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GBPUSD ANALYSIS by WAVE FX Academy (UPDATE)Market has broken channel to the upside, and we’re also seeing rejection of the 38.2 Fibonacci level coming from the recent bearish impulse. Given this scenario, should we see price action finding its way below 1.2800 we could see a bearish market continuation down to 1.2500. With the US Dollar index still showing signs of weakness, I will still be Long the Pound, however, I’d be cautious of the approach until I can see some form of rejection from the Daily support, then I’d start looking for an entry Long. My overall bias is still LONG and to see price action hitting $1.3400 
I've labeled the areas based on what I will be anticipating. An entry will be taken only if all rules of my strategy are satisfied. Add this pair to your watchlist and see if the rules of your strategy provides an entry. Like and Comment your thoughts . All feedbacks are welcome. If you are new to FOREX trading, here are the definition for words you may seen mentioned above. Price Action: Change in the price value of a traded instrument whether Forex, Commodities or Indices. Market Structure: This is classified as any group of candlesticks placed together with the use of Support, Resistance and Trendlines. once grouped they would provide a pattern to indicate a possible movement in price action. Support: Areas in the market where price tends to reverse after a sell off (lower price action) Resistance: Areas in the market where price tends stop, pause or reverse after bull run (higher price action) Uptrend: price action in the market creating a series of high highs and higher lows. Downtrend: price action creating a series of lower lows and lower highs

Long: Taking a position to buy the base currency Short: Taking a position to sell the base currency.
Long
by wavefxacademy
CADJPY Trade Analysis by WAVE FX Academy (SHORT)Hi Traders, here is my analysis for CADJPY Technical Analysis: Monthly Timeframe: Strong Downtrend market is active on monthly with price action forming a downtrend channel , with price rejecting a key resistance level . Ideally we should be expecting this trend to continue. Weekly Timeframe: Downtrend market structure also clear on the weekly timeframe , with recent price action in a retracement move. With the price failing to break $81.60, we are likely to see the market revisit the lows of $75.00. Ideally we’d want to see price action back beneath the weekly market structure acting as support to current price action. Daily Timeframe: A steady uptrend is clear on the daily timeframe , however, we are seeing where the market broke down below daily support and hovering around the trendline support. based on this market structure and what was clear on the monthly and weekly, I would be anticipating price action to continue lower. Personally I would want to see the price breaking that trend line with a well conditioned close to start looking for entries short. My overall bias is still SHORT and to see price action hitting $75.00
I've labeled the areas based on what I will be anticipating. An entry will be taken only if all rules of my strategy are satisfied. Add this pair to your watchlist and see if the rules of your strategy provides an entry. Like and Comment your thoughts . All feedbacks are welcome. If you are new to FOREX trading, here are the definition for words you may seen mentioned above. Price Action: Change in the price value of a traded instrument whether Forex, Commodities or Indices. Market Structure: This is classified as any group of candlesticks placed together with the use of Support, Resistance and Trendlines . once grouped they would provide a pattern to indicate a possible movement in price action. Support: Areas in the market where price tends to reverse after a sell off (lower price action) Resistance: Areas in the market where price tends stop, pause or reverse after bull run (higher price action) Uptrend: price action in the market creating a series of high highs and higher lows. Downtrend: price action creating a series of lower lows and lower highs

Long: Taking a position to buy the base currency Short: Taking a position to sell the base currency.
Short
by wavefxacademy
BrainChip Holdings (ASX:BRN) - What I see happening from hereLooking at the chart today from BrainChip ( ASX:BRN ) I can see they it has a couple of potential directions from here. Over the last week or so, the stock has been retreating back from its highs of close to $1.00. Overall though, I can see 2 possible scenarios. Scenario A Holding current levels (which look good considering the 61.8 fib line placement) here could see a price grab back up to above $0.50. Holding there would mean BrainChip is still maintaining an overall uptrend and also holding above the 50 fib line. Breaking through the next level of resistance at $0.64 is critical for recover efforts. A bullish scenario overall with some risk. Scenario B Failing to hold here would mean a fall back to previous support and older trend line around $0.34. A note here though that the old trend line has less touches, so holding it is yet to be determined. However, the fact that we have a trend line and a support line means we might see a bounce. Options If I was looking to gain entry, I can do so immediately, however I would be prepared for further volatility. A further fall back to $0.34 could mean a need to top up the position with more cash. I can also choose to wait for one of the following scenarios: - A clean break up and out of $0.64, signalling a much stronger bullish case. - A break down and a hold at $0.34, signalling a position of relative safety to begin investment. Risk Management I can deploy risk management techniques including limiting the percentage exposure to this stock, applying a stop loss if it falls too far or reserving cash to purchase lower entries and reduce my average, should I want a long term position. Hope this analysis helps! Note - this is a record of my thoughts for personal use only. Nothing here should be taken as financial advice. Investors and traders should always do their own research before buying or selling assets.
ASX:BRN
by glennleese
23
EURUSD TRADE ANALYSIS by WAVE FX AcademyHi Traders, here is my analysis for EURUSD Technical Analysis: Monthly Timeframe: Strong Downtrend market is still evident on the monthly Timeframe with price action consolidating beneath a strong resistance level as well. Though Price has broke out and close above the trendline resistance, I would be very cautious with opening Long position from these highs given the price level on the monthly. Weekly Timeframe: Analysis on the Weekly is is showing where the market has broken out of its downtrend market environment and has also complete a possible 3rd wave of a new bullish run emerging in the market for the euros. If the 3rd wave is indeed complete, then we should be expecting the fourth wave corrective based on Elliot wave analysis, which would provide confluence of a retracement given that the market structure on the Monthly is showing price at key resistance. Daily Timeframe: Clear market consolidation evident from a daily perspective and based on current market structure, we can see the market break to either side. Given my analysis of the weekly and monthly I would definitely want to see the market breakdown lower before I look towards buying. On the short term i would bee looking at a short position should the conditions favours it. My overall bias is still LONG and to see price action hitting 1.2500
I've labeled the areas based on what I will be anticipating. An entry will be taken only if all rules of my strategy are satisfied. Add this pair to your watchlist and see if the rules of your strategy provides an entry. Like and Comment your thoughts . All feedbacks are welcome. If you are new to FOREX trading, here are the definition for words you may seen mentioned above. Price Action: Change in the price value of a traded instrument whether Forex, Commodities or Indices. Market Structure: This is classified as any group of candlesticks placed together with the use of Support, Resistance and Trendlines. once grouped they would provide a pattern to indicate a possible movement in price action. Support: Areas in the market where price tends to reverse after a sell off (lower price action) Resistance: Areas in the market where price tends stop, pause or reverse after bull run (higher price action) Uptrend: price action in the market creating a series of high highs and higher lows. Downtrend: price action creating a series of lower lows and lower highs

Long: Taking a position to buy the base currency Short: Taking a position to sell the base currency.
Long
by wavefxacademy
EURGBP TRADE ANALYSIS by WAVE FX AcademyTrading View Analysis Template Hi Traders, here is my analysis for EURGBP Technical Analysis: Monthly Timeframe: Market has been consolidating for the past 4 years, holding the lows of 0.8300 and highs of 0.9300 as string support and resistance respectively. The current market structure shows where this consolidation may be the wave 2 correction, with a possibility of price breaking that 0.93 barrier very soon. Weekly Timeframe: Analysis on the Weekly is also providing confluence to the monthly market structure. We are seeing where the market is potentially starting the wave 3 bull run of the subway extension. We can expect a retrenchment to take place around the 0.93 monthly resistance, which would provide a good opportunity to buy. I will be monitoring the price action to see if we indeed get the breakout, otherwise, i would anticipate a retracement into the 0.9150 to 0.9100 zone Daily Timeframe: Strong bullish price action on the daily shows where market found price acceptance 3 month highs, which will now act a strong support to the market structure. We should anticipate further continuation to the upside. This strong bullish pressure will definitely encourage more buyers into the market, however, I would personally wait for some form of retracement or a strong rejection off the 0.9100 support zone before I start buying. My overall bias LONG and to see price action hitting 0.9500
I've labeled the areas based on what I will be anticipating. An entry will be taken only if all rules of my strategy are satisfied. Add this pair to your watchlist and see if the rules of your strategy provides an entry. Like and Comment your thoughts . All feedbacks are welcome. If you are new to FOREX trading, here are the definition for words you may seen mentioned above. Price Action: Change in the price value of a traded instrument whether Forex, Commodities or Indices. Market Structure: This is classified as any group of candlesticks placed together with the use of Support, Resistance and Trendlines . once grouped they would provide a pattern to indicate a possible movement in price action. Support: Areas in the market where price tends to reverse after a sell off (lower price action) Resistance: Areas in the market where price tends stop, pause or reverse after bull run (higher price action) Uptrend: price action in the market creating a series of high highs and higher lows. Downtrend: price action creating a series of lower lows and lower highs

Long: Taking a position to buy the base currency Short: Taking a position to sell the base currency.
Long
by wavefxacademy
Locking in a Profit Without Day TradingDay trading can be a quick way to capture intraday profits. However, not all accounts are suitable for day trading or can afford the pattern day trader requirements. If a trader has already completed three day trades in the past five trading days, it leaves them with two options when they have a profit on a newly opened position. 1. Either close the position, take the profit, and trigger a pattern day trade label or 2. Hold the position until the next day and hope the profit is still there. There is a third option that locks in a profit while still avoiding a day trade. This is done by legging into a debit spread. Legging into a Debit Spread A vertical debit spread is created when an investor buys-to-open (BTO) one option and sells-to-open (STO) another option further OTM. Both legs are opened on the same underlying equity and use the same expiration. However, both legs do not need to be opened at the same time. An investor can instead buy-to-open (BTO) the long leg first and then setup a sell-to-open (STO) order for another option further OTM. The STO order should be placed for a credit greater than or equal to the debit paid for the BTO leg. This is called legging into a debit spread. Example: BTO September 200 put for $10.00 of debit. Instead of placing a closing order for the 200 put, place an order to STO September 195 put for $10.00 of credit. When the STO order fills, this will create a September debit spread with a net debit of $0.00. (BTO for $10.00 debit - STO for $10.00 credit = $0.00 net debit) The risk on the trade is $0.00. The maximum risk, or potential loss, from a vertical debit spread is the net debit (cost basis) of the spread (BTO leg debit minus the STO leg credit). The potential profit is $5.00. The maximum profit that can be earned from a vertical debit spread is equal to the width of the spread minus the cost of opening the spread. No further action should be taken on this spread until the next trading day. Even placing a closing order the same day opens up the risk of being filled and tagged with two day trades. The next market day, a closing order should be placed to STC the entire spread for a credit. This order can be placed in premarket or at market open. Regardless of when the order is placed, it should be worked until the position is closed. When locking in a zero cost basis, the current value of the spread is the profit. Example: Holding a legged into debit spread with $0.00 cost basis. STC the spread for 3.40 of credit. The spread was BTO for $0.00 and STC for $3.40 resulting in a $3.40 profit. The total profit on the position is $3.40 per share, or $340 per contract. Locking in Profits This strategy can also be used to lock in profits of a position that was initially intended to be held overnight. An investor BTO a TSLA call based on an upcoming earnings play. TSLA moves 50 points going into market close and the current position has $25 of profit per share. Instead of using a day trade to close the position, STO an adjacent strike to create a debit spread to lock in a profit. Then BTO a new TSLA call to realign the account for the same earnings play. Example: 7/21 13:15 PM ET TSLA trading at 1560. BTO Aug 1560 Call for $150 per share. 14:30 PM ET TSLA is now trading at 1610. The Aug 1560 Call is now worth $175, equaling $25 of profit per share. STO Aug 1570 Call for $170 per share. This creates a debit spread with a $20 net credit . BTO for a debit of $150, STO for a credit of $170 = $20 net credit . This is now a debit spread with a credit as the cost basis. Depending on your trading platform, this may be shown as a negative cost basis. This is because it is a credit on a debit spread. Max risk = $20 profit, no risk on the trade. Locking in a credit is a guaranteed profit on the trade. Max profit = $30: $20 of credit + $10 of spread width. BTO the Aug 1605 call for $157 per share. This allows the account to still be setup for an earnings play. Net risk of the two positions is $157 debit - $20 credit = $137 of risk per share. Next Market Day: 7/22 9:30 AM ET TSLA gaps open to 1679 due to earnings. STC the Aug 1560/1570 debit spread for a credit of 6.70. Total profit on the spread is the $20 net credit + 6.70 of credit to close = $26.70 of profit per share or $2,670 of profit per contract. STC the Aug 1605 call for $195 credit. BTO for $157, STC for $195 = $38 profit per share or $3,800 profit per contract. Total profit is $64.70 on a net risk of $137 = 47.2% return and no day trades used. Credit on a Debit Spread In the above example, the stock moved enough for the STO leg to have a higher value than that of the debit paid on the BTO leg. This legging in allowed for a credit cost basis when normally a debit cost basis would be held if both legs had been opened at the same time. When the credit received on the STO leg is higher than the debit paid on the BTO leg, this creates a credit on the spread. This does not make it a credit spread. It is still a correctly constructed debit spread because the STO leg is further OTM than the BTO leg, but instead of holding a debit and risk on the trade, the position now has a credit, no risk on the trade, and a guaranteed profit If a debit spread with a credit is held until expiration and expires out of the money, the “loss” on the spread is actually a profit equal to the credit held. When a strike is OTM at expiration, it no longer has any value to it. It has lost all time value and because it is OTM, it contains no intrinsic (ITM) value. Example: The BTO leg for $150 is STC for $0.00 = $150 loss. The STO leg for $170 is BTC for $0.00 = $170 profit. $170 profit - $150 loss = $20 profit per share or $2,000 per contract. If both legs of the debit spread are in the money at expiration, the profit on the spread is equal to the credit held plus the spread width. When a strike is ITM at expiration, it only contains intrinsic (ITM) value. It has lost all time value. Example: AMZN settles at expiration at 1580. The 1560 call is 20 points ITM. The 1570 call is 10 points ITM. The BTO leg for $150 is STC for $20 = $130 loss. The STO leg for $170 is BTC for $10 = $160 profit. $160 profit - $130 loss = $30 profit per share or $3,000 per contract. It is not recommended to hold ITM spreads on American style options until expiration due to risk of assignment/exercise. American vs European Style Options Most stocks and ETF’s are American style options. This means that if the buyer of an option chooses to exercise or assign their rights they may do so at any time prior to expiration. Indexes such as SPX, NDX, and RUT are European style options. This means that any exercise or assignment may only occur at expiration. Trading spreads on European style options, can alleviate the concern of early exercise/assignment. If both legs are ITM, they can only be exercised or assigned at expiration. For American style options, the closer to expiration and the further ITM the STO leg is, the more likely it is to be exercised/assigned. This is why building time into the position is beneficial by using an expiration at least 2-3 weeks out. Additional Information This strategy works best on long options, BTO a call or BTO a put. It is not recommended to be used to lock in a profit on an existing debit or credit spread. While you can use this strategy to leg into a credit spread, debit spreads tend to be more efficient as credit spreads rely on rapid time value decay so generally require sooner expirations. The legging in strategy works with any spread width. However, the larger the spread width the further the underlying will have to move for the STO leg to be at the same value or higher than the cost basis of the BTO leg. When legging into wide spreads if you can lock in a cost basis less than the current spread value you still have profit potential. Legging into a debit spread is an efficient way to avoid day trading but still guarantee yourself a position that can be closed the next market day for a profit. As long as the debit spread is not at expiration or extremely far out of the money, the spread should have value to it. A zero cost basis debit spread can be closed for a profit equal to the current value of the spread. While locking in a credit on a debit spread results in a guaranteed profit equal to the credit on the spread plus the current value of the spread.
SP:SPXEducation
by NewCycleTrading
4
Is the Stock Market going to CRASH?!?!Is the stock market going to crash?!?! I reckon about 50 people a week ask me this question! The reality is that we have never experienced this kind of crash before, we have never fought COVID before and we are seeing a huge amount of stimulus from our governments. Even the most experienced traders and investors are struggling to predict the market. Here is what I know: • It's a crazy time, with things changing daily • The market has recovered well since the crash, but it's not yet "technically safe" • We are going through a digital evolution, meaning that things are different. Business is different. Life is different. • Companies are announcing loss in sales and increase in profits at the same time. Profit is what matters. • We are never going to see "work" in the same way again. • There is a huge amount of misinformation in the media • There is an even bigger amount of misinformation coming from the public (the new media - how ironic) • The stock market responds to supply and demand. You might think a stock is overpriced (and it may be), but if another person is willing to pay that price, is it 'overpriced', or just... 'priced'? • A company is not it's stock price. Read this 3 times. • An index is not a company. Read this 3 times. The world is changing and evolving. Here is my suggestion to investors and traders: Don't try to predict. Instead get really good at adapting and even better at reacting. Use technology to your benefit. Computers are better than us at processing things, we are better at strategy. Manage your risk every second of every day. Never stop doing what you love in he trading and investing world, instead, proceed with caution and have an exit strategy. Technicals: The below chart is how I personally see the ASX right now. We are looking very bullish technically, with a huge ascending triangle on top of a trip wire on the daily. We also have an ascending triangle on the 4hr. We are pressing against resistance right now. A push through could see us making new recent highs and moving up a couple of hundred points. If we do, be careful as we are going to hit a major supply zone, which could trigger a reversal. A push through this second level of resistance could see the market heading in a longer term positive direction. Marked on chart. Another thing to note, we are right on the 61.8 Fibs, a prime position for a reversal to occur. Does this mean the market is going up? No it doesn't, but it looks like it wants to. The market is a flaky, fickle, 2-faced, sadistic creature. Remember what you are dealing with. Be careful, its not your friend and it doesn't care about you. Does this make you feel bad? Why? Now you know what you are dealing with, you can milk it for everything it's worth. Your role as a trader is to take money from the market and put it in your pocket. Don't kid yourself, this was never a friendship. How I read it: It could easily go either way right now. Risk management is key. Invest in sectors that stand to benefit whether the crash happens or not. Read the following aloud to yourself: • Risk management is my number 1 priority • I'm going to do my own research and make my own choices • My friends and family aren't qualified to give me financial advice If you prioritise risk, you minimise loss. Its really that simple. Here's the thing, we just don't know what will happen. No one does. All the time you spend searching for someone to give you that answer could have been spent finding your next major trade. Spend it wisely. A couple of things to be aware of: - Australia follows the US. Elections are coming soon in November. - Jobkeeper is allowing companies to keep operating, it's potentially ending next March. - All business is changing. What you know today may not apply tomorrow. With that being said, I wish everyone an amazing week trading and investing! • Learn • Manage Risk • Adapt • Remove the ego • DYOR • Invest in what you know • Go your own way Have a great week 🚀
Editors' picks
ASX:XJOEducation
by glennleese
43
GOLD SAFE TRADING SETUP If the price is below the support 1920.80, beginning of downtrend is expected. We make sure when the support at 1920.80 breaks. If the resistance at 1954.13 is broken, the short-term forecast -beginning of uptrend- will be valid. Technical analysis: our current position is at 1938.17 if the support at 1920.80 breaks it will be go down as (bearish) or our take profit will be at 1873.53 and if the resistance 1954.13 our take profit will be at 2007.72 it will be obvious bullish If you find this helpful and want more FREE forecasts in TradingView . . . . . Please show your support back, . . . . . . . . Hit the 👍 LIKE button, . . . . . . . . . . . Drop some feedback below in the comment! Your Support is very much 🙏 appreciated! Want us to help you become a better Forex trader? Now, It's your turn! Be sure to leave a comment let us know how do you see this opportunity and forecast. Trade well, ❤️ FX EXCHANGE FREE LEARNING PLATFORM
FX:XAUUSDShort
by FIRE07
The Stigma of Options Pattern Day TradingIs there a pattern to your trades? Anyone trading options knows how little effort it takes to build up a healthy volume of transactions. But you should be aware of one rule that could inhibit your ability to trade options too often in a margin account. In the past, day trading represented the wild west of the market. It was possible for day traders to move in and out of positions within the trading day and end up with no open positions. Margin is calculated as of the ending positions in the trading day; this meant it was possible to trade on large volume with little or no cash at risk, meaning no margin requirements. It also meant huge risks for brokers. Trading on extreme leverage is attractive, but it is not the only motive for day trading. Many traders believe that the risk of price gaps between today’s close and tomorrow’s open are simply too great; day trading enables traders to close out positions during the trading day, avoiding this risk altogether. Even so, if you want to day trade, you could fall into the definition of a “pattern day trader.” Entry and exit decisions are based on momentum, chart patterns, and other technical strategies. Whichever strategy employed, the theme to day trading is that positions are opened and closed before the trading day’s end. This problem, at times representing unacceptable risks to brokers as well as to traders, is what led to the enactment of new rules concerning so-called pattern day traders. By definition, a day trade is when you buy-to-open and sell-to-close or sell-to-open and buy-to-close the same option within the same market day. A pattern day trader is when this action is repeated four or more times within five consecutive trading days using a margin account. If you fall into this definition, you must maintain at least $25,000 in equity balances (cash and securities) in your margin account. This balance has to be on hand before you can continue any day trading. You can also be labeled a pattern day trader by your broker if your broker believes there is a strong likelihood that you will day trade. One exception: If your day trading is lower than 6% of the total number of trades you make in the five-day period, then you are not considered a pattern day trader. So, high-volume traders can escape the rule under this provision. Once you have been labeled a pattern day trader, you will need to maintain at least a $25,000 equity value in the account . If your account falls below $25,000, it will be frozen from day trading until the account is restored to the minimum equity requirement of $25,000. Example of day trading: 8/18 10:10 AM BTO AUG-21 TSLA 1900 Call 8/18 10:50 AM STC AUG-21 TSLA 1900 Call This is a day trade. The position was opened and closed in the same trading day. Example of not day trading: 8/17 3:50 PM BTO AUG-21 TSLA 1900 Call 8/18 10:50 AM STC AUG-21 TSLA 1900 Call This is not a day trade. The position was opened and closed on two different trading days. Example of Pattern Day Trading: 8/13 Opened and closed an AMZN Put 8/13 Opened and closed a GOOG Call 8/17 Opened and closed a BKNG put 8/18 Opened and closed a TSLA call This is pattern day trading. There have been four day trades in a five trading day period. Trading days do not include weekends for stock/index/ETF options. If instead of taking the TSLA call on 8/18, the position was day traded on 8/21, this would not have been classified as pattern day trading. This is because the fourth day trade, TSLA, would have been over five business days away from the first day trade on 8/13. See below: 8/13 Opened and closed an AMZN Put 8/13 Opened and closed a GOOG Call 8/17 Opened and closed a BKNG put 8/21 Opened and closed a TSLA call This is not pattern day trading. Assuming no day trades were placed prior to 8/13. The pattern day trading requirements is one of those unexpected surprises many traders discover in their margin accounts. The rules are easily understood in hindsight, but unfortunately, they are likely to come to your attention only after you fall into the zone in which they kick in and apply to you. Individual brokers may have more strict rules regarding pattern day trading. For example, one broker may view the opening and closing of a vertical debit spread as one day trade, while another broker may view the same action as two day trades, since a spread has two different options. It is always important to contact your broker to understand how their day trading rules apply to you and your account. They will also have a record of your current day trades. If it is posted on your platform, make sure you know how to locate the day trade count if you intend to avoid being labeled a pattern day trader and are looking to stay at three day trades or lower in a five trading day period.
SP:SPXEducation
by NewCycleTrading
3
EURNZD Analysis by Wave FX Academy (DETAILED MULTI-TIMEFRAME)Hi Traders, here is my analysis for EURNZD Technical Analysis: Market has been gradually progressing higher over the past couple of years. Recent Price Action from a monthly perspective shows we’ve broken above a strong resistance zone at $1.77 now also acting as strong support. It's a strong possibility to see price action in the $1.86 region based on the current market structure. Looking at the weekly timeframe, we are seeing a well conditioned uptrend with price making consistent higher highs and higher lows With price currently testing the 38.2% level from the recent selloff, we may see some rejection here before price continues higher. A closer look at the market structure patterns on the daily timeframe, shows where we have broken out of the down channel and also closed firmly above the downtrend anchor indicating continuation to the upside. With all 3 timeframes (M, W, D) indicating bullish strength, and the major banks adding more long positions on the Euro while closing out massive shorts, in comparison to the all around reduction on both Long and Short positions for the Kiwi, it wouldn't be a surprise to see price action hitting the target of $1.8600 or even higher. I've labeled the areas based on what I will be anticipating. Like and Comment your thoughts . All feedbacks are welcomed. An entry will be taken only if all rules of my strategy are satisfied. Add this pair to your watchlist and see if the rules of your strategy provides an entry.
Long
by wavefxacademy
1
Trader's Guide to Vertical Debit SpreadsThe strategies and ideas presented in this guide have been designed to provide you with a comprehensive program of learning. The goal is to guide you through the learning experience so you may be an independent, educated, confident and successful trader. There are numerous variations of traditional options strategies and each has a desired outcome. Some are very risky strategies and others require a considerable amount of time to find, execute and manage positions. Spreads are a limited risk strategy. Spreads Spreads are simply an option trade that combines two options into one position. The two legs of one spread position could have different expiration dates and/or different strikes. Spreads can be established as bearish or bullish positions. How the spread is constructed will define whether it is bullish (rising bias) or bearish (declining bias). Different types of spreads can be used for the same directional bias of the stock. For example, if the stock has a declining bias, a call credit spread or a put debit spread could be opened to take advantage of the same anticipated move down. In this guide we will be talking about Vertical Debit Spreads, which are a limited risk strategy. Learning how to manage risk is as important as learning the details of a strategy. Vertical Debit Spreads A vertical debit spread is created when an investor simultaneously buys-to-open (BTO) one option and sells-to-open (STO) another option. The premium paid for the BTO is always greater than the premium received for the STO thus, creating a net debit from the trader’s account. Example: BTO a call using the May 180 strike for a debit of $7.57 STO a call using the May 190 strike for a credit of $3.42 Net debit for the spread is $4.15 The proper construction of a vertical debit spread is to BTO an at-the-money (ATM) strike and STO the strike that is 5 – 10 points further out-of-the-money (OTM). When opening a call debit spread, further OTM means a higher strike. When opening a put debit spread, further OTM means a lower strike. Both legs are opened on the same underlying equity and use the same expiration month. The Delta Ratio Delta is a factor in how profitable a debit spread may be. When the underlying stock moves, the value of the options will change at the rate of the Delta. Delta values will be different for different strikes depending on how far out-of-the-money or in-the-money the strike is. Look at an options chain for the current expiration month. Find the Delta of the at-the-money strike and compare it to the Delta of a strike 20 points out-of-the-money. The ATM strike will always have a higher delta than the OTM strike. This means that the value of the ATM strike will change more quickly than the OTM strike, as the underlying stock moves. When properly constructed, a debit spread is designed to take advantage of the Delta relationship between the long and short options. By STO a strike further out-of-the-money than the BTO strike, the long leg will increase in value more rapidly than the short leg. This is referred to as the Delta Ratio. Put debit spreads are used when the stock shows a declining bias. Puts increase in value as the stock decreases in value. In this case, the long put would increase in value creating a profit. The short leg would increase in value creating a loss. However, as we learned earlier, due to the Delta Ratio, the long put is increasing in value faster than the short put is creating a loss. This will create an overall position profit as the stock moves down. Here is an example: Stock trading at 520 and has a declining bias. BTO 520 put STO 510 put This spread creates a debit of $4.80 Stock declines to 510 causing the values of the puts to increase. The position can now be closed for a profit. STC 520 put BTC 510 put The value of the spread has increased to $5.80. Since the stock declined in value, the put options are more expensive. The spread was BTO for a debit of $4.80 and STC for a credit of $5.80 resulting in a $1.00 profit. Call debit spreads are used when the stock shows a rising bias. Calls increase in value as the stock rises. In this case, the long call would increase in value creating a profit. At the same time, the short call would increase in value creating a loss. However, as we learned earlier, due to the Delta Ratio, the long call is increasing in value faster than the short call is creating a loss. Stock trading at 500 and has a rising bias. BTO 500 call STO 510 call This spread creates a debit of $4.80 Stock rises to 510 causing the values of the calls to also rise. The position can now be closed for a profit. STC 500 call BTC 510 call The value of the spread has increased to $5.80. Since the stock increased in value, the call options are more expensive. The spread was BTO for a debit of $4.80 and STC for a credit of $5.80 resulting in a $1.00 profit. Risk and Reward on Vertical Debit Spreads Reward The maximum profit that can be earned from a vertical debit spread is equal to the width of the spread minus the cost of opening the spread. For a vertical debit spread to realize the maximum potential profit, both legs of the spread would need to expire in-the-money which means the position would need to be held until expiration. I do not recommend holding positions until expiration. Short term movements in the stock/index plus limited time value decay provide opportunities to close out positions for a profit of about 10%. If a position is profitable and the trader decides to hold the position hoping for a bigger profit or in an attempt to carry the position to expiration, there is a good chance that the profit will disappear and the position could turn into a losing position. This also will increase the risk of assignment/exercise if trading an American style expiration. A good way to lose money is to wait for a bigger profit Risk The maximum risk, or potential loss, from a vertical debit spread is the net debit (cost basis) of the spread (BTO leg debit minus the STO leg credit). Example: BTO 2765 call for a debit of $11.70 STO 2770 call for a credit of $8.30 Cost basis of the spread is $3.40 $3.40 is the maximum risk. A maximum loss will occur when both strikes are out-of-the-money at expiration. Learning how to properly adjust positions will avoid this. A trader establishes a bullish (call) debit spread when the chart indicates a rising bias. The breakeven point is the lower strike price plus the net debit. Referring to the example above, if the stock was at 2768.40 at expiration, there would be no loss and no profit. Example of breakeven point on above debit spread: Stock settles at 2768.40 at expiration The 2765 strike is $3.40 ITM, the value of the strike has $3.40 of intrinsic value and no time value. The 2770 call expires OTM worthless and you keep the 8.30 of credit as profit. Since you do not want to exercise your right to own the stock, you sell the 2765 back at the price of $3.40. This results in a $8.30 loss. $11.70 BTO – $3.40 STC = $8.30 loss You get to keep the original credit of $8.30 from the 2770 call. This netted against the $8.30 loss results in breaking even on the position. A trader establishes a bearish (put) debit spread when the chart indicates a rising bias. The breakeven point is the BTO (higher) strike price minus the net debit. Calculating the Return The profit percent return is calculated by dividing the profit by the risk. After all, if the trade lost 100% of the risk that is the amount the trader would no longer have. In the example above, the net risk is $3.40. If the debit vertical spread trade resulted in a $1.00 profit, the percentage return would be 29.41% ($1.00 / $3.40). Lower risk drives higher returns relative to capital at risk. American vs European Style Options Most stocks and ETF’s are American style options. This means that if the buyer of an option chooses to exercise or assign their rights they may do so at any time prior to expiration. Indexes such as SPX, NDX, and RUT are European style options. This means that any exercise or assignment may only occur at expiration. Trading spreads on European style options, can alleviate the concern of early exercise/assignment. If both legs are ITM, they can only be exercised or assigned at expiration, which allows flexibility to continue to hold the position rather than take action to avoid assignment/exercise as would be suggested on American style options. Opening a new Put Debit Vertical Spread The following steps should be referred to when opening a new put debit vertical spread position: 1. Review the technical indicators on your chart and confirm there is a consensus between multiple indicators pointing to a declining bias. 2. Select an expiration that is one to three months out. One month is generally the minimum time to expiration you want to use. Building time into the position is advised in case it needs to be managed. The sweet spot for opening new positions is two months to expiration. 3. BTO the at-the-money (ATM) put strike. BTO the strike that is closest to the money. When the stock/index is trading between strikes, BTO the first strike higher than the current price of the stock. 4. STO the strike that is 10 points further out-of-the-money (OTM). With a put spread, further OTM means a lower strike. BTO ATM and STO 10 points further OTM will create a debit. Generally, when properly constructed, the debit will be in the range of $4.00 - $6.00. 5. When placing the order, always use a Limit order. A limit order specifies to the market the amount of the debit you will accept. A limit order will be filled at the specified limit or lower. Market orders should not be used. 6. With some stocks and indexes, the difference between the bid and ask is quite large. The broker will usually give you a quote called the “Mark”. This is the midpoint between the bid and ask. It is the price you should start with when submitting your limit debit order. 7. Calculate the risk of the position. Cost basis of position is risk. So a position with a debit of $4.50 would have a risk of $4.50. 8. Use the risk number to determine the number of contracts to open. Risk x 100 = the investment required for each contract. With $4.50 of risk and one contract, the total investment would be $450 ($4.50 x (1 contract x 100 shares per contract)). 9. Once you know the total investment required per contract, you can decide how many contracts to trade based on the size of your portfolio. Generally, allocating 5% of the total portfolio to each trade is good risk management. Smaller account sizes may require a higher investment per trade but should not exceed 10%. 10. After the trade has been opened, place a Good-til-Canceled (GTC) order to close the position for a $1.00 profit. A GTC order will stay active until market conditions are such that the position can be closed for a $1.00 profit. GTC orders execute automatically and do not require you to be in front of your computer to take advantage of the profit opportunity.
Editors' picks
SP:SPXEducation
by NewCycleTrading
9
EURCAD Trade Analysis by WAVE FX Academy Hi Traders, here is my analysis for the EURCAD On Daily Timeframe we are seeing where the market have broken out of its 3 month consolidation, with a strong bullish impulse to the upside, hitting March’s highs in the process. Price action also corrected to 61.8% of the impulsive from the breakout. This is also corresponding with the trend channel acting as linear support and resistance. Analysing the COT data; The major banks have closed our shorts for the Euro, while adding more to their Long position on the perspective of the CAD we are seeing where they have closed out Longs and added more shorts. Using this along with Technical Analysis, It would be no surprise to see EURCAD hitting $1.60 I've labeled the areas based on what I will be anticipating. Like and Comment your thoughts . All feedbacks are welcomed. An entry will be taken only if all rules of my strategy are satisfied. Add this pair to your watchlist and see if the rules of your strategy provides an entry.
Long
by wavefxacademy
How to Capture more Profit through Trend Line AnglesTheory: When I'm trading trending markets above the 4hr and daily timeframes, I often use trend angles to understand the rate of change as the market gets faster and steeper. Today I'm going to use Gold as an example. I have been trading this asset for a while as it has been trending well on a casual upward slope of approx 14 degrees. Around July 20, the angle changed to 30 degrees... This is twice as steep, indicating stronger momentum. Around the July 23, again the angle increased and this time to 52 degrees - almost double again. On July 27 (today at time of publishing) the angle changed again to 76 degrees. Using the trend angle tool, I can see the rate of change and how steep the trade has become. Trading Tactics: Each time the angle changes, I draw a new trend line and add an alert to the most recent inner trend line. This is now my priority. As the trade develops, I can review the progress. If the most recent inner trend is broken, that's the first red flag for me. I can choose to sell a few contracts/shares/units and begin to scale out. At the break of the most recent support directly below the inner trend line, I will scale out even further. If a second trend line or a major channel is broken in addition to the inner trend and support, I will scale out completely. Summary: This tactic has allowed me to capture maximum profit without having to set up a trailing stop loss. Although a trailing stop can work exceptionally well in some circumstances, this is an alternative option. Hope this helps! Have you used similar tactics or a similar strategy? NOTE - This is purely educational content and none of it should be taken as financial advice. I am sharing a tactic that works for me personally, with no guarantee of results being replicated.
OANDA:XAUUSDEducation
by glennleese
5
Trader's Guide to Credit SpreadsThe strategies and ideas presented in this guide have been designed to provide you with a comprehensive program of learning. The goal is to guide you through the learning experience so you may be an independent, educated, confident and successful trader. There are numerous variations of traditional options strategies and each has a desired outcome. Some are very risky strategies and others require a considerable amount of time to find, execute and manage positions. Spreads are a limited risk strategy. Spreads Spreads are simply an option trade that combines two options into one position. The two legs of one spread position could have different expiration dates and/or different strikes. Spreads can be established as bearish or bullish positions. How the spread is constructed will define whether it is bullish (rising bias) or bearish (declining bias). Different types of spreads can be used for the same directional bias of the stock. For example, if the stock has a declining bias, a call credit spread or a put debit spread could be opened to take advantage of the same anticipated move down. In this guide we will be talking about Credit Spreads , which are a limited risk strategy. Learning how to manage risk is as important as learning the details of a strategy. Credit Spreads A credit spread is created when an investor simultaneously sells-to-open (STO) one option and buys-to-open (BTO) another option. The premium received for the STO is always greater than the premium paid for the BTO thus creating a net credit to the account. Example : STO a call using the 120 strike for a credit of $5.20 BTO a call using the 130 strike for a debit of $3.80 Net credit for the spread is $1.40 = 5.20 credit - 3.80 debit The ideal construction of a credit spread is to sell-to-open (STO) an out-of-the-money (OTM) strike and buy-to-open (BTO) the strike that is 5 – 10 points further out-of-the-money (OTM) using the same expiration. When opening a call credit spread , further OTM means a higher strike. When opening a put credit spread , further OTM means a lower strike. Both legs are opened on the same underlying equity and use the same expiration month. Call credit spreads are opened when there is a declining bias and will be profitable if the stock moves down. This is because a call credit spread is opened for a credit and since the value of a call option decreases as the stock goes down, at some point the spread will be bought-to-close (BTC) for less than it was sold-to-open (STO). Here is an example: Stock trading at 500 and has a declining bias. STO 510 call BTO 520 call This spread creates a credit of $4.80 Stock declines to 490 causing the values of the calls to also decline. The position can now be closed for a profit. BTC 510 call STC 520 call The cost to buy back the spread is only $3.80. Since the stock declined in value, the call options are cheaper. The spread was STO for a credit of $4.80 and BTC for a debit of $3.80 resulting in a $1.00 profit. Put credit spreads are opened when there is a rising bias and will be profitable if the stock moves higher. This is because a put credit spread is opened for a credit and since the value of a put option decreases as the stock goes up, at some point the spread will be bought-to-close (BTC) for less than it was sold-to-open (STO). Here is an example: Stock trading at 520 and has a rising bias. STO 510 put BTO 500 put This spread creates a credit of $3.60 Stock rises to 530 causing the values of the puts to decline. The position can now be closed for a profit. BTC 510 put STC 500 put The cost to buy back the spread is only $1.80. Since the stock went up in value, the put options are cheaper. The spread was STO for a credit of $3.60 and BTC for a debit of $1.80 resulting in a $1.80 profit. Time decay is a positive factor in trading credit spreads. Since the position is opened for a credit, money comes into the traders account immediately. As time value decays, combined with a favorable movement of the stock, the value of the position will decrease allowing the trader to buy-to-close (BTC) the position for less than it was originally sold-to-open (STO). Risk and Reward on Credit Spreads Reward The maximum profit that can be earned from a credit spread is equal to the net credit received when the spread was opened. For a credit spread to realize the maximum profit, both legs of the spread would need to expire worthless which means the position would need to be held until expiration and be out-of-the-money at expiration. It is not advised to hold positions until expiration. Short term movements in the stock plus time value decay provide opportunities to close out positions for a profit of, generally, about 10%. If a position is profitable and the trader decides to hold the position hoping for a bigger profit or in an attempt to carry the position to expiration, there is a good chance that the profit can disappear, and the position could turn into a losing position. A good way to lose money is to wait for a bigger profit. Risk The maximum risk, or potential loss, from a credit spread is the difference between the two strikes minus the net credit. Example: STO 120 call for a credit of $5.20 BTO 130 call for a debit of $3.80 Net credit for the spread is $1.40 The difference between the strikes is 10 points. $10 is the max risk less $1.40 credit = risk of $8.60. The maximum profit is equal to the net credit, $1.40. Losses occur when the short strike (the STO leg) is in-the-money at expiration. This is because the trader has sold to someone else the right to buy the stock at the short leg strike. Since the trader does not actually own the stock, they will need to buy it and sell it at a loss. A maximum loss will occur when both strikes are in-the-money at expiration. The breakeven point on a bearish (call) credit spread is the lower strike price plus the net credit. Referring to the example above, if the stock settled at 121.40 at expiration, there would be no loss and no profit. Example of breakeven point on above credit spread: Stock trading at 121.40 Buyer exercises the right to buy stock from you at 120. Since you do not own the stock, you buy it at the market price of 121.40 and sell it at 120. This results in a $1.40 loss You get to keep the original credit of $1.40. This netted against the $1.40 loss results in breaking even on the position. The breakeven point on a bullish (put) credit spread is the higher strike price minus the net credit. Calculating the Return There are two ways to view the percentage return of profits from a credit spread. One is to divide the profit by the difference between the strikes. If the difference between strikes is 10 points and the trade resulted in a $1.00 profit, that would be a 10% return ($1.00 / 10). The second approach is to calculate the return based on the amount of capital that was at risk. After all, if the trade lost 100% of the risk, that is the amount the trader would no longer have. So, the profit percent is calculated by dividing the profit by the risk. In the example above, the net risk is $8.60. If the credit spread trade resulted in a $1.00 of profit, the percentage return would be 11.63% ($1.00 / $8.60). This approach shows the importance of managing risk. Lower risk drives higher returns relative to capital at risk. Opening a new Call Credit Spread The following steps should be referred to when opening a new call credit spread position: 1. Review the technical indicators on your chart and confirm there is a consensus between multiple indicators pointing to a declining bias. 2. Select an expiration that is two to four weeks out. Two weeks is generally the minimum time to expiration you want to use. Building time into options positions is advised in case it needs to be managed. The sweet spot for opening new positions is three weeks to expiration. 3. STO an out-of-the-money (OTM) call strike. 4. BTO the strike that is 5-10 points further out-of-the-money (OTM). With a call spread, further OTM means a higher strike. Generally, when properly constructed, the credit on a 5 point spread will be in the range of $1.20 - $1.80. A 10 point spread will generally be 2.50 – 3.50. The closer the strikes are to the current price, the higher the credit, while this reduces the overall risk of the position, it also increases the chances of the position moving in-the-money (ITM) which can result in an overall loss. 5. When placing the order, always use a Limit Order . A limit credit order specifies to the market the amount of the credit you will accept. A limit credit order will be filled at the specified limit or higher. Market orders should not be used. 6. With some stocks and indexes, the difference between the bid and ask is quite large. The broker will usually give you a quote called the “Mark”. This is the midpoint between the bid and ask. It is the price you should start with when submitting your limit credit order. 7. Calculate the risk of the position. Difference between the strikes – credit = risk. A position with a credit of $4.50 and 10 points between the short (sold) and long (buy) strikes would have a risk of $5.50. 8. Use the risk number to determine the number of contracts to open. Risk x 100 = the investment required for each contract. With $5.50 of risk and 1 contract, the total investment would be $550. ($5.50 x (1 contract x 100 shares per contract)). The total investment on 4 contracts would be $2,200. ($5.50 x(4 contracts x 100 shares per contract)). 9. Once you know the total investment required per contract, you can decide how many contracts to trade based on the size of your portfolio and personal risk tolerance. 10. After the trade has been opened, place a Good-til-Canceled (GTC) order to close the position. A GTC order will stay active until market conditions are such that the position can be closed for a profit. GTC orders execute automatically and do not require you to be in front of your trading platform to take advantage of the profit opportunity. Place the GTC for a limit debit price based on your desired profit target. One example is to set a GTC for 50% of the credit you received when you opened the position. With a credit of $4.50, a GTC would be placed to buy to close the position at $2.25 allowing a $2.25 profit.
SP:SPXEducation
by NewCycleTrading
3
Moving Averages - Effective Settings for Day TradersHello Traders, In today's lecture I'm explaining how to use Moving Averages effectively on smaller (1hour) time-frames. Moving Averages can be applied to all assets including Forex, Stocks, Crytpos, etc.. Please note that Moving Averages are a lagging indicator which means they print on screen after price action has moved. They by no means are a leading indicator. Your most leading indicator will either be price-action itself or correlating assets. If anyone has any questions about Moving Averages, feel free to leave your comments in the comment section below. Trade Safe - Trade Well ~Michael Harding
Education
by Michael_Harding