Looking for short on ESI never like to pick tops in markets. However, as we sit just below all-time highs, I see far more downside risk in this market than I do upside potential. Whether it's tariffs, prolonged wars, increasing inflation, or the fading shine of AI valuations, I struggle to see how we can sustain these PE ratios.
The last few trading days have been very low volatility, but the interesting thing I'm seeing is significant negative Cumulative Volume Deltas (CVDs) in the last hour of trading recently. This is telling me that we are not pushing these all-time-highs with strength, and that the market is cautious at the moment.
I don't think we'll push straight down, but I will look to take and hold on to a short if we get a pop that can't be sustained.
ESM2021 trade ideas
ES Analyses 08/19 Rejection short from 6479–6485 (OB + PDH)Fundamentals (what can move ES)
• 08:30 ET – U.S. New Residential Construction (Housing Starts/Permits). First move risk right at the print; can nudge yields and risk appetite. We’ll let the initial spike settle and then act on the HTF levels below. 
⸻
Key levels from your charts
Numbers rounded to the quarter where needed.
• PDH: 6484.25
• PDL: 6456.00
• ONH: 6475.25
• ONL: 6462.00
• RTH VWAP (today): 6466.50
• PMH / Asia H cluster: 6470.5–6471.75
• 30-min supply / OB: 6479–6485 (overlaps PDH)
• Liquidity/defense zone (“strong low”/Mon swing): 6452–6456
Think of 6468–6472 as the intraday “equilibrium” band we’ve been ping-ponging around; acceptance away from this band is what should start the 15+ pt drive.
Context: We press into the 30-min supply shelf that capped NYPM today.
Trigger: Price trades 6479–6485, stalls (wicks/absorption on Bookmap, cumulative delta fails to make new highs), then reclaims below 6471–6472 (PMH area).
Entry style: Stop-market on the reclaim or limit into a micro pullback after the failed pop.
Invalidation: Above 6486.50 (clear acceptance above PDH/supply).
Targets:
6468–6470 (back to equilibrium),
6462 (ONL),
6456 (PDL / strong-low).
From ~6482 to 6467 = 15 pts; stretch to 6456 = 26 pts.
Order-flow tells: Offers replenish 6480–6485; iceberg/absorption on up-ticks; delta divergence into the level.
Timing
08:30 ET data: stand aside for the first 2–5 minutes; let the impulse show its hand, then look for our triggers.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
NY AM window: 09:45–11:30 ET.
NY PM window: 13:30–15:30 ET (if morning doesn’t give clean structure).
ES - August 19th - Big Picture View of PriceI wanted to post a 4hr chart of ES since we broke out in June and hit the 6245 zone July 1st. As you can see there are some clear levels of institutional buying. 6245 became support since July 2nd and we have tested this level 3X with last being August 1st. Each time institutions bought at this level and have been selling at higher prices. You can see that on July 31st we hit 6468.75 and price sold off nearly 225 points and buyers stepped back in on August 1st at 6245 and the cycle begins with selling at resistance and buying at supports of 6315, 6333, 6390, 6453-6456. WHY has price been very choppy in this 6456-6472 area? Price is either accumulating or distributing, but we never know until price loses a big support or resistance.
You can see that we are in a range of 6452-6508. IF, price loses the support of 6452, we will probably need to test 6390 or below. IF, price can regain control above 6472-76, we should retest 6508 then 6522, 6541.
6468 was the level that sold off in late July. Could this be the same level that causes another big sell off?
I have NO idea, that is not my job.
I find levels that institutions step in and buy/sell at. I follow the institutions footprint and enter trades using my edge at predefined levels.
I will be posting my Daily Trade Plan for August 19th before 8am EST. Without a catalyst, news or some other reason, price will most likely just continue to chop around overnight between 6453 - 6485. We need price to flush a lower level like 6450-53 to continue higher. IF, price loses that level and can't clear 6473-76, I believe we could continue lower pretty fast in which I would get out the way and let price build a new support level and reclaim the next level in yellow above that price.
Day 11 — Trading Only S&P Futures — Mixed Signals, +$199Welcome to Day 11 of Trading Only S&P Futures!
Today was all about adapting and not forcing trades. I’ve noticed I usually perform best later in the day, so I’ve been starting with smaller contracts to warm up. Profits started rolling in, but things felt different — market makers kept flipping structure and trying to trap traders.
I was expecting more downside, but once I saw the MM games, I decided to protect profits and lock in +$199.20 instead of being greedy.
📰 News Highlights
STOCKS END MOSTLY FLAT TO START THE WEEK AS INVESTORS LOOK AHEAD TO POWELL SPEECH, RETAIL EARNINGS
🔔 VX Algo Signals (9:30am – 2pm EST)
7:01 AM Market Structure flipped bullish on VX Algo X3!
9:58 AM Market Structure flipped bearish on VX Algo X3!
9:58 AM VXAlgo ES X3DD Sell Signal
11:30 AM VXAlgo NQ X1DD Sell Signal
12:30 PM Market Structure flipped bullish on VX Algo X3!
12:50 PM VXAlgo NQ X1DD Sell Signal
2:00 PM Market Structure flipped bullish on VX Algo X3!
🔑 Key Levels for Tomorrow
Above 6460 = Remain Bullish
Below 6450 = Bearish
ideia para o S&P500 18/8Price made a new lower this morning on a 2H, but on a LTF its a balanced buy, theres no agrressive or FVG in a LTF. my key level for buys is the price keep above the last agressive buy and old time high on 6.470 that coincidently and probably will be the VWAP. If the price goes above and rejects 6.470, i'll think on sell.
ES - August 18th - Daily Trade Plan3:30am EST - Daily Trade Plan Update
We had a tight range between 6467-6484 overnight and price broke the overnight low and have found buyers at the 6462 level. Pretty straight forward from here. We need to clear 6472 to retest the overnight high. IF, price loses 6460 we will most likely retest the 6453 level which was Friday's low. We would then be looking for a nice reclaim of this level to move higher. IF, price does not reclaim the 6460 level on the back test, we will most likely keep moving lower with 6429, 6408, 6390 are the next levels below with 6390 the weekly low from last week and should see a good pop back up the levels above. We can't keep moving higher unless we reclaim 6472 level.
Initial Plan below - Also can be seen in the related publication section to the right.
Our first support down is 6462 then 6453. Ideally, we can flush one of these levels, reclaim and move higher with this week's targets being 6522, 6540, 6562, then 6588.
IF, price does pullback and can flush either 6452, 6426, 6390 as key areas to be tested and try to keep the bullish trend in play. IF, we lose 6390, that would be concerning in the short term, and price will need to find another yellow support line below for a reclaim back up the levels.
Above 6390 and we should continue up the levels of 6522, 6540 with very bullish case up to 6588.
I have posted my weekly view and can be viewed by clicking the link under related publications. We did meet our weekly targets last week as discussed in the weekly plan.
ES (S&P 500 Futures) - Week Plan Aug 18–22Context (W/D/4H/1H/30M): ES is consolidating just under 6,500. Price is boxed roughly 6,466 ↔ 6,504/12 with a cluster of highs above and recurring demand tests below.
Key Levels (zones, not single ticks):
Resistance: 6,504–6,512 (near-term lid). Above that: 6,520–6,550 (weekly supply/“weak high”).
Decision level: 6,492–6,495 (where control often flips intraday).
Supports: 6,464–6,466 (first support) → 6,436–6,440 → 6,380–6,395 (deeper support).
How to read it:
Bull path: A firm break and hold above 6,504 favors a push toward 6,520 → 6,535 → 6,550.
Bear path: Failure at 6,495 or a clean break below 6,464 opens 6,440 → 6,390.
If price stays between 6,466 and 6,504, expect range behavior until a catalyst pushes it out.
Scenarios (next week):
Range continues: Chop between 6,466–6,512 until mid-week events.
Upside break: Hold above 6,504 → test 6,520–6,550 (watch for reaction there).
Downside break: Lose 6,464 with momentum → 6,440, then 6,390 if pressure persists.
Key events (ET):
Wed: Federal Reserve meeting minutes (afternoon).
Thu: Weekly claims; flash PMIs; existing home sales (morning block).
Thu–Sat: Jackson Hole economic symposium (watch for policy remarks).
Notes: Levels are zones and may see initial reactions before acceptance or rejection. This post is for market commentary/education only.
clear uptrend, with a resistance turned support (confirmed)=BUY1. a small entry of sellers followed by a strong sell off with
an inability of buyers to really do much of anything, resulting in a
lack of back and forth aka structure
2. buyers enter and slowly begin building momentum, the lack of
volitility for me signals a disinterest by sellers rather than buyers
coming in and taking out alot of selling volume
3. switch and test, ' Shelf ' of support seems to be established
* what do I think is going to happen ?
* this chart is very interesting in that there are really only 3 interesting
areas , the sell off, the uptrend, and now the switch and test,
which tested successfully I might add
* this shelf of support alongside the defeat of the strong sellers from #1
signals a ton of space upward, a clear buy signal for me
* once again I am wary , if there is this much conviction, usually price
likes to whip the other way , luckily we have our handy dandy zones
* we have a 71% follow through rate using the chaos theory indicator, if a candle closes, to the upside , to reach the next orange zone, so we will hope to not get wicked out and place a stop buy order.
*expecting high volitility and big buyer interest, a buy stop is appropriate
return to liquidity grab signals bull, else bear1. switching from strong volitlity into a running flow
2. establishment of interest from sellers
3.strong dump to (trigger sell stops ) from 2.1 ( buyers stopped out ) , take opposing position and use the extra volume to push past 2 , creating 4 and establishing a solid structure at 1 as the hard dump could not / was not interested in going below there, the dumpers who are our buyers now, they could possibaly have their stop loss just below #1
5. reaching zone end, and as per chaos theory we reached an expansion target, with MFI and RSI oversold it could be a push at least to the next expansion target, though this is not offical chaos but a more risky zone end ossolation play.
* if I'm wrong. maybe it'll move heavy against me ? will add a position there just in case , sometimes everything points 1 direction just to go the other
* Indicators used :
- Chaos theory : available for free on my script page
- RSI and MFI : available for free from community scripts
ES - August 17/18 - Daily Trade PlanI have posted my weekly view and can be viewed by clicking the link under related publications. We did meet our weekly targets last week as discussed in the weekly plan.
The plan for Sunday evening and into Monday is still looking for higher prices. Our first support down is 6462 then 6453. Ideally, we can flush one of these levels, reclaim and move higher with this week's targets being 6522, 6540, 6562, then 6588.
IF, price does pullback and can flush either 6452, 6426, 6390 as key areas to be tested and try to keep the bullish trend in play. IF, we lose 6390, that would be concerning in the short term, and price will need to find another yellow support line below for a reclaim back up the levels.
Above 6390 and we should continue up the levels of 6522, 6540 with very bullish case up to 6588.
I will post an update Monday before 8am EST with overnight session price action and what we should be looking for during the NYSE session.
Please follow for notifications when I post my daily trade plan and any updates throughout the session.
ES - Weekly Trading Plan - August 18th-22ndLast week I posted that I was looking for 6452, 6482 as my weekly main targets. The high of the week was 6510. You can see on the 2hr chart that 6452.75 was back tested with strong institutional buying and then we continued higher. Price ended the week with a mild pullback to the 6461 level.
Plan for next week is that we need to hold 6390, 6369. for us to continue higher. Ideally, we do not lose 6452 with 6426 being the breakout and 6390 the low of the week.
IF, price does pullback and can flush either 6452, 6426, 6390 as key areas to be tested and try to keep the bullish trend in play. IF, we lose 6390, that would be concerning in the short term, and price will need to find another yellow support line below for a reclaim back up the levels.
Above 6390 and we should continue up the levels of 6522, 6541 with very bullish case up to 6588.
I will post a daily trade plan this week on the 15 min chart and will follow my plan to find areas that we should get level to level moves upwards.
Follow so you can be notified when my daily trade plan is released.
Liquididty grab points to potential big money positioning 1. **Pattern Recognition**: Identifying a transition from strong volatility into a running flow pattern.
2. **Seller Interest Established**: Lower low formation in response to the initial volatility spike, confirming seller presence at this level.
3. **Liquidity Grab and Reversal**: Strong dump designed to trigger sellers identified in point 2. Take the opposing (long) position here, using the increased volume from triggered sellers to push price past level 2, creating level 3. This establishes solid structure at level 1, as the dump showed no interest in breaking below it. The dumpers (now turned buyers) likely have stop losses positioned just below level 1.
4. **Zone End Target**: Approaching zone end with expansion target reached per chaos theory principles. With both MFI and RSI showing oversold conditions, expecting at minimum a push to the next expansion target. Note: This is an unofficial chaos theory application - a higher risk zone end oscillation play.
**Risk Management Note**: If the analysis is wrong, price may move heavily against the position. Consider adding a hedge position as insurance, as markets sometimes present all signals pointing in one direction only to reverse completely.
Day 10 — Trading Only S&P Futures | $200+ Goal HitWelcome to Day 10 of Trading Only S&P Futures!
After waking up super early and not getting back to sleep, I spent most of my morning going through 13F filings to see where hedge funds are putting their money. The trading day started strong — market structure flipped bearish and price action followed perfectly.
I missed the exact market bottom by just 2 points, but patience paid off. I eventually caught the reversal back to the 5-min MOB and closed the day with a +212.54 gain — hitting the $200 daily goal I’ve been aiming for all week.
📈 What you’ll learn
How to stay patient after missing a perfect entry
Using market structure & MOB zones together
Why having a daily profit target helps discipline
Combining trading with ongoing market research
⏰ Timestamps
0:00 — Intro & Day 10 Recap
0:50 — Early Start & Hedge Fund 13F Research
1:40 — Market Structure Sets the Tone
2:10 — Missing the Bottom by 2 Points
3:00 — Catching the Reversal at 5-min MOB
4:00 — Key Levels for Tomorrow
4:30 — Closing Thoughts
📰 News Highlights
FED CHAIR CANDIDATE MARC SUMERLIN SUPPORTS 50BPS RATE CUT DUE TO INVERSION OF CURVE
🔔 VX Algo Signals (9:30am – 2pm EST)
8:30 AM Market Structure flipped bearish on VX Algo X3!
9:39 AM VXAlgo Market Structure flipped bearish - 9:31
9:40 AM VXAlgo NQ X1DD Sell Signal
11:00 AM VXAlgo NQ X1DD Sell Signal
12:40 PM VXAlgo NQ X1DD Sell Signal
12:50 PM VXAlgo NQ X3 Buy Signal
1:30 PM Market Structure flipped bullish on VX Algo X3!
🔑 Key Levels for Tomorrow
Above 6460 = Remain Bullish
Below 6440 = Bearish
ES - August 15th - Daily Trade Plan5:45am EST - Daily Trade Plan - Overnight Session
Our overnight session opened around 6488 and have grinded up to 6508 (6pts shy of original target) and are currently back testing the 6488-6492 support that was a strong resistance the past couple of days. I expect price to hold the overnight session support in red; flush then reclaim this level to continue to our targets in green above (6514, 6525). We really want to hold the next level down at the 6473 yellow support and trendline in white. Below there we will want to get out of the way, let price find a level in yellow, flush, build a base and rally after reclaiming the nearest yellow support/resistance line on the chart.
As mentioned, this week it is OPEX today. Can be a tricky trading day, so wait for price to come to the levels and work the plan as price dictates the direction it wants to go.
I will update around 10am after NYSE open settles out.
ES1! Plan — Fri Aug 15 | OPEX + U. Mich (10:00 ET). Key levelsES held above 6480 and is pressing into 6490s ahead of monthly OPEX and U. Michigan Sentiment at 10:00 ET. Yesterday’s hot PPI (3.3% YoY) keeps rates sticky; 6500 is a logical magnet/pin.
Levels:
• Sell zones: 6492–6495, 6502–6506 (watch 6500).
• Buy zones: 6483–6486, 6476–6480, 6468–6472.
A++ Setups (≥15-pt TP1):
1. Short 6492–6495 (or 6502–6506) on absorption + LH/ChoCH → TP1 6477–6480, TP2 6468–6472.
2. Long 6476–6480 (or defended 6483–6486) on absorption + HH/VWAP reclaim → TP1 6492–6495, TP2 6502–6506.
Risk: Stop 6–8 pts beyond zones or ≥1.25× 1-min ATR past last swing. Scale 40–50% at TP1; BE+2 on balance; trail swings.
Event risk: 10:00 ET U. Mich; late-day OPEX flows (14:00–16:00) and MOC around 15:50 ET.
Not financial advice.
Day 9 — Trading Only S&P Futures — Small Win, Staying DisciplineWelcome to Day 9 of Trading Only S&P Futures!
Today was a slower day for me. I had a meeting in the morning, didn’t start trading until after 11, and took a loss right away on my first trade. Instead of forcing trades, I decided to step back, protect my gains from the week, and focus on other projects.
I still managed to close the day +93.03, keeping my consistency goal intact. The endgame here is to build a system where I can copy trade 10 accounts at once, making $100–$200 per day.
📈 What you’ll learn
Why stepping away can be a winning move
Importance of avoiding revenge trading after a loss
Long-term consistency over short-term action
Vision for scaling to multiple accounts
⏰ Timestamps
0:00 — Intro & Day 9 Recap
0:40 — Why I Started Late Today
1:20 — First Loss & Market Read
2:00 — Decision to Step Back Early
3:00 — Consistency Over Aggression
3:30 — Key Levels for Tomorrow
📰 News Highlights
Traders are still pricing in a 90% likelihood that the Fed will cut rates by 25bps next month despite the hottest PPI reading in three years.
🔔 VX Algo Signals (9:30am – 2pm EST)
8:32 AM Market Structure flipped bearish on VX Algo X3!
10:30 AM Market Structure flipped bullish on VX Algo X3!
10:57 AM VXAlgo NQ X1 Sell Signal
11:30 AM Market Structure flipped bearish on VX Algo X3!
11:50 AM VXAlgo NQ X1 Buy Signal (double signal)
12:30 PM VXAlgo ES X3DD Sell Signal
1:30 PM Market Structure flipped bullish on VX Algo X3!
1:40 PM VXAlgo NQ X1 Sell Signal
🔑 Key Levels for Tomorrow
Above 6460 = Remain Bullish
Below 6440 = Bearish
ES- August 14th - Daily Trade Plan7:25am EST
Price has built up an overnight base between 6476 and 6490. PPI coming out this am and we could keep grinding higher or Ideally we get a loss of 6477 and reclaim to setup a nice opportunity for 10+ points and retest the 6502 high yesterday with potential upside targets of 6514, 6525, 6539.
I will update my thoughts after PPI is released. I am first looking for a flush below overnight low and reclaim or we will need to see a quick flush of lower levels at 6452, 6437 or levels shown by the yellow support levels on the chart as areas we could flush and move higher. Below 6397 and we could continue lower. IF, price is falling fast, I would get out the way and let price find support at a level and put in a good base to build and work higher.
My lean is we continue higher but first we need a flush to scare holders and push prices higher as we head into Friday OPEX. I could see us potentially spiking to 6502, 6514 after PPI then come back into the overnight range after the NYSE open. I won't be guessing or chasing, I will just be focused on how price acts and will wait for my entry to enter. IF, price loses 6437 area and doesn't reclaim, it might need to head to 6409 or 6391 area to setup a strong back test.
Update around 10am EST.
Tomorrow’s Playbook: Levels, News Bias & Scenarios 08/14/2025Summary: Bias = Neutral→Bullish while above 6,464–6,466 and the 15m 200-EMA (6,459). A clean 5m/15m acceptance above 6,491/6,500 favors continuation; otherwise expect a data-driven sweep into 6,475–6,468 to test demand.
Scenarios & Triggers (rule-based)
1) Continuation breakout
• Trigger: 5m close > 6,491 → probe 6,496–6,500.
• Validation: 15m acceptance above 6,500 (no immediate rejection).
• Targets: 6,502–6,505 first; stretch 6,512/6,520 if momentum persists.
• Management: If price reclaims 6,491 from above after a retest, momentum likely intact.
2) Rotation to demand (buy-the-dip if structure holds)
• Trigger: Rejection at 6,489–6,491 with 5m close back inside range.
• Path: 6,482 → 6,475.5 → 6,468; watch order-flow absorption or an FVG fill inside 6,464–6,466.
• Validation: Bullish 5m close from the box and 15m structure holds above 6,459.
• Targets on bounce: Return to 6,489–6,491, then 6,496–6,500.
3) Bearish flip (lower-probability without data shock)
• Trigger (strict): 15m bearish confirmation and sustained acceptance below 6,459 (15m 200-EMA).
• Path: Open the door to a deeper mean-reversion leg toward prior breakout bases (next map would be built after the break).
• Note: No shorts without that 15m confirmation per protocol.
Educational only — not financial advice.