Right of the Chart

Over the last month, our guests Michael Lamothe and Dennis Wilborn have told us a little about their swing trading tactics. Swing trading is similar to Adam Sarhan's A.M.P.D. trading strategy as both use protective stops to manage risk and keep losses small. Swing traders often take profit out once a position reaches predetermined gains while Adam often prefers to let his winners run. We'll discuss the wisdom of both strategies. 

In many ways, the market is like the wind -- you can't control it. It's going to do what it's going to do. As a self-guided, independent trader, if you study the market and learn how it moves, you can learn to align yourself with market conditions, and to an outsider, it may appear as if you can bend the wind to your will. 

Our guest Dennis Wilborn is a swing trader who has developed a strategy that automates his trades. He uses the weekends to place orders for entries and exits, and he lets the automation do the work so he has the true freedom to enjoy his time during the week. 

After a tumultuous period in the market, guest Dennis Wilborn of AutoPilotTraders.com talks about "being in cash" as a viable position for traders, and he discusses the need for traders to create a manageable watchlist to define their universe of trading opportunities.

As the markets experienced steep declines this week, many A.M.P.D. traders were already in cash positions and watching from the sidelines as the selloff sent prices lower. Today's guest, MARA Wealth founder Michael Lamothe says, "You want to be in when things are working, and you want to be out when things stop working." The key to doing that, he says, is to have a tested business plan to guide your trading decisions.   

As the $QQQ slides below the 50-day moving average in an overdue correction, A.M.P.D. traders seek new leadership in other market sectors. The indices that track small and mid-cap stocks ($IWM and $MDY) are up and potentially poised to break out. 

The market is experiencing a long anticipated drawdown, consolidating the months-long bull run. For most adherents to the A.M.P.D. strategy, the trading window is closed. Many are realizing profits as their protective stops are triggered, and they are patient while they wait for the market to find support. 

Some of the semi-conductor stocks that have led the recent rally took a sharp turn downward Thursday. Many A.M.P.D. traders are checking their protective stops and deciding how much profit they're willing to give up -- but more importantly, they are looking to other areas of the market (like biotech) that are starting to show new signs of life. 

Adam Sarhan warns that while the market is very bullish, it is also extended and could pull back at any time. It's like a yellow flag warning at the beach -- it's okay to get in the water, just be extra cautious and alert to the dangers. Right now, A.M.P.D. traders are careful about how much risk they take with new positions in this extended environment. 

The market is extended, and sellers showed up on Thursday and Friday. How far will the market pull back? No one knows, but A.M.P.D. traders have been anticipating the correction, checking their protective stops, and deciding how many gains they are willing to give up if the drawdown continues.