During Streams
- Acknowledgment of using strong language during streams; the speaker expresses intent to remain authentic despite some audience discomfort with certain words.
Importance of Intraday vs. Longer-Term Trading
Understanding Trading Psychology and Strategies
The Importance of Holding Trades
- Discusses the psychological aspect of holding onto trades without getting nervous or stopped out, emphasizing a structured approach to trading.
- Introduces the concept of a foundational starting point for traders, particularly aimed at teaching his son, suggesting that if it's suitable for him, it can benefit others as well.
Market Analysis Framework
- Explains the necessity of understanding market dynamics by framing buy-side and sell-side perspectives.
- Shares personal success in mentorship through higher time frame analysis, achieving high accuracy rates in predicting market movements.
Retracement vs. Long-Term Bias
- Warns against limiting trading opportunities to only long-term trends; highlights the importance of recognizing intraday retracements.
- Emphasizes that retracements do not alter the overall long-term market direction, providing comfort to traders during short-term fluctuations.
Engaging with Other Traders
- Mentions interactions with other live streamers and how these relationships are meant to be light-hearted rather than hostile.
- Expresses intent to encourage improvement among peers while maintaining a fun rapport within the trading community.
The Power Three Strategy
- Introduces "The Power Three," a systematic approach developed from insights gained from Larry Williams' past challenges in trading below opening prices.
- Outlines practical applications of this strategy during live sessions, detailing specific entry points and expected market behavior throughout the day.
Closing Strategies and Market Dynamics
- Advises on taking profits before significant market shifts occur towards closing times, highlighting key price levels for decision-making.
Understanding Price Action and Liquidity
Engaging with Market Dynamics
- The discussion revolves around engaging with price action, focusing on liquidity dynamics that can impact trading decisions.
- A diagram is introduced to illustrate the daily range of price movements, emphasizing the importance of anticipating market behavior from 9:30 AM to market close.
- The speaker highlights the significance of the opening tick at 9:30 AM, advising traders to disregard prior data and focus solely on current price action.
Analyzing Market Movements
- Observations are made about relative equal lows being taken out during a downward movement, indicating potential buy-side liquidity above recent highs.
- The speaker stresses the advantage of entering trades at or below opening prices when bullish, which can yield greater returns in terms of points or pips.
Institutional Insights
- Discussion includes how institutional strategies influence market movements, particularly referencing an "institutional drill" as a key entry point for traders.
- Acknowledgment is given to community feedback regarding charting tools and their application in trading strategies.
Debate on Trading Strategies
Critique from Other Traders
- The speaker addresses criticism received from another trader who labeled their teachings as a scam while promoting alternative methods like order flow analysis.
- An anecdote is shared about contrasting approaches during live trading sessions where the speaker successfully executed long positions despite opposing views.
Understanding Market Algorithms
- Emphasis is placed on understanding market algorithms that dictate price movements rather than relying solely on depth-of-market ladders for insights.
- The concept of retail traders receiving "scraps" from larger institutional players is discussed, highlighting disparities in access to information and execution speed.
Execution Timing and Strategy
Importance of Execution Speed
- The argument against perceived advantages in execution timing by algorithms is presented; it’s noted that not all orders can be filled instantaneously within short time frames.
- A detailed explanation follows regarding how market dynamics operate independently of individual trader perceptions, reinforcing the need for strategic planning based on broader trends.
Understanding Live Streaming Latency and Trading Insights
The Importance of Real-Time Data in Trading
- Emphasizes the significance of watching live streams for real-time data, which is crucial for making timely trading decisions.
- Discusses latency options available on YouTube during live streams, highlighting that ultra-low latency isn't feasible with closed captions enabled.
- Notes that current market conditions (e.g., time of day) affect the relevance of latency; during off-hours, lower latency can be utilized without urgency.
Analyzing Market Movements
- Suggests viewers should pause the video if they haven't watched the live stream to fully grasp the context before continuing.
- Describes a one-minute chart analysis where price movements are observed, particularly focusing on new day opening gaps and significant price drops.
- Introduces an "institutional order flow entry drill," indicating how traders can hold onto trades effectively after extensive practice over months.
Higher Time Frame Analysis and Economic Events
- References previous live streams to provide context for current expectations regarding market movements based on higher time frame levels.
- Stresses the importance of tracking daily and weekly objectives in trading to align with institutional order flow dynamics.
- Mentions upcoming economic events like the Jackson Hole Symposium, advising traders to treat this week similarly to non-farm payroll weeks for better preparation.
Institutional Order Flow Dynamics
- Explains how higher time frame targets act as magnets for institutional order flow, providing more opportunities on smaller time frames while maintaining similar expectations as larger ones.
- Defines a "low-risk buy" scenario using new week opening gaps as support, emphasizing that prices should not fall below certain thresholds once established.
Managing Trades During Market Hours
- Advises against constantly adjusting stop losses when entering positions; instead, focus on maintaining a stable approach until key times like 11:30 AM when market behavior may shift.
Understanding Market Dynamics and Trading Strategies
The Role of Time in Trading
- The discussion begins with the importance of identifying the initial low after 10:00 AM, which is crucial for understanding market movements.
- A specific low at 11:17 AM is highlighted as significant, marking a point where traders should focus their attention.
- At 11:30 AM, an algorithm seeks liquidity based on prior profitable trades from the morning session, indicating a strategic approach to trading.
- The speaker emphasizes that market dynamics can align perfectly, leading to successful trades when certain conditions are met.
Algorithmic Trading Insights
- Algorithms do not need to track dynamic contract volumes; they operate based on time and price levels instead.
- Large investment firms often engage in practices like spoofing orders, which can mislead retail traders into making poor decisions.
- The speaker stresses that understanding time-based strategies is more critical than focusing solely on order depth or ladder analysis.
Lunch Macro Strategy
- The lunch macro strategy starts at 11:30 AM and can extend until 1:30 PM. Traders should monitor for sell-offs during this period.
- Identifying the first low after 10:00 AM helps traders understand potential price action and stop-loss placements effectively.
Trade Execution and Community Engagement
- After consolidating during lunch hours, the market may shift direction towards early session lows, creating opportunities for traders who hold positions strategically.
- The speaker encourages community members to apply learned strategies actively and highlights success stories from students who have benefited from these insights.
Final Thoughts on Trading Psychology
- Emphasizing patience in trading, the speaker suggests that even small contracts can lead to significant gains if managed correctly over time.
- As the day progresses into late afternoon macros starting at 3:15 PM, traders are advised to remain vigilant for potential profit-taking opportunities as markets rally post-lunch.
Market Analysis and Trading Strategies
Understanding Daily Chart Dynamics
- The speaker presents a crude diagram of the daily chart, illustrating market highs and lows. They emphasize that after reaching a high, the market typically settles lower, indicating a low-risk buying opportunity.
- To engage in longer trades, one must adjust their mindset to align with timeframes. The speaker references "Power Three" concepts while discussing trading strategies as the market opens.
- For effective long-term trading, understanding the formation and closure of daily candlesticks is crucial. The speaker stresses maintaining a bullish perspective based on previous analysis.
Intraday Trading Insights
- Holding positions into the last hour of trading is essential for maximizing potential gains. The algorithmic nature of trading means it will refer back to various levels across different timeframes.
- The speaker critiques common misconceptions about buying and selling pressure in trading, asserting that many traders misunderstand how algorithms operate within the market.
Algorithmic Trading Mechanics
- A personal anecdote illustrates how using algorithmic principles led to successful trades despite others' incorrect predictions. This highlights the importance of understanding underlying mechanisms rather than following popular sentiment.
- The analogy of fishing is used to explain targeting liquidity levels in the market. Traders should aim for areas where liquidity exists, as indicated by prior analysis.
Timing and Market Movements
- Previous analyses provided insights into expected price movements based on higher timeframe perspectives. However, short-selling opportunities still exist if approached correctly.
- Consistency in learning and patience are emphasized as key components for success in trading. Over time, traders will develop clarity through experience with charts.
Volatility Influences
- The discussion shifts to macro influences on volatility during specific times (e.g., 3:15 PM - 3:45 PM). These periods can lead to significant price movements due to algorithmic activity.
- Reference is made to external events like the Jackson Hole Symposium that can create volatility in markets. Understanding these events helps traders anticipate potential price fluctuations effectively.
Market Analysis and Trading Strategy
Understanding Market Fluctuations
- The speaker emphasizes the importance of not worrying about minor fluctuations in the market, suggesting that these movements are part of a larger trend expected to unfold over time.
Daily Chart Insights
- A reference is made to the daily chart, highlighting key levels such as the candle's low and sell balance efficiency, which are crucial for understanding market behavior.
Anticipated Market Movements
- The discussion includes various market thresholds and liquidity points, indicating potential areas where price action may occur based on previous trading patterns.
Cautious Trading Approach
- The speaker expresses a preference for cautious trading, opting for smaller position sizes due to recent market movements being largely fulfilled.
Market Sentiment and External Factors
- There is an acknowledgment of unsustainable trends in the market, with speculation that geopolitical tensions could significantly impact future price actions.
Geopolitical Influences on Trading
Potential Conflict Impact
- The speaker warns that if tensions escalate between Iran and Israel, it could lead to significant downward pressure on markets, affecting overall sentiment.
Long vs. Short Positions
- A strategy is outlined where long positions will be favored within bullish order flow while short positions will be approached with caution due to potential volatility from geopolitical events.
Learning and Development in Trading
Sharing Knowledge
- The speaker emphasizes their commitment to providing high-quality information derived from reliable sources, aiming to educate others effectively.
Importance of Comprehensive Learning
- It’s highlighted that there are no shortcuts in mastering trading strategies; thorough understanding requires dedication and effort beyond simple step-by-step guides.
Future Sessions Overview
Upcoming Session Structure