We can learn a very interesting lesson by looking at the SPY chart. Anyone who tries to guess the next top or bottom is a gambler, not a trader, and as someone who has gambled a lot in the past, this rally brings back some memories.
It's very easy for someone to see such an explosive movement and think: "It's already gone up a lot, it's going to have to come down soon". It's very easy to look for clues in other indicators, for example, and get excited when you see the RSI exploding close to 70. Looking for clues that reinforce a pre-existing belief is common among individuals corrupted by the "confirmation bias", which is something else, and would be content for a future article.
Still talking about the RSI, it's important to mention that the RSI was already at 70 when the price was at $450. Since then it has risen by more than $20 (approximately 5%), and there is no sign of a top yet. Far from being a criticism of such an efficient indicator, this is just evidence that the use of indicators should be aligned with what we see on the chart.
Top or bottom signals are confirmed when we see a clear breakout from a notorious reversal pattern. As we can see from the SPY chart below, just one or two bearish patterns, even when appears close to clear resistance, is not enough. There needs to be confirmation of a good breakout.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why so many are rushing to sell a possible top, even without confirmation. By waiting for confirmation, you sacrifice part of your profits, and amateurs hate that. To feel like a pro, you have to feel the satisfaction of buying the bottom and selling the top, all the time. Which is ironic, because that's not the focus of a professional. A real trader seeks long-term consistency.
Speaking for myself, as far as I can see it's a strong rally in the SPY, and the next resistance is the all-time high at $479.98. So far, there is no clear reversal pattern for me, although I personally would like to see a correction to a support point.
What if the SPY made a bearish candlestick pattern today? Just as we see on November 9, 15 and 29, and on December 6, a top signal is plausible, but we need to wait for confirmation via a breakout. Otherwise, it would just be another bear trap.
Another thing I like to do is wait for a clear bearish reversal structure to appear on shorter time frames, such as the hourly chart. Uptrends are characterized by rising tops and bottoms, and the reverse applies to downtrends. When a stock is in a clear uptrend, but the hourly chart suddenly makes a lower top and bottom, it's a warning sign. If such a reversal occurs near a resistance area, all the better, as was the case with NVDA at the end of last month.
One of the most overlooked principles of Dow Theory is the number 6: "Trends Persist Until a Clear Reversal Occurs". When Charles Dow, founder of the Dow Jones index and the Wall Street Journal, began working on the principles more than a century ago, he never imagined that in the 21st century there would still be traders who anticipate and don't wait for confirmation (again, I was among these gamblers in the past).
Therefore, trading reversals is interesting and can be very profitable, but you need to base your decisions on technical reasons. I shared how I like to trade reversals, but there are more strategies that you can use. Feel free to share yours. That's the difference between a gambler and a trader. Moreover, remember to follow me for more content like this, and support this idea if you liked it!
All the best,
Nathan.
It's very easy for someone to see such an explosive movement and think: "It's already gone up a lot, it's going to have to come down soon". It's very easy to look for clues in other indicators, for example, and get excited when you see the RSI exploding close to 70. Looking for clues that reinforce a pre-existing belief is common among individuals corrupted by the "confirmation bias", which is something else, and would be content for a future article.
Still talking about the RSI, it's important to mention that the RSI was already at 70 when the price was at $450. Since then it has risen by more than $20 (approximately 5%), and there is no sign of a top yet. Far from being a criticism of such an efficient indicator, this is just evidence that the use of indicators should be aligned with what we see on the chart.
Top or bottom signals are confirmed when we see a clear breakout from a notorious reversal pattern. As we can see from the SPY chart below, just one or two bearish patterns, even when appears close to clear resistance, is not enough. There needs to be confirmation of a good breakout.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why so many are rushing to sell a possible top, even without confirmation. By waiting for confirmation, you sacrifice part of your profits, and amateurs hate that. To feel like a pro, you have to feel the satisfaction of buying the bottom and selling the top, all the time. Which is ironic, because that's not the focus of a professional. A real trader seeks long-term consistency.
Speaking for myself, as far as I can see it's a strong rally in the SPY, and the next resistance is the all-time high at $479.98. So far, there is no clear reversal pattern for me, although I personally would like to see a correction to a support point.
What if the SPY made a bearish candlestick pattern today? Just as we see on November 9, 15 and 29, and on December 6, a top signal is plausible, but we need to wait for confirmation via a breakout. Otherwise, it would just be another bear trap.
Another thing I like to do is wait for a clear bearish reversal structure to appear on shorter time frames, such as the hourly chart. Uptrends are characterized by rising tops and bottoms, and the reverse applies to downtrends. When a stock is in a clear uptrend, but the hourly chart suddenly makes a lower top and bottom, it's a warning sign. If such a reversal occurs near a resistance area, all the better, as was the case with NVDA at the end of last month.
One of the most overlooked principles of Dow Theory is the number 6: "Trends Persist Until a Clear Reversal Occurs". When Charles Dow, founder of the Dow Jones index and the Wall Street Journal, began working on the principles more than a century ago, he never imagined that in the 21st century there would still be traders who anticipate and don't wait for confirmation (again, I was among these gamblers in the past).
Therefore, trading reversals is interesting and can be very profitable, but you need to base your decisions on technical reasons. I shared how I like to trade reversals, but there are more strategies that you can use. Feel free to share yours. That's the difference between a gambler and a trader. Moreover, remember to follow me for more content like this, and support this idea if you liked it!
All the best,
Nathan.
🔴 Only 5% of traders manage to beat the market.
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👉 Join the 5%: thefinancehydra.com/
💲💲 Project 5%: + 104%
🔹 S&P500: +35%
💪 Public track record.
