Nasdaq Futures NQ Trading Diary

Nice i'll try and make $1k with 3 micros too.

Gaps can get filled - sometimes trapping traders


NFP data brought price action down to the Algo line - which held.


Price action started today above yesterdays high (RTH), and globex had touched the VPOC
There is obviously a big trend to the upside to go with, and there is support underneath us, bar the gaps.
16500 looks like a great target to the upside but the initial balance is not filling me with confidence just yet.

cool, they have a 5 contract limit, i'll stick to no more than 3.

it's a good idea, gives you some room, plus if you get your brackets sorted for scaling out, it helps with the mini's

London close and this market is not moving.
Some days it is just best to find a hobby rather than trying to force a trade.
There is always a chance that an hour before the US closes the algo's re-price but I am not hanging around to find out.

yup, nothing for me so far either, will watch a bit longer but unless momentum kicks in i'll leave it until Monday.

didn't trade it



8 wins
1 no trade
1 loss

10/100

would have taken some balls to go short in such a strong uptrend so not sure I would have. Though if I were to ever be able to code this strategy, the robot would have had a win today.

but as a learning and observation exercise.
I note that the Initial Balance had a buildup of volume near the highs, which the price action could not get away from. In hindsight that was a distribution of orders. retail would have been buying like crazy on the back of an NFP number that exceeded expectations. Everyone else (not me) would have been selling to them. The VPOC held towards the IB high and then they pulled the bids from under everyone and the price collapsed downwards. If there had been an accumulation of orders lower, the price would have held, they would have built out a new volume node and the VPOC would have switched to the lower end of the range, acted as support and traders would have bought back in. That didn't happen. So now I am thinking if they are not defending these lows, will they be selling come next week? We shall have to wait and see if they buy them back on monday.

This is going to be problematic - lots of Fed speakers this week


A big range was created with an overlapping value area across 2 US sessions. Not sure I want to instigate in the middle. "Don't diddle in the middle" comes to mind.

Took a punt, because of the stats so far.
Not that confident to be honest but we shall see.

I took what I needed and I am out. The VPOC that I had on for the previous 2 day profiles is holding and I am expecting them to remove the bids from under the Initial Balance Low, but I can't sit and trade this kind of price action, it mentally hurts me,
There will be easier days.


It is a market makers day, which is when they buy the lows and sell the highs and basically keep rinsing and repeating until they have filled all their orders,

16345 is the highest volume, and where they sell, they then pick up the buyers down at 16320
At some point, I reckon they will pull the bids from underneath the 16320 and every one long will get caught out.

Or if it is the other way around and the clever money is buying 16320, at some point the MM's lift the offer and everyone short from 16345 gets trapped short.
Because I don't know, I am out

8 wins
1 no trade
2 loss

11/100

going to put today down as a loss, as it would not have made any money or clearly reach the target.


Tomorrow could be a tad more exciting, the Value Areas are now across three sessions, so a breakout will become more meaningful, surely??

futures could take a look below today

News is going to be problematic again.


gaps below could get filled

Thanks NevFx, i like this view.

No worries,

here are the levels i am watching for the Initial Balance.

..lots of confluence for the retrace short..half-way back, VWAP, etc ...

certainly looks bearish, but I am waiting for the news, especially the US 10-year auction, to pass.

The bid-to-cover was lower than the previous and below the 6 auction average. Showing a lack of demand for the benchmark 10-year notes.
ZN looked like it wanted to test lower

If there is a move out of the Treasuries, traditionally that would be bullish the equities, so I went long.

Really appreciate the commentary. Thank you!

I made $10 on the MNQ, got to break even and they stopped me out. Sounds sh1t3 compared to what you can get on the mini but I can't sit through this price action. I know it will rip at some point, but if the price action is not clean, it just chops me up. So again, I am out for the day.
Somedays I need to go fishing and not be at the charts.

yup, mind-bending watching this all session so far, i need to stop now too, else i'll take a forced trade and blow up.

Just as I read your comment I saw this set up.
Definitely at BE and will not trade again today.